Rather than being sculpted with tools or eye rays, the entrance and the vestibule are left in their natural form to mislead intruders who might be expecting an artificially created structure. In addition to enemy spells, prayers, or similar effects, this also affected a beholder's own eye rays, suppressing their power. I determine if a creature is worth keeping alive within the first minute of speaking to it. Wiki Le Monde des Royaumes Oublis (French), Creatures with a 13 challenge rating (5e), Creatures with a 14 challenge rating (5e), Creatures with a 13 challenge rating (3e), Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter, Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon, Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation, Tyrants of the Underdark: Aberrations and Undead, Dungeons & Dragons Dice Masters: Trouble in Waterdeep, Dungeons & Dragons: Bedlam in Neverwinter, Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. If you are medium, this just doesn't work. Huge aberration, chaotic evil Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 250 (20d12 + 120) Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 40 ft. As long as a lieutenants operation runs smoothly, the Xanathar doesnt object to methods or micromanage day-to-day activity. This united group of identical beholders doesnt truly have a hive intelligence, but their personalities and goals are so similar that they can predict and assume each others behavior, much as especially close human siblings can. Movement WebThe Witness - A Beholderkin Character Race. The mind of a beholder is powerful and versatile enough that it can envision literally any possibility, and it prepares accordingly, making it virtually impossible for any invaders to catch it unawares. 3e An intelligent creature is seen as food or a potential minion. The eye rays a Beholder can use are as follows: Charm ray charms targets for one hour on a failed DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. This pregnancy caused extreme paranoia in the individual, until it got so bad that the beholder had to secret itself away in its lair until it gave birth. It is always looking for concealed attackers. The shape of the iris could be anything the beholder wished, which granted it's owner both darkvision and exceptional vision in the light - beholders in a brightly lit space had been observed as capable of counting the legs on a minuscule insect at distances of over one hundred and twenty feet. As a result, on rare occasions when a beholder dreams of another beholder, the dream-reality becomes warped and takes on physical form, becoming another actual beholder. The main element of an oil sprayer trap is a large tank, filled with oil, embedded into the top of a column or located in a space above the trapped room. Aberrant [21], Occasionally, a beholder, while sleeping, would warp reality with it's subconscious mind and spawn a fully-grown beholder instantaneously out of nothing right there where it slept. Because the cone suppresses ongoing magical effects, the beholder might create a secure area in its lair behind a permanent wall of fire or wall of force, make use of an existing magical hazard (such as a pool that transforms any creature that touches it), or an area with magical guardians (such as an old shrine with a demon bound to it) that it can bypass. In the safety of its lair, outside the view of any would-be enemies, a beholder can use any of its eye rays whenever it wants to. Language(s) 5e A beholder usually creates its lair in an area of natural caves, shaping the chambers with its disintegration ray. My trophies are proof of my success. 13 The individuals in these roles generally serve the Xanathar for months or years, because replacements that have the same specialized skills can be hard to come by. The creature physically resembles your choice, which also determines some of the traits in its stat block. Their mouths are larger, so large that they can gulp down a man-sized target on a natural die roll of 20. If a beholders retinue were likened to an army, the grunts would be represented by its lesser minions, intelligent creatures that can talk and usually live in large groups. The dreams of such a death-fearing beholder might reach into strange corners of reality and imagine circumstances in which the creature can live on after death. My followers are all spying on me, and I seek motivated, powerful allies to destroy them. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. Although I am perfect as I am, I can strive to be even better. A simple, gelatinous creature that swallows anything and everything whole. This category includes currency, gems, jewelry, and magic items that nobody in the lair can use or use well. 5e In addition to functioning as the beholders arms and hands for everyday tasks, the telekinetic ray is essential for building traps and other lair defenses, such as positioning the weights for a falling block trap. (These features arent shown on the accompanying map, but can be located anywhere you see fit.) [20], Probably the least understood aspect of beholder biology was the antimagic properties of their central eyes. Doing this not only granted it access to more powerful spells but also negated the need for material components. I often take out my frustrations on my minions. The brain and nervous system was where magical energies were stored, amplified, and directed to the eyestalks. A prisoner is stripped of weapons and magic items, thrown into one of the holes, and guarded by minions at all times. Although beholders lacked the capacity to see color, they had the ability to perceive even in the most darkened environment, under conditions in which a human or similar creature