Beholderkin
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.
Jump to: Beholder | Death Tyrant | Spectator | Death Kiss | Gauth | Gazer
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 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. 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.
Environment
Underdark
Beholder
Beholder
Large aberration, lawful evil
- Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 180 (19d10 + 76)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 17 (+3)
- Proficiency Bonus +5
- Saving Throws Int +8,Wis +7,Cha +8
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities
- Condition Immunities prone
- Skills Perception +12
- Senses darkvision 120 ft.,passive Perception 22
- Languages Deep Speech,Undercommon
- Challenge 13
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Eye Ray. The beholder uses one random eye ray.
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.
If the beholder dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
Death Tyrant
On rare occasions, a beholder's sleeping mind imagines a reality in which it exists beyond death. When such dreams take hold, a beholder can transform, its flesh sloughing away to leave a death tyrant behind. This monster possesses the cunning and much of the magic it had in life, but it is fueled by the power of undeath.
A death tyrant appears as a massive, naked skull, with a pinpoint of red light gleaming in its hollow eye socket. With its eyestalks rotted away, ten spectral eyes hover above the creature and glare in all directions.
Deathly Despot. As they did when they were beholders, death tyrants lord their power over other creatures. Moreover, a beholder's ability to quash magical energy with its central eye gives way to a more sinister power in a death tyrant, which can transform former slaves and enemies into undead servants.
Zombies created by a death tyrant are used and discarded as needed. They stand guard at the entrances to the death tyrant's lair or guard its treasure vaults. Acting as bait for traps or as combat fodder, zombies keep powerful enemies distracted while the death tyrant moves into position and prepares to destroy them.
Armies of the Dead. A death tyrant that embraces undeath becomes an engine of destruction. Driven by a hunger for power and security, it advances against humanoid settlements, using its eye rays to destroy every creature it encounters, then building an army of undead. If left unchecked, a death tyrant might wipe out the population of a city in weeks, then set its undead eye on wider conquest. As each settlement falls, the death tyrant's zombie forces build to overwhelming numbers.
Undead Nature. A death tyrant doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Death Tyrant
Large undead, lawful evil
- Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 187 (25d10 + 50)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 19 (+4) 15 (+2) 19 (+4)
- Proficiency Bonus +5
- Saving Throws Str +5,Con +7,Int +9,Wis +7,Cha +9
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities charmed,exhaustion,paralyzed,petrified,poisoned,prone
- Skills Perception +12
- Senses darkvision 120 ft.,passive Perception 22
- Languages Deep Speech,Undercommon
- Challenge 14
Negative Energy Cone. The death tyrant's central eye emits an invisible, magical 150-foot cone of negative energy. At the start of each of its turns, the tyrant decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active.
Any creature in that area can't regain hit points. Any humanoid that dies there becomes a zombie under the tyrant's command. The dead humanoid retains its place in the initiative order and animates at the start of its next turn, provided that its body hasn't been completely destroyed.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Eye Rays. The death tyrant 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:
Charm Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the death tyrant for 1 hour, or until the beholder harms the creature.
Paralyzing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 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.
Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 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.
Slowing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 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.
Enervation Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 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.
Sleep Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 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.
Petrification Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 17 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.
Disintegration Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 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.
Death Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.
Legendary Actions
The death tyrant 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 tyrant regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Eye Ray. The death tyrant uses one random eye ray.
A Death Tyrant's Lair
A death tyrant's lair is usually the same site it held as a beholder, but it contains more trappings of death and decay. A death tyrant encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 15 (13,000 XP).
Lair Actions
When fighting inside its lair, a death tyrant can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the death tyrant can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- An area that is a 50-foot cube within 120 feet of the tyrant is filled with spectral eyes and tentacles. To creatures other than the death tyrant, that area is lightly obscured and difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Walls sprout spectral appendages until initiative count 20 on the round after next. Any creature, including one on the Ethereal Plane, that is hostile to the tyrant and starts its turn within 10 feet of a wall must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled. Escaping requires a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
- A spectral eye opens in the air at a point within 50 feet of the tyrant. One random eye ray of the tyrant shoots from that eye, which is considered to be an ethereal source, at a target of the tyrant's choice. The eye then closes and disappears.
