Small aberration (beholder), Chaotic Neutral
CR 7 (2,900 XP)
Appearance
A Trickster Beholder is roughly half the size of a normal beholder—4 feet across—with bright, swirling colors covering its hide in rainbow blotches or patterned spirals.
Its eye stalks bob, twitch, and wiggle with manic energy. Its laugh can be:
- booming and jolly,
- squeaky and childish,
- or bizarrely melodic.
It floats with a wobble-like bounce, adding to its unpredictability.
STAT BLOCK
Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 90 (12d8+36)
Speed: 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR
10 (+0)
DEX
14 (+2)
CON
16 (+3)
INT
17 (+3)
WIS
14 (+2)
CHA
18 (+4)
Saving Throws: Wis +6, Cha +8
Skills: Deception +8, Insight +6, Perception +8, Performance +8, Stealth +6
Condition Immunities: prone
Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages: Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +3
🎨
TRAITS
Chaotic Trickery
Magic that detects alignment reads the Trickster Beholder’s alignment as shifting wildly, changing every few seconds.
Illusory Form (3/day)
When targeted by an attack, the beholder can create illusory duplicates of itself. Until the start of its next turn, all attack rolls against it have disadvantage.
Laugh of Bedlam
Creatures that hear the beholder laugh must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on their next attack roll as psychic static fills their thoughts.
Eye Tyrant’s Curiosity
Trickster Beholders are not inherently murderous; they prefer pranks, illusions, and chaos. They may flee a losing battle or negotiate with flamboyant enthusiasm.
🧿
ACTIONS
Multiattack: Eye Rays
The Trickster Beholder uses three random eye rays at the start of its turn.
Choose or roll a d8:
- Giggling Charm Ray – Charm Person effect, DC 15 Wis
- Hypnotic Spiral Ray – Target must succeed on a DC 15 Wis save or be charmed and incapacitated for 1 minute (as Hypnotic Pattern in a single-target beam)
- Beastmaster Blink Ray – Functions as Dominate Beast for 1 minute (DC 15 Wis)
- Illusory Doubles Ray – Creates a Major Image of any medium creature or object
- Confusion Ray – Confusion spell on one target, DC 15 Wis
- Rainbow Dazzle Ray – Targets in a 5 ft. radius must succeed on a DC 15 Con save or be blinded for 1 minute
- Prankster Push Ray – Deals 3d6 force damage and pushes the target 15 ft
- Laughing Grease Ray – Covers a 10 ft square in slippery goo (Grease spell)
The beholder never uses disintegration, petrification, or death rays—too mean for its tastes.
Bite
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target
Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage
(It rarely uses this—too close, too messy.)
🌀
BONUS ACTIONS
Chaotic Blink (Recharge 5–6)
The beholder teleports up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space it can see, leaving behind a harmless illusory “pop” of confetti, smoke, glitter, or streamers.
🎈
REACTIONS
Prankster Pop
When hit by an attack, the beholder can create a 5-foot cube illusion of something silly (a rubber duck, a terrifying mask, a bucket of paint).
The attacker must succeed on a DC 15 Wis save or have disadvantage on their next attack.
😂
BEHAVIOR & PERSONALITY
Trickster Beholders:
- rarely stay in one place
- wander into cities for fun
- prank guards by mimicking orders
- terrify nobles with illusions of imaginary monsters
- rearrange furniture in people’s houses while invisible
- love shiny objects
- adopt random creatures as “best friends” for 20 minutes at a time
They are not malicious, but their chaos can cause serious trouble.
They especially enjoy:
- surprising adventurers
- turning weapons into illusory fish
- making two enemies think they’re dancing partners
- “testing” people with pranks of escalating absurdity
Their ultimate goal?
To be entertained.
🧩
Adventure Hooks
1. A Trickster Beholder Has Taken Over a Theater
Everyone loves the illusions—except the actors, who haven’t been able to rehearse in days.
2. A Noble Hires the PCs to Remove a “Haunting”
It’s just the beholder giggling invisibly while switching paintings and furniture around.
3. A Trickster Beholder Wants Friends
It follows the party like an overexcited puppy, causing mayhem.
4. Illusion Gone Wrong
One of its pranks accidentally hides a real threat, and it begs the party to help fix things.
5. Rival Prankster Wizard
A local illusionist is determined to out-prank the beholder, turning the city into chaos.