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For other beholder-related creatures, please see Beholder-kin.

Beholder

Beholders, also known as eye tyrants or spheres of many eyes, are a major[6] spacefaring race in the Spelljammer campaign setting.[7][8]

"Eyes spitting forth a multitude of death,
Sorcery shattering beneath my gaze,
Flesh torn, cries of anguish,
Suffering in statuesque silence,
I, Tyrant."
(an example of beholder poetry)
- Ronassic of Sigil[9]

Overview[]

For most groundlings a single beholder represents a grave threat. Little do they realise that far above, in the depths of wildspace, are vast territories dominated by entire beholder nations.[10] Many subspecies of beholders exist (known as breeds), all with the same monstrous features and powers, but varying in skin color and texture, configuration of eyes, and so on. Some sages speculate that beholders in different environments evolve through very rapid genetic deviation and drift. Whatever the case, these differences result in deeply entrenched xenophobia among beholders, who subsequently hold few ideals higher than destroying one another.[11]

Description[]

For many, a beholder is the stuff of nightmares. The creature appears as a large orb dominated by a glaring central eye above a large toothy maw, with 10 smaller eyes on stalks sprouting from the top of the orb. The globular body of the beholder levitates, allowing it to float about slowly. In space, without the constraints of gravity, a beholder can fly about at will.[7][12]

Most spaceborn beholders are covered in durable grey plates, and their eyestalks and irises tend to have variable colors.[13] However, the various breeds of beholder across the Known Worlds show a great deal more diversity in colorization, skin texture and basic form. Beholders from Toril in Realmspace tend to be slightly larger than average, with some reaching as large as 6 feet in diameter. They also tend to feature cool colors - such as blue and purple - on top, graduating to earth tones - such as brown and yellow - on the bottom. They have visible nostrils, their skin is pebbly in texture, and their eyestalks are usually jointed and articulated.[14]

Beholders from Oerth in Greyspace are of average size, with wrinkled, pinkish skin and clearly visible blue veins. They have a smaller-than-average central eye and a wider-than-average mouth. Their eyestalks are shorter than average and are unsegmented. The eyes at the ends of their eyestalks are larger than average and have eyelids which retract completely when not in use.[14]

Beholders from Mystara in Mystaraspace tend to be brown or green and have mottled skin. Their eyestalks are about 2 feet in length (which is about average) and unsegmented. Their eyes are human-sized and are protected behind dark-colored eyelids. A Mystaran beholder that closes its eyes and folds its eyestalks across its body resembles a moss- or mud-encrusted boulder, much to the short-lived chagrin of many an unobservant adventurer.[14]

All beholders speak their own language, which is also understood by all beholder-kin, as well as the common trade tongue.[7]

Personality[]

Beholders are hateful, aggressive and avaricious and attack or attempt to dominate all other races, including other beholders and beholder-kin. This is because their xenophobic intolerance causes them to hate all creatures not like themselves. The basic beholder body-type (a sphere with a mouth, a central eye, and eye-tipped tentacles) allows for a great variety of beholder subspecies. Some have obvious differences, including breeds covered with overlapping chitin plates, or those with smooth hides, or snake-like eye tentacles, and some with crustacean-like joints. But something as small as a change in hide color or size of the central eye can make two groups of beholders sworn enemies. Every beholder declares its own unique body-form to be the true ideal of beholder-hood, the others being nothing but ugly copies, fit only to be eliminated.[7][12]

Sazaur beholder

Combat[]

A beholder's body is covered in a hard pebbly skin reinforced with chitinous plates, making it incredibly tough. A beholder relies on its eye powers during combat, but is not adverse to biting opponents or using its bulk to crush or grind them into paste.[15]

Each of the beholder’s eyes, including the large central eye, has a different function. The standard eye powers of a beholder include:

  • Charm person as per the spell
  • Charm monster as per the spell
  • Sleep as per the spell, but can only affect a single target at a time
  • Telekinesis as per the spell, but move 250 pounds in weight
  • Flesh to stone as pe the spell, with a range of 30-yards (90 feet or 27 meters)
  • Disintegrate as per the spell, with a range of 20-yards (60 feet or 18 meters)
  • Fear, as per a wand of fear
  • Slow as per the spell, but can only affect a single target at a time
  • Cause serious wounds as per the spell, with a range of 50-yards (150 feet or 46 meters)
  • Death ray as per the death spell, but can only affect a single target at a time with a range of 40-yards (120 feet or 36 meters)
  • The central eye produces an anti-magic ray with a 140-yard range (420 feet or 128 meters), which covers a 90° arc in front of the beholder. No magic (including the effects of the other eyes) will function within this area. Spells cast into or passing through the anti-magic effect cease to function.

