7th lvl Party vs. Beholder

[Ashrem Bayle]

Ok. My PCs have been royaly kicking the butt of near everything I've thrown at them. But not this time!

I'm debating hitting them with a CR13 Beholder.

What do you guys think? Too much?

The party consists of:

Half-Orc Barbarian/Fighter 1/6 - VERY hard hitter.
Human Wizard 7 - Mobile artillary piece.
Human Ranger/Rogue 1/6 - VERY sneaky.
Human Paladin/Cleric 1/6 - VERY hard to hit.

the setup:

Party turns the corner in a 15ft mine shaft and runs across a bugbear and 2 goblins. Knowing that they are weak, they will likely just try to dispatch them fast.

Hearing the sounds of battle, the beholder shows up in round 2.

They will have one warning. Just before they see the goblinoids, they will hear the sounds of the beholder breathing through a thin stone wall with a crack in it. They want be able to tell what it is though.

 

[James McMurray]

Without being able to see stats on the characters, its impossible to say. However, if they are close to their recommended wealth level, and don't have access to too many unbalanced house rules, then yes, a CR13 beholder is over the top. In fact, a CR10 beholder would probably die, but take at least one character with him.

 

[dagger]

Well it totally depends on how you run the thing. Since a beholder can fly it would most likly not want to be within melee reach. So the warriors unless they have a fly spell (or something else) will just be standing around getting distingrated. And even if they are capable of flying, that anti magic ray is a killer. Also beholders are normally highly intelligent and cunning.

Personally, I think they are going to get vaporized. You could have the thing float up side down and use all of its eyestalks per round if you wanted....

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Well. the ceiling is only about 10ft tall. The beholder's ability to fly isn't going to help much.

The characters are very close to their recommended wealth.

You're probably right though. Dang. I wanted to scare them, not get them disintegrated.

hmm...what else could I hit them with. CR9 or 10 should be about right.

Whatever it is, it is leading a tribe of goblinoids so I need something pretty smart.

Preferably something big and scary looking. A 10th lvl fighter bugbear want work.

 

[dagger]

Beholders are also smart enough to know how to use the eye stalks in a most effective way.

Like using fear and charm stuff on warriors and con based spell efects on wizards.

Also if they see a wizard with some beefy magical staff they might just go ahead and distingrate the staff. Or they might distingrate the paladins holy sword, and his nice full plate.

 

[dagger]

Well you could still use it to beat them up, but maybe it doesnt want to kill them. Maybe it needs a party to eliminate some threat to itself. So it uses a show of force then tries to get them, to 'do it or die'. With maybe a small reward besides just living. Then they will have a evil monster guy they can look forward too thrashing once they get more powerful.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Well you could still use it to beat them up, but maybe it doesnt want to kill them. Maybe it needs a party to eliminate some threat to itself. So it uses a show of force then tries to get them, to 'do it or die'. With maybe a small reward besides just living. Then they will have a evil monster guy they can look forward too thrashing once they get more powerful.

Good advice, but I've already got a hamatula to fill that roll.

 

[Matafuego]

In my opinion they won't survive... Unless they are extremely lucky or the beholder is very dumb (I doubt this). But you don't always have to fight, they might as well discover the beholder is a big threat for them to vanquish and flee (although the b-monster might as well disintegrate or petrify someone while they are running away).

 

[Zappo]

Hm. I'd suggest using something more "controllable". With a beholder, if you find out that you will wipe out the party, it's difficult to back out. You can't just start using dumb strategies - like using the Fortitude save rays against the fighter and the Charme against the wizard. The beholder is too smart for that.

I'd suggest using a classed Ogre with some Barbarian levels, the Large And In Charge feat from S&F, and a reach weapon. If you see they are getting smashed, you can start playing dumb and with an ogre there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Great ideas all.

I plan to go ahead and use the beholder. They are looking for a red ruby that will open a door a little ways back. I'll let the beholder appear, all intimidating and everything and then have him ask why they are there. He will offer the sell them the ruby just so they'll leave him alone.

Unless they do something stupid, they will live. If they screw with him too much, he might just decide to kill them anyway.