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If Looks
Could Kill
Looking gaze weapons
right in the eye
by Malcolm Bowers
In Greek mythology, the sight of the
original Medusa could turn creatures to
stone. Perseus,
well-armed with winged
sandals, a magic wallet, a helm of invisibility,
and an adamantine sickle, killed her by
lopping her head off. Athena
had warned
him not to look directly at Medusa but
only at her reflection, and had given
him a
brightly polished shield to this end.
The
head still turned creatures to stone after
parting company with its body, and Perseus
used it to good effect on a couple of
occasions afterward, once petrifying 200
people.
Not only medusas, lesser kin to the original,
but also many other monsters in the
AD&D®
game have gaze weapons of some
sort. Much information about these attack
forms is left to surmise, however. For
instance, can we take the details of the
above myth as accurate for game purposes?
What exactly is a gaze weapon,
anyway? How do creatures so endowed
survive reproduction and so on if they
are
not immune to their own gazes? How does
one deal with such attacks in melee? Can
only one victim be affected in a round?
This article tries to remedy the lack
of
information and provides advice on handling
such abilities.
A gaze weapon is not simply any magical
radiance emanating from the eyes of a
creature. For instance, the rays projected
from a beholder's eyes are not such an
attack; the gaze of a basilisk, however,
is.
If we read the monster descriptions, we
can discriminate between the two sorts
of
special attacks. With regard to that of
the
basilisk, we read that it petrifies ?any
fleshly creature which meets its glance.?
This phrase, or variations thereof, occurs
in the descriptions of all creatures with
true gaze weapons. Eye contact is a precedent
for this type of attack; thus, blind
creatures such as grimlocks will be unaffected
by a true gaze weapon, as will those
who avoid eye contact with a monster
thus empowered. It can also be deduced
that true gaze weapons are not typical
spell-like abilities limited in number
of
uses. Once activated, they affect anyone
meeting the gaze, plain and simple. With
this in mind, a basic definition can be
provided: A true gaze weapon is continuous
and requires full eye contact in order
to operate.
How do gaze weapons
work?
It?s a kind of magic, as the song says
?
but it is not the normal kind, since it
does
require eye contact. Light is necessary,
since eye contact is impossible otherwise.
Perhaps the magic is carried by light
waves in some way; this would fit in with
the fact that gaze attacks can be reflected
(unlike the original Medusa?s petrifying
appearance). We could picture a gaze
attack as a weak, continuous magical
radiance that requires energy in the form
of light to ?step it up? to an effective
weapon. In total darkness, one could stand
safely (?) eyeball-to-eyeball with a medusa,
as far as the gaze goes anyway, since
the
magical emission is too weak to penetrate
one?s eyes without the presence of light
to
carry it.
It is commonly supposed that light in
the
visual spectrum (rather than infrared
or
ultraviolet) is needed for gaze weapons.
This restriction makes the definition
much
easier to work with, so we will assume
this to be the case. Perhaps only visual
light has the proper wavelength for interaction
with magic. If infrared radiation
could carry a gaze attack, say, then only
those with infravision would be susceptible
to such an attack in normal darkness.
This is not hinted at in the AD&D®
game
literature. A monster with an infrared
petrification gaze attack would be an
interesting beast, indeed!
Gaze-weapon ranges are limited by
visibility, because of their dependence
on
light, but do not need that much light
to
function. Gaze weapons are effective if
the
creature?s eyes can be seen at all ? that
is,
if they are within the radius of illumination
illumination
of a light source. Gaze weapons do
have fixed limits of operation, though;
see
Table 1 hereafter.
The magic of a gaze weapon must act on
its target through the visual organs,
even
when boosted by light, because it is too
weak to affect it in any other way. This
is
not so unusual; the senses are ?weak
points? in a creature that magic can exploit.
For example, eyebite works through
sight and suggestion
through hearing.
Gaze weapons require eye contact to be
maintained for a short space of time ?
a
second or so ? for the magic to work.
The
saving throw indicates someone has a
chance to wrench his gaze away in time
or
shut his eyes, either escaping with partial
effects (as in the case of a pyrolisk)
or no
effects whatsoever. Those who have survived
gaze attacks invariably report that
the monster?s gaze was curiously compelling
? a side effect of the magic. If the
save is failed, the gaze acts as an equivalent
spell cast at a level of magic use equal
to the creature?s hit dice. Magic resistance
is then applied, if the victim possesses
it.
The effect itself ? petrification, death,
etc.
? takes a segment to accomplish. Note
that a gaze causing petrification turns
a
victim?s carried equipment to stone, just
as
a flesh
to stone spell does.
Other "eye attacks"
There are a few monsters that might
seem at first to have gaze weapons, but
closer acquaintance unmasks these abilities
as spell-like powers with limitations
on
the number of uses and on the necessity
for eye contact even if the attack does
emanate from the eyes of the creature.
