Beholder (and others) eye rays

[FANGO]

From the gnome description in the SRD (emphasis added):

<<Once per day a gnome can use "Speak with Animals" [per the spell] as a spell-like ability to speak with a burrowing mammal (a badger, fox, rabbit, etc.). This ability is innate to gnomes. It has a duration of 1 minute (the gnome is considered a 1st-level caster when he uses this ability, regardless of his actual level).>>

Seems like a spell-like ability to me...

And also, here's how you take care of beholders: roll a 1 on initiative, send your sickeningly overpowered dragon disciple who does about 160 damage on a charge towards him hit and kill him,= and then cleave the two stone giants who are standing next to him just for extra effect (before anyone in the combat gets a chance to act, of course)

 

[The Iron Mark]

Wait until you meet a Fiendish Half-Dragon(Red) Beholder. Then it gets really nasty...

 

[Ancalagon]

You are aware that you can have beholders of up to 35 HD?

shudder...


Ancalagon

 

[DM with a vengence]

*BizzzZwaaaap!*

This thread has given me all sorts of ideas, since my poor PCs are starting a level 15 campaign, and after spending last session gloating over how obscenely good they were, I think a pair of beholders in their lair should teach the party a lesson in humility.

Remember, if you can't kill at least one PC in an equal level encounter, then you just aren't trying hard enough.

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

Wait until you meet a Fiendish Half-Dragon(Red) Beholder. Then it gets really nasty...

Meh.

It is cheesy and yet doesn't do all that much to actually improve the beholder.

Looking at the beholder entry in MM it looks like intelligence modifies the DC of the save against the beholder's ray. So these two template together only increase the DC by 2. They also give him more HP. But what else do you get for the cheese factor?

+12 to STR? A breath weapon? The ability to cast poison 3/day?

Come on, I just want to use my rays! Huh, I mean the beholder just wants to use his rays.

If I want to make the the deadly beholder from hell I'd simply make a full fledged NPC out of it.

Say, with 32 CP...

Xar'Koth, the Slaver King, 20

He controls a market city in the underdark where all the slaves captured with 100 miles are brought to be sold. It's a neutral ground for all the evil races in the area.

Xar'Koth is of course power hungry, but he is even more ruthless than his brethren in this pursuit. He didn't hesitate to put out his central eye in order to follow the ancient tradition of beholder magic.

Size H, 10th level Beholder Mage (20 HD base creature)

STR 20
DEX 12
CON 20
WIS 16
INT 24 (2 bonus attribute points)
CHA 16

HP 267 (20D8+10D4+150)
AC: 24 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +15 natural)
BAB: +20

Save:

Fortitude +15
Reflex +11
Will +23

Feats: Not sure which, but mostly metamagic and ceryainly craft wondrous item to make all sorts of weird beholder magic items.

Spells;

6/8/8/8/7/7/7/7/6/5

For those who don't know, each of the eyestalk of a 10th level beholder mage are dedicated to a spell level. He could theorically cast 10 spell in a round as long as they're all from a different level.

Spells known; pretty much all of them. Money is no object for the Slaver King.

Magic items; lots of them. Probably some item granting a +5 deflection bonus to increase AC to 29. Something to boost intellect and make spell even more dealdly. Some item that grant a death ward. A lot of etc.

Hum. I have to find and occasion to use Xar'Koth in my campaign!

 

[CRGreathouse]

You can be sure I'll take a look at your thread in Rogue's gallery.

Sorry for the delay...

http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5906