Pact of the Beholder (Warlock PEACH)

[Ralcos]

Here's just an idea that I had, where the Warlock can make a pact to a Beholder Ascended, a god-like being of the Beholder people.

Hopefully, I get it right, AND hopefully you guys'll like it.

Spoiler: Pact of the Beholder

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Your patron is a Beholder Ascended, a Beholder who as ascended into a god-like status either due to age, arcane power, or just enlightenment of any kind. Worshipped by most Beholders and their slaves (as well as several cults outside of Beholder society), they grant their power as any otherworldly patron.
Famous Beholder Ascended include Xaktillius, the Lord of Order; Makxius, the Lady of Power; and Pokxiuss, Death Tyrant of Death's Enlightnenment.

Expanded Spell List
The Beholder-Ascended lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a Warlock spell. The following spells are added to the Warlock spell list for you.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	Chromatic Orb, Ray of Sickness
2nd	Levitate, Scorching Ray
3rd	Counterspell, Lightning Bolt
4th	Banishment, Stoneskin
5th	Cone of Cold, Telekinesis

Beholder Presence
Starting at 1st level, your patron modifies your body to resemble more of your "kindred race". You have a Darkvision of 120 feet (if you don't have so already) and automatic Proficiency with the Perception skill, due to your head growing multitudes of eyestalks. If you are already Proficient with Perception, double your Proficiency Bonus when using that skill.
Also, you learn to speak, understand, and be literate in the Undercommon and Deep Speech languages (if you do not already know those languages).

Eye Rays
Starting at 6th level as an Action once per Short Rest, you can use a random Eye Ray as a Beholder. When you use this ability, the ray has a range of 30 feet, targeting one target, rolling a d6 to determine which ray is used. Targets of an Eye Ray can make a saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, except for Charm Ray and Sleep Ray which end automatically when the creature takes damage.

Spoiler: List of Eye Rays

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• 1. Charm Ray. Target must make a Wisdom Saving Throw, or be Charmed for 1 minute.
• 2. Paralyzing Ray. Target must make a Constitution Saving Throw, or be Paralyzed for 1 minute.
• 3. Fear Ray. Target must make a Wisdom Saving Throw, or be Frightened for 1 minute.
• 4. Slowing Ray. Target must make a Wisdom Saving Throw, or their Speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition, the target cannot take Reactions, and can only take Actions or Bonus Actions on their turn for 1 minute.
• 5. Enervation Ray. Target must make a Constitution Saving Throw, taking 3d8 Necrotic damage on a failure.
• 6. Sleep Ray. Target must make a Wisdom Saving Throw, or fall asleep and remain Unconscious for for 1 minute. This effect ends automatically when another creature takes an Action to wake the target, but this ray cannot effect Constructs or Undead.

Beholder Soul
Starting at 10th level, you can cast an Anti-Magic cone as an Action once per Short Rest.
Your largest eyestalk creates an area of antimagic, as in the Antimagic Field spell, in a 20-foot cone, lasting 1 hour. Once you have chosen a facing for the cone, you can change it during your turn as a Bonus Action. This works against your Eye Rays, as well as the Antimagic field's normal effects.

Improved Eye Rays
Starting at 14th level, you can use your Eye Rays ability twice per Short Rest. In addition, the range for your Eye Rays is increased to 60 feet.[/LIST]

Spoiler: Pact of the Beholder Chain Familiar

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The following statblock is a Chain Familiar for those Warlocks that chose to make a pact with the Beholder.

Beholderkin
Tiny Aberration, Lawful Evil

Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 27 (3d8+9)
Speed: 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)

Skills: Perception +5
Condition Immunities: prone
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Actions
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) Piercing damage.

Eye Beam.Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/40 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) Force damage.

Create Food and Water. The Beholderkin creates food and water to sustain itself for 24 hours.

[bloodshed343]

Those eye rays are way overpowered. It would be better if it were just 1d4-1d8 damage of a random type.

[Leuku]

What!? Automatic advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks, the most common ability check in the game? No way Jose.

How about "If you don't already have proficiency in Wisdom (Perception), you gain proficiency in it. If you already do, you gain double your proficiency bonus."

