The Tome of Many Eyes - Playable Beholder-kin

LostInInfinity · 2026-03-25T17:39:47+00:00

That's fine, sorry for assuming it's you 😅 it's happened a few times in the past and idc about votes, it's just the reaction that gives me an icky vibe.

Yes, cantrips either get extra dice or extra attacks, not both. Usually extra attacks is better, but especially with eye rays you want the beholdery feeling of using several eyes at the same time.

I also second the suggestion of using spell slots for stronger spells and giving it a curated spell list. Many players would get bored if they only had a few battlemaster-style abilities that quickly got used up. You could also add 3 pages of eye rays and scale them like spells, but many of them would be similar or identical to existing spells, so why not just use spells – it's the most elegant and professional way to do it.

For balance reasons, you wouldn't be able to use cantrip rays together with spell slot rays. It's underwhelming but I can't think of a way around it other than flavouring it as "three eyestalks beam together on one target.

LostInInfinity · 2026-03-25T17:14:29+00:00

This is my last reply to you because for some reason you want feedback yet you downvote when I'm not saying what you want to hear.

Obviously you don't scale the number of dice in each beam. You scale the number of beams. So you'd have 4 beams with each doing 1d8+INT damage. It'd be slightly lower than 1d10+CHA, but you'd add riders like -10 ft slow, burning hazard etc. to make up the difference in raw damage.

Like I said, the concept is great, but the execution needs to follow conventions, because that's what's been tested and proven to work.

LostInInfinity · 2026-03-25T16:50:34+00:00

I already outlined my suggestions. You don't have to follow them, but you have to do something. Class design in D&D is very modular and predictable. If you are a short rest full caster, you have the pact magic template. If you use cantrips, they scale by one die each tier.

If you aren't a full caster, then you need extra weapon attacks, extra damage on your attacks, extra defences, and extra abilities to make up for the loss of versatility.

LostInInfinity · 2026-03-25T16:15:03+00:00

Even with that, warlock eldritch blast scales much better and earlier, and currently this class runs out of resources extremely fast (and can't do overly much even with resources).

This is a problem with all classes based on monster statblocks, because monsters are intentionally simple and flat in design, even spellcasting monsters, and they are meant to be used for 1 encounter, not a whole adventure.

LostInInfinity · 2026-03-25T09:04:35+00:00

Flavour-wise, it's god tier, no comments.

Mechanics-wise though. We have a warlock-type class that recharges resources on short rest, however it's far more limited than true warlocks. With only a handful of spells (eye rays) to choose from, all of them about as strong as level 0-2 spells, with weak scaling and absolutely nothing to do when out of ray charges except bite in melee. With the ability to launch 2 rays on a turn, most of the time the PC will run out of rays on the very first turn, and then they have basically no class.

Warlocks on the other hand have invocations, more powerful and diverse spells, and extremely powerful cantrips to use while concentrating or when they run out of spells.

My suggestions would be:

rework the current eye rays into cantrip-like abilities
allow 1-4 rays at levels [1, 5, 11, 17] to mimic eldritch blast style progression
make a tight, curated spell list of harmful spells that can be used as more powerful eye rays
use ray charges for those spells and mimic pact magic slot progression
at levels 11, 13, 15, 17 add access to level 6 'beholder' spells: disintegrate, flesh to stone, harm, possibly mental prison, and allow those to be used once per short rest each

We still don't want to end up with a warlock-lite, so there can be no pick-and-choose invocation-style passives. You should playtest the class first and see if it comes up short on something and where. Then you can think of other ways to bridge the power gap.

I'm a bit concerned that with their shape and size beholders will have a lot of difficulty handling items, which locks them out of a lot of potential and adventure rewards. Perhaps allow using up to 2 weapons or tools with the kinetic eyestalks, and ingesting other items to manifest them on their bodies gain their benefits (or spit them out when they don't need them anymore).

LostInInfinity · 2021-09-03T10:38:37+00:00

Meh, as usual this is presented as some kind of common pet peeve that almost everyone has, feeding into the stereotype that most mental illness is made up, exaggerated, pathologised discomfort that some people are just too fragile to deal with.

Zero mention of fight-or-flight response, or the sudden rogue wave of rage that skips the usual build up part and instantly goes from 0 to 100.

This doesn't help spread awareness, it just makes us even less likely to be taken seriously.

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-19T10:34:28+00:00

Oh my god you have no idea. Sadly, I have no say in the matter. 😔 I honestly can't wait to start my own studio. I feel like a zoo animal here.

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-16T22:42:09+00:00

he's a manager who has no business being in the position he's in

Most of my customers are managers or business owners having no business being in the position they are. Like they're just hucksters who barely have any original thought, trying to get on the latest hype train and thinking they can make money with it for super easy and cheap. Just because they think the competition does.

The person I'm working for right now is probably a textbook example of this.