A beholder may activate the magical powers of its eyes’ at will. Generally, a beholder can use up to 4 of its smaller eyes if attackers are within a 90° arc; up to 6 eyes if attacked from within a 180° arc; up to 8 eyes if attacked within a 270° arc, and all 10 smaller eyes if attacked from all sides. The central eye can only be used against attacks from the front. If attacked from above, the beholder can use all of its smaller eyes, but if it is attacked from below, a beholder can only use up to 4 of its smaller eyes.[7][12]

In wildspace, a beholder which is not constrained by the gravity plane of a larger object (such as a ship) can orient itself as it sees fit, and can use all of its eyes simultaneously. Once it falls into a gravity plane, it is limited to using up to 4 eyes until it rights itself with respect to the gravity plane. For this reason, most beholders who drift into another gravity plane will attempt to align themselves with the gravity plane when in combat.[7]

A beholder can withstand the loss of its eyestalks without serious injury to itself, as they can be regenerated. However, it does lose access to it eye powers once an eyestalk or an eye has been destroyed. Destroying a beholder's central eye is a significant injury and permanently blinds that eye as well as eliminating its anti-magic ray.[7][12]

Society[]

Among groundling beholders, the very concept of forming deep and lasting social bonds with others is alien to their very identity. Their ingrained paranoia and manic quest for knowledge prohibits the formation of even rudimentary friendships. However, despite their reluctance to bond socially, they are willing to band together with other beholders under the auspices of a hive mother or an overseer.[16] A solitary beholder in wildspace is either a scout who has been sent by an ambitious hive mother or is a "demented" beholder who has been exiled for questioning the core tenets of beholder behavior.[17] A solitary beholder will usually set up a lair on an isolated asteroid or similar locale and prey on the inhabitants of the surrounding region.

However, an exiled beholder may attempt to integrate themselves into humanoid society. This in no way suggests that the beholder has become a force for good: it remains a profoundly alien creature.[17] However, unlike other beholders, an exile will have lost much of their xenophobia and paranoia, and though this does not mean the beholder likes, respects or understands its neighbours, it will at least attempt to distinguish between individuals and willingly negotiate with them on a regular basis.[18]

In wildspace, beholders are much more social and form organized communities known as "nations". A beholder nation is made up of clans, which in turn consist of a number of hives.[19] A hive consists of a single ultimate (or hive mother), who controls up to 10 beholders or up to 20 beholder-kin and abominations, and will typically possess a single tyrant ship. Related hives of the same breed (usually two or more) may unite to form a clan (known as a city amongst groundlings). Each clan will be led by a single dominant hive mother, who will go on to form part of the ruling elite of a beholder nation. A beholder nation (also known as a swarm) is led by a single powerful hive mother (sometimes referred to as the Queen),[20] who will be advised by a governing council of ultimates selected from among the various clan leaders.[21] Most beholder nations number only 20 to 40 individuals, which is the complement of one or two tyrant ships; however, there are crystal spheres where beholder nations are significantly larger, numbering over ten thousand strong.[11]

The exact reproductive process of beholders is unknown. The core racial hatred of the beholders may derive from the nature of their reproduction, which seems to produce identical (or nearly so) individuals with only slight margin for variation. Beholders may use parthenogenic reproduction to duplicate themselves, and give birth live (no beholder eggs have been found). Beholders may also (rarely) mate with types of beholder-kin.[7][12]

Hive mother[]

A hive mother, also known as an ultimate tyrant or just an ultimate, controls the actions of the common beholders that make up the crew of a tyrant ship. The hive mother is able to focus the magical energies of its subordinate beholders through the structure of the ship's shell, powering the vessels magical weapons and interacting with the orbi that provide propulsion for the ship.[7]

Description[]

A hive mother is twice the size of a typical beholder. Its mouth is so large that it can even swallow a man-sized target whole. Once swallowed, its victim takes damage from the ultimate's digestive fluids until the either die or manage to escape. A hive mother's mouth isn't very deep, so a victim can successfully escape by cutting their way out. An ultimate does not have any eyestalks; instead its magical eyes are protected by hooded covers in the flesh of the creature’s body, so that they cannot be severed.[22]

Orbus

Orbus[]

The orbus is either genetically bred or a stunted and immature form of the standard beholder, and can only be found in space onboard the tyrant ships of various beholder nations. Orbi are the means by which spacefaring beholders travel through wildspace, converting the magical energies of other beholders into motive force, and are, functionally, living spelljammer helms. There are up to 5 orbi onboard any tyrant ship, and they are usually located closest to the commanding hive mother, at the deepest point of the ship's hull.[7]

