Witness (5e Creature)
Witness[edit]
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Huge aberration, chaotic neutral Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Saving Throws Con +15, Wis +11, Cha +16 Innate Spellcasting. The witness's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 24). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: At will: charm person, command, healing word Conversion. Whenever the witness reduces a creature to 0 hit points, they are reduced to 1 hit point instead and permanently charmed by the witness. This effect can only be removed by a greater restoration spell or similar magic, but doing so causes the creature to take 10 (3d6) psychic damage. Creatures immune to being charmed are reduced to 0 hit points as normal. Evangelism. Creatures charmed by the witness can read, write, and understand Deep Speech and gain the flaw “I unquestionably believe anything any beholderkin tells me”, overriding any contradictory traits. The witness can also telepathically communicate with them at any range (no action needed). Flyby. The witness doesn't provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy's reach. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the witness fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The witness has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. ACTIONSMultiattack. The witness makes ten aberrant beam attacks. Aberrant Beam. Ranged Spell Attack: +16 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) psychic and 3 (1d6) radiant damage. At the end of the turn, each creature damaged by at least one aberrant beam rolls 1d6 for each aberrant beam they were damaged by. If they roll a 1 on any of these dice, they are blinded until the end of their next turn. If they roll a 1 on every d6 and they rolled five or more d6, they are also stunned until the end of their next turn. Focused Gaze. The witness targets one creature it can see within 300 feet with a hard glare. The creature must make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 45 (7d12) psychic damage and is blinded until the end of their next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't blinded. If a creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, they are also stunned until the end of their next turn. God's Eye (Recharge 5-6). The witness blasts alien light in a 300-foot line that is 15 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 84 (13d12) psychic damage and is blinded until the end of their next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't blinded. If a creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, they are also stunned until the end of their next turn. BONUS ACTIONSOmnioculus. The witness can see through the eyes of any creature charmed by it for 1 minute. It can end this effect early with a bonus action. It can only see through one other creature's eyes at a time and while doing so, the creature's eyes change to resemble the witness's eye, though they remain unaware of either the transformation or the spying. LEGENDARY ACTIONSThe witness can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The witness regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Focused Gaze. The witness uses focused gaze. |
When beholders dream of angels, a very rare occurrence, they have a chance of creating a witness. The progenitor beholder is then often converted to obedience when it tries taking on its massive spawn, though such conflict is never instigated by the witness itself. Unlike most beholderkin, witnesses possess no hate in their hearts, or any other emotion for that matter beyond perhaps typical beholder arrogance. They consider themselves above such petty drives and seek only to spread a message of the Great Mother's love to other beholders. This usually results in violent clashes and the conversion of lesser beholderkin to the witness's way of reverence, though most witnesses will accept any even lesser beings willing or unwilling, to aid its ministry, sometimes resulting in void cults with the witness as the center of worship. Such cults will usually end up trying to summon the Great Mother from the Abyss to the Material Plane, or whichever other plane the witness resides upon, where the witness can serve her more directly. Fortunately, none have succeeded so far. Tactics. A witness will rarely be the first creature to start shooting lasers, but it feels no reservations about using its spells and skills to convince others to treat it favorably. If forced to fight, a witness will stand its ground without fear unless its defeat seems imminent, at which point it will flee. During a fight, the witness will use its God's Eye as often as possible while trying to hit as many belligerents as it can with each beam, sometimes delaying for better positioning. While that recharges, it will use the aberrant beams fired off its wings to pacify multiple targets at once while using Focused Gaze against those it considers the most dangerous foes. Once it has charmed an aggressor to its side, the witness will stop attacking them while telepathically imploring the creature to either aid it directly or hinder their allies' efforts. Once all its attackers have been converted, the witness will heal up its new minions before sending them off to do its bidding. |
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