18. Peckish Cockatrice

Anyone standing near the door has a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of detecting a "barnyard" smell, or 1-3 for an elf. If not noticed beforehand, when the door is opened this will be the first thing any character notices: You smell a foul odor, as of a barnyard. The cockatrice is quite hungry, and has been scratching at the door; if surprised, it has laid down near the door, but if not surprised it stands ready for action. You see a large creature like a chicken with a serpentine neck just inside the door. The cockatrice in this room is trapped, having been lured in here by the orcs, who then closed the door. Of course, it can't operate a door, so it's trapped and thus starving. They did not mark the door, hoping interlopers would open it and be petrified. The starving cockatrice will fight without checking morale until it gets out of the room (as indicated in the monster's morale score). Cockatrice: AC 14, HD 5**, #At 1 beak + special, Dam 1d6 + petrification, Mv 30' Fly 60' (10'), Sv F5, ML 12 (7), XP 450