Overseer

The baleful fl ash blinds creatures for 2d6 rounds and stuns them for half the duration of the blindness. A DC 22 Fortitude save negates the stun and reduces the blindness to dazzled. Sightless creatures are immune to this attack. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Constrict (Ex): An eye of the deep deals 2d6+5 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Eye Rays (Su): Each of an eye of the deep’s two small eyes can produce a magical ray once per round as a free action. Each ray has a range of 150 feet and a save DC of 18 (caster level 12th). The save DCs are Charisma-based. The two eye rays include:

Hold Monster: The target must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by the spell.

Cone of Cold: This works like the spell, but affects only the creature touched by the ray (Refl ex save for half ).

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an eye of the deep must hit with its claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Persistent Image (Sp): As a standard action, an eye of the deep can create a persistent image (as the spell at caster level 12th). The eye of the deep cannot use its eye rays in the same round that it casts persistent image.

Large Aberration Hit Dice: 14d8+84 (147 hp) Initiative: +5 Speed: 5 ft. (1 square) Armor Class: 30 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +6 fungus armor, +14 natural), touch 10, fl at-footed 29 Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+20 Attack: Eye rays +10 ranged touch and tentacle +15 melee (1d6+6) Full Attack: Eye rays +10 ranged touch and 8 tentacles +15 melee (1d6+6) and 3 bites +10 melee (1d8+3) Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Command beholder, constrict 1d6+6, eye rays, improved grab Special Qualities: All-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., fungus, spell resistance 23 Saves: Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +13 Abilities: Str 22, Dex 13, Con 22, Int 20, Wis 18, Cha 22 Skills: Knowledge (any four) +22, Listen +21, Search +22, Spot +21, Survival +4 (+6 following tracks) Feats: AlertnessB, Enlarge Spell, Great Fortitude, Improved

Initiative, Metaray†, Maximize Spell † New feat described on page 45. Environment: Cold hills Organization: Solitary, pair, or grove (2–4 plus 3–6 beholders and 3–6 directors) Challenge Rating: 15 Treasure: Double standard Alignment: Always lawful evil Advancement: 15–28 HD (Huge); 29–42 HD (Gargantuan) Level Adjustment: —

This creature resembles a black, rubbery tree of undulant fl esh. Thick, matted sheets of wiry fungus grow all over its surface. The tree’s thirteen gnarled branches each end in a single large eye. Three fanged maws gurgle lower on the tree’s trunk, and it supports itself with a thick, coiling mass of eight long tentacles.

Overseers serve hive mothers as subordinates in large beholder communities, similar to the way humanoid rulers employ others as guards or governors. The rare overseer that does not belong to a beholder community seeks out societies of other creatures to infi ltrate and dominate from behind the scenes. An overseer is uncomfortable without a large number of subservient minions to tend to its real (or imagined) needs. An overseer is normally about 15 feet tall and weighs 4,000 pounds. They speak Beholder and

Common.

Combat Unlike most other beholderkin, overseers have a large number of physical attacks that they can use in melee combat to great effect. Nevertheless, they prefer to Overseer let their minions handle such crude activities as melee combat, and concentrate on using their eye rays against enemies. An overseer’s greatest

Illus. by C. Fix