Page 137 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Armor Class: 35 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +25 natural), touch 10, Combat

flat-footed 33 Hive mothers prefer to let their minions do the fighting,

Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+30 but when drawn into combat, they fight in a manner similar
Attack: Eye rays +15 ranged touch and bite +20 melee to beholders. Against smaller opponents that don’t seem to
(2d6+10) present a threat, a hive mother approaches to melee range to
Full Attack: Eye rays +15 ranged touch and bite +20 melee eat its foes alive.
(2d6+10) Command Beholder (Sp): A hive mother can use dominate
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft. monster at will as a spell-like ability (caster level 20th), but only
Special Attacks: Command beholder, eye rays, improved against beholders and beholderkin. A beholder can resist this
effect with a successful DC 27 Will saving throw. This is the
grab, swallow whole
CHAPTER 8 NEW MONSTERS Special Qualities: All-around vision, antimagic cone, dark- equivalent of a 9th-level spell.

Hive mothers are immune to the command beholder ability
vision 60 ft., flight
of other hive mothers.
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +17
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 21, Wis 17, Cha 25
If a hive mother loses control of a dominated beholder (as
Skills: Hide +17, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (any two) +28,
another beholder), the hive mother immediately senses the loss
Listen +28, Search +32, Spot +32, Survival +3 (+5 following is the case if a dominated beholder is in the antimagic cone of
tracks) of control, and knows the position and distance to the beholder
B
Feats: Alertness , Disjunction Ray†, Flyby Attack, Focused at the time control was lost. If control does not return within
Antimagic†, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved a few rounds, the hive mother seeks out the rogue beholder
Natural Attack (bite), Iron Will to investigate and possibly punish it.
† New feats described on page 45. Eye Rays (Su): Each of a hive mother’s ten small eyes can
Environment: Cold hills produce a magical ray once per round as a free action. Hive
Organization: Solitary, hive (1 hive mother plus 3–6 beholders mothers can rotate and adjust their position with much greater
plus 2–4 directors), or city (1 hive mother plus 1–3 overseers speed and skill than normal beholders, and they can aim up
plus 10–20 beholders plus 3–10 directors and 20–40 slaves, to six eye rays at targets in any given 90-degree arc.
usually bugbears, gnolls, ogres, or minotaurs) Each eye’s effect resembles a spell (caster level 20th). Each
Challenge Rating: 16 ray has a range of 240 feet and a save DC of 27. The save DCs
Treasure: Triple standard are Charisma-based.
Alignment: Usually lawful evil The ten eye rays include:
Advancement: 21–30 HD (Huge); 31–50 HD (Gargantuan); Charm Monster: The target must succeed on a Will save or
51–60 HD (Colossal) be affected as though by the spell.
Level Adjustment: — Charm Person: The target must succeed on a Will save or be
affected as though by the spell.
This massive sphere-shaped monstrosity is covered with spiny, Disintegrate: The target must succeed on a Fortitude save or
razor-sharp plates of chitin and bone. The creature has a cavern- be affected as though by the spell.
ous maw fi lled with multiple rows of swordlike teeth. A single Fear: This works like the spell, except that it targets one
huge eye protrudes from above the mouth, and above this eye ten creature. The target must succeed on a Will save or be affected
smaller eyes, each recessed in a bony hood, are scattered across as though by the spell.
the upper surface of the sphere in a radial pattern. Finger of Death: The target must succeed on a Fortitude save
or be slain as though by the spell. The target takes 3d6+20
The hive mother is an extraordinarily (and thankfully) rare points of damage if its saving throw succeeds.
creature found only in the largest beholder communities. Flesh to Stone: The target must succeed on a Fortitude save
Called “ultimate tyrants,” or simply “ultimates,” hive mothers or be affected as though by the spell.
rule beholder communities with tyranny and cruelty, and are Inflict Critical Wounds: This works like the spell, causing

mistakenly worshiped as deities by neighboring creatures of 4d8+20 points of damage (Will save for half).
other races. Sleep: This works like the spell, except that it affects one
A hive mother is larger than a typical beholder, measuring creature with any number of Hit Dice (Will negates).
about 12 feet across. The average hive mother weighs 15,000 Slow: This works like the spell, except that it affects one
pounds. As with other beholders, these creatures are asexual creature (Will negates).
and genderless. The name “hive mother” was given to these Telekinesis: A hive mother can move objects or creatures
monsters some time in the past by a misinformed (and now that weigh up to 375 pounds, as though with a telekinesis spell.
eaten) adventurer, but the name seems to have stuck. Creatures can resist the effect with a successful Will save.
Hive mothers speak Beholder and Common, and speak Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a hive mother
numerous other local languages as well. must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a

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