Beyond doubt one of the most iconic D&D monsters as well as a total bad-ass.
Much has been said concerning the beholder and I will be treading very well travelled paths on this but such is life.
I love this beast with a passion, the ultimate bad guy, a lonely megolomaniac with a heart of stone.
If you look at the stat block in the trusty MM many questions could be asked, particularly about the array of hit points and the variable armour class. I’m pretty sure first ed wasn’t really set up for such things but I’m sure organised players could take advantage. That being said, if I were a beholder with all of these powers (which is a recurring dream of mine!) then I’m pretty sure I would be nigh on invincible, and rightly so. No stand up fights for this chap, even with its slow speed it was absolutely made for hit and run attacks and definitely for fleeing any battle going even slightly against it. With disintegrate and levitation you would never need to be cornered and your home base ( of which you would have several) would be full of murderous traps and such like.
For further reading there have been any amount of articles and books written; I am personally a big fan of the Forgotten Realms Xanathar concept- a crime boss hiding behind layers and layers of lackeys and sops - it should be the finale of a great campaign to finally meet a beholder - my only faint tinge is sadness comes from the fact that they have no moustaches to twirl!!
I’ll leave you with some Beholder art ( better available), from my UK MM and from my copy of the Greyhawk OD&D book. Lastly is a photo of a t-shirt available through The Secrey Cabal Gaming Podcast ( easy to find with some google-fu). I love the cabal and recommend their podcast if you like gaming in general. The artwork is by Steve, a talented artist and member of the Cabal crew.
Until next time
Be safe
Carl
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