Minions for a Beholder Mage

[demiurge1138]

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.

Give the beholder mage the Precise Shot feat. The touch AC of a grappled creature is low enough to have it not be too big of a problem, once that -4 for shooting into a melee is taken care of. And if the beholder really wants to be conservative, it could just use the inflict or slow rays.

Demiurge out.

 

[Dogbrain]

Dont forget five or ten gas spores dressed up as the Beholder.

 

[Alzrius]

There was a prestige class for evil NPCs who worshipped beholders in cults and gained beholder-related powers. Perhaps that would be appropriate? It was in one issue of Dragon...I want to say two-hundred-ninety-something.

 

[Polydamas]

You're spellcaster heavy. Constructs, baby, constructs. I'm thinking a stone golem with wings and climbs for crawling on walls....think very scary gargoyle. Just the thing for a beholder mage to craft in his off hours.

 

[Nifft]

Belkers are great. They fly and are easily disguised as fog or smoke.


Note that Eye Rays are (Su), so they work great on opponents with low Will saves even if they have SR. So, your smarter Beholder -- and that's all of them -- will have a few Drow Fighters or Rogues in their service.


Of course, the classic charmable monsters -- Ogre Barbarians, Bugbear Fighters, Goblin Rogues, Trolls -- are also prime choices.


Consider an alliance with a Dark Naga Sorcerer 7 -- total Sorcerer caster level 14, CR 15, potential spell list:
1: Alarm, Exp. Retreat, Magic Missile, Shield, Shocking Grasp
2: Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Resist Energy, Touch of Idiocy, False Life
3: Dispel Magic, Fireball, Fly, Suggestion
4: Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility, Polymorph, Scrying
5: Dominate Person, Persistant Image, Wall of Force
6: Chain Lightning, Planar Binding -- look, ma, more minions!
7: Greater Teleport


Planar Minions -- these will tend towards LE, due to the Dark Naga and Beholder's alignments also being LE:
- Barbed Devil (12 HD).
- Chain Devil (8 HD) -- add 4 levels of Fighter for extra fun (Weapon Focus (Chain), Power Attack, Weapon Spec (Chain)).
- Hellcat (8 HD) -- note that their Invisibility is (Ex), so it will work within the anti-magic cone.
- Greater Barghest (9 HD) -- they have a good reason to be on the Prime, since they need to feed.


Who could the Beholder threaten into service? Would the PCs hate you more if the minions who were trying to kill them weren't actually evil?
- weak fey (especially those who are bound to a place or feature -- like a Dryad)
- underground folk (gnomes, halflings, kobolds -- though PCs don't often mind killing kobolds)
- anything land-bound with a poor Will or Fort save, and an Int over 6


Hope this helps, -- N

 

[Calico_Jack73]

I know... a Shield Guardian but instead of being keyed to an amulet it could be keyed to a tongue ring on your Beholder Mage.

 

[Gez]

What about some Phaerlin giants for the muscle?

And, just for the fun, an Eyeball beholderkin named Mini-Me.

A pet basilisk.

Finally, a dozen or two of lensmen to serve as meatshield and slow down the party's progress while the beholder mage zap the PCs with spells and his remaining eye rays.