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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Olgar Shiverstone" data-source="post: 3144657" data-attributes="member: 5868">This makeover is poop (though, admittedly, not as bad as the rust monster makeover).1.  Mearls has a problem with facing, since it is an exception for the Beholder, so he eliminates it ... but introduces a new ability that is an exception to the rule anyway?  That's logical and consistent.  Not.  2.  He claims there are five save-or-die effects.  Explain to me how charm monster, fear, and sleep are save-or-die effects?  Particularly when charm monster is but charm person isn't?  It's not like it is dominate monster, which is much more dangerous.  And if charm person isn't going to affect a character, sleep isn't going to, either.  Flesh-to-stone is only a temporary SoD -- the real ones are disintegrate (which he keeps), and finger of death -- which is still a spell for PCs.  At a save DC of 17, those save-or-die effects are just dangerous enough to scare characters of an appropriate level to face a beholder while having a relatively low probability of success.3.  He forgets about the weapon uses for telekinesis, though the throw effect is an OK substitute.  As is the "blast ray" (though it needs a better name).  Two positives.4.  I hate the nerf of the antimagic cone.  Disrupt spellcasting gives one effect -- but the anti-magic cone is so much more interesting. It suppresses melee and missile characters -- the sword stop flaming, the oathbow stops working -- and more importantly stops ongoing spell effects.  Nothing says "fear" like the stoneskin dropping, the flying fighter falling to the floor, and the cleric's continual flame mace going out and leaving the party in the dark.  Want to stop it from interfering with itself?  Make the eye rays Su abilities, and they can't be aimed more than three at a single target.  Deal with the facing for the cone -- it ain't that hard, guys.  And if it still really bugs you, make it an instantaneous cone whose effects have a 1d4 round duration.Personally, I'd ditch charm person (redundant to charm monster), sleep, and inflict for something more interesting and CR-appropriate, but otherwise keep the critter pretty much as is.Now a prismatic beholder, on the other hand, is really a cool idea.  I try to color-code beholders rays for specific effects, but that's s great idea!</blockquote>

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