Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 01-15-08, 03:26 PM	Distant Watcher Large Aberration Hit Dice: 11d8 + 55 (104 hp) Initiative: +7 Speed: 5 ft. (1 square), fly 20 ft. (good) Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 natural, +2 shield), touch 12, flat-footed 19 Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+16 (+ Str) Full Attack: Bite + 11 melee (2d6 + 6) or Eye rays + 10 ranged touch Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Eye rays Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., flight, fortification, masks, spell resistance 21 Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +11 Abilities: Str 19, Dex 16, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 19, Cha 18 Skills: *see below; Intimidate +18, Diplomacy +6, Knowledge (nature) +19, Search +17, Sense Motive +21, Survival +20 Feats: Ability Focus (blistering fireball), Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (sense motive) Environment: any natural Organization: solitary or family (1-2 plus 1-3 infants) or triad/triumvirate (3) Challenge Rating: 10 Treasure: standard coins, standard goods, double standard items Alignment: Usually neutral Advancement: 12-16 HD (Large), 17-33 HD (Huge), or by character class Level Adjustment: - Floating before you is some relative of the beholder, you would guess, but you can't see many of its details behind the three masks floating around it lazily. One of the masks - it looks like a human face shaped from earth and stone - settles upon its face, and the two merge together. Its face now appears to be that of an old man made of the earth itself. In a booming voice, it declares your crimes against balance, and it attacks. Eye rays (Sp): A distant watcher may use the following as at-will spell-like abilities. As with other beholderkin, a successful ranged touch attack is required for these abilities to function. Eye rays with an area of effect are centered around the target. Eye rays that summon creature(s) do not require a ranged touch attack. • True darkness: as the spell darkness, but all creatures within its radius must make a Fortitude save every round or take a negative level, as the spell enervation. This ability is only available while the moon mask is active. • Summon undead IV: as the spell, except any undead summoned can see normally in an area of true darkness. This ability is only available while the moon mask is active. • Blistering fireball: as the spell fireball with the blistering spell (PH2) metamagic feat applied. This ability is only available while the sun mask is active. • Dominate person: as the spell. This ability is only available while the sun mask is active. Duration automatically ends if the distant watcher changes masks. • Evard’s black tentacles: as the spell, except the tentacles appear earthen or made of the native terrain. This ability is only available while the earth mask is active. • Summon nature’s ally IV: as the spell, except any creatures summoned are unaffected by the Evard’s black tentacles eye ray. This ability is only available while the earth mask is active. Masks (Su): A distant watcher is surrounded by three floating masks, depicting (in turn) the moon, the sun, and the earth. These masks provide a shield bonus to armor class as a heavy wooden shield (this ability is Ex). Additionally, as a swift action, the distant watch may make one of these masks bond to its own face. Which mask is bonded determines which eye rays a distant watcher can make use of. Each mask also provides its own benefit as long as it remains active. • Moon: a distant watcher gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus to all saves. • Sun: when attacked in melee, the attacker takes 1d6 fire damage unless using a weapon with exceptional reach. • Earth: a distant watcher gains DR 5/- Flight (Ex): A distant watcher’s body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 20 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell with personal range). Fortification (Ex): The masks surrounding a distant watcher provide little opportunity for exploitation, especially considering its bizarre anatomy. Unless the attack can bypass a shield bonus to AC, a distant watcher has a 50% chance of negating any critical hit or sneak attack. * Ok, I’ve actually got a question about assigning skill points. This is the first time I’ve designed a monster with an intelligence score, and so I’ve never had to deal with assigning skill points before. Maybe I’m overlooking it in the SRD, but how do I determine which skills are “class skills” for racial hit dice of the aberration type? On a side note, from day one it’s bothered me that monster stat blocks don’t give you the skill ranks a monster have – just the final modifier. I used the guardian naga stat block for reference when statting up the distant watcher. A distant watcher is a rare variety of beholderkin devoted to balance. Not just the balance between good and evil, law and chaos, but also the balance between man and nature, and the natural and unnatural. (Think rilmani, was it? The "celestials/fiends/inevitables/slaads of true neutrality. Or even the Concordant Killer, MM4). Distant watchers are rarely seen except when executing a target deemed dangerous to the balance. It is believed that they serve some greater power. Distant watchers are known to sometimes hone their abilities and become druids or rangers.
RAGNAROKISCOMING2007 01-15-08, 04:06 PM	I like it, even though i'm not too fond of beholders. you did a great job with this one though. Regarding the skill points: i dont think abberations (or any other monster types) have class skills unless otherwise noted. i based this decision off of looking at the back of the MM so i could be wrong.
LivingShadow 01-15-08, 06:15 PM	Interesting creature. I'm assuming the last two eye rays are only available if it's wearing the earth mask. (It isn't in the discription like the other ones.)
