Swallow. The argos makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, that creature takes the bite's damage and is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the argos, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the argos turns.
Maws of Menace.
At the start of the argos turn any creature within 5 feet of the argos is subjected to their maws of menace dealing 2d4 piercing damage.
Innate Spellcasting. The Argos innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). The argos can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: Light, Minor Image, Burning Hands, Hold Person.
2/day each: Calm Emotions, Blindness/Deafness, Darkness, Heat Metal, Hold Person, Phantasmal Force, Suggestion.
1/day: Confusion, Dispel Magic, Phantasmal Killer, Slow.
Magic Resistance. The argos has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Multiattack. The argos makes two attacks with its glaive and one with its bite. It can replace these attacks with an eye ray if necessary.
Glaive. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10 + 7) piercing damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 40 (6d10 + 7) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the argos can't bite another target.
Eye Rays. The Argos shoots three of the following magical eye rays 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.
The argos can take 3 legendary actions, using the options below. It can take only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The argos regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Eye Ray. The argos uses one random eye ray.
Bite. The argos uses its bite attack
Swallow. The argos can attempt to swallow one creature it has grappled.
Innate Spellcasting. The Argos may use one of its innate spells.
Description
Argos are found in the same regions of wildspace as the baleful beholder nations. An argos resembles a giant amoeba. It has one large, central eye with a tripartite pupil, and a hundred lashless, inhuman eyes and many sharp-toothed mouths. An argos can extrude several pseudopods, each tipped with a fanged maw that functions as a hand to manipulate various tools.
Argos move by slithering; they can cling to walls and ceilings. They can levitate and fly at the very slow rate of 20 ft(Hover)
Argos colors tend toward shades of transparent blues and violets; they smell like a bouquet of flowers. They are huge beasts ranging in size from 10 to 20 feet in diameter, weighing about 200 pounds per Hit Die. Though they exhibit signs of being intelligent tool users, they do not wear clothes, choosing rather to carry gear stored in temporary cavities within their bodies. However, their digestive juices often ruin devices within two to three weeks (saving throw vs. acid).
Lair and Lair Actions
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.
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