History VideoGame / EyeOfTheBeholder

* PermanentlyMissableContent: In the first game, on the Drow levels (Floor 7), there are three small rooms behind doors close to each other, each with a rare magic item inside: "Slicer", a short sword +3; a set of +3 bracers; and a ring of wizardry. Opening one door seals the two other shut; there is no way to get two or all three magic items.[[note]]Well, there is a way, but that involves editing the data code of the save file... you're not supposed to do that.[[/note]]

* ScaledUp: [[spoiler:Dran Draggore turns out to be a dragon.]]

''Eye of the Beholder'' is a trilogy of [[RolePlayingGame RPGs]] developed in the early nineties, the first two by Creator/WestwoodStudios that would later be known from games such as ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', and the third one by Strategic Simulations Inc., that also published all three games.

* RestingRecovery: May be done almost anywhere. While health is regained slowly, spells are restored upon rest. The game may auto-cast any healing spells and continue the rest until everyone is healed. Of note, there's one dungeon level in the second game that disables rests.

** The complete disappearance of the ''stoneskin'' spell in ''[=EotB2=]'', even with an imported party from ''[=EotB1=]'', for whom it vanishes from spellbooks (and a ''stoneskin'' scroll can't be saved either). The spell being a big [[GameBreaker/RolePlaying Game Breaker]] explains why.

* PuzzleBoss: In the first game, Xanathar the beholder can be easily defeated by [[spoiler:using a wand to push him into a spiked trap]]. He can be killed by regular means as well, though.

** In the first game only, ''stoneskin'' can make your whole party nearly invulnerable to physical attacks. No wonder it got removed from the later games.

* FauxAffablyEvil: The priests at the entrance into the Temple of Darkmoon politely welcome you to the temple, and warn you not to leave the (tiny) entrance area. The moment you open a door leading further in, they slam closed the front gate and attack.

* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Most of the [=NPCs=] that can join you in the first game are dwarves. All are fighters with AnAxeToGrind and preferring heavy armor, practically identical except in stats. The dwarves that can be seen in large amounts in their camp are, other than a single exception, ''literally'' all the same: your basic bearded, heavily-armored, axe-wielding type.

** The TurnUndead power also got modified between the two games, as mentioned below.

* AuraVision: The Detect Magic spell determines which of the items you found are enchanted, by giving the caster this, having them see enchanted things with a blue glow. It doesn't give any further information, though.

* AlienBlood: Xanathar bleeds green when he's finally killed.

* DetectMagic: A standard spell to determine which of the items you found are enchanted, by giving them a blue glow. It doesn't give any further information, though.

* UnwinnableByMistake: From ''[=EotB2=]'', in the level with flying cobras and gas spores, you can encounter a priest of Darkmoon lost in the maze and standing on a pressure plate. If you kill him, [[DeadEndRoom the door to the room closes with no way to open it]], forcing you to reload the last saved game. There is a way to keep the door open, however (to get the treasures next to the priest), by luring beforehand a monster into the frame and paralyzing it or turning it to stone; the door then can't close even if the pressure plate is released. This clearly wasn't anticipated by the makers, though, since the whole level gets wonky afterward. Notably, the monsters now all look like priests (but still makes flying cobras sound and can poison you). Not quite a GameBreakingBug as you can still continue playing, but if you've done so before solving the riddle for exiting this level -- which is done by feeding various items to a series of magic mouths in the walls -- then you are stuck because the magic mouths are no longer there.

* DummiedOut: There is a removed area in the very first level of the first game, containing a portal and an unused portal key.

* UniversalPoison: Every poisons in the games, whether from monsters or potions, work the same way: the poisoned character lose 5 hit points at regular intervals, until death or healing.

** The TurnUndead function also get modified between the two games, as mentioned below.

* PressurePlate: The dungeons are full of them, triggering a variety of traps. Though they're not that hard to notice, they're generally on paths that the party cannot avoid. Or next to a combat encounter, meaning that if you use your mobility in a fight you're very likely to step on it accidentally. Also, monsters can press them too -- sometimes, the trap is triggered by the ''release'' of a pressure plate where a monster is standing until the party kill it.

