Beholder Mage questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Beholder Mage questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ardashir
02-16-07, 12:46 PM Well, just one really. How should I handle the CR for Beholder Mages? They both lose and gain powers as they progress in the PrC, and they also have to drop their anti-magic ability just to gain levels in it in the first place.

I had figured on the beholder gaining a +1 to CR for every two levels of the Beholder Mage PrC taken. Does that sound like too much, too little, or what?
Marcus Smythe
02-16-07, 12:51 PM Well, just one really. How should I handle the CR for Beholder Mages? They both lose and gain powers as they progress in the PrC, and they also have to drop their anti-magic ability just to gain levels in it in the first place.

I had figured on the beholder gaining a +1 to CR for every two levels of the Beholder Mage PrC taken. Does that sound like too much, too little, or what?

Given the sheer, mind-boggling pile of steaming overpowered brokenness that is beholder mage, Id charge at least one CR for each class level. Though you do give up the natural abilities of the beholder (which are vast), you end up with the ability to cast a phenomenal number of spells a round (without the high cost spell deployment techniques usually required for arcane novas) from an effectively unlimited list (learns spells as a Wizard) but choosing only the best spells as needed (casts spells as a sorcerer)

The Beholder Mage is so good that it had to be a monster class, no PC would be let within 100 yards of it by any sane GM. Make the beholders pay for their godhead.
lint trap
02-16-07, 01:15 PM Given the sheer, mind-boggling pile of steaming overpowered brokenness that is beholder mage, Id charge at least one CR for each class level.

Yeah, that sounds about right. The loss of eye ray powers and antimagic cones is more than offset by the versitility, speed, and power of their spellcasting.
Holy_Beholder
03-16-07, 02:58 PM Yeah, those things are nasty. I have been both player, and DM, and for fun I played a 20th level paladin half celestial beholder. Even with that mighty thing, the DM made some beholder mages that were pretty tough. And that was with the whole telekenisis thing that let me wield an Large holy avenger, and smite evil with it(so the DM sends out lots of guys that act evil, but count as neutral Except for the strongest mage). Holy smiting him was fun. The thing about beholder mages, coupled with normal beholders is that they can fly, and bombard people with spells from the air. And when the mages fly up to fight back, along with the others, guess who turns on their antimagic rays. Those things should probably get 1.2 challenge rating levels per level of wizard, sorcerer, whatever.
Ardashir
11-20-07, 11:47 AM Thanks for all the words of advice concerning Beholder Mages, and sorry it took so long to get back to this.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ardashir 02-16-07, 12:46 PM	Well, just one really. How should I handle the CR for Beholder Mages? They both lose and gain powers as they progress in the PrC, and they also have to drop their anti-magic ability just to gain levels in it in the first place. I had figured on the beholder gaining a +1 to CR for every two levels of the Beholder Mage PrC taken. Does that sound like too much, too little, or what?
Marcus Smythe 02-16-07, 12:51 PM	Well, just one really. How should I handle the CR for Beholder Mages? They both lose and gain powers as they progress in the PrC, and they also have to drop their anti-magic ability just to gain levels in it in the first place. I had figured on the beholder gaining a +1 to CR for every two levels of the Beholder Mage PrC taken. Does that sound like too much, too little, or what? Given the sheer, mind-boggling pile of steaming overpowered brokenness that is beholder mage, Id charge at least one CR for each class level. Though you do give up the natural abilities of the beholder (which are vast), you end up with the ability to cast a phenomenal number of spells a round (without the high cost spell deployment techniques usually required for arcane novas) from an effectively unlimited list (learns spells as a Wizard) but choosing only the best spells as needed (casts spells as a sorcerer) The Beholder Mage is so good that it had to be a monster class, no PC would be let within 100 yards of it by any sane GM. Make the beholders pay for their godhead.
lint trap 02-16-07, 01:15 PM	Given the sheer, mind-boggling pile of steaming overpowered brokenness that is beholder mage, Id charge at least one CR for each class level. Yeah, that sounds about right. The loss of eye ray powers and antimagic cones is more than offset by the versitility, speed, and power of their spellcasting.
Holy_Beholder 03-16-07, 02:58 PM	Yeah, those things are nasty. I have been both player, and DM, and for fun I played a 20th level paladin half celestial beholder. Even with that mighty thing, the DM made some beholder mages that were pretty tough. And that was with the whole telekenisis thing that let me wield an Large holy avenger, and smite evil with it(so the DM sends out lots of guys that act evil, but count as neutral Except for the strongest mage). Holy smiting him was fun. The thing about beholder mages, coupled with normal beholders is that they can fly, and bombard people with spells from the air. And when the mages fly up to fight back, along with the others, guess who turns on their antimagic rays. Those things should probably get 1.2 challenge rating levels per level of wizard, sorcerer, whatever.
Ardashir 11-20-07, 11:47 AM	Thanks for all the words of advice concerning Beholder Mages, and sorry it took so long to get back to this.