CRGreathouse
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Originally, this was just a collection fo stats I wrote to inspire a quick adventure; after I finished writing down the adventure I came up with, I realized that this might be a better fit for the "Plots" forum. I decided that the stats were enough to put it in Rogue's, though.
I apologize profusely for the bad joke, but I was lacking in creativity in naming the NPC.
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The beholder queen constructed an underground lair, a typical vertical-based fortress perfect for defense by eye rays. After repelling a number of invasions from other beholders (“abominations”, the queen would call them; their large central eyes and smooth hides were repulsive), the queen found she was losing too many soldiers to the raids. To counter the assaults without losing her precious charmed beholder soldiers, she began an aggressive breeding program among the lesser creatures of the area.
After many human generations, a suitable replacement had been made – a giant variety of umber hulks. The beasts were 24 feet high and weighed 10 tons each. What’s more, their burrowing ability made them perfect in the underground structure of the beholders. The queen, cautious as ever, ensured that her personal chambers were surrounded by rock too solid for the umber hulks to burrow through – these new creatures were more able to resist the charming effects of the beholders. The stone extended far enough that an umber hulk would have to fall down a hundred-foot pit before coming to the ledge over the queen’s chamber.
The beholders are charmed daily by the beholders; the umber hulks regard the beholders as friends and protectors. Some of the umber hulks, though, secretly hope to be free of their oppressors. Chief among these is Sucat-raps, an unusually clever umber hulk who plans to one day lead his people in revolt against the queen of the beholders. He is no fool, though, and knows the umber hulks are no match for the beholders in an open fight. He bides his time by sowing dissent among the beholders, hoping to weaken them.
After a long period of (relative) peace promoted by the umber hulks guarding the beholders, the queen decided to expand her holdings. Unfortunately, the spot she chose coincided with a human village…
The PCs have been called in to save the village from huge, bug-eyed monsters that have been attacking over the last week. For some reason, the messenger says, the creatures seem reluctant to press their attacks, even though they are more than a match for the guard.
These beholders, while physically similar, are split into two ideological factions. One feels that it is their duty to cleanse the world of other types of beholders; the other feels that the other beholders are unimportant insofar as they do not jeopardize their own survival. The queen does not nominally belong to either faction, though her policies support the aggressive group almost every time. She spends a considerable portion of her time keeping the groups from direct violence with each other – unity is paramount to her vision of dominance.
Beholder: CR 13; Large Aberration; HD 11d8+11; hp 60; Init +4; Spd 5 ft, fly 20 ft (good); AC 20 (-1 size, +11 natural); Melee bite +2 (2d4); Ranged eye rays +7 touch; SA eye rays; SQ all-around vision, antimagic cone, flight; AL LE; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 15.
Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Listen +15, Search +18, Spot +20; Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Shot on the Run.
SA–Eye Rays (Su): Unless the eye rays are fired upward, the beholder can only target three in a given arc. The eyes’ effects resemble spells cast by 13th-level sorcerers; range 150 feet, save DC 18. Each ray has a different effect: charm person, charm monster, sleep, flesh to stone, disintegrate, fear, slow, inflict moderate wounds, finger of death, and telekinesis.
SQ–All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
SQ–Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic field. The beholder can activate or suppress this as a free action at the beginning of each of its turns.
SQ–Flight (Su): A beholder’s body is naturally buoyant, allowing it to fly as the spell as a free action. This also grants it a permanent feather fall effect.
Beholder soldier: CR 14; Large Aberration; HD 16d8+16; hp 87; Init +4; Spd 5 ft, fly 20 ft (good); AC 20 (-1 size, +11 natural); Melee bite +6 (2d4); Ranged eye rays +11 touch; SA eye rays; SQ all-around vision, antimagic cone, flight; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +14; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 15.
Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Listen +20, Search +18, Spot +23; Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Shot on the Run.
SA–Eye Rays (Su): Unless the eye rays are fired upward, the beholder can only target three in a given arc. The eyes’ effects resemble spells cast by 13th-level sorcerers; range 150 feet, save DC 21. Each ray has a different effect: charm person, charm monster, sleep, flesh to stone, disintegrate, fear, slow, inflict moderate wounds, finger of death, and telekinesis.
SQ–All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
SQ–Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic field. The beholder can activate or suppress this as a free action at the beginning of each of its turns.
SQ–Flight (Su): A beholder’s body is naturally buoyant, allowing it to fly as the spell as a free action. This also grants it a permanent feather fall effect.
Queen, female beholder: CR 16; Huge Aberration; HD 22d8+66; hp 165; Init +3; Spd 5 ft, fly 20 ft (good); AC 22 (-2 size, +14 natural); Melee bite +13 (2d6+4); Ranged eye rays +13 touch; Face/Reach 10 ft by 10 ft/10 ft; SA eye rays; SQ all-around vision, antimagic cone, flight; AL LE; SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +17; Str 18, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 20.
Skills and Feats: Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Listen +23, Search +21, Spot +26; Ability Focus (eye rays), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Shot on the Run.
