[Boards: 3 / a / aco / adv / an / asp / b / bant / biz / c / can / cgl / ck / cm / co / cock / d / diy / e / fa / fap / fit / fitlit / g / gd / gif / h / hc / his / hm / hr / i / ic / int / jp / k / lgbt / lit / m / mlp / mlpol / mo / mtv / mu / n / news / o / out / outsoc / p / po / pol / qa / qst / r / r9k / s / s4s / sci / soc / sp / spa / t / tg / toy / trash / trv / tv / u / v / vg / vint / vip / vp / vr / w / wg / wsg / wsr / x / y ] [Search | Free Show | Home]

How have beholders failed to conquer the Underdark yet? They

This is a blue board which means that it's for everybody (Safe For Work content only). If you see any adult content, please report it.

Thread replies: 208
Thread images: 25

File: image.jpg (357KB, 1500x1200px) Image search: [Google]
image.jpg
357KB, 1500x1200px
How have beholders failed to conquer the Underdark yet? They are clearly the most powerful on an individual basis and don't experience endless in-fighting like the more fecund drow. I'm aware that they problems working together, but hive tyrants eliminate those, and after that their only possible rivals for the area are mind flayers.
>>
>>46636691
>and don't experience endless in-fighting

Um, anon, I don't think you know anything about beholders.

Every beholder considers itself the only "correct" beholder. Other beholders are weird freaky mutants that must be destroyed immediately before they pollute your safe space with their wrongitude.

Now do you see why they "problems working together" (sic)?
>>
>>46636691

Because no two Beholders can stand each other. They are so xenophobic and proud that they view even other Beholders as abominations and destroy them more often than not in their insane, alien quest for ultimate purity of form they believe only they possess.
>>
I feel the more important question is if they hate each other that much how do they breed i assume hate fucking as it is best fucking
>>
Plus, drow traditionally (I mean, in the editions that established the lore on this creatures) very high resistance to spells, meaning that the eye rays of a beholder aren't necessarily a guaranteed win.
>>
>>46637022

Asexually.

Once in its lifetime, a beholder has an instinctive urge to gorge itself and patrols its territory with special ferocity, because in a few months, a womb/eggsac in the back of its mouth will swell up with young.

Eventually it gets so large that the beholder can't even eat or see out of its main eye, rendering it especially paranoid and pissed off.

Then, it bites the womb off, and watches it intently. The young inside chew their way out and try to flee before its parent can eat them (for not looking enough like itself, and also because it's starving).

And that's how new Beholders are made. I learned this and so the rest of you fuckers have to learn it too.
>>
File: 23432524.gif (1MB, 200x190px) Image search: [Google]
23432524.gif
1MB, 200x190px
>>46637111

Absolutely disgusting.
>>
>>46637111
The wonder and miracle of child birth, absolutely beautiful. *tears up*
>>
File: Behold an Adventurer.jpg (266KB, 800x800px) Image search: [Google]
Behold an Adventurer.jpg
266KB, 800x800px
>>46637111

Truly, the best monster race.
>>
File: Beholders.jpg (2MB, 2560x1440px) Image search: [Google]
Beholders.jpg
2MB, 2560x1440px
>>46636691

>and don't experience endless in-fighting

I think you've got the wrong idea about Beholders. Beholders are so vain and xenophobic that they will attack and eviscerate anything that doesn't look exactly like them. Since most Beholders have some kind of variation between them, they tend to lead solitary existences rather than forming the civilizations that would be necessary to place them on the same level as their Underdark rivals, the Illithid, Drow, and Aboleth.
>>
File: Piscaethces.jpg (275KB, 1187x745px) Image search: [Google]
Piscaethces.jpg
275KB, 1187x745px
>>46636691

On a numerical scale of one to ten, where one is the humblest monster in the Underdark and ten is the most horrific, Beholders rate about a three.
>>
File: CaY6WYWW0AA-Kss.jpg (141KB, 600x999px) Image search: [Google]
CaY6WYWW0AA-Kss.jpg
141KB, 600x999px
>>46636691
Mostly because, they are too xenophobic to work together.
On a side note, how do you like the this guy?
>>
File: 1451686682374.jpg (20KB, 400x353px) Image search: [Google]
1451686682374.jpg
20KB, 400x353px
Guys, I think you failed to read the part about Hive Tyrants in OP's post. Hive Tyrants can force beholders and beholderkin to work together, forming beholder cities.
>>
>>46636691
OP Hive Tyrants are rare and the minute a beholder suspects that one is nearby, they're going to start sending charmed minions with coffers of gold and 'rumors' about aforementioned Hive Tyrant's evil plan to kill/maim/enslave the surface.
>>
>>46636691
>beholders
This is where's you're wrong. There are no "Beholders". There is only the individual Beholder, who would most likely kill you for calling it thus. It'd kill you anyway, but it'd have one more reason to.
>>
>>46637716
Yes but don't hive Tyrants abhor their fellow Hive Tyrants?
>>
>>46636691

Also Drow fuck like rabbits.
do beholders fuck at all?
>>
>>46636691
You know why, you said it in your post, "...the most powerful on an individual basis..."

