Beholder Eye Rays [Archive] - Wizards Community

Beholder Eye Rays [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Inyotef
07-17-05, 05:59 PM Hi..I have a Beholder (Gauth) attacking a party of 7 in front of it. In terms of the eye rays, I'm trying to determine whether it can use all 6 of its eye rays on the party directly in front of it on its initiative (I'm a bit confused about the 90-degree arc rules). Also, if it tilts and pans its body, each round is that considered a move action?
friendlyfire515
07-18-05, 11:44 AM I'm pretty sure you can only fire 2 eye rays per arc. Beholders don't "pan" back and forth. It would make sense IRL, but it's CR is calculated with the assumption that it usually won't be able to use too many of the eyes.
Callahan
07-18-05, 01:29 PM it's not a move action unless you leave your square(s).
Also, it can't fire off rays, then rotate, then fire again if that's what you're trying to do. There's a set amount of rays that can be fired in any direction.

Also try to be clever with your beholder, blasting the disintegration ray at the stone ceiling and causing an avalanche or blasting the floor and creating a pit in front of the heroes is a favourite of mine.
spoogemonkey
07-20-05, 03:07 PM the beholder could fire and then move, or move and then fire. The 90 degree thing is really just 45 degrees off of each forward edge.... meaning most of everything in front of him - just not behind or directly to the sides.

Experiment with different sets of eye stalks. Beholder specialists.... like Fire Beholders... or Cold Beholders (with ice storm, ray of frost, cone of cold, etc.) or even Shaper Beholders with an array of polymorph rays... then the party could be reduced to woodland animals! A Necro-beholder might be nice..... with Ray of enfeeblement, bestow curse, life drain, etc. The Beholders should be of different colors to "tip" the party as to what they might expect...
Ninja Squirrel
07-29-05, 04:32 PM The beholder can fire everything at once.
Rutibex
07-29-05, 08:25 PM Imagin there is a big cross on the grid with the Beholder at the centre. Notice that this devides the grid into four sections. The Beholder can only fire three rays (or two in the Gauths case) in any one of these sections per turn, how the cross is oriented and which rays he will fire in any perticular section are up to the Beholder.

This means that no one person can be hit with more than three rays, but a group of adventures standing togeather could be hit with six if the Beholder positions himself so that his left and right arcs intesect the middle of the party.
Slagger the Chuul
07-29-05, 09:27 PM Hi..I have a Beholder (Gauth) attacking a party of 7 in front of it. In terms of the eye rays, I'm trying to determine whether it can use all 6 of its eye rays on the party directly in front of it on its initiative (I'm a bit confused about the 90-degree arc rules). Also, if it tilts and pans its body, each round is that considered a move action?

The bit about tilting and panning is just flavour text to explain how the beholder can be limited in the number of eye rays it can use, but still choose which ones; it doesn't need an action because it's just telling you what the rules are supposed to represent.

You organize the rays in groups in whatever arrangement you like (within the limits of those arcs) and assume that the beholder is tilted the right way to use its complement of eyes like that.
Ninja Squirrel
07-30-05, 04:58 PM the beholder can be modified to have 20 or more eyes.
spoogemonkey
08-01-05, 02:57 PM cool! How about a "spider-eye Beholder" with a thousand eyes..... with cataracts! or all with Ray of Frost!! 1000 x d3 dmg (but you get a reflex save for half!!!) hahahahahahahahaa... a thousand reflex saves.... hohohohohohoho... the PCs would be dancing like those old westerns! "Dance, you yella-bellied sap-suckers!" Even if there were only 30 eyes it would be funny...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Inyotef 07-17-05, 05:59 PM	Hi..I have a Beholder (Gauth) attacking a party of 7 in front of it. In terms of the eye rays, I'm trying to determine whether it can use all 6 of its eye rays on the party directly in front of it on its initiative (I'm a bit confused about the 90-degree arc rules). Also, if it tilts and pans its body, each round is that considered a move action?
friendlyfire515 07-18-05, 11:44 AM	I'm pretty sure you can only fire 2 eye rays per arc. Beholders don't "pan" back and forth. It would make sense IRL, but it's CR is calculated with the assumption that it usually won't be able to use too many of the eyes.
Callahan 07-18-05, 01:29 PM	it's not a move action unless you leave your square(s). Also, it can't fire off rays, then rotate, then fire again if that's what you're trying to do. There's a set amount of rays that can be fired in any direction. Also try to be clever with your beholder, blasting the disintegration ray at the stone ceiling and causing an avalanche or blasting the floor and creating a pit in front of the heroes is a favourite of mine.
spoogemonkey 07-20-05, 03:07 PM	the beholder could fire and then move, or move and then fire. The 90 degree thing is really just 45 degrees off of each forward edge.... meaning most of everything in front of him - just not behind or directly to the sides. Experiment with different sets of eye stalks. Beholder specialists.... like Fire Beholders... or Cold Beholders (with ice storm, ray of frost, cone of cold, etc.) or even Shaper Beholders with an array of polymorph rays... then the party could be reduced to woodland animals! A Necro-beholder might be nice..... with Ray of enfeeblement, bestow curse, life drain, etc. The Beholders should be of different colors to "tip" the party as to what they might expect...
Ninja Squirrel 07-29-05, 04:32 PM	The beholder can fire everything at once.
Rutibex 07-29-05, 08:25 PM	Imagin there is a big cross on the grid with the Beholder at the centre. Notice that this devides the grid into four sections. The Beholder can only fire three rays (or two in the Gauths case) in any one of these sections per turn, how the cross is oriented and which rays he will fire in any perticular section are up to the Beholder. This means that no one person can be hit with more than three rays, but a group of adventures standing togeather could be hit with six if the Beholder positions himself so that his left and right arcs intesect the middle of the party.
Slagger the Chuul 07-29-05, 09:27 PM	Hi..I have a Beholder (Gauth) attacking a party of 7 in front of it. In terms of the eye rays, I'm trying to determine whether it can use all 6 of its eye rays on the party directly in front of it on its initiative (I'm a bit confused about the 90-degree arc rules). Also, if it tilts and pans its body, each round is that considered a move action? The bit about tilting and panning is just flavour text to explain how the beholder can be limited in the number of eye rays it can use, but still choose which ones; it doesn't need an action because it's just telling you what the rules are supposed to represent. You organize the rays in groups in whatever arrangement you like (within the limits of those arcs) and assume that the beholder is tilted the right way to use its complement of eyes like that.
Ninja Squirrel 07-30-05, 04:58 PM	the beholder can be modified to have 20 or more eyes.
spoogemonkey 08-01-05, 02:57 PM	cool! How about a "spider-eye Beholder" with a thousand eyes..... with cataracts! or all with Ray of Frost!! 1000 x d3 dmg (but you get a reflex save for half!!!) hahahahahahahahaa... a thousand reflex saves.... hohohohohohoho... the PCs would be dancing like those old westerns! "Dance, you yella-bellied sap-suckers!" Even if there were only 30 eyes it would be funny...