I’m sure he’s much too busy to answer, but just on the off chance…
@TheEdVerse can Beholders dream up anything into existence, or only other types of Beholders? Could they dream up a new species? A Drow? Could they wake up with fabulous golden hair one morning? I know that with the pysche of a Beholder being what it is, it's not necessarily *likely* for them to dream those things. But I've been pondering it so much and I'm just so curious what the extent of their dreaming powers are lol— lethallencosplay (@lethallencos) November 20, 2022
1)
A beholder can alter themselves without limit by their dreaming, because any internal changes are done instinctively (i.e. they don’t have to understand every facet of how things work).
The moment they’re dreaming of another entity than themselves, they DO have… 2)
…to understand every last detail of the functioning bodily systems of that entity, to 'dream them up.' So even though beholders are geniuses, they almost always are A) transforming an already-living creature of the same sort (mammal, reptile, etc.) as what…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 20, 2022
3)
…envisage, and B) are really “reskinning” a beholder in terms of organs and inner workings, because that’s what they understand (unless they’ve done a LOT of breeding, dissections, and other examinations, of other sorts of creatures).
And in the same way… 4)
…that most kids trying to "make up" new monsters usually think of a stuck-together assembly of features (jaws, talons, tentacles, wings, etc.) of various creatures they're already familiar with, that's how a beholder trying to dream up a new species is usually…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 20, 2022
5)
…going to arrive at something: a hodgepodge of known bits and pieces. If a beholder makes developing new species (long-term breeding for selected traits program, surgical and magical experimentations, etc.) its chief focus of interest, they may achieve stable… 6)
…new species beyond these 'limits of time and attention' with a surprising degree of success.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 20, 2022
Well, now I’m thinking of a Victorian era-coroner-beholder who works for the government. Not sure why I’ve never considered a beholder for the role before. I imagine telekinesis would be very useful.
Maybe it’s time to stop type-casting illithids. I once proposed a gaslamp London setting to Wizards with a beholder doing a Mycroft Holmes role behind the scenes for the government, opposed by several archvillain beholders manipulating various walrus-moustached nobles.
They didn't go for it, but it would have been GLORIOUS.— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 20, 2022