Beholder Anti-Magic Cone and it's ability to fly

[Vaarsuvio]

In the Monster Manual it says "Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye continually produces a 150- foot cone of antimagic. This functions just like antimagic field (caster level 13th). All magical and supernatural powers and effects within the cone are suppressed—even the beholder’s own eye rays. Once each round, during its turn, the beholder decides whether the antimagic cone is active or not (thebeholder deactivates the cone by shutting itscentral eye)."
Isn't its flight a supernatural ability? If its eye rays are shut off then shouldn't its flight be too?

[Jeraa]

In the Monster Manual it says "Antimagic Cone (Su): A beholder’s central eye continually produces a 150- foot cone of antimagic. This functions just like antimagic field (caster level 13th). All magical and supernatural powers and effects within the cone are suppressed—even the beholder’s own eye rays. Once each round, during its turn, the beholder decides whether the antimagic cone is active or not (thebeholder deactivates the cone by shutting itscentral eye)."
Isn't its flight a supernatural ability? If its eye rays are shut off then shouldn't its flight be too?

Says right there in the monster manual.

Flight (Ex): A beholder’s body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 20 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.

Its flight is an Extraordinary ability (Ex), not Spell-Like (Sp) or Supernatural (Su).

And even if it wasn't, only things in the cone (or magical effects targeting things in the cone) are effected. The beholder isn't in its cone any more than a wizard is in his own Cone of Cold. With its central eye open, the beholder can still use its eye rays against targets not in the cone.

[Knaight]

The big reason is that beholders aren't in the arc of their own eyesight. That they are also apparently lighter than air is a side note. It's a side note with a lot of fun potential implications, such as what it should mean for vertical swim speeds in an ambush situation, but it's a side note.

[goto124]

That they are also apparently lighter than air is a side note. It's a side note with a lot of fun potential implications, such as what it should mean for vertical swim speeds in an ambush situation, but it's a side note.

And beholders have a hard time diving without heavy weights too?

[Knaight]

And beholders have a hard time diving without heavy weights too?

I'd imagine it's closer to impossible than hard. This is what air filled tunnels with hatches to water above is for. Sure, it's needlessly elaborate, but it's also hilarious.

[goto124]

More likely they might end up get used as floats, if you can avoid poking it in its eyes.

Also, staying out of a beholder's anti-magic cone is useful to keep your underwater breathing up. If that's how buffs work... I have no idea.

[The Glyphstone]

More to the point, if beholder flight was (Su), the occasional beholder vs. beholder fight would change from pathetic (only able to bite each other) to comically hilarious (biting each other while rolling around on the ground).

[goto124]

to comically hilarious (biting each other while rolling around on the ground).

I'm now trying to imagine a pair of toothy helium balloons trying to duel...

[Doorhandle]

Reminds me of a ruling by one of my g.ms, that if you used the area version of dispel magic, while within that area, it would dispel itself and fail to work.

It caused a bit of a row, but it didn't affect it's usability that much. I would still like it if there was a RAW explanation of why though.

[Feddlefew]

So, if I read that right.... Beholders are just angry, magical blimps with eyes and a mouth?

[TheCountAlucard]

So, if I read that right.... Beholders are just angry, magical blimps with eyes and a mouth?

Racist magical blimps.

[awa]

Second edition had a book on beholder that includes an explanation for their flight I believe they had a special organ that was in charge of it I just don't remember the details.

[Uncle Pine]

The big reason is that beholders aren't in the arc of their own eyesight. That they are also apparently lighter than air is a side note. It's a side note with a lot of fun potential implications, such as what it should mean for vertical swim speeds in an ambush situation, but it's a side note.

I believe that the fact that beholders are apparently lighter than air is the reason why they have Fly (Ex).

[Knaight]

I believe that the fact that beholders are apparently lighter than air is the reason why they have Fly (Ex).

Well yeah. Otherwise, they'd have Fly (Su). The point is, even if they had Fly (Su) they're outside of their own projected cones, so they could still fly. It just wouldn't be so useful for things like underwater buoyancy.

[Vhaidara]

Racist magical blimps.

Can I add this to my Extended Sig?

[Inevitability]

Racist magical blimps.

Don't forget the gnome-eating part!

[Troacctid]

Second edition had a book on beholder that includes an explanation for their flight I believe they had a special organ that was in charge of it I just don't remember the details.

For 3.5, Lords of Madness explains that all their organs are freakishly buoyant, and if you dissected a Beholder, all the little bits would float up to the ceiling.

[Vaarsuvio]

Says right there in the monster manual.



Its flight is an Extraordinary ability (Ex), not Spell-Like (Sp) or Supernatural (Su).

And even if it wasn't, only things in the cone (or magical effects targeting things in the cone) are effected. The beholder isn't in its cone any more than a wizard is in his own Cone of Cold. With its central eye open, the beholder can still use its eye rays against targets not in the cone.

Thanks! I wasn't able to find where it said it was (Ex), but I looked on the wiki and it appears you are right. I was just wondering because it seemed a bit strange to me. I'm gonna go pop a Gnome-Eating Racist Blimp now.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

For 3.5, Lords of Madness explains that all their organs are freakishly buoyant, and if you dissected a Beholder, all the little bits would float up to the ceiling.

It's also why gnomes use beholder corpses as machines to maneuver and fight in. Details are either in Lords of Madness or maybe Underdark.

[Feddlefew]

Now I need to make a traveling necromancer turned heroic beholder slayer that travels Via beholder-organ-blimp....

[TheCountAlucard]

Can I add this to my Extended Sig?

I ain't gonna stop you.

[sideswipe]

if you start eating or sucking the air out of a beholder does your voice change?

[Feddlefew]

if you start eating or sucking the air out of a beholder does your voice change?

Eating? No. Sucking gas out of it, assuming it has little gas bags? Probably, but the gas is apparently distributed throughout it's tissues so it might take awhile to collect enough. Unless they have gasbags or something...

[Vhaidara]

if you start eating or sucking the air out of a beholder does your voice change?

I just got an image of a vampire trying to drink a beholder and getting squeaky.

[sideswipe]

I just got an image of a vampire trying to drink a beholder and getting squeaky.

glad i could be of service

[herrhauptmann]

It's also why gnomes use beholder corpses as machines to maneuver and fight in. Details are either in Lords of Madness or maybe Underdark.

Wait, what?
Is that really in there? I don't think I have a copy of LoM...

[goto124]

Now I need to make a traveling necromancer turned heroic beholder slayer that travels Via beholder-organ-blimp....

He'll need to slay the beholder without losing the air inside it. Which means no piercing or stabbing...

Spoiler: It would make a nice children's gift though

Show

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Wait, what?
Is that really in there? I don't think I have a copy of LoM...

It's somewhere in the vast library of 3.5. I'm AFB, so I can't recall where it is, sadly.

[Necroticplague]

I vaguely remember seeing a picture as I browsed through a Dragon magazine. I think it was an article about items made from the corpses of iconic enemies, with a name something like '101 uses for a dead dragon'. Can't remember which magazine for the life of me, though.

[TheGeckoKing]

The Beholder Globe is in Dragon 331, p37.