Cockatrice
c chickatrice 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 7 |
| Attacks |
Bite 1d2, Petrification |
| Base level | 4 |
| Base experience | 136 |
| Speed | 4 |
| Base AC | 8 |
| Base MR | 30 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Very rare, normally appears in small groups |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 10 |
| Nutritional value | 10 |
| Size | tiny |
| Resistances | poison, petrification |
| Resistances conveyed |
poison
|
c cockatrice 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Attacks |
Bite 1d3, Petrification |
| Base level | 5 |
| Base experience | 149 |
| Speed | 6 |
| Base AC | 6 |
| Base MR | 30 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Common |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 30 |
| Nutritional value | 30 |
| Size | small |
| Resistances | poison, petrification |
| Resistances conveyed |
poison
|
Generally considered to be a real nuisance, the cockatrice, c, is one of the more complex creatures in the game. It can turn you to stone instantaneously if you touch it with your bare hands. If, however, you are wearing gloves, you can pick its corpse up and wield it as a weapon, turning enemies to stone instantaneously. Be sure to unwield it before descending stairways or when around traps, as falling down/into these will cause you to touch the corpse. Some creatures are immune to stoning, so have a different weapon ready to use.
The baby version of a cockatrice is a chickatrice, c, and is similarly dangerous, though much weaker and rarer.
The cockatrice corpse has been nicknamed the rubber chicken by the players who like to wield it and use it as a weapon.
Hissing attack
If you hear the cockatrice's hissing, there is a chance that you may begin turning to stone. If you immediately act to counter this process, you can save your life; but any intrinsic speed will be lost. The hissing attack always succeeds at new moon unless you are carrying a lizard corpse.
History
Before Hack 1.0.3, a successful hissing attack was an instadeath; the only safe way to fight a cockatrice was with ranged weapons. The effect of the new moon first appeared in Hack 1.0.2.
