Searechter (Marine Spectator)
i converted this one several months ago, before i became a moderator for this site.
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
Beholder-kin, Searechter (Marine Spectator)
Medium-Size Aberration (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 6d8+6 (32 hp)
Initiative: +7 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 5 ft., fly 50 ft. (clumsy), swim 100 ft.
AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
Attacks: Eye rays +4 ranged touch, bite -1 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft
Special Attacks: Eye rays
Special Qualities: All-around vision, spell turning, regeneration, SR 21
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Search +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +7, Swim +5
Feats: Altertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will
Climate/Terrain: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Usually lawful neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium-Size), 13-18 HD (Large)
Among a select few wizards (usually those from coastal cities or who are masters of summoning), there are rumors of a race of marine spectators dedicated to slaying eyes of the deep. In the WORLD OF GREYHAWK® setting, these are the elven and human wizards living on the Spindrift Isles. The Suel god Lendor, believed to be an Arch-Mage by many, taught the inhabitants of the Spindrifts how to summon spectators. Spectators living in Lendor's stronghold heard these rumors of their marine cousins and passed them on to their summoners.
Although there is such a creature as the marine spectator, it is cautious and actually avoids eyes of the deep. These marine spectators are also called sea spectators, spectators of the sea, or (most commonly) searechters. They dwell in the depths of the ocean and are very rarely encountered, and then are nearly always mistaken for eyes of the deep.
The coloration of a searechter is either dark blue or black. Its body is similar in appearance to an eye of the deep's, with three eyestalks on each side of the body and two fins on its back like the wings of a messenger monodrone.
COMBAT
Searechters have six small eyes on the end of six eyestalks and one large central eye which functions as does a spectator's. Each of its small eyes has a spell-like function, explained as follows. Each power is usable three times per day and functions as if cast by an 8th-level sorceror.
A successful hit upon one of the small eyes blinds that eye and ruins its power until it regenerates. Eyestalks take 5 hp damage before being severed, and the large eye takes 5 hp damage until it is destroyed.
Eye Rays (Su): Each of the six small eyes can produce a magical ray once a round, even when the searechter is attacking physically or moving at full speed. The creature has three eyes on each side of its body, and it can aim its eyes in any direction unless the target is on the other side of the creature’s body.
Each eye's effect resembles a spell cast by an 8th-level sorcerer but follows the rules for a ray. All rays have a range of 100 feet and a save DC of 15.
* Airy water: (as the 1st/2nd edition spell)
* Airbolt: (see the description of the new spell below)
* Charm monster: as the spell, affecting one creature per round. Will save negates.
* Fear: as the spell, lasting six rounds. Will save negates.
* Water Breathing: as the spell.
* Hold Person: as the spell. Will save negates. (Note: this eye originally acted as a wand of paralyzation, but I wasn’t sure what to use in its place).
Spell Turning (Su): A searechter’s central eye continuously produces a spell turning effect within a 150-foot-long cone extending straight ahead from the creature’s front. It it otherwise exactly as spell turning cast by a 13th-level sorceror and can reflect one spell of any level per round. The searechter can choose when to use this ability each round.
Regeneration (Ex): Eyestalks and the eyes on their ends regrow within one day, and the large eye takes two days to regenerate.
Depth Adaption (Ex): A searechter never voluntarily goes out of the water and only rarely enters waters less than 15,000' in depth. For every 1,000' closer to the surface than 15,000', the searechter takes 1 hp damage per turn; above the surface of the water, it takes 2 hp damage per round. This is a result of the expansion of the searechter's internal gases. While a searechter is very agile underwater, the discomfort of being out of the water drops its Dexterity to 8.
All-Around Vision (Ex): A searechter's many eyes give them a racial bonus of +4 to Spot and Search checks, and they can't be flanked. Once a searechter has acted during an encounter, its all-around vision negates any sneak attacks.
Skills: Because of the searechter’s natural bouyancy and adaption to oceanic depths, it has a racial bonus of +4 to Swim checks.
SOCIETY
Searechters usually live in small sea caves, but there is a slight chance they will live in different lairs. Sunken ships, large caverns, and ruins or abandoned lairs are rarely used as lairs. Ruins or abandoned lairs could include a ruined storm giant palace, morkoth lair, triton stronghold, sea dragon lair, aboleth city, kraken lair, and many others. A very resourceful searechter may find itself in a labyrith of vortexes leading to or from the Elemental Plane of Water in which case, there is a equal chance that water flows into it (creating a whirlpool) or that water rushes out of it, filling the worlds oceans. If the vortex leads to Lendor's underwater stronghold on Nirvana, it will be full of water and without current; this is the gateway by which Lendor brought searechters to this world.
