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CRYSTALLINE BEHOLDER
Large aberration
Hit Dice: 14d8+27 (111 hp)
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Speed: 5 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
AC: 20(-1 size, +11 natural)
Attacks: Eye rays +10 ranged touch, bite +3 melee
Damage: Bite 2d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Eye rays
Special Qualities: All-around vision, crystal, convert, anti-magic cone, fly
Saves: Fort+6 Ref+4, Will+13
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 19, Wis 18, Cha 16
Skills: Hide+7, Knowledge (arcana)+14, Listen+19, Search+25, Spot+21
Feats: Alertness, Flyby attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Shot on the Run
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Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or cluster (3d2)
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 15-20 HD (Large), 21-38 HD (Huge)
Living in massive underground palaces crafted entirely from crystal, Crystalline Beholders are an ancient race of beholders that were cursed by the magics of a Crysmal wizard eons ago. Since then, Crystalline Beholders have become possessed by a crazed obsession to perpetuate their kind the same desire of their creators, the crysmals.
Crystalline Beholders appear like floating beholders crafted entirely out of emerald crystal. Their large, magical eyes seem to be like studded rubies in their beautiful, multi-faceted hide. Their fangs curve downward, reflecting an inner pulse. As beautiful as they are hateful of their cousins, the ordinary beholders and their kin, they forever seek to bring the tainted ones to their brethren.
Crystalline Beholders speak a crude dialect of Terran.
COMBAT
Crystalline Beholders retain all the powerful abilities of their cousins, including the deadly anti-magic cone that so many magic-users have learned to fear and despise. They especially hate beholders and beholder-kin, and will willingly ally themselves with their enemies (if only temporarily) to see them either dead or converted.
Eye rays (Su): Each of the ten small, ruby-like eyes can produce a magical ray once a round, even when the crystalline beholder is attacking physically or moving at full-speed. The creature can easily aim all its eyes upward, but its own body tends to get in the way when it tries to aim the rays in other directions. During a round, the creature can aim only three eye rays at targets in any one arc other than up (forward, backward, left, right, or down). The remaining eyes must aim at targets in other arcs or not at all. A crystalline beholder can tilt and pan its body each round to change which rays it can bring to bear in an arc.
Each ruby-eyes effect resembles a spell cast by a 14th-level sorcerer but follows the rules for a ray (see Aiming a spell, page 148 in the Players Handbook ). All rays have a range of 150 feet and a save DC of 20.
Charm person: The target must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by the spell. Crystalline beholders use this ray to confuse the opposition, usually employing it early in a fight. The crystalline beholder generally instructs a charmed target to either restrain a comrade or stand aside.
Charm monster: The target must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by the spell. Crystalline beholders use this ray in the same manner as the charm person ray.
Sleep: This works like the spell, except that it affects one creature with any number of Hit Dice. The target must succeed at a Will save to resist. Crystalline Beholders like to use this ray against warriors and other physically powerful creatures. They know their foes can quickly awaken the sleepers, but they also know that doing so takes time and can delay an effective counterattack.
Flesh to crystal: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or be affected as though by the spell, except for turning into crystal instead of stone. Crystalline beholders like to aim this ray at enemy spell casters. They also use it on any creature whose appearance they find interesting (After the fight, the crystalline beholder takes the crystal statue to its lair as a decoration).
Disintegrate: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or be affected as though by the spell. Crystalline beholders like to use this ray on any foe it considers to be a real threat.
Fear: This works like the spell, except that it targets one creature. The target must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by the spell. Crystalline beholders like to use this ray against warriors and other powerful creatures early in a fight, to break up the opposition.
Slow: This works like the spell, except that it affects one creature. The target must make a Will save to resist. Crystalline beholders often use this ray against the same creature targeted by their disintegrate, flesh to crystal, or finger of death rays. If one of the former rays fail to eliminate the foe, this ray might at least hamper it.
Inflict Moderate Wounds: This works just like the spell, causing 2d8+10 points of damage (Will half).
Finger of death: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or be slain as though by the spell. The target suffers 3d6+13 damage if his saving throw succeeds. Crystalline beholders use this ray to eliminate dangerous foes quickly.
Telekinesis: The crystalline beholder can move objects or creatures that weigh up to 325 pounds, as though with a telekinesis spell. Creatures can resist the effect with a successful Will save.
All-around vision (Ex): Crystalline beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they cant be flanked.
Crystal (Ex): The tough and powerful crystalline body of the creature gives it a Damage reduction of 20/+2, as well as receiving half-damage from piercing and slashing weapons. Crushing weapons inflict full damage.
Convert (Su): Any normal beholder or beholder-kin bitten by a crystalline beholder automatically becomes one of them in the following round if it fails a Will save (DC 30).
Anti-magic cone (Su): A crystalline beholders central eye continually produces a 150-foot anti-magic cone extending straight ahead from the creatures front. This functions just like antimagic field cast by a 14th-level sorcerer. All magical and supernatural powers and effects within the cone are suppressed- even the crystalline beholders own eye rays. Once each round, during its turn, the crystalline beholder decides which way it will face, and whether the antimagic cone is active or not (the beholder deactivates the cone by shutting its central eye). Note that a crystalline beholders can bite only creatures to its front.
Fly (Ex): A crystalline beholders body still retains its natural buoyancy, allowing it to fly as the sell, as a free action, and at a speed of 50 ft. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect with personal range.
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