How would you react to a humanoid beholder-kin?

[Millstone85]

With the new lore on beholders dreaming other beholders and beholder-kin into existence, it would be easier than ever to justify the apparition of a humanoid beholder-kin. But would one be welcome in your game, be it as a monster, NPC or PC? I imagine a common complaint would be that it amounts to turning one of the most alien creatures of D&D into yet another human with latex makeup.

Looking for humanoid beholder-kin, I have come across three notable designs.

First is the "cyclopean Patrick Star" approach, which was an official D&D monster called the lensman.
http://www.mojobob.com/roleplay/monstrousmanual/images/spc/beholde2.gif
It is the one holding a spear at the bottom right. Very disturbing, unless it comes off as ridiculous instead.

Then we have the "cyclopean medusa" approach, basically a human with a tiny beholder for a head.

https://d.facdn.net/art/ravenscarlett/1386554832/1386554832.ravenscarlett_behold.png

Not sure why the artist felt the need to add shoulder eyes, but you get the idea.

Finally, we have what I think is the most pleasant design: a cyclop with sizable eyestalks sprouting from their back. I believe the ideal number of eyestalks to be six, for a total of ten limbs.

http://i67.tinypic.com/50a3q.jpg

One problem, though. You have probably already guessed that the character pictured above has her origins in pornography.

[TripleD]

It is the one holding a spear at the bottom right. Very disturbing, unless it comes off as ridiculous instead.


Only if you think them through logically.

“Blemmyes” were a fairly famous kind of human-monster in antiquity. Pliny the Elder described them as humans with no heads but facial features on their chest. There were featured on maps, illustrations, and popped up in Romances (the Knight kind). Shakespeare even mentioned them a few times.

Umberto Eco has them featured as soldiers in “Baudolino”, and pointed out how terrible they were at combat. They can’t wear armor to protect their vital organs without blinding themselves and they have almost no peripheral vision.

This is D&D though. If a four foot halfling suffers no reach penalty when fighting an eight foot goliath, I’m sure the physiology can be handwaved.

[J-H]

Why?
I mean, aside from selling more splatbooks.

As a unique or near unique being, I would expect them to get lots of strange looks, massive and justified discrimination when dealing with people who have fought/been enslaved by beholders, and extra questioning from legal authorities in any other area who are not familiar with their type. Are they walking around with always-on charm eyes? antimagic? petrification that they can use at will? Potentially very dangerous.

[Millstone85]

“Blemmyes” were a fairly famous kind of human-monster in antiquity.I knew I saw something like that, but I couldn't pin it down. Thanks!

In case you missed it, note that the lensman, in addition of being an one-eyed blemmy, also has a rather long tentacle on top of its "head".


As a unique or near unique being, I would expect them to get lots of strange looks, massive and justified discrimination when dealing with people who have fought/been enslaved by beholders, and extra questioning from legal authorities in any other area who are not familiar with their type. Are they walking around with always-on charm eyes? antimagic? petrification that they can use at will? Potentially very dangerous.Making them PCs would indeed be the most difficult. Though, depending on the setting, they might not have it worse than dragonborn and tieflings.