The real question is why mindflayers haven't taken over. They can even make beholder mindflayers... And they use them as fucking bellboys. I think that says it all.
>>
>>46640487
Fuck off

>>46640502
Why would our glorious Illithid masters care about ruling over stupid Drow?
>>
>>46637716
Even if that were true, mindflayers can do the same thing... To the beholders.
>>
>>46640557
The same reason we 'rule over' cattle. They are yummy and it's easier to have them where we can easily access their juicy bits. And we don't need cows to reproduce, illithid do need humanoids.

Not a lot of wild cows running around, are their anon? There were buffalo... But we hunted them to near extinction, because they were yummy and we liked their fur.
>>
File: aboleth.jpg (53KB, 594x372px) Image search: [Google]
aboleth.jpg
53KB, 594x372px
>>46640502
>The real question is why mindflayers haven't taken over.

Same reason the Beholders, the drow, the ixzan, the derro, the kuo toa, and all the rest of the newfag upstart races haven't.
>>
Speaking of aboleths, does anyone have that screenshot of different ways to destroy the D&D world that includes a plan of aboleths mind slaving a shit ton of drow into making thousands upon thousands of decanters of endless water, eventually flooding the earth and leaving the aboleths as the true rulers.
>>
File: bullshit.gif (39KB, 294x200px) Image search: [Google]
bullshit.gif
39KB, 294x200px
>>46641167

>keep pouring water into your oceans from the elemental plane
>eventually flood all the land mass
>oops, the surface fuckers are all just living on boats now
>oops, this makes them way more mobile
>oops, we just dramatically increased the surface area of the planet at sea level, giving them more space to live and move around in
>OOPS, we just dramatically increased the ambient water pressure of our natural habitat killing/driving away all of our food supply, servants, etc

Not a good plan, for a bunch of reasons.
>>
>>46641392
>oops, the surface fuckers die of from lack of available resources
>oops, just as planned
>>
>>46641430

>the drow can make infinite water but nobody else can pull resources out of thin air

You're not very imaginative, are you?
>>
>>46641578
the drow don't have to worry about distributing their resources amongst their populace nor worry about other factions trying to take their resources, since, in this exercise, they are telepathically enslaved and don't care about their well-being.
>>
>>46641723

If it were a good plan the aboleth would have thought it up and implemented it already. QED, it's shit.
>>
>>46636691

>Don't experience endless in-fighting
>>
>>46637111
Why doesn't it just eat them and the womb before they get out?
>>
>>46641769
who's to say they aren't implementing it AS WE SPEAK!?
>>
>>46640502

Mindflayers intentionally keep their population small and plan out raids in a way that doesn't overburdon one particular group of those they raid. The reason being is food supply. They require several brains a day, which requires a lot of time and resources, not to mention they use the creatures they eat the brains of as slave labor and for reproduction. As for the raiding, the because they intentionally limit their numbers they don't tax specific locations too much so they don't provoke retaliation.
>>
>>46641723
If you are assuming they can make infinite decanters of infinite water, it is hard to assume people aren't making traps of create food and water. Also fish. Also using Walls of Iron to make giant iron ships.

The issue is, the second you actually start thinking about D&D magic in a practical sense... everything devolves into giant doom fortresses and armies of shadow golems. Post Scarcity societies were everyone is some kind of caster, fed by magic and protected by magic. Not really any point adventuring, when you should be learning and building shit for your home doom fortress.
>>
>>46637716 Hive Tyrants are originally from Spelljammer: Adventures IN SPAAAAAAACE!
Speaking of which, Hive Tyrants are only ever born in outer space.

Their ships never land on planets and they're usually the first beholders to die in a crash landing.
It'd be pretty unlikely for a Hive Tyrant to try carving out a kingdom in the Underdark.

Also, Hive Tyrants don't get along with other Hive Tyrants and can only control a limited number of beholders.

>>46641868 They require one brain a month to live and try to eat one brain a week.
Their slave populations are large enough for them to sustainably eat a brain every two weeks.
>>
>>46641804
Because aboleths were old before most races existed. If this plan wasn't shit, they would have done it BEFORE HUMANS WERE A THING.
>>
>>46636691
Beholders excell against groups of foes
Drow excell in ambush

It balances out
>>
>>46641930
keep in mind, for a good portion of that, Aboleths had it pretty sweet, until those fuckfag gods showed up and crashed the party.
>>
>>46641846

I've been gradually rebuilding the Underdark in a Spelljammer sort of context.