Attacks falling into this category are:
the
magical rays projected from the eyes of
a
beholder, retriever, or spectator; the
area
effects of the frost man?s ?ice blast?;
the
opinicus?s ?sun sparkles?; and the eye
of
the deep?s stunning attack. The death
gaze
of a sea hag and the death-stealing gaze
of
a nabassu demon do not require eye contact,
and have a limit on their number of
uses; hence, they are spell-like powers,
not
true gaze weapons. Likewise, some hordlings
have a gaze equal to a ray
of enfeeblement,
but this can be used on only one
opponent per round. The eye killer?s laserlike
?death stare? can only be used once
per day, and is a physical attack of sorts
which employs magically amplified light
radiation. Incidentally, all of these
other
eye attacks could work in darkness (except
for the gaze of the eye killer), although
there could be some targeting difficulties.
Note that immobilized characters (those
affected by the gaze of the ultrodaemon,
floating eye, scarecrow, yeti, or revenant)
are subject to double the usual number
of
attacks for automatic hits and maximum
damage (plus incidental damage where
appropriate), if their attacker chooses
to
attack. Otherwise, these victims can be
killed or bound at the rate of one per
round. This applies to magically sleeping
characters, too (such as those affected
by
the jackalwere?s gaze), although they
will
certainly wake up if the damage inflicted
fails to kill them outright. (This is
a general
melee rule -- see the Dungeon Masters
Guide, page
70 -- which takes precedence
over the notes in the yeti?s description
in
the MM.)
What is done to a helpless foe depends
on the attacker and any of the victim?s
allies. Jackalweres always seek to kill,
and
ultrodaemons attempt to slay or enslave
helpless characters, but the rest of the
gaze-using creatures attack as listed
in
Table 1 rather than efficiently dispatching
their victims.
Duration of gaze
attacks
The length of time a gaze effect lasts,
where not given in the texts, is determined
as if it were an equivalent spell cast
at a
level of spell-use equal to the creature?s
hit
dice. ?Of course, some of the effects
can be
remedied by various means. A sleeping
person can be shaken awake in a round.
All forms of charm (whenever caused by
an ultrodaemon, spirit naga, scarecrow,
or
vampire) are broken on the death of the
creature responsible. Spells directly
countering
the effect suggest themselves in
many instances.
Gaze weapons are magical; thus, dispel
magic
negates their effects in some cases.
Where the effect is sustained by the magic
-- charms,
enfeeblement,
confusion,
paralysis,
<>
etc. -- then dispel
magic should have
the usual chance of working. But when
-the magic only induces a physical state
or
condition, and does not sustain it, dispel
magic has no effect. For instance a
boalisk?s gaze induces a disease, which
then takes its natural course until a
cure
disease
intervenes, or until death results.
Dispel
magic will not affect these conditions
any more than it will reverse the
induced damage done by a pyrolisk, fatal
or otherwise. Death gazes also induce
rather than sustain a state, and require
a
powerful dweomer to restore life to the
deceased. Where magic sustains an altered
state, the affected creature radiates
a faint
magical aura.
Petrification, the all-time favorite gaze
weapon, opens up an interesting can of
rot
grubs. There is no evidence as to whether
petrified creatures emit a dim dweomer
or
not ? and one can?t actually do an experiment
to find out. (If a petrified creature
did not suffer a fatal system
shock survival
roll,
then detect life will give a positive
result, but that?s by the way.) Nowhere
in
the AD&D game rules, either in the
text of
the stone
to flesh spell or in the descriptions
of the various monsters which petrify,
is it stated that dispel
magic can or
cannot reverse petrification. Looking
at
similar spells doesn?t help much: transmute
rock
to mud is affected by dispel magic,
but transmute metal to wood
is not.
Polymorph
any object can be used as a
powerful flesh
to stone spell, and can be
dispelled, but this doesn?t necessarily
imply that flesh
to stone or the equivalent
gaze weapons, can be dispelled, too.
In the absence of any official ruling,
DMs must make up their own minds. For
what it is worth, it has been the assumption
in a number of campaigns that stone
to flesh
is needed to reverse all petrification.
Modules seem to support this, generally
providing such a scroll (or equivalent
potion) when monsters which have the
ability to petrify are present.
The DM might allow dispel
magic to be
cast at a monster, using the same procedure
for casting
the spell on items (DMG,
page 41). The spell must be targeted at
a
single creature, and magic resistance
and
a normal saving throw are allowed. If
the
spell takes effect, it prevents magical
attacks
by spell, innate ability, or any sort
of
gaze weapon for one round.
Ranges
The gaze ranges given in the MM
are in scale inches where they
appear. The later ranges are given in
feet,
as in the UA spell eyebite.
Following the principle of the latest
game
volume published -being the most correct,
a set range in feet has been adopted.
