Difference between revisions of "Basilisk"
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| − | A '''basilisk''' is a monster that appears in [[SLASH'EM]], [[EvilHack]], [[SlashTHEM]] and [[Hack'EM]]. Its exact traits vary depending on the variant, but it is generally a relative of the [[cockatrice]] that shares | + | A '''basilisk''' is a monster that appears in [[SLASH'EM]], [[EvilHack]], [[SlashTHEM]] and [[Hack'EM]]. Its exact traits vary depending on the variant, but it is generally a relative of the [[cockatrice]] that shares similarly-deadly [[stoning]] abilities - basilisks possess attacks that cause delayed stoning much like those of cockatrices, and [[you]] or any other monster that makes bare skin contact with a live basilisk or its [[corpse]] will be immediately turns to stone. |
The basilisk is one of many [[hallucinatory monster]]s whose name may be randomly used for real [[monster]]s while [[hallucinating]] in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is still retained as such in variants of ''NetHack'', even if it appears normally in that variant. | The basilisk is one of many [[hallucinatory monster]]s whose name may be randomly used for real [[monster]]s while [[hallucinating]] in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is still retained as such in variants of ''NetHack'', even if it appears normally in that variant. | ||
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}} | }} | ||
| − | In [[SLASH'EM]], the basilisk, {{monsym|basilisk}}, is one of two non-unique monsters that share the cockatrice's petrification attacks without being a part of the [[Cockatrice (monster class)|cockatrice]] [[monster class]]. It is a large [[Lizard (monster class)|lizard]] with a stronger bite that can cause delayed stoning like that of the cockatrice, and has [[poison resistance]] and [[stoning resistance]]. | + | In [[SLASH'EM]], the basilisk, {{monsym|basilisk}}, is one of two non-unique monsters that share the cockatrice's petrification attacks without being a part of the [[Cockatrice (monster class)|cockatrice]] [[monster class]]. It is a large, [[oviparous]] [[Lizard (monster class)|lizard]] with a stronger bite that can cause delayed stoning like that of the cockatrice, and has [[poison resistance]] and [[stoning resistance]]. |
Bare skin contact with a basilisk or its corpse will cause instadeath by stoning; the basilisk's eggs cause delayed stoning if eaten or thrown at you, and will instantly stone monsters without stoning resistance that are hit by the eggs. Eating the corpse without stoning resistance will turn you to stone, but if eaten with stoning resistance it has a 53% chance to convey poison resistance. | Bare skin contact with a basilisk or its corpse will cause instadeath by stoning; the basilisk's eggs cause delayed stoning if eaten or thrown at you, and will instantly stone monsters without stoning resistance that are hit by the eggs. Eating the corpse without stoning resistance will turn you to stone, but if eaten with stoning resistance it has a 53% chance to convey poison resistance. | ||
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In [[EvilHack]], the basilisk, {{brightgreen|c}}, is a part of the cockatrice monster class, and is essentially a much faster, stronger and deadlier variant of the cockatrice. A basilisk has a bite attack, followed by two touch attacks and a claw attack that can induce delayed stoning, and it also has a passive attack that causes delayed stoning. It has poison resistance, [[sleep resistance]] and stoning resistance. | In [[EvilHack]], the basilisk, {{brightgreen|c}}, is a part of the cockatrice monster class, and is essentially a much faster, stronger and deadlier variant of the cockatrice. A basilisk has a bite attack, followed by two touch attacks and a claw attack that can induce delayed stoning, and it also has a passive attack that causes delayed stoning. It has poison resistance, [[sleep resistance]] and stoning resistance. | ||
| − | As in | + | As in SLASH'EM and its variants, bare skin contact with a basilisk or its corpse will cause instadeath by stoning; unlike those variants, the basilisk is not oviparous and cannot lay eggs. Eating the corpse without stoning resistance will turn you to stone, but if eaten with stoning resistance it can convey a high percentage of poison resistance. |
===Generation=== | ===Generation=== | ||
| Line 72: | Line 72: | ||
===Strategy=== | ===Strategy=== | ||
| − | With a staggering AC of -10, the basilisk is a vicious late-game threat that can prove difficult to dispatch unless you are well prepared. | + | With a staggering AC of -10, the basilisk is a vicious late-game threat that can prove difficult to dispatch unless you are well-prepared. |
| + | |-| | ||
| + | SlashTHEM|{{monster | ||
| + | |name=basilisk | ||
| + | |difficulty=10 | ||
| + | |level=8 | ||
| + | |experience=197 | ||
| + | |speed=9 | ||
| + | |AC=5 | ||
| + | |MR=0 | ||
| + | |align=0 | ||
| + | |frequency=1 | ||
| + | |genocidable=Yes | ||
| + | |attacks=Bite 4d2 [[stoning]], [[Passive]] [[stoning]] | ||
| + | |resistances conveyed=poison (53%) | ||
| + | |resistances=poison, petrification | ||
| + | |attributes={{attributes|A basilisk|animal=1|thick=1|nohands=1|oviparous=1|carnivore=1|strong=1|hostile=1}} | ||
| + | |size=Large | ||
| + | |nutr=400 | ||
| + | |weight=1450 | ||