The death tyrant can't repeat an effect until all three have been used, and it can't use the same effect on consecutive rounds.
Regional Effects
A region containing a death tyrant'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 tyrant's lair sometimes feel as if they're being watched even when they aren't.
- When a creature hostile to the tyrant and aware of its existence finishes a long rest within 1 mile of the tyrant's lair, roll a d20 for that creature. On a roll of 10 or lower, the creature is subjected to one random eye ray of the tyrant.
If the death tyrant dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
Spectator
A spectator is a lesser beholder that is summoned from another plane of existence by a magical ritual, the components of which include four beholder eyestalks that are consumed by the ritual's magic. Appropriately, a spectator has four eyestalks, two on each side of the wide eye at the center of its four-foot diameter body.
Magical Guardians. A summoned spectator guards a location or a treasure of its summoner's choice for 101 years, allowing no creature but its summoner to enter the area or access the item, unless the summoner instructed otherwise. If the item is stolen or destroyed before the years have all passed, a summoned spectator vanishes. It otherwise never abandons its post.
Erratic Servants. Though it can speak, a spectator communicates primarily by way of telepathy. It is civil while on guard, openly discussing its orders and its summoner. However, even a brief conversation with a spectator is enough to reveal quirks in its personality brought on by its years of isolation. It might invent imaginary enemies, refer to itself in the third person, or try to adopt the voice of its summoner.
Like any beholder, a spectator views itself as the epitome of its kind, and it has an intense hatred of other spectators. If two spectators encounter one another, they almost always fight to the death.
Freed from Service. When a spectator has fulfilled its service, it is free to do as it pleases. Many take up residence in the places they previously guarded, especially if their summoners have died. With the spectator's loss of purpose, the quirks it displayed during its servitude flourish.
Spectator
Medium aberration, lawful neutral
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0)
- Proficiency Bonus +2
- Saving Throws
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities
- Condition Immunities prone
- Skills Perception +6
- Senses darkvision 120 ft.,passive Perception 16
- Languages Deep Speech,Undercommon,telepathy 120 ft.
- Challenge 3
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 − 1) piercing damage.
Eye Rays. The spectator shoots up to two of the following magical eye rays at one or two creatures it can see within 90 feet of it. It can use each ray only once on a turn.
Confusion Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, or it can't take reactions until the end of its next turn. On its turn, the target can't move, and it uses its action to make a melee or ranged attack against a randomly determined creature within range. If the target can't attack, it does nothing on its turn.
Paralyzing Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 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.
Fear Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the spectator is visible to the target, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Wounding Ray. The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Create Food and Water. The spectator magically creates enough food and water to sustain itself for 24 hours.
Reactions
Spell Reflection. If the spectator makes a successful saving throw against a spell, or a spell attack misses it, the spectator can choose another creature (including the spellcaster) it can see within 30 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the spectator. If the spell forced a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save. If the spell was an attack, the attack roll is rerolled against the chosen creature.
Death Kiss
A death kiss is a lesser beholder that can come into being when a true beholder has a vivid nightmare about losing blood. Its coloration and shape resemble those of the beholder that dreamed it into existence, but its hue is more muted, and instead of magical eye rays, it has ten long tentacles, each ending in a mouth full of teeth. It can speak through any of its tentacle-maws in a high-pitched, nasal voice.
Death kisses fear true beholders, which can easily kill or subdue them. Lacking the egotism of their stronger kin, a death kiss usually submits to the rule of its creator or any other beholder it encounters, but it tries to escape as soon as the beholder is preoccupied.
