Beholder Conversion

[angelroble]

for a Petrifying beam, have the beam

Deal modest Damage and Slowed, with a condition that the victim will petrify if it hits zero HP in the next minute.

or

Deal Continuous damage and Slowed, with a condition that the victim will petrify if it hits zero HP in the next minute.

What about non-lethal damage (which causes also the staggered and unconscious conditions)? This damage is easily healed, but if you don't pay attention, you could be in trouble. About 5d6 (18hp) no save would be ok.

 

[Gorbacz]

Here's my take:

[FONT=&quot]Beholder CR 13[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]LE Large Aberration[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Init[/FONT][FONT=&quot] +6 Senses darkvision 60 ft.; all-around vision, Perception +26[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]DEFENSE[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]AC[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 28, touch 12, flat-footed 25 (-1 Size, +2 Dex, +1 Dodge, +16 natural)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]HP [/FONT][FONT=&quot]181 (19d8+95)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fort [/FONT][FONT=&quot]+12 (1 reroll/day), Ref +8, Will +15 (1 reroll/day)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]OFFENSE[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Speed[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 20 ft.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Melee[/FONT][FONT=&quot] bite +14/+9 (2d4)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ranged[/FONT][FONT=&quot] eye rays +16 ranged touch (DC 22)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]STATISTICS[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Str[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 10 Dex 14 Con 18 Int 17 Wis 15 Cha 16[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Base Atk[/FONT][FONT=&quot] +14; CMB +15; CMD 27[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Feats[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Alertness, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Agile Tyrant (from LoM), Wind Stance, Toughness, Improved Initiative, Improved Great Fortitude, Improved Iron Will, Dodge[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]Skills[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Fly +25, Intimidate +24, Perception +26, Stealth +24, Spellcraft +25, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +25, Knowledge (arcane) +25[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Languages[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Common, Undercommon, Draconic, Infernal[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]SPECIAL ABILITIES[/FONT]
All abilities as standard Beholder in MM, except eye ray DC 22

 

[angelroble]

I have done some modifications on my first version. I have adopted the Wind Stance Feat (great idea), increased Con and Dex, added a cumulative penalty for mental ray and non lethal damage on the paralysis ray. I also corrected some (minor) errors and edited some of the text to be (hopefully) more clear.

 

[ruemere]

For proposed DCs, check Gorbacz's writeup above.

Regarding cumulative penalties:
- please don't. If you run encounters with multiple creatures, special conditions will accumulate to the point where GM starts making errors (or fudging stuff).

Example:
While running Banewarrens, I've had party fight CR14 beholder (insane architect - originally a wizard of great power, the BBEG lost a lot of levels due to strain caused by building a mobile demiplane), who used mirrors to gain tactical advantage.

Thanks to Monte Cook's design concept (beams and mirrors), the party were unable to close down on beholder to lay smack on its sorry hide. However the fight dragged on and reinforcements arrived furthering the chaos of the battle.

The friendly fire from beholder eye-ray ricochets caused a lot of grief for everyone, yet the bookkeeping was manageable - I would not be probably able to handle your version of the beholder without significant slowdown.


Regards,
Ruemere

 

[angelroble]

For proposed DCs, check Gorbacz's writeup above.

Regarding cumulative penalties:
- please don't. If you run encounters with multiple creatures, special conditions will accumulate to the point where GM starts making errors (or fudging stuff).

Except for Mental Debilitation, the conditions are not cumulative for a given ray attack, but sucessive: you have one condition, or the next one, etc. In any case, the GM should not track the conditions that affect a PC, but the player. At least, that's what I do.

 

[Gorbacz]

Angelroble: Your DCs are way too low for a CR 13 encounter. Most well-prepared PCs will sneeze at DC 17 saves, and since the rays are beholder's main offense, this makes him a rather small threat for a lvl 13 party.

Once the party sees that they are hit by Will and Fort save attacks they will buff the hell out themselves and proceed to bulldoze the Beholder into oblivion.

 

[fireinthedust]

Item bonuses to saves. They're out there. Ditto various class powers and spells. Raise the DCs for the saves.

Realistically, I wouldn't use this for a 13th level party. I'd use it as a bbeg for a lower-level party that has magic items.


Paladins: yeah, they'll save like crazy, but I don't see how they can attack a Beholder in the air. I suppose a disintegrate ray could cause falling damage for a pally if you knocked the floor out...

