4e Eye in the Pool (An encounter)

[wizarddog]

This is a encounter I'm designing for an advaenture. Would like comments on it.


The Eye in the Lake Level 10 Encounter

Description: This large chamber(size to be determind) is a pool of acid, 10 feet deep. Several 5' Stone pathways, surrounded by the acid lake, snake through chamber leading to stone doors. The fumes of the acid make the area foggy limiting visuals.

Anything more than 10 feet has concealment and may make a stealth check to hide. Line of sight is lost beyond 20 feet in the chamber for targeting. The said power will immediately discharge at the 20 foot mark is so targeted. An target outside the line of sight automatically misses. Above in the 20' high ceiling are 10' holes that lead to the next chamber, though they are hidden by the fog. The platforms below the 10' surface of the pool have arch openings, allowing the creature to move through.

Lurking in this chamber is a Acid Born Beholder who uses his flight to move around the chamber and attack from a distance. The creature may also retreat upwards or submerge into the pool below

Tactics: The beholder uses the concealment, healing powers of the lake, and advantage of it's sight to attack the players in hit and run maneuvers. Once it attacks, it moves outside the sight range of the players and hides in the mist. It will retreat to the acid pool to regenerate and above to catch the players off guard. The Beholder is immune to the concealment issues, using blind sight 25' to locate enemies. The creature may also half submerge itself in the acid pool where it can regenerate and gain partial cover (+2 to defenses). If submerges further than 10 feet it gains total concealment from the water and may make a stealth check to hide. It can use the platform arches for superior cover underneath gain +5 to defenses and preventing line of effect except from area attacks . It will use it's Central Eye to lower party defenses and use the telekinesis ray to force a target into the acid lake.

Those pushed into the lake must make a saving throw, success and they fall prone adjacent to the pool. Failure and the target falls into the pool and is one square from the edge of the platform. Those that fall into the acid pool are assaulted by the acid. Those in the pool also are under the effect of aquatic combat.

The beholder can shut off its flight and fall as a free action into the pool where it lands on the first 5ft. Consider this a pull when determining if the creature is effected by a condition that would prevent it moving or taking an action. If the creature becomes immobilized or slowed, it can fall into the acid as a free action.

The Beholder can also travel upwards in to the second chamber where it gains cover(+2) and disrupts line of effect save from area attacks and concealment (can make a stealth check).


Acid Born Beholder
Large Aberrant Magical beast (Aquatic, Acid)
Level 10 Elite Artillery XP 1000
Initiative +9 Senses: Blind sight, all around vision
Eyes of the Beholder aura 5; at the start of each enemy's turn, if that creature is within the aura and in the Acid Born beholder's line of sight, the Acid born beholder use one random eye ray power against that creature
HP 204 ; Bloodied 102;
AC 24 ; Fortitude 22 , Reflex 24 , Will 24
Saves +2 Immune: Acid
Speed fly 6 (hover) Swim 6
Bite(standard; at-will) ● Weapon, Acid
+15 vs. AC; 2d6 damage + 5 acid damage (save ends)
Central Eye (minor; at-will )
Ranged 8; the target gains vulnerability to 10 acid, and any attack that deals acid damage to the target also deals ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends both)
Eye Rays (standard; at-will) ● see text
The acid borne beholder can use up to two eye ray powers (chosen from the list below), at least one of which must be a acid ray. Each power must target a different creature. Using eye rays does not provoke opportunity attacks.
1-Acid Ray (Acid): Range 8; +14 vs reflex; 2d8+6 acid damage
2- Telekinesis Ray: Ranged 8; +14 vs Fortitude; the target slides 4 squares.
3-Fear Ray (fear): Ranged 8; +14 vs Will; the target moves its speed away from the acid born beholder by the safest route possible and takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends)
Acid Regeneration (free) ● Heal
While summered in acid, the acid Born Beholder heals 10 hit points and can make a saving throw.
Alignment Evil
Languages Deep Speech
Skills Stealth +15
Str 10 (+5) Dex 20 (+10) Wis 19 (+9) Con 18 (+9) Int 14 (+7) Cha 23 (+11)

Hazard Acid Pool Level 10 XP 500 Those pushed into the acid immediately are attacked:
+13 vs Fortitude 4d10+5 acid damage
Miss: Half Damage
At beginning of a players turn they are assaulted by the acid.
Once removed from the acid: Ongoing acid damage 5 (save ends),

False Doors (4): Level 10 Lurker XP 500
These door serve one purpose, to eject foolish intruders into the acid pools. A DC 22 perception notes their false hood. A DC 24 thievery disables the mechanism. They attack by pushing out +13 vs reflex; no damage but push the target back into the pool at a -2 save. A save will prevent the fall, making the target prone in adjacent square. During the fight, a PC under the fear effect will make their way to one of these doors and fall victim to it without a chance of perception to note it's falsehood. If they they still suffer the fear, they will get out of the pool and head to the next closes door, staying on the platforms.

Adjusting the encounter:
Add more doors that may force the players to activate should they fall under the fear ray.

[Otakar]

I like it. I would like to hear how it plays-out!