Basically a dense system-wide asteroid belt laced with stygian aquatic habitats.

Imagine an Underdark the size of a large ringworld, with maybe a million times the volume and a billion times the surface area & geographical complexity.

Gonna be gud.
>>
File: asteroid-belt.png (257KB, 800x468px) Image search: [Google]
asteroid-belt.png
257KB, 800x468px
>>46641949
>>
>>46641890
Obviously it then becomes a military game about fighting other doom cities.
>>
>>46641949
Is this like the Grinder around Oerth (sphere shaped) or is it circular?
>>
>>46641890
>Also using Walls of Iron to make giant iron ships.

Baldur's Gate already talked about this, nobody wants castles that can be dispelled by any random dick mage
>>
>>46642011
or in this case, ships
>>
>>46642011
Wall of iron is instantaneous, not permanent. You can't dispell it.
>>
>>46641799
Because they think that it might 100% resemble them and be worthy progeny.

(It never is)
>>
>>46642004

It is in the plane of the ecliptic.
I'm not sure what you mean by "circular" in this context...

It would be a roughly elliptical ring with a roughly lenticular cross-section.
>>
>>46636691
Simple.

They are batshit insane.
>>
>>46641392
>>46641430
>>46641578


>implying the dwarves wouldn't find a way to mine underwater away from the stinking boat people.

>implying the elves wouldn't put their entire forests inside giant boats so they can still have tree houses
>implying the humans wouldn't buy, steal, sleep their way to having any resource they need.
>implying water breathing doesn't exist.
>implying the rapid sudden pressure change wouldn't screw with water creatures.
>implying the dwarves aren't already planning to flood the world and corking up their entrances so they can finally be rid of the damned humans/elves/drow/everything
>>
>>46641890
>implying every wizard could cast those spells
>implying it isn't difficult to do
>implying I want a doom fortress and not a secret lab.
>implying I don't have traps that shoot pies at people
>implying shadow golems are better than my dust bunny swarms.
>implying d&d has any sort of rationality
>it's magic I ain't gotta explain shit.
>>46641930
>implying Aboleths wanted to destroy the world before
>implying that the constant sexual advances by humans aren't pissing them off
>implying Aboleths aren't gonna destroy the world only because of the humans.
>>
>>46641920
>sustainably eat a brain every two weeks.

Assuming newborn brains are ok, that means maintaining roughly twenty breeding slaves per illithid.

Each year of maturity for the cattle increases the slaves to maintain per illithid by 26.

Well, I guess if they let the slaves get old enough they can have them mostly maintain themselves, but that means a pretty massive slave population even for a small number of illithids.
>>
>>46642068
>(It never is)
Poor beholders
>>
Two beholders meet, and they happen to look absolutely identical. What happens?
>>
>>46637678
>The Beholster

10/10
>>
>>46642361

They conclude that it's a trick and immediately try to kill each other.
>>
>>46642361
Beholders don't know what they look like.
Even if they had a mirror, the image they associate with themselves would be flipped.

Thus, the "identical" beholder would look like a weird mutant version of himself that's sides are mixed up.
>>
I don't think so OP
>Wizards
>Demons
>Elder mindflayer vampire cyborg ninjas or whatever the fuck
>Player characters

Also I'm pretty sure there are at least some dragons down there, and the fat lazy shits don't like upstarts.
>>
>>46642331
>be beholder
>just gave birth
>while chasing down your young one catches your eye
>it looks just like you
>you take the young beholder and prepare your lair to acomadate it
>after you finish you float over to the child
>wait what's this
>this abominations petrification eyestalk is the same size as its disintegration eyestalk
>how did you fail to notice that
>kill child
>cry self to sleep
>>
>>46636691
They lack psionics. The true masters of the underdark, the Illithid and the Aboleth slay Beholders like they were paper creatures.
>>
>>46642361
Clearly, the other on isn't perfect. If it were perfect, it would be me. It is not me, so Disintegrate.
>>
>>46640645
>Not a lot of wild cows running around, are their anon?
Wild cows were called Aurochs; and you're right, they're extinct except in the form of their domesticated descendants.
>>
File: us_uncon-semi.gif (34KB, 423x269px) Image search: [Google]
us_uncon-semi.gif
34KB, 423x269px
>>46642468

Shadow dragons lair in the underdark.
Bad fucking news. Don't take no shit from nobody.

There are other outlandish possibilities.
Could be, for instance, a living steel the size of the Ogallala Aquifer just chillin' out there waiting to be found.
>>
>>46636691
>and don't experience endless in-fighting like the more fecund drow.
Are you nuts?

Beholders will kill other beholders for being "less perfect" than them.

