A while ago, dndtuber Runesmith uploaded a video containing 22 "new beholder ideas" he came up with after a livestream with his friends. On this post I've taken the few first of them and given them some more developed lore and unique traits. Please share your thoughts on the comments down below!
Feeblemind Aura. Any creatures standing up to 30 ft. next to thrower must suceed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or have its Intelligence reduced to half its current score
rounded down until it leaves the area or the thrower dies. The creature cannot cast spells if they are able or concetrate while affected an the only action they can take is the
the Attack action on their turn. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the beggining of each of their turns if able.
Actions
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Up to three medium creatures can be grappled on one tentacle of the thrower. The thrower gains 1 additional hit die for each creature it has grappled on a tentacle while taking this action. Grappled creatures take 7 (2d6) bluedgeoning damage for each attack the thrower makes with the tentacle they've been grappled on.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Throw. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 10/40 ft. The thrower uses up up to three objects or creatures it has grappled on one of its 4 tentacles. It can choose to throw all, one or two of the grappled targets. Creatures on the target space must suceed on a Dexterity saving throw or be dealt 11 (1d12+4) bludgeoning damage. If a creature was thrown, it takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 ft. it was thrown once it lands.
Description
A beholder's intellect is one of their most prized possessions, so much many will constantly boast about how superior their minds are. Coming from them, it's likely product of a severe internal insecurity that manifests itself some times into a dream where they're as lowly and insignificant as a mouse. The byproduct of this experience is an aberration whose mind reflects its creator's true opinion about themselves. In other words, ignorant and savage.
The Eyesore of the Eyes. A thrower's physiognomy is that of a bloated, fleshy ball of skin and hair with a wide range of tones, similar to those found on the humanoids present on the thrower's original area. They have a pair of vertically aligned eyes over a spiked mouth protuding with saliva and crooked fangs. Four tentacles sprout out of these monsters like a spectator, yet they're longer and more flexible than the usual beholderkin eyestalk. Each end on three pseudofingers it uses to capture and hold anything that it desires. If you consider it even desires, that is.
Material Nature. Throwers have the most simplistic minds out of all beholderkin, only being interested on hunting, sleeping and breeding. Unlike most beholerkin, born out of magic or through another beholder's dreams, throwers are able to reproduce by encountering a partner, knowing their location via visions on their slumbers. Still, all throwers are sexless, and the exact ritual these monsters engage in to reproduce hasn't been documented by scholars... due to multiple reasons. As such, it's possible to find a thrower nest filled with tiny throwers secured by a greater parent. The good news is that throwers can be reasoned with, as long as you have enough meat to subdue its hunger.
Hurling Heads. While they lack the magical attributes often associated with their kin, they make do with raw strenght and the manouver they have come to be named after. The little of magic they have is contained in a constant aura they exhale that prevents nearby creatures from acting rationally, levelling the fighting field if the thrower were ever to encounter someone of higher intelligence than it. Which is often, nevertheless.
Mind's Abyss. The ponderer can recollect all knowdledge it had when it was a beholder and of the creatures it has absorbed. It gains advantage whenever it makes a Wisdom and Intelligence test.
Antiperception Cone.An area faced by the ponderer is affected by 50-foot magic cone. Creatures that start their turn within this area that the ponderer can see become unable to make Perception rolls for anything other than looking at the ponderer. Affected creatures fail their Perception rolls automatically within the area of the cone.
Actions
Gaze Of The Abyss. The ponderer firms its gaze upon a single creature it can see that's within its antiperception cone. It telepathically communicates with them in the creature's native tongue, tempting them with promises of occult lore and answers to all the questions they have. The creature must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom test or become charmed.
A creature charmed by the ponderer spends their turn in order to come closer to the ponderer's space, moving at their base speed. Once it reaches the ponderer's space, it takes 6d6 Necrotic damage and 1d6 Necrotic damage for each consecutive turn it remains on the ponderer's space.
If the necrotic damage dealt to a creature while it is within the ponderer's space reduces their hit points to zero, the creature is disintegrated and is absorbed within the ponderer.
The ponderer gains all knowledge and memories of the absorbed creature.
Description
When a beholder becomes obsessed with attaining wisdom in order to outsmart its rivals and foes, they isolate themselves from the world and fall into into their research without rest. Some times, they might uncover through their own, wretched but immense reasoning a secret no one was meant to know, or a piece of knowledge so alien it creates a rip in reality. Whatever it may be, this cognitohazard warps their bodies into floating orbs of swirling shadow called ponderers.
Pitch Darkness. A beholder that becomes a ponderer loses all of its defining characteristics and personality, apart of the color of their iris, now adorning the center of the ponderer's mass. These enigmatic aberrations spend their time silently navigating their old lairs, but often will leave them to explore the world outside. They do so not out of spreading what they know, but due to a necrotic hunger for feasting on a being's life and experiences. Because of their silent presence, the most eerie fact about ponderers is that they can live undecteted for years, slowling builing up its repertoire to the point it knows every nook and cranny of an entire society's day to day. No secrets hidden, no thoughts unheard.
