Beholder, Jarvel

(Abomination)

By Robert Fedorchuk

Description

Jarvels typically play the role of armed guards in beholder societies. They resemble normal beholders with the notable exception of two large, human-like arms which protrude from either side of their bodies. Hairless and of a yellow complexion, these arms end in human-like, five-digit hands and operate with a Strength of 15.

A jarvel's central eye is slightly smaller than that of a regular beholder, although it still has the ability to emit an anti-magic ray in front of the creature; this ray is in all ways equivalent to that cast by a common beholder.

Combat

Like other beholders, jarvels make use of their arsenal of magic-wielding eyestalks in combat. These eyestalks typically have the following powers:

1. paralysis;
2. fumble;
3. fear;
4. magic missile;
5. deafness;
6. cause serious wounds;
7. suggestion; and
8. repulsion.

However, unlike other beholders, jarvels may also engage in hand-to-hand melee. Most jarvels favor using long swords and shields in combat, although some (15%) favor polearms instead of swords, and even fewer (5%) replace their shield with a second weapon. Even unarmed, a jarvel can deal substantial damage with its fists (1d8 each) and bite (4d4).

A favored tactic of jarvels is to ambush opponents from above, dropping weighted nets onto their unsuspecting targets and then moving in to capture or kill them. They are also adept at creating lethal traps so unwanted visitors may be surrounded and killed with as little danger to the beholders as possible. When attacking a party containing spell-casters, jarvels are quick to seek out any wizards in the opposing party and capture them in the anti-magic rays of their central eyes.

Habitat/Society

Living only to serve the hive as police and soldiers, jarvels will do anything to maintain a semblance of order among the chaos that thrives in their hive. Taking orders only from those higher in rank or larger in size, jarvels will often twist commands to suit their own goals and purposes, but they will never misinterpret commands from the hive mother, for doing so would endanger the hive they are committed to protecting.

The leaders of a hive’s jarvels are chosen through combat, and challenges to leadership occur almost daily when there is no immediate threat to the hive. These combats involve only the current leader and the challenger, but most other jarvels, as well as other beholders, will stop to watch the combat. Many adventurers have used such incidents as distractions so they could enter the beholder hive without being noticed; however, they usually find their presence does not go long undetected.

During her dealings with the beholders' occasional allies, the drow elves and the illithids, the hive mother will always have a number of jarvels surrounding her as guards. When dealing with drow elves, the hive mother will usually have only two jarvels accompanying her; however, when dealing with mind flayers, she will have 1d4+4 jarvels present.

Ecology

Jarvels, like all their kind, serve no purpose to the world around them. They take what they need, and when that supply is exhausted, they move on to new hunting grounds and begin again, leaving behind a devastated environment.

The origin of this particular breed of beholders is unknown to most researchers. Some believe they were magically bred from the mixing of human and beholder, but no one who has attempted to duplicate this process has survived the experiments. Some have suggested that beholders themselves were behind the creation of these creatures, seeking a way for beholders to make use of powerful magical items which require manipulation. If this is the case and these procedures are continuing, then beholders with other extremities could soon become a danger.