The cockatrice was a small avian magical beast. It was notorious for its petrification ability.[3]
Description[]
Although about the size of a large turkey or goose and weighing 25 lb (11 kg), a cockatrice more closely resembled a chicken, but it was a hideous hybrid with the wings of a bat and a lizard-like tail.[3] This tail had yellow-green scales, its bat wings were a grey shade, their feet and beak were yellow, and their feathers were of a golden-brown hue.[5]
A male cockatrice had a rooster's wattles and comb, which the females lacked.[3] These wattles and comb, as well as the eyes and tongue of both sexes, were all red.[5]
Behavior[]
Cockatrices had an animal level of intelligence.[5]
Biology[]
Female cockatrices were very rare, much more so than the males.[3]
These creatures were closely related to the pyrolisk.[6]
Combat[]
Any creature that a cockatrice bit could be permanently turned into stone.[5][3] Prior to the Time of Troubles, this petrifying aura extended even into the Astral and Ethereal planes, much like that of a basilisk.[5]
Cockatrices were immune to their own petrifying bite and that of other cockatrices, though not of other petrifying creatures and spells.[3]
Cockatrices ferociously attacked any creature that appeared to threaten them or their lairs. Typically, flocks of them would attempt to overwhelm or confuse their opponents, and flew at their faces.[3]
Ecology[]
Habitats[]
These creatures could be found almost any region,[4] though they typically inhabited temperate or tropical regions, either underground or above ground[5] in plains.[3]
Beyond the Prime Material plane, scattered numbers of cockatrices could be found in the Elemental Plane of Earth.[7]
Usages[]
Some creatures were known to harvest the venom of cockatrices. Following the Spellplague, this venom typically fetched a price of 100 gold pieces.[8]
Gallery[]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage • Candlekeep Mysteries: "The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale"
Novels & Short Stories
Spin a Yarn: The Night Thelva Clovenaxe Flew
Video Games
Board Games
Card Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Further Reading[]
- Ed Greenwood (March 1985). “The Ecology of the Cockatrice”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #95 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 22–26.
- Kyla Ward (March 2005). “The Petit Tarrasque and Other Monsters”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 48–54.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 42. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ Rob Heinsoo, Stephen Schubert (May 19, 2009). Monster Manual 2 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 36. ISBN 0786995101.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 37. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 45. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 15. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ David "Zeb" Cook et al. (1989). Monstrous Compendium Volume One. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-8803-8738-6.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 36. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ Rodney Thompson, Claudio Pozas, Steve Townshend (2011). Player's Option: Heroes of the Feywild. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 133. ISBN 978-0786958368.