Homebrew Beholder Species Details

Beholders are a cruel race of monster who prefer to mind control those with weak will into service. Beholders were often found occupying deep, underground caverns. Frequently, these lairs were carved out by the beholders themselves, using their eye rays to mold the environment for their purposes. Often, these lairs were built vertically rather than horizontally like most buildings, with beholder architecture frequently exhibiting a large number of vertical shafts which beholders and other flying creatures could use with ease, while walking creatures found their navigation hindered. Beholders were not particularly strong but were inherently magical creatures, with each of their eyes possessing an innately magical nature. Beholders, who often attacked for seemingly no reason, would often try to end a battle as quickly as possible, unleashing their terrifying abilities all at once. Among the most basic of these attacks was their deadly ability to project magical power from their eyes, in varying forms such as instilling fear within, charming, knocking out, petrifying, disintegrating, slowing, or killing their enemies. Beholder minds were divided into two separate entities. Each of these entities thought and acted on its own accord even though it was bound to the same body as the other half of its mind. Neither half of the beholder's mind trusted the other, so they hid a lot from each other, creating a very paranoid relationship. "Sane beholders" were beholders whose minds were not "divided" so to speak. They were still two entities within the beholder, but neither hid anything from the other, making a less paranoid beholder. However, the persona of a "sane beholder" was just as likely to be considered "insane" by any non-beholder. Because there were two entities within a single beholder, that beholder should always be addressed by its full name when in conversation with them, or they would perceive it as speaking to only one of the entities. Xenophobic and vicious creatures, beholders were quick to attack enemies, including anyone they deemed not "like themselves." Beholders, as a rule, were violent and greedy, hungering for both wealth and power over others. This was made all the more complicated since more than one variety of beholder existed, each believing itself to be the pinnacle of bodily perfection and they viewed other beholders who differed from this image in even the most minute details as loathsome enemies and inferiors.

Beholder Traits

Your Beholder background stirs fear in the hearts if the weak.

Eye Rays

Once every short rest, you may use an action, whether in combat or not, to shoot eye rays from each of your eye stalks simultaneously. They each do 2d6, and you have to roll 1d20 per ray. You may choose to shoot 1 or 4, but you may only shoot 1 per eye stalk. Say you have 6 eye stalks, but choose only to shoot 1 ray from one eye; you can use the action 5 more times until you have shot one from every eye stalk once. It increases to 2 per eye stalk at 5th lvl, then to 3 at 10th lvl, and 5 at 20th lvl.

Flight

Due to your not having legs, you gain the ability to fly.

Darkvision

You have darkvision.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 2, your Wisdom score increases by 1, and you gain an increase in one score of your choice.

Age

When you are conceived, you grow up in less than 10 years. Beholders become into being when a pre-existing one dreams. When you do, you don't have any eye stalks, and have all of your eye stalks by the age of 10. You live to 100 years, magical intervention barred.

Alignment

Most tend towards Neutral Evil, since most want shiny things and lead groups for personal gain.

Size

Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 5 feet and flying speed is 20 feet.

Damage Resistance

You have resistance to magic damage.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Beholder. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.