Well, u see a Skald can get up to level 24 in SOA IIRC. A L15 Skald has the same amount of XP as a L12 Pally, so I didnt do the quest that late, but Skalds have one very big draw back :( , their Pickpockets r worthless if u ask me, but the songs r godly.

Beholders have a weird way of floating in mid-air, you'd think those eyes would weigh them down a bit. I think they're all unleashing some form of gas, shooting it directly at the floor, therefore keeping them afloat. Of course, it could all be a trick using magnets, but that's a bit more confusing.
(Spoilers)
Don't try to actually fight the Unseeing Eye, like I did. Instead, go to the top right corner of his little lair and get the second part of the rift device (assuming you've got the first from the avatar of the unknown god downstairs). I don't think magic has much effect on the Unseeing Eye, though it has been quite a long time since I did that quest.