* AlienBlood: Xanathar bleeds green when he's finally killed

* SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear: Played completely straight with one character in ''[=EotB2=]'' . A {{halfling}} you meet early in the game is locked up, and you have the option to free him. However, the first time you camp with him in the party, he runs off and takes, not the equipment he's carrying specifically, but ''some of the gear of the sleeping party members''. Well, you should have expected it; he's a Thief (the CharacterClass). He even leaves a note basically invoking this trope by name. [[spoiler:You can prevent this by dropping all of your items on the floor before sleeping, leaving him with nothing to take when he leaves. Or you can just maneuver so that he gets killed by monsters; he's not going to steal anything if he's dead, and you can still profit of his inventory space.]]

* WarpWhistle: The games feature magic portals that are activated by special "stone" items, and transport you elsewhere in the dungeon. Each portal has carvings of seven items along its frame, with the eighth empty spot indicating which item should be used. They are usually two-way, however ''[=EotB1=]'' has one portal where the destination spot and the return spot are split and in separate places. This can become a trap since it sends you to a deeper level that you may not be ready to explore yet. ''[=EotB2=]'' streamlined the portals to where a portal can connect to any other portal, and there is no missing spot. Instead which stone item you use on a portal determines your destination. This means it can end up being a one way trip if you have not discovered the local stone item yet.

* DisintegratorRay: The ''disintegrate'' spell, and the beholders' most deadly attack (although, see NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow below).

** The complete disappearance of the ''stoneskin'' spell in ''[=EotB2=]'', even with an imported party from ''[=EotB1=]'', for whom it vanishes from spellbooks (and a ''stoneskin'' scroll can't be saved either). See the [[GameBreaker/RolePlaying Game Breaker]] entry for why.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: In [=EoB3=], if you have a paladin in your party, you won't be able to dig up graves for valuables.

%%* BagOfSpilling: Averted (see OldSaveBonus below).

* FoodAsBribe: The consumable Kenku eggs found on level 7 can be used to bribe the Drow guards, making them abstain from attacking you.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: In [=EoB3=], if you have a paladin in your party, you wont be able to dig up graves for valuables.

** The encampent of friendly dwarves on the fourth level provides two tasks: Find the missing dwarf prince (you have to have him join the party much further down the dungeons and return), and find a cure for the dwarf king, who has been poisoned and is in a coma.

** For the entire series, the first game contains several +5 magical weapons which you can import along with your party. Presumably even the developers thought that was overkill in hindsight, as the sequels have nothing higher than +4.

* SchmuckBait: If you're warned to not enter the room full of awesome magical items... you shouldn't.

* WarpWhistle: The games feature magic portals that are activated by special "stone" items, and transport you elsewhere in the dungeon. Each portal has carvings of seven items along its frame, with the eighth empty spot indicating which item should be used. ''[=EotB1=]'' has plenty of them, while ''[=EotB2=]'' only has one. They are usually two-way, however ''[=EotB1=]'' has one portal where the destination spot and the return spot are split and in separate places. This can become a trap since it sends you to a deeper level that you may not be ready to explore yet.

** Most annoyingly the thri-kreen, which are so fast that almost without fail one of your front-row fighters will be paralyzed before even having the time to strike on his own.

* PressurePlate: The dungeons are full of them, triggering a variety of traps. Though they're not that hard to notice, they're generally on paths that the party cannot avoid. Or next to a combat encounter, meaning that if you use your mobility in a fight you're very likely to step on it accidentally.

* AntidoteEffect: In the first game, you can find potions of counterpoison in the {{Giant Spider}}s level. Quite necessary, since at that time your cleric isn't high level enough to cast ''Neutralize Poison'', only the weaker ''Delay Poison'' spell, which just gains you some time.

* ClingyMacGuffin: There's a few undroppable cursed items in ''[=EotB2=]'' that will weld themselves to your hand. However, getting rid of them just require one ''Remove Curse'' spell, which is accessible to both mages and clerics. So it's only a problem if your characters are too low level to cast it (or can't rest and regain spells, but then you have a much bigger problem on your hands).

