Observer

A greenish ball of eyes silently observes you. Six eye stalks tweak constantly, as if looking around for something.

An observer has a spherical body about 6 feet in diameter, covered with a chitinous shell with purplish-pink mottles. Unlike beholders, observers have 3 mouths spaced evenly around their lower hemispheres and 3 main eyes above each mouth. Six eye-stalks crown the body. Observers often create small tyrannical empires, aided by magical and psionic control. When they are wandering the planes, observers are however more passive, preferring to observe and fighting only when directly attacked. Unless physically threatened, an observer is usually content to use negotiation and manipulation to achieve its ends.

An observer usually does not initiate combat unless provoked, preferring to observe. Some clueless primes however often mistook it for a beholder and attacks without negotiation. If possible, an observer prefers to dominate and enslave an enemy than to kill him outright.

Improved Grab (Ex): An observer can grapple anyone hit by its bites automatically without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it can blood drain on its next turn.Blood Drain (Ex): An observer drains blood from any creature grappled by its bites, taking 1 Constitution damage per round. Eye Rays (Su): Each of the observer’s 6 eye stalks can shoot a ray up to 150 ft. 1/round as a free action. No more than 2 eye rays can aim in the same 90 degrees arc. All rays affect only 1 targeted creature despite spell descriptions. CL 14, Cha-based save DC 19. 1. Dominate Person: This ray dominates a person for 14 days. Will negates.2. Enervation: This ray bestow 1d4 negative levels. No save.3. Fear: Target cowers or is shaken for 14 rounds. Will partial.4. Finger of Death: A single creature dies or 3d6+14 damage. Fort. partial.5. Magic Missile: This ray fires 3 magic missiles doing 3d4+3 damage. No save.6. Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere: This ray damages 14d6 cold damage (or 14d8 for water creatures). Ref. half.Forceful Eyes (Su): Each of the 3 central eyes can fire rays with any 1 of the 3 force effects as a free action. Each eye must aim at a different 90 degrees arc. CL 14, Cha-based save DC 17. 1. Bigby’s Forceful Hand: This ray projects a force to bull rush (+14) a target.2. Telekinesis: As per spell. 3. Deflect Arrows: This ray deflects physical missiles fired at the observer. This functions as deflect arrows feat. Each eye using this ray allows it to deflect 1/round.True Sight (Su): An observer is constantly under the effects of a true seeing spell. Psionics: An observer is usually able to manifest psionic powers as a level 10 psion (telepath). Some observers may be kineticists instead. An observer has 113 power points per day. CL 10, Int-based save DC 15 + power level. Typical known powers include:1. crystal shard, detect psionics, force screen, inertia armor, mindlink.2. biofeedback, brain lock, ego whip, psionic suggestion.3. crisis of breath, body adjustment, energy burst, time hop.4. death urge, empathic feedback, energy adaptation, schism.5. adapt body, mind probe, psionic plane shift, psychic crush.

All-Around Vision (Ex): An observer cannot be flanked and gets +4 racial bonus on spot and search checks.Flight (Ex): An observer can fly at a speed of 20 ft. and is constantly under an effect akin to feather fall spell.

Observers are not social creatures, avoiding contact with their own kind. It's however rare that rivalries between observers (over resources, instead of xenophobia of true beholders) to break out into wars. They do not pursue malice for its own sake, although they may be very selfish and paranoid.

Observers spend their time maintaining its realm and wandering the planes to gain knowledge to expand their domains. While wandering, they tend to be more passive ad watchful. Observers however would ruthless eliminate anything that threatens their domains. Observers mind-control slaves in their territories, which often form armies. Other slaves serve to add to their masters' treasury hoards, since wealth is an obsession of the observers.

Observers are pretty much at the top of the food chain. Being hoarders of knowledge, they are a good source to find the dark of anything, despite the risk. The observer, of course, would require some form of payment.

Some sages speculate that an observer spawns by producing a parasitic egg carried by a slave. The young then devours its host from inside out before emerging to contest for supremacy with its parent. The parent observer often drives the young away and ignores it thereafter.

Converted by Seraph from PSMC2, pp.70-71.