by Angry Golem Games

How to Outsmart and Overcome Your Enemies: A Beholder’s Guide to Combat Tactics in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Beholders are among the most feared and powerful creatures in the world of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. They are aberrations of alien origin, with a large spherical body, a single central eye, and ten eyestalks that can unleash various magical effects. They are also highly intelligent, paranoid, and arrogant, believing themselves to be the superior beings in existence. They often seek to dominate or destroy anything that threatens their supremacy or challenges their worldview. In this article, we will explore how a Beholder can use its abilities and strategies to overcome its enemies in combat, from its own perspective. We will also provide some tips and examples on how to create challenging and memorable encounters with a Beholder for your players. Whether you are a Dungeon Master who wants to challenge your players with a Beholder, or a player who wants to understand how a Beholder thinks and acts, this article is for you.

The Power of the Eye: A Beholder’s Arsenal of Magical Rays

As a Beholder, you have a unique and formidable advantage over your enemies: your eye rays. Your ten eyestalks can each fire a different magical ray at a target of your choice, with devastating effects. You can use these rays to charm, paralyze, frighten, slow, enervate, telekinetically move, or even disintegrate your foes. You can also use them to create illusions, petrify, or levitate objects or creatures. Each ray has a different range, saving throw, and damage type, so you can choose the best one for the situation. You can fire three rays at random (rerolling duplicates) at the start of each of your turns, choosing one to three targets you can see within 120 feet of you. Here is a brief summary of each ray and its effect:

Charm Ray: The target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 hour, or until you harm it.
Paralyzing Ray: The target 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 target 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 target must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or have its speed halved for 1 minute. In addition, the target can’t take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The target 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 you move it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray’s telekinetic grip until the start of your next turn or until you are incapacitated. If the target is an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn’t being worn or carried, you move it up to 30 feet in any direction. You 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.
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 this damage reduces it to 0 hit points.

In addition to your eye rays, you also have an antimagic cone that emanates from your central eye. This cone creates an area of antimagic that nullifies any magic within it, including your own eye rays. You can control which way the cone faces and whether it is active at the start of each of your turns. You can use this cone to protect yourself from enemy spellcasters or magic items, or to create openings for your eye rays by deactivating it temporarily.

Your bite is also a formidable weapon, capable of inflicting serious wounds with your sharp teeth. You can use your bite as a melee weapon attack against any creature within 5 feet of you. However, your bite is usually your last resort, as you prefer to keep your distance and use your eye rays to deal with your enemies.

What Drives a Beholder: The Psychology of a Tyrant

A beholder is not a mindless beast that attacks anything on sight. It is a highly intelligent and rational creature that has its own goals and motivations. However, these goals and motivations are often incomprehensible or abhorrent to other creatures, because they are based on the beholder’s twisted worldview and self-image.

A beholder believes that it is the most perfect and superior being in existence, and that all other creatures are inferior and unworthy of respect or mercy. It also believes that its own appearance, personality, and beliefs are the only true and correct ones, and that any deviation from them is a sign of weakness or corruption. This means that a beholder hates and fears anything that is different from itself, including other beholders. A beholder sees other beholders as rivals or impostors, and will often try to kill them or drive them away from its territory.

A beholder’s territory is usually a subterranean lair that it has carefully designed and fortified to suit its needs and preferences. A beholder’s lair is its sanctuary and its prison, where it can feel safe and in control, but also isolated and paranoid. A beholder rarely leaves its lair, unless it has a specific reason to do so, such as hunting for food, seeking treasure, or expanding its domain. A beholder’s domain is the area around its lair that it claims as its own, and where it enforces its will through fear and violence. A beholder may have minions or allies within its domain, such as other aberrations, cultists, or slaves, but it does not trust or care for them. It uses them as tools or toys, and will dispose of them if they become useless or disloyal.

A beholder’s main motivation is to preserve and enhance its own existence, power, and status. It does not seek to conquer the world or destroy all life, unless it believes that doing so would benefit itself. It does not have any altruistic or benevolent impulses, unless they are part of a larger scheme to manipulate or deceive others. It does not have any hobbies or interests, unless they are related to its own survival or improvement. A beholder’s only joy is to exercise its authority and superiority over others, and to indulge in its own whims and fantasies.