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 01-15-08, 11:50 PM	Good to know it looks good. And yeah, I meant for the last two eye rays to be earth mask only. Fixed.
LivingShadow 01-16-08, 03:53 PM	One more thing, regarding the class skills. There is no set group of class skills for abberations, any skills listed in the stat blocks are considered class skills and the rest are cross-class.
DebiHuman 01-17-08, 01:51 AM	Abberations gain Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die. With an Int of 16 this gives your Distant Watcher a modifier of +3 to skills. This gives you 5 skill points per hit die with quadruple for first hit die. So, you have 20 for the first HD and 50 for the rest of the HD for a total of 70 skill points. What is the max you can give as a skill? For PCs it is level +3. For monsters, I use HD +3 (though obviously some monsters should be better at some skills and you should note the racial bonuses etc.). Let's give your beholder a max of HD +3 so the so the most you can give your beholder is 14 in any rank (with the rest of the numbers coming from the ability) Intimidate is at max 14 + Cha (+4) bonus for a total of +18 (you were spot on with giving it 18) Knowledge (nature) max 14 + Int (+3) = 17+2 synergy from Survival = 19 Search +14 + Int (+3) = 17 Sense Motive 14 + Wis (+4) = 18+3 for skill focus = 21 Survival 14+ Wis (+4)= 18 +2 synergy from Search = 20 And that's how you use 70 skill points. P.S. Your beholder should get +2 synergy bonus to Diplomacy checks even if it has no ranks in it. Debby
Talisman 01-19-08, 01:09 AM	Cool! A unique and interesting take on Ye Aulde Beholder-Kynde...and nothing like my latest effort. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=978159) (stealth plug) Extra bonus kudos for not going with the standard "four elements" thing...I like the sun/moon/earth system. Maybe a "star mask?"... A few points... 1. Can it use all the eye-rays (at least, all it's entitled to, which is 2) in a round? Normally, using a SLA is a standard action, but the beholder's entry specifically states that it can use its eye-rays as a free action. 2. Why does it have Improved Natural Armor? IMO, that's a feat for advanced monsters; the basic critter should have whatever natural armor bonus you give it. +6 is pretty low for a beholderkin (compare to the beholder's +15). 3. The earth mask's DR 2/-- is kind of weak. I suggest either DR 5/-- or DR 10/adamantine - adamantine is thematically appropriate for an "earth" effect, and DR less than 5 is pretty pointless for a CR 12 monster. 3. Speaking of which, I don't think this is a CR 12 beastie. I'd peg it at CR 10-ish...it's most potent abilities are dominate person and blistering fireball, both useable by a 9th-level wizard. Yes, the watcher is tougher than a 9th-level wizard...but it also has fewer tricks to pull, and it will be facing the combined wrath of the whole party. It can use its big guns over and over...but, realistically, it's going to get maybe 3-4 rounds of SLAs before the party takes it down.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 01-19-08, 11:15 AM	Cool! A unique and interesting take on Ye Aulde Beholder-Kynde...and nothing like my latest effort. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=978159) (stealth plug) Extra bonus kudos for not going with the standard "four elements" thing...I like the sun/moon/earth system. Maybe a "star mask?"... A few points... 1. Can it use all the eye-rays (at least, all it's entitled to, which is 2) in a round? Normally, using a SLA is a standard action, but the beholder's entry specifically states that it can use its eye-rays as a free action. 2. Why does it have Improved Natural Armor? IMO, that's a feat for advanced monsters; the basic critter should have whatever natural armor bonus you give it. +6 is pretty low for a beholderkin (compare to the beholder's +15). 3. The earth mask's DR 2/-- is kind of weak. I suggest either DR 5/-- or DR 10/adamantine - adamantine is thematically appropriate for an "earth" effect, and DR less than 5 is pretty pointless for a CR 12 monster. 3. Speaking of which, I don't think this is a CR 12 beastie. I'd peg it at CR 10-ish...it's most potent abilities are dominate person and blistering fireball, both useable by a 9th-level wizard. Yes, the watcher is tougher than a 9th-level wizard...but it also has fewer tricks to pull, and it will be facing the combined wrath of the whole party. It can use its big guns over and over...but, realistically, it's going to get maybe 3-4 rounds of SLAs before the party takes it down. Thanks. I think I'll just keep it with three masks - it seems to me like a star mask might be stepping on the moon mask's figurative toes. To answer your questions . . . 1. My plan so far is no. Unlike a normal beholderkin, it doesn't have any eyestalks, so it can only aim in one direction at a time. But I can see your point - it probably won't get to make much use of them, considering its expected life span. Maybe I should reconsider . . . 2. Because I couldn't think of what feats to give it. It doesn't yet qualify for quicken SLA (or even empower SLA) for the SLAs it has. Seriously, it has skill focus (sense motive). As for the low natural AC, I was looking at the guardian naga when creating it, and I took similar stats for the most part. Remember, its AC is a little higher because its masks provide a shield bonus, and the moon mask provides a deflection bonus. 3. Fixed. The earth mask now provides DR 5/-. Again, I'm new to monster creation, so I figured it would be better to start off a little weak than too strong. Also, are you sure blistering fireball and dominate person are its most potent abilities? Remember, the nature's allies that it summons are unaffected by Evard's black tentacles, presenting quite the combo, and the undead it summons can see in the darkness it creates (but still gain the temporary hit points while fighting in it, while you keep gaining negative levels). If I ever take the time to flesh out distant watcher tactics, trust me, these two combos are what every distant watcher grows up learning. A particularly cunning one might snag you with Evard's black tentacles and then drop true darkness on you, keeping you stuck to gain negative levels round by round as attempt to free yourself to no avail. Maybe spending the following rounds throwing blistering fireballs at you to make it even harder to escape the grapple. These guys may not be evil, but they're certainly not nice.
