The article also goes on to provide a new description of the center eye and its anti-magic ray. Characters can now see the ray, as it gives off a dull grey light, and more importantly, we now know that the anti-magic ray extends 140 ft. from the middle eye in a cone shape. The Beholder will focus this ray on one target at a time and is intelligent enough to look for spellcaster or, failing that, will target a creature wearing little to no armor as experience has taught them magic-users can’t wear armor and cast their spells. 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.

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. The anti-magic ray, projected from it’s central and large eye, is a continuous beam and has a range of 60 feet. If the Beholder sees someone getting ready to cast a spell, it will turn towards that individual to disrupt the spell, though it’s small eyes can not shoot their rays at that person as the anti-magic ray also disrupts their abilities. Another issue for the Beholder is that it cannot turn its main eye up or down as the description states that the ray cannot be aimed above or below the Beholder. Petrifying Ray: Ranged 10; +22 vs Fortitude; the target is slowed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is immobilized instead of slowed (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target is petrified (no save). Jumping over to the Spelljammerssetting, we are introduced to the Hive Mother and the Orbi, both of whom are critical to the Beholder’s ability to travel through the void of space. The Orbus Beholders, known as Orbi, are strange white spheres that many assume to be stunted Beholders. They have no functional eyes, an oversized central eye that is milky white, and a small mouth void of teeth. The Orbi are incredibly weak compared to common Beholders, though it is the Orbi that allows the Beholder race to travel through space. The Orbi are the conduit through which the energy of the other Beholders on the ship passes through, channeling the energy into a force that can move the ship through the void, they are an organic spelljammer helm. These Orbi will always be in the deepest, most protected parts of their spelljammer ships with the Hive Mother. As with all the Beholders, it is the eye rays that make the creature so interesting. In this edition, it can fire off 1d4 eyes per round. The eye rays are as follows:Slowing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target's speed is halved for1 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. The Lensmen have a starfish-like, almost humanoid, body with five limbs and it’s main eye and mouth on the ‘chest’ of this creature. Four of its limbs have hands at the end of them, while the fifth is a long tentacle. It uses these hands to wield weapons, preferably some type of polearm, and they are used for cannon fodder and labor. The middle eye will have only one of the following abilities: emotion, heal, dispel magic, tongues, phantasmal force or protections. Overseers are one of the strangest variations of the Beholder and they take on the appearance of giant trees with thirteen eyestalks that appear to be branches, three mouths that wrap around the main body, and eight thorn-covered limbs used to hold tools or strike out with. These Beholders are second only to the Hive Mother in the Beholder hierarchy and their eyestalk powers are: Cone of Cold, Dispel Magic, Paralysis, Chain Lightning, Telekinesis, Emotion, Mass Charm, Domination, Mass Suggestion, Major Creation, Spell Turning, Serten’s Spell Immunity,and Temporal Stasis. Death Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies ifthe ray reduces it to 0 hit points.

Disintegrate Ray: Ranged 10; +22 vs Fortitude; 2d10+9 damage, and the ongoing 2d20 damage (save ends). Aftereffect: Ongoing 2d6 damage (save ends).But, groups of Beholders aren’t restricted to just a few friendly acquaintances, but also to entire cities that are overseen by either the Overseer or the Hive Mother. These Beholders are watched over and pretty much forced to work together by the magic of the other two Beholders, and they always have a set purpose. Typically, it’s too destroy the world, but it could also be a focus on going out into the spelljammer space or constructing a new magical artifact for the Great Mother. The Overseer, the strange Beholder that looks more like a tree, can only control about a dozen Beholders while the Hive Mother can control pretty much as many she wants, including individual Overseers that can then control more Beholders for her. The Hive Mothers ensure that the Beholders don’t end up murdering each other in her hive, but instead makes them paranoid about other hives and their Hive Mothers, often creating overly complicated battle strategies to kill off other hives. 4e - Beholder Eye Tyrant Death Ray (Necrotic): Ranged 10; +22 vs Fortitude; 1d8+9 necrotic damage, and if the target is bloodied it is dazed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is dazed and weakened (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target dies. Beholders, due to just how massively intelligent they are, are always forming plans and many have found their home below a city where it can control the city using its minions and servants. A Beholder might become a crime lord, using its evil tendencies to create massive amounts of wealth that it can gain power with or it might get involved in politics using its minions to help keep the laws the same in a city for whatever insane plan it has coming up in the world. Beholders have a plan for every eventuality and many claim that a Beholder can never be surprised as it has a plan for anything you could be thinking of, and we know what weird shit you could be thinking of! Withering Ray (Necrotic): Ranged 10; +22 vs Fortitude; 1d8+9 damage, and ongoing 10 necrotic damage (save ends). 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.

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. 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 rest.oration spell or other magic. Eyes of the Beholder aura 5; at the start of each enemy’s turn, if that creature is within the aura and the eye tyrant’s and line of sight, the eye tyrant uses one one random eye ray power against that creatureFear 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. 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. 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.

Central Eye (minor; at will) Ranged 20; +25 vs Will: the target is dazed until the end of the beholder’s next turn. Not only does it have more health and a better AC, but it can also only be hurt by magical weapons of +2 or better, has all the normal undead immunities, and its main body will regenerate 3 hit points per round. If that isn’t enough, it can change into gaseous form at will and if it is dropped to 0 hit points, it is forced to assume a gaseous form and can not regenerate hit points. If it is forced to take this form due to dropping to 0 hit points, it will hide in complete darkness, and the Undead Beholder keeps many places permanently dark inside of its lair for this purpose, once it is in darkness it can start to regenerate after an hour. There actually is no mention of completely destroying this Undead Beholder, you just have to keep dropping it to 0 hit points and hope you can get in and out inside of an hour. With over 20 variants of the Beholder throughout the editions, the floating eyeball of doom brings with it a long and storied history. From the giant Elder Orb, a massive Beholder skilled in the art of arcane magic, to the Doomsphere, an undead beholder created from the energy of powerful explosions to many other strange forms. The Beholder has a wealth of information and history behind it, and this is going to be a deep and long look into their history. OD&D - Beholder Legendary Actions. The beholder can take 3 legendary actions, using the Eye Ray option below. It can take only one legendary action 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. In the Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s Companion: Book 2( 1984) the Beholder is reintroduced and given a greater description about its abilities and life compared to the previous Monster Manualentries, though the best part about it is that they no longer look like a sad balloon or a weird insect, now they look fearsome and ready to kill. There are a variety of clarifications and simplifications in this new version of the Beholder, ranging from them traveling with their young babies for a year to how far each eye ray’s range is.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: 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. The first variant we are introduced to is the Eye of the Flame and is a small Beholder with the strange ability of lighting people on fire. Its main eye causes a target to become susceptible to fire, then it uses one of its eyestalks to shoot fire, lighting you are on fire. If that isn’t enough, it has two more rays at its disposal, telekinesis,and fear. This Beholder is the lowest on the food chain for its kind and has grown accustomed to working for other Beholders, even if it doesn’t like it.