Minions for a Beholder Mage

[ltclnlbrain]

OK, here is the situation: A while back, my players encountered a beholder-mage in an abandoned observatory. They decided to parlay and struck a bargain with it that basically promised that neither party would attack the other while they were in the area.

About a month has passed in game time, and the players can't stand the thought of the beholder still lingering in the area, making plans and whatnot. So they're ready to head back and beat him down. However, the beholder has not been idle in this month, and has hired new bodyguards and minions to protect him from the party. Now, he has researched the party extensively and knows their strengths and weaknesses. So my question is: what type of number of minions should the beholder have when the party confronts him?

The beholder is a third-level beholder mage, so his CR is 16. The party consists of six people of level 15: an evoker, a sorcerer/wild mage, a mystic theurge, a cleric, a rogue/duelist, and a paladin. When the group first encountered the beholder, he had three high level gargoyle rogues as servants, but the party defeated them. So I'm looking for any cool suggestions as to what he might have hired/charmed/bullied into protecting him.

I appreciate your help.

 

[kamosa]

Probably something with muscle to back up it's intelligence.

Giants are always nice, if you have it make them some of the rare types of Giants.

Slaad's are also a nice minion type goon creature. They come in a couple flavors and they can lays some smack down.

A nice personal body guard Hydra always makes a nice statement.

 

[ltclnlbrain]

Slaad's are also a nice minion type goon creature. They come in a couple flavors and they can lays some smack down.

Slaads are pretty much out of the question: they've just completed an adventure where they defeated a myriad of slaadi, including an enormously powerful slaad lord. I think they're a bit slaad-ed out right now.

 

[Nifft]

1) All flying minions (the floor is covered with green slime, grey ooze, black pudding, etc.):
- A pair of Nycaloths (Manual of the Planes, or here for the better Pants version)
- A pair of Doom Hurlers of Pazuzu -- very nasty, since their song can compel PCs to walk into the slime / ooze / pudding
- A quartet of Vampire archers / glaive users, who use their Spider Climb ability to stay off the floor.

2) Aberration kin:
- Three half-dragon (black) rust monsters, two otyugh, five will-o-wisps, and an athach.
- A pair of normal (non-mage) Beholders and 4d6 Gauths.
- A mind flayer, and Psionics Are Different so they get to do a combo anti-magic cone + mind blast cone.

3) Mooks A-Plenty:
- Ten mephits, each with six levels of Fighter, Barbarian or Ranger.
- Ten imps, each with six levels of Rogue, Fighter or Ranger.
- Ten halflings, one leader (half-fiend ftr4/rogue4/blackguard4) and nine mercenaries (ftr/rogue, total level 9 each).

-- N

 

[Tuzenbach]

If the Beholder has some sort of slime or ooze creature that always moves as he moves, and thus, was always underneath the Beholder, melee attacks against it would not be an option until the slime is destroyed.

Perhaps the Beholder has created a special spell beneficial to Beholders that allows such precision control over oozes/slimes/jellies/molds/etc.? It'd be a nice prize for the party to find in a spell book once they've defeated the menace. Granted, they probably wouldn't be able to use it, but it'd fetch a nice sum on the magic market.

 

[demiurge1138]

Lesser beholder-kin, ie gauths, eyeballs (MoF) and maybe a gouger (again, MoF), enslaved by the beholder would work.

Since beholders are eye tyrants, I once had a beholder NPC served by things with an eye theme. If you have the Miniatures Handbook, the nothic (cyclopean death-ray eye thing) would work, especially advanced ones or a lot of normal ones as cannon fodder. The ocularon from FF would make a good spymaster for an eye-themed beholder mage.

As Nifft suggested, creatures that can fly make good beholder minions. Especially ones that can fly and grapple. A small pack of wyverns, for example, intimidated by the beholder mage into snatching his foes and holding them still so they can be shot to death with eye rays.

Demiurge out.

 

[ltclnlbrain]

As Nifft suggested, creatures that can fly make good beholder minions. Especially ones that can fly and grapple. A small pack of wyverns, for example, intimidated by the beholder mage into snatching his foes and holding them still so they can be shot to death with eye rays.

Demiurge out.

If the wyverns are grappling the PCs, though, then don't they have a chance to be hit by the eye rays too? Granted, the beholder probably won't care much, but it isn't very efficient to disintegrate your own minions.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. They've all been really good so far.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

I know the beholder is evil (usually), but how does the paladin feel about going back on his word?

AR

 

[ltclnlbrain]

I know the beholder is evil (usually), but how does the paladin feel about going back on his word?

AR

Well, the paladin hadn't yet joined up with the party when they made the deal. So he has no qualms about destroying an evil creature that he has had no previous contact with. Had he been with the party when they first encountered the beholder, I doubt he would have allowed his friends to even make the deal.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Ooo Ooo Ooo! beholder minion: MAELEPHANTS!