Beholder

Eyes of Flame and Frost

A beholder once dreamed it had two central eyes, and spawned into existence a pair of beholders with conflicting natures. When an Eye of Frost and Eye of Flame are created, they usually immediately turn on one another, with only the survivor floating into the world to find its place. Sometimes, however, the beholders acknowledge each other as siblings and work together towards nefarious ends.

Eyes of Flame and Frost are less egotistical than beholder eye tyrants and will work with other creatures and with one another. They will serve alongside fiends and giants if prom-ised a lair and slaves, but usually strike out on their own.

The greatest prize for an Eye of Flame or Frost is to slay a young dragon for its hoard and territory.

A Beholder's Lair

Eyes of Flame and Frost lair within tall mountains, prefering active volcanoes and snow-capped peaks respectively.

Like other beholders, the lair typically has large, spacious caverns with high ceilings.

A beholder Eye of Flame or Eye of Frost encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 10 (5,900 XP).

Eye of Flame Lair Actions

When fighting inside its lair, an Eye of Flame can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the beholder can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:

A tremor shakes a 50-foot square area of ground within 120 feet of the beholder. Each creature on the ground in that area must make DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

Volcanic gases form a cloud in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the beholder can see within 120 feet of it. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured. It lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round. Each creature that starts its turn in the cloud must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its turn. While poisoned in this way, a creature is incapacitated.

An eye opens on a solid surface within 60 feet of the beholder. The beholder's fire ray shoots from that eye at a target of the beholder's choice that it can see. The eye then closes and disappears.

Eye of Frost Lair Actions

When fighting inside its lair, an Eye of Frost can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the beholder can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:

A 50-foot square area of ground within 120 feet of the beholder becomes slippery with ice; that area is difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.

Freezing fog fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the beholder can see within 120 feet of it. The fog spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. Each creature in the fog when it appears must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the fog takes 10 (3d6) cold damage. A wind of at least 20 miles per hour disperses the fog. The fog otherwise lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round.

An eye opens on a solid surface within 60 feet of the beholder. The beholder's cold ray shoots from that eye at a target of the beholder's choice that it can see. The eye then closes and disappears.

When an Eye of Flame and Eye of Frost work together, they share one lair action which can be chosen from the corresponding type from either list: tremor or icy ground, volcanic gas or freezing fog, and fire ray or cold ray.

The beholder(s) can't repeat a type of effect until they have all been used, and can't use the same type of effect two rounds in a row.

Regional Effects

A region containing the lair of a beholder Eye of Flame or Frost is subject to the same regional effects as other beholders. In addition, the climate may be unusually warm or cool, and in places where an Eye of Flame and Eye of Frost lair together, precipitation and storms are common.

Art Credit: Landscape "Ice and Fire" by Tomas Honz (https://merl1ncz.deviantart.com/); Beholder Eye of Flame and Eye of Frost by Wizards of the Coast 2008-2009