Beholder (/bɪˈhəʊldə/)
The Eye Tyrant
A floating head with one single, cyclops-like eye surrounded by ten smaller eye stalks. Beneath it's main eye is a massive, gaping maw with razor sharp teeth.One glance at a beholder is enough to assess its foul and otherworldly nature. Aggressive, hateful, and greedy, these aberrations dismiss all other creatures as lesser beings, toying with them or destroying them as they choose. A beholder's spheroid body levitates at all times, and its great bulging eye sits above a wide, toothy maw, while the smaller eyestalks that crown its body twist and turn to keep its foes in sight. When a beholder sleeps, it closes its central eye but leaves its smaller eyes open and alert. Xenophobic Isolationists. Enemies abound, or so every beholder believes. Beholders are convinced that other creatures resent them for their brilliance and magical power, even as they dismiss those lesser creatures as crude and disgusting. Beholders always suspect others of plotting against them, even when no other creatures are around. The disdain a beholder has for other creatures extends to other beholders. Each beholder believes its form to be an ideal, and that any deviation from that form is a flaw in the racial purity of its kind. Beholders vary greatly in their physical forms, making conflict between them inevitable. Some beholders are protected by overlapping chitinous plates. Some have smooth hides. Some have eyestalks that writhe like tentacles, while others' stalks bear crustacean-like joints. Even slight differences of coloration in hide can turn two beholders into lifelong enemies. Eye Tyrant. Some beholders manage to channel their xenophobic tendencies into a terrible despotism. Rather than live in isolation, the aptly named eye tyrants enslave those other creatures, founding and controlling vast empires. An eye tyrant sometimes carves out a domain within or under a major city, commanding networks of agents that operate on their master's behalf. Alien Lairs. Because they refuse to share territory with others, most beholders withdraw to frigid hills, abandoned ruins, and deep caverns to scheme. A beholder's lair is carved out by its disintegration eye ray, emphasizing vertical passages connecting chambers stacked on top of each other. Such an environment allows a beholder to move freely, even as it prevents intruders from easily creeping about. When intruders do break in, the height of its open ceilings allows a beholder to float up and harry foes on the floor. As alien as their creator, the rooms in a beholder's lair reflect the creature's arrogance. It festoons its chambers with trophies from the battles it has won, including petrified adventurers standing frozen in their horrified final moments, pieces of other beholders, and magic items wrested from powerful foes. A beholder judges its own worth by its acquisitions, and it never willingly parts with its treasures.
“Every beholder thinks it is the epitome of beholderkind, and the only thing it fears is that it might be wrong.”
The Mighty Menagerie fought one in the Beholder of Skola Vale's Mines caverns. The Menagerie learned a bit about these in Session 08 after they had some bad dreams. They met a Mindwitness in Session 12 which seems to be a corrupted beholder. In Session 33 they found a "mini" beholder in a strange crystal jar. In Session 46: Off to fight a Beholder Report they were offered a deal to hunt down a beholder living to the north.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A beholder, sometimes called a sphere of many eyes or an eye tyrant, was a large aberration normally found in the Underdark. These large, orb-shaped beings had ten eyestalks and one central eye, each containing powerful magic. Powerful and intelligent, beholders were among the greatest threats to the world.
