CREATURES FROM ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS
BEHOLDER
Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage [1] 19 DEX 27 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6 15 CON 10 12- 14 BODY 8 12- 15 INT 5 12- PER Roll 12-/14- 18 EGO 16 13- ECV: 6 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 0 COM -5 9- 14 PD 3 Total: 14 PD (8 rPD) 14 ED 3 Total: 14 ED (8 rED) 4 SPD 11 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 6 REC 0 76 END 23 30 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 111 Movement: Flight: 3"/6" Cost Powers & Skills 86 Eye Blasts: Multipower, 150-point reserve, all slots Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4) 4u 1) Anti Magic Stare: Dispel Magic 20d6, any magic power one at a time (+1/4); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 4u 2) Cause Serious Wounds: Drain BODY 2 1/2d6, Ranged (+1/2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +1 1/2); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 4u 3) Slow: Drain SPD 5d6, Ranged (+1/2); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 4u 4) Sleep: Ego Attack 2 1/2d6 (Human and Animal classes of minds), Area Of Effect (4" Radius; +1); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 4u 5) Charm Animal: Mind Control 12d6 (Animal class of minds), Telepathic (+1/4); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 4u 6) Charm Human: Mind Control 12d6 (Human class of minds), Telepathic (+1/4); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 3u 7) Fear: Mind Control 10d6 (Human and Animal classes of minds), Telepathic (+1/4); Set Effect (Run Away; -1/2), Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 4u 8) Death Stare: RKA 1 1/2d6, No Normal Defense (Defenses: Not being 'Alive', Having Full Life Support, Being Defended By A Magical Force Field; +1), Does BODY (+1); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 4u 9) Disintegrate: RKA 1d6+1, Does BODY (+1), Attack Versus Limited Defense (Power Defense; +1 1/2); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 2u 10) Telekinesis (40 STR); Only To Lift Objects Up Or Down (-1), Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Affects Whole Object (-1/4), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 6 4u 11) Flesh to Stone: Major Transform 5d6 (Flesh Into Stone, Curative Magics); Individual Slots Can Be Disabled With Called Shots (Anti-Magic Stare Is -6 OCV, All Other Slots Are -8 OCV; Slots Are Not Fully Protected By Beholder's Defenses, The Anti-Magic Stare Is DEF 4, BODY 3, All Other Slots Are DEF 6, BODY 1; -1/2), Limited Arc of Fire: (Each Slot Can Only Affect Targets In A 180 Degree Arc, Arc Varies Per Slot; -1/4), END 7 15 Bite: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), END 1 24 Chitinous Shell: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) 2 Great Size: Knockback Resistance -1" 30 Always Flies: Flight 3", Position Shift, No Turn Mode (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), No Gravity Penalty (+1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2) -12 Only Flies: Running -6" -2 Only Flies: Swimming -2" 10 Multiple Eyes: Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Sight Group 5 Heat Vision: Infrared Perception (Sight Group) 5 Night Vision: Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group) 4 Sharp Eyes: +2 PER with Sight Group Skills 10 Combat Skill Levels: +2 with Eye Blasts Multipower 4 Combat Skill Levels: +2 with Bite 3 AK: Home Territory 12- 3 Language: Common Speech (completely fluent) 3 Stealth 13- 3 Tactics 12- 3 Tracking 12- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 237 Total Cost: 348 75+ Disadvantages 5 Physical Limitation: Cannot Leap (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Large, up to twice human size, (4'6' across, 400 lbs) (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 3 Physical Limitation: No Mental Awareness (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing, Custom Adder) 15 Physical Limitation: Very Limited Manipulation (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: Aggressive and Hateful (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Greedy (Common, Strong) 5 Reputation: Eye Tyrant, 8- 210 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 348
Ecology: Beholders are also known as Eye Tyrants, or as The Sphere Of Many Eyes, and are solitary creatures, usually found in desolate regions, ruins, or large cave complexes. They feed on small animals of all sorts, and aren't adverse to supplementing their diet with larger prey (such as humans or orcs). Some will enslave tribes of goblins and their ilk, using the threat of their impressive magical powers to dominate a tribe and force its members to do the beholder's bidding.
Beholders are able to generate a number of magical powers via their eyes. Each eye can create a beam of magical energy. Each different eye has it's own distinct beam, and each of these energy beams has a different effect.
It is said that are many different varieties of beholder, and this is only one type of the creature. Some have reported seeing large reddish orange beholders with but one eye. These beholders spit forth flaming gas balls or gouts of lightning at their foes.
Personality/Motivations: The primary driving force behind a beholder's actions is one of greed. Beholder's are highly avaricious, and will often attack a small group of individuals in order to obtain whatever valuables they may have. A larger—more powerful—party may be bargained with, with the beholder often attempting to solicit a bribe not to attack. Of course, the beholder is not a stupid creature, and will avoid any group that is obviously beyond its ability to handle.
Powers/Tactics: If threatened, a beholder will often try to float to an otherwise inaccessible location. The tops of towers, over rivers and ponds, or over a gaping chasm are all favored places for a beholder to establish a defensive position. It will then rotate and try to keep the main body of attacks in view of its central eye, as that eye can cast an Anti-Magic Stare. If the beholder wishes to take its victims alive, it will use Sleep or Flesh to Stone, other wise, it will stand at a distance and use Cause Serious Wounds to create horrid weeping lesions on its targets. The Death Stare is used in heavily armored foes, while Disintegrate is saved for constructs, inanimate objects, and magicians who can withstand the Disintegrate beam. Slow is often cast on those the beholder wishes to use the Death Stare or Disintegrate beam on, as it will greatly reduce their chances of escaping. The Charms are used on singular targets, especially those the beholder believes can help it gain some objective. The Fear beam is used on targets the beholder doesn't wish to fight, but are weak minded enough to be able to scare off. Finally, the Anti-Magic Stare is kept in reserve, to eliminate any incoming spells. Naturally, the beholder will often use Rapid Fire or Multiple-Power Attacks allow it to use its eyes to maximum effect.
Appearance: A beholder has a great globular body covered in thick plates. A gaping maw set with many small teeth splits this sphere, above which is a single glaring eye. On top of the beholder's body is a ring of 10 smaller eyes. All of the beholder's eyes are reddish in color, while the body itself is a dark purple-black. The flesh seen between the plates that armor the body is usually a light red or pinkish color.
Designer's Notes:A purely made-up beast, the beholder was probably one of the first really nasty AD&D monsters. It had multiple armor classes, hit points that were divided among its different body parts and 11 different attacks! I never actually used or met one in any of the D&D games I was ever in (thank goodness), but converting it to HERO was great fun. As it is, the Multipower needs a little commentary:
As a final note, Game Masters may want to alter the beholder's characteristics to fit their particular campaign requirements.
Return to Creatures From Role-Playing Games