Dang it - I just learned something new about gaze attacks!

[Renaissance Man]

Ah, gaze attacks. I've got one player who still thinks he can avoid gaze attacks if he sneaks up behind the monster... no matter how many times I explain that "facing" is an abstract concept in 3e tactical. Some people just never learn.

 

[dkilgo]

Yeah, it took me quite some time to figure out the "facing" thing with 3e. I still don't agree with it, but that is another subject all together.

 

[AuraSeer]

Bodaks suck! My character made the first save at the beginning of his turn, but failed the direct gaze attempt of the bodak. POOF, dead!

Yeah, those suckers are pretty unpleasant. I think CR 8 is a little low, considering that a Clr8 cannot yet cast Raise Dead, and probably has few slots devoted to Death Ward.

IMC I created a monster called a Lesser Bodak, with exactly the same stats, except that its gaze attack is weakened. Instead of dying instantly, the target immediately falls unconscious and loses 50% of his max hit points. The following round, he drops to 1 hp; the round after that, he drops to -1 and begins dying. While he still has hit points, a Heal check (DC 20) or magical healing will stop the damage, and allow him to regain consciousness one round later.

(Incidentally yes, I did miss the rule about the "directed" gaze attack. If I'd used that option, one Bodak would likely have given me a TPK, even with the weakened version of the gaze.)

 

[Li Shenron]

How could it be that you are subject to a gaze attack when you scry with Clairvoyance and not when you use a simple mirror?

 

[kreynolds]

How could it be that you are subject to a gaze attack when you scry with Clairvoyance and not when you use a simple mirror?

Magic?

 

[Squire James]

I would say that "distance viewing" does not trigger gaze effects unless the spell desciption specifies otherwise, as Arcane Eye does.

I once had a character go out alone after drawing that "defeat next creature and gain a level" card from a Deck of Many Things. He met a Basilisk, which I thought would be a pretty tough encounter for someone with no backup. He made his first save, ran up next to it, closed his eyes, and let Blind-Fight do the rest (yeah, the 'lisk moved a couple of times, but the PC's Listen checks were up to it).

He got the level (and the XP for the Basilisk, which was significant). He deserved it.