However, a beholder’s greatest enemy is itself. A beholder is constantly plagued by doubts, fears, and nightmares that threaten to undermine its confidence and sanity. A beholder’s dreams are especially dangerous, because they can alter reality around it or create new beholders that may challenge it. A beholder may also suffer from delusions, obsessions, or phobias that affect its behavior and judgment. A beholder may become fixated on a particular enemy, object, or idea that it perceives as a threat or a prize. A beholder may also develop an irrational fear of a certain creature, element, or phenomenon that it tries to avoid or eliminate at all costs.

A beholder is a complex and fascinating creature that can be a formidable foe or a valuable ally for adventurers. However, adventurers should always be wary of a beholder’s motives and actions, because they are often unpredictable and incomprehensible to other creatures. A beholder may cooperate with adventurers for a common goal or out of curiosity, but it will never truly befriend them or respect them. A beholder may also betray adventurers at any moment if it sees an opportunity to gain an advantage or eliminate a potential threat. A beholder is always looking out for itself, and will stop at nothing to achieve its desires.

How to Plan Ahead: A Beholder’s Long Term Strategies for Success

As a Beholder, you know that you are not only powerful, but also smart. You do not rely on brute force or random chance to achieve your goals. You plan ahead, and you execute your plans with precision and efficiency. You have a vision of what you want, and you do not let anything stand in your way.

But what are your goals, and how do you achieve them? That depends on your personality, your preferences, and your circumstances. However, there are some common themes and strategies that many Beholders share, and that you can use as a guideline for your own plans.

One of your main goals is to secure and expand your territory. You want to have a safe and comfortable lair, where you can store your treasures, conduct your experiments, and rest from your enemies. You also want to have a domain, where you can exert your influence and authority over other creatures, and where you can find resources and opportunities for your benefit.

To secure and expand your territory, you need to scout the area around your lair, and identify potential threats and allies. You can use your minions or allies to do this for you, or you can use your eye rays or other magic to spy on or communicate with other creatures. You can also use your dreams to alter reality around you, creating new features or creatures that suit your needs or desires.

Once you have scouted the area, you need to eliminate or neutralize any threats that may pose a danger to you or your territory. These may include other Beholders, rival monsters, adventurers, or factions. You can use your eye rays or other magic to attack them directly, or you can use your minions or allies to do it for you. You can also use your charm, fear, or illusion rays to manipulate them into doing what you want, such as leaving you alone, serving you, or fighting each other.

Alternatively, you can avoid direct confrontation with potential threats, and instead use stealth, deception, or diplomacy to deal with them. You can use your eye rays or other magic to hide yourself or your lair from detection, or to create false impressions or distractions. You can also use your charm, fear, or illusion rays to persuade them to cooperate with you, or to sow discord among them.

Another of your main goals is to acquire and enhance your power and status. You want to have more treasures, more knowledge, more magic, and more respect. You want to be the best at everything, and you want everyone to know it.

To acquire and enhance your power and status, you need to seek out and obtain valuable items, information, spells, or creatures that can benefit you. These may include rare artifacts, ancient secrets, powerful magic items, exotic specimens, or loyal followers. You can use your eye rays or other magic to locate them, identify them, or take them from others. You can also use your minions or allies to help you find them, acquire them, or guard them.

Once you have obtained valuable items, information, spells, or creatures that can benefit you, you need to study them, experiment with them, or use them to improve yourself or your situation.

You can use your eye rays or other magic to analyze them, experiment with them, or use them to improve yourself or your situation. You can also use your minions or allies to help you study them, test them, or apply them. You can also use your dreams to create new items, information, spells, or creatures that you desire.

Once you have studied, experimented, or used valuable items, information, spells, or creatures that can benefit you, you need to show off your power and status to others. You can use your eye rays or other magic to display your achievements, intimidate your enemies, or impress your allies. You can also use your minions or allies to spread your fame, praise your deeds, or defend your honor. You can also use your dreams to manifest your glory, influence reality, or create new followers.

These are some of the common goals and strategies that many Beholders share, and that you can use as a guideline for your own plans. However, you are not limited by these examples. You can have other goals and strategies that suit your personality, preferences, and circumstances. You can also modify or adapt these goals and strategies as you see fit. You are a Beholder, and you are the master of your own destiny.

How to Fight Smart: A Beholder’s Favored Combat Tactics

As a Beholder, you know that combat is not a matter of brute force, but of cunning and strategy. You do not waste your eye rays on random targets, but use them to exploit the weaknesses and fears of your enemies. You also use your antimagic cone and your lair actions to gain an edge over your foes. Here are some of the combat tactics that you favor, and how to use them effectively.

Antimagic Cone: Your central eye can create a cone of antimagic that nullifies any magic within it, including your own eye rays. You can control which way the cone faces and whether it is active at the start of each of your turns. You can use this cone to protect yourself from enemy spellcasters or magic items, or to create openings for your eye rays by deactivating it temporarily. For example, you can aim your cone at a wizard who is about to cast a fireball at you, preventing the spell from working. Then, on your next turn, you can deactivate your cone and fire your disintegration ray at the wizard, catching him off guard. Alternatively, you can aim your cone at a fighter who is wearing magic armor and wielding a magic sword, making him vulnerable to your attacks. Then, you can fire your paralyzing ray or your death ray at him, taking him out of the fight.
Eye Rays: Your ten eyestalks can each fire a different magical ray at a target of your choice, with devastating effects. You can fire three rays at random (rerolling duplicates) at the start of each of your turns, choosing one to three targets you can see within 120 feet of you. You can use these rays to charm, paralyze, frighten, slow, enervate, telekinetically move, or even disintegrate your foes. You can also use them to create illusions, petrify, or levitate objects or creatures. You should choose your targets and rays based on their abilities and vulnerabilities. For example, you can use your charm ray or your fear ray on a paladin who is immune to disease and poison, but not to mind-affecting effects. You can use your slowing ray or your sleep ray on a monk who relies on speed and agility. You can use your enervation ray or your death ray on a cleric who has high Constitution and healing magic. You can use your telekinetic ray or your petrification ray on a rogue who is good at hiding and escaping. You can use your disintegration ray on anything that annoys you.
Lair Actions: When you are in your lair, you can use lair actions to manipulate the environment around you. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), you can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects: slippery slime on the floor, grasping appendages flailing from the walls, or random beholder eyes appearing on nearby surfaces¹. You can use these lair actions to hinder or harm your enemies, or to help yourself or your allies. For example, you can use the slippery slime to make the floor difficult terrain for your enemies, or to make them fall prone. You can use the grasping appendages to restrain or damage your enemies, or to move them closer to you. You can use the random beholder eyes to fire an additional eye ray at an enemy, or to create an illusion that distracts or confuses them.

These are some of the combat tactics that you favor as a Beholder, and how to use them effectively. However, you are not limited by these examples. You can improvise and adapt your tactics as the situation changes. You are a Beholder, and you are the master of combat.

How to Customize Your Eye Rays: A Beholder’s Guide to Personalizing Your Magic

As a Beholder, you are a unique and special creature. You have your own appearance, personality, and beliefs. You also have your own eye rays, the magical beams that you can fire from your eyestalks. However, you may not know that your eye rays are not fixed or predetermined. You can customize them to suit your preferences and needs. You can change their effects, their ranges, their saving throws, or their damage types. You can also create new eye rays that have different or unique effects. You are a Beholder, and you are the master of your magic.

But how do you customize your eye rays? There are several ways to do this, depending on your resources and abilities. Here are some of the methods that you can use to personalize your eye rays:

Experimentation: You can use your natural curiosity and intelligence to experiment with your eye rays. You can try to modify them by changing their intensity, duration, or frequency. You can also try to combine them with other eye rays or other magic sources. For example, you can try to fire two eye rays at the same time, or to fire an eye ray through a magic item or a spell effect. You can also try to fire an eye ray at yourself or at another Beholder, and see what happens. Experimentation is a risky but rewarding method, as it can lead to unexpected discoveries or failures.
Research: You can use your natural thirst for knowledge and power to research your eye rays. You can seek out and study ancient texts, arcane secrets, or exotic specimens that relate to your eye rays or magic in general. You can also consult or interrogate other creatures that have knowledge or experience with your eye rays or magic in general. For example, you can read a tome that describes the origin and nature of your eye rays, or that contains new spells or formulas that you can use to enhance or alter them. You can also question or torture a wizard who has studied or encountered your eye rays, or who has developed new magic techniques or items that you can use to improve or change them. Research is a safe but tedious method, as it can require a lot of time and effort.
Dreaming: You can use your natural ability to alter reality with your dreams to customize your eye rays. You can use your dreams to create new eye rays that have the effects that you desire, or to modify existing eye rays that have the effects that you dislike. You can also use your dreams to create new features or creatures that relate to your eye rays or magic in general. For example, you can dream of an eye ray that turns your enemies into gold, or that makes them worship you. You can also dream of a new eyestalk that has a different shape or color, or that fires a different kind of ray. Dreaming is an easy but unpredictable method, as it can depend on your mood and subconscious.

