[Creatures] We seeeee you!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Here is a request given me, to make a swarm out of the eyeball beholderkin from Faerun.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Beholderkin, Eyeball Swarm

Tiny Aberration (swarm)
Hit Dice: 13d8 HD (58 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 5 ft. (1 square), fly 40 ft. (Good)
Armor Class: 18 (+3 dex, +1 natural, +4 size), touch 17, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/-
Attack: Swarm (3d6)
Full Attack: Swarm (3d6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Distraction, storm of rays
Special Qualities: All-around vision, flight, half damage from slashing and piercing, immunity to charm and command, swarm traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +8
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +17, Search +9, Spot +9
Feats: Ability Focus (cause fear), Ability focus (daze), Ability Focus (mage hand), Ability Focus (ray of frost), Lightening Reflexes
Environment: Underground
Organization: Swarm
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

This appears as a great cloud of small, round objects that bounce and hover and squeak in a chaotic tumble. Chill breezes whip up from around them and dust and rocks and plants and other debris lift up and spin about them before flinging away.

Combat
Beholderkin consider all things that move both a threat and potential prey and come up to them quickly, using their storm of rays before they envelope the being.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm’s damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 16) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.

Storm of Rays (Su): Each round an eyeball swarm automatically strikes all within 35 feet with the effects below simultaneously 1d6 times. A new save must be made each round for each effect.
Those within the swarm's space take must make a save against these effects in addition to the swarm damage. Caster level 4th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.

Cause Fear: As the spell, will save DC 18.
Daze: As the spell, will save DC 18.
Mage Hand: As the spell.
Ray of Frost: As the spell.

Flight (Ex): An eyeball's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly as the spell, as a free action, at a speed of 40 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect with personal range.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Terrorfying.

[Fax Celestis]

It's that Storm of Rays that scares me. If it somehow got Sneak Attack...

[belboz]

Storm of Rays (Su): Each round an eyeball swarm automatically strikes all within 35 feet with the effects below simultaneously 1d6 times. A new save must be made each round for each effect.
Those within the swarm's space take must make a save against these effects in addition to the swarm damage. Caster level 4th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.

Cause Fear: As the spell, will save DC 18.
Daze: As the spell, will save DC 18.
Mage Hand: As the spell.
Ray of Frost: As the spell.

I'm a little confused about this. Each ray strikes each target 1d6 times/round, right? But you only make one save per round per effect? I understand "make 1-6 saving throws or be dazed", but not "make a saving throw or be dazed 1-6 times".

Then again, nobody in a remotely challenge-appropriate party will be affected by cause fear or daze anyway.

What about mage hand? I assume it affects surrounding small unattended objects, causing them to fly about (possibly fairly quickly, if they get hit by 6 in a round; that's up to 15'/second, or >10 mph). If you fight one of these guys on, say, a gravel floor, does this mean the room turns into one big flying-gravel storm? I assume that the swarm doesn't particularly control where the thing goes; it doesn't have a hive mind, right?

[Demented]

"Run. Ruuuuunnnnn."
I'm having System Shock 2 flashbacks thanks to your thread title there.


Looking at the actual creature, however, it doesn't seem so bad....

[Fax Celestis]

"Run. Ruuuuunnnnn."
I'm having System Shock 2 flashbacks thanks to your thread title there.

GLORY TO THE MANY. I AM A VOICE IN THE CHOIR.

[DracoDei]

A lot of saves and touch attacks to be rolling... but otherwise good... you should give the attack bonus for the Rays of Frost explicitly where you mention that at the end I think.

Oh... and I would actually consider REMOVING the swarm damage... eyeballs are too squishy to make effective weapons... unless I am misunderstanding what the swarm is composed of...

[deadfalcon]

I agree with Draco, The swarm damage doesn't make much sense, I'd atleast lower it to 1d6 unless there is a reason why they do so much damage? also if you lower/remove the swarm damage then I'd make it a CR6. Other than that one kick ass critter

BEHOLDERKIN FTW!!!!!

[Fax Celestis]

You know, I almost wonder if the Mob template might be a better choice than the Swarm template.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I'm a little confused about this. Each ray strikes each target 1d6 times/round, right? But you only make one save per round per effect? I understand "make 1-6 saving throws or be dazed", but not "make a saving throw or be dazed 1-6 times".

Its meant to the former.

Then again, nobody in a remotely challenge-appropriate party will be affected by cause fear or daze anyway.

DC 18's aren't exactly push-overs even at 7th level.

What about mage hand? I assume it affects surrounding small unattended objects, causing them to fly about (possibly fairly quickly, if they get hit by 6 in a round; that's up to 15'/second, or >10 mph). If you fight one of these guys on, say, a gravel floor, does this mean the room turns into one big flying-gravel storm? I assume that the swarm doesn't particularly control where the thing goes; it doesn't have a hive mind, right?

Naw, basically things are just floating and lifting at random. Up to the DM what they do with the thing.

A lot of saves and touch attacks to be rolling... but otherwise good... you should give the attack bonus for the Rays of Frost explicitly where you mention that at the end I think.

Well, I guess for ease of use...

Oh... and I would actually consider REMOVING the swarm damage... eyeballs are too squishy to make effective weapons... unless I am misunderstanding what the swarm is composed of...

No, no, these aren't beholder eyeballs. An eyeball beholderkin are basically tiny lil beholders that for some reason never mature. They are in Monsters of Faerun and maybe an updated book I don't know about as well.

I'd atleast lower it to 1d6 unless there is a reason why they do so much damage? also if you lower/remove the swarm damage then I'd make it a CR6.

Damage dealt by a swarm is defined by their HD.

You know, I almost wonder if the Mob template might be a better choice than the Swarm template.

Aren't mobs for larger creatures? These guys are tiny-sized which fits in with a swarm.

[Fax Celestis]

Aren't mobs for larger creatures? These guys are tiny-sized which fits in with a swarm.

Right, right, they are tiny.

Though a Mob of Beholders would be a thing to...well, behold.

[belboz]

DC 18's aren't exactly push-overs even at 7th level.

Not what I meant. Don't Daze and Cause Fear have specific HD caps? I thought 7HD creatures were completely immune to both.

[The_Snark]

Yeah, Daze caps out at 2 and Cause Fear caps out at 5. A level 7 party will be ignoring both, and Mage Hand isn't going to do much. Ray of Frost might give you a bit of damage.

This reminds me of my long-forgotten plan to make a Neogi spawn swarm. Those things were made to be swarms.

What's the purpose of Ability Focus (ray of frost), by the way?