Observer | Monster | Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 | Statblocks & Sheets

Print sheet JSON

Observer - CR:

Species	Beholder
Subspecies	Beholder
Size	Medium
Type	Aberration
Hit Dice	8d8+44 (108hp)
Speed	5 ft., fly 20 ft. (good)
Abilities	Str 10, Dex 6, Con 18, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 15
Special Qualities	flight
Environment	Any
Organization	Solitary
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Lawful Neutral

Skills
Hide +12, Listen +18, Search +21, Spot +22, Survival +2 (+4 following tracks), and knowledge (psionics) +17

Feats
Alertness; Flyby Attack; Great Fortitude; Improved Initiative; Iron Will

Combat
Initiative	+6
Armor Class (AC)	24 (-1 size, -2 Dex, +15 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 22
Base Attack	+2
Attack	Eye rays +2 ranged touch and bite +7 melee
Full Attack	Eye rays +2 ranged touch and bite +7 melee (2d4)
Space/Reach	10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Blood drain, gaze, psionics
Saves	Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +19

Description
Psychokinesis — Science: telekinesis; Devotions: animate object, inertial barrier. Psychometabolism — Sciences: nil; Devotions: body control, cause decay, chameleon power, double pain. Telepathy — Sciences: domination, mind link, probe; Devotions: attraction, aversion, contact, ESP, invisibility, mind bar, phobia amplification. Metapsionics — Science: psychic surgery; Devotions: psionic sense, psionic drain. Primes always seem surprised to learn that there are observers that lair on the Outlands and lawful planes, but it only stands to reason that a monster so widespread as the beholder would’ve spawned planar offspring. Observers are a lot like the other beholder-kin, concealing a frightening alien intelligence and fearsome magical powers behind a chitinous body. Unlike their more rapacious prime-material kin, observers adhere to a cool neutrality and are often content to leave well enough alone. (’Course, that doesn’t help the Clueless sod who attacks one of these things, taking it to be a beholder.) An observer has a spherical body about 6 to 7 feet in diameter, covered with a tough, chitinous shell. The shell’s a mottled purple and pinkish color, and can be 2 to 3 inches thick in places. Unlike beholders, observers have three mouths spaced evenly around their lower hemisphere, and three main eyes spaced evenly around their equator. Six minor eyes on stalks ring their dorsal surfaces. Observers support their bodies by means of an innate levitation ability. Observers often create small empires or tyrannies, using their magical and psionic abilities to take control of regions and order them to their own will. Observers are generally more passive than their beholder cousins, and fight only when directly attacked. Unless it’s physically threatened, an observer’s usually content to use negotiation and manipulation to achieve its ends. Combat: The observer’s main body is AC -2, but its mouths, main eyes, and eyestalks are not as well-armored; they’re only AC 2. The loss of these organs doesn’t count against the obewer’s own hit points. The main eyes can withstand 10 points of damage each, the eyestalks 5 points of damage, and the mouths 15 points of damage before being destroyed. The observer’s mouths actually consist of powerful, reractable stalks that can reach things up to 5 feet from the main body. If the observer’s mouth hits with a roll 4 or more greater than the attack roll needed, it fastens to the victim and begins to drain blood at the rate of 2 hit points per round. When possible, the observer will divide its attacks to drair as nany victims as it can. Although the observer’s attacks are formidable, they pale in comparison to its magical abilities. Each of the creature’s main eyes projects a powerhl ray of telekinetic force that can have one of three effects: First, it can simulate Bigby’s forceful hand, driving back one creature at the rate of 20 feet per round. Creatures weighing up to 500 pounds can be so affected, and creatures between 500 and 1,000 pounds cannot advance closer to the observer while its gaze remains on them. Creatures over 1,000 pounds can advance only at the speed of 10 feet per round. Second, the gaze of the main eyes can be used to strike telekinetic blows inflicting damage equal to 1d12 points plus the victim’s AC. Third, it can automatically deflect all physical missiles fired at the creature from the 120 degree arc in front of the eye. The main eyes have a range of 100 yards. Each of the six smaller eyes can create the following effects against a single target: domination (30-yard range) enervation (30-yard range) fear (50-yard range) finger of death (30-yard range) magic missile (3 missiles, 50-yard range) Otiluke’s freezing sphere (cold ray inflicts 8d4+16 points of damage) The powerful eyes of observers are the equivalent of a true seeing spell to a range of 100 yards, except that the monster can’t determine alignment by sight. This means they can’t be deceived by illusions or invisibility. As if these weren’t enough to lay any sod in the deadlook, observers are also powerful psionicists, in possession of potent telepathic and psychokinetic abilities. An observer usually relies on its magical abilities first, but should those fail or a subtler means of attack be required, it’ll fall back on mental attacks. Observers enjoy experimenting with telepathic attacks against nonpsionic creatures and take a fiendish pleasure in permanently wrecking a foolish opponent’s psyche.