[DMMike]

-This is pretty obviously a Beholder lair, which should be considered more difficult than the stand-alone Beholder would normally be (for challenge and XP purposes).
- The 20' ceiling is going to limit beholder-character distance within line-of-effect range, unless the beholder flies through the ceiling holes.
- The beholder's fall-into-the-pool tactic could be uncomfortably limited by the stone pathways.

How did it go?

[wizarddog]

I wrote this a while back, so clarification on rules in 4e since then would probably would change the tactics, the creature design, and the environment. The original design was to provide an encounter where the PC's are attacked by a unseen enemy that has a lot of advantages and attacks them from afar while staying hidden. With more design changes in the game, The Beholder might be changed to be more of a lurker than artillery, the damage outputs changed, and the environment altered to make it more dynamic.


It should be noted that the beholder is an elite and not a solo, having the environmental difficulties as part of the challenge. The holes in the ceiling are provide for the beholder to move up into concealment and come down pretty much anywhere in the chamber. The stone pathways in the center are designed to not block the creature if it decides to move through the acid pool. These conditions allow it to hide in the environment easily.

Tactically, the players will have a hard time if they stay in the same place for too long, as the beholder will be able to detect them more often than they can detect it. If they only ready actions, then the creature will approach from another angle and catch them by surprise before they can retaliate. Clever players will learn to use the environment to their own advantage since the beholder must rely on perception until it can get within 25' of a target. So it is not unbeatable.

I have yet to run the encounter, basically because my players only recently have reach that level. Maybe in few weeks I can run it.

[Rmorrow]

Description: This large chamber(size to be determind) is a pool of acid, 10 feet deep. Several 5' Stone pathways, surrounded by the acid lake, snake through chamber leading to stone doors. The fumes of the acid make the area foggy limiting visuals.

Anything more than 10 feet has concealment and may make a stealth check to hide. Line of sight is lost beyond 20 feet in the chamber for targeting. The said power will immediately discharge at the 20 foot mark is so targeted. An target outside the line of sight automatically misses. Above in the 20' high ceiling are 10' holes that lead to the next chamber, though they are hidden by the fog. The platforms below the 10' surface of the pool have arch openings, allowing the creature to move through.

Lurking in this chamber is a Acid Born Beholder who uses his flight to move around the chamber and attack from a distance. The creature may also retreat upwards or submerge into the pool below
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Features: The following Features are present in this encounter area.

Walls: The 20' high walls of this area have been warn smooth, making the DC for climbing these walls Hard DC's for the appropriate level.

Acid Pool: The room is filled with a 10' deep pool of acid. Any Falling into this pool imediately takes acid damage; in addition any creature begining it's turn in an acid square takes an additional # acid damage this round and the following round (cumulative). While in the pool Creatures must make a medium athletics check to swim (due to the "oh god it burns it burns"), failing this check causes the creature an additional #d# acid damage as they temporarily submerge. (Potential Damage: Initial 10; ongoing(for staying in):5 Submergence: 2d6 acid)

Stepping stones: Crystal-like stone patches are scattered through out the area. In order to move a character must make an athletics check (Easy-Moderate) for every stone pillar they move to. In order not to fall in a character must end there movement on one of the stepping stones, otherwise movement is as normal.

Acrid Cloud: The acid bed in the room has filled the area with an acrid cloud. At the beginning of every creatures turn that creature must make a save or suffer 1 point acid damage(exclude any creature with resist acid 1 or immunity acid). In addition, the cloud offers limited visibility, up to 2 squares target has concealment (-2 penalty); up to 4 squares away target receives total concealment (-5 penalty); any further than 4 squares and all creatures lose line of sight making targeting impossible.

Connecting Tunnels: In the ceiling of this chamber are a series of holes measuring 10' in diameter. These holes lead to the next chamber and are situated so that any creature falling through one has a maximum chance to hit acid (roll 1d6 1-4 acid, 5-6 stepping stone).

False doors: there are a series of false doors along the walls of this area. these doors are designed to push targets into the acid (push one square).

Tactics (using the beholder described):

The beholder will use its environment to stayed concealed as much as possible from the players. Utilizing the pool and the holes to seeming pop up out of any where and be every where. The beholders blind sight ability allow it to see as normal in the acrid fog (DMG 67). allowing it to take maximum advantage of the fog.

At the start of the encounter. The beholder will use its fear ability to cause a heavily armored opponent to run to one of the false doors and open it; while feared the victim will not get a perception check and will not recall what doors are false. Fear effects that continue cause the victim to move to the next door (this continues until the fear wears off). It will use its acid ray against any caster type present (arcane, Divine, Nature in order of president). On subsequent rounds it will alternate between fearing any armored type and telekinesis any; while every round targeting some one with its acid ray.

Special tactics:

Cannon ball: If the beholder "runs" straight down from one of the holes into the pool of acid it causes a splash effect (close burst 5) every one taking damage.

Party Wave (OF DEATH!!!): if the beholder uses its telekinesis on any target already in the pool of acid to move the full 7 squares then any creature adjacent to the path of the slide takes acid damage as if the fell in.

(change text) ;Change the acid regeneration to: any round the beholder ends there turn submerged in acid the automatically heal 10 hit points and may make an additional saving throw to rid themselves of any effects.

SUGESTIONS:

This would be one rather tough encounter what with the beholder having range on them with blind site; and the auto ray aura. Yhea diffidently higher than the creature itself.

Oh hope this helps out.