The Elder Orb is a mature (and powerful) beholder. Though some have lost the function of various eyestalks (at least in the creature lore), they also have more hit points than ordinary beholders and are usually able to cast spells, but not always. These monsters can also employ their central eye's Anti-Magic Ray.
The Elder Orbs encountered in the game have varied AI scripts that do different things. There are some differences in behavior from every area where they may be encountered. Some have limited eye stalk use, some don't cast spells at all, some do everything - casting spells and using all their eye stalks.
Gameplay[]
Elder Orb in the Planar Sphere[]
One specific Elder Orb is a beholder found inside The Planar Sphere in the Elder Orb Room, which is the room that leads to the Navigator's Room. The beholder will be engaged and tanked by the assembled Guardian Golem, after the golem opens the locked door to the beholder's room.
| “ | (A voice sounds within your head.) Wizard! Your sphere is not a fitting grave. Your golem be damned, I shall escape! |
” |
This beholder has 100% magic resistance. It casts no spells. It has scripted use of Anti-Magic Ray, Cause Serious Wounds Ray, Charm Person Ray, Death Ray, Disintegrate Ray, Domination Ray, Fear Ray, and Flesh to Stone Ray.
The script for this Orb will direct its attention at the Guardian Golem over any party member. It is scripted to face the Guardian Golem and fire several eye beams at it (although they will have no effect because the golem has no dispellable effects upon it and has 100% magic resistance). It would take some bizarre actions by the player to make the beholder target a party member in this scenario. The beholder can safely be destroyed by missile fire, or standing behind the golem, or even just positioning a party member to the side of the Elder Orb and melee attacking it while the Golem occupies its attention. This Beholder is more of a plot device than some kind of obstacle to overcome.
Elder Orbs in the Southern Tunnels[]
Two Elder Orbs can be encountered in the Underdark within the Southern Tunnels. See the link for details.
These beholders cast some spells to buff themselves, destroy summoned creatures with a Death Spell, counter Silence with a Vocalize and use their various beholder eye beams as well.
One Elder Orb here (UDELDER) has its own creature file design and differs slightly than the second Elder Orb, which uses the parameters shown in the InfoBox. They both use the same AI script for behavior and spell/eye beam use.
Elder Orbs in the Test of Fear[]
A trio of Elder Orbs may be encountered in Chapter 7 within the The Abyss as part of the Test of Fear. Fighting these beholders is optional.
These Orbs are shown in the Info Box. The Elder orb version found in chapter 7 is a bit more robust and powerful than the version encountered in the Underdark.
See the InfoBox for scripted spell and eye beam use.
Elder Orb in the Watcher's Keep[]
One can be found in Watcher's Keep on the Final Seal level as part of the Green Globe scenario. This version uses the same creature file and script as in the InfoBox.
Gallery[]
Mod content[]
This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.
The Sword Coast Stratagems mod changes elder orbs, and they also get additional scripting refinements if the "Smarter Beholder" component is installed.
Elder Orbs are raised from a 9 HD creature to level 20.
The Unseeing Eye is reconfigured into an Elder Orb.
SCS and the Tactics Mod (as well as the Tactics for BG2EE mod) redesigns Vaxall from an ordinary beholder in the Twisted Rune Hideout as an Elder Orb as well.
With SCS Elder Orbs have use of mage spell casting and beholder eye ray attacks, usually both in the same round. Beholders have an always on permanent alacrity power allowing multiple spell casts and beholder eye beams in the same round - the usual timing restriction on this limits this to one spell and one eye beam ray per round, or two eye beam rays per round.
SCS Elder Orbs can see invisible and hidden creatures by script. They also have immunities to being Webbed, and Entangled as they levitate.
SCS Elder Orbs have additional spells available and can summon help like Mordenkainen's Sword creatures. They have spell protection removers such as Pierce Shield. Minor Sequencer, Spell Sequencer and Spell Trigger are prepared and can be instantly released by script.
They are unaffected by their own eye beams in case they were reflected. All SCS beholders have a Telekinesis Ray, that is used depending on the game difficulty setting, usually after a few rounds and seeks out the Shield of Balduran, Cloak of Reflection, and Cloak of Mirroring.
The player's game difficulty selection determines which Beholder Eye beams are used against the player. The deadlier beams like Disintegration Ray are used on "Hardcore" and "Insane" difficulty.
Mod gallery[]
External links[]
- Elder orb on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.