I realize that replying to Blackheifer is a waste of time, but here goes:
On that note, I'd like to hear how YOU handled the Spectator encounter without barrelmancy and without just parking everyone on the high ground. Explain to me, in your infinte wisdom, how you cleverly used the abilities of your party synergistically in order to defeat a Spectator with double eye rays and double HP, as well as the half-dozen charmed 4th level Drow rangers that add into the combat, simply using the spells and weapons the game makes available to that point. It still wouldn't matter, because THAT WASN'T MY POINT. You can mansplain to someone old enough to be your father's older brother all you want. It doesn't change the fact that Larian has a well-established history of throwing characters into battles against significantly superior opponents, or that they are completely ignoring the VERY WELL ESTABLISHED balance that D&D has built over ~40 years between monsters and PCs, seemingly just so they can keep the "game play" consistent with DOS (which, as I stated earlier, I find to be a completely s4!t game).
So emotional.
1) The charm the beholder uses is a double-edged sword. It breaks on minor damage, so every time he releases one and you hit it there is a 50% chance they attack the beholder depending on who is closest. This further saturates the environment with targets for the beholder to go after besides yourself. It's sort of brilliant because its almost like the fight is designed to upend and randomize the action economy. You may own the action economy, or you may not.
2) The Explosive plants that are littered through the battle area can be used to; damage the drow to release them from the charm or damage the beholder who often moves itself into a position near one. Just shoot them.
3) There is a
Spear you can find that deals additional damage to enemies with multiple eyes and has a chance to blind them. You may have found it by now if you dealt with the owlbear.
4) This is a good battle to bring in the Ogres if you managed to convince or bribe them to allow you to call them into battle since they will fight on your side.
5) There is also the
Spectator in a Bottle you can use for some funny spectator on spectator violence. of course you have to kill that spectator then as well. To be honest I only use this method if I want to randomize the action economy further and up the possible challenge level.
6) This is one of those encounters you want to save potions of speed for as well as Hill Giant strength, void bulbs and other explosive items. Invisibility pots can give you an edge allowing your strongest fighter to get close (lae'zel), pop a speed pot use the wyvern poison and then go to town on the spectator.
7) Glut is also a huge help here, especially if you use him to Myconize a Deugar or a Minotaur. Duegar are easier to transplant.
So just some background. I played original Vanilla WoW when it released in 2004 and I was a hardcore Raider that worked with a lot of other guilds on theorycrafting for the higher-end Raid dungeons and bosses from AQ40 to Naxxramus. I was one of the 1% to complete Naxx when it was originally released. So to me, I love a good challenge like this, the harder the better.
I totally get that not everyone likes that sort of thing, and meaning no disrespect it's my hope that on release they have multiple difficulty settings that will solve the issue for both of us. I want a harder difficulty setting - and a LOT of people feel the same way. I get there are people that find these fights frustrating to no end and don't want the hassle.
I feel that Larian gives us all the tools we need to handle these encounters but this favors meticulous (possibly AR), highly focused people like myself and is a disadvantage to more casual players. This is actually in some ways no different than actual D&D where you will have DM's who like to up the challenge level for the players depending on skill level and creativity, and DM's who are far more casual and focus on the social aspect of the play session for more casual gamers. At the end of the day you won't make everyone happy.