Overlord of Nothing and Everything. The ultimate goal of a ponderer is to harvest the entire cosmos, suppressing existence into its bottomless abyss.
Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the peeping eye can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack:+5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Precarity Ray. The peeping eye shoots a lightning fast magical ray, choosing a creature's whole set of armor or shield that it can see within 60 ft. of it. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or have its armor or shield gain one stage of decay, getting covered in rust, mold, rot or other conditions.
On the beggining of the creature's turn, the targetted equipment gains one decay stage. On a decay stage of 3, the equipment is completely decayed and the creature wearing it loses the AC bonus provided by the equipment until the effect is removed or the peeping eye dies.
Any damage dealt to the decayed equipment destroys it. Equipments mostly composed of gold or other materials that never decay are unnafected by the ray.
Description
Alchemically crafted out of the remains of a gazer and a rust monster's antennae, peeping eyes are not real members of beholderkin, but in fact constructs linked to their creators, aiding them in whatever tasks they need, much like homemade familiars. Their one biggest use is as support units that break the enemy's protections, quickly moving through the battlefield hoping it can help as much as possible.
Loyal Things.Resembling small, one eyed orbs with fluffy, moth-like antennae with mostly orange bodies covered in green patches of corrugated, green skin, a peeping eye lives for its master and nothing else. It blindly follows any orders its master gives, even if it means they are going to die. An order that happens to harm the master itself, however, prooves to be too much for their little devoted minds, as such they collapse in their body, becoming alchemical puddles.
Energetic Servants. A peeping eye can be an awfully positive creature, disregarding any possible problems its master might be having and overly encouraging them and spouting random, gleeful nonsense. Some foul masters may even remove a peeping eye's ability to speak by force, forever traumatising the poor and making it question for once its complete loyalty.
...i'm not doing the creeper. Gas Spore already exists.
Gut Bullets. The ammunition fired by the sharpshooter's weapons is composed of magical compounds removed from its own flesh. Once per turn, the sharpshooter can fully reload any or all of its weapons by losing 1d10 hit points.
Bullseye. A creature that's within a straight line up to 100 ft. away from the sharpshooter that it can see has disadvatage on their AC roll against the sharpshooter's attacks.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6) bludgeoning damage and the target's speed is slowed by 1 feet.
Gunstalks. The sharpshooter shoots two of the following guns on their guns stalks at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to two targets it can see within 120 feet of it:
1- Shotgun.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30/90 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage and the creature is pushed the creature up to 10 ft. straight away from the sharpshooter if it is Large or smaller.
2- Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 40/20 ft., one target, reload 6. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage and the creature is pushed the creature has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of the sharpshooter's next turn.
3- Hand Mortar. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 50/200 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 15 (2d10+10) piercing damage and upon a hit, everything within 5 ft. of the target must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or suffer 2d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.
4- Hunting Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 80/240 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage and the creature has its Speed reduced by 10 ft. until the start of your next turn.
5-Volley Gun. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 20/60 ft., one target, reload 6. Hit: 6 (1d10) piercing damage and all creatures within a 20 ft. cone of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d10 piercing damage.
6- Dragon's Breath.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30/90 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage and 1d10 fire damage.
7- Harpoon Gun.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 45/60 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage and the creature is grappled. The sharpshooter can take and extra action to reel in the harpoon and bring the creature 10 ft. closer to it. Each consecutive turn the creature remains grappled, it gets reeled 10 ft. closer to the sharpshooter. On the beggining of each of their turns, the creature can atempt a DC 18 Strenght test to detach themselves from the harpoon.
8- Rocket Launcher. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 60/100 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 18 (4d8) piercing damage and the target is knocked prone.
9-Gatling Gun.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 60/180 ft., one target, reload 100. Hit: 22(4d10) piercing damage and all creatures within a 30 ft. line must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d10 piercing damage. This weapon fires 20 bullets each time it is used.
10- Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 100/300 ft., one target, reload 100. Hit: 44 (8d10) piercing damage and upon a hit, everything within 20 ft. of the target must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or suffer 4d8 thunder damage and are pushed up to 10 ft. away from the target.
Description
Having fully ditched all magic and unearthly powers, sharpshooters embraced the steel and gunpowder, making their names seen and heard all across the lands they decide to dominate with their metallic, semi organics guns. Often more social than other beholderkin, sharpshooters lead over guilds of thieves, gunslingers and mercenaries, presiding over all with an iron fist. Their mutation was born out of a fascination the first beholders who discovered firearms had; the power one could hold with a weapon like this would be unimaginable. As such they gave up on all eyes but one, annexing into their bodies all manner of steel and fire, dressing themselves sharply on leather jackets and cowboy hats.