This
seems logical, since eye contact is only
possible at short range. There should
be
no difference between above- and belowground
settings in this regard. Most magical
effects and some gaze attacks have
fixed ranges, so it is only reasonable
for
this to apply generally. In suggesting
ranges, the nature and power of the attacks,
and the creature employing them
have been taken into account.
Having a fixed range for gaze weapons
means that characters with keen sight
(wearing eyes
of the eagle, for example)
are not subject to attack at a greater
distance
than others. With regard to this
decision, no form of magical scrying will
transmit a gaze attack; such methods of
observation magically duplicate a scene
rather than directly send any light/magic
radiation to the observer. (The DM may
wish to provide cursed items or special
areas that give magical viewers the ?benefit
? of having gaze weapons affect them at
a distance.)
Gaze immunity
For whatever reasons, some creatures
are immune to their own gaze weapons.
The pyrolisk is immune to fire, and hence
is impervious to its own gaze. Vampires
are immune to charm,
as well. The scarecrow
?s gaze affects only intelligent creatures;
since the scarecrow is mindless, it is
unaffected. A spirit naga?s gaze-charms
affect humanoids -- a restriction which
excludes nagas. The ultrodaemon's gaze
acts as a hold
person; since the ultrodaemon
is not a person, it is unaffected by
its own gaze (see DRAGON® Magazine
issue #90, "Hold
That Person," for a full list
of what races can be affected by this
spell). Similarly, the delusion effect
does
not apply. Lastly, the revenant?s gaze
affects
only its killer, not itself. As mentioned
in Table 1 (see footnote 1), the
blindheim can?t see when it uses its gaze
weapon. Consequently, although it is not
immune to its own gaze, being blind prevents
it from any such effects. All the
other creatures can be affected by their
own gaze weapons, whether these gazes
are reflected or come from another member
of their species.
Living with lethal
looks
There are evidently problems of interaction
between members of a species that
can petrify each other at a glance. There
seem to be two possible solutions. First,
gaze-using monsters could meet and mate,
as appropriate, only in conditions where
light is absent. This supports the idea
that
gaze weapons only work in visual light,
since some of the monsters have infravision
or ultravision. Although other senses
could be used for communication, this
solution leads to many practical problems
for the races concerned, which often hunt
prey above ground.
Second (and a more likely explanation),
gaze-using monsters could forgo using
their gaze. There is evidence toward this
? the blindheim ?turns on? its gaze at
will.
Likewise, the charonadaemon only uses
its
gaze when it is angry; its usually pale
eyes
glow red in this case. Logically, the
ability
to refrain from using their gaze weapons
should apply to all gaze-using monsters.
A
very simple mechanism can be proposed
to allow this. All creatures with gaze
weapons have a nictitating membrane -
a
third, inner eyelid that many animals
in
the real world possess. In the case of
gaze-using
creatures, this membrane is clear,
allowing them to see normally (and into
the infared and ultraviolet spectra in
some cases), but stopping the gaze attack
from being emitted by the eye. This membrane
can be drawn back instantaneously.
Once it is withdrawn from the eye, the
gaze operates continuously without
conscious volition until shut off again.
When angered or in combat, a creature
so empowered always uses its gaze
weapon; in potentially dangerous situations,
it instinctively activates it. A
charmed creature involuntarily
uses its
gaze on the sudden appearance of other
monsters, for example, and thus may
accidentally affect members of the party
that charmed it.
Thus, gaze-using creatures refrain from
using their gazes in the exclusive company
of their own kind, although the degree
of
control varies. The more irascible creatures
(such as medusas) find restraint
difficult, and so are mostly solitary
creatures.
On the other hand, jackalweres in
human form sometimes mingle with humans
in order to attack them by surprise.
In this instance, the jackalwere saves
its
gaze weapon for the best moment ? unless
a suddenly perceived danger causes it
to use the ability reflexively. These
creatures
also instinctively avoid each other?s
gaze when more than one combats a common
foe (see below).
Gaze-monster offspring are unable to
draw back their nictitating membranes
until maturity, which prevents the
young from affecting each other. (The
parents' own membranes keeps them
from harming their offspring.) Magical
creatures usually mature quickly (a year
or
so at the main), at which stage they leave
the lair with full control of their abilities.
Refraining from the use of their gazes
is
important for petrification-causing monsters,
assuming they don?t eat stone [see
“The Ecology
of the Maedar” in DRAGON
issue #106]. These creatures are able
to
seek harmless prey, such as rabbits and
other small game, which allows them to
save their gaze weapons for use on creatures
inimical to them -- naturally, adventurers
head this list.
Gaze Weapons
in Combat
Gaze weapons operate without conscious
volition once activated, so they are
useable in addition to any other allowable
attacks. Because these attacks are continuous,
anyone in the gaze range has a chance
of being affected.
A monster will employ its gaze to its
best advantage in combat;
for example,
turning its head from side to side will
cover a 120° arc in
front of the creature,
or a 180° arc in
cases in which the creature
is hard-pressed.
Of course, if a thief backstabs
such a monster, it will certainly TURN
its glare on the attacker
unless the creature is killed outright.
The descriptions of the boalisk and yeti
indicate that a saving throw determines
whether or not their gazes are met. All
other descriptions of monsters with true
gaze weapons state or imply that the creature
?s gaze must be met before a save
must be made. The notes on the dracolisk
in the MM2 provide a very
useful table for determining if a gaze
has
been met (this table has been reproduced
as Table 2 in this article
for the sake of
convenience). It is suggested that this
case
applies without exception to all monsters
with gaze weapons.
As written, the boalisk's gaze has no save
if met, and can affect only one person
per
round. Since its gaze requires eye contact,
it is a true gaze weapon, so the same
procedures
should be used with other gaze
attacks, and the text regarding its attack
disregarded. Use Table 2 to determine
whether or not the creature's gaze is
met,
and then allow a saving throw. The reduced
potency of the gaze is balanced by a
wider possible field of effect, since
any
character within range can be affected
by
the attack.
The descriptions of the jackalwere?s and
yeti?s gazes state that they affect unsuspecting
or surprised creatures respectively.
This does not mean that only
surprised victims are affected; it merely
indicates a better chance of using the
gazes in surprise situations (these creatures
love ambush). This feature is subsumed
in Table 2, and is applied normally
before any required saving throws are
made. Table 2 shows the chances of meeting
the gaze of any large creature. Add 1
to the table result if the gaze-using
creature
is man-sized; add 2 if the creature is
small.
The figures in Table 2 represent the
chances of meeting a creature?s gaze in
any given round or period of surprise.
Characters need only one check (and if
the
gaze is met, one save) at this time, per
monster. Surprise may be negated, on an
individual basis only, by high dexterity
(DMG, page
62). Individuals in this group
are assumed to be avoiding the gaze during
this period if they are aware of the
danger. In all other instances, they are
assumed to be viewing the monster.
DMs may alter these probabilities if
circumstances warrant it. For instance,
an
invisible
character would have only half
the normal chance of meeting the gaze
if
the monster is unaware of him. A oneeyed
creature could still use its gaze effectively;
the chance of meeting its gaze
would be the same as that for a two-eyed
creature. In this case, however, saving
throws would be at +4.
There is almost always a low chance of
meeting the gaze of a gaze-using creature,
even when attempting to avoid it. This
is
attributable to the hectic movement of
melee, peripheral vision, and Edgar Allan
Poe's "Imp of the Perverse" (which makes
you do what you don?t want to do). Characters
avoiding the gaze fight at a penalty.
The penalties given in the notes on the
dracolisk are -4 to hit and +4 to be hit,
which are standard for fighting invisible
opponents. The difference here is that
a
dracolisk is not completely unseen ? one
may catch peripheral glimpses of its limbs
and so forth in most cases (the floating
eye
is an exception). It is suggested that
penalties
of -3 to hit and +3 to be hit should
be added when avoiding a gaze. This
should apply to the blindheim as well,
giving it three possible armor classes
against an attacker.
If characters take elaborate steps to
protect themselves (such as blindfolding
their eyes or fighting within a darkness
spell), they automatically avoid gaze weapons,
but will fight at -4 to hit and damage,
a +4 penalty to armor class, and -4
on any saves they might have to make (see
DSG, page
32).
Characters with proficiency in blind
fighting (DSG, page 27) have their usual
advantages.
Within a melee round in which a gaze
weapon takes effect, an initiative roll
determines which combatant is affected
first. In the case of spell-casting, however,
the spell-caster is affected as soon as
he
begins casting the spell (unless, of course,
some precautionary measures are
adopted). Melee is not static; thus, it
is
possible for a monster to lunge at the
spell-caster ? say, if the opponent was
not
initially in range.
As previously mentioned, creatures with
gaze weapons instinctively avoid each
other?s gaze when fighting a common foe.
These creatures suffer no combat penalties,
since they are not fighting each other.
To determine if gaze-using creatures in
a
position to affect one another do so,
roll
1d10 for each creature for each round.
The creatures meet each other?s gaze only
if both creatures roll a 1 or 2. Even
then,
both are entitled to a saving throw. If
either makes it, both save ? since making
a saving throw indicates wrenching one?s
gaze away before the magic can take
effect, and thus must be reciprocal in
this
instance. Magic resistance can then be
applied individually where appropriate.
From the descriptions of the monsters
given in the various tomes, we only know
for certain that gazes causing petrification
can be reflected back at a monster. It
seems reasonable to assume that all gaze
weapons can be treated in the same way.
The weak magical emanation of gaze
weapons is carried by light, and so
can be
reflected as light is.
Mirrors are not perfect reflectors, however,
so reflection of a gaze weapon requires
better light conditions than the
gaze itself needs to function correctly.
