Zombie Beholders: Broken?

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Captn

Feb 11, 2015 14:23:08		Please let me know where I have gone wrong, if I have. Zombie beholder is a CR 5 monster so a group of level 5 players should be able to fight one without expecting to lose a character. The average HP of a level 5 character is in the high 30's to low 40's. The zombie beholder disintegration ray does an average of 45 damage and turns any creature reduced to 0 into dust. How is this an appropriate challenge for level five characters? It's legitimately save or die.
#2

Coredump00

Feb 11, 2015 14:35:26

Same with a Roper... an easy TPK.

 

 

#3

Nevvur

Feb 11, 2015 15:08:13

It's a very swingy monster. Disintegrate only has a 25% chance per round of firing, and even then it's save for 0 damage.  It could feel like lower or higher CR, depending on which eye fires, and how well the PCs roll on saving throws. I think CR 5 is about right, but I wouldn't use them in a group with (m)any other monsters against a level 5 party. 

 

I don't soft ball my players often, but I also wouldn't automatically target the disintegrate ray at my low HP PCs. Zombie beholders have low intelligence, so they won't necessarily do the smart thing, unlike their living counterparts.

 

#4

iserith

Feb 11, 2015 15:14:58

I don't see a problem with it so long as the DM is telegraphing its badassedness ahead of time and players are availing themselves of opportunities for discovery as to its abilities and weaknesses. This way they can endeavor to stack the deck in their favor. 

#5

Archon007

Feb 11, 2015 15:51:15

iserith wrote:
#6

Beldak_Serpenthelm

Feb 11, 2015 19:39:38

Yes, the word "ZomBeholder" is absolutely broken in two

#7

CCS

Feb 11, 2015 22:07:04 		Is a Zombie Beholder broken? Well, I guess that depends upon. Your table.... maybe they are at yours. But at mine? If I throw one of these at the group it's because I know it'll prove to be a good fight
#8

alienux

Feb 12, 2015 7:25:40

Archon007 wrote:
(Reply to #3)

Captn

Nevvur wrote:
(Reply to #9)

Nevvur

Captn wrote:
#11

iserith

Feb 12, 2015 11:30:34

Captn wrote:
(Reply to #9)

AaronOfBarbaria

Captn wrote:
(Reply to #10)

Captn

Nevvur wrote:
#14

MonsterEnvy

Feb 12, 2015 18:56:21

Your party was not going to die in one round. One character could die in one round. The eye rays are chosen at random and along with many other stuff the Rogue just got unlucky. 

(Reply to #9)

CCS

Captn wrote:
#16

Psikerlord

Feb 13, 2015 20:17:49

Captn wrote: