Beholder, Elder Orb

Large Aberration

Hit Dice: 17d8+102 (178 hp)

Initiative: +6

Speed: 5 ft (1 square), fly 20 ft (good)

Armor Class: 30 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +19 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 24

Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+16

Attack: Eye rays +13 ranged touch and bite +6 melee (2d4)

Full Attack: Eye rays +13 ranged touch and bite +6 melee (2d4)

Space/Reach: 10 ft/ 5 ft

Special Attacks: Eye rays, spells

Special Qualities: All-around vision, antimagic cone, darkvision 60 ft, flight, poison resistance, spell resistance 30

Saves: Fort +13 (+17 against poison), Ref +7, Will +18

Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 24, Wis 22, Cha 23

Skills: Bluff +14, Concentration +25, Diplomacy +10, Hide +12, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (arcana) +29, Knowledge (any two) +16, Listen +28, Search +27, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +29, Spot +28, Survival +6 (+8 following tracks)

Feats: Alertness (B), Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Quicken Spell (B), Still Spell (B)

Environment: Any land and underground

Organization: Solitary or troupe (1 plus 2-8 beholders and 1-6 Death Tyrants)

Challenge Rating: 19

Treasure: Double Standard

Alignment: Usually lawful evil

Advancement: 18-34 HD (Large); 35-51 HD (Huge)

Level Adjustment: +11

A large fleshy orb with a central eye and crowned by eyestalks floats before you. You can see that the creature is covered in the scars of battle and age. Its eyes glare at you as it begins to cast a spell.

The Elder Orb is a powerful beholder of advanced age, that has gained the ability to cast arcane spells. These orbs are almost indistinguishable from normal beholders, save that some of their eyestalks will be severed, or withered away into uselessness. These masterminds of the beholder race are the wisest, but the most cunning and ruthless of their kind.

Elder Orbs are sometimes seen as councilors and leaders to beholders and various factions within beholderkind. They see themselves as the pinnacle of their kind, working hard to maintain important positions in the supremacy of beholders. They are always seeking new information, resources, wealth, and magic. Their horde of magic spells, items, and magical knowledge makes them almost as tempting a target to adventurers as dragons.

An important resource common to Elder Orbs is the Death Tyrant, an undead beholder (see Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, p 309). The Orbs have their own unique spells to create and control them, and use them in various capacities as guards, assassins, and tools for combat.

COMBAT
Elder Orbs fight in the same manner as common beholders, but with much more cunning, experience and strategy. These Orbs have typically lost the powers of some of its eyestalks, though their spellcasting ability usually makes up for this deficiency.

Elder Orbs are capable of learning arcane magic with verbal-only components. They develop their own spells (and their own verbal-only versions of common spells), but are also likely to buy or steal spells from other beings, and guard their knowledge jealously. They can and do use magic items such as potions, scroll, and wizards' spellbooks, as well as any other item that is not worn like clothing (i.e., rings, boots, bracers, robes, etc.)

Eye Rays (Su): An Elder Orb's eye rays function in exactly the same manner as those of standard beholders (see Monster Manual, p 25-26). An Elder Orb will have permanently lost the powers of at least 1d4 eyes, and its remaining eyes do not regenerate. Each of an Elder Orb’s remaining eye rays resembles a spell cast by a 17th-level caster. Each eye ray has a range of 150 feet and a save DC of 24. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Spells: Elder Orbs can learn an unlimited number of arcane spells, but may memorize only one spell per spell level at a time. They must study a spell to memorize it, as wizards do.

Spells commonly known among Elder Orbs include: darkness, dispel magic, detect thoughts, minor globe of invulnerability, move earth, power word blind, protection from arrows, see invisibility, and wall of force.

Elder Orbs also always have access to two spells of their own creation, control death tyrant and create death tyrant. These spells are of a unique sort, and the alien nature of the magic makes them unusable to non-beholder minds of less than 18 Intelligence. Elder Orbs usually have both of these spells memorized, to create a steady supply of servants, and as battlefield fodder.

Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder's central eye continually produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic. This functions just like antimagic field (caster level 13th). All magical and supernatural powers and effects within the cone are suppressed - even the Elder Orb's own eye rays and spells. Once each round, during its turn, the Elder Orb decides whether the antimagic cone is active or not (the Elder Orb deactivates the cone by shutting its central eye).

All-Around Vision (Ex): Elder Orbs are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks, and they can't be flanked.

Flight (Ex): An Elder Orb's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 20 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.

Poison Resistance (Ex): An Elder Orb is unusually resistant to poisons of all sorts, and receives a +4 racial bonus on saves against poison.

UNIQUE ELDER ORB SPELLS:

Control Death Tyrant
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 1 mile/level
Target: One Death Tyrant per point of Intelligence of caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows the caster to control Death Tyrants in a manner similar to the charm monster spell. This spell always overrides any directives previously given to affected Death Tyrants, and they are powerless to resist the spell. This control can only be maintained on one Death Tyrant for every point of Intelligence that the caster has.
If there are a larger number of Death Tyrants within the spell's range than the caster's limit, the caster has the option of dropping control of one Tyrant in one round, and then assuming control of another Tyrant in the next round. The two Death Tyrants involved in such a switch take no action during those two rounds.

Create Death Tyrant
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V
Casting Time: 3 rounds
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: One beholder corpse/level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates Death Tyrants from the corpses or empty shells of beholders. This spell also provides the caster with control over the undead beholders, but for a limited duration of 1d12 rounds plus one round per level or Hit Die of the caster. After this time, the control Death Tyrant spell is necessary to maintain control over the undead. Casting this spell is an act of inherent evil.

1991 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Originally found in the Ruins of Undermountain boxed set (1991, Ed Greenwood).