Both the monster and the mirror must be
well-illuminated ? as a rule of thumb,
within half the radius of illumination
of a
light source.
The limit on gaze ranges in Table 1 is
absolute and linear. For effective reflec-
tion, the mirror must be half the range
or
less
from the creature to affect it, since
the gaze radiation must travel to the
mirror
and back to the eye.
Normal rules for the reflection of light
apply, so reflecting the gaze back into
the
creature?s eyes is not automatic; the
character
must hold the mirror at the correct
angle for this to occur. Determine the
chances of a monster meeting its gaze
in a
mirror using Table 2. Add 1 to the figure
presented for a large mirror, and add
2 for
a very large mirror (six square feet and
larger). There is no adjustment for the
size
of the monster. Unintelligent monsters
attack normally and will not recognize
a
mirror, while intelligent ones attempt
to
avoid the reflection. Creatures using
this
evasive maneuver suffer combat penalties
with respect to the mirror wielder, as
discussed earlier.
Even if the lighting and distance require-
ments are satisfied, and the monster meets
its gaze, it still receives a saving throw.
Of
course, some monsters are immune to
their own gaze (although there is no need
to inform players of this fact). In addition,
the oddly shaped eyes of the greater basilisk
and the hooded ones of the dracolisk
make it difficult to reflect their gazes
back
with any degree of accuracy. With regard
to the former creature, the mirror must
be within 10' of the greater basilisk;
the
dracolisk has a straight 90% chance of
being unaffected by a reflected gaze.
(Short-sightedness may help the greater
basilisk, but the nictitating membranes
of
the dracolisk don?t affect on susceptibility.)
A polished metal shield may be used as
a
large mirror, although it would be difficult
to keep in this condition; the dents and
scratches of combat would quickly reduce
its efficacy. A better idea is to affix
a large
metal mirror onto the front of a shield
prior to entering combat with a gaze-using
monster, keeping the mirror safely within
a backpack until that time.
The first-level illusionist spell gaze
reflection
"creates a mirror-like area of air
before the illusionist," who can see
through the effect as if it were one-way
glass, remaining fully protected behind
it.
Although the spell lasts a round, it is
as effective as a large mirror. All notes
pertaining to normal mirrors apply.
It is not generally possible to reflect
other attacks than true gaze weapons.
Magical rays from wands, beholders, and
so on may appear to be shafts of colored
light, but this is due to light scattered
perpendicular to the rays ? a side effect
of the magic. The rays themselves do not
consist of light, and they pass through
mirrors, armor, and so forth without
hindrance. An exception may be made for
the eye killer?s weapon, which is composed
of light. Use the same procedure used
for
reflecting gaze attacks. In this case,
however,
the light is dispersed if not reflected
back into the creature?s eyes. If the
light is
reflected, consult the monster description
to determine the effects.
The catoblepas has a gaze which has
characteristics of both a death ray and
a
death gaze, so mirrors have an unusual
effect: they split the gaze. The death
ray
carries on unimpeded, but the death gaze
is reflected. If the catoblepas meets
its
own gaze, both it and the mirror wielder
could die ? both get saves against the
split
and weakened magic, though.
The original Medusa was defeated by
Perseus, who used a mirror to effectively
combat the creature. Apparently, the
Medusa?s petrification power did not reflect
into his eyes. How, then, can a mirror
reflect a gaze back to a monster, but
not to
a character? Well, it can?t, really. Later
versions of the story often depicted Medusa
as being turned to stone by her own
reflection ? this was common in fantasy
fiction especially. Since the AD&D
game
system has evidently adopted the latter
form of dealing with reflected gazes,
we
should stick to it, and ignore that bit
of the
original myth. Perhaps Perseus was just
lucky; after all, he did sever the Medusa?s
head with one stroke.
The idea of a reflected gaze being safe
is
a misconception in game terms. The gaze
should be reflected in the same way for
all
concerned: Anyone viewing a monster in
a
mirror has a normal chance of being affected
by its gaze. This could be quite
interesting when cautious characters look
around corners.
Astral and ethereal
effects
The various monsters that can petrify
have sensory perceptions and attack forms
extending into the Astral and Ethereal
planes. This is due to the close affinity
of
these creatures with the plane of elemental
Earth, and thus with the inner planes
in general. The pyrolisk also has perceptions
and attack forms extending into the
two planes; its affinity is clearly with
the
plane of elemental Fire. (The pyrolisk
description does not mention astral awareness
et al., but the foul fowl
turns up on
the appropriate random
encounter tables and frequency charts
at the end of MM2.) These creatures may have
originated in the elemental planes and
later migrated to the Prime Material plane.
While retaining extraplanar awareness,
they lack the ability to travel the planes
now. There is a "natural" diffuse light
of
sorts in both the Silver
and Purple Realms, <?>
sufficient for the use of gaze weapons.
