If you were a Beholder.........what would you ask of my players?

[Anti-Sean]

Either that, or have the beholder telekinesis the statue of their friend in the air and say "Listen to my words, or your friend will be dust."

Hide the petrified friend, use his disintegrate eye to carve a statue in the petrified friend's likeness, and hold *that* aloft as a threat to ensure their cooperation. Even better if he actually hands over the fake statue when/if the negotiations are finally concluded.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

As a mean beholder, I think he should ask for more petrified statues. I mean, he's a beholder. He's smart and suspicious. He'll likely only bargain if he knows he can't win a fight. If he knows that he can win, more statues (especially of the likeness of the party members) would look great on the begining of a memorial garden to his prowess.

Although, if the beholder actually can win over the party fairly easy, forcing a confrontation would only lead to everyone rerolling the characters and starting the campaign afresh. The players will have learned to runa way more often ... but it may not be the direction you really want to go.

 

[Anti-Sean]

As far as what the beholder should ask of the party...

Given the massive, massive xenophobia mentioned by others already, perhaps this beholder is in love. He wants the party to bring a poem (think Vogon poetry here) he has composed in honor of a nearby beholder that he is smitten with in hopes of wooing her, despite the beholder proclivity for xenophobia. Alternately, he thinks that the other behold is in love with *him*, but hates her as is appropriate for their kind, and thinks that she sent the party to woo him for her.

Or you could make the object of his affection a grimlock, destrachan, or some other sightless creature to contrast with his ocular abundance.

After all, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Storyteller01]

A favor. Surely he has rivals, foes, etc... He should send them after one of those.

Ditto. He coud also send the group after any item he wants.

Just make sure there's a lawful character in the group. If not, the group will either renig on the offer, or the beholder will hold onto the petrified character (leaving his player twiddling their thumbs for the rest of the adventure).

 

[Nightfall]

Anti-Sean,

Some how I'm not sure any of us want to see half beholder abominations for many, many, many reasons...


My idea is a tad more simple, adoration. He wants the PCs to find him worshipers. While it is true Beholders hate everything and would probably care more for death than anything, perhaps he has a rival beholder that he wants to replace to gain cultists of his own.

Easy and yet still effective way to destroy the PCs as well.

 

[Raloc]

After all, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

We all know the rest of that post was just a lead up so you could deliver that line in a beholder post. Busted!

 

[Nightfall]

Ral,

You're probably right but these days...who knows? He might be serious.

 

[grodog]

So now he plans on negotiating with the party. He will threat to destroy the petrified character and ask for something in return for releasing him. This way, he can get rid of the humanoids, and still get something out of it. [snip]

I want to ask for something that is at the same time reasonable and dear for my players. I want them to agree with the beholder, but still feel like they are paying a “fair” price to get their friend back.

What would you, my fellow En worlders, paragons of rat bastardness and wisdom,suggest?

Not sure if this would be useful or not, but I'd definitely have the beholder demand that the PCs do X (kill a bunch of drow/illithids/kuo toans/whatever's annoying him; recover a clue as to the whereabouts of an artifact; deliver a message to Mordenkainen; teach him grugach in three weeks or less; etc.), and try to retain a PC hostage beyond the stone one (perhaps an obviously Lawful PC, whom the beholder might think will keep his/her word), as cooperation insurance..

Also, you might find something of interest here: http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/temp/beware_the_lord_of_eyes.pdf (I typed this up for the Dragonsfoot collaborative D1-3 map/encounters project; it's a beholder encounter from my Greyhawk underworld, and features some of my beholder house rules).

 

[grodog]

Given the massive, massive xenophobia mentioned by others already, perhaps this beholder is in love. He wants the party to bring a poem (think Vogon poetry here)

Love it!

 

[Nightfall]

Vogon poetry...ugh! Rather listen to Yanni.

Gro,

Good stuff there. I think that's an excellent suggestion.