 

[Gorbacz]

Winged Boots. Or even worse, an Archer Paladin - one full attack and the eyeball is history

 

[fireinthedust]

I suppse. Thing of it is, winged boots means any frontline melee-er can get right up there and smash them.

I had a Conan-clone with winged boots cleave through a pair of them at 15th level, during a tournament. He was a fighter, I believe, maybe with Barbarian levels (yeah, I know: should be a Barb with Rogue and fighter levels... watchagonnado?).

However, the big issue was that the antimagic cone neutralized his ability to get up there; and their ability to attack with eye-rays. Same thing would happen with the Paladin, but for the massive Saves boost from Divine Grace.

Archers... did PF fix them? Like, is their damage output matching that of two-handed melee types (taking into account range)? I mean specifically for overcoming the DR10/- factor. Not just for Beholders, but in general. I don't know that an Archer paladin would be able to do that much damage, not with such high HP in PF monsters (which I think of as a good thing, btw; as a GM, strictly speaking).

 

[megablake]

Somewhat related: There's a creature called The Evil Eye, meant to fill the beholder niche in the OGL. I converted it to Pathfinder a while back, ended up with this:

Evil Eye
CR 12 XP 19,200
LE Large aberration
Init +6; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., mystic sight; Perception +21

DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 20, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +6 deflection, +1 dodge, +8 natural, -1 size)
hp 82 (11d8+33)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +10 DR 5/-; Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5, sonic 5; SR 24

OFFENSE
Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
Melee 2 lashes + (1d6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks gaze attacks

Tactics Evil eyes have no concern for any living being other than themselves (and sometimes other evil eyes). They are capable of fighting with their optic nerve “tails,” but prefer to remain at a distance and make use of their gaze attacks. Unless an evil eye believes itself overmatched, or believes it can bargain with or intimidate potential foes, it attacks without provocation. This is partly due to their obsession with acquiring magic, but also because they enjoy the kill.

STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 15
Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 19 (cannot be tripped)Feats Alertness, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon FinesseB
Skills Fly +20, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Perception +21, Stealth +16, Spellcraft +18, Survival +17; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Spellcraft
Languages telepathy 100 ft. SQ flight

SPECIAL ABILITIES
All-Around Vision (Ex)

As the creature is very literally a giant eye, it can see in almost all directions at once, and need merely shift its attention to view what few blind spots exist. It cannot be flanked.
Mystic Sight (Su)


The evil eye sees magical emanations naturally. It is constantly treated as though under the effects of detect magic. Furthermore, it is treated as though it had spend three full rounds examining anything it sees, for purposes of recognizing the strength of auras, the school of magic, and the like. Additionally, the evil eye is also treated as though under a constant see invisibility affect.
Flight (Ex)


Although the evil eye’s ability to fly is mystical, it is an innate part of the creature. It cannot be dispelled, and does not cease even in antimagic fields and similar effects.
Gaze Attacks (Su)


The evil eye possesses a vast repertoire of gaze attacks. Except as noted here, these follow the standard rules for gaze attacks, including methods for avoiding them, and the creature’s ability to deliberately focus on target (perhaps forcing it to make two separate saves).
The evil eye can have only a single gaze attack active in a given round; switching gaze attacks is a swift action. The evil eye cannot maintain any specific gaze attack for more than one round, and must wait 1d4 rounds before activating that particular gaze attack again. Thus, even in a short battle, foes are likely to suffer the effects of multiple types of gaze attacks.
The evil eye’s gaze attacks have a range of 150 feet (assuming line of sight). At any range up to 50 feet, the save DC against these gaze attacks is 17; beyond 50 feet, it drops to 15. The save DCs are Charisma-based, and the spell effects function as if cast by an 13th-level caster. The gaze attacks include:

• Charm: Subjects must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by charm monster.
• Confuse: Subjects must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by confusion.
• Death: Subjects must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by inflict critical wounds (4d8+13 damage). Subjects who successfully save suffer half damage.
• Enervate: Subjects must succeed on a Fortitude save or be affected as though by enervation.
• Immolate: Subjects must succeed on a Fortitude save or be affected as though by flame strike (13d6 damage). Subjects who successfully save suffer half damage.
• Paralyze: Subjects must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by hold monster.
• Petrify: Subjects must succeed on a Fortitude save or be affected as though by flesh to stone.
• Sleep: Subjects must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by deep slumber.