“ Think ye weave cunning schemes and elaborate intrigues with fallback plans and positions? Beholders change, refine, discard, and spin anew scores of such plans all the time. To the average beholder, human intrigues are the fumbling of babies. ”
Description
Beholders were immediately identifiable, being essentially a floating head with one single, cyclops-like eye surrounded by ten smaller eye stalks. Other than this, the main feature of a beholder's anatomy was its massive, gaping maw. Because of these features, beholders were occasionally known as "spheres of many eyes" or "eye tyrants," although the latter also referred to a specific type of beholder. Beholders of the Realms tended to be slightly larger than beholders found on other worlds, growing up to six feet in diameter where on other worlds they would average five feet wide. The majority of beholders living on Faerûn had skin colored in cool colors - purples and blues - on the top of their bodies that graduated into earth tones further down. Said skin had a pebbly texture. Most of Toril's beholders had nostrils and jointed, articulated eyestalks. 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. 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. Beholders were also capable of flight, in spite of their lack of wings or similar physical features, simply hovering above ground effortlessly. The effects of this flight resembled those of the wizard spell levitation.Biology
Beholders were omnivorous, genderless aliens, and a subject of great fascination for sages who studied biology and the hunters who attempted to kill them. As such, a large amount of information was available on beholder anatomy.Biological Features
The skin of a beholder appeared to be made out of a stony substance, as strong and durable as steel, and just as inflexible. Upon death, the skin would harden further into a stone-like consistency. 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. Upon death, a beholder's skeletal structure would become brittle. Their eyestalks were usually flexible tentacles, but varied among individuals and could instead be jointed stalks covered in rigid chitin or segmented stalks similar to the bodies of earthworms. Not all beholders possessed nostrils, those who did could breathe like humanoids, those that didn't could only breathe through their mouths. A clear depiction of a beholder from the front. Note the lack of nostrils, as well as the proliferation of teeth. A beholder's mouth was relatively similar to a humanoid's, but on a larger scale, containing soft palates, a muscular tongue and a row of upper and lower teeth (averaging 56 teeth in total) lining a hinged jaw. Said teeth are long and thin however, designed for ripping and tearing rather than for chewing. Beholders had one lung, and two stomachs.Blood
Beholder blood was green. Unlike a humanoid heart that pumps blood around the body constantly, beholders had a central 'blood sac' that, in conjunction with a powerfully muscled diaphragm, pushed blood into the beholder's blood vessels, then pulled the blood back into the sac.Brain
The beholder brain was similar in appearance to that of a humanoid's, but wider, capable of reaching a diameter of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters).[19] Its two lobes (known as "dweomerlobes") descended downwards to the left and right from the center like horns and had a complicated central nervous system surrounding it. The brain and nervous system was where magical energies were stored, amplified, and directed to the eyestalks. It had been observed that older beholder's brains gained ridges.Eyes
The beholder's eyes were remarkable things. Hard, solid balls that drew in both light through the pupil and magical energy through the iris, which consisted of some sort of translucent crystal. 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. 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. Further inside the eye was a mass of nearly invisible strands called evocularies. This nervous tissue transmitted both light and magic into the three retinas at the back of the eye. The retinas then transmitted the sensory signals and magical energy to the brain. When magic was needed to power a ray, the brain would send the magical energy back into the eye via the retinas. Beholders gathered the energy that fueled their magical abilities by observing spell effects, magical creatures and items. Without new magic to look at, beholders could become very irritable, therefore they were driven to hoard magical items in their lairs and seek out magical places. Probably the least understood aspect of beholder biology was the antimagic properties of their central eyes. A beholder's central eye emitted a continuous antimagic field. Although careful squinting could narrow the area of the field generated, it would not stop unless the central eye's eyelid was completely closed, or the eye itself was put out or diseased to the point of uselessness.Biological Traits
Beholders are a unique and fascinating creature with a number of biological traits that set them apart from other creatures. Here are some of the most notable biological traits of beholders:
* **Body shape:** Beholders are large, bulbous creatures with a spherical body and a long, neck-like appendage. They have a pair of eyestalks that project from the front of their head, and a central eye that is located on their forehead.
* **Skin:** The skin of a beholder is smooth and leathery, and it is typically colored in shades of purple, blue, or green. The skin is also covered in a number of small eyes, which give the beholder a fearsome appearance.
* **Eyes:** The eyes of a beholder are its most distinctive feature. They have 11 different eyestalks, each of which contains a different psionic ray. These rays can be used to attack, defend, or control other creatures.
* **Intelligence:** Beholders are highly intelligent creatures, and they have a vast understanding of the world around them. They are also very cunning and manipulative, and they are often able to outwit their opponents.
* **Psionic abilities:** Beholders have powerful psionic abilities, which they use to dominate their enemies and control their environment. These abilities include:
* **Acid ray:** This ray shoots a stream of acid that can melt flesh and bone.
* **Death ray:** This ray instantly kills any creature it hits.
* **Fear ray:** This ray causes creatures to become paralyzed with fear.
* **Slow ray:** This ray slows down the movement of creatures it hits.
* **Telekinesis ray:** This ray allows the beholder to move objects with its mind.
* **Web ray:** This ray shoots a web that can entangle creatures.
These are just some of the biological traits that make beholders such unique and dangerous creatures. If you ever encounter a beholder, be sure to be aware of its abilities and take them seriously.