| + | |reference=[https://github.com/Soviet5lo/SlashTHEM/blob/v0.9.7/src/monst.c#L5722 SlashTHEM 0.9.7 - monst.c, line 5722] | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | In SlashTHEM, the basilisk, {{monsym|basilisk}}, is identical to its appearance in SLASH'EM. | ||
| + | |-| | ||
| + | Hack'EM|{{monster | ||
| + | |name=basilisk | ||
| + | |symbol={{brightgreen|c}} | ||
| + | |difficulty=16 | ||
| + | |level=12 | ||
| + | |experience=469 | ||
| + | |speed=12 | ||
| + | |AC=-10 | ||
| + | |MR=70 | ||
| + | |align=-5 | ||
| + | |frequency=1 | ||
| + | |genocidable=Yes | ||
| + | |attacks=Bite 2d4, Touch 1d6 [[stoning]], Touch 1d6 [[stoning]], Claw 2d8, [[Passive]] [[stoning]] | ||
| + | |resistances conveyed=poison (80%) | ||
| + | |resistances=poison,sleep,petrification | ||
| + | |attributes={{attributes|A basilisk|animal=1|nohands=1|oviparous=1|omnivore=1|thick_hide=1|hostile=1|lord=1|strong=1|nasty=1|accurate=1|infravisible=1}} | ||
| + | |size=Medium | ||
| + | |nutr=50 | ||
| + | |weight=90 | ||
| + | |reference=[https://github.com/elunna/hackem/blob/v1.1.4/src/monst.c#L489 Hack'EM 1.1.4 - monst.c, line 489] | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | In Hack'EM, the basilisk, {{brightgreen|c}}, is nearly-identical to its appearance in EvilHack, though it is now also oviparous and capable of laying eggs. | ||
</simpletabs> | </simpletabs> | ||
==Origin== | ==Origin== | ||
Revision as of 04:52, 12 June 2023
A basilisk is a monster that appears in SLASH'EM, EvilHack, SlashTHEM and Hack'EM. Its exact traits vary depending on the variant, but it is generally a relative of the cockatrice that shares similarly-deadly stoning abilities - basilisks possess attacks that cause delayed stoning much like those of cockatrices, and you or any other monster that makes bare skin contact with a live basilisk or its corpse will be immediately turns to stone.
The basilisk is one of many hallucinatory monsters whose name may be randomly used for real monsters while hallucinating in NetHack, and is still retained as such in variants of NetHack, even if it appears normally in that variant.
: basilisk 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 10 |
| Attacks | |
| Base level | 8 |
| Base experience | 197 |
| Speed | 9 |
| Base AC | 5 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Large |
| Resistances | poison, petrification |
| Resistances conveyed |
poison (53%) |
|
A basilisk:
| |
| Reference | SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/monst.c#line4499 |
In SLASH'EM, the basilisk, :, is one of two non-unique monsters that share the cockatrice's petrification attacks without being a part of the cockatrice monster class. It is a large, oviparous lizard with a stronger bite that can cause delayed stoning like that of the cockatrice, and has poison resistance and stoning resistance.
Bare skin contact with a basilisk or its corpse will cause instadeath by stoning; the basilisk's eggs cause delayed stoning if eaten or thrown at you, and will instantly stone monsters without stoning resistance that are hit by the eggs. Eating the corpse without stoning resistance will turn you to stone, but if eaten with stoning resistance it has a 53% chance to convey poison resistance.
Generation
In addition to random generation, basilisks can be created by the summon nasties monster spell.
Strategy
While a basilisk is stronger and faster than a cockatrice, it is still slow-moving at 9 speed and relatively easy to hit - some form of ranged attack is advisable in order to avoid their stoning passive attack. The corpse of a basilisk can be used as a weapon similar to a cockatrice, but in practice is far too heavy to be realistically effective.
In addition, the presence of the basilisk as well as the asphynx ensure that players cannot solve their stoning problem with a single blessed scroll of genocide targeting c.
As a polyform
As a polyform, the basilisk is the superior monster for travel among monsters capable of stoning: while it is still slower than your base speed unless you have intrinsic speed, it is strong and weighs the same as a human. This grants much higher carrying capacity compared to the faster asphynx, which is much smaller and cannot pick up items.
Female characters can also polymorph into a basilisk to lay eggs, either to let them hatch into tame basilisks or to use as stoning weapons. Basilisks make relatively decent pets, though their lack of speed compared to an asphynx can make keeping them close to you somewhat tedious without a magic whistle.| c basilisk
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 16 |
| Attacks |
Bite 2d4, Touch 1d6 stoning, Touch 1d6 stoning, Claw 2d8, Passive stoning |
| Base level | 12 |
| Base experience | 469 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | -10 |
| Base MR | 70 |
| Alignment | -5 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 90 |
| Nutritional value | 50 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | poison,sleep,petrification |
| Resistances conveyed |
poison (80%) |
|
A basilisk:
| |
| Reference | EvilHack 0.8.1 - monst.c, line 239 |
In EvilHack, the basilisk, c, is a part of the cockatrice monster class, and is essentially a much faster, stronger and deadlier variant of the cockatrice. A basilisk has a bite attack, followed by two touch attacks and a claw attack that can induce delayed stoning, and it also has a passive attack that causes delayed stoning. It has poison resistance, sleep resistance and stoning resistance.