Get rid of the Bite attack; why on Earth would a Warlock, who has access to the famous and powerful Eldritch Blast, ever not use Eldritch Blast in favor of Bite?

Eye Rays: First off, let's limit it to 30 feet.

Secondly, How about we make it once every short rest, BUT that means you only have one use of Eye Ray per short rest. That means you get to throw out 1 random eye effect per short rest. You don't use up an eye and still have 5 eyes at your disposal; you use up your entire use of Eye Ray.

Make it require an Action to use, not a bonus action - each of those effects are worth an Action.

Make every Eye Ray have the same end conditions, which are as follows: It can make a saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, except for Charm Ray and Sleep Ray which end automatically when the creature takes damage.

For Slowing Ray, take out the "can only take an action or a bonus action but not both".

Anti-Magic Cone: 80 foot cone is massive. I would reduce it to 30 feet.

Also, the Eye Rays you gained at 6th level are treated to be 6th level spells when determining Saving Throw DCs.

I don't get what the above means. Shouldn't the DC be based on your Warlock saving DC?

Starting at 14th level, you can expend spell slots to use your Eye Rays ability.

How does that work? There's no data on what your Eye Rays do at higher levels.

Those 14th level Eye Rays are too strong. How about instead you gain the ability to make 2 Eye Rays per short rest and their range extends to 60 feet?

[Ralcos]

UPDATED
Made changes based on Leuku's suggestions.
Thanks for helping me make this better.

[Leuku]

What's the deal with the permanent cone facing for anti-magic cone?

Does that mean if you activate it pointing North, it will always face north no matter what you're doing? Useful unintended navigation tool, but it seems odd you can't simply turn your eye stalk.

Maybe it should be a one-use thing per short rest? A quick cone ray of 30 feet, disabling any magic until the start of your next turn.

[Ralcos]

What's the deal with the permanent cone facing for anti-magic cone?

Does that mean if you activate it pointing North, it will always face north no matter what you're doing? Useful unintended navigation tool, but it seems odd you can't simply turn your eye stalk.

Maybe it should be a one-use thing per short rest? A quick cone ray of 30 feet, disabling any magic until the start of your next turn.

I don't know why it has a permanent facing rule, and I basically just stole the description from the MM description.

[Leuku]

The Monster Manual does not say it has a permanent facing rule. It just says that at the start of its turn the Beholder chooses which direction to be pointing his cone and whether the cone is active or not.

[Ralcos]

UPDATED
Allows the facing of the Antimagic field to be changed once per turn as a Bonus Action.

[Leuku]

Alright, looks good.

Looks like you've got yourself a Warlock subclass.

You're going to screw over so many mages with that anti-magic cone xD

I am the Tyrant Wizard-King and I will not be cornered by some lowly adventurers! Dimension door!

ANTI-MAGIC CONE!

Wha? ****!

[Zweisteine]

This is awesome, but I have no time for a full reply.

Also, you learn to speak, understand, and be literate in the Undercommon and Deep Speech languages (if you do not already know those languages).

should just read

Also, you learn to speak, read, and write in Undercommon and to speak Deep Speech, if you do not already know these languages.

or just

Also, you know Undercommon and Deep Speech, if you do not already know these languages.

Use whichever is closer to the wording in dragon sorcerer that gives them Draconic.


And why not simply say that the beholderkin doesn't need to eat or sleep?

[Submortimer]

Your patron is a Beholder Ascended, a Beholder who as ascended into a god-like status either due to age, arcane power, or just enlightenment of any kind. Worshipped by most Beholders and their slaves (as well as several cults outside of Beholder society), they grant their power as any otherworldly patron.
Famous Beholder Ascended include Xaktillius, the Lord of Order; Makxius, the Lady of Power; and Pokxiuss, Death Tyrant of Death's Enlightnenment.

So, while mechanically, i love the class, the fluff needs a slight bit of work: Namely, as per the MM, Beholders each think of themselves as the perfection of beholderkind, and as such would NEVER worship another beholder. I would instead keep them as akin to powerful aboleths or the Dragon gods from Dark sun: Not real gods, but worshiped by many lesser creatures for their power.

this could also incite the beholder patron to guide his young warlock into altercations with OTHER beholders, which is always fun for the DM :-)