These are some of the methods that you can use to customize your eye rays as a Beholder, and how to use them effectively. However, you are not limited by these examples. You can use other methods that suit your personality, preferences, and circumstances. You can also modify or adapt these methods as you see fit.

To give you some inspiration, here is a list of some possible alternate eye rays that you can create or use for yourself:

Acid Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Blinding Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be blinded 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.
Confusion Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by the confusion spell for 1 minute.
Fire Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Force Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away from you and knocked prone.
Frost Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Lightning Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Poison Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The target is also poisoned 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.
Psychic Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Sound Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The target is also deafened 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.

These are some of the possible alternate eye rays that you can create or use for yourself as a Beholder. However, you are not limited by these examples. You can create or use other eye rays that have different or unique effects.

How to Adapt to Your Environment: A Beholder’s Guide to Using Different Terrains to Your Advantage

As a Beholder, you are not bound by the limitations of gravity or terrain. You can levitate at will, and move freely in any direction. You can also use your eye rays or other magic to manipulate the environment around you. However, you may encounter different terrains that can affect your combat tactics, either positively or negatively. Here are some of the common terrains that you may face, and how to use them to your advantage.

Underground: This is your preferred terrain, where you usually make your lair and domain. You are familiar with the layout, the features, and the dangers of the underground. You can use the darkness, the narrow passages, and the hidden chambers to ambush, trap, or escape from your enemies. You can also use your lair actions to create slippery slime, grasping appendages, or random beholder eyes that can hinder or harm your enemies. However, you should also be aware of the possible threats that lurk in the underground, such as other beholders, rival monsters, or adventurers. You should also be careful not to damage your lair or domain with your eye rays or other magic.
Forest: This is a terrain that you may encounter if you explore the surface world for food, curiosity, or amusement. You may find many interesting and tasty creatures in a forest. You may also find many obstacles and hazards that can annoy or harm you. You can use the trees, the branches, and the foliage to conceal yourself or your lair from sight, or to create cover or camouflage. You can also use your telekinetic ray or your petrification ray to move or shape the plants and animals in the forest to suit your needs or desires. However, you should also be careful of the possible threats that dwell in the forest, such as druids, fey, or beasts. You should also be careful not to damage the forest too much with your eye rays or other magic.
Mountain: This is a terrain that you may encounter if you seek a high and secluded place for your lair or domain. You may find many advantages and challenges in a mountainous area. You can use the height, t, the rocks, and the snow to gain a vantage point or a defensive position, or to create obstacles or avalanches. You can also use your disintegration ray or your frost ray to carve or freeze the mountain to your liking. However, you should also be aware of the possible dangers that lurk in the mountain, such as giants, dragons, or storms. You should also be careful not to cause too much instability or erosion with your eye rays or other magic.
Desert: This is a terrain that you may encounter if you travel to a hot and dry place for some reason. You may find few benefits and many difficulties in a desert area. You can use the sand, the dunes, and the mirages to obscure yourself or your lair from view, or to create confusion or deception. You can also use your fire ray or your enervation ray to increase the heat or drain the moisture in the desert to your advantage. However, you should also be mindful of the possible problems that exist in the desert, such as heat, thirst, or sandstorms.

These are some of the common terrains that you may face as a Beholder, and how to use them to your advantage. However, you are not limited by these examples. You can encounter other terrains that have different effects on your combat tactics. You can also improvise and adapt your tactics as the terrain changes. You are a Beholder, and you are the master of your environment.

