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rferries
2020-10-07, 01:40 AM
I saw this thread (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?619409-workshopping-the-Hydra) and was inspired to revise the Hydra.

https://i.imgur.com/3HPL7rk.jpg
HYDRA, CLASSICALLARGE DRAGON (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 5d12+30 (62 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 80 ft.
Armor Class: 23 (+8 natural, +6 Dex, -1 size), touch 15, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+15
Attack: 5 bites +10 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: 5 bites +10 melee (1d8+9) and tail slap +8 melee (1d8+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+3, improved grab, multi-headed, ready to strike, rend 1d8+9
Special Qualities: All-around vision, amphibious, darkvision 60 ft., distractible, dragon traits, immunity to sleep and paralysis, legion, low-light vision, regeneration 5, scent
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +7
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +14, Spot +14, Survival +9, Swim +14
Feats: Iron Will, Multiattack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 6-12 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -

The great serpent's coils writhe in the swamp's waters, and its many heads fill the air with the sound of hissing.

A hydra is a formidable serpentine monster with multiple heads. They are highly variable in colouration, number of heads, and even number of legs - they may have two legs, four legs, or no legs at all. Whatever their form, they are always adept swimmers and frighteningly fast.

These cruel and ravenous creatures can sometimes terrorise entire kingdoms, until such time as they are slain by mighty heroes.

Hydras speak Aquan and Draconic.

Combat
A Hydra is a brutal opponent. It slithers into melee at frightening speed, lashing out with its many heads and crushing as many foes as possible in its coils. It withdraws from combat only if its enemies sever most of its heads or if they seem well-prepared against its regeneration.

All-Around Vision (Ex)
A Hydra's many heads allow it to look in multiple directions at once. It gains a racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks equal to its number of heads (+5 for the sample hydra). A Hydra with at least two heads cannot be flanked.

Amphibious (Ex)
Although Hydras are aquatic, they can survive indefinitely on land.

Constrict (Ex)
A Hydra deals double tail slap damage on a successful grapple check. A Hydra can constrict multiple creatures simultaneously, provided they are all at least two sizes smaller than it.

Distractible (Ex)
A DC 15 Wisdom or Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that a Hydra's heads may be tricked or manoeuvred into biting, colliding into, or otherwise entangling with each other. On a successful feint by an enemy, two heads deal automatic bite damage to each other and are then incapacitated for 1d4 rounds.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a Hydra must hit an opponent with a tail slap attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Legion (Ex)
A Hydra's unique nature generally allow it to be treated as either a single creature or multiple creatures, whichever is more advantageous for the Hydra at the time. This has the following benefits:


A Hydra rolls initiative separately for each head, then uses the best result.

Each of a Hydra's heads is treated as a separate creature (and entitled to a separate save) for the purpose of blinding, dazing, dazzling, deafening, fascinating, fear, mind-affecting, and stunning effects. At the DM's option, if any of a Hydra's heads are not affected by such an effect, none of them are.

A Hydra is treated as a single creature for the purpose of spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.

However, a Hydra is always treated as a single creature for the purpose of Fortitude saves (except as described above), as well as for soul bind, trap the soul, and similar effects.

Multi-Headed (Ex)
Each of a Hydra's heads is entitled to a bite attack each round at no penalty (even if the creature moves, charges, constricts, or makes a full attack during the round). Each bite attack has reach and deals damage as though it were the creature's sole natural weapon (i.e. 1½ times its Strength bonus).

Each of a Hydra's heads may be severed by a successful sunder attempt. Each head has hit points equal to the creature's initial hit points divided by its initial number of heads (12 hit points for the sample hydra).

A Hydra may lose or gain (see Regeneration, below) heads and an equivalent number of bite attacks during an encounter. A Hydra that loses all of its heads is slain.

Ready To Strike (Ex)
A Hydra may forfeit any number of bite attacks to ready an action for each such forfeited attack. Each such readied action may be used to make a bite attack, a free action, or a move action (but no more than one such readied move action per round).

Each of a Hydra's heads is entitled to a separate attack of opportunity.

Rend (Ex)
A Hydra that hits with two bite attacks latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an extra 1d8+9 points of damage. A Hydra may not rend the same creature more than once per round.