Their benchmark for perfection is, of course, themselves.
>>
>>46640983
I am so pissed they got nuked by an asteroid in dominions.
>>
>>46643295
I'm more pissed EA R'lyeh still sucks even with the recent update.
>>
>>46642201
>>implying the dwarves aren't already planning to flood the world and corking up their entrances so they can finally be rid of the damned humans/elves/drow/everything
And remember, losing is fun!
>>
>>46643372
my aboleth asspain is real.
Though I can't stop playing them.
>>
>>46642413
>has eyes on appendages
>can literally look at itself at any time
>implying they're so stupid they can't distinguish left and right
>>
File: beeholdrs r smart.png (184KB, 296x257px) Image search: [Google]
beeholdrs r smart.png
184KB, 296x257px
>>46644846
Unless you're a wizard, Beholders are probably smarter than you.
>>
>>46637111
>Once in its lifetime


This means their numbers can only dwindle
>>
>>46644899
It spawns a brood, not a single offspring.
>>
>>46644899
I thought that at first but then I came to the conclusion that they produced multiple offspring at once
>>
>>46644846
Can't some Beholders also cast Scry? Using Divination magic to look at themselves seems like something a Beholder would do.
>>
>>46644926
They would probably have to cast scry.
Fun fact, humans don't actually know what they look like on average. The flat mirror view we have of ourselves often causes uncanny valley when a person views a 3d model of their own head.
>>
>>46637022
They're aberrations, they are *literally* unnatural creatures that *SHOULD NOT BE*. Druids in particular hate aberrations.

Beholders come from the planes of madness originally, and are outright fucking insane, every beholder hates *everything* that is not itself.

They do not need to reproduce sexually, they defy 'natural' laws.

They reproduce how >>46637111 said.
>>
>>46642634
I've read about people trying to re-establish 'wild' populations of aurochs through selective breeding to try and get back to the 'original' creature (or an approximation).
>>
On the other hand, one Beholder Mage should be the end of at least one civilization. I can't even believe that shit was printed.
>>
Personally, I still love the idea of a CN Beholder who isn't nearly xenophobic as the rest of it's kin. Like, it still regards everything but itself as inferior and disgusting, it just doesn't consider it a murder worthy offense.

Always wanted to have one as an NPC that would be absolutely fascinated with the PCs for how absolutely wrong they are to it. Like a trainwreck that lives and breathes and even manages to reproduce somehow.
>>
>>46645662
That's what this world needs. A pissed off, half-and-a-half ton or in some cases a ton and a half beast that gives zero fucks about you and your burden, and has a big ass horns to gore you with.
>>
>>46640320
Clearly we need a Hive Tyrant Tyrant
>>
>>46641392
Wouldn't Aboleths find attacking boats much easier than attacking, say, literally anything other than boats?
>>
>>46637426
what the fuck, anon
>>
>>46641920
So you're saying that if a Hive tyrant ever fell from space, it spells doom for the world it lands on?

I could make a plot around that. Thanks anon!
>>
File: 946949494.png (134KB, 300x240px) Image search: [Google]
946949494.png
134KB, 300x240px
>>46642011
... wall of iron can't be dispelled any more than a fire lit using Spark.
>>
>>46642089
"circular" meaning a ring, yeah, like a real asteroid belt

of course real asteroid belts arent' dense enough, are they?
>>
>>46642316
Yeah, that sounds about right for the lore. Of course, you can raid wild breeding populations rather than farm them all yourself.
>>
>>46642656
There are dragons and monsters on the surface, but humans are still the dominant species.
>>
File: tumblr_m2whpi7fsp1qb32mqo1_400.gif (51KB, 378x423px) Image search: [Google]
tumblr_m2whpi7fsp1qb32mqo1_400.gif
51KB, 378x423px
Why are we talking about Tyranids. Also I've played DOOM and plenty of Beholders worked in groups to try and take me down.
>>
>>46646923
clearly the extra eye stalks is what causes beholder animosity/insanity
>>
>>46637426

Isn't that the king aboleth?
>>
>>46640645
Actually it was less "They are tasty" and more "The Natives think they are tasty, so if we kill all of them, the Natives will starve." At least if we are referring to American Bison.
>>
>>46642361

This is actually talked about in Lords of Madness. They estabilish a partnership, but the second one of them puts up a pimple, wart or scar that differentiate it, they go batshit crazy
>>
>>46646287
Couldn't Illithids come up with a Create Food spell for their dietary requirements? Or just craft rings of sustenance.
>>
>>46646923
Until you got one to fire on another. then they got pissed and murdered the fuck out of each other.
>>
>>46637678

I rank him as being harder than the Gorgun but far less of a hassle than the Ammoconda.
>>
>>46646231
There is a precedent.
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Xanathar
>>
>>46636736
>>46636757
This.

Also they are douches...except for those who are true neutral. They are the least douchebag.
>>
>>46647062
Because they shun non-psionic magic.
>>
>>46646281
>of course real asteroid belts arent' dense enough, are they?

