Beholder-ish

[BobVosh]

I've liked beholder for a long time, and have wanted to play one for about as long. The issue comes in several ways:
1. 13 levels (IIRC) is a lot to level on HD + LA.
2. It would be vastly underpowered
3. Wouldn't be effective in the party in any traditional role.
4. Usually play in parties starting at 3.

So I'm fishing for build concepts on how I can (hopefully) closely emulate the beholder. I don't particularly care if it is a fly head of awesome, I can deal with humanoid if I can be beholderish enough to make people realize it.

I'm aware with master of many forms/probably some other shapechange schenanigans I can just magic my way into it. Probably wish as well. However these don't arrive until I can basically just be a beholder anyway.

I'm fine with being a caster, melee, gish, or the most bizarre idea of a healer/buffer beholder.

I can work with quick-fix refluff or light homebrewing but the closer to RAW the better IMO.

So any help would be apperciated.

Also I apologize about the vagueness, but I'm willing to play anything if it meets the "beholder feel." Also I'm at work and it is about to get busy

[JeminiZero]

You want something that flies around shooting rays, including stuff like Charm, Fear, Negative Energy, Sleep etc.

IMHO Sound like a warlock. They certainly have the invocs/essences to match most of a Beholder's reportaire (Charm, Frightful Blast, Utterdark Blast, Eternal Sumber of Ages etc). And then some, if you homebrew some of your own (word of changing to petrify rather than polymorph).

All you need is someway to get them to ignore AoOs while casting, and for their SLAs to overcome magic resistance/immunity and it will almost like a beholder's Su rays.

[Risek]

Perhaps if you figured out how much LA a spectator beholderkin had (LoM, pg 140), it's only got four racial hit dice and it's medium sized. It's eye rays are weaker than an ordinary beholder (Fatigue, Hold Monster, Inflict Moderate Wounds and Telepathy (which lets you use Suggestion)), but it's far more suitable for lower levels.

[Starshade]

Forgotten Realms Eyeball's are small beholders used for familliars, is that a good idea? i dont got the book, so i cant know if its impossible to get it to work, but it got a few spells as Mage hand, ray of frost and such, 4, no anti magic cone, its Tiny, a small flying thingie who probably make a good scout.

[Eldariel]

Be a Human, on level 11 buy two castings of Polymorph Any Object with the Assume Supernatural Ability-feat from Savage Species and be a real Beholder with no LA. That would also qualify you for the wonderful "Beholder Mage"-prestige class and so on. But basically, I'd just get Polymorphed into one and make it permanent. Hmm, you could actually start off as an Elan, get Metamorphic Transfer and get PAOd at once permanently into a Beholder with eye rays and all. Either way, Polymorph Any Object is by far the easiest, most functional way of going about it.

[Darrin]

I've liked beholder for a long time, and have wanted to play one for about as long.

You might want to take a look at Sean K. Reynolds Beholder 20 Monster Class levels (Work In Progress):

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfile...lderclass.html

There's also "Aberration Wild Shape" in Lords of Madness or Master of Many Forms (CompAdv).

The Eleven Eyes of Xanathon won't turn you into a beholder, but it will give you an eyestalk:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20061107b

[Eldariel]

There's also "Aberration Wild Shape" in Lords of Madness or Master of Many Forms (CompAdv).

Ah, what a smashing idea! Master of Many Forms with Assume Supernatural Quality! Metamorphic Transfer would work too, but qualifying while maintaining Wildshape is less simple (ok, so 1 level of Ardent + Practiced Manifester works; gets you level 3 powers too).

[Heliomance]

Unfortunately the Dirty Trick that lets you get into Beholder Mage has succumbed to the White Screen of Doom over at Gleemax. Did anyone save a backup?

[Eldariel]

Well, I pretty much copy-pasted it here. You can find it at web archives too.

EDIT: Dug it up for you, here. Curiously, it seems to have no mention of the minimum HD limit PAO is supposed to have.

[BobVosh]

You might want to take a look at Sean K. Reynolds Beholder 20 Monster Class levels (Work In Progress):

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfile...lderclass.html

There's also "Aberration Wild Shape" in Lords of Madness or Master of Many Forms (CompAdv).

The Eleven Eyes of Xanathon won't turn you into a beholder, but it will give you an eyestalk:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20061107b

Class seems pretty neat. Thanks guys.

[Malacode]

Unless you've already made the choice, I'd stick with Warlock. Just use Vitriolic Blast on all your EB's and you're ignoring SR like a beholder. Take a few levels of Eldritch Theurge + Wizard and Alter Self, Polymorph or PaO into a beholder of some kind... Still requres manymany levels, but no danger of DM fiat. And by that, I mean having the character sheet of your level 10 PaO's Beholder Mage being run over by their car. Repeatedly

[arguskos]

There is a class in Faiths and Pantheons (the Forgotten Realms book about the deities) that basically gives you a Beholder eye in your forehead. I think it's called Ocular Adept or somesuch. Might want to check that one out.

[Prak]

Warlock sounds like a good idea, but there's also Aberration Blood, Bestial Hide, Durable Form, and probably starspawn, assuming your dm is okay with sayign you fly more like a beholder than anything with wings.

there's also this from Bhu over at Brilliant Gameologists:

Beholder Folk
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 9d8+18 (58 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (+2 Dex, +9 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed
19
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+6
Attack: 8 Eye Rays +8 Ranged and Bite +1 melee (1d4)
Full Attack: 8 Eye Rays +8 Ranged and Bite +1 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Eye Rays
Special Qualities: Dark Vision 60 ft., All-Around Vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +9, Diplomacy +8, Hide +9, Knowledge (Local) +9, Listen +11, Search +13, Spot +15
Feats: Ability Focus (Eye Rays), Alertness, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Environment: Urban
Organization: Solitary or Group (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: By Character Class
Level Adjustment: +4

"Whut'll it be pal?"

The Stoners were not Polymnia's only hybrid children to branch off into a stable species. She also gave birth to what are referred to as the Beholder Folk (well, by everyone except the Beholders). They appear as scaly humanoids roughly 6 feet in height, with a round head that resembles a ball. It has a large fanged mouth and central eye, and appears to be topped by writhing tendrils that resemble hair. Mixed in with this "hair" are smaller eyestalks. The Beholder Folk are generally thought of as monsters, and so end up taking jobs that are traditionally frowned upon (lawyer, tax collector, executioner) or ones in which appearance is unimportant (bartender, rogues). They speak Beholder and Common.

Eye Rays (Su): Each of the Beholder Folk's 8 prehensile eyestalks can produce a ray once per round as a Free Action. It can only fire 4 in any 90 degree angle, and the others may fire in other arcs. Beholder Folk can bend their eyestalks to fire in any direction, in any combination. Each ray produces an effect similar to a spell (Caster Level 11th). Beholder Folk are incredibly mutable, so their eyestalks vary a lot. Pick any spell of 3rd level or less that specifically targets an individual for each eye's effect.

All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholder Folk gain a +4 Racial Bonus on Search and Spot checks, and can't be flanked.

Combat: Beholder Folk are fairly non-confrontational given their parentage. Usually they will flee and try to hide, but if cornered their Eye Rays can be devastating.

however it also has an ECL of 13.

[Teron]

Dragon #296 had a prestige class called the sphere minion that gives you eyestalks and what not, if memory serves. I don't recall if it's any good, though.

[The Glyphstone]

If you're cool with 3rd party material, look no further than Goodman Games and their awesometastic Complete Guide to Beholders. As a bonus, the free preview comes with exactly what you want, the Beholder Cultist base class that sprouts eyestalks with eyebeams as it levels up.