Untamable Spirits. No beholder enjoys life like a sharpshooter, constantly stepping on others, killing with its bullets for sadistic pleasure and utter control over a town's life and economy, Any threat to that status quo is a threat to the sharpshooter, who'll do anything it takes to sustain its grip on its domain.
Weird Biology.Sharpshooters are part metal part flesh. One can often seen the sharpshooter leaking oil from its mouth or even burn red from inside. To add, they seemingly only need gunpower to sustain themselves and do not require sleep.
These are all for now, if you'd like me to make more I'd be glad! Please leave a critique or tell me how to improve.
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Is it Vox Rockem or Rockem Vox? We may never know.
Greetings!
A while ago, dndtuber Runesmith uploaded a video containing 22 "new beholder ideas" he came up with after a livestream with his friends. On this post I've taken the few first of them and given them some more developed lore and unique traits. Please share your thoughts on the comments down below!
THROWER (aka Ball Bowler)
Thrower
Actions
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Up to three medium creatures can be grappled on one tentacle of the thrower. The thrower gains 1 additional hit die for each creature it has grappled on a tentacle while taking this action. Grappled creatures take 7 (2d6) bluedgeoning damage for each attack the thrower makes with the tentacle they've been grappled on.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Throw. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 10/40 ft. The thrower uses up up to three objects or creatures it has grappled on one of its 4 tentacles. It can choose to throw all, one or two of the grappled targets. Creatures on the target space must suceed on a Dexterity saving throw or be dealt 11 (1d12+4) bludgeoning damage. If a creature was thrown, it takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 ft. it was thrown once it lands.
Description
A beholder's intellect is one of their most prized possessions, so much many will constantly boast about how superior their minds are. Coming from them, it's likely product of a severe internal insecurity that manifests itself some times into a dream where they're as lowly and insignificant as a mouse. The byproduct of this experience is an aberration whose mind reflects its creator's true opinion about themselves. In other words, ignorant and savage.
The Eyesore of the Eyes. A thrower's physiognomy is that of a bloated, fleshy ball of skin and hair with a wide range of tones, similar to those found on the humanoids present on the thrower's original area. They have a pair of vertically aligned eyes over a spiked mouth protuding with saliva and crooked fangs. Four tentacles sprout out of these monsters like a spectator, yet they're longer and more flexible than the usual beholderkin eyestalk. Each end on three pseudofingers it uses to capture and hold anything that it desires. If you consider it even desires, that is.
Material Nature. Throwers have the most simplistic minds out of all beholderkin, only being interested on hunting, sleeping and breeding. Unlike most beholerkin, born out of magic or through another beholder's dreams, throwers are able to reproduce by encountering a partner, knowing their location via visions on their slumbers. Still, all throwers are sexless, and the exact ritual these monsters engage in to reproduce hasn't been documented by scholars... due to multiple reasons. As such, it's possible to find a thrower nest filled with tiny throwers secured by a greater parent. The good news is that throwers can be reasoned with, as long as you have enough meat to subdue its hunger.
Hurling Heads. While they lack the magical attributes often associated with their kin, they make do with raw strenght and the manouver they have come to be named after. The little of magic they have is contained in a constant aura they exhale that prevents nearby creatures from acting rationally, levelling the fighting field if the thrower were ever to encounter someone of higher intelligence than it. Which is often, nevertheless.
PONDERER
Ponderer
Actions
Gaze Of The Abyss. The ponderer firms its gaze upon a single creature it can see that's within its antiperception cone. It telepathically communicates with them in the creature's native tongue, tempting them with promises of occult lore and answers to all the questions they have. The creature must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom test or become charmed.
A creature charmed by the ponderer spends their turn in order to come closer to the ponderer's space, moving at their base speed. Once it reaches the ponderer's space, it takes 6d6 Necrotic damage and 1d6 Necrotic damage for each consecutive turn it remains on the ponderer's space.
If the necrotic damage dealt to a creature while it is within the ponderer's space reduces their hit points to zero, the creature is disintegrated and is absorbed within the ponderer.
The ponderer gains all knowledge and memories of the absorbed creature.
Description
When a beholder becomes obsessed with attaining wisdom in order to outsmart its rivals and foes, they isolate themselves from the world and fall into into their research without rest. Some times, they might uncover through their own, wretched but immense reasoning a secret no one was meant to know, or a piece of knowledge so alien it creates a rip in reality. Whatever it may be, this cognitohazard warps their bodies into floating orbs of swirling shadow called ponderers.
