Avoiding Gaze Attacks

[Zulgyan]

How would you rule this situation?

The PCs have encountered a basilisk and the party's fighting-man says to you the following:

"Ok... so I approach the creature covering myself with my shield, and I never look at the creature directly. I try to find his legs, tail, lateral, etc. and attack those spots, so as to never meet the gaze of his eye".

Would it be the same in the case of medusae?

[busman]

I'd give up to a 25% minus to hit for the FM and up to a 25% plus to hit for the basilisk. Same for the medusa.

Less penalty/bonus if his buddies are all engaging as well and one of them is the main target of the creature; higher penalty if the FM himself is the main target.

[jrients]

-4 to-hit the basilisk and it gets +2 to bite. If I was using Dex adjustments to AC, they would be negated by concentrating on avoiding gaze rather than avoiding physical blows. I'd probably be less forgiving against a medusa, as their is relatively less monster to fight. Maybe I'd rule that if the asps hit a saving throw against petrification would be required despite precautions, maybe with a bonus to the throw of +2.

[philotomy]

I think you'd need to rule on how the saving throw and the gaze attack interact in your game, for the specific monster. The key question is whether the saving throw is to avoid meeting the gaze, or whether the saving throw is resisting the effect after the gaze is already met.

If the saving throw is gaze avoidance, and meeting the gaze spells certain disaster, then the saving throw becomes your basic mechanic, and you'd modify the saving throw based on factors like surprise, etc. You might call for a saving throw each round, with modifiers like:
PC Surprised: No modifier
Normal Attack: +3 bonus
Avoiding Gaze: +7 bonus
Blindfold/Eyes Closed: No save required, but combat penalties apply (e.g. -4 to hit, +4 to be hit)

If the saving throw is resisting a gaze already met, you might take a different approach, and have a roll each round to see if the gaze is met. As an example, here are the values listed from the Dracolist entry in the AD&D MMII:
Complete Surprise = 9 in 10
Surprise = 7 in 10
Viewing Monster = 5 in 10
Attacking Normally = 3 in 10
Avoiding Gaze = 1 in 10

[sham]

At this point I'd have the three Goblins in the Basilisk suit pop out giggling in mirthful glee as they douse the FM in oil and ignite him.

The Basilisk, and even more so the Medusa, creates so much meta-gaming on the part of the players that I think you need to take the opportunity to capitalize on the players' quirky actions.

Gaze attacks can certainly present you with some difficult referee calls. I'm assuming that the FM has encountered such foul beasts before, based on the player's actions. In the past, I got tired of the whole 'gaze meets the target's eyes' approach. We all remember Greek mythology, but I prefer to throw that whole concept out the window.

IMC, Gaze attacks are simply ranged magic attacks, targeted at a single PC, Save vs. Stone to Flesh. Meeting their gaze does not alter it's effect.

The end result? The players either flee, or go all out in order to dispatch the Monster quickly before the gaze attacks ruin their day.

If you think that method is simply too deadly, I agree with JRients post for a simple method of allowing this action by the FM.

[foster1941]

May 14, 2008 4:48:14 GMT -6 philotomy said:

I think you'd need to rule on how the saving throw and the gaze attack interact in your game, for the specific monster. The key question is whether the saving throw is to avoid meeting the gaze, or whether the saving throw is resisting the effect after the gaze is already met.

If the saving throw is gaze avoidance, and meeting the gaze spells certain disaster, then the saving throw becomes your basic mechanic, and you'd modify the saving throw based on factors like surprise, etc. You might call for a saving throw each round, with modifiers like:
PC Surprised: No modifier
Normal Attack: +3 bonus
Avoiding Gaze: +7 bonus
Blindfold/Eyes Closed: No save required, but combat penalties apply (e.g. -4 to hit, +4 to be hit)

I'd go with this, or something similar to it. To me, successful saving throw vs. turn to stone = avoided the gaze, so deliberately attempting to avoid the gaze = better chance of making the saving throw. The idea of meeting the monster's gaze but being so badass that you can just shake it off has no place in my D&D.