would be rendered blind. WebCasting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, M (a pickled tentacle and an eyeball in a platinum-inlaid vial worth at least 400 gp) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour Description not available (not OGL). Not all Playable creatures are created equal, especially in 3rd Edition, in which Monster Adventurers can have significant Level Adjustments for the sake of A clear depiction of a beholder from the front. Flying[1][3][4] A beholder analyzes its opponents, makes note of armor, weapons, and tactics, and adjusts its strategy to eliminate the most dangerous threats as quickly as possible. The difference is one of degree. This rule is an abstraction, designed to keep the beholders opponents unsure of what rays will be coming next (and, not incidentally, to prevent the monster from using its most lethal eye rays at every opportunity). When you cast the spell, choose Beholderkin, Slaad, or Star Spawn. As another option, you can switch any of the damaging eye rays in the Monster Manual to an effect with a different damage type, such as replacing the enervation ray with a combustion ray that deals fire damage instead of necrotic damage. Notify administrators if there is objectionable content in this page. Unintelligent foes are regarded as food or pets. Double row (roll again, ignoring results of 10). When a human megalomaniac rises to power in an evil organization, that individual is always at risk of being killed or replaced by a power-hungry rival. Most of a beholders mental activity is devoted to unearthing plots against itself (real or imaginary), planning attacks against known rivals, and preparing its defenses against all possible threats. WebSource: 5th Edition SRD Ability Scores Six abilities provide a quick description of every creatures physical and mental characteristics: Strength, measuring physical power Dexterity, measuring agility Constitution, measuring endurance Intelligence, measuring reasoning and memory Wisdom, measuring perception and insight (Evil), Stability. This site works best with JavaScript enabled. Large Each of these entities thought and acted on its own accord even though it was bound to the same body as the other half of its mind. One form of gas spore trap is nothing more than a small room or section of tunnel that contains one or more hovering gas spores. Gazers are born out of a poisoned or ill beholders feverish dreams, in which its sense of perspective and scale is warped. [9], Because their entire body was covered in eyes, beholders had the capacity to see in all directions at once, making it nearly impossible to ambush them while also giving them an unusually high degree of perceptive ability. Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. Size Each of these effects is designed to be of the same power level as the one it replaces, enabling you to create a custom beholder without altering the monsters challenge rating. After that milestone, most beholders became increasingly frail and their abilities gradually ceased functioning as they should. When a beholders dream-imagination runs wild, the result can be an offspring that has an unusual or unique set of abilities. All other beholders are imperfect and must be destroyed. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. When a beholder sleeps, its body goes briefly dormant but its mind never stops working. A beholders true rivals are other beholders, for only another beholder has the intellect, power, and magic to threaten another of its kind. Alignment When the dreamer awakens, it treats the newborns as extensions of its own self in other bodies, and therefore isnt consumed with an urge to kill them. Other than this, the main feature of a beholder's anatomy was its massive, gaping maw. They dont necessarily know their leader is a beholder; they just know the boss is powerful, dangerous, and doesnt tolerate mistakes. Lieutenants who have their own ambitions, who might come to oppose the tyrant or fear for their safety, are much more likely to flee (or retire) than to confront the beholder. View wiki source for this page without editing. [10], Beholder 'bones' were incredibly porous and lightweight leather-like cartilage that was visually indistinguishable from their skin, but comparatively weaker, almost having the strength and durability of iron. WebA zombie beholder of CR5 can deal 45 damage which is instantly fatal to most d6 casters in an average 4-person party of level 4's fighting it and by CR balance is considered a "Hard" encounter for those 4 level 4 PCs. A human chess player becomes a master by honing the ability to look several moves ahead during a gamewhich is still no match for what a beholder can accomplish with its superior intelligence and awareness. WebBeholderkin Overseer (CR 15) Large Aberration Alignment: Always lawful evil Initiative:+5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., Listen +21, and Spot +21 Languages: Beholder and Common AC:30 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 fungus armor, +14 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 29 Some of the behaviors and motivations that beholders exhibit are analogous to those of humans and other intelligent creatures. Often, it plunders its neighbors homes for knowledge and treasure. Source. A beholder has plans on top of plans, even for the least likely circumstances. Inside the comfortable confines of its subterranean lair, a beholder is nearly unassailable thanks to the combination of its peerless intellect and the brutal effects of its eye rays. 1. In this way, even monsters that cant be bribed or coerced can be useful to a beholder, making its lair a confusing zoo of hostile beasts. Check