Beholder

A massive orb of brown, bruised flesh floats down from the tunnel shaft above. Almost a dozen whipping tendrils protrude from its brow like a a demented crown, each of which adorned with a single, malicious eye. As it turns and bares a mouth full of needle sharp teeth that could eat a child whole, it opens one last central eye and all of the enchantments you had paid good money to have placed on you before entering the tomb suddenly vanish.

Beholder

CR 13

XP: 25,600

LE Large Aberration

Init: +6; Senses: All-around vision, darkvision 60 ft; Perception +18

DEFENSE:

AC: 26, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 24 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +15 natural)

HP: 123 (13d8+52)

Fort: +10; Ref: +5; Will: +12

OFFENSE:

Speed: 5 ft., Fly 20 ft (good)

Melee: Bite +3 (1d8)

Ranged: Eye Ray +12 ranged touch (DC: 18)

Space: 10 ft.; Reach: 5 ft.

STATISTICS:

Str 10, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 17, Wis 15, Chr 15

Base Atk: +9; CMB: +10; CMD: 22

Feats: Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (ray)

Skills: Fly +20, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (arcana) +19, Perception +18,Spellcraft +19, Stealth +14, Survival +18

Languages: Common, Undercommon

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Antimagic Cone (Su): The central eye of the beholder generates a constant 150 foot cone-shaped effect, in which all magic is suppressed. Treat this as Antimagic Field with a caster level equal to the beholder's Hit Dice. The eye rays of the beholder cannot enter the effect of its own antimagic cone. The beholder can close and open this eye as a swift action or a free action, allowing the beholder to close the eye at the beginning of its turn as a swift action and reopen it at the end of his turn. Whenever the beholder uses a move action to move, or if he is moved involuntarily, he can move the starting point to any intersection that is on the edge of his squares and redirect the cone. Otherwise, the cone remains in the same position, relative to the beholder, when the beholder stopped moving.

Blindness Vulnerability (Ex): If a beholder is blinded, it only targets a single eye, chosen by the attacker when the blindness goes into effect. This allows it to still see clearly until all eleven eyes are blinded and keep its all-around vision until each of the ten eye stalks are blinded. However, a blinded eye cannot use its special effect (either Antimagic Cone or Eye Ray) until the blindness effect is removed from that specific eye. Remove Blindness / Deafness and similar effects remove the blindness conditions from all affected eyes with a single casting.

Eye Rays (Su): A beholder has ten eye stalks, each capable of triggering a ray as a ranged touch attack with a range of 150 feet. A single eye ray can be used a standard action. The beholder can use up to all of its eye rays as a full round action. Neither option provokes an attack of opportunity. All eye rays can be used at will.

Each successful ranged touch attack delivers a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the beholder's Hit Dice (CL: 13th) and an appropriate saving throw to resist. Spell resistance does apply. The saving throw DCs for all of the effects are equal to 10 + 1/2 the beholder's Hit Dice + Chr modifier, so the typical beholder's eyes would be DC:18. While it is possible for different species of beholders to have different spells delivered in this method, the typical beholder has the following spell-like effects: Charm Monster, Disintegrate, Deep Slumber, Fear, Finger of Death, Flesh to Stone. Inflict Moderate Wounds, Slow, Stone to Flesh and Telekinesis

Naturally Bouyant (Ex): Beholders are capable of flight through sacs filled with a naturally produced gas that makes them lighter than air. Thus, a beholder, even unconscious, never falls. In fact, a dead beholder will slowly rise if not tethered or the gas sacs punctured.

Poor Mouth (Ex): The beholder's mouth is ill-suited to combat, and is treated as a secondary attack.

ECOLOGY:

Environment: Cold hills

Organization: Solitary, pair or clusters (3-6)

Treasure: Double standard

Role: Spell

Source: MM1, pg. 26

Beholders are a race of asexual, xenophobic, floating aberrations that are known for their unusual forms of attack. Central to a beholder's defense is the number of eye stalks, each of which are capable of generating a different spell-like effect. On top of that, the beholder's central eye is able to diffuse any magical energies directly in front of it. Easily capable of flying over its enemies, beholders excel at ranged combat, but do poorly in melee combat. A beholder will never use a full round action to direct its eye stalks if it is within range of a melee attack, but has been known to stand its ground in a ranged duel with enemy spellcasters. Because beholders naturally float, they move in three dimensions quite naturally and often build their homes with tunnels and shafts that those bound by gravity cannot easily use.