Beholder
Beholder
Large aberration, Lawful EvilLarge aberration, Lawful Evil
Antimagic Cone. The beholder's central eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns, the beholder decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. The area works against the beholder's own eye rays.
[b]Antimagic Cone.[/b] The beholder's central eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the [spell]antimagic field[/spell] spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns, the beholder decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. The area works against the beholder's own eye rays.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Eye Rays. The 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:- 1. Charm Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the beholder for 1 hour, or until the beholder harms the creature.
- 2. Paralyzing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- 3. Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- 4. Slowing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target's speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition, the creature can't take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- 5. Enervation Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- 6. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or the beholder moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray's telekinetic grip until the start of the beholder's next turn or until the beholder is incapacitated.
- 7. Sleep Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs and undead.
- 8. Petrification Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
- 9. Disintegration Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 (10d8) force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine gray dust.
- 10. Death Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.
[b]Bite.[/b] Melee Weapon Attack: [+5] to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 ([4d6]) piercing damage.
[b]Eye Rays.[/b] The 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:
[*][b]1. Charm Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the beholder for 1 hour, or until the beholder harms the creature.
[*][b]2. Paralyzing Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
[*][b]3. Fear Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
[*][b]4. Slowing Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target's speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition, the creature can't take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
[*][b]5. Enervation Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 ([8d8]) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
[*][b]6. Telekinetic Ray.[/b] If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or the beholder moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray's telekinetic grip until the start of the beholder's next turn or until the beholder is incapacitated.
If the target is an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn't being worn or carried, it is moved up to 30 feet in any direction. The beholder can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a door or a container.
[*][b]7. Sleep Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs and undead.
[*][b]8. Petrification Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the [spell]greater restoration[/spell] spell or other magic.
[*][b]9. Disintegration Ray.[/b] If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 ([10d8]) force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine gray dust.
If the target is a Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, it is disintegrated without a saving throw. If the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of magical force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot cube of it.
[*][b]10. Death Ray.[/b] The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 ([10d10]) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.
Legendary Actions
The Beholder can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Beholder regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Eye Ray. The beholder uses one random eye ray.
The Beholder can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Beholder regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.[b]Eye Ray.[/b] The beholder uses one random eye ray.
Details
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.
If the beholder dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
Variant Abilities
When a beholder's dream-imagination runs wild, the result can be an offspring that has an unusual or unique set of abilities. Rather than the standard powers of a beholder's central eye and eyestalks, the creature has one or more variant abilities—guaranteed to surprise any enemies who thought they knew what they were getting themselves into.
This section provides several alternative spell effects for a beholder's eye. 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 monster's challenge rating. 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.
Unless otherwise indicated, an alternative ability has the same range as the eye ray it is replacing, and it affects only one creature per use (even if the ability is based on a spell that normally affects an area or multiple targets). The saving throw for an alternative ability uses the same DC and the same ability score as the spell the eye ray is based on.
Antimagic Cone: mirage arcane, power word stun (affecting the weakest non-stunned target in the cone each round)
Charm Ray: banishment (1 minute), confusion (1 minute)
Death Ray: circle of death (10-foot-radius sphere; 4d6 necrotic damage to all creatures in the area), feeblemind
Disintegration Ray: chain lightning (primary target takes 6d8 lightning damage; two secondary targets within 30 feet of the primary target take 3d8 lightning damage each), eyebite (sickened effect; 1 minute)
Enervation Ray: create undead (usable regardless of the time of day), polymorph (1 minute)
Fear Ray: gaseous form (self or willing creature only), moonbeam
Paralyzing Ray: modify memory, silence (1 minute)
Petrification Ray: Otto's irresistible dance (1 minute), wall of ice (1 minute; one 10-foot-square panel)
Sleep Ray: blindness/deafness, misty step (self or willing creature only)
Slowing Ray: bestow curse (1 minute), sleet storm (one 10-foot-cube)
Telekinesis Ray: geas (1 hour), wall of force (1 minute; one 10-foot-square panel)
[big]Lair Actions[/big]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.
[big]Regional Effects[/big]
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.
If the beholder dies, these effects fade over the course of [1d10] days.
[big]Variant Abilities[/big]
When a beholder's dream-imagination runs wild, the result can be an offspring that has an unusual or unique set of abilities. Rather than the standard powers of a beholder's central eye and eyestalks, the creature has one or more variant abilities—guaranteed to surprise any enemies who thought they knew what they were getting themselves into.
This section provides several alternative spell effects for a beholder's eye. 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 monster's challenge rating. 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.
