I hope this is a suggestion, not a bug. I imagine the DM team chose it this way, but perhaps it was an oversight. Anyhow, at the moment most beholders death saving throws are not modified by +death save stats. This includes both bonuses from gear and from the strong soul feat.
This seems problematic, because even playing a monk with fort as a major save, I cannot reasonably expect to be able to fight a beholder without dying at any level, as the sheer quantity of plus fort gear required is unmanageable.
My suggestion is that the DC on the death ray is upped, but that death gear adds to the save. That way people who plan to fight beholders can actually accumulate the appropriate gear and have a reasonable chance of survival.
Otherwise the only people who can fight beholders more than once are 16 con tanks with the fortitude feat, which seems to be pandering to a boring power build.
Not everyone should be fighting beholders, they are a powerful existence in themselves. It stands to reason you should be very well equipped before going off to tackle such enemies with your friends who are also very well equipped.
Having 13 fortitude doesn't make you a powerbuild and I doubt anyone would build their PC explicitly for fighting beholders because the best of us can get smashed anyway from the raw damage.
On the other hand I believe this IS a bug as I believe this has come up before in my party while fighting beholders, instant death where it really should of been impossible due to death saves gear.
Although it is certainly true that Beholder Death Ray Doom is a delightful part of EFU, I do agree that the save vs. death should take into account saves vs. death. This would be a desirable change, in my opinion.
I can confirm that saves vs. death does not prevent death. Are the other eye rays going to take into account the spell descriptors of the spells that they are replicating? Like charm person being mind effecting?
I would greatly appreciate it if all beholder rays targeted appropriate subsets instead of the base save.
Can also confirm. Can also confirm this would be a welcome, and much loved change!