A death kiss consumes ingested blood, which it also uses to heal and generate electrical energy inside its body. Terrified of dying from starvation, it obsessively drains even little creatures such as rats, leaving behind a trail of bloodless corpses. When underground, it uses its tentacles as feelers, prodding and examining the environment in all directions. Above ground, it usually keeps its tentacles retracted when on the hunt, then lashes out with them to catch opponents off guard.
A death kiss lacks the combat finesse and intelligence of a true beholder. In most cases, it simply latches on to its prey with one or more of its tentacles and drains blood until the prey collapses. If it's in a superior position and its foe poses no threat, it might toy with its food, drawing out its prey's death.
A death kiss prefers to hunt alone. If it meets another of its kind, it might fight, flee, or team up, depending on its health and pride.
Death Kiss
Large aberration (Beholder), Typically Neutral Evil
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)
- Proficiency Bonus +4
- Saving Throws Con +8,Wis +5
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities lightning
- Condition Immunities prone
- Skills Perception +5
- Senses darkvision 120 ft.,passive Perception 15
- Languages Deep Speech,Undercommon
- Challenge 10
Lightning Blood. A creature within 5 feet of the death kiss takes 5 (1d10) lightning damage whenever it hits the death kiss with a melee attack that deals piercing or slashing damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The death kiss makes three Tentacle attacks. Up to three of these attacks can be replaced by Blood Drain--one replacement per tentacle grappling a creature.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14) if it is a Huge or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the death kiss can't use the same tentacle on another target. The death kiss has ten tentacles.
Blood Drain. One creature grappled by a tentacle of the death kiss must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 22 (4d10) lightning damage, and the death kiss regains half as many hit points.
Gauth
A gauth is a hungry, tyrannical beholder-like creature that eats magic and tries to exact tribute from anything weaker than itself. Its body is about 4 feet in diameter, with six eyestalks, a central eye (sometimes surrounded by multiple smaller eyes), and four small grasping tentacles near its mouth. It has color and texture variations similar to a true beholder.
Magical Metabolism. A gauth can survive on meat but prefers to sustain itself with power drained from magic objects. If starved of magic for several weeks, it is forced back to its home plane, so it constantly seeks new items to drain. A gauth might employ creatures to serve it by bringing it items that provide it with sustenance.
Accidental Summoning. When the ritual to summon a spectator goes wrong, a gauth might push itself through the flawed connection, arriving immediately or several minutes later. It might present itself as a beholder to ignorant creatures in an attempt to intimidate them, or as a spectator to its summoner in order to drain magic items it is expected to guard.
Inferior Tyrant. A beholder usually drives away or kills any gauths that enter its territory, but it might choose to enslave them and use them as lieutenants. Gauths are less xenophobic than beholders, so they might form small clusters and work together, though they're just as likely to ignore each other entirely.
Gauth
A gauth is a hungry, tyrannical creature similar to a beholder that eats magic and tries to exact tribute from anything weaker than itself. Its body is about 4 feet in diameter, with six eyestalks, a central eye (sometimes surrounded by multiple smaller eyes), and four small grasping tentacles near its mouth. It has color and texture variations similar to a true beholder.
A gauth can survive on meat but prefers to sustain itself with power drained from magic objects. If starved of magic for several weeks, it is forced back to its home plane, so it constantly seeks new items to drain. A gauth might employ creatures to bring it items that can provide it with sustenance.
When the ritual to summon a spectator goes wrong, a gauth might push itself through the flawed connection, arriving immediately or several minutes later. It might present itself as a beholder to ignorant creatures in an attempt to intimidate them, or as a spectator to its summoner in order to drain magic items it is expected to guard.
A beholder usually drives away or kills any gauths that enter its territory, but it might choose to force them to serve it as lieutenants. Gauths are less xenophobic than beholders, so they might form small clusters and work together, though they're just as likely to ignore each other entirely.
