Cockatrice

Encyclopedia

The odd appearance of the cockatrice - half rooster, half lizard - would be a source of jokes, if it were not for its devastating ability. So deadly is this attack that most adventurers suggest avoiding cockatrices at all costs.

The renowned half-thief Parkdat claims to have survived an encounter with a cockatrice by clever application of items she had on hand. While she has not revealed what technique she used, spies report she has been making inquiries about rings of acid resistance.

Core Details

Physical	1d30+30 HP, 6 Hit Dice
Mental	0 MP, 0 Magic Dice
Base Slots	2 Skills, 1 Spell
Base AC	7
Experience Level	7
Spells	None
Natural Intrinsics	Stoning Resistance
Granted When Eaten	Turning to Stone
Corpse:	50%
Creature Size	Medium
Movement Type	Flying
Noise Level	1
Intelligence	Animal
Strength	Weak
Monster Type	Unusual
AI Type	Speciest
Slot Set	Bird
Inventory	None
Evolution Path	None

Attack Information

• Bites for 1d4+4 damage.

• When the cockatrice hisses at you it causes 1 damage and has a 50% chance of inflicting the Turning to Stone intrinsic for 3 turns, which will petrify you when it runs out.

Additional Information

• Cockatrices are always male.
• They can fly over pits and water.

Tips and Strategies

• Wear an Amulet of Unchanging. Artifacts that confer Unchanging will also work, as will the spell Preserve (see below).
• Do not engage the cockatrice in melee, use ranged combat. Use Speed Boots, Jump Boots, Wands of Speed/Slowness/Sleep to make sure that you maintain a safe distance when attacking.
• A safe way to engage the cockatrice in melee if you are faster than it is using a hit & run technique. See Speed System.
• Do not eat a cockatrice, as that can cause Turning to Stone as well.
• If you do start turning to stone, you may have a few options:
  • A friendly god might rescue you. (Don't rely on this!)
  • Cast Preserve upon yourself, which gives you the Unchanging intrinsic for 6 rounds. This will not stop the Turning to Stone warning, but the final change will fail.
  • Cast Stone to Flesh upon yourself. This will confer Stoning Resistance for a few rounds.
  • Any acid attack against you will remove the Turning to Stone countdown, even if you have Acid Resistance. This can include spells, monster attacks, eating an acidic corpse, or an acid potion (throw it at the ceiling, so it also damages the cockatrice). If you're desperate enough, you can even jump into an acid pool!
• All of the above remedies also work for pets/familiars.
• Polymorphing to a resistant form can be helpful -- besides Stoning Resistance (possessed by most acidic creatures), any creature not made of flesh is immune to petrification. (See the Petrify spell for examples.)