Playing Beholder Rays?

[MrUberGr]

So I just saw, that beholders fire their rays at random. How does this work? Do you roll for what rays you're going to fire and then determine the target? It seems really weak otherwise. Also, I think that for a creature that has 180 hp, if it isn't teamed up with other minions, firing rays at random will be very weak since it'll die in 2 rounds.

[rollingForInit]

Sounds reasonable to me.

[Shining Wrath]

There's two ways to do this:


Randomly choose eye to fire, then randomly choose target
Randomly choose eye to fire, then Beholder chooses target



Or you can give Beholders control over their eyes if you hate your party and never want to play with them again. Remember in all cases the central eye has to be closed for the other eyes to function in its FOV.

[Yrnes]

Or you can give Beholders control over their eyes if you hate your party and never want to play with them again.

This made me spit out my coffee laughing.

[MrUberGr]

hehehehe... So, basically he needs some "cushion" between him and the party?

[Jlooney]

I've never played against beholder a that couldnt control their stalks....isnthat supposed to be the rules?

[MrUberGr]

Well, the DMG says:

"The beholder shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet of it:"

There are 10 rays, and you roll a d10 to determine what rays it uses. However, this seems totally stupid, since it isn't a 3 Int monster that will just fart rays from its eyes when it gets angry.

[MadGrady]

Well, the DMG says:

"The beholder shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet of it:"

There are 10 rays, and you roll a d10 to determine what rays it uses. However, this seems totally stupid, since it isn't a 3 Int monster that will just fart rays from its eyes when it gets angry.


^THIS

Permission to sig please

[MrStabby]

I haven't used beholders but I would randomly select the ray then chose the target.

As pointed out they are smart and should have some control. Picking the combination of ray and target would make them pretty terrifying (although they are enough of a CR for something a bit nasty)

[Shining Wrath]

I think the not-quite-stated idea is that the beholder can aim its eyestalks but which ones are "charged" and ready to fire on a particular round varies. They are aberrations, after all, their physical processes are by definition weird. Why can't they fire all 10 eyestalks each round without aiming if they choose? Because the eyestalks aren't always ready to go.

The only eye which is always "on" is the central one. The rest charge up randomly, which probably annoys the hell out of beholders.

[MrUberGr]

Permission to sig please

Woohoo! This will be a first! Please, go ahead! :smallbiggrin:


I think the not-quite-stated idea is that the beholder can aim its eyestalks but which ones are "charged" and ready to fire on a particular round varies. They are aberrations, after all, their physical processes are by definition weird. Why can't they fire all 10 eyestalks each round without aiming if they choose? Because the eyestalks aren't always ready to go.

The only eye which is always "on" is the central one. The rest charge up randomly, which probably annoys the hell out of beholders.

Well, this makes perfect sense. Thanks alot. BTW the central eye cancelling out the others seems kind of counter-intuitive. I can only come up with one scenario were it would be useful. The party's martial characters are incapacitated somehow, and only the spellcaster is left. Up goes the antimagic field, and bitey bitey time. :P

[Epoch]

I think the not-quite-stated idea is that the beholder can aim its eyestalks but which ones are "charged" and ready to fire on a particular round varies. They are aberrations, after all, their physical processes are by definition weird. Why can't they fire all 10 eyestalks each round without aiming if they choose? Because the eyestalks aren't always ready to go.

The only eye which is always "on" is the central one. The rest charge up randomly, which probably annoys the hell out of beholders.

This. Also, due to the petty nature of beholders, they probably would never actually admit that they don't have 100% control over their eyestalks.

"BEHOLD AS I DESTROY THIS PATHETIC HUMAN WITH THE POWER OF LIGHTENING!"

*ray of frost*

"....JUST AS PLANNED."

[kaoskonfety]

If I recall the old "cap" on their powers was that only a few of them could target a given arc at once, between the monsters bulk and the eyes getting into each others way the options were limited. I typically ran with each ray having a 120 arc and roughly mapped it out (each beholder is of course slightly different in targeting arc options and thus superior to all other beholders...)

I like the recharge idea - it fits with them having full access to all powers during "down time" and the resolution mechanic is far easier than having each separate power recharge on a 6.

All magic is suppressed by the central eye and it will generally be staring down the casters while its manoeuvring so its lasers are blasting the fighter types. I can't remember the current entry, but the buggers used to have the fairly straight forward option to blink *BLASTS* /end blink. You could hold your casting actions till then, but with 3 casters "waiting" it would opt to eat someone instead - probably while leering at your wasted round.

[MrUberGr]

All magic is suppressed by the central eye and it will generally be staring down the casters while its manoeuvring so its lasers are blasting the fighter types. I can't remember the current entry, but the buggers used to have the fairly straight forward option to blink *BLASTS* /end blink. You could hold your casting actions till then, but with 3 casters "waiting" it would opt to eat someone instead - probably while leering at your wasted round.

Not sure what you mean exactly. Now, the beholder "decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active, at the start of each of its turns" so, RAW it goes on and remains on for the whole turn. Now, I think it's kind of silly that he selects where it faces, since if it moves it will probably change the direction of where it is looking, and thus the cone should turn around with it.

[Joe the Rat]

Personally, I would play up the AM cone a bit. You might be safe from the direct* effects of the Crazy Eyeball Dreadlocks of Doom, but that means the Beholder is staring directly at you.


I think the not-quite-stated idea is that the beholder can aim its eyestalks but which ones are "charged" and ready to fire on a particular round varies. They are aberrations, after all, their physical processes are by definition weird. Why can't they fire all 10 eyestalks each round without aiming if they choose? Because the eyestalks aren't always ready to go.

The only eye which is always "on" is the central one. The rest charge up randomly, which probably annoys the hell out of beholders.

That makes sense. A lot of sense. Now I'm going to have to change models. My mental model had more to do with beholders being bat-scat insane, firing eyebeams off at random.


This. Also, due to the petty nature of beholders, they probably would never actually admit that they don't have 100% control over their eyestalks.

"BEHOLD AS I DESTROY THIS PATHETIC HUMAN WITH THE POWER OF LIGHTENING!"

*ray of frost*

"....JUST AS PLANNED."Great, now Beholders sound like Dr. Dinosaur (http://www.atomic-robo.com/atomicrobo/v2fcbd-cover) to me. How the hell am I going to come up with feats of nonscience and plots and power sources that make no damn sense in a fantasy setting?


* - Telekinesis to throw objects at targets within the cone, disintegration to destroy supports and collapse sections of the layer on its opponents... play it smart. The Beholder certainly is.

[Submortimer]

Not sure what you mean exactly. Now, the beholder "decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active, at the start of each of its turns" so, RAW it goes on and remains on for the whole turn. Now, I think it's kind of silly that he selects where it faces, since if it moves it will probably change the direction of where it is looking, and thus the cone should turn around with it.

Here's the thing: A beholder is looking in all directions at all times. And since there are no "Facing" rules for D&D combat, he could easily open his central eye, negating your Magic Armor, Bite you in the FACE, then turn around at the end of his turn so he can blast you with eye rays using his legendary actions.

Beholders are scary as hell.