out how this page has evolved in the past. Many of them serve as tools. To the average beholder. When such a group is led by a beholder rather than a human, the tyrant has incredible staying power against challengers. [26], At some point before the age of forty years,[20] typically at the age of thirty,[21] an egg-shaped womb swelled below the back of the beholder's tongue. Type 3e I pretend to be insane so my enemies underestimate me. The pit might be empty, be filled with mud (causing anything trapped in it to eventually drown), or have spikes at the bottom. A beholder can fire multiple eye rays on its turn, and it might use all of them in succession on its most dangerous foe. At your discretion, a beholder might be able to use magic items that must be held to activate, such as wands; the beholder is assumed to be using its telekinesis eye ray to move and point the item in the same way that a humanoid would use its hand. It knows everything the creature knew, including spells and languages. Niches and pedestals hold smaller objects, while larger objects are suspended from the ceiling or left freestanding in the room. Unless they flee, the beholder and its forces return night after night, each time eliminating key defenders, and ultimately breaking the morale of the survivors, at which point the beholders minions can capture anyone or anything worth keeping and raze the settlement. Change the name (also URL address, possibly the category) of the page. Because a beholders minions are typically not able to fly, many of these chambers are connected to others by staircases or gently sloping ramps in addition to the tunnels, so the beholder can easily move its minions around as the need arises. Although a beholders specific actions will vary with each encounter, the creatures behavior is largely governed by the tactics discussed below. [50], A few sages from the Realms maintained that the different subspecies of beholders had originally been created in the image of the gods from an unknown crystal sphere with the goal of traveling to different spheres and gathering as much information as possible. Left to right: a death kiss, a beholder mage, a gouger, and an eyeball. A beholders natural ability to fly is essential to many of its defenses and habits. Charm Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the beholder for 1 hour, or Medium or smaller intruders can easily move through the passage but might have little warning about what lies ahead, especially if the passage has sharp turns that make it likely that the gas spore isnt seen until the last moment. Alignment A beholder who wished to learn the Art of arcane spellcasting beyond the simple use of its innate powers faced a number of limitations, the greatest of which being its own antimagic eyesight. The beholders ire might manifest as abruptly as a disintegration ray or as slowly as an angry glare and increasing scrutiny over the next few weeks. This offspring might be a duplicate of the beholder that dreamed it into existence, or it could take the form of a different variety of beholder, such as a death kiss or a gazer (see Beholder-Kin). One of these raids usually lasts less than an hour, after which the beholder withdraws its forces, leaving the terrified survivors to wonder when the next attack will occur. [8] The same dreaming could result in bodily alterations for the beholder. The organizations grunt-level employeesthieves, slavers, and ordinary thugswork for the Xanathar Guild because it pays well. WebPseudopod. Lawful evil WebBEHOLDER 5e stats The eye of the Beholder Illustration by Adriana Filippini on Artstation Large aberration ( beholder ), lawful evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit For instance, it might use its sleep ray as a legendary action against an enemy that has just been awakened. I miss the kinship of my identical twin, who disappeared years ago. They handle menial tasks for the beholder such as hunting, scouting, and guarding the lair. It is aware of the great library at Candlekeep and the lore stored there, and one of its main objectives is to get an agent into the place that can start sending copies of that information back to the Xanathar for review. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. While a human tyrant might be rightfully paranoid about unperceived threats, a beholder is paranoid even though it perceives everything, because that attitude is the natural companion to eternal vigilance. When you cast the spell, choose Beholderkin, Slaad, or Star Spawn. Did you intentionally duplicate this exception? The beholders private chamber is usually at the highest elevation inside the lair and accessible only through a long vertical tunnel. A beholder can use its telekinesis ray in conjunction with its antimagic cone to lift a heavy object above the cone and drop it onto an opponent inside the cone; gravity finishes the job, even though the cone negates the beholders telekinetic control. Although true beholders can be found on a spectators or gauths home plane, the creatures actual place of origin is unknown (whether another plane, a world beyond the stars, or some stranger location), and spectators and gauths arent believed to originate from dreams as other beholders do. The room typically contains a nest of sand or cloth bedding and the beholders favorite pieces of sculpture. WebThe beholder shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet of it: Legendary Actions Bite. Regardless of its overall configuration, every beholders lair is oriented to take full advantage of the creatures flight ability. My hierarchy of minions keeps me safe. Gas Spores. Cold[3] Homeland(s) 2e It doesnt matter if invading adventurers arrive at its lair with summoned angel allies or enslaved demons, by breaking through the floor, by teleporting or riding dinosaurs, or girded with layers of magical defenses and armed with advanced weapons. 