by Angry Golem Games

How to build challenging encounters with a Spectator

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a Spectator? A Spectator is a lesser beholder, a spherical creature with a large central eye and four eyestalks that can shoot magical rays. A Spectator is summoned by a powerful spellcaster to guard a location or a treasure for 101 years, unless its summoner dies or dismisses it earlier. A Spectator is loyal to its summoner, but not very bright. It can be easily tricked or persuaded by clever adventurers who want to bypass it or loot its treasure. A Spectator is also lonely and bored, and sometimes eager to make friends with anyone who can entertain it or share some interesting gossip.

In this article, we will explore how to build challenging encounters against a Spectator, based on the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition rule system. We will use the information provided by Angry Golem Games Blog, and other sources of information if necessary. We will write the article from the point of view of the Spectator, to give you some insight into its personality, motivations, and tactics. We hope that this article will help you create memorable and fun experiences for your players, as they face this quirky and dangerous aberration.

What Can a Spectator Do? A Glimpse into Its Magical Powers

A Spectator is not as powerful as a true beholder, but it still has some impressive abilities that can make it a formidable opponent. A Spectator has the following abilities:

Spell Reflection: A Spectator can turn the magic of its enemies against them. Whenever a Spectator makes a saving throw against a spell or other magical effect that targets only the Spectator, and not an area, it can choose to have advantage on the saving throw. If it succeeds on the saving throw and the spell is of 4th level or lower, the spell has no effect on the Spectator and instead targets the caster, using the slot level, spell save DC, attack bonus, and spellcasting ability of the caster.
Eye Rays: A Spectator can shoot four different types of rays from its eyestalks at one or more creatures it can see within 90 feet of it. It can use each ray once on each of its turns. The rays are:
- Confusion Ray: The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, or it can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn. On its turn, the target can’t move, and it uses its action to make a melee or ranged attack against a randomly determined creature within range. If the target can’t attack, it does nothing on its turn.
- Paralyzing Ray: The target must succeed on a DC 13 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 13 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.
- Wounding Ray: The target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Bite: A Spectator can use its bite as a melee weapon attack, dealing 2 (1d4) piercing damage on a hit.

A Spectator’s abilities are influenced by its personality and mood. A Spectator may use its eye rays to play with its enemies, to scare them away, to defend itself, or to impress potential friends. A Spectator may also use its spell reflection to mock spellcasters who try to harm it, or to show off its magical prowess. A Spectator may use its bite only as a last resort, when it feels cornered or threatened.

A Dungeon Master who wants to create challenging encounters against a Spectator should take into account these abilities and how they reflect the Spectator’s character. A Dungeon Master should also consider how the environment, the summoner’s instructions, and the adventurers’ actions may affect the Spectator’s behavior and choices.

What Does a Spectator Want? A Look into Its Goals and Desires

A Spectator is not a mindless creature. It has its own goals and desires, which may vary depending on the circumstances. A Spectator’s motivations are influenced by three main factors: its summoner, its environment, and its visitors.

Its summoner: A Spectator is loyal to its summoner, who gave it a specific task to guard a location or a treasure for 101 years. A Spectator will try to fulfill its task to the best of its ability, even if it does not fully understand it or agree with it. A Spectator will also try to please its summoner, who may reward it with praise, gifts, or more interesting tasks. A Spectator will also try to avoid angering its summoner, who may punish it with pain, threats, or dismissal.
Its environment: A Spectator is bound to the location or the treasure it guards, and cannot leave it unless its summoner allows it. A Spectator may grow attached to its environment, and develop a sense of ownership and pride over it. A Spectator may also grow bored of its environment, and seek some variety and excitement in it. A Spectator may also grow curious about its environment, and explore its secrets and mysteries.
Its visitors: A Spectator may encounter different types of visitors in its location or near its treasure. A Spectator may view them as enemies, allies, or neutrals, depending on their intentions and actions. A Spectator may also view them as threats, challenges, or opportunities, depending on their abilities and resources. A Spectator may also view them as foes, friends, or acquaintances, depending on their personalities and interactions.

