Giving my players the tools to handle upcoming basilisk encounter

[tchntm43]

I was planning to have an early hard encounter in the upcoming adventure, where the party of 4 level 3 characters encounters a solitary basilisk in the mountains. I'm providing the opportunity for them to learn about the presence of the basilisk before heading into the mountains, and I wanted to have an item available that would offer some limited protection. I was hoping there was a protection from petrification scroll or potion of protection from petrification, but nothing like that is listed in the DMG. What I want, ideally, is something that provides temporary protection to 1 character, so that, played optimally, the one protected character can charge into melee with the basilisk drawing its gaze harmlessly, while the other characters have the opportunity to stay out of range and maybe pelt with arrows. Of course, a basilisk is nothing to scoff at as far as melee damage goes, even for a level 3 tank, so it's still a tough enough fight, and I doubt they'll pick the best strategy for defeating it.

I guess I could just make up the item. Unless I'm missing a better option. Which is why i made the thread.

I thought about providing them with a mirror, but if it's a small mirror (which it would need to be) I'm not really sure how close it would have to be brought to the basilisk to reflect the gaze.

[Galithar]

I don't think they need anything special. If they have a 'tank' character (proficiency in con saves) then they have a low chance of failing twice.

+3 con with proficiency is. 70% success rate at that level. DC 12 with +5 mod. So a 7 passes.
Add to that they need to fail this check two turns in a row and the odds drop even more. I'm not a math expert, but I want to say there is a 91% chance of one success.

If anything give them something to boost their saving throws. Advise the Cleric if they have one that using bless may be a good idea (basically always is at this level in my opinion, but even more so if you're going to be making saving throws that could end you)

Also be sure they find out about it in advance. They need to know the dangers of that gaze attack. Give them the chance then to ask questions and determine things like it's range and the knowledge that you have to see each other. (A wizard could cast Blindness on the Basilisk and remove the threat entirely, it only has a +2 Con mod so that's relatively easy to beat. Again assuming +3 spell casting mod you'd have a 50% chance each round. Not fantastic odds, but it would remove 90% of the combats threat)

The stat block I have got the Basilisk says that if it can see it's reflection, and it's within 30 feet (the range of the gaze) it will mistake itself for an enemy and use the gaze in itself. It must be in bright light as well.

Also note that a creature most start it's turn within 30 feet of the Basilisk to be subject to this. A cunning action dash from a rogue to move in 30 feet stab move out 30 feet. Would leave them at 35 feet away and immune to the gaze that turn (and the next unless the Basilisk closes on them)

A Divine Soul Sorcerer would be particularly well suited for this encounter. They could have Blindness (though the chances are low they'd waste a spell known in this as a Sorcerer) to cast, they have a 2d4 they can add to their own failed saving throw, and they have con proficiency.

Also anyone with lucky will be better off as they can reroll 3 failed con saves.

[Lunali]

Basilisks aren't all that dangerous for those that know about them. Their low speed and limited range combined with the ability to look away if you do find yourself in range means that unless you are surprised or cornered, there is very little chance of getting killed. That said, not everyone will know about them and if they do, they won't necessarily fight them optimally.

If you're going to use a basilisk or similarly debilitating creature *cough* intellect devourer *cough* in your campaign, you should plan ahead for what you'll do if things go bad. If you plan ahead, most likely it won't be necessary, but if you don't, one of your players is getting petrified.

[Man_Over_Game]

Just make up a Potion of Vitality. Grants Advantage to Constitution Saving Throws for an hour, and they can attempt any Constitution Saving Throw immediately upon taking the potion.

If they succeed without needing it, great! It'll be useful for any other encounter involving poisons, thunder damage, or just straight up Concentration checks for a caster.

[Sparky McDibben]

I guess I could just make up the item. Unless I'm missing a better option. Which is why i made the thread.

Another option might be leveraging an NPC. If there's an alchemist or a healer around, they've probably seen multiple cases of petrification and may have a remedy. Unfortunately, that remedy requires basilisk blood and a rare herb that only blooms on the river bank during the last night of the full moon - which coincidentally is tonight! Gee, you guys probably should get going if you're going to get those herbs in time...

[tchntm43]

Just make up a Potion of Vitality. Grants Advantage to Constitution Saving Throws for an hour, and they can attempt any Constitution Saving Throw immediately upon taking the potion.

If they succeed without needing it, great! It'll be useful for any other encounter involving poisons, thunder damage, or just straight up Concentration checks for a caster.

I like this idea a lot, because later in the adventure there are some ghasts and ghouls, and Constitution saves are also useful there. So if they don't use it on the basilisk, they can use it later. Thanks.

[Lunali]

Another option might be leveraging an NPC. If there's an alchemist or a healer around, they've probably seen multiple cases of petrification and may have a remedy. Unfortunately, that remedy requires basilisk blood and a rare herb that only blooms on the river bank during the last night of the full moon - which coincidentally is tonight! Gee, you guys probably should get going if you're going to get those herbs in time...

If you do this, you should probably make it basilisk saliva or bile instead of blood since the description says they turn things back from stone in their gullet.

[Kyutaru]

Go super old school to Greek mythology.

Give them a mirror shield. Have fun tank!

[DrKerosene]

Well, a potion of Bear’s Endurance/Enhance Ability seems like it should work. Make it a scroll if you want an ally to maintain Concentration.

Otherwise, I’d go with homebrewing a potion of Blindsight, and recommend using a blindfold in conjunction with it.

[Sigreid]

IMO all you really need to or should give them is enough clues to figure out what the're facing before they face it. Basilisks and medusa are what I call surprise monsters in that their threat diminishes significantly once you know what you're dealing with.

[OverLordOcelot]

If you run 5e basilisks by RAW, then they're absolutely trivial for a party out of tier 1 to beat. Players just declare that they're averting their eyes, and they suffer disadvantage when trying to hit the basilisk and can't cast some spells, but never even risk having to make a save. They don't even get disadvantage on things standing next to the basilisk, just the creature itself. If they do manage to get gazed at, then they have to fail three saves before they make two to get turned to stone, and PCs generally have a +2 to +6 con save at that level, which makes it pretty easy to shrug off. The one time I've had them come up was in an AL module, where I couldn't house rule their gaze to be at least somewhat scary, and while most of the party just averted their gaze, two players basically dared each other into staring down the basilisk 'to assert dominance', then shrugged off the saves when one finally did get gazed upon.

I don't advise using the RAW for them unless you have to, as it makes them hilariously incompetent.

[HamsterKun]

What about making the basilisk look at itself in the mirror? According to the mythology, if a basilisk looks at its own reflection, it will turn itself to stone.

[Galithar]

What about making the basilisk look at itself in the mirror? According to the mythology, if a basilisk looks at its own reflection, it will turn itself to stone.

It's in the rules. If you can create a reflection within 30 feet of the Basilisk it will target itself with it's gaze attack at the beginning of it's turn and have to make the same Con saves you would.

[Keravath]

The easiest solution is darkness or fog cloud. Either of these will block the gaze attack and have very little impact on combat except preventing the casting of spells that require you to see the target.