Regeneration (Ex)
A Hydra's regeneration is overcome by magic weapons and any form of energy damage.

Whenever a Hydra's head is severed by an attack that does not overcome the creature's regeneration, two more heads grow from the stump in 1d4 rounds. A successful touch attack with a magic weapon or any source of energy damage (traditionally a lit torch) may be made to the stump to prevent it from regenerating for the remainder of the encounter.

A Hydra cannot reattach severed heads or other vital body parts. It regenerates lost body parts (including heads prevented from regenerating normally) after 1d4 days. A Hydra that ends an encounter with more heads than it started increases its Hit Dice and other statistics (see Advanced Hydras, below).

Skills
A Hydra has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Advanced Hydras
Hydras most commonly have 5, 7, 9, or 12 heads when first encountered. In addition to the benefits described above for having multiple heads, for each additional head a Hydra possesses at the start of an encounter it gains an additional Hit Dice, its natural armour bonus increases by +1, its regeneration increases by 1, and its CR increases by +1.

Some Hydras are Huge size or larger, and some (especially hatchlings) can be as small as Small size.

Hydra Varieties
The Hydra race is as diverse as its individual members. The save DC against the special attacks of these variants is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Hydra's HD + the Hydra's Constitution modifier.

Lernaean
These Hydras have inky black and green scales and lair in temperate marshes. They have the [Water] subtype in place of the [Aquatic] subtype, are immune to acid and poison, and have the following special abilities:

Noxious Fumes (Ex)
A Lernaean Hydra is surrounded by a 30-ft. cloud of its own poisonous breath. All creatures in the area that breathe the fumes must succeed on a Fortitude save each round or suffer 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The fumes cause all plant life in the area to wither and all water sources to become foul and stagnant, sometimes to the point of becoming acidic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm#acidEffects).

Poison (Ex)
A Lernaean's Hydra's bite injects a deadly venom, dealing initial and secondary damage of 1d10 points of Constitution damage on a failed Fortitude save.

Regeneration (Ex)
A Lernaean Hydra's regeneration is overcome only by fire damage.

Additionally, a Lernaean Hydra that loses all its heads or that is reduced below 0 hit points is not slain. Instead, the creature gains regeneration 0/epic; the creature's final head must be severed and restrained (traditionally under a boulder) lest the entire creature regrow from it.

Polar
These Hydras have gleaming white scales and lair in frigid climates. They have the [Cold] subtype and the following special abilities:

Breath Weapon (Su)
Each of a Polar Hydra's heads may exhale a 30-ft. cone of freezing breath in place of a bite attack, dealing 1d6 points of cold damage (or half damage on a successful Reflex save). Multiple heads may exhale in concert over the same area, dealing 1d6 points of cold damage per head but only allowing one save. Once a head exhales it must wait 1d4 rounds to do so again.

Frost Bite (Su)
A Polar Hydra's bite deals an additional 1d6 points of cold damage.

Regeneration (Ex)
A Polar Hydra's regeneration is overcome only by fire damage.

Sulfur
These Hydras have deep crimson scales and lair in warm mountains or hot springs. They have the [Fire] subtype, speak Ignan instead of Aquan, and have the following special abilities:

Breath Weapon (Su)
Each of a Sulfur Hydra's heads may exhale a 30-ft. cone of scalding breath in place of a bite attack, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage (or half damage on a successful Reflex save). Multiple heads may exhale in concert over the same area, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per head but only allowing one save. Once a head exhales it must wait 1d4 rounds to do so again.

Flaming Bite (Su)
A Sulfur Hydra's bite deals an additional 1d6 points of fire damage.

Regeneration (Ex)
A Sulfur Hydra's regeneration is overcome only by cold damage.

rferries
2020-10-07, 01:45 AM
Some notes...

All-Around Vision - could allow it to be flanked by rogues of equal level.

Legion could be replaced or supplemented by granting each head Improved Evasion/Improved Mettle, and allowing the heads to use either their own saving throw or the body's saving throw (whichever is better).

The Strength should probably be reduced, or the CR increased.

The regeneration could be moved into the varieties section (so that the "common" hydra doesn't regenerate at all); conversely, the regeneration could be buffed such that fewer effects overcome it, or increased to 5 per head or base 5/10/15 + number of heads (instead of just 1 per head)..