Vastonia's
Monster Gallery!
BEHOLDER,
SAVAGE
Climate/
Terrain: Any remote
Frequency:
Very rare
Organization:
Solitary
Activity
Cycle: any
Diet:
Carnivore
Intelligence:
Exceptional
Treasure:
I,S,T
Alignment:
Chaotic Evil
NO.Appearing:
1
Armor
Class: 0/-2/-4/-7
Movement:
FL 9'' (b)
Hit
Dice: 14-18
Thaco:
8
NO.
of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack:
2-10/2-10/ 3-24 or special
Special
Attacks: Thresh (see below)
Special
Defenses Anti magic:
Magic
Resistance: 40%
Size:
M (4-6') in diameter
Morale:
19 fearless
XP
Value: 19,500
The
beholder is the stuff of nightmares. This creature, also called the sphere of
many eyes or the eye tyrant, appears as a large orb dominated by a central eye
and a large toothy maw, has 10 smaller eyes on stalks sprouting from the top
of the orb. Among adventurers, beholders are known as deadly adversaries. Equally
deadly are a number of variant creatures known collectively as beholder-kin,
including radical and related creatures, and an undead variety. These creatures
are related in manners familial and arcane to the "traditional" beholders, and
share a number of features, including the deadly magical nature of their eyes.
The most extreme of these creatures are called beholder abominations. The globular
body of the beholder and its kin is supported by levitation, allowing it to
float slowly about as it wills. Beholders and beholder-kin are usually solitary
creatures, but there are reports of large communities of them surviving deep
beneath the earth and in the void between the stars, under the dominion of hive
mothers. All beholders speak their own language, which is also understood by
all beholder-kin. In addition, they often speak the tongues of other lawful
evil creatures.
Combat:
The beholder
has different Armor Classes for different parts of their body. When attacking
a beholder, determine the location of the attack before striking (as the various
Armor Classes may make a strike in one area, and a miss in another):
Roll/
Location/ AC
01-75
/Body/ -7
76-85
/Central Eye/ -2
86-95
/Eyestalk/ -4
96-00
/One smaller eye/ 0
Each
of the savage beholder's eyes, including the central one has a different function.
The smaller eyes of a savage beholder are as follows:
1.
Charm person (as spell)
2.
Charm monster (as spell)
3.
Sleep (as spell, but only one target)
4.
Darkness (as spell, 80' radius)
5.
Flesh to stone (as spell, 30-yard range)
6.
Disintegrate (20-yard range)
7.
Fear (as wand)
8.
Slow (as spell, but only a single target)
9.
Cause serious wounds (50-yard range)
10.
Death ray (as a death spell, with a single target, 40-yard range)
The
central eye produces an anti-magic ray with a 140-yard range, which covers a
90 degree arc before the creature. No magic (including the effects of the other
eyes) will function within that area. Spells cast in or passing through that
zone cease to function. A savage beholder may activate the magical powers of
its eyes' at will. Generally, a beholder can use 2 smaller eyes if attackers
are within a 90 degree angle in front, 1d4 if attacked from within a 180 degree
angle, 1d6 if attacked from a 270 degree arc, and all 7 eyes if attacked from
all sides. The central eye can be used only against attacks from the front.
If attacked from above, the beholder can use all of the smaller eyes. The savage
beholder can withstand the loss of its eyestalks, each eyestalk/smaller eye
having 10-24 hit points. This loss of hit points is over and above any damage
done to the central body. The body can withstand three quarters (75%) of the
listed hit points in damage before the creature perishes. The remaining third
of the listed hit points are located in the central eye, and destroying it will
eliminate the anti-magic ray. A savage beholder with 100 hit points will have
a body that will take 75 points of damage, a central eye that will take 25 points,
to destroy. Slaying the body will kill the savage beholder and render the eyes
powerless. Destroyed eyestalks (but not the central eye) can regenerate at a
rate of one lost member per day.
If
a savage beholder scores a hit with 3 of its 3 main attacks on a single victim,
it is given an additional attack which it will then unleash a massive blood
threshing flurry upon the intended victim. If the attack is successful the savage
beholder can inflict an additional 4-40 points of damage.
Habitat/Society:
The savage
beholders are a mad, aggressive and fierce race, attacking or killing other
races, including other beholders and many of the beholder-kin. This is because
of a xenophobic intolerance among beholders that causes them to hate all creatures
not like themselves. The basic, beholder body-type (a sphere with a mouth and
a central eye, eye-tipped tentacles) allows for a great variety of beholder
subspecies. Some have obvious differences, there are those covered with overlapping
chitin plates, and those with smooth hides, or snake-like eye tentacles, and
some with crustacean-like joints. But something as small as a change in hide
color or size of the central eye can make two groups of beholders sworn enemies.
Every beholder declares its own unique body-form to be the "true ideal" of beholderhood,
the others being nothing but ugly copies, fit only to be eliminated. Beholders
will normally attack immediately. If confronted with a particular party there
is a 50% chance they will listen to negotiations (bribery) before raining death
upon their foes.
Ecology:
The exact
reproductive process of the savage beholder is unknown. The core racial hatred
of the beholders may derive from the nature of their reproduction, which seems
to produce identical (or nearly so) individuals with only slight margin for
variation. Beholders may use parthenogenic reproduction to duplicate themselves,
and give birth live (no beholder eggs have been found). Beholders may also (rarely)
mate with types of beholder-kin. The smaller eyes of the savage beholder may
be used to produce a potion of longevity, and as such can be sold for 2000 gp
each.
