Minions of San-Tac-Laus to Help Deliver 5E D&D Holiday Cheer

About this time last year I made a holiday beholder for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons based on the chubby bearded man who is a symbol of the holiday season. But I knew the story would not end there. After all if the jolly man in the red has his staff of elves who really look and act like really short gnomes then San-Tac-Laus should have his own set of 5E D&D minions to work with as well.

Dreaming of a 5E D&D beholder holiday

You can find the original post with the Christmas beholder San-Tac-Laus here. Thankfully 5E D&D has several other beholder adjacent creatures to base these minions off. The spectator is perfect for the lead minion. He can over see everything going on and make sure nothing goes wrong.

Cheerzs

Medium aberration, lawful neutral

Armor Class 14 Natural

Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)

Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

• Strength: 8 (-1)
• Dexterity: 14 (+2)
• Constitution: 14 (+2)
• Intelligence: 13 (+1)
• Wisdom: 14 (+2)
• Charisma: 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +6, Insight +4

Condition Immunities Prone

Senses Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16

Languages Deep Speech, Telepathy 120 ft., Undercommon

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 − 1) piercing damage.

Eye Rays. The spectator shoots up to two of the following magical eye rays at one or two creatures it can see within 90 feet of it. It can use each ray only once on a turn.

Creation Ray. A random tool set or piece of equipment is created within a space within 30 feet of Cheerzs. As part of shooting this ray Cheerzs can make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. If successful the spectator chooses what is created instead of it being random.

Hugging Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Spectral arms appear and give a tight squeeze around the target.

Fear Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the spectator is visible to the target, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Naughty Ray. The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Create Food and Water. The spectator magically creates enough food and water to sustain itself for 24 hours.

Reactions

Spell Absorption. If the spectator makes a successful saving throw against a spell, it can pull the spell into itself causing no effect. For the next minute Cheerzs is immune to the effect of this spell. Cheerzs can absorb any number of spells but is only immune to the last spell absorbed.

Cheerzs is not the only creature lurking around this magical sphere of the holidays. Allow me to present two smaller creatures next in the power chain. Geh’ft and Pre’Zent They use the same stat block but each have their own duties and personalities.

Geh’ft / Pre’Zent

Tiny aberration, neutral

Armor Class 13

Hit Points 13 (3d4 + 6)

Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

• Strength: 3 (-4)
• Dexterity: 17 (+3)
• Constitution: 14 (+2)
• Intelligence: 3 (-4)
• Wisdom: 10 (+0)
• Charisma: 7 (-2)

Saving Throws WIS +2
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages — Telepathy 30 ft.
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

Talented. Geh’ft and Pre’Zent are proficient with all tool sets

Mimicry. The gazer can mimic simple sounds of speech it has heard, in any language. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.

Eye Rays. The gazer shoots two of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one or two targets it can see within 60 feet of it:

1. Trinket Ray. A random trinket appears within 30 feet of Geh’ft or Pre’Zent

2. Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of the gazer’s next turn.

3. Frost Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) cold damage.

4. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature that is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be moved up to 30 feet directly away from the gazer. If the target is an object weighing 10 pounds or less that isn’t being worn or carried, the gazer moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. The gazer can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a container.

Only some minor tweaks to these very obvious creatures but just enough to make for a holiday themes location about what we here at Nerdarchy calls Dread Spheres. Even though with these personalities they are anything but dreadful. No go ahead and pull up all three stat blocks and use them in your 5E D&D holiday games. If you are feeling as ambitious as I was go ahead and pick up the unpainted minis from our friends over at WizKids and get your holiday on. WizKids has the unpainted beholder as well as the pack with 1 spectator and 2 gazers just perfect for making this group.

Whatever you celebrate enjoy your holiday, stay safe and healthy. Thanks for reading. Until next time, stay nerdy!