This avian creature is about the size of a large goose or turkey. It has the head and body of a cockerel, bat wings, and the long tail of a lizard. Its eyes glow with a dangerous-looking crimson sheen.
The cockatrice is an eerie, repulsive hybrid. It is infamous for its ability to turn flesh to stone.
A male cockatrice has wattles and a comb, just like a rooster. Females, much rarer than males, differ only in that they have no wattles or comb. A cockatrice weighs about 25 pounds.
A cockatrice fiercely attacks anything that it deems a threat to itself or its lair. Flocks of cockatrices do their utmost to overwhelm and confuse their foes, and sometimes fly directly into their opponents’ faces.
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Cockatrice
Small Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 5d10 (27 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 14 (+1 size, +3 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/–1
Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4–2 plus petrification)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d4–2 plus petrification)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:
Petrification (Su):
Creatures hit by a cockatrice’s bite attack must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or instantly turn to stone. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Cockatrices have immunity to the petrification ability of other cockatrices, but other petrification attacks affect them normally (a medusa’s gaze, gorgon’s breath, a flesh to stone spell, or the like).
Special Qualities:
Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 9
Skills:
Feats:
Alertness: +2 bonus on all Listen and Spot checks
Dodge: +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks from selected opponent
Weapon Finesse: Use Dex mod instead of Str mod on attack rolls
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization:
Solitary,
pair,
flight (3–5), or
flock (6–13)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 6–8 HD (Small); 9–15 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
Holivian Tales 