Genetics and Reproduction
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. If it was dreaming about itself, it may have created an exact duplicate of itself, otherwise it could spawn a beholder-kin or even a completely unique beholder-like creature. The same dreaming could result in bodily alterations for the beholder. Each orb possessed an instinctual knowledge of one's body, and dreaming alterations were without limit. The same applied to beholders and beholder-kin created through dreaming. It was possible for a beholder to dream another creature into existence. However, for that to happen, the behold had to possess intricate knowledge and understanding of another creature's bodily systems, generally achieved through years of studying, dissection, and selective breeding. Without such knowledge, only a misshapen mishmash of a creature could be dreamed to life.
Growth Rate & Stages
Life Cycle
Beholders were considered adults at the age of two years old and retained their vitality until their ninetieth year. After that milestone, most beholders became increasingly frail and their abilities gradually ceased functioning as they should. Most beholders died of natural causes between the ages of one hundred and twenty and one hundred and fifty. Exceptions could be found in the elder orb subrace of the species. At some point before the age of forty years, typically at the age of thirty, an egg-shaped womb swelled below the back of the beholder's tongue. 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. Prior to this, the beholder would consume up to four times the amount of food it normally would to create a great enough reserve, as eventually, after around four months of pregnancy, the womb swelled to a size too large to fit any food in its mouth. After just shy of six months of pregnancy, the beholder gave birth. The birth process had been witnessed by very few. According to those rare few witnesses, the beholder would unhinge its jaw, spit up its womb and bite it off. The babies inside would then have to chew their way out. A beholder brood was typically three to six babies, but could be up to twelve, with newborns being almost always one sixth the diameter of their parent. Newborns were birthed with the ability to levitate; possessed strong racial memories and an inherent ability to speak Quevquel, though their eye powers would develop later. The parent would choose one infant who looked most like itself to rear, and either eat or reject the remainder, forcing the survivors to fend for themselves. Since the birth process involved the destruction of the womb, beholders could only become pregnant and give birth once in their entire lives.[20] When the child that the parent chose to rear reached adulthood, it typically rejected its parent and left to become independent.Ecology and Habitats
Beholders are solitary creatures that prefer to live in dark, enclosed spaces. They are often found in dungeons, ruins, and the Underdark. Beholders are also known to create their own lairs, which they often customize to their own needs.
Beholders are well-suited to their environment. Their psionic abilities allow them to control their surroundings, and their powerful eye rays make them formidable opponents. Beholders are also very intelligent creatures, and they are constantly plotting and scheming.
Beholders interact with their environment in a number of ways. They use their psionic abilities to manipulate their surroundings, and they use their eye rays to defend themselves and their lairs. Beholders are also known to create beholderkin, which are creatures that are created by beholders using their psionic powers.
The optimal environment for a beholder is a dark, enclosed space. This type of environment allows the beholder to use its psionic abilities to their full potential. Beholders also prefer environments that are rich in psionic energy, such as the Astral Sea.
Here are some of the key characteristics of a beholder's habitat:
- Darkness: Beholders prefer dark environments, as this allows them to use their eye rays more effectively.
- Enclosure: Beholders prefer enclosed spaces, as this gives them a tactical advantage.
- Psionic energy: Beholders prefer environments that are rich in psionic energy, as this allows them to use their psionic abilities more effectively.
- Diet: Beholders are omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of creatures, including humanoids, animals, and even plants.
- Reproduction: Beholders reproduce by laying eggs. The gestation period for a beholder egg is about six months.
- Lifespan: Beholders can live for up to 150 years.
- Intelligence: Beholders are highly intelligent creatures, and they have a vast understanding of the world around them.
- Psionic abilities: Beholders have powerful psionic abilities, which they use to dominate their enemies and control their environment.
- Territorial: Beholders are very territorial, and they will defend their lairs to the death.
- Xenophobic: Beholders are very xenophobic, and they see all other creatures as potential threats.
Alien Lairs. Because they refuse to share territory with others, most beholders withdraw to frigid hills, abandoned ruins, and deep caverns to scheme. A beholder's lair is carved out by its disintegration eye ray, emphasizing vertical passages connecting chambers stacked on top of each other. Such an environment allows a beholder to move freely, even as it prevents intruders from easily creeping about. When intruders do break in, the height of its open ceilings allows a beholder to float up and harry foes on the floor.