The asteroid belt in our system certainly is not dense enough to support an "underdark ring".
It might be possible for much denser asteroid belts to exist in other star systems? I am not an astrophysicist in real life.

In any case it's a fantasy game, so *shrug*
>>
>>46648690
Pretty sure that dense enough field of asteroids would start recombining into a sphere of rock

Then again, in Spelljammer you can have pretty much whatever you want inside a Crystal Sphere
>>
>>46646273
Wall of Iron in 1E had a "Permanent" duration - I'm going to assume that the same went for 2E. Which Baldur's Gate was based on.

Man, yet another small thing that WotC fucked up for no reason. Being able to dispel a wall is much more interesting than not being able to - what was the logic there? Did they just want to standardize it so that all the spells that created stuff would be undispellable or something?


Also, of course, I think 3E Walls of Iron are the only ones that actually work to make high-quality stuff out of? I don't think 4E or 5E even HAVE the spell. And 5E's Wall of Stone has a really short non-permanent duration.
>>
>>46648861

I think an extremely high orbital velocity around a sufficiently massive object would keep the ring from de-cohering. Like I side, not at astrophysicist. Might be plausible, might not. In a fantasy setting it'll do just fine.
>>
>>46648947

>1E
>2E
>WotC

Newfriend, please...

>what was the logic there?

You'll never really appreciate how far game design has come in two decades without having lived through the dark ages.

When Dungeons & Dragons first got slapped together it was still the middle of the ice age. The design community was non-existent.
The theoretical base was non-existent. Polyhedral dice with more than 6 sides were non-existent.

So naturally there were some weird/poor decisions made.
>>
>>46648861
They may be like foam. The lack of enough grav pull would let it avoid being compacted.
>>
>>46649268
>Newfriend, please...
I'm saying that WotC fucked up in 3E by changing Wall of Iron to "Instantaneous" rather than "Permanent" duration. I assumed that it would be obvious what I referred to, but I guess I assumed wrong. Sorry for that.

TSR fucked up in a bunch of other ways, obviously. They weren't called T$R for nothing!

>[...]So naturally there were some weird/poor decisions made.
Not really an answer, there, although I guess it's better to assume incompetence than malice.

Also,
>Polyhedral dice with more than 6 sides were non-existent.
u wot m8

You know that all except the d10 were available in some form when OD&D came out, right? Or, well, all except the d20 I guess, on account of those being the same die. Shitty plastic, though. And I think some were made from wax? Was that a thing?
>>
>>46649451

I want to say the material was bakelite
>>
If Beholders hate everything that's not them to the point of wanting to kill it, where do they find the patience to enslave races?
>>
>>46642316
actually its stated in the 3.5 book that the brains they eat need to have a certain degree of life experience
eating a fully grown slave is like their equivalent of oatmeal and they need to raid other species to keep up their dietary needs because braindead/infant slaves don't sate them at all
>>
>>46649886
They are to good to spend their time digging their own tunnels.
>>
>>46649886
IIRC they mostly utterly hate things that are nearly them but not entirely
they can stomach using other races as slaves
>>
File: tumblr_inline_nj9x6bg1VN1r0zz7o.jpg (25KB, 500x375px) Image search: [Google]
tumblr_inline_nj9x6bg1VN1r0zz7o.jpg
25KB, 500x375px
>>46646923
Cacodaemons are Astral Dreadnoughts though.
>>
File: chocolate-monster.jpg (34KB, 500x362px) Image search: [Google]
chocolate-monster.jpg
34KB, 500x362px
>>46650648

>cacaodaemons
>>
>>46648220
No reason they couldn't become monks. Monks don't need to eat at all.
>>
>>46650047
They actually do frequently dig their own tunnels with their disintegrate beam. They are often vertical as well, because fuck walkers.
>>
What happens if you polymorph a Beholder? What does it do?
>>
>>46651007
Anon, you are missing the big picture.
> Eating brains is FUN!
>>
>>46651163
It's like that scene in The Last Unicorn, when Shendrick the Magician transforms the titular unicorn into the Lady Amalthea.

> Except probably with a lot more cursing and Deep Speech.
>>
>>46650843
EAT AND CHEW!
EAT AND CHEW YOUR GUTS!
>>
>>46640502
Answer is two reasons.

One, they are fleeing the death of their reality, having won law at time. They are no more than a cult of refugees.

Second, they spend a lot of time exploring the places no one else can or will go.
>>
>>46651219
I don't know what that is.
>>
>>46641167
Considering the under dark is almost endless along with he under dark being in Forgotten Realms, shit would not fly for many reasons.