There is a good chance that a searechter has some creatures enslaved by its charm monster ability. The slaves are usually humanoids, such as sahuagin. Slaves hunt for and protect the searechter. There are usually 2-12 hit dice of slaves, but usually no one creature with over 4 HD (2 HD is the average slave's level). Searechters do not usually have treasure except that of their slaves or the treasure in the sunken ship or ruins they may inhabit.
If a wizard reseaches the means of summoning a searechter, he finds that one can be summoned by the casting of summon monster VII spell. The wizard must cause the searechter to appear underwater or it will not be brought forth. Few have ever tried this summoning because of the difficulties in obtaining the proper material components.
In front of each of the searechter's eyes is a thin, clear shell that has a magical equivalence to + 3 metal. If the searechter is killed, this "eye crystal" can be removed and fashioned into small weapons such as dart tips and dagger blades of + 3 value. Likewise, if a strap is somehow attached to the large eye crystal, it can be used as a + 3 (and transparent) small shield. Nonetheless, it is difficult to cut and melt this material in order to fashion it into weapons or defensive items. Finding a way to do so is difficult and should be left to the discretion of the DM.
The searechter first appeared in Dragon 139, November 1988 (The Ecology of the Spectator, Dougal Demokopoliss).
This spell is a wizard spell using 1st edition rules, which the searechter uses for one of its eyestalks.
Airbolt (Alteration)
Level: 3
Components: V
Range: 1"/level
CT: 3 segments
Duration: Instant.
ST: None
AE: One target
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, a magic-user is able to create a concentrated blast of air roughly 3" in diameter. Using only verbal components, this spell utilizes the air around it and focuses it into a powerful beam that may then be directed by the spell-caster. Although this spell works underwater (where oxygen exists in a hydrogenated form), it will not work in a vacuum. Airbolt may be used as an offensive weapon, a powerful version of gust of wind, or a modified push spell. Because of the spells concentrated beam, only one creature or item may be targeted per spell. Damage for this spell is 1d6 per level (or 2d6 per level underwater, due to the greater ability to concentrate the spell in this medium). A saving throw vs. spells allows the one attacked to take half damage. The spell-caster blows a puff of air as this spell is cast.
With regard to the searechter, airbolt has a range of 6" in water and 2" in air, and it does 6-36 hp damage in water and 3-18 hp damage in air. The airbolt is not as potent in the air because it diffuses, whereas the spell is enhanced by the dense medium of water. A saving throw vs. spells allows the target creature to dodge a portion of the spells blast. The bolt is guided by sight, so a blinded searechter cannot cast this spell.
Medium-Size Aberration (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 6d8+6 (32 hp)
Initiative: +7 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 5 ft., fly 50 ft. (clumsy), swim 100 ft.
AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
Attacks: Eye rays +4 ranged touch, bite -1 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft
Special Attacks: Eye rays
Special Qualities: All-around vision, spell turning, regeneration, SR 21
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Search +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +7, Swim +5
Feats: Altertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will
Climate/Terrain: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Usually lawful neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium-Size), 13-18 HD (Large)
Among a select few wizards (usually those from coastal cities or who are masters of summoning), there are rumors of a race of marine spectators dedicated to slaying eyes of the deep. In the WORLD OF GREYHAWK® setting, these are the elven and human wizards living on the Spindrift Isles. The Suel god Lendor, believed to be an Arch-Mage by many, taught the inhabitants of the Spindrifts how to summon spectators. Spectators living in Lendor's stronghold heard these rumors of their marine cousins and passed them on to their summoners.
Although there is such a creature as the marine spectator, it is cautious and actually avoids eyes of the deep. These marine spectators are also called sea spectators, spectators of the sea, or (most commonly) searechters. They dwell in the depths of the ocean and are very rarely encountered, and then are nearly always mistaken for eyes of the deep.
The coloration of a searechter is either dark blue or black. Its body is similar in appearance to an eye of the deep's, with three eyestalks on each side of the body and two fins on its back like the wings of a messenger monodrone.
COMBAT
Searechters have six small eyes on the end of six eyestalks and one large central eye which functions as does a spectator's. Each of its small eyes has a spell-like function, explained as follows. Each power is usable three times per day and functions as if cast by an 8th-level sorceror.
A successful hit upon one of the small eyes blinds that eye and ruins its power until it regenerates. Eyestalks take 5 hp damage before being severed, and the large eye takes 5 hp damage until it is destroyed.
Eye Rays (Su): Each of the six small eyes can produce a magical ray once a round, even when the searechter is attacking physically or moving at full speed. The creature has three eyes on each side of its body, and it can aim its eyes in any direction unless the target is on the other side of the creature’s body.
Each eye's effect resembles a spell cast by an 8th-level sorcerer but follows the rules for a ray. All rays have a range of 100 feet and a save DC of 15.
