What's the earliest instance of a “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” reference to beholders?
Is there any recorded use of the phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" being used in a commercially available D&D campaign of any edition, specifically to reference (secretly or overtly) a beholder that appears in the course of the campaign? What's the earliest instance?
monsters dungeons-and-dragons history-of-gaming story
This question has an open bounty worth +200
reputation from lightcat ending in 6 days.
Looking for an answer drawing from credible and/or official sources.
Preference for (A)D&D gaming publications of any version, including rule books and published or commercially available campaigns. Will also accept any other D&D branded material, including games, video games, publications and marketing. Please include reference images if possible (with web link citation) and which publication the reference is from and the date, even if you think it's obvious.
add a comment |
Is there any recorded use of the phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" being used in a commercially available D&D campaign of any edition, specifically to reference (secretly or overtly) a beholder that appears in the course of the campaign? What's the earliest instance?
monsters dungeons-and-dragons history-of-gaming story
This question has an open bounty worth +200
reputation from lightcat ending in 6 days.
Looking for an answer drawing from credible and/or official sources.
Preference for (A)D&D gaming publications of any version, including rule books and published or commercially available campaigns. Will also accept any other D&D branded material, including games, video games, publications and marketing. Please include reference images if possible (with web link citation) and which publication the reference is from and the date, even if you think it's obvious.
2
Related: Beauty and beholder in respect to other senses
– Peter Mortensen
Jan 11 at 15:07
5
I've updated this to ask for the earliest instance since that will help us filter to a “best” answer rather than merely collecting an ongoing list of all the times it ever happened. (Which is probably a lot.)
– doppelgreener♦
2 days ago
@ShadowRanger At best that comment was chatting, and possibly it was attempting to answer the question. Neither usage are what the commenting feature is provided for, so your comment was removed. See this FAQ for more information. Thanks!
– SevenSidedDie♦
yesterday
add a comment |
Is there any recorded use of the phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" being used in a commercially available D&D campaign of any edition, specifically to reference (secretly or overtly) a beholder that appears in the course of the campaign? What's the earliest instance?
monsters dungeons-and-dragons history-of-gaming story
Is there any recorded use of the phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" being used in a commercially available D&D campaign of any edition, specifically to reference (secretly or overtly) a beholder that appears in the course of the campaign? What's the earliest instance?
monsters dungeons-and-dragons history-of-gaming story
monsters dungeons-and-dragons history-of-gaming story
edited 2 days ago
doppelgreener♦
32k11137230
32k11137230
asked Jan 11 at 11:31
lightcatlightcat
1,578325
1,578325
This question has an open bounty worth +200
reputation from lightcat ending in 6 days.
Looking for an answer drawing from credible and/or official sources.
Preference for (A)D&D gaming publications of any version, including rule books and published or commercially available campaigns. Will also accept any other D&D branded material, including games, video games, publications and marketing. Please include reference images if possible (with web link citation) and which publication the reference is from and the date, even if you think it's obvious.
This question has an open bounty worth +200
reputation from lightcat ending in 6 days.
Looking for an answer drawing from credible and/or official sources.
Preference for (A)D&D gaming publications of any version, including rule books and published or commercially available campaigns. Will also accept any other D&D branded material, including games, video games, publications and marketing. Please include reference images if possible (with web link citation) and which publication the reference is from and the date, even if you think it's obvious.
2
Related: Beauty and beholder in respect to other senses
– Peter Mortensen
Jan 11 at 15:07
5
I've updated this to ask for the earliest instance since that will help us filter to a “best” answer rather than merely collecting an ongoing list of all the times it ever happened. (Which is probably a lot.)
– doppelgreener♦
2 days ago
@ShadowRanger At best that comment was chatting, and possibly it was attempting to answer the question. Neither usage are what the commenting feature is provided for, so your comment was removed. See this FAQ for more information. Thanks!
– SevenSidedDie♦
yesterday
add a comment |
2
Related: Beauty and beholder in respect to other senses
– Peter Mortensen
Jan 11 at 15:07
5
I've updated this to ask for the earliest instance since that will help us filter to a “best” answer rather than merely collecting an ongoing list of all the times it ever happened. (Which is probably a lot.)
– doppelgreener♦
2 days ago
@ShadowRanger At best that comment was chatting, and possibly it was attempting to answer the question. Neither usage are what the commenting feature is provided for, so your comment was removed. See this FAQ for more information. Thanks!
– SevenSidedDie♦
yesterday
2
2
Related: Beauty and beholder in respect to other senses
– Peter Mortensen
Jan 11 at 15:07
Related: Beauty and beholder in respect to other senses
– Peter Mortensen
Jan 11 at 15:07
5
5
I've updated this to ask for the earliest instance since that will help us filter to a “best” answer rather than merely collecting an ongoing list of all the times it ever happened. (Which is probably a lot.)
