Suggestion to Fix Beholders

[Bizbag]

As everyone knows, Beholders are very frustrating to fight, as they have a nasty tendency to first dispel all your buffs, then hit you with everything they've got while you're vulnerable. I've got a few ideas that would fix beholders, and none of them would require new technology on the developer's part - it would just require applying them to beholders.

1. Beholder's Antimagic Field dispelling buffs.

SRD Link on Antimagic

Antimagic is supposed to suppress, not dispel it. The technology to suppress buffs already exists with the Globe of Invulnerability spell.

In this case, the developers would simply have to apply the same technology to a beholder's antimagic - as long as a character has the "Antimagic Field" effect on, his buffs are suppressed, but when the field wears off, the buffs return.

2. Beholder's Rays striking a character under the effects of Antimagic.

A Beholder should not be able to strike a character under the effects of Antimagic - they're in the field, so spells, spell-like abilities (such as the beholder's rays) and supernatural abilities should be suppressed. The technology to make a character immune specifically to a Beholder's spells exists via the Beholder Optic Nerve.

In this case, the developers would simply need to make a Beholder's Antimagic Field "buff" provide immunity to a beholder's rays.

Thoughts? These are just rough ideas, but it would make fighting Beholders less of a frustrating experience. Keep in mind I am not whining because I think beholders are too hard, as beholder-hunting with my cleric in von2 and 3 is a favorite pastime of mine, but I think these changes would make beholders a much better foe - you won't feel like you're being cheated every time you fight them.

[ArkoHighStar]

Someone has mentioned that in mod 5 one of the named beholders is behavingin this fashion, this could be a fix for all beholders?

[Freeman]

Please, the correct terms are spay or neuter. I do agree we have to keep them from breeding out of control though. Next thing you know, they will be digging through our garbage cans, scaring the pet beholders we keep in the house, and running in packs through the streets of Stormreach

[Tanka]

Signed on 100%, Bizbag.

[Ghoste]

Please, the correct terms are spay or neuter. I do agree we have to keep them from breeding out of control though. Next thing you know, they will be digging through our garbage cans, scaring the pet beholders we keep in the house, and running in packs through the streets of Stormreach

/giggles like a little warforged schoolgirl

[Freeman]

/giggles like a little warforged schoolgirl

Great, now I have to get that image out of my head. Catholic schoolgirl outfits and warforged don't mix very well. And why did I have to add ponytails?

[Crabo]

I dont have any trouble "fixing" beholders with a big sword or axe as they are right now and believe that many people would be in the same boat.

Giving the beholders currently in game at least 3 times the HP they have now so a decent melee guy cant cut one down in 3 seconds would be a more suitable fix.
Please stop asking for this very easy game to be made easier.

[Tanka]

I dont have any trouble "fixing" beholders with a big sword or axe as they are right now and believe that many people would be in the same boat.

Giving the beholders currently in game at least 3 times the HP they have now so a decent melee guy cant cut one down in 3 seconds would be a more suitable fix.
Please stop asking for this very easy game to be made easier.

It isn't a matter of "making easier," it's a matter of "beholders are currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP."

If a beholder wants to be able to use its eye beams, it has to pluck out its antimagic field eye first.

[Crabo]

It isn't a matter of "making easier," it's a matter of "beholders are currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP."

If a beholder wants to be able to use its eye beams, it has to pluck out its antimagic field eye first.

Forgive me for misunderstanding. I for one do not feel i am cheated ANY time i fight a beholder let alone every time.
I can give you a list of things that are "currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP." Do you suggest all these things are fixed too ?
This isnt PnP , it never was, and it never will be.

As everyone knows, Beholders are very frustrating to fight....

...but I think these changes would make beholders a much better foe - you won't feel like you're being cheated every time you fight them.

[Tanka]

Forgive me for misunderstanding. I for one do not feel i am cheated ANY time i fight a beholder let alone every time.
I can give you a list of things that are "currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP." Do you suggest all these things are fixed too ?
This isnt PnP , it never was, and it never will be.

Some things aren't going to translate at all from PnP to MMO. Of those that should transition, they should make every effort to make that translation.

This is one of those situations.

[Crabo]

Some things aren't going to translate at all from PnP to MMO. Of those that should transition, they should make every effort to make that translation.

This is one of those situations.

I wonder who the guy is that actually decides if this is one of those situations or not. Right now...i only know who it isnt.

[Josh]

Forgive me for misunderstanding. I for one do not feel i am cheated ANY time i fight a beholder let alone every time.
I can give you a list of things that are "currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP." Do you suggest all these things are fixed too ?
This isnt PnP , it never was, and it never will be.