Unless otherwise indicated, an alternative ability has the same range as the eye ray it is replacing, and it affects only one creature per use (even if the ability is based on a spell that normally affects an area or multiple targets). The saving throw for an alternative ability uses the same DC and the same ability score as the spell the eye ray is based on.
[b]Antimagic Cone[/b]: [spell]mirage arcane[/spell], [spell]power word stun[/spell] (affecting the weakest non-stunned target in the cone each round)
[b]Charm Ray[/b]: [spell]banishment[/spell] (1 minute), [spell]confusion[/spell] (1 minute)
[b]Death Ray[/b]: [spell]circle of death[/spell] (10-foot-radius sphere; [4d6] necrotic damage to all creatures in the area), [spell]feeblemind[/spell]
[b]Disintegration Ray[/b]: [spell]chain lightning[/spell] (primary target takes [6d8] lightning damage; two secondary targets within 30 feet of the primary target take [3d8] lightning damage each), [spell]eyebite[/spell] (sickened effect; 1 minute)
[b]Enervation Ray[/b]: [spell]create undead[/spell] (usable regardless of the time of day), [spell]polymorph[/spell] (1 minute)
[b]Fear Ray[/b]: [spell]gaseous form[/spell] (self or willing creature only), [spell]moonbeam[/spell]
[b]Paralyzing Ray[/b]: [spell]modify memory[/spell], [spell]silence[/spell] (1 minute)
[b]Petrification Ray[/b]: [spell]Otto's irresistible dance[/spell] (1 minute), [spell]wall of ice[/spell] (1 minute; one 10-foot-square panel)
[b]Sleep Ray[/b]: [spell]blindness/deafness[/spell], [spell]misty step[/spell] (self or willing creature only)
[b]Slowing Ray[/b]: [spell]bestow curse[/spell] (1 minute), [spell]sleet storm[/spell] (one 10-foot-cube)
[b]Telekinesis Ray[/b]: [spell]geas[/spell] (1 hour), [spell]wall of force[/spell] (1 minute; one 10-foot-square panel)
Use Telekinetic Ray against targets with weak Strength saves to throw them into hazards, or to drop statues on targets within the Antimagic Cone.
Use Slowing Ray, Petrification Ray, Disintegration Ray, and Death Ray against targets with weak Dexterity saves.
Use Paralyzing Ray and Enervation Ray against targets with weak Constitution saves.
Use Charm Ray, Fear Ray, and Sleep Ray against targets with weak Wisdom saves.
If something gives a target immunity to a ray, it's smart enough to realize this and not use that ray on that target again. It can also use all 3 rays on a single target if that target is a suitable threat that needs to be taken down quickly, focus fire can often be worth the reduced chance of success.
When in lair, use each lair ability on initiative 20: Use the eye ray to target a creature 180 feet away (60 from beholder + 120 from ray), use grasping appendages on the largest group of PCs that are within range, and the slime floor will usually be useless since a beholder's sanctum should all be difficult terrain but it must be used to refresh the other two.
Outside combat, Beholder lairs typically have a connecting access tunnel in the ceiling blocked by boulders or other natural feature/mortared closed that blends it in with the surrounding ceiling. These tunnels allow the Beholder access to any room in its dungeon, and are a confusing maze to deter any exploration. If the PCs attempt to long rest or set up a barricade, the Beholder can use these tunnels to gain access to the room and disrupt the PC's plans using its Antimagic Cone and Disintegration Ray, such as dispelling a Leomund's Tiny Hut. The Beholder will avoid combat outside its inner sanctum, instead summoning its minions and retreating back to its lair, and any wounds it sustains during such an outing can be healed by the potions of healing in its hoard. There are also small arrow slits along these tunnels above the rooms that the Beholder can shoot from to receive 3/4 cover.
Their sanctums are generally only accessible via vertical shaft with the room below being trapped/hazardous. The sanctum will be covered in difficult terrain and have escape tunnels on the ceiling blocked by boulders that switches direction between horizontal/vertical every 50 feet. When reduced below 1/2 the beholder will use one of these tunnels, taking cover behind the nearest curve to shoot at pursuing PCs. Each vertical tunnel has a falling block trap that the beholder can trigger to drop on PCs. These tunnels also branch off to previous rooms of the dungeon, as mentioned above. The beholder will typically know the PCs are coming, so hide and attempt to get a surprise round once they're within 120 feet. If the beholder is forced to escape its sanctum, it will attempt to rally minions and reclaim its lair as soon as possible.
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