How to Combine Your Eye Rays: A Beholder’s Guide to Creating Synergies and Effects with Your Magic

As a Beholder, you have a versatile and powerful weapon at your disposal: your eye rays. You can fire three different eye rays at random at the start of each of your turns, choosing one to three targets you can see within 120 feet of you. However, you can also use your intelligence and creativity to combine your eye rays in different ways, creating synergies and effects that can enhance your combat performance. Here are some of the special tactics that you can use to combine your eye rays, and how to use them effectively.

Chain Reaction: You can use your eye rays to trigger a chain reaction of events that can cause more damage or chaos to your enemies. For example, you can use your telekinetic ray to move an object or a creature into the path of another eye ray, such as your disintegration ray or your fire ray. You can also use your telekinetic ray to move an enemy into a hazardous area, such as a pit, a trap, or a fire. Alternatively, you can use your petrification ray or your disintegration ray to create debris or dust that can obscure the vision of your enemies, making them more vulnerable to your other eye rays.
Crowd Control: You can use your eye rays to control the movement and actions of multiple enemies at once, preventing them from reaching or harming you or your allies. For example, you can use your fear ray or your slowing ray to make your enemies flee or reduce their speed. You can also use your charm ray or your confusion ray to make your enemies friendly or confused, making them less likely to attack you or more likely to attack each other. Alternatively, you can use your paralyzing ray or your sleep ray to make your enemies paralyzed or unconscious, making them unable to act at all.
Focus Fire: You can use your eye rays to focus on a single enemy that poses a significant threat or challenge to you, and try to eliminate it as quickly as possible. For example, you can use your enervation ray or your death ray to deal massive damage to an enemy with high hit points or healing abilities. You can also use your disintegration ray or your petrification ray to destroy an enemy’s equipment or body parts, making them less effective or helpless. Alternatively, you can use your charm ray or your illusion ray to make an enemy trust you or see what you want them to see, making them more susceptible to your other eye rays.

These are some of the special tactics that you can use to combine your eye rays as a Beholder, and how to use them effectively. However, you are not limited by these examples. You can create or use other combinations of eye rays that have different or unique effects. You are a Beholder, and you are the master of your eye rays.

How to Challenge Your Players: A Beholder’s Guide to Creating Examples of Encounters with Different Levels of Difficulty

As a Beholder, you are not only a formidable foe, but also a potential ally or a source of intrigue for adventurers. You may encounter different groups of adventurers that have different levels of experience, skills, and equipment. You may also have different reasons to interact with them, such as testing them, negotiating with them, or playing with them. In this section, we will provide you with some examples of encounters that you can create or use for different groups of adventurers, with different levels of difficulty. We will also give you some tips and suggestions on how to make these encounters more challenging and memorable for your players.

Easy Encounter: This is an encounter that you can create or use for a group of low-level adventurers (levels 1-4) that have little experience, skills, or equipment. This encounter is meant to introduce the adventurers to your presence and power, and to give them a taste of what you can do. For example, you can create or use an encounter where the adventurers stumble upon your lair or domain by accident, and find themselves surrounded by your minions or allies. You can then use your eye rays or other magic to observe, taunt, or toy with them from a safe distance, without revealing yourself fully. You can also use your lair actions to create slippery slime, grasping appendages, or random beholder eyes that can hinder or harm the adventurers. However, you should not use your most powerful or lethal eye rays or magic on them, as you do not want to kill them too quickly or easily. You should also give them a chance to escape or negotiate with you, if they show enough courage or cleverness. This encounter is meant to be a fun and exciting introduction to your character and abilities, not a frustrating and unfair death trap.
Medium Encounter: This is an encounter that you can create or use for a group of mid-level adventurers (levels 5-10) that have some experience, skills, and equipment. This encounter is meant to challenge the adventurers and test their abilities and resolve. For example, you can create or use an encounter where the adventurers seek you out for a specific reason, such as hunting you down, stealing from you, or asking for your help. You can then use your eye rays or other magic to attack, defend, or negotiate with them from a close distance, revealing yourself fully. You can also use your lair actions to create slippery slime, grasping appendages, or random beholder eyes that can hinder or harm the adventurers. However, you should also be aware of the adventurers’ abilities and equipment, and adjust your tactics accordingly. You should also be prepared for the possibility of the adventurers succeeding or failing in their goal, and react accordingly. This encounter is meant to be a challenging and rewarding test of your character and abilities, not a boring and predictable fight.
Hard Encounter: This is an encounter that you can create or use for a group of high-level adventurers (levels 11-16) that have a lot of experience, skills, and equipment. This encounter is meant to push the adventurers to their limits and make them face their fears. For example, you can create or use an encounter where the adventurers invade your lair or domain for a final confrontation with you, either as enemies or allies. You can use your lair actions to create slippery slime, grasping appendages, or random beholder eyes that can hinder or harm the adventurers. However, you should also be prepared for the adventurers’ abilities and equipment, and counter them with your own. You should also be ready for the possibility of the adventurers defeating or allying with you, and accept the consequences. This encounter is meant to be a hard and memorable climax of your character and abilities, not an easy and forgettable victory.