– doppelgreener♦
2 days ago
I've updated this to ask for the earliest instance since that will help us filter to a “best” answer rather than merely collecting an ongoing list of all the times it ever happened. (Which is probably a lot.)
– doppelgreener♦
2 days ago
@ShadowRanger At best that comment was chatting, and possibly it was attempting to answer the question. Neither usage are what the commenting feature is provided for, so your comment was removed. See this FAQ for more information. Thanks!
– SevenSidedDie♦
yesterday
@ShadowRanger At best that comment was chatting, and possibly it was attempting to answer the question. Neither usage are what the commenting feature is provided for, so your comment was removed. See this FAQ for more information. Thanks!
– SevenSidedDie♦
yesterday
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
The earliest reference is 1987
First time I heard it referenced in Dungeons and Dragons was in the 1987 Saturday morning cartoon.
It was Episode 2, The Eye of the Beholder, specifically at this point during their conversation with Dungeon Master.
Not really published though and not exactly canon.
8
This does at least establish by precedent that it was very early on that the reference was occurring to people and being used.
– doppelgreener♦
Jan 11 at 14:29
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1988
Yamara was comic strip which appeared in Dragon magazine. The first strip published in May 1988 made this joke:
New contributor
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1990
Not exactly a campaign but an early issue of Dragon magazine had a “cute” drawing of a beholder on the cover. The issue’s tagline is “Beauty is in the eye of — oh, skip it.” It was their 1990 April issue, #156:
Cover by Daniel Horne © TSR & WotC, used under Fair Use for teaching and cultural critique purposes
(This issue is in the tradition of April issues of Dragon being silly for April Fools’. If you ever wanted to encounter the dread Bubble Dragon or a herd of Blink Mammoths, this is your DM’s issue.)
New contributor
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 2017
The back cover of Xanathar's Guide to Everything for D&D 5E (lore-wise written by the beholder crime-lord "The Xanathar") has a similar phrase, though not exactly the same:
"Beauty and Guile Are in the Eyes of the Beholder"
From https://www.tsrarchive.com/5e/5e-hb-acc.html
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["\$", "\$"]]);
});
});
}, "mathjax-editing");
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "122"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f138857%2fwhats-the-earliest-instance-of-a-beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-referen%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
The earliest reference is 1987
First time I heard it referenced in Dungeons and Dragons was in the 1987 Saturday morning cartoon.
It was Episode 2, The Eye of the Beholder, specifically at this point during their conversation with Dungeon Master.
Not really published though and not exactly canon.
8
This does at least establish by precedent that it was very early on that the reference was occurring to people and being used.
– doppelgreener♦
Jan 11 at 14:29
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1987
First time I heard it referenced in Dungeons and Dragons was in the 1987 Saturday morning cartoon.
It was Episode 2, The Eye of the Beholder, specifically at this point during their conversation with Dungeon Master.
Not really published though and not exactly canon.
8
This does at least establish by precedent that it was very early on that the reference was occurring to people and being used.
– doppelgreener♦
Jan 11 at 14:29
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1987
First time I heard it referenced in Dungeons and Dragons was in the 1987 Saturday morning cartoon.
It was Episode 2, The Eye of the Beholder, specifically at this point during their conversation with Dungeon Master.
Not really published though and not exactly canon.
The earliest reference is 1987
First time I heard it referenced in Dungeons and Dragons was in the 1987 Saturday morning cartoon.
It was Episode 2, The Eye of the Beholder, specifically at this point during their conversation with Dungeon Master.
Not really published though and not exactly canon.
edited 8 hours ago
SevenSidedDie♦
206k30661937
206k30661937
answered Jan 11 at 12:36
SlagmothSlagmoth
17.8k15196
17.8k15196
8
This does at least establish by precedent that it was very early on that the reference was occurring to people and being used.
– doppelgreener♦
Jan 11 at 14:29
add a comment |
8
This does at least establish by precedent that it was very early on that the reference was occurring to people and being used.
– doppelgreener♦
Jan 11 at 14:29
8
8
This does at least establish by precedent that it was very early on that the reference was occurring to people and being used.
– doppelgreener♦
Jan 11 at 14:29
This does at least establish by precedent that it was very early on that the reference was occurring to people and being used.
