Blinding a beholder? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Blinding a beholder? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Voidboy
07-10-06, 08:19 AM In the next session my PCs will encounter (and most likely in an aggresive manner) a beholder. One character relies heavily on the spell 'Blindness/Deafness', and he might give it a try this time too.
If someone can enlighten me about what is going to happen to a blinded beholder (if anything), i would be thankful.
Thiez
07-10-06, 09:06 AM ? Why would a blind beholder be anything different than a blind commoner? Its eye-rays will still work because they do not rely on vision. It's antimagic cone will still work because it does not rely on vision.

It will have trouble aiming, like every blind ranged fighter.
Voidboy
07-10-06, 09:13 AM Thanks!

It will be a valid tactic then :)
Millennium
07-10-06, 09:31 AM One note: to blind a beholder, you have to blind all of its eyes: just going for the central eye won't work. You have to get all the eyestalks as well.

Of course, the blindness/deafness spell is probably best assumed to do exactly this, so it's not worth worrying about in that context. However, it's worth keeping in mind if people start putting eyes out individually.
Prak, the Mad
07-10-06, 01:41 PM also keep in mind the Anti-magic Cone.
Thiez
07-10-06, 05:09 PM Yeah, funny. If he opens his anti-magic eye, the Blindness should go away for that eye.
utilitarian
07-10-06, 05:22 PM One note: to blind a beholder, you have to blind all of its eyes: just going for the central eye won't work. You have to get all the eyestalks as well.

Of course, the blindness/deafness spell is probably best assumed to do exactly this, so it's not worth worrying about in that context. However, it's worth keeping in mind if people start putting eyes out individually.

Uh, no.

Blindness/Deafness the spell blinds a creature regardless of how many eyes it has. It's not like you have to cast it twice on a human because a human has two eyes.

That said, it's unlikely he'd get a chance given that the Beholder will probabaly have his anti-magic cone going full blast the majority of the time.
yonman
07-10-06, 06:04 PM Uh, no.

Blindness/Deafness the spell blinds a creature regardless of how many eyes it has. It's not like you have to cast it twice on a human because a human has two eyes.

That said, it's unlikely he'd get a chance given that the Beholder will probabaly have his anti-magic cone going full blast the majority of the time.

You can always target the beholder from behind or when you're not in the cone of anti-magic. But even so, I agree that when it opens up it's anti-magic eye the blindness goes away anyway on the central eye.
dok
07-11-06, 01:04 AM Actually, this particular question has come up enough that it's in the Monster Board FAQ (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=8178540&postcount=3)

Q. What happens to a beholder if it fails to save against a blindness spell?

The beholder will be blinded with standard effects - no dexterity bonus to AC, needing a Listen check to locate targets, and 50% miss chance on all attacks. All its eye rays and anti-magic cone will still work normally. The spell says nothing about visual organs, and thus merely imposes the blinded condition. The anti-magic cone is produced out of the eye, and thus would not affect the eye itself.

The Beholder's anti-magic cone extends from the creature, but does not, and cannot affect the beholder itself. (if it did, the Beholder would be unable to fire its eye rays when the central eye is open, since they are a Supernatural ability and thus supressed in antimagic)
Millennium
07-11-06, 08:43 AM Blindness/Deafness the spell blinds a creature regardless of how many eyes it has. It's not like you have to cast it twice on a human because a human has two eyes.
I already said that. The only reason I mentioned that all the eyes had to be blinded was in case the characters started using cruder means to blind the beholder.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Voidboy 07-10-06, 08:19 AM	In the next session my PCs will encounter (and most likely in an aggresive manner) a beholder. One character relies heavily on the spell 'Blindness/Deafness', and he might give it a try this time too. If someone can enlighten me about what is going to happen to a blinded beholder (if anything), i would be thankful.
Thiez 07-10-06, 09:06 AM	? Why would a blind beholder be anything different than a blind commoner? Its eye-rays will still work because they do not rely on vision. It's antimagic cone will still work because it does not rely on vision. It will have trouble aiming, like every blind ranged fighter.
Voidboy 07-10-06, 09:13 AM	Thanks! It will be a valid tactic then :)
Millennium 07-10-06, 09:31 AM	One note: to blind a beholder, you have to blind all of its eyes: just going for the central eye won't work. You have to get all the eyestalks as well. Of course, the blindness/deafness spell is probably best assumed to do exactly this, so it's not worth worrying about in that context. However, it's worth keeping in mind if people start putting eyes out individually.
Prak, the Mad 07-10-06, 01:41 PM	also keep in mind the Anti-magic Cone.
Thiez 07-10-06, 05:09 PM	Yeah, funny. If he opens his anti-magic eye, the Blindness should go away for that eye.
utilitarian 07-10-06, 05:22 PM	One note: to blind a beholder, you have to blind all of its eyes: just going for the central eye won't work. You have to get all the eyestalks as well. Of course, the blindness/deafness spell is probably best assumed to do exactly this, so it's not worth worrying about in that context. However, it's worth keeping in mind if people start putting eyes out individually. Uh, no. Blindness/Deafness the spell blinds a creature regardless of how many eyes it has. It's not like you have to cast it twice on a human because a human has two eyes. That said, it's unlikely he'd get a chance given that the Beholder will probabaly have his anti-magic cone going full blast the majority of the time.
yonman 07-10-06, 06:04 PM	Uh, no. Blindness/Deafness the spell blinds a creature regardless of how many eyes it has. It's not like you have to cast it twice on a human because a human has two eyes. That said, it's unlikely he'd get a chance given that the Beholder will probabaly have his anti-magic cone going full blast the majority of the time. You can always target the beholder from behind or when you're not in the cone of anti-magic. But even so, I agree that when it opens up it's anti-magic eye the blindness goes away anyway on the central eye.
dok 07-11-06, 01:04 AM	Actually, this particular question has come up enough that it's in the Monster Board FAQ (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=8178540&postcount=3) Q. What happens to a beholder if it fails to save against a blindness spell? The beholder will be blinded with standard effects - no dexterity bonus to AC, needing a Listen check to locate targets, and 50% miss chance on all attacks. All its eye rays and anti-magic cone will still work normally. The spell says nothing about visual organs, and thus merely imposes the blinded condition. The anti-magic cone is produced out of the eye, and thus would not affect the eye itself. The Beholder's anti-magic cone extends from the creature, but does not, and cannot affect the beholder itself. (if it did, the Beholder would be unable to fire its eye rays when the central eye is open, since they are a Supernatural ability and thus supressed in antimagic)
Millennium 07-11-06, 08:43 AM	Blindness/Deafness the spell blinds a creature regardless of how many eyes it has. It's not like you have to cast it twice on a human because a human has two eyes. I already said that. The only reason I mentioned that all the eyes had to be blinded was in case the characters started using cruder means to blind the beholder.