A Dungeon Master who wants to create challenging encounters against a Spectator should take into account these motivations and how they affect the Spectator’s behavior and choices. A Dungeon Master should also consider how the adventurers’ goals and desires may conflict or align with the Spectator’s ones, and how that may create tension or cooperation between them.

How to Make Friends with a Spectator: A Strategy for Adventurers

One way to make your players feel empathetic towards a Spectator is to show them its lonely and bored side, and how it craves for some social interaction and entertainment. You can do this by having the Spectator initiate a conversation with the adventurers, and ask them questions about themselves, their world, and their adventures. You can also have the Spectator share some of its own stories, opinions, and feelings, and show some humor and personality. You can use the information from the Angry Golem Games Blog to create some dialogue options for the Spectator, based on its abilities, motivations, and environment.

For example, you can have the Spectator say something like:

“Hello there, strangers. I am a Spectator, a loyal servant of the great wizard Zardock. I have been guarding this treasure for 87 years, 3 months, and 12 days. And you are?”
“What brings you to this place? Are you here to admire my treasure, or to steal it? Either way, you have to get past me first. But before we fight, can we talk for a bit? I don’t get many visitors here, you know.”
“You look like adventurers. You must have seen many wonders and dangers in your travels. Tell me, what is the most amazing thing you have ever witnessed? And don’t lie to me, I can tell if you are lying with my eye rays.”
“You know, I don’t really like my job. It’s boring and repetitive. All I do is sit here and watch over this pile of gold and jewels. What’s the point of that? It’s not like I can use them for anything. I wish I could see the world outside, and have some fun.”
“Do you want to be my friends? I don’t have any friends here. The only creatures I see are rats and spiders, and they are not very friendly. They always run away from me or try to bite me. Maybe if you are nice to me, I will let you take some of the treasure. What do you say?”

How to Fight a Spectator: A Challenge for Adventurers

A Spectator is not a mindless creature. It has its own combat tactics, which may vary depending on the circumstances. A Spectator’s combat tactics are influenced by three main factors: its abilities, its motivations, and its environment.

Its abilities: A Spectator has a range of abilities that it can use to attack, defend, or manipulate its enemies. A Spectator will try to use its abilities to the best of its advantage, depending on the situation and the type of enemies it faces. A Spectator will also try to avoid wasting its abilities on ineffective or unnecessary targets, and conserve them for more critical moments. A Spectator will also try to adapt its abilities to the changing conditions of the battle, and use them creatively and strategically.

One of the most important abilities of a Spectator is its eye rays, which can shoot four different types of rays from its eyestalks at one or more creatures it can see within 90 feet of it. It can use each ray once on each of its turns. The rays are:

Confusion Ray: The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, or it can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn. On its turn, the target can’t move, and it uses its action to make a melee or ranged attack against a randomly determined creature within range. If the target can’t attack, it does nothing on its turn.
Paralyzing Ray: The target must succeed on a DC 13 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 13 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.
Wounding Ray: The target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

A Spectator can use different combinations of eye rays to achieve different effects and outcomes in combat. Here are some examples of possible combinations:

Confusion Ray + Paralyzing Ray: This combo can be used to disable a single target and make it vulnerable to attacks from other enemies. The confusion ray prevents the target from taking reactions and forces it to attack a random creature on its turn. The paralyzing ray paralyzes the target for 1 minute, making it unable to move or speak, and giving advantage on attacks against it. The target also automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. This combo can be especially effective against spellcasters or melee fighters who rely on reactions or movement.
Fear Ray + Wounding Ray: This combo can be used to inflict damage and fear on multiple targets. The fear ray causes the targets to be frightened for 1 minute, making them unable to move closer to the spectator and giving disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the spectator is in sight. The wounding ray deals necrotic damage to the targets, regardless of whether they make the saving throw or not. This combo can be especially effective against ranged attackers or support characters who rely on sight or concentration.
Spell Reflection + Eye Rays: This combo can be used to turn the magic of the enemies against them and use the eye rays at the same time. The spell reflection allows the spectator to have advantage on saving throws against spells that target only it, and to redirect the spells of 4th level or lower to another creature within 30 feet of it. The eye rays can be used to attack, defend, or manipulate other creatures as usual. This combo can be especially effective against spellcasters or magical creatures who rely on single-target spells or effects.

