How often have you used Beholders?
- Thread starter Hussar
- Start date
Nifft
Penguin Herder
IMC, Beholders are in the "too silly for Earth" category. The party fought some Fiendish Gauths in Carceri, because that's a plane of chaotic evil sphere-type things, and Beholders made total sense.
They will soon fight some of my variant Beholders (with more "DM Fun" powers and fewer "insta-kill" powers).
C, -- N
They will soon fight some of my variant Beholders (with more "DM Fun" powers and fewer "insta-kill" powers).
C, -- N
Wik
First Post
Once, in a 2e game. I was running the 1e Book of Lairs, and there was a beholder encounter found within. The beholder lived in a crystalline lair,which he used as a mirror to reflect his eye rays.We had a group of around 8 players (ah, the joys of youth) and that fight was still too hard.
Now, the only time I like seeing beholders is when they're featured in cartoons, like Futurama (which has to have the most D&D references on TV, I think)
Now, the only time I like seeing beholders is when they're featured in cartoons, like Futurama (which has to have the most D&D references on TV, I think)
ThirdWizard
First Post
I've never used a beholder, though I have made threats of using one before.
Further iconic D&D creatures never/rarely used:
Used only one dragon between '91 and '03. (Since, I've used perhaps a dozen or so, however).
Never used an illithid until '05, and there wasn't an illithid in combat until this year.
I didn't actually use a slaad in combat until around '05.
I have never used an aboleth.
I didn't use a balor until '04. I still haven't used a pit fiend.
I've never used a demon lord or the like.
I have only used one lich in combat, and one other in a roleplay encounter.
I have never used a dracolich.
I believe I've used only one ettin.
I've never used a cyclopse.
I've never used an "always good" creature as a combatant enemy.
Note that the lack of use of these creatures has not been from lack of PC power.
Further iconic D&D creatures never/rarely used:
Used only one dragon between '91 and '03. (Since, I've used perhaps a dozen or so, however).
Never used an illithid until '05, and there wasn't an illithid in combat until this year.
I didn't actually use a slaad in combat until around '05.
I have never used an aboleth.
I didn't use a balor until '04. I still haven't used a pit fiend.
I've never used a demon lord or the like.
I have only used one lich in combat, and one other in a roleplay encounter.
I have never used a dracolich.
I believe I've used only one ettin.
I've never used a cyclopse.
I've never used an "always good" creature as a combatant enemy.
Note that the lack of use of these creatures has not been from lack of PC power.
Rystil Arden
First Post
Ditto. The poll options are fairly biased because they don't include an option between Once or Twice and 'It's a fairly common monster IMC'. Probably means a bit of confirmation bias, and it is likely to inflate the two categories on the edges (the one we picked and the other one) based on where the people who would have picked 'Occasionally--it's not very common in my games' prefer to slide.the Jester said:
greywulf
First Post
Twice, but only in non-combat situations. D&D needs to get a /lot/ better and have easier to run rules (read:consistent) before I'd consider one in combat. Life is just too short.
Same for dragons, really. The rules have crippled the coolest critters in the game. Roll on 4th Edition.
Same for dragons, really. The rules have crippled the coolest critters in the game. Roll on 4th Edition.
Monkey Boy
First Post
RTTOEE contained the only beholder I could have potentially run in a game. When the party learned of it's presence they studiously avoided it's lair and so I didn't have to run it at all.
They were scared of it's many save or die features and so did all they could to avoid it. WHich is fair enough.
They were scared of it's many save or die features and so did all they could to avoid it. WHich is fair enough.
Once. In the 3e adventure path module Deep Horizon (which I quite like, actually).
The combat:
Round 1: Beholder rises from the well, fixes most of the party (they're split up) including the wizard with its anti-magic eye.
Unfortunately, the cleric and his bard cohort aren't in the area of effect. The bard casts haste on the cleric. The cleric moves up to the beholder and casts harm. The cleric uses its extra standard action to hit the beholder. The beholder dies.
...and people say 3e wasn't broken...
My impression of the Forgotten Realms is that beholders are like drow: everywhere. (Certainly my impression from the few FR books I had from 1e/early 2e).
I'm not overly fond of beholders myself; I prefer humanoids for my enemies.
Cheers!
The combat:
Round 1: Beholder rises from the well, fixes most of the party (they're split up) including the wizard with its anti-magic eye.
Unfortunately, the cleric and his bard cohort aren't in the area of effect. The bard casts haste on the cleric. The cleric moves up to the beholder and casts harm. The cleric uses its extra standard action to hit the beholder. The beholder dies.
...and people say 3e wasn't broken...
My impression of the Forgotten Realms is that beholders are like drow: everywhere. (Certainly my impression from the few FR books I had from 1e/early 2e).
I'm not overly fond of beholders myself; I prefer humanoids for my enemies.
Cheers!
arwink
Clockwork Golem
Once. I made an effort to put them into an adventure because they were big and iconic monsters that I've never used. After the party mopped the floor with it in a single round without major damage, I shrugged and figured they didn't have enough bang for the complication of using them.
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