Beholder
Large aberration- Challenge
- STR
- 0
- DEX
- 2
- CON
- 4
- INT
- 3
- WIS
- 2
- CHA
- 3
- Soak
- 2
- Fort
- +6
- Ref
- +3
- Will
- +7
Antimagic Cone. The beholder’s opened eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the antimagic sphere spell augmented to antimagic field, in a 10-meter cone. At the start of each of its turns, the beholder decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. The cone doesn’t function while the beholder’s eye is closed or while the beholder is blinded. The area works against the beholder’s own features and spells.
Spellcasting. The beholder uses Psionics (int) to cast spells (spell save Difficulty 16, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It has 12 mana, a mana limit of 2, regains all expended mana when it finishes a long rest, and regains half its total mana when it finishes a short rest. It knows the following spells:
1 mana: agonizing rebuke, call to mind, mind over body, mind trap, nondetection, psychic fortress, thought shield
2 mana: stasis
Actions (2)
Bite (1/turn). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Eye Rays (1/turn). The beholder shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three creatures it can see within 20 meters of it:
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Charm Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Will saving throw or be charmed by the beholder for 1 hour, or until the beholder attacks, damages, or attempts to negatively effect the charmed creature in any way.
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Paralyzing Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Fortitude saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
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Fear Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Will saving throw or be frightened by the beholder for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
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Slowing Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Will saving throw. On a failure, the creature is staggered and its speed is halved for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
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Enervation Ray. The creature must make a Difficulty 16 Fortitude saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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Telekinetic Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Reflex saving throw or the beholder moves it up to 5 meters 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 150 kilos or less that isn’t being worn or carried, it is moved up to 5 meters 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.
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Sleep Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Will saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The creature awakens if it takes damage or another creature uses an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs and undead.
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Petrification Ray. The creature must make a Difficulty 16 Fortitude saving throw. On a failure, 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 restoration spell augmented to greater restoration or other magic.
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Disintegration Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Reflex saving throw or take 54 (12d8) force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 health, 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 2-meter cube of it.
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Death Ray. The creature must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Reflex saving throw or take 54 (12d8) necrotic damage. The creature dies if the ray reduces it to 0 health.
Legendary actions (3)
Only one legendary option 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.
Lair actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the beholder takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the same effect can’t be used two rounds in a row:
A 10-meter square area of ground within 20 meters of the beholder becomes slimy; that area is difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.
Walls within 20 meters 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 2 meters of such a wall must succeed on a Difficulty 16 Reflex saving throw or be grappled. Escaping requires a successful Difficulty 16 Brawn or Nimbleness check.
An eye opens on a solid surface within 10 meters 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.
Regional effects
The region containing the beholder’s lair is warped by the beholder’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
Creatures within 2 kilometers 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 2 kilometers 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.
Spells
As a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less or take psychic damage, you absorb some of the incoming energy. You have resistance to psychic damage until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering damage. If the creature who damaged you is within 10 meters, it must make a Will saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 1d4 psychic damage and is staggered until the end of its next turn.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
Augment
You can increase the damage by 3d4 for each additional mana expended.
As a reaction, which you use when you use an skill check using Intelligence to do one of the following:
- Recall knowledge
- Identify an alchemical concoction
- Identify a herb, poison, or potion
- Identify a concoction or spell
- Identify a magic or technological item
- Diagnose illness
- Understand the gist of a language
- Communicate in a language
You can recall natural memories and knowledge previously inaccessible to you. You can reroll the Intelligence check.
As a reaction, which you use when you make a skill check using Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution or you make a Fortitude or Reflex saving throw, you can focus your mind to overcome your body’s limitations. You make the roll with advantage. You can do so after the roll but before any effects of the roll occur.
If the roll already has advantage or disadvantage, you cannot apply another instance of advantage or disadvantage and you must use this before the roll to cancel out any advantage or disadvantage.
1 hour/mana
As an action, you set a trap in your mind against mental intruders. A creature who targets you with a spell or effect that would sense your emotions, read your thoughts, charm you, or force you to make a Will saving throw must make a Will saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 3d10 psychic damage and loses 1d6 mana if it has any mana.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
The spell ends if you dismiss it on your turn (no action required) or if you cast it again.
Augment
You can increase the damage by 3d10 for each additional mana expended.
3 hours/mana
As an action, you hide yourself from divination magic. You can’t be targeted by any divination magic, perceived through magical scrying sensors, or detected by any locate spell.
Augment
You can expend 1 additional mana to hide two targets that you touch from divination magic. A target can be a willing creature or a place or an object no larger than 2 meters in any dimension. You can target one additional target for each additional mana expended.
Sequester. You can expend 1 additional mana and consume powder composed of diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire dust worth 5,000 sp to hide the target creature or object until the spell is dispelled. When you cast the spell and touch the target, it also becomes invisible.
If the target is a creature, it falls into a state of suspended animation. Time ceases to flow for it, and it doesn’t grow older.
You can set a condition for the spell to end early. The condition can be anything you choose, but it must occur or be visible within 2 kilometers of the target. Examples include “after 1,000 years” or “when the tarrasque awakens.” This spell also ends if the target takes any damage.
1 hour/mana
As an action, you have resistance to psychic damage for the duration.
Augment
You can target one additional willing creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.
You can expend 1 additional mana so you have advantage on Will saving throws.
Mind Blank. You can expend 1 additional mana so the creature is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts and divination spells. The spell even foils miracle or wish spells and spells or effects of similar power used to affect the target’s mind or to gain information about the target.
Immunity. You can expend 2 additional mana so the creature is immune to psychic damage.
As a reaction, which you use when you make a Will saving throw, you fortify your mind against intrusions. You make the roll with advantage. You can do so after the roll but before any effects of the roll occur.
If the roll already has advantage or disadvantage, you cannot apply another instance of advantage or disadvantage and you must use this before the roll to cancel out any advantage or disadvantage.
Augment
You can expend 2 additional mana to trigger the spell when you or one of your allies within 2 meters of you makes a Will saving throw. Until the start of your next turn, you and all allies within 2 meters of you have advantage on Will saving throws.
As two actions, you freeze a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw.
On a failure, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.
Augment
You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.
You can expend 2 additional mana so the duration changes to 1 minute/mana, concentration and the creature is stunned for the duration. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
You can expend 1 additional mana so the creature is paralyzed instead of stunned.