Talisman 01-19-08, 12:37 PM	I can help with the feats. Consider Ability Focus (blistering fireball), Flyby Attack, Improved Flyby Attack and Improved Initiative. Or buff its Reflex save with Lightning Reflexes. Or buff its ranged touch attacks with Weapon Focus (ray). Or Improved Toughness for more hp. Basically, you'll want to either emphasize an aspect of the critter, or cover its weaknesses. As for the SLAs, lets consider them individually: The tentacles are probably its strongest attack, but they're defeated by freedom of movement, an absolute must-have for high-level PCs. E's black tentacles is a 4th-level spell, meaning it's available to 7th-level casters. And if I'm not mistaken, the tentacles are going to grab anyone - including the DW and any allies. The enervating darkness is cool, but anyone who takes more than one negative level from it is either playing poorly or has serious trouble. The first reaction of any sane PCs is going to be either "move out of the darkness" or "cast dispel magic." If you combine it with the tentacles, that's a nasty little trick...but it takes two round to pull off, during which time the watcher is, in all likelihood, taking fire from at least two PCs. Also, since you don't specify otherwise, the DW has to be wary of his own darkness or take negative levels. Dominate person is a nasty trick, but it's a single-target SoD (effectively). Noting also that the effect ends when the watcher switches masks, this means the watcher can's say, dominate the party rogue and then conjure up a dire wolverine to flank with his "new friend." Again, while he's dominating one PC, the other PCs will be focusing fire on the DW. Blistering fireball does 10d6+6 fire damage and imposes a minor penalty. Nice, but not earth-shattering; any 7th-level wizard could equal this. And the DW had better be careful of any summoned or dominated allies. I don't have my SC ATM, so I'll just consider summon furry animal IV. The critters on this list max out at CR 4 (dire wolverine) - not horribly dangerous to a 10th-level party. The combo with black tentacles could be fairly effective, I must admit. I don't think this is a weak or ineffective monster at all; I think CR 10 is about right. I do know that, without the ability to blast off 2+ SLAs per round, the 12th-level party I'm currently running with would chew it up fairly quickly.
Echoes of Deception 01-19-08, 05:24 PM	I only have a question. Where does its name come from?
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 01-19-08, 06:05 PM	Thanks. Btw, it already had Ability Focus (blistering fireball) and Flyby Attack. True, the DW and its allies (other than nature's allies) are going to be attacked, but it's a flying orb! What's it doing getting close enough to the tentacles? I see your point about the DW needing to avoid its own enervating darkness. Should I insert a line fixing that or leave it as a tactical concern? Similarly, should I remove the line about the dominate effect ending if it changes masks? Also, I plan on altering organization to include a "triad" (3 distant watchers). Ah, Echoes of Deception (or should I still call you Echet?). I chose "distant watcher" partially as a place-filler name. Like most beholderkin names, it makes a pun off of some visual word (beholder, spectator, etc.) I chose to call it a distant watcher because of its neutrality and existence as judge, jury, and executioner. I'm considering adding some sort of scrying or divinatory SLA usable with any mask, since it needs to observe (aka - watch from a distance) before it passes judgment.
Echoes of Deception 01-19-08, 09:34 PM	I play a multitude of characters. I think Echoes should work fine for me. If you would prefer to call me by name, though, it's Drammor.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 01-20-08, 10:43 AM	I play a multitude of characters. I think Echoes should work fine for me. If you would prefer to call me by name, though, it's Drammor. Echoes then. I've just gotten so used to Echet from Ask an Aberration.