Are there beholders in Dark Sun?

That.

"Ten eyestalks? My good man, I fear you are sorely misinformed. Athasian beholders have twelve eyestalks! My hat does not lie!!"
 

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this one has 13!!! Sounds like the PC met up with a Hive Mother or Elder Orb...!

If this were Pathfinder, I'd argue that the different Sorcerer bloodlines work for becoming a beholder.

For 4e... there's Star Pact warlocks (heh, if they survive to epic level), but since most of the classes are non-evil in theme I don't know too much about the other options (stepped back after PH3 came out; I had enough books to run a game, hadn't used all of them as it was, and found my collection of 3e meshed well with Pathfinder so I could switch to is. Not judging, just saying my personal story).
 

In keeping with my earlier suggestion about beholders being the end result of a transformative process AND how Athas spits out unique foes (like Athasian undead), perhaps Athasian beholders have variable numbers of eyes, depending upon _____________.
 

Sooo you'd get mad/upset at your players for asking whether an option is available? Yikes.
Well, when I prepare a new campaign, I create a short guide, listing (among other things) allowed races and classes.

If everyone is cool with it and later comes along telling me he'd like to play 'x', with 'x' not being an allowed race/class, I'd wonder if they actually bothered to read my guide. So, yes, I'd be a bit miffed.

Imho, the right time to ask such a question is _before_ agreeing to play in that campaign, not after. Naturally, I will try to help a player find similar options to the ones that aren't available in the campaign, e.g. if a player asked to play a drow in Dark Sun, I'd suggest playing a black-skinned, white-haired elf instead.

Restrictions are the best way to enforce a campaign with a certain theme, otherwise you end up with a kitchen-sink (which, of course, can be fun, too). For an example what I'm talking about, check out this thread with a campaign guide by Mouseferatu.

Don't you think it would be odd, if everyone first told him he was excited about the campaign idea and later no one wanted to play a Dragonborn?
 

I think a beholder would be a perfect fit for Athas. Roaming a stripe of defiled land and shooting eye rays at whatever comes it's way. Simply awesome, I say! Can be a defiling mutation to make it a unique appearance. Or hand him an "anti-evil twin" who is a preserver.

And maybe a cult of desert savages worshiping it. With those cool hats, I'd call them "beholderfarians".
 

Do you happen to know WHICH 2nd Edition FR Deities book? There were several. Also, any idea of an approximate page?

Faiths and Avatars, page 13.

Yeah, that's the one that I saw it in.

For 4e... there's Star Pact warlocks (heh, if they survive to epic level), but since most of the classes are non-evil in theme I don't know too much about the other options (stepped back after PH3 came out; I had enough books to run a game, hadn't used all of them as it was, and found my collection of 3e meshed well with Pathfinder so I could switch to is. Not judging, just saying my personal story).

I didn't consider a star pact warlock but I suppose that could work too. Creative!

Don't you think it would be odd, if everyone first told him he was excited about the campaign idea and later no one wanted to play a Dragonborn?

I can see how that would be annoying to a GM--and rightfully so. But that doesn't parallel what I did. What more accurately parallels what I did would be if I told Mouseferatu that I was excited about the campaign idea and later saying, "Hey Mouseferatu, are double flails available in your campaign? I saw a picture of a fighter using a double flail that I wanted to use as inspiration for my character but the campaign primer is vague on whether they're in this world."
 

Well, when I prepare a new campaign, I create a short guide, listing (among other things) allowed races and classes.

I am perfectly okay with this point. As long as "Fancy Hats are perfectly allowed and encouraged" is on there.

You don't have anything against fancy hats do you? Because if you do then we just cannot be friends. You will not be invited to my birthday parties, where you shall then not get to partake in the enjoyment of my bouncy castle, clowns and cake.
 
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I can see how that would be annoying to a GM--and rightfully so. But that doesn't parallel what I did.
That's true. If you read my first reply in this thread carefully, you'll notice that only part of the answer referred specifically to your case. The rest (the Elminster/Drizz't stuff) was just myself using a more extreme example to better illustrate my point.
You don't have anything against fancy hats do you? Because if you do then we just cannot be friends. You will not be invited to my birthday parties, where you shall then not get to partake in the enjoyment of my bouncy castle, clowns and cake.
Actually, I think it would be fun to have a Dark Sun party discover an ancient beholder city with a bunch of mummified beholder carcasses and maybe a couple of their degenerated kin. I wouldn't mind if a pc chose to use one of those carcasses to fabricate a hat for himself or use them as a model for a new fashion-line...
 

That's true. If you read my first reply in this thread carefully, you'll notice that only part of the answer referred specifically to your case. The rest (the Elminster/Drizz't stuff) was just myself using a more extreme example to better illustrate my point.

Yeah, I see what you mean.

Actually, I think it would be fun to have a Dark Sun party discover an ancient beholder city with a bunch of mummified beholder carcasses and maybe a couple of their degenerated kin. I wouldn't mind if a pc chose to use one of those carcasses to fabricate a hat for himself or use them as a model for a new fashion-line...

Fashion model--that sounds like a perfect concept for a new Dark Sun theme!
 

I wouldn't mind if a pc chose to use one of those carcasses to fabricate a hat for himself or use them as a model for a new fashion-line...
Fashion model--that sounds like a perfect concept for a new Dark Sun theme!

"Oh, here go hell come!"

(see also David Bowie' video, "Fashion.")
 
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