Beholder Eye Rays [Archive] - Wizards Community

Beholder Eye Rays [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Inyotef
07-17-05, 06:00 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?
Tusz
07-17-05, 06:14 PM I saw a post on this before. It's limited to the number of rays it can fire in a 90 degree arc, but iirc yes, it can spin its body as a move action and fire all of its rays in one direction. Nasty tactic, that.
ShakyJake
07-17-05, 06:15 PM *Edit*

Sorry, misunderstood what you were asking. After reading the MM description again, I see the confusion. The best thing to do with ambiguous wording is probably take a step back and look at the spirit that the rule was made for, and go from there. The eyes are situated such that they are looking around a full 360° arc around the Beholder. It would seem that the eyes must all be used at the same time as part of the same action, even if it's a free action, and so there would be no turning allowed "between shots" to get more than three shots off on characters within a given 90° arc. The "turning and panning" inclusion in the description seems to just be there to justify firing whichever rays it wants in an arc relative to its facing.

If you had a group of seven individuals in front of you and wanted to hit the most possible, bisecting the party in half and inlcuding one half in one cone and the other half in the other cone would be your best option. You'd still only be getting attacks on six people (three in each cone, leaving four unused eye rays), but that seems the best interpretation of the rule.
A Man In Black
07-17-05, 06:34 PM Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's not be too mean to the PCs, here.

As a practical matter, the gauth and beholder (and the non-core beholderkin) were written with the intent that you wouldn't allow the beholder to rotate in between rays.

Don't have a beholder shoot more than its quota of rays in a certain direction, unless you're a big fan of beholders turning into TPK machines.
astute1
07-17-05, 10:14 PM 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).
no, you decide on the 90 degree arcs, then fire the eye rays. Basically, if the party is clumped together, you're only going to be able to hit one or two of them, depending on where you draw the line for the arcs.

Also, if it tilts and pans its body, each round is that considered a move action?
Creatures are assumed to be moving around in combat anyway, so you can't tilt or pan to get more shots in.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Inyotef 07-17-05, 06:00 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?
Tusz 07-17-05, 06:14 PM	I saw a post on this before. It's limited to the number of rays it can fire in a 90 degree arc, but iirc yes, it can spin its body as a move action and fire all of its rays in one direction. Nasty tactic, that.
ShakyJake 07-17-05, 06:15 PM	Edit Sorry, misunderstood what you were asking. After reading the MM description again, I see the confusion. The best thing to do with ambiguous wording is probably take a step back and look at the spirit that the rule was made for, and go from there. The eyes are situated such that they are looking around a full 360° arc around the Beholder. It would seem that the eyes must all be used at the same time as part of the same action, even if it's a free action, and so there would be no turning allowed "between shots" to get more than three shots off on characters within a given 90° arc. The "turning and panning" inclusion in the description seems to just be there to justify firing whichever rays it wants in an arc relative to its facing. If you had a group of seven individuals in front of you and wanted to hit the most possible, bisecting the party in half and inlcuding one half in one cone and the other half in the other cone would be your best option. You'd still only be getting attacks on six people (three in each cone, leaving four unused eye rays), but that seems the best interpretation of the rule.
A Man In Black 07-17-05, 06:34 PM	Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's not be too mean to the PCs, here. As a practical matter, the gauth and beholder (and the non-core beholderkin) were written with the intent that you wouldn't allow the beholder to rotate in between rays. Don't have a beholder shoot more than its quota of rays in a certain direction, unless you're a big fan of beholders turning into TPK machines.
astute1 07-17-05, 10:14 PM	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). no, you decide on the 90 degree arcs, then fire the eye rays. Basically, if the party is clumped together, you're only going to be able to hit one or two of them, depending on where you draw the line for the arcs. Also, if it tilts and pans its body, each round is that considered a move action? Creatures are assumed to be moving around in combat anyway, so you can't tilt or pan to get more shots in.