The least of which would be the open portals to Infinite sized planes and any one divine under dark being just going "No.".
>>
>>46651334
Extreme anger. Shocking when is coming from an ex polite unicorn.
>>
>>46651367
I always saw it as shock and terror. She is exhibiting the purest form of body dysphoria and literally has to be restrained by Molly Grue from hurting herself trying to tear the body she is in off of herself.

>>46651334
Nigga, go watch this cartoon. The Dude plays a prince, Mia Farrow plays a unicorn waifu, Christopher Lee is an evil king, Angela Lansbury plays the sour Molly Grue. Also America does the themesong.
>>
>>46651367
>>46651493
Aight, I'll look it up, cheers.
>>
>>46654316

The book, naturally, is better to read first if you're into that kind of thing.
>>
>>46654958
Only because they spent all their money on getting Jeff Bridges to be the prince in the movie resulting in them having to rush the ending.

FUCK YOU JEFF BRIDGES, YOU GREEDY FUCKING CUNT.
>>
What does lichdom actually offer a beholder?.
>>
>>46656965
the ability to kill some imperfect fuck that miraculously killed you first
>>
>>46657672
Liches choose lichdom. Beholder lich is a-ok.
>>
>>46641167
>>46641392
>Waterworld
>but D&D
The real question is why is this not a campaign setting?
>>
>>46641945
Aren't aboleths neutral evil anyway so world domination has never been their bag. If they hated the gods getting in their business then they would do everything to stay off adventurers radar.
>>
>>46657973
Because you haven't written it yet.
>>
>>46658053

Dominating lesser beings is a core element of aboleth psychology and culture. It's 9/10ths of what they're about. It's just that they're also mostly indolent hedonists totally absorbed in internal affairs & introspective pursuits.
>>
>>46646265
If that world doesn't have a council of druids to sense the worst fucking thing theyve ever sensed smashing into the planet like a nuclear bomb
>>
>>46658167
Yeah but an entire world requires alot of work and upkeep and chances are they're happier with a city of dark elves to fuck on top of it or however they get off.
>>
>>46642499
Underrated post
>>
>>46646996
No, that's Piscaethces, the Aboleth deity of domination and oppression.
>>
>>46659229
why does an aboleth deity has a somewhat fish related name?
>>
>>46659319
I don't know. I just searched the name in the filename of >>46637426
>>
>>46659229
Why do the aboleths have a deity? I thought that the whole point was that they considered themselves gods
>>
>>46659567
i actually just read this, she is their god because she "naturally" spawns them as a result of her coming into contact with the material realm.

She does not give two shits that they exist and they are aware of that, but they still think she is pretty neat.
>>
>>46659925
So aboleth fanboys?

That's actually kind of adorable
>>
>>46659983
they really just want senpai to notice them
>>
I figure Mindflayers could just farm trolls for their brain diet.

Suck out brain, wait bit for regeneration, bam new brain.
>>
>>46636736
This. I always loved that about beholders; that they are "racist" towards one another.

I always imagined them as having a society similar to 19th and early 20th century Italy (racism unrelated) -- lots of infighting, backstabbing, vendettas, shifting loyalties etc.
>>
File: Kek.jpg (238KB, 940x850px) Image search: [Google]
Kek.jpg
238KB, 940x850px
>>46660039
Aboleth/beholder harem anime when?
>>
>>46657973
I did it once for a pirate campaign. It was caused by a rift to the plane of water at the bottom of the ocean, causing the world to flood.
>>
>>46661018
trolls can't regenerate if they are dead, and I'm pretty mindflayers suck the brain whole and getting your brain sucked whole is most of the times lethal
also trolls are probably rancid
>>
>>46657973
I'm doing this right now.

Like, literally right now, we have a session in about 4 hours.
>>
>>46661281
Bland rancid or otherwise it'd at least be a consistent food source, even if it sucked.

Like having an emergency box of bland oatmeal that never runs out in case you need it, you probably wouldn't actually use it if you had proper food around.
>>
>>46661328
Woah, really? Sounds fucking awesome. I'd love to see any campaign notes if you have them.
>>
>>46650648
>>46650843
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mEH4ZTdE34
>>
>>46661580
We aren't too deep in and it's going way more high fantasy than I originally intended. It's also supposed to be a bit sandboxy so not really much to talk about.
>>
i actually have a water worldish setting based around a Dwarven/ gnomish coalition that rules a still functioning oil rig. A floating village surrounds it, and adventure spans our from there, with pirate, floatillas, and skyscrapers poking out from the ocean.
>>
>>46663770
It also has guns and speedboats as a thing. Very diesel punk.
>>
>>46636691
Do they murder the other monsters too? Wouldn't that cause an issue in the parts where they hang out? Like, either they'd get murdered or the whole level would be empty except for the BEHOLDER, wouldn't it?
>>
>>46642282
Fucking hell

Go away Clown Wizard you're spells are a joke. Literal ones.
>>
File: 1445794750056.jpg (5KB, 208x250px) Image search: [Google]
1445794750056.jpg
5KB, 208x250px
>>46658167
>Dominating lesser beings is a core element of aboleth psychology and culture. It's 9/10ths of what they're about. It's just that they're also mostly indolent hedonists totally absorbed in internal affairs & introspective pursuits.

