I can only conclude that the Democrats preferred this instead of basic morality.

Maybe next time they will take the election as seriously as they demand from everyone else.

You're better off that way 😆😆😆

Now I’m going to fold the story into this somehow, but this was 10% in the lore of the Forgotten Realms city they’re visiting, 30% fallout from random events, and 50% their own damn choices lol.

Maybe 10% of it is me wanting to womp on them a little bit.

Like… technically this Beholder was just there in the town they stopped off in. And one of their party members disappeared (via Deck of Many Things) to a place where another Beholder had a connection to it.

So they came here on their own, and the real big story arc has little to do with it.

Ehhh, story is part of it. Plus some players like the challenge. Some like the scaries. Some just want to square off with iconic monsters. It’s a balancing act.

And I don’t even consider myself “fully controlling” anything lol. I barely keep one hand on the wheel. They get to pick a lot of stuff.

I have them proper terrified right now.

That wasn’t even the meanest thing I did lol.

I homebrewed some “Dream Stalkers” which were juiced up zombies plus a single eye stalk (that could only roll the 1st 6 beams).

They were… nasty.

So much battlefield control ➡️ complete chaos for every plan they tried to make.

I had to.

A. They walked right up to it and tried to shake hands (as an experienced player). I think it was a sacrifice play? To let the rest of the party escape?

B. I rolled the beams and everything out in the open. I couldn’t fudge it.

Killed a character with the #10 beam (Death Ray) and made the others run in fear.

They revivified the dead character, got to safety, rested, and are coming back better prepared… maybe?