Gauth
Medium aberration (Beholder), Typically Lawful Evil
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1)
- Proficiency Bonus +3
- Saving Throws Int +5,Wis +5,Cha +4
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities
- Condition Immunities prone
- Skills Perception +5
- Senses darkvision 120 ft.,passive Perception 15
- Languages Deep Speech,Undercommon
- Challenge 6
Stunning Gaze. When a creature that can see the gauth's central eye starts its turn within 30 feet of the gauth, the gauth can force it to make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw if the gauth isn't incapacitated and can see the creature. A creature that fails the save is stunned until the start of its next turn.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes at the start of its turn to avoid the saving throw. If the creature does so, it can't see the gauth until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the gauth in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
Death Throes. When the gauth dies, the magical energy within it explodes, and each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (3d8) force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) piercing damage.
Eye Rays. The gauth shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (roll three d6s, and reroll duplicates), targeting one to three creatures it can see within 120 feet of it:
Devour Magic Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or have one of its magic items lose all magical properties until the start of the gauth's next turn. If the object is a charged item, it also loses 1d4 charges. Determine the affected item randomly, ignoring single-use items such as potions and scrolls.
Enervation Ray. The target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Fire Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10) fire damage.
Paralyzing Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 14 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.
Pushing Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away from the gauth and have its speed halved until the start of the gauth's next turn.
Sleep Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 14 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.
Gazer
A gazer is a tiny manifestation of a beholder's dreams. It resembles the beholder who dreamed it into existence, but its body is only 8 inches wide, and it has only four eyestalks. It follows its creator like a devoted, aggressive puppy, and sometimes small packs of these creatures patrol their master's lair for vermin to kill and lone creatures to harass.
Nuisance Pet. A gazer can't speak any languages but can approximate mimicking words and sentences in a high-pitched, mocking manner. Beholders find gazers amusing and tolerate their presence like spoiled pets. A gazer can't be tamed by anyone but its creator, except through the use of magic or by bonding with a spellcaster (see sidebar). Some beholders with wizard minions insist they take a gazer as a familiar because they can see through the eyes of these creatures.
Aggressive Vermin-Eater. A wild gazer (one living separately from a beholder) is territorial, eats bugs and small animals, and is known for playing with its food. A lone gazer avoids picking fights with creatures that are Medium or larger, but a pack of them might take on larger prey. A gazer might follow humanoids in its territory, noisily mimicking their speech and generally being a nuisance, until they leave the area, but it flees if confronted by something it can't kill.
VARIANT: GAZER FAMILIAR. Spellcasters who are interested in unusual familiars find that gazers are eager to serve someone who has magical power, especially those who make a point of bullying and harassing others. The gazer behaves aggressively toward creatures smaller than itself, and it tends to randomly attack house pets, farm animals, and even children in town unless its master is very strict. A gazer serving as a familiar has the following trait:
Familiar. The gazer can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a telepathic bond with its willing master, provided that the master is at least a 3rd-level spellcaster. While the two are bonded, the master can sense what the gazer senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. If its master causes it physical harm, the gazer will end its service as a familiar, breaking the telepathic bond.
Gazer
Tiny aberration (Beholder), Typically Neutral Evil
- Armor Class 13
- Hit Points 13 (3d4 + 6)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 3 (-4) 10 (+0) 7 (-2)
- Proficiency Bonus +2
- Saving Throws Wis +2
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities
- Condition Immunities prone
- Skills Perception +4,Stealth +5
- Senses darkvision 60 ft.,passive Perception 14
- Languages --
- Challenge 1/2
Mimicry. The gazer can mimic simple sounds of speech it has heard, in any language. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Eye Rays. The gazer shoots two of the following magical eye rays at random (roll two d4s, and reroll duplicates), choosing one or two targets it can see within 60 feet of it:
Dazing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the start of the gazer's next turn. While the target is charmed in this way, its speed is halved, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls.
Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of the gazer's next turn.
Frost Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) cold damage.
Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature that is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be moved up to 30 feet directly away from the gazer. If the target is a Tiny object that isn't being worn or carried, the gazer moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. The gazer can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a container.
Bonus Actions
Aggressive. The gazer moves up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.