Large aberration (beholder), lawful evil
Armor Class 20 (front), 16 (central eye), 18 (flanks), 22 (eyestalk), 13 (belly)
Hit Points 237 (25d10 + 100)
Speed 0 ft., fly 10ft. (hover)
Proficiency Bonus +5
Proficiency Bonus +11 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 22 (+6) | 20 (+5) | 18 (+4) |
Saving Throws lnt +11, Wis +10, Cha +9
Skills Arcana+11, History +11, Perception +15, Religion +11
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, prone
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 27
Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, Telepathy (350 feet)
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Antimagic Cone. The elder orb’s central eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns , the elder orb decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. The area works against the elder orb’s own eye rays.
Control Death Tyrant. The Elder Orb can exerce a complete control over a Death Tyrant it created with the Create Death Tyrant special ability. The control can be exerced up to a distance of 25 miles, unless the Game Master states otherwise.
Create Death Tyrant. The Elder Orb can create a Death Tyrant per day, provided the raw materials are available.
Magic Resistance. The Elder Orb has advantage on saving throws against spell effects.
Severe Eyestalks. To disable an eyestalk, you can aim for it and try to hit it with an attack. An eyestalk has an AC of 22 and 35 hit points, which are separate from the beholder’s total hit points. Severed eyestalks can heal but cannot regenerate.
Blind Central Eye. To blind the central eye, you can aim for it and try to hit it with an attack. The central eye has an AC of 16 and 60 hit points, which are separate from the beholder’s total hit points. A blinded central eye can be regenarated by magical means only.
Spellcasting. The Elder Orb develops its own verbal form of spells and cast them as a 20th level spellacaster (spell save DC 19, +10 to hit with spell attacks. Elder Orbs are unique beings, each one having a very specific set of spells, so the list of spells presented below is only a suggestion and the Game Master is encouraged to prepare a list of spells that is coherent with the Elder Orb’s background, including unique spells that only the Elder Orb knows. In addition, the Elder Orb’s spell slots differ completely from those of a standard spellcaster. The Elder Orb has 25 spell slots at its disposal per day, which it can spend on any spell of any level that it knows, and the Range of each spell is doubled.
- Cantrips: acid splash, chill touch, fire bolt, mage hand, message, minor illusion, prestidigitation
- 1st level: burning hands, charm person, detect magic, magic missile, shield
- 2nd level: blindness/deafness, darkness, hold person, invisibility, misty step
- 3rd level: counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, fly, hypnotic pattern
- 4th level: banishment, dimension door, greater invisibility, ice storm
- 5th level: cone of cold, dominate person, scrying, telekinesis
- 6th level: chain lightning, disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
- 7th level: finger of death, plane shift, reverse gravity
- 8th level: dominate monster, mind blank, power word stun
- 9th level: meteor swarm, power word kill
ACTIONS
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
- Eye Rays. The Elder Orb shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet of it:
- 1. Charm Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the beholder for 1 hour, or until the beholder harms the creature.
- 2. Paralyzing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 19 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.
- 3. Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 19 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.
- 4. Slowing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 19 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.
- 5. Enervation Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- 6. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 1 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.
- 7. Sleep Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 19 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.
- 8. Petrification Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 19 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.
- 9. Disintegration Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 19 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 non magical 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.
- 10. Death Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Elder Orb can take 3 legendary actions, using the Eye Ray option below. It can take only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Elder Orb regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Eye Ray. The Elder Orb uses one random eye ray.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
The Elder Orb is a very old and powerful beholder that has lost its eyes over time, but gained wizardly powers instead. It is a huge, fibrous mass of cognizant brain tissue covered with writhing feelers. It can cast verbal spells that it has developed on its own or stolen from others. It can also substitute the somatic components of a spell with its eyestalks. It has difficulty casting spells with material components, and prefers to choose spells without them.
The Elder Orb is extremely intelligent and cunning, and an expert strategist. It guards its knowledge jealously and seeks to dominate other races with its magic. It can control death tyrants with its magic, as well as create them. It prefers to use the death tyrants to do its dirty work for them, including fighting enemies.
The Elder Orb preys upon the psionic essence of other creatures, especially other beholders. It shunts any excess mass to a node on the Astral Plane, where it maintains a psionic link. It is immortal and can live indefinitely, as long as it does not suffer a violent death. It never goes senile or weakens physically from age.
COMBAT
The Elder Orb is a formidable opponent in combat, as it has access to the combined spellcasting knowledge of hundreds of beholders. It can use its spells at double the normal range, making it a powerful spellcaster.
The Elder Orb is restricted to spells that do not require material components, unless it has learned to cast them without them. It generally avoids spells that have costly or rare components, such as scrying or plane shift. It also avoids spells that have obvious visual effects, such as darkness or invisibility, as they might reveal its location.
The Elder Orb can control death tyrants with its magic, as well as create them from dead beholders. It often uses the death tyrants as its minions and servants, sending them to fight its enemies or carry out its plans.
The Elder Orb is immune to charm and fear effects, and has a high level of magic resistance. It can easily see through most illusions and detect invisible creatures.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
The Elder Orb is the center of its beholder community, serving as an advisor and leader. It lives in a well-guarded lair near the heart of the beholder city, where it stores its treasures and secrets. It commands the respect and obedience of other beholders, who regard it as a wise and powerful elder.
The Elder Orb influences the political and military decisions of its community, often directing them towards its own goals and interests. It seeks to expand its knowledge and power by acquiring new spells and artifacts, as well as dominating other races with its magic. It views other creatures as either potential allies or enemies, depending on their usefulness or threat to its plans.
The Elder Orb rarely leaves its lair, preferring to communicate with others through telepathy or scrying. It sometimes sends emissaries or agents to negotiate or spy on other factions or realms. It also occasionally travels to other planes of existence to explore or seek new sources of magic.
ECOLOGY
The Elder Orb is immortal and can live indefinitely, as long as it does not suffer a violent death. It never goes senile or weakens physically from age. It is born like any other beholder, but starts to show signs of its unique abilities and appearance with very advanced age. It stops growing physically weaker and continues to live on forever.