As alien as their creator, the rooms in a beholder's lair reflect the creature's arrogance. It festoons its chambers with trophies from the battles it has won, including petrified adventurers standing frozen in their horrified final moments, pieces of other beholders, and magic items wrested from powerful foes. A beholder judges its own worth by its acquisitions, and it never willingly parts with its treasures.
A Beholder's Lair. A beholder's central lair is typically a large, spacious cavern with high ceilings, where it can attack without fear of closing to melee range. A beholder encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 14 (11,500 XP).
Lair Actions
When fighting inside its lair, a beholder can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the beholder can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:- A 50-foot-square area of ground within 120 feet of the beholder becomes slimy; that area is difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Walls within 120 feet of the beholder sprout grasping appendages until initiative count 20 on the round after next. Each creature of the beholder's choice that starts its turn within 10 feet of such a wall must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled.
- Escaping requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. An eye opens on a solid surface within 60 feet of the beholder. One random eye ray of the beholder shoots from that eye at a target of the beholder's choice that it can see. The eye then closes and disappears.
- The beholder can't repeat an effect until they have all been used, and it can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.
Regional Effects
A region containing a beholder's lair is warped by the creature's unnatural presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:- Creatures within 1 mile of the beholder's lair sometimes feel as if they're being watched when they aren't.
- When the beholder sleeps, minor warps in reality occur within 1 mile of its lair and then vanish 24 hours later. Marks on cave walls might change subtly, an eerie trinket might appear where none existed before, harmless slime might coat a statue, and so on. These effects apply only to natural surfaces and to nonmagical objects that aren't on anyone's person.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Diet & Digestion
While they required, on average, about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of food and 2 gallons (7.6 liters) 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. Additionally, a beholder's digestive system was capable of storing excess consumed food to process as needed at a rate of 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms) per day. For example, if a beholder ate 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of food, only 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of that would go towards its daily intake needs, and the rest would be digested over the course of the next five days without it needing to eat anything else. A beholder could store at least 600 pounds (270 kilograms) of food in its stomachs at any time. Food was liquefied in the beholder's two stomachs and pumped through a intestine-like system up to the lung where these intestines thinned out to a hair's breadth and mixed the food with air. The beholder's diaphragm pumped the digested food, combined with air from the lungs around the body through a system of fine arteries to nourish the organs. Waste liquid, devoid of nourishment and oxygen, would then drain back into the mouth to be expelled, or more likely dribbled out steadily. Beholders could eat just about anything organic, but they did have preferences. They tended to enjoy eating small mammals and birds alive (the combination sensation of soft flesh, crunchy bone and liquid blood in their mouths was considered a delicacy gnomes; roast beef, lamb and pork; liver and brain pâté; insects; leafy vegetables, leaves, flower petals, and exotic mushrooms. Their favorite drinks were blood, wine, and food coloring. Visually impressive meals were always preferred, particularly colorful ones (beholders often watched themselves eat with their eyestalks). They did not typically enjoy citrus fruits, grapes or melons; eyeballs; hard-boiled eggs; shellfish still in the shell; bull testicles; or anything fried in batter. Indigestible items eaten by a beholder would be either vomited up or absorbed into the body where it would eventually embed itself on the inside surface of the beholder's skeleton.Excretion
Beholders did not sweat or urinate. They didt defecate, but their stool, which could be up to six cubic feet in volume, would become almost indistinguishable from a natural sedimentary rock within two days.Biological Cycle
Beholders have a relatively short biological cycle. They reach adulthood at around two years old and can live for up to 150 years. Beholders are also very fertile and can produce large broods of young.
Here is a more detailed overview of the beholder's biological cycle:
- Incubation: The gestation period for a beholder is about six months. During this time, the beholder's eggs develop inside a womb located below the back of the tongue.
- Birth: Beholders give birth to live young. The typical brood size is three to six young, but it can be as large as twelve.
- Infancy: Beholders are born with the ability to levitate and speak Quevquel. They also have strong racial memories, which allow them to learn quickly.
- Juvenile: Beholders reach the juvenile stage at around one year old. During this stage, their eye rays begin to develop.
- Adulthood: Beholders reach adulthood at around two years old. At this point, they are fully mature and have all of their psionic abilities.
- Maturity: Beholders continue to grow and develop until they reach their maximum size at around 50 years old.
- Senescence: Beholders begin to senesce at around 100 years old. During this time, their psionic abilities begin to weaken and they become more susceptible to disease.