SA–Eye Rays (Su): Unless the eye rays are fired upward, the beholder can only target three in a given arc. The eyes’ effects resemble spells cast by 13th-level sorcerers; range 150 feet, save DC 25. Each ray has a different effect: charm person, charm monster, sleep, flesh to stone, disintegrate, fear, slow, inflict moderate wounds, finger of death, and telekinesis.
SQ–All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
SQ–Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic field. The beholder can activate or suppress this as a free action at the beginning of each of its turns.
SQ–Flight (Su): A beholder’s body is naturally buoyant, allowing it to fly as the spell as a free action. This also grants it a permanent feather fall effect.
Typical umber hulk: CR 7; Large Aberration; HD 8d8+32; hp 68; Init +1; Spd 20 ft, burrow 20 ft; AC 17 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural); Melee 2 claws +11 (2d4+6), bite +9 (2d8+3); Face/Reach 5 ft by 5 ft/10 ft; SA confusing gaze; SQ tremorsense; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 23, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Climb +17, Jump +14, Listen +11; Multiattack.
SA–Confusing Gaze (Su): Confusion as cast by an 8th-level sorcerer, 30 feet, Will negates DC 15.
SQ–Tremorsense (Ex): Umber hulks can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Advanced umber hulk: CR 11; Huge Aberration; HD 24d8+144; hp 252; Init +4; Spd 20 ft, burrow 20 ft; AC 18 (-2 size, +10 natural); Melee 2 claws +26 (2d6+10), bite +24 (4d6+5); Face/Reach 10 ft by 10 ft/15 ft; SA confusing gaze; SQ tremorsense; SV Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +14; Str 31, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Climb +31, Jump +29, Listen +22; Cleave, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack.
SA–Confusing Gaze (Su): Confusion as cast by a 24th-level sorcerer, 30 feet, Will negates DC 23.
SQ–Tremorsense (Ex): Umber hulks can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Sucat-raps, male advanced umber hulk Adp1: CR 12; Huge Aberration; HD 24d8+144; hp 255; Init +4; Spd 20 ft, burrow 20 ft; AC 18 (-2 size, +10 natural); Melee 2 claws +25 (2d6+9), bite +23 (4d6+4); Face/Reach 10 ft by 10 ft/15 ft; SA confusing gaze; SQ tremorsense; SV Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +21; Str 28, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Climb +30, Jump +29, Listen +30; Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack.
SA–Confusing Gaze (Su): Confusion as cast by a 24th-level sorcerer, 30 feet, Will negates DC 23.
SQ–Tremorsense (Ex): Umber hulks can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Adept Spells Prepared (cast 3/2): 0–cure minor wounds, detect magic, ghost sound; 1–protection from evil, protection from law.
Edit: Changed the beholder soldier feats and adjusted the save DCs.
I apologize profusely for the bad joke, but I was lacking in creativity in naming the NPC.
***********************************
The beholder queen constructed an underground lair, a typical vertical-based fortress perfect for defense by eye rays. After repelling a number of invasions from other beholders (“abominations”, the queen would call them; their large central eyes and smooth hides were repulsive), the queen found she was losing too many soldiers to the raids. To counter the assaults without losing her precious charmed beholder soldiers, she began an aggressive breeding program among the lesser creatures of the area.
After many human generations, a suitable replacement had been made – a giant variety of umber hulks. The beasts were 24 feet high and weighed 10 tons each. What’s more, their burrowing ability made them perfect in the underground structure of the beholders. The queen, cautious as ever, ensured that her personal chambers were surrounded by rock too solid for the umber hulks to burrow through – these new creatures were more able to resist the charming effects of the beholders. The stone extended far enough that an umber hulk would have to fall down a hundred-foot pit before coming to the ledge over the queen’s chamber.
The beholders are charmed daily by the beholders; the umber hulks regard the beholders as friends and protectors. Some of the umber hulks, though, secretly hope to be free of their oppressors. Chief among these is Sucat-raps, an unusually clever umber hulk who plans to one day lead his people in revolt against the queen of the beholders. He is no fool, though, and knows the umber hulks are no match for the beholders in an open fight. He bides his time by sowing dissent among the beholders, hoping to weaken them.
After a long period of (relative) peace promoted by the umber hulks guarding the beholders, the queen decided to expand her holdings. Unfortunately, the spot she chose coincided with a human village…
The PCs have been called in to save the village from huge, bug-eyed monsters that have been attacking over the last week. For some reason, the messenger says, the creatures seem reluctant to press their attacks, even though they are more than a match for the guard.
These beholders, while physically similar, are split into two ideological factions. One feels that it is their duty to cleanse the world of other types of beholders; the other feels that the other beholders are unimportant insofar as they do not jeopardize their own survival. The queen does not nominally belong to either faction, though her policies support the aggressive group almost every time. She spends a considerable portion of her time keeping the groups from direct violence with each other – unity is paramount to her vision of dominance.
Beholder: CR 13; Large Aberration; HD 11d8+11; hp 60; Init +4; Spd 5 ft, fly 20 ft (good); AC 20 (-1 size, +11 natural); Melee bite +2 (2d4); Ranged eye rays +7 touch; SA eye rays; SQ all-around vision, antimagic cone, flight; AL LE; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 15.
Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Listen +15, Search +18, Spot +20; Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Shot on the Run.
SA–Eye Rays (Su): Unless the eye rays are fired upward, the beholder can only target three in a given arc. The eyes’ effects resemble spells cast by 13th-level sorcerers; range 150 feet, save DC 18. Each ray has a different effect: charm person, charm monster, sleep, flesh to stone, disintegrate, fear, slow, inflict moderate wounds, finger of death, and telekinesis.
SQ–All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
SQ–Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic field. The beholder can activate or suppress this as a free action at the beginning of each of its turns.
SQ–Flight (Su): A beholder’s body is naturally buoyant, allowing it to fly as the spell as a free action. This also grants it a permanent feather fall effect.
Beholder soldier: CR 14; Large Aberration; HD 16d8+16; hp 87; Init +4; Spd 5 ft, fly 20 ft (good); AC 20 (-1 size, +11 natural); Melee bite +6 (2d4); Ranged eye rays +11 touch; SA eye rays; SQ all-around vision, antimagic cone, flight; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +14; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 15.
Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Listen +20, Search +18, Spot +23; Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Shot on the Run.
SA–Eye Rays (Su): Unless the eye rays are fired upward, the beholder can only target three in a given arc. The eyes’ effects resemble spells cast by 13th-level sorcerers; range 150 feet, save DC 21. Each ray has a different effect: charm person, charm monster, sleep, flesh to stone, disintegrate, fear, slow, inflict moderate wounds, finger of death, and telekinesis.
SQ–All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
SQ–Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic field. The beholder can activate or suppress this as a free action at the beginning of each of its turns.
SQ–Flight (Su): A beholder’s body is naturally buoyant, allowing it to fly as the spell as a free action. This also grants it a permanent feather fall effect.
Queen, female beholder: CR 16; Huge Aberration; HD 22d8+66; hp 165; Init +3; Spd 5 ft, fly 20 ft (good); AC 22 (-2 size, +14 natural); Melee bite +13 (2d6+4); Ranged eye rays +13 touch; Face/Reach 10 ft by 10 ft/10 ft; SA eye rays; SQ all-around vision, antimagic cone, flight; AL LE; SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +17; Str 18, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 20.
Skills and Feats: Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Listen +23, Search +21, Spot +26; Ability Focus (eye rays), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Shot on the Run.
SA–Eye Rays (Su): Unless the eye rays are fired upward, the beholder can only target three in a given arc. The eyes’ effects resemble spells cast by 13th-level sorcerers; range 150 feet, save DC 25. Each ray has a different effect: charm person, charm monster, sleep, flesh to stone, disintegrate, fear, slow, inflict moderate wounds, finger of death, and telekinesis.
SQ–All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
SQ–Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic field. The beholder can activate or suppress this as a free action at the beginning of each of its turns.
SQ–Flight (Su): A beholder’s body is naturally buoyant, allowing it to fly as the spell as a free action. This also grants it a permanent feather fall effect.
Typical umber hulk: CR 7; Large Aberration; HD 8d8+32; hp 68; Init +1; Spd 20 ft, burrow 20 ft; AC 17 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural); Melee 2 claws +11 (2d4+6), bite +9 (2d8+3); Face/Reach 5 ft by 5 ft/10 ft; SA confusing gaze; SQ tremorsense; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 23, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Climb +17, Jump +14, Listen +11; Multiattack.
SA–Confusing Gaze (Su): Confusion as cast by an 8th-level sorcerer, 30 feet, Will negates DC 15.
SQ–Tremorsense (Ex): Umber hulks can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Advanced umber hulk: CR 11; Huge Aberration; HD 24d8+144; hp 252; Init +4; Spd 20 ft, burrow 20 ft; AC 18 (-2 size, +10 natural); Melee 2 claws +26 (2d6+10), bite +24 (4d6+5); Face/Reach 10 ft by 10 ft/15 ft; SA confusing gaze; SQ tremorsense; SV Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +14; Str 31, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Climb +31, Jump +29, Listen +22; Cleave, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack.
SA–Confusing Gaze (Su): Confusion as cast by a 24th-level sorcerer, 30 feet, Will negates DC 23.
SQ–Tremorsense (Ex): Umber hulks can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Sucat-raps, male advanced umber hulk Adp1: CR 12; Huge Aberration; HD 24d8+144; hp 255; Init +4; Spd 20 ft, burrow 20 ft; AC 18 (-2 size, +10 natural); Melee 2 claws +25 (2d6+9), bite +23 (4d6+4); Face/Reach 10 ft by 10 ft/15 ft; SA confusing gaze; SQ tremorsense; SV Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +21; Str 28, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Climb +30, Jump +29, Listen +30; Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack.
SA–Confusing Gaze (Su): Confusion as cast by a 24th-level sorcerer, 30 feet, Will negates DC 23.
SQ–Tremorsense (Ex): Umber hulks can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Adept Spells Prepared (cast 3/2): 0–cure minor wounds, detect magic, ghost sound; 1–protection from evil, protection from law.
Edit: Changed the beholder soldier feats and adjusted the save DCs.
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