-
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness
Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Common
([Dungeon Level X])
NO. APPEARING: 1 <(+ gargoyles,
perhaps, if in lair : D76)>
ARMOR CLASS:
| Dice | Location | AC | HP |
| 01-75 | body | 0 | 2/3 of total |
| 76-85 | central eye | 7 | 1/3 of total |
| 86-95 | eyestalks | 7 | 8-12 (d5+7) |
| 96-00 | small eyes | 2 | 1<> |
MOVE: 3" <(susceptible to high winds
: D76)>
HIT DICE: 45-75 hit points <(44 + d20
+ d12-1 : garkhal)>
IN LAIR: 80% <(+ gargoyles? : D76)>
(1 Beholder: marsh, TPL49:7th, REF4.47)
TREASURE TYPE: [I], [S], [T]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 10(HD=45+) / 9 (hp=54+)
/ 8(HD=63+) / 7(HD=72+)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 <(bite)>
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magic
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Anti-magic
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Special
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil <(hateful,
aggressive, avaricious)>
SIZE: L (4'-6' dia.)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: X | 12,900 + 20
The beholder (eye
tyrant,
sphere of many eyes) is most frequently found
underground, <note1:
theory> <note2: is that the best way
to do the alternate names?>
although it infrequently will lair in
desolate wildernesses.
The globular body of this monster
is supported by levitation,
and it floats slowly about as it wills.
Atop the sphere are 10 eyestalks,
while in its central AREA are a great
eleventh <11th> eye and a large mouth filled with pointed teeth.
The body is protected by a hard chitinous
covering.
The creature's eyestalks and eyes are
also protected,
although less well (thus the armor classes
of 2 and 7 respectively).
Because of its particular nature the beholder
is able to withstand the loss of its eyestalks,
these members are not computed as part
of its hit point damage potential,
and lost eyestalks will eventually grow
back (1 week per lost member).
The body of the monster can withstand
two-thirds of its total damage potential,
while the great central eye can withstand
one-third this total,
i.e. a beholder with 45 HP can withstand
30 hit points of damage to its body before being killed;
the eleventh eye can withstand 15 points
before ceasing to function.
Eyestalks take from 8 to 12 HP
each before being lost.
The body of a beholder represents 75% of
potential hit area,
the central eye and the eyestalks 10%
each,
and the 10 small eyes 5%.
Eyes: The various eyes of a beholder
each have a different function.
Typically only the central eye, plus 1-4
of those on stalks are able to
function considering that the attack is
coming from an arc 90' before the
monster. If attacks come from 180º
double the number of eyestalks able to
function, and for 270º or 360º
triple or quadruple the number. Attacks from
above enable all 10 eyestalks to function,
but the central eye cannot.
Functions of the eyes are:
| 1 | Charm person spell |
| 2 | Charm monster spell |
| 3 | Sleep spell |
| 4 | Telekinese 250# |
| 5 | Flesh-stone ray (3" range) |
| 6 | Disintegrate ray (2"range |
| 7 | Fear (as a wand) |
| 8 | Slow spell |
| 9 | Cause serious wound (5"range) |
| 10 | Death ray (4"range)
<as death spell?> |
| <C> | Anti-magic ray (14" range)
<(as anti-magic shell), cone> <just map out the area of effect> |
Q: What does the beholder's
antimagic
ray do?
A: It functions as
an anti-magic shell in ray
form. That is, all magic,
from spells or
magical items, ceases to
function while
within the ray.
(142.10)
Q. What exactly does
a beholder's anti-magick
ray do?
A. The anti-magick
ray of the beholder's
11th, central eye is listed
as
having a 14" range in the
Monster Manual --
its effects are
not given.
The
Ecology of the Beholder in
DRAGON magazine 76 suggested
that the ray only cancels
spells &
spell-like powers -- thus
a wizard
cannot CAST spells or USE
a wand of fireballs
while in the beam, but a
fighter using a longsword
+1 is
unaffected. This interpretation
makes
the eye very powerful.
The other
possibility makes the beholder
a really fearsome creature
--
as if it wasn't bad enough
already --
the ray cancels all magick
within its
beam, spells, spell-like
powers,
magickal bonuses on armour
and
weapons etc.
(Imagine #15)
<numbers could be colored>
Nature: The beholder is hateful,
aggressive, and avaricious.
They will usually attack immediately.
If confronted by a particularly powerful
party there is a 50% chance they will listen to negotiations --
either to be bribed not to attack or to
pay o ransom to not be attacked,
depending on the strength of the opposing
party.
They can speak their own language as well
as that tongue known to lawful evil creatures.
by Theron (Terry Kuntz)
Beholder, Red
+
Beholder, Water
+
Death Kiss & Spectator?
galvanize
I fear that all but the
lizardmen are unique to the AD&D game and can not be properly
replicated, as is true of the owlbear. 
Blame me for that, even
though Terry Kuntz conceived the original model for the beholder
Lizardmen are in the Manamilia category and likely covered by the Travail therein.
Cheers,
Gary
Calithena wrote:
...
2) Where did the idea for
Beholders originally come from?
The beholder was the conception
of Terry (Theron) Kuntz, Rob's brother.
I simply developed and polished
it.
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally posted by clockworkjoe
threemore questions: Which
monster from d&d beside dragons and the various infernal species are
your players scared of the most?
What was doing the cameo on futurama like?
And where did the beholder
come from?
When it comes to the relative
degree of fear amongst players caused by monsters, that depends on the
expertise of the players, the level of the PCs, and the situation.
As I have mentioned, I have
made a goodly number of players with low level PCs fear and respect the
kobolds in my uppermost dungeon level.
Usually, though, the unidentified
monster(s), undead when there is no cleric in the group, or NACs are the
banes that cause nervous responses.
Fact is, when I was playing a PC a couple of years back we encountered a wind walker, and my 19th level m-u was not prepared for that, couldn't recall the means of dealing with that critter, and I was not exactly comfortable with the situation
In the FUTURAMA show episode I appeared in cartoon illustrated likeness, with my voice. I was part of a team led by Al Gore, and with me were Stephen Hawking and Nichelle Nichols. I can't really describe it adaquately, so you need to see it.
The beholder was the original conception of Terry Kuntz, Rob's brother, a regular in the early days of my campaign. I developed it a bit, but it's essentially his work
Cheerio,
Gary
Beholder--Terry Kuntz dreamed
up this sweet little critter.
Quote:
Originally posted by
slaughterj
Quick question(s) for double
G:
What was the origin of the
beholder? Any basis in mythology, etc.? Nothing more than a beast made
from the saying "in the eye of the beholder..."?
Heh!
I can't take credit for the critter in question, as great a monster as it is. Terry Kuntz came up with the beholder after he had been playing in my campaign for about two months. Where he got the idea I have no ides, but I latched onto it immediately, and with his kind permission made it an integral creature in the D&D roster of ugly customers to encounter :rolleyes:
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gez
Of the Origin of Species...
I thought it had been asked previously, but haven't found it in the archive.
What's the origin of the beholder?
Howdy Gez,
I do believe that the question has been asked and answered previously, but it's not a problem to respond again.
Terry Kuntz, one of Rob's
brothers, came up with the beholder back in 1974.
All I needed to do was a
bit of editing to make it a great addition to the terrible monsters to
be found in the D&D game.
Happy New Year,
Gary
