HQ25 monster stats and abilities #5 the Basilisk

[wallydubbs]

I've picked c for stats because it was the only one offering 1 MP. The Basilisk should be a natural threat, but it's basically an animal, which relies off instinct instead of thought.
I also picked J for it's ability because it's closest to the one I want to suggest.

I've read through the suggestions and some of them are indeed pretty good. I think it should have two special abilities, though, if you don't mind my late suggestions:
On the Basilisk's turn it may make a regular attack with 2 or 3 combat dice, if any skulls are rolled the hero takes poison damage as well (which may be reduced with an anti-poison quill, or anti-venom potion)
Or
The Basilisk may use Stone Gaze on any hero directly in front of him with 1 combat dice (needs a skull), the hero may roll as many combat dice equal to his mind points (requires white sheild). If the hero fails to defend he is permanently turned to stone.

Basilisk should only have 1 MP, the Stone Gaze shouldn't count as magic, as it is a unique ability the Basilisk naturally does.

[knightkrawler]

To me, Mind points are an abstraction as any other threat.
This abstraction relates to and depends from the effects of spells. It does have to do with intelligence of course, but when I make stats, willpower always goes into the equation.
In that sense, the stupid animalism of a beast mindmight be more impervious to wizardry than the creature's intelligence suggests.

Goblin with 1 MP - stupid, but impressionable
Lizard with 3 MP - incapable of making conclusions overriding its instinct and THEREFORE more resistant to spells

...for example.

This is analogous to Body points that are sometimes interpreted as a measure of strength and sometimes as a measure of health.

Always think about what you want from a mechanic. What consequences does it have? Do I want every basilisk to be easily put to sleep without ever taking effect (i.e. give the basilisk 1 Mind point...) or do I sometimes want it to resist that spell to actually use its own mechanic? Do I want to make SLEEP as the best weapon too little attractive (i.e. give the thing 6 Mind points...), so that it's just another monster that the Barbarian has to kill instead of giving the Wizard a chance to shine? There's a compromise to make the whole creature simply more interesting, more of a challenge without making it impossible to defeat...

These are the questions to answer when writing stuff for HeroQuest.
Realism has no place in fantasy. Plausability does.

[wallydubbs]

I did make the suggestion to give the Basalisk a 1 hit kill with Stone Gaze. The Barbarian and Dwarf would be vulnerable.
If heroes want to avoid dying, use that Sleep spell for all its worth.
I think upping the danger while lowering the its resistance to magic is an acceptable give & take.
Or maybe I just admire mythology's version of a deadly basilisk too much...

[Daedalus]

You're version of the Basilisk would still work as a one-off boss written in the Quest Notes. It would make for an interesting follow-up Quest where magic could be found to undo the stone effect, or even later in the same Quest.