Adapted from my article "Basilisks are your Friend" at the Lyceum's Designer's
Forum.

Author:   Skyle - clarkj@oit.edu
Used in:  None
Created:  24 September 1999

Why not use Basilisks in your scenario? Hostile spell casters with a mage level
of at least 4 can also Simulcrum Basilisks via Place a Monster special spells.
Using Stareye's model of Special Spells, just do this:

    1  Stuff Done Equal? - 1:9, 1A= 1 goto 5
       Play a Sound - 1A= 25 Cast mage spell
       Display Small Message - "XXXX casts Simulcrum","  Basilisk summoned." or
         "  Ur-Basilisk summoned."
       Random Number? - < 1A= 50 goto 2, else jump to 3
    2    Random Number? - < 1A= 50 goto 2a, else jump to 2b
    2a     Place a Monster - 1A= X1, 1B= Y1, 2A= 103 or 104, 2B= 1 force, jump to 4
    2b     Place a Monster - 1A= X2, 1B= Y2, 2A= 103 or 104, 2B= 1 force, jump to 4
    3    Random Number? - < 1A= 50 goto 3a, else jump to 3b
    3a     Place a Monster - 1A= X3, 1B= Y3, 2A= 103 or 104, 2B= 1 force, jump to 4
    3b     Place a Monster - 1A= X4, 1B= Y4, 2A= 103 or 104, 2B= 1 force, jump to 4
    4    Start General Timer - 1A= 4 moves, goto 1, -1

    5  Start General Timer - 1A= 4 moves, goto 6, -1
    6  Destroy Monster - 1A= 103 or 104

[Caster's life SDF is 1,9 (0 alive, 1 dead), Select 4 X,Y coordinates to place
the monster - keep it within 4 spaces of the caster's likely location, in the
default scenario monster listing 103 is a Basilisk and 104 is an Ur-Basilisk].
Note: Unless the party is trapped in that room, you'll want to insert a cut-off
Stuff Done Equal? to call special node 5 (above) so the caster both stops
summoning monsters and the summoned ones disappear.

Thus, as long at that caster is alive, every 4 rounds a Basilisk or Ur-Basilisk
will appear in one of 4 equally random locations.  Once the caster is dead,
then all Basilisks or Ur-Basilisks (including the party's) are destroyed after
4 rounds (i.e. they disappear as any summoned monster does).  Basilisks are a
very effective combat tactic.  Make it available to the hostile spell casters
too.

Note1, if the Basilisk and Ur-Basilisk are Important monsters in your scenario
then you can't justify having a hostile spell caster Simulcrum them (because
the party's mages can't Capture Soul them).

Note2, the Blades engine only allows so many monsters in a town (both placed
and summoned), thus the game may cause problems by placing these extra
monsters.