Homebrew Beholder-touched Species Details

Physical Description

Beholder-touched look almost exactly the same as normal humans. However, there are a few peculiar details to them, like larger eyes that seem to almost glow. They often have a rougher, darker skin tone, and sharper teeth. Their blood runs nearly black and they are known to exhibit various odd behavioral tics, like incessant scratching, paranoia and schizophrenic muttering. One of their eyes is the larger one which glows and is considered their magical source. They will often have hair or some way to hide this eye to prevent their discovery.

History

The exact origin of the beholder-touched is unknown, but it was definitely unnatural and artificially, magically engineered. Some say that the first beholder-touched was a powerful human wizard. This wizard was obsessed with beholders. Because of this, he invented a dangerous ritual which would give him the intelligence and abilities of a beholder. While it took many a failed experiment and a good deal of time to round up enough beholders to perfect the process, he was ultimately successful.

He used his new powers to control and manipulate others, eventually coming into power in many entire kingdoms. Eventually, however, the very creatures he so admired came for him, destroying him in the process. It is said his apprentice was the only one left with such knowledge. The lad is rumored to have traded this information to an otherworldly being for protection from the beholders, who seem drawn to eliminating these freaks as well as the knowledge of their creation methodology.

While it seemed with the experiments over and the knowledge of the ritual lost, beholder-touched suddenly started to be born. It is believed the otherworldly being now manufactures beholder-touched and plants them in viable bearers to birth. Thus, they live to this day, until they may one day meet their end by an enraged beholder.

Society

Beholder-touched are so rare that they have no real society of their own. They often live amongst humans in human society. Most people don't even know that this race exists, often due to their human appearance. Beholder-touched are also very intelligent and so learn at early ages how to survive by covering their telltale signs. Because of their intelligence, beholder-touched often have important political roles in human society. Beholder-touched are great at manipulating people and secretly bending the world and people around them to their will, much like how beholders beholden others. Their magic eye is a great asset as such, but ultimately attracts disaster, being merely a weak imitation in the end, of a fearsome monster race bent on wiping out this race of aberrations.

Often, a beholder creature may attack a town because of a beholder-touched living there. Beholders can sense beholder-touched even in disguise. Thus, where they are known, beholder-touched are regarded as ill omens. If a beholder-touched is discovered, they are likely to be killed and their body disposed of so as not to attract beholders.

Beholder-touched Traits

Humanoids spliced with the genetics of a beholder to grant them superintelligence.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 3.

Age

Due to the experimental nature of the Beholder-touched they don't live for much longer than 30 years after the ritual.

Alignment

The alien and evil nature of beholders draws most beholders towards a lawful evil alignment.

Superior Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 120 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Paranoia

When you are afflicted with short-term madness, you instead get long-term madness. In addition, after the ritual you became afflicted with a form of indefinite madness, if cured it returns after 1d4 days.

Abberant Makeup

Your creature type is both aberration and humanoid.

Beholder Eye

While not as potent as the original, your eyes grant you advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Silent Intellect

You don't hide as creatures of the dark normally would, through camouflage and silence, but forcing other creatures minds to pass over you. Whenever you make a Stealth check, you can use your Intelligence in place of your Dexterity.

Languages

You can speak, read and write Common, Deep Speech, and Undercommon.