Description

Psychokinesis — Science: telekinesis; Devotions: animate object, inertial barrier.

Psychometabolism — Sciences: nil; Devotions: body control, cause decay, chameleon power, double pain.

Telepathy — Sciences: domination, mind link, probe; Devotions: attraction, aversion, contact, ESP, invisibility, mind bar, phobia amplification.

Metapsionics — Science: psychic surgery; Devotions: psionic sense, psionic drain.

Primes always seem surprised to learn that there are observers that lair on the Outlands and lawful planes, but it only stands to reason that a monster so widespread as the beholder would’ve spawned planar offspring. Observers are a lot like the other beholder-kin, concealing a frightening alien intelligence and fearsome magical powers behind a chitinous body. Unlike their more rapacious prime-material kin, observers adhere to a cool neutrality and are often content to leave well enough alone. (’Course, that doesn’t help the Clueless sod who attacks one of these things, taking it to be a beholder.)

An observer has a spherical body about 6 to 7 feet in diameter, covered with a tough, chitinous shell. The shell’s a mottled purple and pinkish color, and can be 2 to 3 inches thick in places. Unlike beholders, observers have three mouths spaced evenly around their lower hemisphere, and three main eyes spaced evenly around their equator. Six minor eyes on stalks ring their dorsal surfaces. Observers support their bodies by means of an innate levitation ability.

Observers often create small empires or tyrannies, using their magical and psionic abilities to take control of regions and order them to their own will. Observers are generally more passive than their beholder cousins, and fight only when directly attacked. Unless it’s physically threatened, an observer’s usually content to use negotiation and manipulation to achieve its ends.

Combat:
The observer’s main body is AC -2, but its mouths, main eyes, and eyestalks are not as well-armored; they’re only AC 2. The loss of these organs doesn’t count against the obewer’s own hit points. The main eyes can withstand 10 points of damage each, the eyestalks 5 points of damage, and the mouths 15 points of damage before being destroyed.

The observer’s mouths actually consist of powerful, reractable stalks that can reach things up to 5 feet from the main body. If the observer’s mouth hits with a roll 4 or more greater than the attack roll needed, it fastens to the victim and begins to drain blood at the rate of 2 hit points per round. When possible, the observer will divide its attacks to drair as nany victims as it can.

Although the observer’s attacks are formidable, they pale in comparison to its magical abilities. Each of the creature’s main eyes projects a powerhl ray of telekinetic force that can have one of three effects: First, it can simulate Bigby’s forceful hand, driving back one creature at the rate of 20 feet per round. Creatures weighing up to 500 pounds can be so affected, and creatures between 500 and 1,000 pounds cannot advance closer to the observer while its gaze remains on them. Creatures over 1,000 pounds can advance only at the speed of 10 feet per round. Second, the gaze of the main eyes can be used to strike telekinetic blows inflicting damage equal to 1d12 points plus the victim’s AC. Third, it can automatically deflect all physical missiles fired at the creature from the 120 degree arc in front of the eye. The main eyes have a range of 100 yards.

Each of the six smaller eyes can create the following effects against a single target:

domination (30-yard range)
enervation (30-yard range)
fear (50-yard range)
finger of death (30-yard range)
magic missile (3 missiles, 50-yard range)
Otiluke’s freezing sphere (cold ray inflicts 8d4+16 points of damage)
The powerful eyes of observers are the equivalent of a true seeing spell to a range of 100 yards, except that the monster can’t determine alignment by sight. This means they can’t be deceived by illusions or invisibility.

As if these weren’t enough to lay any sod in the deadlook, observers are also powerful psionicists, in possession of potent telepathic and psychokinetic abilities. An observer usually relies on its magical abilities first, but should those fail or a subtler means of attack be required, it’ll fall back on mental attacks. Observers enjoy experimenting with telepathic attacks against nonpsionic creatures and take a fiendish pleasure in permanently wrecking a foolish opponent’s psyche.

Created by

GeneralOvertime.

System

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5

Statblock Type

Monster

Link/Embed

Copy Block Copy link

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Monster: Observer

Created by

System

Statblock Type

Link/Embed

Find your way!

Resources

WHO WE ARE

LEGAL

Get the news

Listen to our Podcast

Our Allies