The Sage Answers Beholder Questions

[AuraSeer]

Either it's a standard action, and the MM is wrong, or it's a free action, and the sage is wrong.

Those are not the only two options. IMO, the implied action is "use one or more eyes, and take zero or one physical attacks". That is, the use of eye rays is a special standard action which overlaps a regular attack action.

So the beholder could do any of the following:

• Use eye rays [Standard]
• Use eye rays, and take one bite attack [Standard]
• Take one bite attack [Standard]
• Use eye rays, and full attack with bite [Full]
• Full attack with bite [Full]

This interpretation seems perfectly logical to me, based on the book text. YMMV.