In previous entries I have come up with a few mechanical or “magipunk” beholder variants, such as the Iron Eye or Mother Zero. But these felt a little incomplete without minions to stat up and add to their dramatic confrontations! So, below is my interpretation of a “Robolter” drone that can serve them, Magifacturing Nodes to produce the little guys, and new Lair actions that they are integral for! (And will ensure that adventurers ignore them at their peril!)
Each part of this update is modular, and will increase the challenge of facing any mechanically-inclined beholder the party faces. The Robolters are required to make the Lair Actions useful, but nothing says you have to have them attack individually if you’re worried about it being too much – you can have them flit about just to set them up for the Lair Actions, if you wish! The Magifacturing Nodes provide alternate places where Robolters can manifest (and more targets for the PCs to wail on as well), but they can also be used just for the second part of their optional rule, which adds a kind of “time challenge” if the party wasn’t diligent about destroying the Nodes during the boss fight – now they have to destroy them quickly or the beholder will return, Terminator-style! Or you can combine all four – the Robolters, new Lair Actions, Nodes, and the Optional Rule – for a truly titanic titanium toss-up!
Note: If you use the “Node Restoration” optional rule, I do not recommend using more than four (4) Magifacturing Nodes for a boss battle of this nature, but I left the possibility open for DMs wanting to season to taste.
Tactics Suggestions
As for tactics, a dynamic battlefield like this can add all sorts of things for beholders to do. The Iron Eye is much more straightforward than a regular beholder, but it can use Reconstruction Beam on its own Robolters or Nodes to keep them alive, and the PCs may be able to trick it into destroying its own Nodes by taking cover behind them or chomping on Robolters/Nodes when it turns Berserk. Mother-Zero meanwhile could use her eye rays or Repeating Crossbow to hit weakened Robolters to purposely set off their Overload explosions where advantageous, and since neither the Robolter nor the Nodes use magical abilities, she can use her Antimagic Cone freely in their presence. Finally, if heroes fail the Robolters’ (admittedly easy) Con saves, they will discover no amount of fog, darkness, or invisibility can hide them from the beholder’s rays – turning their greatest weakness into a strength.
Robolter
Tiny construct, Unaligned
- Armor Class 16
- Hit Points 22 (5d4+10)
- Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 1 (-5) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)
- Skills Perception +4
- Damage Vulnerabilities Lightning
- Damage Immunities Poison, Psychic
- Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
- Languages None but understands Deep Speech
- Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Overload. The Robolter explodes when it drops to 0 hit points. Each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) fire damage.
Actions
Targeting Bolt. The Robolter shoots a bolt of searing energy at a target within 60 feet. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) radiant damage and they cannot be unseen or Invisible until the start of the Robolter’s next turn. On a successful save they take half damage and do not suffer this effect.
Lair Actions
- Manufacture Drones. The beholder creates a number of Robolters equal to its CR rating (13 for Mother-000, 15 for the Iron Eye). If there are already Robolters present, subtract that number to determine how many new Robolters are created. These appear anywhere within 30 feet of the beholder or adjacent to a Magifacturing Node within 150 feet.
- Beam Grid. When this lair action is selected, thin antennae pop out of the top and bottom of each Robolter, emitting a crackling wall of lightning. Draw a line from each Robolter to one other Robolter. These lines are 10 feet high and remain until Initiative count 20 on the next round. Whenever an enemy starts their turn in a space the lines cross or enters one for the first time that turn, they must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity save or take 5 (2d4) lightning damage and be Grappled. Escaping requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
- Ocular Override. Three Robolters’ lenses change color. The beholder can see through them, and one random eye ray shoots from each Robolter at a target they can see. The beholder can see through the Robolter until Initiative count 20 on the next round.
The beholder can’t repeat an effect until they have all been used, and they can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
Magifacturing Node
Large Construct, Unaligned
- Armor Class 19
- Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40)
- Speed 0 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 8 (-1) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 19 (+4) 16 (+3)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Lightning
- Damage Resistances Acid, Cold, Fire, Necrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren’t Adamantine
- Damage Immunities Poison, Psychic
- Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone
- Senses Blindsense 20 ft., Passive Perception 14
- Languages None but obeys a beholder’s commands
- Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Immutable Form. The node is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Unmoving. The node is immune to any spell or effect that would move it from its space until it has been reduced to 0 hit points. It automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls against it have advantage.
Optional Rule: Node Restoration
At the start of a Magifacturing Node’s turn, if there are fewer Robolters within 1000 feet of it than the CR of its controlling beholder, it can create a Robolter adjacent to the node as an action.
If a beholder is slain within 150 feet of a Magifacturing Node it controls, the node will enact repairs on its corpse as an action. Once the number of node repair actions reaches three, the beholder is restored to 1/4th hit points.
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