* Airy water: (as the 1st/2nd edition spell)
* Airbolt: (see the description of the new spell below)
* Charm monster: as the spell, affecting one creature per round. Will save negates.
* Fear: as the spell, lasting six rounds. Will save negates.
* Water Breathing: as the spell.
* Hold Person: as the spell. Will save negates. (Note: this eye originally acted as a wand of paralyzation, but I wasn’t sure what to use in its place).
Spell Turning (Su): A searechter’s central eye continuously produces a spell turning effect within a 150-foot-long cone extending straight ahead from the creature’s front. It it otherwise exactly as spell turning cast by a 13th-level sorceror and can reflect one spell of any level per round. The searechter can choose when to use this ability each round.
Regeneration (Ex): Eyestalks and the eyes on their ends regrow within one day, and the large eye takes two days to regenerate.
Depth Adaption (Ex): A searechter never voluntarily goes out of the water and only rarely enters waters less than 15,000' in depth. For every 1,000' closer to the surface than 15,000', the searechter takes 1 hp damage per turn; above the surface of the water, it takes 2 hp damage per round. This is a result of the expansion of the searechter's internal gases. While a searechter is very agile underwater, the discomfort of being out of the water drops its Dexterity to 8.
All-Around Vision (Ex): A searechter's many eyes give them a racial bonus of +4 to Spot and Search checks, and they can't be flanked. Once a searechter has acted during an encounter, its all-around vision negates any sneak attacks.
Skills: Because of the searechter’s natural bouyancy and adaption to oceanic depths, it has a racial bonus of +4 to Swim checks.
SOCIETY
Searechters usually live in small sea caves, but there is a slight chance they will live in different lairs. Sunken ships, large caverns, and ruins or abandoned lairs are rarely used as lairs. Ruins or abandoned lairs could include a ruined storm giant palace, morkoth lair, triton stronghold, sea dragon lair, aboleth city, kraken lair, and many others. A very resourceful searechter may find itself in a labyrith of vortexes leading to or from the Elemental Plane of Water in which case, there is a equal chance that water flows into it (creating a whirlpool) or that water rushes out of it, filling the worlds oceans. If the vortex leads to Lendor's underwater stronghold on Nirvana, it will be full of water and without current; this is the gateway by which Lendor brought searechters to this world.
There is a good chance that a searechter has some creatures enslaved by its charm monster ability. The slaves are usually humanoids, such as sahuagin. Slaves hunt for and protect the searechter. There are usually 2-12 hit dice of slaves, but usually no one creature with over 4 HD (2 HD is the average slave's level). Searechters do not usually have treasure except that of their slaves or the treasure in the sunken ship or ruins they may inhabit.
If a wizard reseaches the means of summoning a searechter, he finds that one can be summoned by the casting of summon monster VII spell. The wizard must cause the searechter to appear underwater or it will not be brought forth. Few have ever tried this summoning because of the difficulties in obtaining the proper material components.
In front of each of the searechter's eyes is a thin, clear shell that has a magical equivalence to + 3 metal. If the searechter is killed, this "eye crystal" can be removed and fashioned into small weapons such as dart tips and dagger blades of + 3 value. Likewise, if a strap is somehow attached to the large eye crystal, it can be used as a + 3 (and transparent) small shield. Nonetheless, it is difficult to cut and melt this material in order to fashion it into weapons or defensive items. Finding a way to do so is difficult and should be left to the discretion of the DM.
The searechter first appeared in Dragon 139, November 1988 (The Ecology of the Spectator, Dougal Demokopoliss).
This spell is a wizard spell using 1st edition rules, which the searechter uses for one of its eyestalks.
Airbolt (Alteration)
Level: 3
Components: V
Range: 1"/level
CT: 3 segments
Duration: Instant.
ST: None
AE: One target
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, a magic-user is able to create a concentrated blast of air roughly 3" in diameter. Using only verbal components, this spell utilizes the air around it and focuses it into a powerful beam that may then be directed by the spell-caster. Although this spell works underwater (where oxygen exists in a hydrogenated form), it will not work in a vacuum. Airbolt may be used as an offensive weapon, a powerful version of gust of wind, or a modified push spell. Because of the spells concentrated beam, only one creature or item may be targeted per spell. Damage for this spell is 1d6 per level (or 2d6 per level underwater, due to the greater ability to concentrate the spell in this medium). A saving throw vs. spells allows the one attacked to take half damage. The spell-caster blows a puff of air as this spell is cast.
With regard to the searechter, airbolt has a range of 6" in water and 2" in air, and it does 6-36 hp damage in water and 3-18 hp damage in air. The airbolt is not as potent in the air because it diffuses, whereas the spell is enhanced by the dense medium of water. A saving throw vs. spells allows the target creature to dodge a portion of the spells blast. The bolt is guided by sight, so a blinded searechter cannot cast this spell.
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