Another important ability of a Spectator is its bite, which it can use as a melee weapon attack, dealing 2 (1d4) piercing damage on a hit. A Spectator may use its bite only as a last resort, when it feels cornered or threatened.

Its motivations: A Spectator has its own goals and desires, which may affect its combat tactics. A Spectator may fight to protect its location or treasure, to please its summoner, to defend itself, or to impress potential friends. A Spectator may also fight to play with its enemies, to scare them away, or to test their skills and courage. A Spectator may also fight to express its anger, frustration, or boredom. A Spectator may also fight to negotiate with its enemies, to persuade them to leave or join it, or to exchange some information or favor.

A Spectator’s motivations may change during the course of the combat, depending on the actions and reactions of its enemies and allies. A Spectator may also have conflicting or contradictory motivations, which may make it unpredictable or irrational. A Spectator may also have hidden or secret motivations, which may make it deceptive or manipulative.

Its environment: A Spectator is bound to the location or the treasure it guards, and cannot leave it unless its summoner allows it. A Spectator may use its environment to its advantage, and exploit its features and hazards to hinder or harm its enemies. A Spectator may also use its environment to hide or escape from its enemies, and surprise them with ambushes or traps. A Spectator may also use its environment to communicate or cooperate with other creatures that may share or inhabit it.

A Spectator’s environment may vary depending on the type and location of the treasure it guards, and the nature and purpose of its summoner. A Spectator’s environment may also change during the course of the combat, depending on the actions and reactions of its enemies and allies. A Spectator’s environment may also have hidden or secret features, which may make it mysterious or dangerous.

How to Master a Spectator: A Summary for Dungeon Masters

A Spectator is a lesser beholder, a spherical creature with a large central eye and four eyestalks that can shoot magical rays. A Spectator is summoned by a powerful spellcaster to guard a location or a treasure for 101 years, unless its summoner dies or dismisses it earlier. A Spectator is loyal to its summoner, but not very bright. It can be easily tricked or persuaded by clever adventurers who want to bypass it or loot its treasure. A Spectator is also lonely and bored, and sometimes eager to make friends with anyone who can entertain it or share some interesting gossip.

In this article, we have explored how to build challenging encounters against a Spectator, based on the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition rule system. We have used the information provided by Angry Golem Games Blog, and other sources of information if necessary. We have written the article from the point of view of the Spectator, to give you some insight into its personality, motivations, and tactics. We hope that this article has helped you create memorable and fun experiences for your players, as they face this quirky and dangerous aberration.

We have covered the following topics in this article:

What Can a Spectator Do? A Glimpse into Its Magical Powers: We have described the abilities of a Spectator, such as spell reflection, eye rays, and bite, and how they can be used in different ways and situations.
What Does a Spectator Want? A Look into Its Goals and Desires: We have explained the motivations of a Spectator, such as guarding its location or treasure, pleasing its summoner, defending itself, or making friends, and how they can affect its behavior and choices.
How to Make Friends with a Spectator: A Strategy for Adventurers: We have suggested some tips and suggestions for creating a positive and friendly relationship with a Spectator, instead of fighting or avoiding it, by showing empathy and interest in its lonely and bored side.
How to Fight a Spectator: A Challenge for Adventurers: We have discussed the combat tactics of a Spectator, such as using its abilities, motivations, and environment to attack, defend, or manipulate its enemies, and how to counter them.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article, and that you have learned something new about the Spectator. We also hope that you will use this knowledge to create your own encounters with this creature, and share them with us and other Dungeon Masters.