All
normal procedures apply, but the DM may
wish to have the gaze range extended to
three times normal due to the properties
of the planes.
The catoblepas appears nowhere on any
astral or ethereal encounter charts; giving
it the ability to see into and use its
gazeweapons
in these planes in the Monster
Manual may have been an error. As far
as
can be ascertained, the catoblepas have
no
connection with anything elemental. Thus,
it is suggested that the DM ignore the
creature?s astral and ethereal side; the
catoblepas is nasty enough without it.
The
other gaze-using monsters have no particular
elemental affinity, and thus should
have no astral and ethereal awareness
or
attack forms.
Illusory problems
If a party casts illusory darkness
on a
gaze-using monster or an illusory wall
in
front of it, the party can still be affected
by the creature?s gaze. Illusions do not
alter physical realities, so there is
still light
to carry the gaze attack. Illusions exist
only in the mind?s eye, and will not stop
an
attack going through them. The chances
of
meeting a gaze in this situation depend
on
whether or not the monster can see past
the illusion. If it can?t, gaze contact
is
coincidental, and the chances on Table
2
are halved (roll 1d20); otherwise, the
chances are normal. An obscuring illusion
negates all surprise situations for the
purpose of finding if a gaze has been
met,
since one?s eye is not drawn to the monster.
Players might not initially be aware of
what is happening if this situation is
set up
as a trap; one such example is a permanent
illusion
of a wall cast over an alcove
with a chained basilisk in it. Someone
who
has made a save against the gaze would
be
aware that something funny was going on,
though.
Illusions of creatures with gaze weapons
are only possible with spells like shadow
monsters
which create monsters that are
quasi-real. Gaze effects do not extend
beyond the spell?s area of effect, however.
Even then, each time a special attack
is
used, a save against the illusion itself
should be allowed before the save against
the special attack. Without this restriction,
illusionists would create spectres or
bodaks
all the time rather than other, more
mundane monsters.
Magical preservation
With the death of a gaze-using creature,
the nictitating membranes that suppress
the gaze in life lose their shielding
properties
and the gaze attack itself ceases to
function. Using the severed head of a
medusa to petrify people, like Perseus
did,
is not alIowed. (The original Medusa in
the
myth was more powerful than the lesser
medusas who populate the AD&D game
world. As further proof, Stheno and Euryale,
the Medusa?s sisters, were immortal ?
an attribute well out of the reach of
these
AD&D game monsters.)
Powerful magic, however, may be used
to maintain both the gaze and the membranes
of the gaze-using monster as if the
creature were still alive. First, the
corpse
(or at least the head) of the gaze-using
monster must have a preserve spell cast
on it within a turn of the creature?s
demise.
This action must be performed by a
caster of at least 8th level. To keep
the
gaze working, a properly phrased limited
wish or similar spell must be cast on the
corpse. This spell must then be followed
by a permanency
spell. If the inner eyelids
are carefully removed intact (a finicky
task
with a chance of success equalling 10%
+
1% per point of dexterity) and given similar
treatment, they can be fashioned into
a
pair of lens that give immunity to the
particular form of gaze attack used by
the
monster. (The limited
wish and permanency are separate
from those used to
maintain the gaze weapon.) The process
of
making these protective devices, however,
is very tricky and involves melding the
membranes with a finely fashioned pair
of
crystal lenses (at least 1,000 gp per
pair).
The resultant lenses are indistinguishable
from the other magical eyes in the AD&D
game.
Incidentally, eyes
of charming and eyes
of petrification (the reversed sort) can be
treated exactly as the gaze of a vampire
or
basilisk respectively. Use the procedures
given in this article to adjudicate their
use.
The eyebite spell requires eye contact,
but
the mage casting it won?t use it in situations
in which he cannot meet someone?s
gaze. Treat this spell as a normal spell.
Table 1
Monsters Using True Gaze Attacks
| Monster | Gaze
attack |
Duration | Given
range |
Suggested
range |
Gaze
immunity |
| Basilisk | Petrification | Permanent | - | 40' | - |
| Basilisk, greater | Petrification | Permanent | 50' | 50' | - |
| Blindheim1 | Blindness | 11-20 turns | 30' | 30' | - |
| Boalisk | Disease | Permanent | - | 20' | - |
| Bodak | Death | Permanent | 30' | 30' | - |
| Catoblepas2 | Death | Permanent | 6" | 60' | - |
| Daemon, charona- | Fear | 1 turn | - | 30' | - |
| Daemon, ultro3 | Hold/Delude | Special | - | 40' | Yes |
| Demon, babau4 | Enfeeblement | 7 rounds | 20' | 20' | - |
| Dracolisk | Petrification | Permanent | 20' | 20' | - |
| Eye, floating | Hypnosis | 2-7 rounds | - | 10' | - |
| Jackalwere5 | Sleep | 2 turns | - | 30' | - |
| Medusa | Petrification | Permanent | 3" | 30' | - |
| Naga, spirit | Charm | Permanent | - | 20' | Yes |
| Pyrolisk | Internal fire | Instantaneous | - | 30' | Yes |
| Revenant6 | Paralysis | 2-8 rounds | - | 10' | Yes |
| Scarecrow | Charm | As spell | - | 20' | Yes |
| Umber hulk | Confusion | 3-12 rounds | - | 20' | - |
| Vampire | Charm | As spell | - | 20' | Yes |
| Yeit7 | Paralysis | 3 rounds | - | 30' | - |
1 The blindheim?s gaze provides its own
light, of course. Although it can be seen, it is a true gaze weapon in
all other respects. The
light beams are so bright that the blindheim
cannot see past them when they are in use. Its acute senses of smell and
hearing
compensate for this, so it can still target
its gaze attack and defend at normal probabilities.