- Death: Beholders typically die of natural causes at around 150 years old. However, they can be killed by other creatures or by accidents.
Behaviour
Behaviour & Psychology of a Beholder
Beholders are highly intelligent and paranoid creatures. They are always on the lookout for threats, and they are quick to use their psionic abilities to dominate or destroy their enemies. Beholders are also very territorial, and they will defend their lairs to the death.
Beholders are motivated by a desire for power and control. They are constantly plotting and scheming, and they are always looking for ways to expand their power. Beholders are also very xenophobic, and they see all other creatures as potential threats.
Beholders are not social creatures, and they prefer to live alone. However, they will sometimes form alliances with other creatures, if it benefits them. Beholders are also known to create beholderkin, which are creatures that are created by beholders using their psionic powers.
Here are some of the key characteristics of beholders:
- Intellectual: Beholders are highly intelligent creatures, and they have a vast understanding of the world around them.
- Psionic: Beholders have powerful psionic abilities, which they use to dominate their enemies and control their environment.
- Territorial: Beholders are very territorial, and they will defend their lairs to the death.
- Xenophobic: Beholders are very xenophobic, and they see all other creatures as potential threats.
- Power-hungry: Beholders are motivated by a desire for power and control.
- Manipulative: Beholders are very manipulative, and they are experts at using their psionic abilities to control others.
- Cunning: Beholders are very cunning creatures, and they are always planning their next move.
Personality
Xenophobic and vicious creatures, beholders were quick to attack enemies, including anyone they deemed not "like themselves." Beholders, as a rule, were violent and greedy, hungering for both wealth and power over others. 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. Beholder minds were divided into two separate entities. 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. Neither half of the beholder's mind trusted the other, so they hid a lot from each other, creating a very paranoid relationship. "Sane beholders" were beholders whose minds were not "divided" so to speak. They were still two entities within the beholder, but neither hid anything from the other, making a less paranoid beholder. However, the persona of a "sane" beholder was just as likely to be considered insane by any non-beholder. Because there were two entities within a single beholder, that beholder should always be addressed by its full name when in conversation with them, or they would perceive it as speaking to only one of the entities.Combat
Beholders were not particularly strong but were inherently magical creatures, with each of their eyes possessing an innately magical nature. Beholders, who often attacked for seemingly no reason, would often try to end a battle as quickly as possible, unleashing their terrifying abilities all at once. 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. Any combination of these was possible, although they often used only two at a given time. Many, but not all, beholders also had the capacity to use their central eye to project a field of antimagic, which canceled the effects of all supernatural abilities within a small cone of 150 feet in length. In addition to enemy spells, prayers, or similar effects, this also affected a beholder's own eye rays, suppressing their power. However, the inability to cast its eye rays at full strength was hardly a hindrance—it allowed a beholder to attack its foes with its large, toothy maw.Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Usage
Beholder hide was a very rare and high quality crafting material, used in creation of armor and reinforcing weapons. According to Grumminfiz Finklebottom the hide can also be used for crafting a Bag of HoldingHarvesting
Instructions
Instructions: Because this creature is an Aberration, the player should roll a Arcana Check using the DCs in the table below. On a success, the player is able to harvest the item. On a failure, the item cannot be harvested (either because the character is not skilled enough, or because the item is ruined). The DM should note that many of the items have an expiration, and can not be sold or used after the expiration has passed.
| DC | Item | Description | Value | Weight | Exp. | Crafting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Beholder Membrane | A large rubbery balloon that holds many of the Beholder's internal organs. Often prized by scholars and magic users. | 45 gp | 40 lb. | 7 days | |
| 20 | Beholder Eye Stalk | The magical eye stalks of the beholder each have unique magical properties, and are prized by magic users and artificers. Once successfully harvested, roll 1d10 for the type of eyestalk received (1. Charm, 2. Paralyzing, 3. Fear, 4. Slow, 5. Enervation, 6. Telekinetic, 7. Sleep, 8. Petrification, 9. Disintegration, 10. Death). [see MM p28 for more details on the Beholder] | 500 gp | 8 lb. | 2 days | Eye Stalk Wand (HHH) |
| 25 | Large Beholder Eye | The main beholder's eye is prized for it's nullifying properties. Skilled magic users will pay a hefty sum for their acquisition. | 3500 gp | 30 lb. | 2 days | Anti-Magic Crystal (HHH) |
Most Crafting Items have an acronym associated with it, such as "DMG". These acronyms refer to specific guide Books. For example, "DMG" refers to the "Dungeon Master's Guide". The acronyms for HHH and HHH2 refer to Hamund's Harvesting Handbook, a homebrew harvesting guide that offers a variety of homebrew (not official) magic items.
