Alternate Hydra

[szilard]

Hydras are, in my mind, always tricky creatures to stat up. When I opened the 4e Monster Manual, I was disappointed in how they handled the write-up. It didn't really give the feel of multiple heads, and they had done away with the regeneration.

Then I had an epiphany. Why not write up a hydra as multiple monsters tied together? Each head could be a separate monsters - you could even use minions.

So, yeah. I wrote this up on my blog. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on the idea.

-Stuart

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

It's a great idea but there's a problem with using minions for the heads. The minion heads will get killed off pretty fast by area attacks, and that doesn't seem thematically appropriate (unless a weapon is involved). Perhaps you can solve it by making the minion heads immune to attacks that don't target AC, or something like that.

 

[szilard]

It's a great idea but there's a problem with using minions for the heads. The minion heads will get killed off pretty fast by area attacks, and that doesn't seem thematically appropriate (unless a weapon is involved). Perhaps you can solve it by making the minion heads immune to attacks that don't target AC, or something like that.

Hmmm... interesting thought - though it is possible that just raising their Reflex defense would be enough.

-Stuart

 

[Unlogic]

You'd need to add some comments as to the heads' size and speed.
Having each act as a separate Large creature with speed 5 doesn't really work or make sense.

They probably are okay at Small size, with a speed of 0, and leave all rearranging of them to be done via Twining Necks, and rephrase it to specify that it can shift any of its heads to a different square adjacent to it.

The body also doesn't have its own bite, and the separate position of each head effectively grants it Reach 2 and threatening reach. Hydra Feast and Lurking Strike don't really make sense as properties of the body either, they're things its heads are theoretically doing.

 

[szilard]

Ack. I'd meant to peg the heads at Medium.

I'm probably going to revise this based on the comments I've received.

Thanks.

Stuart

 

[Obergnom]

I love the concept of making the hydra a multi-monster beast. Brilliant! I do not think using minions is a good idea, though. The heads need to be somewhat tougher. (I would give them something similar to Zombie Weakness though. A crit should cut of a head, no matter how many hps it has left.)