Xanathar

Traits

Special Equipment

Xanathar wears a ring of invisibility, a ring of mind shielding, and a ring of resistance (force).

Antimagic Cone

Xanathar's central eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns, Xanathar decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. The area works against Xanathar's own eye rays.

Actions

Bite

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.

Eye Rays

Xanathar shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet of it:

• 1. Charm Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by Xanathar for 1 hour, or until Xanathar harms the creature.
• 2. Paralyzing Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• 3. Fear Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• 4. Slowing Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target's speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition, the creature can't take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• 5. Enervation Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• 6. Telekinetic Ray: If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or Xanathar moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray's telekinetic grip until the start of Xanathar's next turn or until Xanathar is incapacitated. If the target is an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn't being worn or carried, it is moved up to 30 feet in any direction. Xanathar can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a door or a container.
• 7. Sleep Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs and undead.
• 8. Petrification Ray: The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
• 9. Disintegration Ray: If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 (10d8) force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine gray dust. If the target is a Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, it is disintegrated without a saving throw. If the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of magical force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot cube of it.
• 10. Death Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.

Legendary action uses: 3. The creature can use one option at the end of another creature’s turn and regains spent uses at the start of its turn.

Legendary actions

Eye Ray

Xanathar uses one random eye ray.

Lair actions

When fighting inside its lair, a beholder 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 slimy; that area is 3 until initiative count 20 on the next round.
• Walls within 120 feet of the beholder sprout grasping appendages until initiative count 20 on the round after next. Each creature of the beholder's choice that starts its turn within 10 feet of such a wall must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled. Escaping requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
• An eye opens on a solid surface within 60 feet of the beholder. One random eye ray of the beholder shoots from that eye at a target of the beholder's choice that it can see. The eye then closes and disappears.

The beholder can't repeat an effect until they have all been used, and it can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.

Regional effects

A region containing a beholder's lair is warped by the creature's unnatural presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• Creatures within 1 mile of the beholder's lair sometimes feel as if they're being watched when they aren't.
• When the beholder sleeps, minor warps in reality occur within 1 mile of its lair and then vanish 24 hours later. Marks on cave walls might change subtly, an eerie trinket might appear where none existed before, harmless slime might coat a statue, and so on. These effects apply only to natural surfaces and to nonmagical objects that aren't on anyone's person.

If the beholder dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.