This monster may give adventurers trouble. Beginners are recommended to avoid basilisks if they can. Basilisks have a petrifying gaze, which means that anyone who meets their eyes will be turned to stone. Avoiding the gaze is easy; blind-folds and closing your eyes are safe and effective. But, this presents a new problem, namely, fighting a giant lizard monster. Thankfully basilisks are slow and lethargic. Eight limbs does not mean a greater speed, it merely allows basilisks more grip when climbing. The bite is the most dangerous part of a blinded basilisk. Their jaws are short and sharp, meant to chip off pieces of their petrified enemies and slowly grind away at them. Getting bitten won't cause lacerations or heavy bleeding, but it can feasibly mean a loss of fingers. Basilisks are covered in numerous hard, spiny scales. It can be easy to get cloth or armor hooked on them, which is a dangerous combination when blinded. In the days of yore, adventurers would use mirrors strapped to shields to reflect the gaze back at the basilisk. Since then, the monsters have adapted and become wary, and know to look out for flashes of light associated with reflective surfaces. If you choose to use mirrors or not, remain cautious and use your energy wisely. The basilisk will tire before you do.
What I would consider the first truly iconic D&D monster, alphabetically (sorry Axe Beak and Ape, Carnivorous). The six/eight legged basilisk has grown far past the world of dungeons and dragons and become almost standard, alongside the chicken-snake basilisk. Personally, I still like the uber deadly little snake, but this time around I'm trying to be more faithful to the source material. This basilisk was inspired by several different lizards, but especially Smaug giganteus. It was supposed to look rocky, like it could curl up and just hide as a stone until it sensed prey coming near. Looking back on the size, it's almost like another Komodo dragon, but with a ridiculous super power instead of actual predatory tactics.