² This nasty monster is the exception
to the rule. Its gaze attack is both a gaze weapon ? in that it is continuous
and requires eye
contact for its full effect (i.e., no
save) ? and a death ray in the usual sense in that it can kill without
eye contact if a save is failed.
This makes it powerful indeed.
3 The victim of an ultrodaemon's
gaze is affected as if by a hold person
spell for as long as he can see the ultrodaemon?s eyes. Even
if the save is made or if eye contact
is otherwise broken, the victim still suffers delusion (see Monster Manual
II, page 31). This
effect is very powerful; without true
seeing or similar magic, characters should not be able to ignore it. A
good way for a DM to
simulate the effect is to require a save
vs. wisdom on 1d20 each round for a character to be able to attack the
daemon.
4 The enfeeblement caused by the babau demon is 33%.
5 The jackalwere, like its cousin the wolfwere,
can take any of three possible forms: jackal, normal human, and a partially
changed
form with a manlike torso and limbs, and
a jackal?s head. The jackalwere can use its gaze in any form. This affects
any character
of any level if he fails his save.
6 The revenant is only included for completeness; its gaze is effective only on its intended prey.
7 Half the damage caused by the yeti?s
squeeze is physical; the rest is cold damage. Consequently, those with
resistance to cold can
negate or reduce the chilling effects.
Table 2
Chances of Meeting a
Gaze Attack
| Character is: | Chance |
| Completely surprised | 9 in 10 |
| Surprised | 7 in 10 |
| Viewing monster | 5 in 10 |
| Attacking normally | 3 in 10 |
| Avoiding gaze | 1 in 10 |
Other visual
effects
Table 2 can also be used for determining
whether or not any potentially hazardous
visual phenomenon is observed. These
phenomena may range from sights as
pleasant as a nymph disrobing to as unpleasant
as a penanggalan separating its
head from its body. The latter is particularly
nasty; the saving throw only determines
the severity of the viewer?s fate. In
all fairness, a chance should be given
to
avoid seeing it altogether. Other phenomena
the table could be used for include the
blinding flare of a magnesium spirit,
the
gibbering mouther?s spittle, or the sight
of
a sea hag?s ugly face. Use Table 2 to
determine
whether or not the character is
looking at the creature or object before
requiring a saving throw.
| - | - | Gaze Weapons | - | - |
| Dragon | - | - | - | Dragon 50 |
The adventurers detect
evil beyond a
door. They open it and see four vampires
climbing out of coffins. The clerics step
forward, one turning away three of the
vampires, the other failing. Other characters
hold forth crosses.
Now the fun begins. Who looks into a
vampire’s eyes — and when is the vampire
looking back? Can you turn vampires
without looking at their eyes? What if
characters throw holy water, or attack with
swords? When do eyes meet, that is, in
this
case, when must a character save vs.
charm?
There are no guidelines in the AD&D™
rules, or any other rules I know of, for
determining such things as they apply
to
vampires, umber hulks, and basilisks,
among others. So here is a system, and
the rationale behind it, for deciding
when
eyes meet.
There are four ways of talking about
an adventurer who looks into a monster’s
eyes when that act is likely to be
dangerous. Either he’s stupid, he’s unwise,
he’s clumsy, or he’s inexperienced.
In other words, whether he looks or not
may depend on his Intelligence, his Wisdom,
his Dexterity, or his experience
level.
Intelligence should have little to do
with the matter, really. Even a dumb person
knows enough not to do immediately dangerous actions, A moron might fail
to avoid a gaze because he’s forgotten
that the monster in question has dangerous
eyes, but one may assume that
the more intelligent members of the party
will call out, “Don’t look into its eyes!”
Even a stupid character will remember
the more dangerous aspects of monsters.
Consequently, a character’s Intelligence can be ignored unless he is very
stupid.
