Page 44 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Entry Requirements A beholder mage combines the best of two worlds; it can
Race: True beholder (beholderkin cannot become beholder learn new spells as a wizard can, and there is no upper limit
mages). to the number of spells it can learn and know. However, it
Special: Must put out central antimagic eye.
casts its spells on the fly like a sorcerer. A beholder mage of

high level typically knows a huge number of spells and can
CLASS FEATURES call upon any one of them at any time, providing it has a spell
All the following are class features of the beholder mage slot open of the appropriate spell level.
prestige class. Starting at 1st level, whenever a beholder mage gains the
Spells: A beholder mage gains the ability to cast arcane ability to cast a new level of spells, it must sacrifice the use

spells. These spells are drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell of its eye rays from one of its ten small eyestalks. From then
list. At 1st level, a beholder mage masters all the cantrips on, that eyestalk casts spells of that level and is referred to as
detailed in the Player’s Handbook and also knows two 1st-level a spell-stalk. At 10th level, all of its eyestalks are spell-stalks. TYRANTS CHAPTER 3
spells. Each time it gains a level, it automatically learns two As with its eye rays, casting a spell from a spell-stalk is a free THE EYE
more spells of any level it can cast. action (although a single spell-stalk can cast only one spell
To learn or cast a spell, a beholder mage must have an Intel- per round). The spell is technically considered a cast spell
ligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty (as opposed to the use of a spell-like ability), and thus the act

Class for a saving throw against a beholder mage’s spell is 10 + of casting provokes attacks of opportunity normally. A spell
the spell level + the beholder mage’s Intelligence modifier. A cast from a spell-stalk otherwise resolves normally; unlike

beholder mage’s spells function at a caster level equal to twice an eye ray, it does not need to make a ranged touch attack to
its beholder mage level. successfully strike a target (unless the spell itself requires a
A beholder mage can cast only a certain number of spells of touch attack). The standard beholder limitation against turning
each spell level per day. Its base daily spell allotment is given more than three eyestalks in any particular direction (that is,
in Table 3–1. In addition, it receives bonus spells per day if it forward, backward, left, right, up, or down) still applies.
has a high Intelligence score. Beholder mages do not require material components to cast
their spells. The ruined central eye acts as an arcane focus for
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KULARKUTHAN, ELDER ORB
Kularkuthan is a particularly ancient beholder elder orb with Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye continually
formidable sorcerous skill. It would make an excellent primary produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic that functions just like
villain for a long campaign against a powerful beholder cult; an antimagic field (caster level 13th). Once each round, during
the elder orb’s high Intelligence score and impressive Charisma its turn, the beholder decides whether the cone is active or
score make it a natural leader. not.
Kularkuthan: Beholder elder orb sorcerer 16; CR 27; Huge Flight (Ex): A beholder’s buoyancy allows it to fly and grants
aberration; HD 20d8+180 plus 16d4+144; hp 454; Init +4; Spd it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal
5 ft., fly 30 ft. (good); AC 39, touch 13, flat-footed 39; Base Atk range.
+23; Grp +33; Atk or Full Atk +22 ranged (eye ray) and +23 melee Spells Known (6/9/9/8/8/8/8/6/4 per day; caster level 16th):
(2d6+3, bite); Space/Reach 15 ft./10 ft.; SA eye rays, spells; SQ 0—arcane mark, daze (DC 20), detect magic, ghost sound (DC
all-around vision, antimagic cone, darkvision 60 ft., flight; AL 20), mending, message, ray of frost (+21 ranged touch), read
LE; SV Fort +22, Ref +13, Will +26; Str 15, Dex 11, Con 28, Int magic, touch of fatigue (+21 melee touch, DC 20); 1st—alarm,
23, Wis 19, Cha 31. identify, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement (+21 ranged touch),
Skills and Feats: Bluff +49, Concentration +33, Diplomacy +12, unseen servant; 2nd—detect thoughts (DC 22), eagle’s splendor
Disguise +10 (+12 acting), Hide +23, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (DC 22), Melf’s acid arrow (+21 ranged touch), mirror image,
(arcana) +45, Knowledge (the planes) +16, Listen +29, Search scorching ray (+21 ranged touch); 3rd—arms of plenty†, fireball
B
+33, Spellcraft +45, Spot +38; Agile Tyrant†, Alertness , Disjunc- (DC 23), ray of exhaustion (+21 ranged touch, DC 23), undulant
tion Ray†, Empower Spell, Eschew Materials, Extend Spell, Flyby innards†; 4th—arcane eye, dimensional anchor (+21 ranged
Attack, Focused Antimagic†, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, touch), enervation (2) (+21 ranged touch); 5th—cone of cold (DC
Iron Will, Maximize Spell, Metaray†, Weapon Focus (eye ray). 25), feeblemind (DC 25), teleport, wall of force; 6th—legend lore,
†New feats described on pages 44–45. planar binding (DC 26), true seeing; 7th—prismatic spray (DC
Languages: Beholder, Common, Undercommon, Draconic, 27), project image (DC 27); 8th—polar ray (+21 ranged touch).
Infernal, Dwarven. †New spells described in Chapter 9.
Eye Rays (Su): Each of a beholder’s ten small eyes can produce Possessions: bracers of armor +8, ring of protection +5, ring of
a magical ray once per round as a free action. During a single wizardry (IV), amulet of health +6, lens of ray doubling† (worn
round, a beholder can aim only three eye rays at targets in any on flesh to stone eye and with 5 charges remaining), two lenses of
one 90-degree arc. Each eye ray resembles a spell cast by a 13th- ray widening† (one worn on disintegrate eye and with 4 charges
level caster, with a range of 150 feet and a save DC of 30. See remaining, one worn on finger of death eye and with 6 charges
the Monster Manual, pages 26–27. remaining). Kularkuthan has read a tome of leadership and influ-
All-Around Vision (Ex): Beholders are exceptionally alert; their ence +5; his +5 inherent bonus to Charisma is included in the
eyes give them a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks, statistics block above.
and they can’t be flanked. †New magic item described on page 46.
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