TOPIC: Advance Scouting Reports from Deeperdark & Behold

Note - this is a thread for rampant speculation.

Some people may wish to avoid this if the mere discussion of probable threats is seen as a spoiler.

Please don't post actual spoilers here.

I'm curious what people speculate about the threats we will face in the dungeon this year.

I know from past years reading too much into the tokens is a mistake (e.g. 2014's Hat of Shade, Sandstorm Cloak, Sandstorm Goggles, Shoes of Sand Walking, and Waterskin suggested desert environmental effects, there were none...). That being said!

The local outfitters in 2016 seem to be selling defenses against:

* Ray attacks (Boots of Dodging and Shield of the Prism)

* Dominate/charm effects (Charm of Still Mind, Scroll Mind Blank, Thrall Scale Armor)

* Fire damage/creatures vulnerable to cold (Cloak of the Deeperdark, Figurine of Power: Salamander, Frost Runestone, Gloves of Cooling, Ice Runestone, Ioun Stone Ruby Cube, Potion Firely Ice Lager, Potion Frosty Lava Bock, Slamander Runestone, Ring of Icy Ki, Scroll Frost Storm, Scroll Rainstorm, Scroll Refute Fire, Sling Bullet of FIre

* Olfactory attacks (!) (Creeper Cowl)

* Things that attack vs. Reflex (Darkling Earcfff, Darkling Shadow Armor, Darkling Shield, Darking Void Armor, Creeper Amulet, Trouper's Lute)

* Fey creatures (+1 Thrall Fairie-Iron Skull, Potion Ironclad)


So - what say you?

My D&D lore is weak, but even I know Beholder's have Ray attacks. With some research, those attacks include Charm effects.

Apparently there are humanoid, magic using creatures called "Dark Creepers" - and we have several Creeper items.

What else should we expect?

If we did encounter a Beholder, I'm curious about how a few things might work:


1. How do you imagine their anti-magic cone would interact with the Eldritch 2 piece bonus for spellcasters? I wonder if the cone would give it spell resistance of 100%, or rather disables magic entirely.

2. Would you expect Disintegrate ray to kill outright on a failed reflex save?

* What if the character failing the save has Improved Evasion?

And finally - would you be equipping Ioun Stone Amethyst Ovid to protect against Psychic Blast - or do you think we've seen all of that we're going to see?

Point of order - there were desert environment effects in Grind.

Based on what we heard and saw at WYC, I'd expect to see some lava.

I intend to equip the IS Amethyst Ovid.

We faced a Beholder at WYC in Grind. Which ever way the Beholder was looking that part of the group could use no spells, scrolls or wands. Of course Grind and the Dungeons don't always function the same.

Matthew Hayward wrote: If we did encounter a Beholder, I'm curious about how a few things might work:


1. How do you imagine their anti-magic cone would interact with the Eldritch 2 piece bonus for spellcasters? I wonder if the cone would give it spell resistance of 100%, or rather disables magic entirely.

2. Would you expect Disintegrate ray to kill outright on a failed reflex save?

* What if the character failing the save has Improved Evasion?

The ability and the rings only work on reflex saves for half damage. Disintegrate is a save/fail situation. I would think if we see any beholder that is that tough, it would be in room 7.

Brad Mortensen wrote: Point of order - there were desert environment effects in Grind.

This. /\

Also, if there is a Beholder it will not be in The Deeper Dark. The clue and hint points at the Beholder being in Behold(er) Her Majesty. I credit Raven from a different thread with that logic.

Also feeling the Behold Her (beholder) Majesty clue -- very clever Jeff. Of course I thought I saw clues about things before and have been totally wrong...but sometimes I have been correct too.

Man fighting a Beholder sounds so AWESOME!

Also, I would think we need to be on guard for Psychic attacks, as we will be in a mind flayer city.

Olfactory was mentioned -- anyone else thinking Trogs?? Maybe in Grind!! Eric mentioned old school monsters and I thought about the old D series from AD&D days.

there was a Beholder in 2007..i think it was a death ray(could have been no saves against it then, to far back to remember) when we fought the beholder, it was stunned every round and could not attack us

tokens are made before the adventure is laid out...so that is why they sometimes are not as useful.

We are still chasing the mind flayer right? I would expect to run into him/her again as well, but not a guarantee.

Ro-gan wrote: The clue and hint points at the Beholder being in Behold(er) Her Majesty. I credit Raven from a different thread with that logic.

But what if that's just what Jeff wants us to think...?

Sometimes I chase my thoughts in circles, second guessing everything.

I think, tho, that we're at least supposed to expect a beholder, with such an obvious pun.

I was absolutely convinced on the Beholder theory based on the adventure title. That and the Shield of the Prism.

Until I saw the promo graphic. Now I'm not so sure.

Still, I'm thinking Reflex and/or Fort saves may be pretty important.