Beholders

[Trellian]

Can a beholder use all 9 eyestalks as a full-round action? But only 1 if he moves?

 

[frankthedm]

Can a beholder use all 9 eyestalks as a full-round action? But only 1 if he moves?

All 10 of the small eye rays fire in unison as a free action once per round. Moving has little bearing except which arcs it moves folks into.


Each of a beholder's ten small eyes can produce a magical ray once per round as a free action

 

[Kmart Kommando]

I think the proper term is Pew Pew Pew!

 

[Trellian]

Yikes! My players better run... with this and an iron golem coming at them, I need to sit closest to the door.. and with my shoes on.

 

[Venator]

All 10 of the small eye rays fire in unison as a free action once per round. Moving has little bearing except which arcs it moves folks into.


Each of a beholder's ten small eyes can produce a magical ray once per round as a free action

Frank, where does it say they fire in unison?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Note that because it is a free action for each eye ray, they should be firing at the most opportune moment, and should occur in the midst of other actions. For example, if the beholder is around the corner, he can come out, shooting his eye rays while rotating to get them all in play and then continue flying around the next corner and out of sight. A smart beholder will not just sit and spin.

 

[Venator]

Note that because it is a free action for each eye ray, they should be firing at the most opportune moment, and should occur in the midst of other actions. For example, if the beholder is around the corner, he can come out, shooting his eye rays while rotating to get them all in play and then continue flying around the next corner and out of sight. A smart beholder will not just sit and spin.

This is my belief as well, although Frank and others disagree. The reason for this is due to the idea that Beholders fire their rays in unison, but I'm not sure where this idea is coming from.

Frank, can you please point us in that direction?

 

[Infiniti2000]

This is my belief as well, although Frank and others disagree. The reason for this is due to the idea that Beholders fire their rays in unison, but I'm not sure where this idea is coming from.

I seem to remember that the primary disagreement was that people thought it too strong an interpretation for beholders. I think the balance concerns are important, but secondary to the question of asking about the rule.

 

[frankthedm]

I read it as they fire in unison because the ability entry is specific it only gets to fire 3 rays at targets in any given arc. If the rays fire as independent free actions, that would allow the beholder to fire 3 rays at targets in front of it, use some movement getting over the victim and fire 3 more rays because they are in the down arc and then finish movement putting the target in the rear arc and firing of 3 more rays. That would more or less negate the text in the first place.

Eye Rays (Su): Each of a beholder's ten small eyes can produce a magical ray once per round as a free action. During a single round, the creature can aim only three eye rays at targets in any one 90-degree arc (up, forward, backward, left, right, or down). The remaining eyes must aim at targets in other arcs or not at all. A beholder can tilt and pan its body each round to change which rays it can bring to bear in any given arc.

 

[Caliban]

Because allowing beholders to spin in place so they can become little spinning deathstars is really, really stupid. It's not implied by the text, and in fact the text restricting them to 3 eye rays per arc pretty clearly means the opposite of that interpetation.

And did I mention it was really stupid? And not even a little fun for the players.