For my campaign, I'm considering adapting a number of D&D enemies such as the Gazer, Beholder and an in-setting analogue to the Mindflayer to the 3-action system.
The Gazer, for example, has two random attacks decided by a d4. If I'm to incorporate I gazer, I think my best bet is the following:
[two-actions] Ray of Frost (functions as the spell)
[one-action] Fear Ray (functions as the Fear spell)
[one-action] Telekinetic Ray (perhaps an adjusted Telekinetic manoeuvre)
Critical Succes: You push your opponent 20 feet away
Success: You push your opponent 10 feet away
Failure: You fail to push your opponent
Critical Failure: Rather than pushing your opponent away, you accidentally pull the opponent 10 feet towards you.
This way I guess it only has the ability to either fire off 2 debuffs or 1 attack and 1 debuff.
Has anyone attempted to adapt the Beholder? Would you account for the many eye abilities by giving a beholder more attacks per action or just a myriad of attacking/debuffing options?
That critical failure effect feels forced to me. I just wouldn't use it, and treat a crit fail like a regular fail as is common with attacks.
For beholder, I'd make it shoot one ray as an action, up to three different rays (on different targets) as a two-action activity, and dispel magic as a reaction.
The Beholder likely needs a 2-action "blast everyone w/ rays" ability and a free-action "open/close/position eye" once/round ability (which at times will makes some arcs safe from rays).
If it has access to the classic arsenal, this makes its blast extremely strong, but then again, it kinda was, at least offensively.
Not sure how I'd handle the mechanics of having so many spells/rays going off each round. Not very smooth for play. Hmm...
Flyers to use an action to hover each round, so if you make the blast 3-actions, the hover will have to be automatic or part of the blast ability (see: Erinyes).
A Mind Flayer would depend on which incarnation.
I think the "lose brain & die" element doesn't suit PF2 sensibilities, but maybe have plenty of stages (w/ Stupefied part of it). It could just be significant damage + Stupefied. The damage could get to its level's highest values, partly because it needs to set it up first.
I'd have a 2-action attack (see: Hydra, the one-target attack).
Not sure what level I'd place it at though, given its spells too. Then again, the Aboleth has much higher spells than its level.
Oh, and if you have Beholders, don't forget that monster/Hazard:
The Gas Spore!
Try this.. conversions forum