Description[]

An orbus is a pale, chalk-white, and lacks functioning smaller eyes. The central eye is huge and vulnerable, occupying most of the upper body, above a small, toothless mouth. The central eye has the normal anti-magic properties, but is a milky white.[7][23]

Notable beholders[]

  • Old Astor was a partially blinded beholder who served as steward of the ship's stores onboard the Spelljammer.[24]
  • Baris to the Right was a hive mother who lead a beholder nation located on the western side of the Spindle on H'Catha. She was one of the oldest hive mother's on H'Catha (relatively speaking) and was believed to be responsible for exterminating entire beholder nations.[25]
  • Beth-Abz was an explorer and adventurer who joined the crew of Teldin Moore, the Cloakmaster.[26]
  • Gray Eye was an ancient beholder who served as leader of the beholder nation onboard the Spelljammer.[27]
  • H'Carth was a renegade beholder and the sole survivor of a beholder nation that had been destroyed by rival nations.[28]
  • Large Luigi was a rogue beholder who owned and operated the Laughing Beholder tavern on the Rock of Bral.[29][30]
  • Miark the Blind was a powerful beholder mage and the only beholder ever to captain the Spelljammer.[31]
  • The Queen of the Sazaur was a hive mother of phenomenal power who led the Sazaur nation to dominate their crystal sphere, virtually exterminating all other beholder nations.[20] After her death, her eyes were used to create the Queen's Eyes relic.[32]
  • Shazogrox was a beholder mage who intended to use the Ravager to slaughter all other beholder nations.[33]

Signature spelljammers[]

Beholder ships are the most diverse class of ships in wildspace. Each reflects the individual nature of a particular beholder nation.[34] The arcane were commissioned to design ships for each nation, and maintain a register to ensure no two designs are alike.[35] Despite their unique shapes and designs, all beholder ships are classed either as tyrant ships or tyrant scout ships, depending on size.

Appendix[]

See also[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), chapter 4: Deities, pages 21-22
  2. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), chapter 4: Deities, page 23
  3. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), True Beholders section, page 9
  4. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), The Beholder Life-Cycle section, page 8
  5. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), Average Beholder Statistics side bar, page 7
  6. Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Major and Minor Races side bar (pp.50, 52 and 54)
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Beholder entry (pp.69–70)
  8. Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Beholder and Beholder-kin entry, pages 21-26
  9. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), side bar, page 68
  10. Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Beholder entry (p.69)
  11. 11.0 11.1 Allen Varney, SJA1 Wildspace, 1990, (TSR Inc.), Introduction, pages 2-3
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Beholder and Beholder-kin entry, pages 21-22
  13. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), Beholders Throughout the Planes section, page 67
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), Beholders Throughout the Planes section, page 66
  15. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), page 49
  16. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), pages 39-40
  17. 17.0 17.1 Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), Demented Beholder section, page 37
  18. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), Exile section, page 42
  19. Nigel Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993. (TSR Inc.), pages 101-103
  20. 20.0 20.1 Allen Varney, SJA1 Wildspace, 1990, (TSR Inc.), The Sazaur section, Introduction, page 2
  21. Aaron Allston, I, Tyrant, 1996, (TSR Inc.), chapter 7: Beholder Society, pages 40-42
  22. Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Beholder and Beholder-kin entry, page 25
  23. Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Beholder and Beholder-kin entry, page 26
  24. Jeff Grubb, The Legend of Spelljammer, Captains and Ships, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Personalities of the Spelljammer, pages 32-33
  25. Dale "Slade" Henson, SJR2 Realmspace, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Important NPCs section, H'Catha chapter, pages 49-50
  26. Nigel Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993. (TSR Inc.), pages 97-105
  27. Jeff Grubb, The Legend of Spelljammer, Captains and Ships, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Personalities of the Spelljammer, pages 47-48
  28. Jeff Grubb, The Legend of Spelljammer, Captains and Ships, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Campaigning With The Spelljammer, pages 83-86
  29. Richard Baker, SJR5 Rock of Bral, 1992, (TSR Inc.), The Laughing Beholder section, page 78
  30. Dale "Slade" Henson, SJR2 Realmspace, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Important NPCs section, H'Catha chapter, page 49
  31. Jeff Grubb, The Legend of Spelljammer, Captains and Ships, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Personalities of the Spelljammer, page 59
  32. Allen Varney, SJA1 Wildspace, 1990, (TSR Inc.), New Magic section, page 61
  33. Allen Varney, SJA1 Wildspace, 1990, (TSR Inc.), Non-Player Characters chapter, page 58
  34. Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, chapter 2: Spelljammers (p.23)
  35. Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Arcane, The entry (p.68)
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