(“When One Eye Just Isn’t Enough to Ruin Your Day!”)
Picture this: a floating meatball with metal-melting munchies and enough eye-stalk action to make a peeping tom jealous. It hovers into the dungeon like the tax man at payday, its main eye blasting your magic, while the others strip your sword faster than a discount pawn shop. Adventurers beware: this googly-eyed git loves eating your loot.
You thought rust monsters were bad? Try one that can see you bankrupt!
Appearance
Imagine a Beholder that’s had a long night at the scrap yard, with corroded eyestalks, iron filings in its teeth, and the breath of a blacksmith’s dustbin. It floats about, drooling acid like a drunk licking a battery.
BECMI Stats
Rust Holder
Armour Class: 0
Hit Dice: 10 (45 hp)
Move: 90’ (30’) Fly
Attacks: 1 bite or eye rays
Damage: Bite 2d6 + corrosion / eye rays (see below)
No. Appearing: 1 (1–2)
Save As: F10
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: H (what’s left after it’s chewed it)
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 3,500
Special Abilities:
Anti-Magic Cone: Main eye nullifies magic in a 90’ arc. Same as standard Beholder.
Rust Ray (Eye #1): Functions like a rust monster’s touch at 30’ range. Turns metal to orange Weetabix dust instantly.
Corrode Ray (Eye #2): Armour loses 1 AC point per hit, cumulative, until it’s fit only for the jumble sale.
Disarm Ray (Eye #3): Target must Save vs Spells or drop any metal weapon.
Other eyes mimic Beholder effects (charm, sleep, petrify), because why not?
Rust Bite: If it bites metal armour or weapons, they dissolve completely in one round. Victim takes 2d6 damage and a dose of existential despair.
5e Stats
Rust Holder
Large Aberration, Chaotic Evil
Armour Class: 18 (natural armour, and a bad attitude)
Hit Points: 152 (16d10 + 64)
Speed: 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
STR 16 (+3) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 18 (+4) | INT 17 (+3) | WIS 15 (+2) | CHA 17 (+3)
Saving Throws: Int +7, Wis +6, Cha +7
Skills: Perception +10
Condition Immunities: Prone (you try knocking it over)
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages: Deep Speech, Undercommon, and obscene metal-melting laughter
Challenge: 13 (10,000 XP)
Traits
Anti-Magic Cone: The Rust Holder’s central eye projects an anti-magic field in a 150-foot cone.
Iron Hunger: The Rust Holder can sense metal within 120 feet, and will always prioritise destroying expensive armour before doing anything else.
Actions
Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing plus any metal armour is instantly corroded.
Eye Rays (Randomly choose 3 per turn):
Rust Ray: Metal items rust instantly. No save for non-magical, DC 16 Dex save for magical.
Corrode Ray: Reduces AC of metal armour by 1 permanently (minimum AC 10).
Disarm Ray: DC 16 Strength save or drop a metal weapon.
4–10: Same as normal Beholder eye rays (charm, fear, petrify, death ray, etc.).
Lair
The Rust Holder’s lair looks like a charity shop after a nuclear war: piles of oxidised swords, dented shields, and one very smug floating meatball in the middle, burping up flakes of full plate. It decorates with iron chains like a teenager with bad taste, and every adventurer’s favourite phrase is etched in rust on the wall:
“Should’ve brought wooden weapons, you berk!”
“Rust Holders: The only monster that gives adventurers tetanus AND bankruptcy in the same round!”
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