Sounds familiar
>>
Would the Mind Flayers be able to infect an Aboleth with one of their tadpoles?
>>
Here's an idea. A kooky adventuring party gets a neat idea. They capture a bunch of beholders without harming them and then force a helm of opposite alignment on them (or use similar alignment flipping spells). They use magic to dye them blue or whatever to separate them from normal beholders and then let them loose. Maybe give them fluffy fur or something so they look cute rather than horrifying.

Would THEY form societies? If Beholders are naturally absolute xenophobes would those beholders then become absolute xenophiles that adore the other races?
>>
>>46644871
How do they manage that high charisma while still being ugly as hell and batshit crazy?
>>
>>46666152

Nope, mind flayer can reproduce only in Human, half-elves, half-orcs, surprisinly enough ropers and I think some other things, but gives off a deformed spawn
>>
>>46666272

They can and do edit their brain of any memory that proves they can do wrong. Imagine the willpower of a being that is literally convinced it can do nothing wrong
>>
>>46666257
Xenophobia is not an alignment so the reverse alignment spells wouldn't have the desired effect. They would just affect how the beholder keeps its promises.
>>
>>46666399
Brainstealer Dragon
>>
>>46645662
>I've read about people trying to re-establish 'wild' populations of aurochs through selective breeding to try and get back to the 'original' creature (or an approximation).
They're trying it with bison in the USA as well, since most modern bison herds are like half-cattle at this point
>>
>>46637271
>monsters taking form of women and trying to live their lives
Why isn't it a thing? I might need to do some research on the topic.
>>
>>46643380
Don't you mean !!FUN!!?
>>
File: huldra.jpg (974KB, 1294x1000px) Image search: [Google]
huldra.jpg
974KB, 1294x1000px
>>46668052
Huldra count, I guess?

They like to socialize with humans and pretend that they totally don't have a tail and a hollow back, and as long as you don't mention it either, everything will be fine.
>>
>>46668052

Dragons do shit like that all the damn time.
>>
>>46666407
Will power is related to wisdom, not charisma.
>>
>>46640983The most powerful stated monster I've seen was the eldest aboleth savant on a boxed campaign setting for 2e. He was ab aboleth savant who was also a wizard 40/cleric 40/ psion 40. Yeah. This is him in the picture. Aboleths can even thrall illithids and their elder brains. They have perfect memory and their children are borne with all the memories of their ancestors. Aboleths are the oldest creatures in most primes. So....
>>
>>46641890
>Post Scarcity societies were everyone is some kind of caster, fed by magic and protected by magic.

Well yeah, that's pretty much how cities work, because without magicians, the rats would just team up and eat the lvl1 commoners.
>>
>>46670608
No,willpower IS charisma. What, do you think sorcerers just cast by looking pretty?
>>
>>46673433
Yes.
>>
>>46673691
Sounds like a fun campaign you run then.
>>
>>46641769
>yfw "global warming" is raising the sea level as we speak
>>
>>46646204
I converted the beholder mage to 5e.
I'm not sorry.
>>
>>46641167
Inevitables fall, Aboleths die.

Pretty sure decanters of endless water are linked to the plane of water, so making thousands of them would fall under their 'Under no circumstances are you allowed to link two planes in any sort of permanent fashion' clause.
>>
>>46666451
wouldn't a lawful good behold instead of trying to kill others for looking different not try to instead "uplift" them to perfection
so you'd end up with a bunch of lawful good beholders constantly trying to give eachother makeovers
>>
>>46636691
>>46636736
Also, no hands.

Now, beholder/ithilid crossbreeds on the other hand...
>>
>>46676580
>Also, no hands.
>what is one of their eyestalks can spam telekinesis
>what are beholder mouth picks
>>
>>46636691
>and don't experience endless in-fighting like the more fecund drow
Quite the contrary, they experience considerably more infighting even on an individual level.
Like, a single Beholder is usually at odds with itself.
>>
>>46659319
Indeed, why would a deity of a fish species have a fishy name.
>>
File: canon.jpg (106KB, 400x543px) Image search: [Google]
canon.jpg
106KB, 400x543px
>>46666399
>>
>>46642543
last i checked mind flayers fare pretty poorly against beholders
>>
>>46679160 Depends on the edition.

In all TSR D&D Mind Flayers are purely psionic,
so they don't care about the anti-magic eye of Beholders.