This kind of creature does not normally carry treasure. This kind of creature does not normally have or collect treasure. However, the creature may have a lair full of bodies, or reside somewhere that treasure already exists.
This creature produces 6-36 pieces of Harvested Meat, weight total of 24-144 lb. DC: 5, Expire: 1 day, Value: 12-72 sp The meat of many monsters is considered vile and distasteful. Monstrosities and aberrations, in particular, may have tainted blood or rancid tasting meat. Dungeon Master's discretion.
Facial characteristics
Beholders are a unique and fascinating creature with a number of facial characteristics and features that set them apart from other creatures. Here are some of the most notable facial characteristics and features of beholders:
- Head: The head of a beholder is a large, bulbous sphere with a central eye located on the forehead. The head is also surrounded by 10 eyestalks, each of which contains a different psionic ray.
- Eyes: The eyes of a beholder are its most distinctive feature. They are large, bulbous, and multi-colored. The colors of the eyes can vary depending on the individual beholder, but they are typically shades of purple, blue, or green.
- Mouth: The mouth of a beholder is a small, lipless slit located below the central eye. The mouth is not used for eating, as beholders do not have a digestive system. Instead, the mouth is used to emit a powerful psionic ray that can paralyze or kill other creatures.
- Skin: The skin of a beholder is smooth and leathery, and it is typically colored in shades of purple, blue, or green. The skin is also covered in a number of small eyes, which give the beholder a fearsome appearance.
Average Intelligence
The average intelligence of a beholder is 8-10, which is considered to be average intelligence for a humanoid. However, beholders are also psionic creatures, which means that they have a vast understanding of the world around them and they are able to use their psionic abilities to manipulate others.
Beholders are also very cunning and manipulative, and they are often able to outwit their opponents. This combination of intelligence and psionic ability makes beholders very dangerous creatures.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Senses
Beholders had a remarkable sense of sight, as mentioned. However, their sense of hearing was inferior to that of a human, and their sense of taste was notably poor, if not nonexistant. They primarily derived pleasure from eating based on the sight and texture of the food, rather than taste. One of the few things that beholders could enjoy the taste of was alcohol (though it took well over 10 gallons (45 liters) of wine before they would get drunk).Flight
A lighter-than-air gas was produced inside the bodies of beholders. Some sages called this gas tiusium. Tiusium would collect in chambers in the body, concentrated mostly at the top of the skull, thereby ensuring that individuals would rest in an upright position. A beholder would generate or expel the tiusium autonomically when it desired to ascend or descend. 360° tilting and horizontal movement was achieved through blowing air out of its lung via air vessels leading from its lung to its skin.Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The Beholder language was the language spoken by the many-eyed monsters of the same name, as well as beholderkin. The beholders of Faerun knew their own language as Quevquel or "Speech", distinguishing it from telepathic communication. Regardless of any language they knew (most spoke Common so as to interrogate captives), beholders found any tongue but their own crude and denigrating to speak, as if doing so was to acknowledge the intelligence and creativity of other species.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Society
Culture
Beholders were often found occupying deep, underground caverns. Frequently, these lairs were carved out by the beholders themselves, using their eye rays to mold the environment for their purposes. Often, these lairs were built vertically rather than horizontally like most buildings, with beholder architecture frequently exhibiting a large number of vertical shafts which beholders and other flying creatures could use with ease, while walking creatures found their navigation hindered. Beholders worshiped Gzemnid and the Great Mother. [aloudBeholder Mages
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. However, some beholders were known to blind their own central eye in order to study wizardry, becoming a beholder mage. The beholder then used its gouged-out eye as a spellcasting focus and was able to cast spells by wiggling and writhing its eyestalks. To learn spells of a new level, a beholder mage had to permanently sacrifice the innate power of one of its eyestalks to dedicate to that new level. Doing this not only granted it access to more powerful spells but also negated the need for material components. Furthermore, beholder mages were so innately gifted with magic that they could simultaneously cast spells with each eyestalk that had been dedicated to their arcane studies. In such cases, they handled the various conflicting verbal components by singing a complicated spellcasting song. [/aloud]Common Taboos
There are no official taboos about beholders in Dungeons & Dragons, but there are some common practices that adventurers and other creatures avoid when dealing with these creatures.