1d2 fire giants, 1d3 frost giants, 2d4 hill giants, or 1d6 stone giants (as appropriate to the terrain). I must maintain the current balance of power in the region. Only beholders and beholderkin are effected The guildmaster is a beholderthe latest in a series of such creatures. To call this process reproduction would be inaccurate, because in most cases the old and new beholders fight to the deatha fact for which the rest of the world is thankful. Evil Most believe their leader is a member of a long-lived race, perhaps a dwarf or an elf. Door Trap. Of course, this mercy has a purpose; the defeated opponent is interrogated, subjugated, and offered a role in the beholders retinue once its will is broken. Some sages called this gas tiusium. The creature resembles an aberration of that kind, which determines certain traits in its stat block. The Xanathar believes its intelligence and magic make it uniquely suited for thiseven more so than its slain predecessorand it uses its abilities to ruthlessly enforce its will on as much political and criminal territory as possible. WebWhen you cast the spell, choose Beholderkin, Slaad, or Star Spawn. The only allies it considers relatively safe are individuals that it (or its predecessor) has worked with for years, and most of these are creatures it has no reason to fear because they arent a physical threat to it or the guild. Beholder eyes also had up to twelve lenses, all capable of movement and rotation independent of the others, which was what granted them control over the aiming of their eye rays. WebSpeed 30 ft.; fly 30 ft. (hover) (Beholderkin only) STR 16 (+3) DEX 10 (+0) CON 15 (+2) INT 16 (+3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 6 (-2) Damage Immunities psychic Senses darkvision 60 ft., A protection from evil and good spell cast on the body drives the intellect devourer out. It is common for a beholder to charm a hostile monster, lure the creature to the beholders lair, and confine it there so it cant escape under its own power. The rule also makes the creature easier to run. It follows its creator like a devoted, aggressive puppy, and sometimes small packs of these creatures patrol their masters lair for vermin to kill and lone creatures to harass. Each legendary action a beholder takes gives it an opportunity to react to a change in circumstances, or to press an assault that it began on its turn. Oil Sprayer. However, as the beholders began visiting other spheres, the local deities grew fearful of their purpose and placed a number of curses upon the entire species. Practically any kind of trap could be a feature of a beholders lair. I must recover an artifact that was stolen from me. Some think the truth is more monstrous, and that the Xanathar is a drow or perhaps a dragon in humanoid form. This was made all the more complicated since more than one variety of beholder existed, each believing itself to be the pinnacle of bodily perfection and they viewed other beholders who differed from this image in even the most minute details as loathsome enemies and inferiors. [18], While they required, on average, about 10pounds (4.5kilograms) of food and 2gallons (7.6liters) of fluid per day,[14] an otherwise healthy individual could typically survive over twenty days without food or drink before dying of starvation or thirst. Summary: Summon 1 aberrant spirit (beholderkin, slaad, or star spawn), friendly (stat block/your lvl). A beholder might use its telekinesis ray to forcibly push a gas spore into an opponent, making the gas spore explode. Simple yet effective, a covered pit trap is a hole covered with a false floor and perhaps concealed by a sprinkling of dirt or gravel. The creature disappears when it drops to These bizarre creatures are possessed of alien intelligence, inhuman forms of perception, and the ability to shape reality through force of willor even by their mere presence. A beholder might use its slowing ray on an uncooperative creature as a demonstration of sorts, threatening to follow it up with more severe consequences if the creature doesnt submit to the beholders will. The majority of beholders living on Faern had skin colored in cool colors - purples and blues - on the top of their bodies that graduated into earth tones further down. A gauth hails from the same plane as spectators, or one that overlaps it enough that they can take advantage of a flawed attempt to summon a spectator. Beholders and Beholderkin Beholders are one of D&D s most notable additions to the fantasy genre. (Evil), Community. The preserved corpse of a rival beholder (or any parts it can recover from a battle) would certainly be a prized trophy, as would be the skull of a defeated dragon, the clothing of a famous adventurer the beholder killed, or art objects that are pleasing to its alien senses. These underlings dont have as much clout as the lieutenants do, but they do hold key roles in its guild and have some degree of influence in the organization. Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour. Vision The beholders ability to use legendary actions effectively doubles the number of times it can shoot rays in a round. The tables that follow present possibilities for personal characteristics that you can use to make a beholder distinctive. Some use a direct, hands-on approach, and some establish a chain of command that establishes a clear hierarchy from the top to the lowest underling. [27], Beholders did not sweat or urinate. However, their sense of hearing was inferior to that of a human,[10] and their sense of taste was notably poor, if not nonexistant. If the host body drops to 0 hit points, the intellect devourer must leave it. (Evil). Among the most basic of these attacks was their deadly ability to project magical power from their eyes, in varying forms such as instilling fear within, charming, knocking out, petrifying, disintegrating, slowing, or killing their enemies. In such cases, they handled the various conflicting verbal components by singing a complicated spellcasting song. (Neutral), Power. Many escape tunnels have falling block traps or weak ceilings supported by a single pillar, which the beholder can disintegrate after it passes that point to deter pursuit. Price: $6.99 Sign In This Token Set is available in the following bundles Ultimate 5E Spellcasting Assets Bundle $15.99 USD View Waste liquid, devoid of nourishment and oxygen, would then drain back into the mouth to be expelled, or more likely dribbled out steadily. Usually lawful evil Enemies that are too big to traverse these smooth-walled tunnels will find it difficult to move deep into the lair and virtually impossible to confront the beholder in its sanctum. As described in the Monster Manual, a beholders use of its eye rays in combat is random, governed by die rolls instead of by choice. The Xanathars ultimate goal is to control the entire region under Waterdeep (both Undermountain and Skullport), giving it as much political clout as all the Lords of Waterdeep combined. An eye tyrant is a solitary beholder that has suppressed its xenophobia and paranoia and chooses to live as the leader or ruler of a community or an organization that includes other creatures. * For death tyrant lairs, use this table, but replace approximately half of its living minions with ogre zombies. When magic was needed to power a ray, the brain would send the magical energy back into the eye via the retinas.[15]. Find out what you can do. Not all share the xenophobia of true beholders; though most are still evil and cruel in nature. Said teeth are long and thin however, designed for ripping and tearing rather than for chewing. 5E1~2lv VC Even a slight variation in the shape of an eyestalk or the texture of its skin is enough for one beholder to consider another a flawed abomination, which should be destroyed. It does mean that if the party has bad luck on Eye Ray rolls, the saving throw and damage rolls it's an insta-gib. For example, to guard against magical spying, a beholder might use either ray to eliminate all common vermin (bats, rats, spiders, and so on) from its lair. Visually impressive meals were always preferred, particularly colorful ones (beholders often watched themselves eat with their eyestalks). Although it isnt inclined to brag of its superiority, especially in combat, it is dismissive of its opponents efforts and insulting of their abilities and failures. The most mundane function of the petrification ray is as a means of decorating a beholders lair with statues. Beholders were omnivorous, genderless aliens, and a subject of great fascination for sages who studied biology and the hunters who attempted to kill them. They were still two entities within the beholder, but neither hid anything from the other, making a less paranoid beholder. 1e Minions usually guard the entrances to this chamber. Most of the guilds low-ranking members have an idea that the boss isnt human, especially given how long the Xanathar has been in power (they arent aware that several beholders have held the job). Three tablesBeholder Lesser Minions, Beholder Greater Minions, and Beholder Petsmake it easy to stock a beholders lair with such creatures. A beholder observing some petrified adventurers. I sometimes forget that others dont have access to all of my knowledge. The same applied to beholders and beholder-kin created through dreaming. Sometimes it uses gifts as rewards and incentives for exceptional minions; although it prefers to rule by coercion and fear, it understands that better results can sometimes be achieved by rewarding positive behavior instead of punishing negative behavior. 2e A room not dedicated to some other purpose could be festooned with a variety of traps. A dark room with a 120-foot ceiling allows it to use this tactic, requiring opponents to create light at a distance in order to return fire with any accuracy. Large As such, a large amount of information was available on beholder anatomy. A Beholder is one of the most recognisable creatures in the world of D&D. You can find dragons just about anywhere, and plenty of other fantasy worlds have adopted their own version of creatures like mimics but the Beholder remains unique and synonymous with Dungeons and Dragons. A death tyrants paranoia about its enemies tends to be related to how it fears it will be destroyed, and its plans take that fear into account. When you cast the spell, choose Beholderkin, Slaadi, or Star Spawn. Something does not work as expected? It considers itself the center of the world, in a narcissistic way; of course the clan of duergar moving into its territory is because a rival is trying to oust it, of course the gang of adventurers in its lair were sent to kill it by a cowardly rival, and so on, because it is the perfect example of beholderness and all other creatures are jealous. This way of thinking could be interpreted as a form of paranoiaand if so, it would be the most extreme form imaginable. If any large openings between adjacent caves exist naturally, the beholder constricts or seals off such openings, either by employing slave labor or by collapsing the tunnel itself. Alignment A beholder constantly fears for its safety, is wary of any creature that isnt one of its minions, and is aggressive in dealing with perceived threats.