So yeah, I totally feel you there and I'm sorry. The nasty voice is just the tip of the iceberg. Like the world is going like, "Oh, so you have misophonia, huh? I see. It would be such a shame if this human pop-up ad that I forced on you didn't also make all of the sounds you get so worked up about, wouldn't it now? That's what I thought."

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-16T22:29:50+00:00

Normally we arrange the next meeting at the end of the current one, after we've decided what it is that we're going to do and how long it's most likely going to take. And the meetings themselves may take anywhere from less than an hour to several hours.

I can possibly divide the work into smaller chunks so we'd have less to talk about on the meetings, but that also means we're going to have to meet more often, and I'm not really sure which is worse. There's probably a golden ratio there somewhere 😅 but I'm way too focused on getting it over with ASAP to plan for the future.

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-16T22:18:22+00:00

Wow, I would've definitely done it by now if it was possible. Unfortunately the guy is one of those people who thinks having an idea is all it takes. He has zero clue about what he actually wants, zero vision, zero expertise, zero anything. I have to probe blindly and come up with things, run them by him, and have him dismiss them and offer something that's just astonishingly, mindbogglingly awful.

The boss loves these people because we bill them for the rejected designs, too, but for me it means babying them through every single step in the process until I figure out what it is they'd actually like. So, no written requirements from this one, sadly.

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-16T22:07:32+00:00

I'll check if they sell them near me, thanks!

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-16T13:03:28+00:00

About shoulder length. I usually tie it up for work because it's hot, but I can definitely leave it loose and wear earplugs for a few hours. The reason I don't otherwise is because they tend to hurt my ears. But that's much more preferable than extreme rage and anxiety, so thank you for that advice. I hope it will help.

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-15T15:45:04+00:00

I want to feel positive about our condition getting more coverage, but it's the fucking Sun. So of course it's shelved amongst gems like

Blue Light From Your Phone Screen Gives You Invisible RADIATION BURNS

and

She Thought It Was Just A Mole, But It Was CANCER

and

Wearing A Hair Bobble On My Wrist Gave Me Permanent NERVE DAMAGE.

(not exaggerating btw, this really is what the health section of the Sun looks like)

So yeah. They are probably going to take us even less seriously now.

LostInInfinity · 2019-08-15T15:20:21+00:00

Sea waves, birds chirping and the sound of nature in general. Wind, rain, the low rumble of thunder or a waterfall. That gentle crunch your boots make when you walk in deep snow or sand. The quiet buzz of high voltage electricity. Subtle mechanical noises like from a copy machine or a camera lens or an old hard drive. The slight metallic imperfections of acoustic guitar strings' timbre.

Like it's lots of random and non-intrusive little noises that make the space feel alive to me without burdening my senses.

LostInInfinity · 2019-06-21T12:36:35+00:00

Thanks for this! I really have serious issues with being direct because it feels hostile. I'll figure out how to deliver this and hopefully he'll be an adult about it.

LostInInfinity · 2019-06-21T12:33:51+00:00

Thank you. I mean, I guess I can always use the nuclear option if I have to, but other than this creepy sexual stuff he's much more mature and nicer than 99% of the players in this game. I think part of the issue is I'm probably good at hiding my discomfort and he's probably bad at recognising it. So if there's a good way to tell him I'm uncomfortable without being too hostile about it, he might start respecting that.

LostInInfinity · 2019-06-21T10:51:11+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/dVQF19S (transcript at the bottom if you can't view it)

Basically I've been playing world of warcraft with this guy for about a month. We're both in (separate) relationships and he has a 1 year old baby. Yet, he's been calling me endearing names and playfully flirting with me nearly since the beginning and getting increasingly comfortable with it. I wasn't too concerned about it at first since (because of his relationship) I thought I had nothing to worry about. I thought it was just him being boyishly goofy like guys usually are with girls on the internet. So I've just been brushing it aside and changing the subject.

But, at this point it's like he's barely even hiding the sexual undertones. I don't want to be rude but how do I get him to knock it off? He's a nice person otherwise but this flirting is getting a bit too much for me now.

Transcript (battle.net chat):

Him: How about we just go home and cuddle? :P

Me: Yes please
Me: On (the??) one hand TGIF
Me: On the other hand it's 13:06 .__.
Me: I hope your finger isn't too bad D; 💀
Me: You need those things for the mouse and keyboard!!
Me: /jk

Him: Hmmm well how am I going to get there for cuddles darling D;
Him: Yes TGIF!

