Mearls Monster Makeover: Beholder

[Glyfair]

It's up now here.

An interesting take on it. I'm sure that after development more flavor would have been added. For example, "blast ray" is just a bit too generic, but at this stage in the development process game effects are important, not game flavor.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

The problems with magic dispelling effects that are always brought up really show how overly buff dependent this game is. IMO.


Personally I don't care for the redesign, but it is better than his work with the Rust Monster.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Hmmm, the new beholder isn't terribly uncomplex. It could certainly use a new write-up at the end of the article, instead of having all the stats broken up piecemeal.

I do like the anti-spellcasting ray. Barrage seems poorly explained to my at-work-12-hours-now brain.

 

[fuindordm]

I didn't have a problem with the beholder's facing rules, since it adds a memorable tactical element to encounters. On the other hand, the vast array of attack spells in its repertoire was a bit of a problem.

It's got the right number of attack rays now (note one each of Fort, Refl, Will saves), and the antispell cone is certainly easier to play with than the antimagic cone.

It still has five more eyes, though, and I think it still needs something else to make it a credible threat. Under the current version it seems too easy to prepare for a fight against it. At 9th level or so, the clerics get Spell Immunity, right? So much for the Beholder's one 'big gun'. Sure, a party won't be able to defend everyone that way, but the beholder is still in for a world of hurt when the barbarian charges in, even with the Slow ray.

Rather than give it the ability to use five rays twice, I would say let it fill in the other five eyes with Sorcerer spells of its choice, spells that support its goals in the campaign. Give the DM the tools to customize it, maybe offer a suggested list. Maybe even offer the DM a way for the Beholder to change its spells between encounters.

Dispel Magic (single target only) would be a good one, no? Let it strip away the party buffs in addition to its Antispell eye. I like the idea of a beholder zapping anyone with this before granting an audience.

Ben

 

[airwalkrr]

I feel that, mechanically, the revamped beholder is more useful. But I am still uneasy. It just doesn't feel like the beholder. Plus, he adds in some wonky things to the game like the barrage. What if the beholder rolls the same init both times? Barrage plus normal action? Ouch.

 

[Stalker0]

I like the changes overall, but get rid of the barrage thing. The point is to simplify the creature, then you bring in some wonky initiative mechanic.

I think in some ways this beholder is stronger than the old one. Disintegrate can still kill, and with a +4 bonus to all save dcs its going to be a lot harder to knock out the guy....especially now that he hinders your spellcasting while happily continuing to blast.

 

[Kvantum]

I can't really say I like this one... I can understand most of his points, but the end result loses some of that "beholder-y" flavor you kind of expect. I dunno about this one.

 

[Yalius]

Eh, I think I would simplify it a tad more. Eliminate the barrage ability, first. Second, eliminate the DC22 caster check to cast spells within the central eye effect, and make it effect all (Su) abilities, in addition to spellcasting.

Of course, a truly despicable change would be to give it Mordenkainen's Disjunction, usable at will. Oh, I like that. I like that indeed. And nine or ten sorcerer levels. Oh, I'm having an evilgasm.

Just the thing to make pretty much any party crap their pants, which is really part of the beholder's history.

 

[Baron Opal]

I like the concept, but the barrage doesn't quite gel with me, either. Also, the fear and flesh to stone powers are archtypal for beholders, for me. Still, i like the concept and will probably use Mr. Mearls beholder, suitable modified, for my purposes.

 

[MarkB]

The barrage ability really doesn't seem to make much sense. Rather than that, I'd like to see some form of special area attack which the Beholder can use in place of its individual rays, by firing all eyestalks at once. Something powerful enough to be worth giving up ten ray attacks, but that it wouldn't just use every round (or maybe give it a recovery time, like dragonbreath). How about:

Arcane Barrage (Su): As a full-round action, a Beholder may unleash a simultaneous barrage of arcane energy from all of its eyestalks at once. This ability blasts a 60-foot cone with disruptive energies. Creatures caught in the area suffer 10d6 force damage and are dazed for 1d3 rounds. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and negates the dazing effect. After unleashing this barrage, the beholder requires 1d4 rounds to recover its arcane energies before using the ability again, though it can continue to use its eye-rays as normal.​

The damage could probably be bumped up to 10d8, but I'm being conservative.

I also agree with the suggestion to give the beholder a targeted dispel magic as an eye-ray.