How to Roleplay a Beholder: A Game Master’s Guide to Bringing a Beholder to Life

As a game master, you have the responsibility and the privilege of portraying a beholder, one of the most iconic and complex creatures in Dungeons & Dragons. A beholder is not just a monster, but a character, with its own personality, goals, and motivations. A beholder can be a formidable enemy, a valuable ally, or a source of intrigue for your players. However, roleplaying a beholder can also be challenging and daunting, as you have to balance its power, intelligence, and madness. In this section, we will provide you with some general suggestions on how to roleplay a beholder effectively and convincingly. We will also give you some tips and examples on how to make your beholder memorable and fun for your players.

Know Your Beholder: Before you roleplay a beholder, you should know its background, personality, and motivations. You should also know its abilities, tactics, and weaknesses. You should also customize your beholder to suit your campaign and your style. You can change or add details that make your beholder unique and interesting. For example, you can give your beholder a name, a history, a goal, or a quirk that defines its character. You can also give your beholder different or new eye rays that reflect its personality or preferences.
Speak Like a Beholder: When you roleplay a beholder, you should speak like one. You should use words and phrases that convey its intelligence, arrogance, and paranoia. You should also use tone and voice that express its emotions, such as anger, fear, or amusement. You should also adapt your speech to suit your beholder’s personality and situation. For example, you can use formal or informal language depending on your beholder’s education or mood. You can also use humor or sarcasm depending on your beholder’s attitude or intention.
Act Like a Beholder: When you roleplay a beholder, you should act like one. You should use actions and gestures that demonstrate its power, cunning, and madness. You should also use props and effects that enhance its appearance, abilities, and lair. You should also improvise and adapt your actions and effects to suit your beholder’s personality and situation. For example, you can use dice or cards to randomize your eye rays or lair actions depending on your beholder’s whims or plans. You can also use lights or sounds to create atmosphere or tension depending on your beholder’s mood or strategy.

These are some of the general suggestions on how to roleplay a beholder as a game master, and how to use them effectively. However, you are not limited by these suggestions. You can use other methods that suit your campaign and your style. You are the game master, and you are the master of your beholder.

How to Enjoy a Beholder: A Summary and a Farewell

We have reached the end of this article, where we have explored the beholder, one of the most iconic and complex creatures in Dungeons & Dragons. We have learned about its abilities, motivations, strategies, and tactics, as well as some examples of encounters and suggestions for roleplaying it. We hope that you have enjoyed this article, and that you have gained some insight and inspiration for your own adventures with a beholder.

A beholder is not just a monster, but a character, with its own personality, goals, and motivations. A beholder can be a formidable enemy, a valuable ally, or a source of intrigue for adventurers. A beholder can also be a fun and exciting challenge for game masters and players alike. A beholder is a unique and special creature, and it deserves to be treated as such.

However, a beholder is also a dangerous and unpredictable creature, and it should not be underestimated or provoked. A beholder is always looking out for itself, and it will stop at nothing to achieve its desires. A beholder is also always plagued by doubts, fears, and nightmares, and it may act irrationally or violently at any moment. A beholder is a complex and fascinating creature, and it should be respected and feared.

We hope that this article has helped you to understand and appreciate the beholder better, and that you will use this information wisely and responsibly. We also hope that you will have fun and memorable experiences with the beholder in your games. Remember that you are not only playing with a beholder, but also playing as a beholder.