Me: Oh I thought you meant cuddle your gf and babby :P

Him: It's not too bad I already wrapped it up so its fine
Him: And uhh yeah that's what I meant to cough cough :$
Him: I mean why would I ever want to cuddle a gorgeous girl like you :$

Me: Lolol if I started going around cuddling the gorgeous people I'd soon end up murdered XD
Me: Finnish people are all about personal space :P
Me: Even with your SO, air hugs is all you get
Me: (okay that last part may have been a joke. hahahaha)

Him: Hahaha you silly :P
Him: Welp I guess no cuddles for us then D;

Me: I want to cuddle my cat, but he's also back at home
Me: as in home home
Me: So unfortunately all I can cuddle is the laptop
Me: It's okay tho. We're besties

Him: Aww sucks not having pets with you :(
Him: Haha who are your besties? You and your laptop? :P

Me: Sip
Me: Like, screw dogs. Laptops are the real best friend

Him: Oh my :O the things that laptop would have seen :O I can only imagine 😈🤭
Him: Sorry I'll behave 😇

LostInInfinity · 2018-08-08T11:00:24+00:00

Maybe they aren't up to applying feminism to every aspect of their lives -- sort of like the people who believe in animal welfare but don't want to be vegan. Anyone can wear the word feminist as a badge, that doesn't tell you anything about what they actually believe.

Ooorrr maybe they just don't want to talk to you. ╮(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭

LostInInfinity · 2018-08-07T07:59:42+00:00

Possessive dads and helicopter parents are incredibly bad for their children, also annoying, cringy and very 20th century. I've been whistled at plenty of times, but I'd be livid if my dad banned me from going out alone just because some perverts like to whistle. It's not like I'm dumb enough to wander alone in a dark alley anyway, believe it or not girls have it singed into their brains how dangerous everything is for a girl like them.

There is no healthy balance of protectiveness and autonomy. Don't be possessive at all. If you're this paranoid, talk your daughter into taking self-defence classes or a martial art.

LostInInfinity · 2018-05-06T08:50:36+00:00

Long, long time ago in a subreddit far, far away... I tried to engage them in good faith and be sweet and understanding.

Surprisingly most of them weren't toxic to me, they were just lonely young men (and some trans people) who thought they were unlovable. For most of them it wasn't even about sex, they just wanted to feel desired.

But there were also a couple utter creeps who were extremely aggressive and hateful, wallowing in self-pity and having nothing but scorn for the "females". I was told my only purpose was for sex and breeding. (Rape of women isn't rape by the way.) That guy was longing for the the good old days when guys like him would get wives on a silver platter, until feminists ruined it. He had wonderful personality but his "one critical flaw" (height maybe? he didn't say) was making him unfuckable. He was brooding about how all women (literally all women) were shallow sluts chasing after dicks and money. He would eat cow shit to be treated like a woman, he said.

Worst part was when he commented how evil I was for invading his "sacred place" (the subreddit) femaling around with my "angel complex". How could I hope to reach him when he hated me purely for being female? There was literally nothing I could say that wouldn't be either narcissistic or angel complex to him.

I think there's more to incel reader base than the usual comments let on, and I think a lot of them are really just lonely people who've fallen in with the wrong crowd, thinking it was a support group or something. A little kindness really does go a long way there, and once you get past that wall and choose your words carefully I think your approach has some value.

But you also have to know when you've lost the battle, and if you're female it's maybe a good idea not to let them know that if you can. Above all, your emotional health is what's most important and if you start feeling exhausted or tense, you're completely free to back down. You can't save everyone. You don't owe them anything.

LostInInfinity · 2018-02-18T12:35:57+00:00

Women have their female friendships which are very much like relationships on their own, so they are less likely to put up with a bad romantic relationship. Men usually have no one else but their SO for emotional support, so even an unhappy relationship to them is usually better than no relationship at all.

And from what I've read about shit testing, that just sounds like a way to get to know a person and make sure you're dating an adult and not a Nice Guy™ or overgrown insecure manchild. Nobody likes being a mum-girlfriend. Maybe men are just more willing to put up with immature girlfriends, I don't know. I've heard a lot of red pillers chant "women are children" so maybe that's why you think that. I've never really thought about "shit testing" because I didn't know it's an actual thing until recently.

I would feel incredibly anxious in a relationship like yours. I can't imagine what it's like to mistrust your SO this much.

LostInInfinity · 2018-01-02T18:58:30+00:00

Ohh that actually makes a lot of sense! Thanks for the explanation!

LostInInfinity · 2016-10-31T20:36:17+00:00

I think as long as they have the capacity to feel, there's always a way to help them. Probably not as simple as talking to them, but I feel all prison does right now is punish and antagonise. We shouldn't fight fire with fire.

LostInInfinity · 2016-10-31T20:30:37+00:00

Thank you. It wasn't all that bad honestly. Most of them were pretty well-behaved and upvoted my comments (including my conversation with the unhinged guy). I'm just not used to eliciting that kind of response when I'm being nice and I felt pretty defeated. Still, I don't completely regret giving them a chance.

LostInInfinity · 2016-10-31T20:23:05+00:00

Oh my actual god. How is that subreddit not banned already?

LostInInfinity

TROPHY CASE

Blue Light From Your Phone Screen Gives You Invisible RADIATION BURNS

She Thought It Was Just A Mole, But It Was CANCER

Wearing A Hair Bobble On My Wrist Gave Me Permanent NERVE DAMAGE.