Pitch Darkness. A beholder that becomes a ponderer loses all of its defining characteristics and personality, apart of the color of their iris, now adorning the center of the ponderer's mass. These enigmatic aberrations spend their time silently navigating their old lairs, but often will leave them to explore the world outside. They do so not out of spreading what they know, but due to a necrotic hunger for feasting on a being's life and experiences. Because of their silent presence, the most eerie fact about ponderers is that they can live undecteted for years, slowling builing up its repertoire to the point it knows every nook and cranny of an entire society's day to day. No secrets hidden, no thoughts unheard.
Overlord of Nothing and Everything. The ultimate goal of a ponderer is to harvest the entire cosmos, suppressing existence into its bottomless abyss.
PEEPING EYE (aka The Peeper)
Peeping Eye
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack:+5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Precarity Ray. The peeping eye shoots a lightning fast magical ray, choosing a creature's whole set of armor or shield that it can see within 60 ft. of it. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or have its armor or shield gain one stage of decay, getting covered in rust, mold, rot or other conditions.
On the beggining of the creature's turn, the targetted equipment gains one decay stage. On a decay stage of 3, the equipment is completely decayed and the creature wearing it loses the AC bonus provided by the equipment until the effect is removed or the peeping eye dies.
Any damage dealt to the decayed equipment destroys it. Equipments mostly composed of gold or other materials that never decay are unnafected by the ray.
Description
Loyal Things. Resembling small, one eyed orbs with fluffy, moth-like antennae with mostly orange bodies covered in green patches of corrugated, green skin, a peeping eye lives for its master and nothing else. It blindly follows any orders its master gives, even if it means they are going to die. An order that happens to harm the master itself, however, prooves to be too much for their little devoted minds, as such they collapse in their body, becoming alchemical puddles.
Energetic Servants. A peeping eye can be an awfully positive creature, disregarding any possible problems its master might be having and overly encouraging them and spouting random, gleeful nonsense. Some foul masters may even remove a peeping eye's ability to speak by force, forever traumatising the poor and making it question for once its complete loyalty.
...i'm not doing the creeper. Gas Spore already exists.
SHARPSHOOTER (aka The Squinter)
Sharpshooter
Bullseye. A creature that's within a straight line up to 100 ft. away from the sharpshooter that it can see has disadvatage on their AC roll against the sharpshooter's attacks.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6) bludgeoning damage and the target's speed is slowed by 1 feet.
Gunstalks. The sharpshooter shoots two of the following guns on their guns stalks at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to two targets it can see within 120 feet of it:
1- Shotgun.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30/90 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage and the creature is pushed the creature up to 10 ft. straight away from the sharpshooter if it is Large or smaller.
2- Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 40/20 ft., one target, reload 6. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage and the creature is pushed the creature has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of the sharpshooter's next turn.
3- Hand Mortar. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 50/200 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 15 (2d10+10) piercing damage and upon a hit, everything within 5 ft. of the target must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or suffer 2d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.
4- Hunting Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 80/240 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage and the creature has its Speed reduced by 10 ft. until the start of your next turn.
5- Volley Gun. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 20/60 ft., one target, reload 6. Hit: 6 (1d10) piercing damage and all creatures within a 20 ft. cone of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d10 piercing damage.
6- Dragon's Breath.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30/90 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage and 1d10 fire damage.
7- Harpoon Gun.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 45/60 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage and the creature is grappled. The sharpshooter can take and extra action to reel in the harpoon and bring the creature 10 ft. closer to it. Each consecutive turn the creature remains grappled, it gets reeled 10 ft. closer to the sharpshooter. On the beggining of each of their turns, the creature can atempt a DC 18 Strenght test to detach themselves from the harpoon.
8- Rocket Launcher. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 60/100 ft., one target, reload 1. Hit: 18 (4d8) piercing damage and the target is knocked prone.
9-Gatling Gun.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 60/180 ft., one target, reload 100. Hit: 22(4d10) piercing damage and all creatures within a 30 ft. line must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d10 piercing damage. This weapon fires 20 bullets each time it is used.
10- Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 100/300 ft., one target, reload 100. Hit: 44 (8d10) piercing damage and upon a hit, everything within 20 ft. of the target must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or suffer 4d8 thunder damage and are pushed up to 10 ft. away from the target.
Description
Untamable Spirits. No beholder enjoys life like a sharpshooter, constantly stepping on others, killing with its bullets for sadistic pleasure and utter control over a town's life and economy, Any threat to that status quo is a threat to the sharpshooter, who'll do anything it takes to sustain its grip on its domain.
Weird Biology. Sharpshooters are part metal part flesh. One can often seen the sharpshooter leaking oil from its mouth or even burn red from inside. To add, they seemingly only need gunpower to sustain themselves and do not require sleep.
These are all for now, if you'd like me to make more I'd be glad! Please leave a critique or tell me how to improve.
Is it Vox Rockem or Rockem Vox? We may never know.
these are all so cool!!! Especially LOVE the Sharpshooter. such a cool concept, that I'll DEFINITELY include in a campaign
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