Beholder-Kin, Spectator
Wednesday, July 02, 2003 (17:04:06)

Posted by Neo987

Beholder-kin, Spectator
Medium-Sized Aberration
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (good)
AC: 16 (+6 natural)
Attacks: Eye Rays +3 ranged touch, bite +1 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Eye Rays
Special Qualities: All-around vision, fly, SR 12, spell reflection
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 16
Skills: Listen +29, Search +22, Spot +29, Diplomacy +8
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude

Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: See text
Alignment: Usually Lawful Neutral
Advancement: -


Another relative of the beholder, the spectator is a guardian of places and treasures, and capable of limited planar travel. Once given a task, the spectator will watch for up to 101 years. It will allow no one to use, borrow, or examine an item or treasure, except the one who gave it its orders. The spectator has a large central eye and four smaller eye stalks protruding from the top of its hovering, spherical body.

Combat: The spectator is basically a passive creature, and will attempt to communicate and implant a suggestion as its first act, unless it is immediately attacked.
A spectator, if blinded in all of its eyes, cannot defend its treasure and will teleport to the outer plane of Nirvana. This is the only condition under which it will leave its post. Its eyes regenerate in one day and then it returns. If the treasure is gone, the creature again leaves for Nirvana, never to return.
As long as the central eye is undamaged, it can reflect one spell cast at it, per round, back it its caster. This does not apply to melee touch spells. Reflection occurs only if the spectator makes a successful Reflex save (DC 18). If the save fails, spell resistance (and any further saves) must be made. Reflection is possible only if the caster is standing within the 60 degree arc of the central eye. Only the spellcaster is affected by the reflected spell.
Eye Rays (Su): Each of the spectator's four small eyes can produce a magical effect that may be used at the same time against the same target (except the food and water eye), in addition to its normal movement and attack.
Create Food and Water: Creates an amount of food and water for a large meal for up to six people; this is a full round action.
Inflict Moderate Wounds: Inflicts 2d8+3 points of damage to a single target at a range of 180 ft. Treat as a 5th level spellcaster.
Paralyzation ray: Paralyzes one target within 90 ft. (no save) for 8d4 rounds.
Telepathy: Communicate as the telepathy spell with one target within 120 ft. May plant a suggestion if the target fails a Will save (DC 20); the suggestion is always to leave in peace.

If properly met, the spectator can be quite friendly. It will tell the party exactly what it is guarding early in any conversation. If its charge is not threatened, it can be very amiable and talkative, using its telepathy.
Spectators move by very rapid levitation, in any direction. They will drift aimlessly when asleep (20% likely when encountered), never touching the ground.
The treasure being guarded is 90% likely to be a magical item. If the spectator gains incidental treasure while performing its duty, this is not part of its charge and it will freely allow it to be taken. Incidental treasure can be generated as follows: 40% for 3d100 coins of mixed types, 30% for 1d6 gems of 50 gp base value, 20% for 1d4 potions, 15% for a +1 piece of armor, 15% for a +1 weapon, and 5% for a minor random magical item valued at 1,000 XP or less.
Spectators are summoned from Nirvana by casting Summon Monster V with material components of three or more spall eyes from a beholder (the chance of a successful summoning is 10% per eye). The spectator can be commanded only to guard some treasure. It performs no other duty, and if commanded to undertake some other task, it returns to Nirvana immediately. If its guarded treasure is ever destroyed or stolen, the spectator is released from service and returns to Nirvana. The summoner may take the item with no interference from the spectator, but this releases the creature.

Converter's Note: (Reference book: Monstrous Manual) This thing was as easy to convert as it is to kill. I've fought kobolds scarier than one of these. The only change I had to make was that the original had Cause Serious with 2d8+3. In 3e, Inflict Moderate is 2d8. The paralyzation ray wasn't listed as having a save, and it is really the critter's strongest attack, plus the fact that the spectator is more likely to suggest that the opponent leave instead of continuing to attack, so I didn't see any reason for a save. Four good attacks could slay one of these easy, so I gave it a pretty low CR. It's skills seem high, but they're only for performing it's task. Overall, this thing is a pansy.
Reason for conversion: Campaign necessity