Melded

Director

Crawler

Huge Aberration

Large Aberration

Huge Vermin

Hit Dice:

12d8+24 (78 hp)

8d8+16 (52 hp)

4d8 (18 hp)

Initiative:

+2 (Dex)

+1 (Dex)

+2 (Dex)

Speed:

40 ft

10 ft fly (perfect)

40 ft

AC:

18 (–4 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural)

16 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural)

18 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural)

Attacks:

Eye rays +9 ranged touch or 2 bites +10 melee

Eye rays +6 ranged touch or bite +5 melee

2 bites +4 melee

Damage:

Bite 2d6+4 and poison

Bite 2d6

Bite 2d6+4 and poison

Face/Reach:

10 ft by 30 ft/10 ft

10 ft by 10 ft/5 ft

10ft by 30 ft/10 ft

Special Attacks:

Eye rays, poison

Eye rays

Poison

Special Qualities:

All around vision, deflection, meld

All around vision, deflection, flight, meld

Meld, defensive curl, vermin

Saves:

Fort + 4, Ref +6, Will +9

Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7

Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1

Abilities:

Str 17, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12

Str 11, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12

Str 17, Dex 15, Con 10, Int ––, Wis 10, Cha 2

Skills:

Handle Vermin +6, Hide +8, Knowledge (arcana) +2, Spot +15, Search +13

Handle Vermin +6, Hide +6, Knowledge (arcana) +2, Spot +15, Search +13

––

Feats:

Alertness

Alertness

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Climate/Terrain:

Any land and underground

Any land and underground

Any land and underground

Organization:

Solitary

Solitary

Solitary

Challenge Rating:

8

6

2

Treasure:

Standard

Standard

Standard

Alignment:

Always lawful evil

Always lawful evil

Always lawful evil

Advancement:

––

9–24 HD (Large)

5–12 HD (Large)

Directors resemble beholders, but their central eye is smaller and set in bare musculature for ease in pivoting, and they possess only six small eyes an retractable eye stalks. Further, directors have a fanged mouth below their central eye and possess three clawed sensory tendrils on their ventral surface. These tendrils are used to cling to the mount and link with its limited mind.

Combat

Directors are the warrior caste of abominations. Directors breed and ride several specialized mounts. The directors are adapted for riding and mind–linking with these mounts to better control them.

   Eye Rays (Su): Directors' eyes have different powers than those of beholders. Each eye’s effect resembles a spell cast by an 8th-level sorcerer unless otherwise noted, and follows the rules for a ray (see Aiming a Spell, page 148 in the Player’s Handbook).  All rays have a range of 75 feet and a save DC of 14.

   Magic Missile: As the spell cast by a 3rd-level sorcerer; twice per round, damage 1d4+1.

   Burning Hands: A creature within the area of effect must succeed at a Reflex save or take 5d4 points of fire damage. A successful save halves the damage.

   Wall of Ice: This eye ray duplicates the wall of ice spell.

   Slow: The target must succeed at A Will save or be affected as though by the spell.

   Enervation: This eye ray duplicates the effects of the spell.

   Minor Image: The target must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by the spell.

   Deflection (Su): A director's central eye has the power of deflection.  Directors gain a +2 to their AC against all frontal attacks and damage dealt to the director is halved. The director also gains a +2 bonus to all saving throws against spells cast by those in the field of view of the central eye. This deflection operates even when the director is melded with its crawler.

   All Around Vision (Ex): Directors are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Its many eyes grant them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.

   Meld (Su): When melded, the director and crawler are treated as a single Huge aberration; the director overrides most of the crawler’s thought processes and thus the melded creature acts as an aberration.  The melded director/crawler uses the physical ability scores of the crawler and the mental ability scores of the director. When melded, the Hit Dice, Attack Bonuses, and Damage, are calculated as if they were a single Huge Aberration.

   After the director/crawler suffers half damage, the crawler’s speed is reduced to half and the director gets only one physical attack per round. A director may flee and leave its mount to fend for itself. Directors may use all of their normal powers while mounted, except their bite, within the restrictions of beholder targeting angles.

   Flight (Ex): A director’s body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly as the spell, as a free action, at a speed of 20 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect with personal range. It cannot fly while melded with its crawler.

The Crawler

A crawler resembles a cross between a centipede and a spider. It has ten legs, two pairs of frontal antennae, and two fighting spider fangs that can be used for separate stabbing attacks. They have cutting mandibles beneath their front fangs. Crawlers are omnivores that prefer to eat smaller creatures.

   Poison (Ex): DC 12, injection, primary damage paralysis for 1 round, secondary damage paralysis for 1d4 rounds.

   Defensive Curl (Ex): A crawler may roll into a ball to gain an AC of 20. Its Speed is 0 when curled, and it cannot attack. It cannot do this while melded with its director.

   Vermin: Immune to all mind–influencing effects and spells.