Here are a few examples:
Looking directly into a beholder's eyes: This is considered to be a very dangerous act, as it can cause the beholder to use its paralyzing gaze.
Touching a beholder: Beholders are covered in a number of small eyes, and touching these eyes can cause the beholder to use its psionic abilities.
Disrupting a beholder's lair: Beholders are very territorial creatures, and they will often attack creatures that disturb their lairs.
Trying to control a beholder: Beholders are very intelligent creatures, and they are not easily controlled. Attempting to control a beholder is likely to end in failure, and it could even result in the beholder becoming hostile.
These are just a few examples of the common taboos that are associated with beholders. It is important to be aware of these taboos if you ever encounter a beholder, as they could save your life.
In addition to these taboos, there are also some cultural taboos that are associated with beholders in certain settings. For example, in some cultures, it is considered to be a taboo to speak the name of a beholder, as this could summon the creature. Additionally, in some cultures, it is considered to be a taboo to eat the flesh of a beholder, as this is believed to be cursed.
These cultural taboos are not always strictly enforced, but they are often taken seriously by those who believe in them. If you are ever in a setting where there are cultural taboos about beholders, it is important to be aware of them and to respect them.
History
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. The beholders would traverse the Prime Material plane and learn about the secrets and current status of various worlds and then report back to their hive mothers, who would then gather and share what they had learned. 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. As a result, the beholders forgot their original purpose and degenerated into the supremacist and paranoid creatures they would become best known for.
It was believed that the knowledge station at the summit of the Spindle on the planet H'Catha had been placed there by the beholder deities, so beholders could be reminded of their original mission.
Common Myths and Legends
There are many myths and legends about beholders, some of which are more well-known than others. Here are a few examples:
- The Beholder's Gaze: One of the most common myths about beholders is that their gaze can paralyze or even kill a creature. This is because the eyes of a beholder are psionic in nature, and they can emit powerful rays that can affect the minds and bodies of other creatures.
- The Beholder's Lair: Beholders are often said to live in labyrinthine lairs that are filled with traps and dangers. These lairs are often located in dark and forgotten places, such as abandoned dungeons or ruins.
- The Beholder's Master: Some myths say that beholders are servants of a greater evil, such as a demon lord or an elder god. These myths often say that beholders are sent by their masters to conquer and destroy other creatures.
- The Beholder's Eye Beams: The eye beams of a beholder are said to have different properties, depending on the color of the beam. For example, a red beam is said to be able to cause fire, while a green beam is said to be able to cause poison.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Subraces
In spite of their hatred of diversity (or perhaps because of it), beholders came in a variety of forms, some of which are listed below: Bloodkiss beholder An undead beholder that sucked its prey dry of blood with its eye tentacles. Death tyrant Death tyrants were undead beholders akin to zombies. Doomsphere A beholder that had died and risen as a ghost. Its eyestalk rays took on more chilling and necromantic properties Elder orb These beholders were born with amazing longevity, to near-immortality. Eye of flame An unusually docile form of beholder whose members, while still malevolent, were willing to serve beneath more powerful beholders. Eye of frost A cruel beholder who lived in solitude. Eye of Shadow Eyes of shadow are beholders that have been warped by too much time spent in the tangled paths leading to the Shadowfell. Hive mother Also known as ultimate tyrant, an enormously powerful variant of beholder with the capacity to stun nearby enemies as well as a greater range of eye ray abilities. Hive mothers had the ability to magically dominate other beholders.Beholderkin
A vast number of beholderkin existed. Not true beholders, these creatures did not share the race's xenophobia, although most were still quite evil and cruel in nature. Death kiss This creature's eyestalks were replaced with blood-draining tentacles. Director Beholder hive shock troopers. Eye of the deep An aquatic subspecies of beholder. Its most notable physical change was its two large clawed arms. Gauth A subspecies of beholder from the same plane as spectators which fed on magic and magic objects. Gazer Also known as eyeball, a tiny beholderkin with four eye stalks. Gouger Ruthless carnivores that hunted beholders. Observer An observer was one of the most socially adept of the beholder family. Overseer An overseer resembled a large, fleshy tree with mouths on its trunk and eyes on its branches. Spectator A spectator was an extraplanar beholderkin with four eye stalks.Sources
Source(s):
- Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 26–28. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 32. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 25–27. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 25. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 10. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- Jeff Grubb (August 1989). “Lorebook of the Void”. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space (TSR, Inc.), pp. 69–70. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
- Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook (October 2000). Monster Manual 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 24–25. ISBN 0-7869-1552-1.
- Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 6. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 4. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 37. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 39. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 6. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 38. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 5–6. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Dale "slade" Henson (April 1991). Realmspace. Edited by Gary L. Thomas, Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 48. ISBN 1-56076-052-4.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 5. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Dale "slade" Henson (April 1991). Realmspace. Edited by Gary L. Thomas, Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 54. ISBN 1-56076-052-4.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 40. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 41. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 38–39. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 26. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Ed Greenwood (20-11-2022). Beholder Reskinning (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 21-11-2022. Retrieved on 20-11-2022.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 48. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 40. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (July 1997). Finder's Bane. (TSR, Inc.), p. 216. ISBN 0-7869-0658-8.
- Rich Redman, James Wyatt (May 2001). Defenders of the Faith. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 93. ISBN 0-7869-1840-3.
- Bruce R. Cordell, Eytan Bernstein, Brian R. James (January 2009). Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 132. ISBN 0786950692.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 14–15. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 88–89. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Rob Heinsoo, Stephen Schubert (May 19, 2009). Monster Manual 2 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 24–25. ISBN 0786995101.
- Mike Mearls, Greg Bilsland and Robert J. Schwalb (June 15, 2010). Monster Manual 3 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 22–23. ISBN 0786954902.
- Rob Heinsoo, Stephen Schubert (May 19, 2009). Monster Manual 2 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 26–27. ISBN 0786995101.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), p. 10. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 124. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 137–138. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 138–139. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 125. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 126. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
- Aaron Allston (1996). I, Tyrant. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 11–12. ISBN 0-7869-0404-6.
- Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 139–140. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
- Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 21–22. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
- BKOM Studios (2017). Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation.
- Dale "slade" Henson (April 1991). Realmspace. Edited by Gary L. Thomas, Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 49. ISBN 1-56076-052-4.
- Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
- Ed Greenwood (June 2014). The Herald. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 978-0786964604.
- Dale "slade" Henson (April 1991). Realmspace. Edited by Gary L. Thomas, Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 49. ISBN 1-56076-052-4.
- Richard Baker (1992). Rock of Bral. (TSR, Inc), p. 78. ISBN 1-56076-345-0.
- Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (2003-10-24). Underdark Dungeons (Zipped PDF). Wizards of the Coast. p. 4. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2018-09-11.
- Interplay (December 1997). Designed by Chris Avellone, Robert Hanz. Descent to Undermountain. Interplay.
- Westwood Associates (1991). Eye of the Beholder. Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Animalia, Superioria, usque ad regnum, alius (Oculus tyrannus, Beholder)
Origin/Ancestry
Aberration (Far Realms, Beholder)
Lifespan
150 years (range 100-200 years)
Conservation Status
Invasive species: Beholders are not native to most worlds, and they can often disrupt the natural balance of an ecosystem. As such, they are often hunted and killed by creatures that see them as a threat.
Average Height
Beholders typically stand about 7 feet tall. Range of 6-8 feet.
Average Weight
Beholders typically weigh about 1,200 pounds. range of 1,000-1,400 pounds.
Average Length
Beholders typically measure about 5 feet in length. range of 4-6 feet.
Average Physique
A floating head with one single, cyclops-like eye surrounded by ten smaller eye stalks. Beneath it's main eye is a massive, gaping maw with razor sharp teeth.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
5E Statistics
Beholder
| Size | Large |
| Type | Aberration |
| Alignment | Lawful Evil |
| Challenge Rating | (13) In Lair (14) |
General Information
| Patron Deity | The Great Mother |
| Movement | Flying |
| Vision | Darkvision (360 degrees) |
| Homeland | Underdark |
| Languages | Beholder Undercommon Deep Speech |
| Favored Clilmate/Terrain | cold / Any space, hills |
Appearance
| Average length | 8 ft (2.4 m) diameter |
| Distinctions | Eye rays Charm Monster Flight |
See Also: Beholder on Forgotten Realms Wiki