YES.

[Beherit_Baphomar]

Forgive me for misunderstanding. I for one do not feel i am cheated ANY time i fight a beholder let alone every time.
I can give you a list of things that are "currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP." Do you suggest all these things are fixed too ?
This isnt PnP , it never was, and it never will be.

Gotta go with Crabo on this one.

They may not be functioning like PnP but this isnt PnP. Beholders function properly, for DDO. The antimagic field disspelling buffs is how Beholders work here, them being able to disintegrate when they have their antimagic field up is how they are supposed to function in DDO.

Its not like they are ruining any quest. Its not like they make things impossible or take away the fun. In fact, they ADD a BUNCH 'O FUN to the game the way they work now.

[Mercules]

Gotta go with Crabo on this one.

They may not be functioning like PnP but this isnt PnP. Beholders function properly, for DDO. The antimagic field disspelling buffs is how Beholders work here, them being able to disintegrate when they have their antimagic field up is how they are supposed to function in DDO.

Its not like they are ruining any quest. Its not like they make things impossible or take away the fun. In fact, they ADD a BUNCH 'O FUN to the game the way they work now.

Simple question... what does DDO stand for? This isn't WoW, ergo Beholders(a trademarked monster ONLY allowable in D&D) should act like D&D monsters, not Turbine's bastardization of them. If Turbine lost their D&D license they would have to remove Beholders & Mindflayers as enemies.

[Ashet]

It isn't a matter of "making easier," it's a matter of "beholders are currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP."

If a beholder wants to be able to use its eye beams, it has to pluck out its antimagic field eye first.

This is nonsensical. Read the description of globe of invulnerability, and you will see that the caster can cast any spells out of the globe.

I don't see the problem here. We need new content in the game, not fixes to stuff that is working. Beholders are supposed to be tough after all

[Deaths_ward]

It isn't a matter of "making easier," it's a matter of "beholders are currently functioning 100% differently than they do in PnP."

If a beholder wants to be able to use its eye beams, it has to pluck out its antimagic field eye first.

No it just needs to close the central eye. They've always been able to open and close their central eye so that they could strike creatures in front of them with their rays, and spell effects.

[Freeman]

I dont have any trouble "fixing" beholders with a big sword or axe as they are right now and believe that many people would be in the same boat.

Giving the beholders currently in game at least 3 times the HP they have now so a decent melee guy cant cut one down in 3 seconds would be a more suitable fix.
Please stop asking for this very easy game to be made easier.

Of course, even the toughest melee guy doesn't last long when they've been hit with 9 negative levels followed by a few disintegrates(With some failed saves due to massive negative level penalties).

You also have to consider where you fight beholders. Currently, most of them are in quests that are level 10 or 12. A level 14 character with decent equipment won't have a huge problem with them. But at the lower levels, they can be nasty. The beholder room in VON3 can be a nightmare for characters in the level 9 range. This fix would at least keep you from losing all of your buffs every time one looked at you. It wouldn't really make fighting them any easier.

[Crabo]

Of course, even the toughest melee guy doesn't last long when they've been hit with 9 negative levels followed by a few disintegrates(With some failed saves due to massive negative level penalties).

You also have to consider where you fight beholders. Currently, most of them are in quests that are level 10 or 12. A level 14 character with decent equipment won't have a huge problem with them. But at the lower levels, they can be nasty. The beholder room in VON3 can be a nightmare for characters in the level 9 range. This fix would at least keep you from losing all of your buffs every time one looked at you. It wouldn't really make fighting them any easier.

Some of us used to kill those Von3 beholders on elite when the level cap was 10. Oh...and they could shoot their rays through walls back then. Yea. lets get the devs right onto it...priority issue.

[Freeman]

Some of us used to kill those Von3 beholders on elite when the level cap was 10. Oh...and they could shoot their rays through walls back then. Yea. lets get the devs right onto it...priority issue.

Yes, I ran VON3 on elite back when the cap was 10 also. If you read my post, I said it "can" be a nightmare, not "is". No one mentioned anything about making it a top priority issue, but that doesn't mean there's no reason to ever bring it up. There have been several things that were working as the Devs intended at first, then changed later, like Evasion. There are many things that I'd like to see changed, such as the Perform skill for bards. They may not be high priorities, but the same can be said for the majority of the WDA.

[Kaboth]

The only real bad thing about Beholders in my opinion is how they can spam their eye beams. Other than that they are manageable for the most part unless you and your group has a bad day.