Cockatrice

Torchbearer Monstrous Compendium
1

Cockatrice
This chicken headed, feather winged, long tailed giant reptile is a patient hunter. The cockatrice lurks in the dark corridors of tunnels constructed by other dungeon denizens. Its large nest is filled with shiny worthless items.

Might : 3 Nature : 5
Descriptors : Hoarding, Hunting, Lurking

Kill : 9
Attack : +1D, Stone Gaze
Defend : +1s, Wing Talons

Drive off : 5
Attack : +1D, Stone Gaze
Defend : +1s, Wing Talons

Flee : 11
Attack : +1D, Runner
Maneuver : +2s, Long Tail

Trick : 3
Attack : -1D, Chicken Brain

Armor : Thick scales (equivalent of chainmail armor).
Instinct : If it’s shiny, it’s worth chasing.
Special : Any character that suffers damage from Stone Gaze must pass an Ob 3 Health test or turn to stone.The spell Sign of Abrogration or the prayer Absolution of the Lord of Endings can fix you up. If no one in the party has access to those, drag the statue to a town and take it to the temple. It’s an Ob 6 Resources test to get an NPC cleric to invoke the Absolution and fix your friend.

2

Cool. But I don’t understand how “loses at least one die of disposition” works. Do they have to get spit on before a conflict? Because, after the conflict starts you don’t roll dispo dice. How do you decide how many dice they lose?

3

You got it all. It’s one point of disposition.

4

Some edits for ya:

“Any character that suffers damage from Venomous Spit must pass an Ob 3 Health test or become Sick.”

Shining = shiny

One question: Why shiny objects? Does it eat them and poop them out? If it’s a patient hunter, what does it hunt? Also: this motherfucker is BIG. Horses are Might 3-4.

5

If it were me, I would go for the gold: fail that health test and turn to stone. The spell Sign of Abrogration or the prayer Absolution of the Lord of Endings can fix you up. If no one in the party has access to those, drag the statue to a town and take it to the temple. It’s an Ob 6 Resources test to get an NPC cleric to invoke the Absolution and fix your friend.

6

Wow! You’re right.

I just tought this « turn to stone » thing would be too rough, but you may be right: it brings tension to the fight.

Thanks.

7

Thanks for the tips, M. Sorensen.

Well, I just imagined that cockatrices, like the magpies, have the same obsession for shiny objects. They don’t eat it, they just collect it. What do they chase? Giant rats, rodents and… adventurers!

And, yes I thought they were big lurking bipedal winged reptile-like creatures… but maybe not big as a horse. So, Might 3 should be right. And the « turn to stone » business that Thor suggested makes that creature more dangerous all of a sudden.