They also have some of the strongest magic resistance. Of anything. Period.
90% to be exact. Again, that's for all of TSR D&D.
To put that in perspective, 1 in 10 spells will effect a Mind Flayer.
Doesn't matter how good the caster or spell is. 1/10 chance.
So they don't care (much) about the eye-stalks of Beholders.

Meanwhile, Beholders are vulnerable to pretty much every tool is the Mind Flayer's belt,
the Mind Flayer's servants will only be a little useful (without wasteful quantities), but otherwise ...
>>
>>46636691

>Ctrl-F doors
>0 Responses

THEY DON'T HAVE FRIGGIN' HANDS!
>>
>>46679509
They are so perfect they evolved beyond the need for hands or doors.
>>
>>46679656
Telekinesis ray, fool.
>>
>>46679656
technically true, telekinesis ray + disintegration ray leaves little need for hands.
>>
>>46679509

Eye stalks, you dumb nigger.

>Charm someone, have them open the door
>Disintegrate the door, or blow it up with a Death ray
>Or even easier than that, Telekinesis is straight up said to let them open doors
>>
>>46640983
Aboleths are scared of illithid because they don't know how they do... and they know how the gods do.
>>
>>46641167
>Aboleths start plan to flood the world
>Crafty band of PCs begin to craft portable gates to the elemetal planes of fire or equivalents to place around citys.
>Get filthy rich off of the newly created steam power industry and solve the problem all in one go.

Thanks fishys, MURDERHOBOS RULE!!

Yah thats how that plan would turn out.
>>
>>46682321
Or at least that is what the illusions would lead you believe.
>>
>>46682321

>entire atmosphere gradually fills with steam, eventually blocking out the sun

Good luck with that.
>>
>>46641167

>Continuous torrent of water rapidly increases the planet's mass
>Orbit destabilizes and gradually yoyos out of the goldilocks band, either sending the planet into the sun or deep space depending on parameters.
>>
>>46683991
>orbital mechanics
>D&D
More like: the extra water falls from the edge of the world into the eternal void, nothing exciting happens.
>>
>>46684667

>eventually the mass of hydrogen and oxygen become great enough to ignite a new star

How durable are decanters of endless water? Wondering if we can get enough mass for a black hole.
>>
>>46684778
Physics plainly don't work in D&D worlds.
>>
>>46637111
Beholders are the greatest monsters in the book.
>>
Has there ever been anything written about just blinding a beholder?
Seems a lot of their anger stems from physical perception.
>>
>>46687327 Beholder Mages put out their own central eye. (Not! their eye-stalks)
Can't think of anything else involving Beholders willing blinding themselves.
>>
>>46646923
That's a cacodemon
>>
>>46647062
They LIKE the taste of suffering. Also, most probably wouldn't even think of it. It's like people outside of adventurers don't really ever use a ring of sustenance.
>>
>>46637111
How can it bite something inside of it's own mouth?
>>
File: abberation bros.png (60KB, 362x315px) Image search: [Google]
abberation bros.png
60KB, 362x315px
>"Hey Xallisine, want to go take over Blingdenstone?"
>"Totally, Torop’Jethixur!"
>>
File: the miracle of birth.png (184KB, 568x864px) Image search: [Google]
the miracle of birth.png
184KB, 568x864px
>>46690075

When the womb is fully grown, the beholder unhinges its jaw and vomits out the womb, then bites it off.
>>
File: beholder.jpg (100KB, 550x791px) Image search: [Google]
beholder.jpg
100KB, 550x791px
>>46679733
>opening the door

LIKE A PEASANT?
Thread posts: 208
Thread images: 25


[Boards: 3 / a / aco / adv / an / asp / b / bant / biz / c / can / cgl / ck / cm / co / cock / d / diy / e / fa / fap / fit / fitlit / g / gd / gif / h / hc / his / hm / hr / i / ic / int / jp / k / lgbt / lit / m / mlp / mlpol / mo / mtv / mu / n / news / o / out / outsoc / p / po / pol / qa / qst / r / r9k / s / s4s / sci / soc / sp / spa / t / tg / toy / trash / trv / tv / u / v / vg / vint / vip / vp / vr / w / wg / wsg / wsr / x / y] [Search | Top | Home]

I'm aware that Imgur.com will stop allowing adult images since 15th of May. I'm taking actions to backup as much data as possible.
Read more on this topic here - https://archived.moe/talk/thread/1694/


If you need a post removed click on it's [Report] button and follow the instruction.
DMCA Content Takedown via dmca.com
All images are hosted on imgur.com.
If you like this website please support us by donating with Bitcoins at 16mKtbZiwW52BLkibtCr8jUg2KVUMTxVQ5
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective parties.
Images uploaded are the responsibility of the Poster. Comments are owned by the Poster.
This is a 4chan archive - all of the content originated from that site.
This means that RandomArchive shows their content, archived.
If you need information for a Poster - contact them.