A creature that can see the gas spore can discern its true nature with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check.
After the creature dies, it sprouts 2d4 Tiny gas spores that grow to full size in 7 days.Įerie Resemblance. In half that time, the creature becomes poisoned for the rest of the duration. Spores invade an infected creature’s system, killing the creature in a number of hours equal to 1d12 + the creature’s Constitution score, unless the disease is removed. Creatures immune to the poisoned condition are immune to this disease. Each creature within 20 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage and become infected with a disease on a failed save. The gas spore explodes when it drops to 0 hit points. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 5ĭeath Burst. This monster is a member of the Fungi group.Ĭondition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, prone Any creature that inhales the spores and survives inherits one or more of the beholder’s fragmented memories, and might gain useful information about the beholder’s former lair and other nearby places and creatures of interest. When the gas spore explodes, its deadly spores cast those memories adrift.
A gas spore that sprouts from a beholder’s corpse sometimes carries within it memories of its deceased parent. Its corpse then becomes the spawning ground from which new gas spores arise.īeholder Memories. A creature that inhales the spores becomes host to them, and is often dead within a day. Piercing the shell with even the weakest attack causes the creature to burst apart, releasing a cloud of deadly spores. A gas spore is a hollow shell filled with a lighter-than-air gas that enables it to float as a beholder does. The monster possesses a blind central “eye” and rhizome growths sprouting from its upper surface, superficially resembling a beholder’s eyestalks.ĭeath Burst. A gas spore is a spherical, balloon-like fungus that resembles a beholder from a distance, though its true nature becomes increasingly obvious as one approaches it. Having long since adapted into a unique plant creature, a gas spore grows quickly and purposefully out of any corpse, creating a malevolent-looking mockery of the most feared denizen of the Underdark.Įye Tyrant’s Form. See more in D&D Beyond's Beholders: Bad Dreams Come True.The first gas spores are thought to have been from dead beholders, whose moldering corpses fed a parasitic fungus with aberrant magic. Another good source to consult (from the DM's perspective, that is), can be found on Nerdarchy, " bringing Beholders to life". They're as smart as they are dangerous, as Keith Amman so ably relays in The Monsters Know What They're Doing. There is no guarantee a melee hitter will be able to close with the Eye Tyrant, unfortunately. Archers and ranged spell effect "artillery" should be poised to give it the good news as soon as it drops the field to use its various eye rays on the brawlers and meat shields. You beat a Beholder by having melee characters get in close, within its anti-magic field. If played properly by a savvy GM an Eye Tyrant will be difficult to defeat. An eye tyrant sometimes carves out a domain within or under a major city, commanding networks of agents that operate on their master’s behalf." Rather than live in isolation to avoid other creatures, the aptly named eye tyrants to enslave those other creatures, founding and controlling vast evil empires. Some beholders manage to channel their pervasive xenophobic tendencies into a terrible despotism. "A beholder’s central lair is typically a large, spacious cavern with high ceilings, where it can attack without fear of closing to melee range. D&D and Pathfinder Beholder TacticsĪccording to the main monster page,
Now, being a nerd, I know lots of useless Beholder trivia and I burned up way too many of the few recreational hours I had available - but I had a pretty good time doing it. That started me down a deep, dark rabbit hole of abject nerdery, research, and Photoshop work.