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View Full Version : 3rd Ed WotC -has- been giving away Beholder stats for a long time now!


Endarire
2019-07-21, 11:00 PM
I noticed this PDF (https://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/excerpts/excerpt_35MM.pdf) with Beholder (and Gauth) stats. I found this by Googling a related topic.

Interesting that this isn't listed as a 3.5 Monster Manual excerpt on this page (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/ex).
Thurbane
2019-07-21, 11:03 PM
Interesting - good find!
PraxisVetli
2019-07-22, 03:57 AM
I'm confused.
What is the significance of this?
I feel like there's something I don't know.
magic9mushroom
2019-07-22, 04:17 AM
I'm confused.
What is the significance of this?
I feel like there's something I don't know.

Beholder stats aren't in the SRD because WotC is jealous about them as an iconic D&D monster (as they put it, Product Identity).

There are a few other monsters that get this treatment, like illithids.

There are also certain rules that aren't distributed, such as the XP and WBL tables (I think some parts of the treasure table too).
weckar
2019-07-22, 04:44 AM
It's funny how just about all examples I can think of are aberrations...
magic9mushroom
2019-07-22, 05:30 AM
It's funny how just about all examples I can think of are aberrations...

5 of the 11, yeah, and the two most memorable.

Displacer beasts are magical beasts, gith humanoids, kuo-toa and yuan-ti monstrous humanoids, and slaad outsiders, although even several of those have an aberration feel to them. Easier to make something unique if it's got parts in the wrong places, after all.
Quertus
2019-07-22, 06:34 AM
While we're at it, one could probably reverse engineer Illithid stats from the sample epic Illithid Savant, too.
Mr Adventurer
2019-07-22, 06:36 AM
Meanwhile, I completely forgot that Gauth were in the MM.
DrMotives
2019-07-22, 07:08 AM
Meanwhile, I completely forgot that Gauth were in the MM.

Everyone does. I think they forgot about them when they wrote the beholder chapter in Lord of Madness, even. Someone just thought "let's make a lesser beholder, and stick it in the beholder entry. Oh, and let's not call it lesser." And it's probably the most obscure monster in MM1.
magic9mushroom
2019-07-22, 07:13 AM
Everyone does. I think they forgot about them when they wrote the beholder chapter in Lord of Madness, even. Someone just thought "let's make a lesser beholder, and stick it in the beholder entry. Oh, and let's not call it lesser." And it's probably the most obscure monster in MM1.

No, they didn't. It's just a sidenote and not given any more time than any of the other previously-published beholderkin.
MisterKaws
2019-07-22, 07:22 AM
Doesn't matter that they shared it. You can copy it and all, but as soon as you try to publish it into a copyrighted book, you'll find yourself slammed with a DMCA.


Everyone does. I think they forgot about them when they wrote the beholder chapter in Lord of Madness, even. Someone just thought "let's make a lesser beholder, and stick it in the beholder entry. Oh, and let's not call it lesser." And it's probably the most obscure monster in MM1.

Don't forget the Lillend.
DrMotives
2019-07-22, 07:30 AM
Don't forget the Lillend.

Nah, Lillend are mentioned in other books, come from previous editions, and even have a 5 level PrC for bards that turns a humanoid into a what looks like a half-lillend. Gauth are, as far as I know, never mentioned anywhere outside of MM1.
MisterKaws
2019-07-22, 07:46 AM
Nah, Lillend are mentioned in other books, come from previous editions, and even have a 5 level PrC for bards that turns a humanoid into a what looks like a half-lillend. Gauth are, as far as I know, never mentioned anywhere outside of MM1.

Hmm? Never heard of that PrC. Care to tell me where it is?
DrMotives
2019-07-22, 07:59 AM
Hmm? Never heard of that PrC. Care to tell me where it is?

Artist's Vengeance, Dragon #307. It's a 3/5 casting class for bards, but does not advance bardic music. Instead, they get to advance bardic knowledge, and grow a lillend's tail for a natural weapon, plus gain fire resistance & wings with a speed of 70.
DarkSoul
2019-07-22, 12:43 PM
Gauth are, as far as I know, never mentioned anywhere outside of MM1.Someone's never read "I, Tyrant". :)

But yeah, just because they released beholder stats in a free pdf, that doesn't suddenly make it OGL content.
MisterKaws
2019-07-22, 03:59 PM
Artist's Vengeance, Dragon #307. It's a 3/5 casting class for bards, but does not advance bardic music. Instead, they get to advance bardic knowledge, and grow a lillend's tail for a natural weapon, plus gain fire resistance & wings with a speed of 70.

It's Dragon, though. Not really Wizards-original content.
Lord of Shadows
2019-07-22, 09:04 PM
Artist's Vengeance, Dragon #307.


It's Dragon, though. Not really Wizards-original content.

Plus, from 299 to 359, Dragon was a Paizo publication... claimed to be official, but, still..
FaerieGodfather
2019-07-23, 05:03 AM
Beholder stats aren't in the SRD because WotC is jealous about them as an iconic D&D monster (as they put it, Product Identity).

There are a few other monsters that get this treatment, like illithids.

There are also certain rules that aren't distributed, such as the XP and WBL tables (I think some parts of the treasure table too).

Several of the "iconic" monsters coincidentally are ones that WotC doesn't actually own. They have publishing rights, but would need to obtain a new legal agreement to grant those publishing rights to others. Mostly creatures from the Fiend Folio like the githyanki/githzerai and the thri-kreen.