Behalfer (5e Race)
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Behalfer[edit]
"My mates and I had overrun many a traveler's camp before. We were to run our usual operation on a group of merchants; sneak in, kill one, gag another and make off with the goods. They didn't suspect a thing... or so we thought. I was about to stick a knife in the first sleeping man's back when suddenly I noticed a small, beady little eye peaking out of his pant leg. Suddenly, I couldn't move, and the man stood up as if he hadn't even been asleep to begin with! That little eye and a flash of color is all I remember before I was knocked out!"
- Excerpt from the Interrogation of Preston Hargrave by the Secomber Town Guard Upon the Arrest of He and the "High Moor Bandits"
Physical Description[edit]
A Behalfer takes on all the physical traits of a human with a few minor exceptions. They often inherit their hair color from the skin color of the Beholder that spawned them, as well as the eye color of that same Beholder. The other more notable difference is a singular eyestalk that grows from anywhere on the Behalfer's body. This can make hiding amongst normal humans vary in difficulty, as Behalfers with stalks on their head or hands often have a harder time covering them up. One thing is for certain: normal folk will undoubtedly recoil in horror at the sight of a Beholder's eyestalk sticking out of a human.
History[edit]
Behalfers are spawned of a Beholder when it dreams of the possibility of becoming human. This rarely happens as Beholders shudder at the thought of taking on such an inferior physical state. Behalfers that have been fortunate enough to survive and escape a beholder's clutches slink around the world, hiding their deformities in hopes of avoiding conflict from the humanoid races and beholders alike.
Society[edit]
For a Behalfer to make its way into society is an extremely rare occurance, but not impossible. Often when a Behalfer is spawned by a Beholder, it is promptly destroyed, as most Beholders see the existence of a Behalfer as an insult to their racial purity. Some Beholders do take on the more able-bodied Behalfers as a pet or low-tier minion, as they recognize the usefulness of a minion that can blend into a crowd. Behalfers lucky enough to be put into these positions are equipped with the knowledge of the Beholder's personality and lair necessary to escape, though this does not make it an easy feat. If a Behalfer should somehow escape a Beholder's lair, they face a new task of integrating into normal society. For this reason, many Behalfers turn to lives of crime to get a start. Some may join temples and seek the guidance of a higher power, or long enough robes to adequetly hide their eyestalks. It is completely possible for a Behalfer to work its way upwards to a respected position in society, but no matter what, its first and foremost concern will be to protect it's secret genesis. To some Behalfers, this simply means relocating frequently. To others, it means killing any and all witnesses.
Behalfer Names[edit]
Beholders do not put much thought into naming their Behalfer minions, often opting for one-syllable names. Sometimes these names are derived from the Beholder's own name. (i. e. Xanathar's Behalfer could be named "Xan" or "Thar") Other times the Beholder just takes a random sound, object, or creature and names their Behalfer after that. Beholders do not name Behalfers based on their gender. Behalfers will often adopt a last name, or change their names completely to fit into the society they've immigrated into.
Example Names:Akk, Book, Brapp, Coin, Crass, Faxx, Fish, Gurr, Kill, Krush, Maxx, Nipp, Pfft, Shelf, Wink, Yark, Yeck
Behalfer Traits[edit]
Your Beholder heritage lets your character adopt certain traits shared with all other Behalfers.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence or Charisma score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Behalfers rarely live past 60 years old, but they are usually dreamt into existence in a mature state. (i.e. a Behalfer appears to be 20 years old when in reality they might be only a few months old.)
Alignment. Being spawned from a Beholder, many Behalfers innately lean towards lawful evil. However, all have the same capacity towards any alignment, just like their human counterparts.
Size. Behalfers are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Eye Ray. As an action, you can fire a magical ray at a target within 120 feet that you can see from your single eyestalk. Roll 2d6 and choose one of the results to determine which ray you fire from those listed below. The save DC for the ray is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus before you must finish a long rest to do so again.
1. Charm Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 hour, or until you harm it.
2. Paralyzing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a 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 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 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. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature and it fails a Strength saving throw, you can move it up to 30 feet in any direction and it is restrained until the start of your next turn or until you are incapacitated.
If you target an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn't being worn or carried, you can move it up to 30 feet in any direction. You can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a door or a container.
6. Sleep Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature uses an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs and undead.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and undercommon.
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