* DisintegratorRay: The ''Disintegrate'' spell, and the beholders' most deadly attack (although, see NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow below).
* DoubleMeaning: Deep in the first game, at the start of the Mind Flayer level, a wall engraving reads "Alignment must be true." Since this is a ''D&D'' game, you'd expect it to be a cryptic mention about[[invoked]] CharacterAlignment. [[spoiler:In truth, it's a hint about how to open the next secret passage, which is a the end of an ''alignment'' of hidden doors.]]

*** The most useful place early on is the kenku (bird-men) level. They're worth a lot of XP but are not terribly dangerous once you neutralize their main attack (''Magic Missiles'') with a pair of mages protected by a ''Shield'' spell in the front row. They also spawn regularly in a level you can easily leave to rest in a safe place and return.

*** Deeper in, a specific corridor automatically surround the party with a pair of mages. Trickier, but since they're {{Squishy Wizard}}s and always open the hostilities with ''Magic Missiles'', you have a good chance of killing one and getting out of the way before the other pulls out the {{Fireballs}}.
*** At another place, a salamander will be behind a door every time you walk before it. With enough ''Cones of Cold'', you can kill it before the door is fully open.

** The complete disappearance of the ''Stoneskin'' spell in ''[=EotB2=]'', even with an imported party from ''[=EotB1=]'', for whom it vanishes from spellbooks (and a ''Stoneskin'' scroll can't be saved either). See the [[GameBreaker/RolePlaying Game Breaker]] entry for why.

** The mind flayers' psychic blast is a ''distance'' paralyzing attack, and can affect several [=PCs=] at once. Your cleric better have several ''Remove Paralysis'' spells ready... and if the cleric himself is paralyzed, you're out of luck.

* PlayerCharacterCalculus: The series put an unusual spin on this: at the start of each game, you can create a party of four customizable [=PCs=], but the actual limit is six, as you can additionally recruit up to two predefined [=NPCs=] you meet on your adventures. Or make two more customs once you reach the first inn.

* PressurePlate: Full of them.

* ResurrectionSickness: As the games are based on ''AD&D'', the ''Raise Dead'' spell can revive characters, but with only 1 hit point, requiring further healing magic to bring them to full health. Also, their food bar is automatically emptied, meaning they start starving if they don't eat immediately after resurrection.

* StatusBuff: Both Mages and Clerics have spells like this. They are quite useful, though for the most part with very short duration (except for the aforementioned ''Stoneskin'').

** ''Shield'' is very useful against enemies using ''Magic Missiles''; problem is, it only affects the caster, thus it may force you to put the SquishyWizard in the front row to protect the whole party.
** In the first game only, ''Stoneskin'' can make your whole party nearly invulnerable to physical attacks. No wonder it got removed from the later games.

* TrueSight: The ''True Seeing'' spell allows you to see through the many secret illusory walls dispersed through the mazes in the games.

** The first game has the ''Detect Magic'' spell to determine whether an item is magical, but doesn't reveal what powers a magic item has, until you use one of two "oracle" places deep in the dungeon that are powered by black spheres.
** The second game adds an ''Improved Identify'' spell for this purpose.

* WizardNeedsFoodBadly: The characters need to eat or start losing hit points. This is not so much of an issue though, as the game gives you more than enough rations to last until your cleric can learn a very useful ''Create Food'' spell, that instantly fills the entire party's hunger bars. The first game actually contains enough food to make it through ''without'' the ''Create Food'' spell -- although adventuring without a cleric is a bad idea for other reasons.

* PlayerCharacterCalculus: The series put an unusual spin on this: at the start of each game, you can create a party of four customizable [=PCs=], but the actual limit is six, as you can additionally recruit up to two predefined [=NPCs=] you meet on your adventures.

* SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear: Played completely straight with one character in ''[=EotB2=]'' . A {{halfling}} you meet early in the game is locked up, and you have the option to free him. However, the first time you camp with him in the party, he runs off and takes, not the equipment he's carrying specifically, but ''some of the gear of the sleeping party members''. Well, you should have expected it; he's a Thief (the CharacterClass). He even leaves a note basically invoking this trope by name. [[spoiler:You can prevent this by dropping all of your items on the floor before sleeping, leaving him with nothing to take when he leaves. Or you can just maneuver so that he gets killed by monsters; he's not going to steal anything if dead, and you can still profit of his inventory space.]]