Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Eye Killer and Eye of Fear and Flame

Finishing up the “E”s, we have the Eye Killer and the Eye of Fear and Flame.

A long, long time ago, I set up a really large dungeon which included a nest of Eye Killers. The PCs never found it, which was probably for the best. Eye Killers are a truly nasty creation, and are one of the best reasons to hire linkboys to carry your torch for you deep underground.

The Eye of Fear and Flame is probably one of the classics from the Fiend Folio, but I can’t remember ever using one. It could certainly serve to prove that there are foul creatures underground. In its original form, it was casting a 12-dice fireball every three rounds, which is something few Advanced Dungeons & Dragons parties could long sustain. Not only is that automatic damage each time it happens, but in AD&D it also meant that your items had to save. Scrolls and spellbooks? Gone. Weapons? Well, weapons like slings, bows, crossbows, halberds, and clubs were also probably gone. Swords and armor were potentially gone as well. My version is toned down a bit, but should still be a fun encounter.

 

 

Eye Killer

Eye Killer: Init +3; Atk Coils +3 melee (1d6 plus crush) or death stare +4 ranged (3d6 plus Fort DC 10 or die, 50’ range, ignores armor); AC 15; HD 3d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP Infravision 120’, crush, death stare, light sensitivity; SV Fort +2; Ref +3; Will +0; AL C.

This creature has a bat-like torso atop a large serpentine body. Although it has stunted wings, and uses these to help it lift its bat-like upper portion, it cannot fly. Its eyes are large and lidless. At birth, eye killers are limbless and almost spherical; adventurers may encounter helpless young in various stages of development before they encounter adults.

Eye killers dwell in dark places underground, for they dislike daylight and hate the brightness of torches and lanterns. They attack using their snakelike coils, and on a successful attack begin to crush their target, until either the target escapes with a DC 15 Strength check, or the attacker is slain or driven off. A victim being crushed automatically takes 1d6 damage per round.

Once per day, an eye killer can gather illumination from lanterns, torches, or whatever light source is being used, amplify it, and project the light with its eyes into a narrow ray of intense radiance. Within 50’, any being hit by this ray takes 3d6 damage and must succeed in a DC 10 Fort save or die. This attack is usually used against the light bearer, in an attempt to extinguish the light source. This attack ignores all armor, although Agility bonuses and magic may still help.

Eye killers are sensitive to light, and if a lit torch or lantern comes within 10’ of the creature, it must make a morale check (Will save vs. DC 10) or flee.

 

 

Eye of Fear and Flame

Eye of Fear and Flame: Init +2; Atk Eye of fear (fear) or eye of flame +5 ranged (special); AC 18; HD 8d12; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Un-dead, infravision 60’, detect law 120’, eye of fear, eye of flame, ethereal escape; SV Fort +6; Ref +2; Will +10 ; AL C.

A hooded form stalking the underworld, the eye of fear and flame seeks out Lawful beings (which it can detect within a range of 120’). When first encountered, the eye keeps its face invisible, as though there were an opaque black screen hiding it, and it speaks to Lawful creatures only, in their alignment tongue initially and then, if that fails, in the common speech. It commands individual to perform diverse evil deeds – almost always immediate deeds, so that the creature can determine whether or not it is obeyed.

If the eye is attacked, or it s commands are not obeyed, it casts back the hood to reveal a bare skull with a black jewel in one eye socket and a crimson jewel in the other. These gems are the eyes of fear and flame for which the creature is named.

Each round, the eye may use the black jewel to create a powerful aura of dread. Those within 60’ of the creature must succeed in a DC 12 Will save to be unaffected, and the effects are based on how many saves a character fails. These effects do not stack, but whatever effect a character experiences lasts until the eye of fear and flame is no longer in sight.

Saves Failed	Effect
0	No effect
1	-2 penalty to all attack rolls and saving throws.
2	-1d shift on the dice chain to all rolls.
3	Character must succeed on a DC 5 Will save each round or flee in a random direction for 1d6 rounds.
4	Character must succeed on a DC 10 Will save each round or flee in a random direction for 2d6 rounds.
5	Character must succeed on a DC 15 Will save each round or die of fright.

 Once every three rounds, the eye of fear and flame may forego using the black gem to use the crimson gem to unleash a line of flame which does damage equal to the eye’s current hit points if it hits a target (Reflex DC 10 for half).

A Mighty Deed with a 5+ result can remove a single gem. A result of 7+ can remove both. The eyes have no magical powers once removed (or if the eye of fear and flame is slain), but are worth 1d20 x 50 gp each. Used as special components for mind-affecting spells (the black gem) or fire-based magics (the red gem), they can grant a bonus equal to +1 per 50 gp value, but using a gem in this way destroys it utterly.

The eye of fear and flame also has the power to escape into the ethereal plane should combat go against it. This uses the creature’s Action Die. The judge rolls 1d3 for each round it tries to escape in this way; when the total of all attempts is 3 or greater, the creature fades into the ether and is gone.

Those philosophers and sages who have heard rumors of these creatures are divided as to their provenance. Some believe that the eyes of fear and flame were created by the Courts of Chaos for the destruction of lawful folk, while others deem them a creation of Lawful gods for the testing of mortals. Whatever the truth, few of these creatures are said to exist.