– doppelgreener♦
Jan 11 at 14:29
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1988
Yamara was comic strip which appeared in Dragon magazine. The first strip published in May 1988 made this joke:
New contributor
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1988
Yamara was comic strip which appeared in Dragon magazine. The first strip published in May 1988 made this joke:
New contributor
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1988
Yamara was comic strip which appeared in Dragon magazine. The first strip published in May 1988 made this joke:
New contributor
The earliest reference is 1988
Yamara was comic strip which appeared in Dragon magazine. The first strip published in May 1988 made this joke:
New contributor
edited 7 hours ago
SevenSidedDie♦
206k30661937
206k30661937
New contributor
answered 2 days ago
Ori Gurel-GurevichOri Gurel-Gurevich
36114
36114
New contributor
New contributor
add a comment |
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1990
Not exactly a campaign but an early issue of Dragon magazine had a “cute” drawing of a beholder on the cover. The issue’s tagline is “Beauty is in the eye of — oh, skip it.” It was their 1990 April issue, #156:
Cover by Daniel Horne © TSR & WotC, used under Fair Use for teaching and cultural critique purposes
(This issue is in the tradition of April issues of Dragon being silly for April Fools’. If you ever wanted to encounter the dread Bubble Dragon or a herd of Blink Mammoths, this is your DM’s issue.)
New contributor
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1990
Not exactly a campaign but an early issue of Dragon magazine had a “cute” drawing of a beholder on the cover. The issue’s tagline is “Beauty is in the eye of — oh, skip it.” It was their 1990 April issue, #156:
Cover by Daniel Horne © TSR & WotC, used under Fair Use for teaching and cultural critique purposes
(This issue is in the tradition of April issues of Dragon being silly for April Fools’. If you ever wanted to encounter the dread Bubble Dragon or a herd of Blink Mammoths, this is your DM’s issue.)
New contributor
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 1990
Not exactly a campaign but an early issue of Dragon magazine had a “cute” drawing of a beholder on the cover. The issue’s tagline is “Beauty is in the eye of — oh, skip it.” It was their 1990 April issue, #156:
Cover by Daniel Horne © TSR & WotC, used under Fair Use for teaching and cultural critique purposes
(This issue is in the tradition of April issues of Dragon being silly for April Fools’. If you ever wanted to encounter the dread Bubble Dragon or a herd of Blink Mammoths, this is your DM’s issue.)
New contributor
The earliest reference is 1990
Not exactly a campaign but an early issue of Dragon magazine had a “cute” drawing of a beholder on the cover. The issue’s tagline is “Beauty is in the eye of — oh, skip it.” It was their 1990 April issue, #156:
Cover by Daniel Horne © TSR & WotC, used under Fair Use for teaching and cultural critique purposes
(This issue is in the tradition of April issues of Dragon being silly for April Fools’. If you ever wanted to encounter the dread Bubble Dragon or a herd of Blink Mammoths, this is your DM’s issue.)
New contributor
edited 7 hours ago
SevenSidedDie♦
206k30661937
206k30661937
New contributor
answered 2 days ago
VidarVidar
2312
2312
New contributor
New contributor
add a comment |
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 2017
The back cover of Xanathar's Guide to Everything for D&D 5E (lore-wise written by the beholder crime-lord "The Xanathar") has a similar phrase, though not exactly the same:
"Beauty and Guile Are in the Eyes of the Beholder"
From https://www.tsrarchive.com/5e/5e-hb-acc.html
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 2017
The back cover of Xanathar's Guide to Everything for D&D 5E (lore-wise written by the beholder crime-lord "The Xanathar") has a similar phrase, though not exactly the same:
"Beauty and Guile Are in the Eyes of the Beholder"
From https://www.tsrarchive.com/5e/5e-hb-acc.html
add a comment |
The earliest reference is 2017
The back cover of Xanathar's Guide to Everything for D&D 5E (lore-wise written by the beholder crime-lord "The Xanathar") has a similar phrase, though not exactly the same:
"Beauty and Guile Are in the Eyes of the Beholder"
From https://www.tsrarchive.com/5e/5e-hb-acc.html
The earliest reference is 2017
The back cover of Xanathar's Guide to Everything for D&D 5E (lore-wise written by the beholder crime-lord "The Xanathar") has a similar phrase, though not exactly the same:
"Beauty and Guile Are in the Eyes of the Beholder"
From https://www.tsrarchive.com/5e/5e-hb-acc.html
edited 7 hours ago
SevenSidedDie♦
206k30661937
206k30661937
answered Jan 11 at 11:34
rpgstarrpgstar
2,011845
2,011845
add a comment |
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to Role-playing Games Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f138857%2fwhats-the-earliest-instance-of-a-beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-referen%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
2
Related: Beauty and beholder in respect to other senses
– Peter Mortensen
Jan 11 at 15:07
5
I've updated this to ask for the earliest instance since that will help us filter to a “best” answer rather than merely collecting an ongoing list of all the times it ever happened. (Which is probably a lot.)
– doppelgreener♦
2 days ago
@ShadowRanger At best that comment was chatting, and possibly it was attempting to answer the question. Neither usage are what the commenting feature is provided for, so your comment was removed. See this FAQ for more information. Thanks!
– SevenSidedDie♦
yesterday