Although all characters should know
that they should not look, some may look
anyway, whether out of curiosity, disbelief,
or foolhardiness — lack of wisdom,
in other words. Most people can recall
a
time when they were tempted to do
something dangerous, even knowing it
was dangerous, whether for the sake of
the “experience,” or the secret desire
to
feel what it was like (even pain), or
for
some other reason. Similarly, an unwise
adventurer may look at the monster’s
eyes even though he knows it isn’t safe
— “I’ll be all right; I want to see what
it’s
like.” Consequently, low Wisdom may
affect a character’s chances of looking
at
a monster’s eyes, especially if he’s never
met the monster before. But Wisdom
matters less than sheer athletic ability.
In order to act effectively against a
monster but avoid its eyes, a character
must look at its belly or chest, or look
past it, seeing it out of the corner of
his
eye. He must shift his field of vision
and
the focus point as the monster’s field
of
vision or position shifts, perhaps anticipating
how it will move. The ability to do
this is a function of athletic skill —
Dexterity (or agility) is as close as we can
come to this quality in most role-playing
games — and of the character’s experience
level. A character accustomed to
watching monsters in combat may be
more able to anticipate moves, to read
the monster’s intentions without looking
at its face, than a lower-level character.
(On the other hand, in an AD&D game
the higher-level character has a better
chance to make a saving throw, perhaps
representing this advantage.)
Distance from viewer to monster also
affects eye contact. If the monster is
close, it will be hard to avoid its eyes.
But
at long distances the character can look
at the monster plus the background, not
really focusing on a particular area.
The
eyes of the monster become almost invisible,
especially in bad light.
Now, to translate this into numbers.
The system given is for the AD&D game,
but can be adapted to other games.
To avoid looking into a monster’s eyes,
a character must make a number less
than or equal to his Dexterity on a roll
of
d20 every melee round. Based on the
observations given above, this is a simple
yet reasonable way of determining
the outcome of encounters with gaze
weapons. However, realism is greatly
enhanced when other relevant factors
are taken into account. For instance,
some of a character’s other attributes
(or
lack thereof) should allow for modifiers
to the d20 roll, as follows:
If Intelligence is:
3, add two to the roll;
4-5, add one.
If Wisdom is:
3, add three to the
roll;
4-5, add two;
6-8, add one;
9-12, no modification;
13-15, subtract one;
16-18, subtract two
Also modify the roll according to experience
level:
1-3, add one;
4-6, no modification;
7-9, subtract one;
10+, subtract two.
Distance from viewer to monster also
affects the die roll. If distance is:
10-30 feet, subtract
one;
30-60 feet, subtract
two;
more than 60 feet,
there is no
chance that the wary viewer will look
directly into the monster’s eyes.
Also modify the roll according to what
the viewer is doing:
Viewer surprised: add four (or perhaps more) to roll;
Just keeping track of the monster’s general location: subtract two;
Turning vampire: add one;
casting a spell at the
monster
(single-target spell):
add one;
Casting spell at an
area occupied
by the monster (area
spell): subtract two;
Presenting mirror or cross: subtract four;
Throwing or firing missiles at monster: no modification;
Fighting a man-height
or smaller
monster: add two; or,
add one if viewer
accepts -2 to hit and
+1 to be hit; or, no
modification if viewer
accepts -4 to hit
probability and +2
to be hit.
Fighting taller than
man-height
monster: add one; or,
no modification if
viewer accepts -4 to
hit and +2 to be hit.
The character can always look away,
but he will then be unable to attack or
even watch the monster.
If you prefer to reduce the effect of
extreme Dexterity values, use the following
figures instead of simply making the
d20 roll against absolute Dexterity:
If Dexterity is 3, the
roll (after applying modifiers) must be 7 or less. If Dex
is 4-5, roll is 8 or
less; 6-8, roll is 9 or less;
9-12, roll is 10 or
less; 13-15, roll is 12 or
less; 16-17, roll is
14 or less; 18, roil is 16
or less.
Example: A 7th-level (-1) cleric of average
Intelligence (no modification), 13
Wisdom (-1), and 10 Dexterity tries to
turn (+1) a vampire. The d20 roll is an
11,
modified by -1, -1, +1, giving a final
result
of 10, just enough to avoid looking into
the vampire’s eyes.
In some cases, such as with vampires
and basilisks, the monster must be looking
at the viewer’s eyes if its magic is to
affect the viewer. Generally, a monster
will be looking at just one character
per
round, in the front line or second line
of
the party. If it’s at some distance from
the
characters, it may be scanning several
at
once to see which one(s) are looking its
way. An intelligent monster may be more
likely to look at a certain type of character;
for example, a vampire might particularly hate clerics. But let’s say there
are
three characters in the first line (A,
B,
and C) and three in the second (D, E,
and
F). The DM rolls a d10 to determine
where the vampire looks: 1 or 2 = A; 3
or 4
= B; 5 or 6 = C; 7 = D; 8 = E; 9 = F;
10 = roll
again (or roll again twice, perhaps).
The
DM can assign numbers to potential
targets in a similar fashion to cover
any
situation which might arise.