As in SLASH'EM and its variants, bare skin contact with a basilisk or its corpse will cause instadeath by stoning; unlike those variants, the basilisk is not oviparous and cannot lay eggs. Eating the corpse without stoning resistance will turn you to stone, but if eaten with stoning resistance it can convey a high percentage of poison resistance.
Generation
In addition to random generation, when the Wizard of Yendor clones himself via Double Trouble, his clone may appear in the guise of a basilisk.
Strategy
With a staggering AC of -10, the basilisk is a vicious late-game threat that can prove difficult to dispatch unless you are well-prepared.| : basilisk
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 10 |
| Attacks | |
| Base level | 8 |
| Base experience | 197 |
| Speed | 9 |
| Base AC | 5 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Large |
| Resistances | poison, petrification |
| Resistances conveyed |
poison (53%) |
|
A basilisk:
| |
| Reference | SlashTHEM 0.9.7 - monst.c, line 5722 |
| c basilisk
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 16 |
| Attacks |
Bite 2d4, Touch 1d6 stoning, Touch 1d6 stoning, Claw 2d8, Passive stoning |
| Base level | 12 |
| Base experience | 469 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | -10 |
| Base MR | 70 |
| Alignment | -5 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 90 |
| Nutritional value | 50 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | poison,sleep,petrification |
| Resistances conveyed |
poison (80%) |
|
A basilisk:
| |
| Reference | Hack'EM 1.1.4 - monst.c, line 489 |
In Hack'EM, the basilisk, c, is nearly-identical to its appearance in EvilHack, though it is now also oviparous and capable of laying eggs.
Origin
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk from the Greek form βασιλίσκος (basilískos, Latin basiliscus, meaning "little king") is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene was a small snake that is so venomous it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal. The basilisk is closely related to the cockatrice, to the point that both share very similar descriptions and are sometimes treated as interchangeable, as indicated by the encyclopedia entry that both share in NetHack. Both the basilisk and cockatrice are often still conflated in the modern day: many languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, and Greek still translate the term "cockatrice" as "basilisk" in some form.
The basilisk of Pliny the Elder's era was reputed to have a mitre or crown-shaped crest adorning its head, leading some scholars to believe the description was based off that of various cobras, particularly the spitting cobra and king cobra. Supporting this is the basilisk's reputed weakness being the the odor of the weasel according to Pliny: mongooses (such as the Egyptian mongoose) are natural predators of the king cobra and some other species of Asiatic snakes, and have some level of immunity to snake venoms. There may also be connections to early descriptions of the Nile crocodile and related Egyptian folk tales; ibis eggs were regularly destroyed for fear that their diet of venomous snakes would create a snake-bird mix.
The basilisk was a popular subject in bestiaries circulated within medieval-era Europe: these bestiaries began attributing chicken-like traits to the beast, including the idea that a basilisk was the result of a cockerel hatching the egg of a serpent or toad (the exact inverse of the cockatrice). The late 12th century is generally when the two creatures began to be considered synonymous, and bestiaries also posited that the weasel (or "ichneumon") was able to counteract the poisons of both creatures and reliably kill them.
Modern incarnations of the basilisk and cockatrice, such as those seen in Dungeons & Dragons and various other fantasy media, portray them as distinct creatures: The basilisk is usually a vicious low-slung reptile that is either lizard-like or serpentine, and the cockatrice is usually a bird-like reptilian monster with a snake's tail, if not an outright snake-bird hybrid.
Encyclopedia entry
Once in a great while, when the positions of the stars are
just right, a seven-year-old rooster will lay an egg. Then,
along will come a snake, to coil around the egg, or a toad,
to squat upon the egg, keeping it warm and helping it to
hatch. When it hatches, out comes a creature called basilisk,
or cockatrice, the most deadly of all creatures. A single
glance from its yellow, piercing toad's eyes will kill both
man and beast. Its power of destruction is said to be so
great that sometimes simply to hear its hiss can prove fatal.
Its breath is so venomous that it causes all vegetation
to wither.
There is, however, one creature which can withstand the
basilisk's deadly gaze, and this is the weasel. No one knows
why this is so, but although the fierce weasel can slay the
basilisk, it will itself be killed in the struggle. Perhaps
the weasel knows the basilisk's fatal weakness: if it ever
sees its own reflection in a mirror it will perish instantly.
But even a dead basilisk is dangerous, for it is said that
merely touching its lifeless body can cause a person to
sicken and die.
and other sources ]
