Cockatrice

The cockatrice is a small avian beast. Any creature that a cockatrice bites can be permanently turned to stone. A cockatrice is not particularly intelligent, and is always neutral in alignment. It is closely related to the pyrolisk.

Physical Description
A cockatrice has the head and body of a male chicken, bat wings, and the long tail of a lizard.

Abilities
Variations in the legend of the cockatrice have given the creature a number of different powers. Use the following guidelines to make this creature more threatening and diverse.

Petrifying Gaze
Some legends state that the gaze of the cockatrice is the source of its petrification. This proved to be a fatal weakness for the cockatrice, as it was not immune to its own gaze, and could be petrified itself it it saw it's own reflection. Additionally, weasels were immune to the gaze of the cockatrice and were often used to hunt down these horrid monsters. To simulate this effect, use the following traits.

Poison Breath
One legend claims that the breath of the cockatrice is a noxious fume that is not only sickening to smell but also a lethal poison when inhaled. The cockatrice with this power often has the head of a dragon with dark red or pitch black eyes.