Hydra heads

[Hypersmurf]

I meant that once the hydra attacks them they simply 5 foot step in to attack. No AoO.

You know, I just pictured a hydra who put one of his ability score increases into Dex, and swapped out Toughness, Iron Will, and Weapon Focus for Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack.

Spring in, 9 attacks, spring out... no 5 foot step for you!

You do not have to sunder the heads with improved sunder. If you ready an action to sunder when it attacks, you can do so without AoO.

What makes you think that? A readied action provokes AoOs as normal. It leads to the unusual situation where the head attacking you triggers a readied action, which provokes an AoO, allowing the head to attack you before your readied action interrupts the head attacking you, after which (assuming the head still exists) the head attacks you. Plus, depending on the interpretation your DM is using, that AoO is backed up by AoOs from all the other heads.

-Hyp.

 

[TimSmith]

1st level spell: Obscuring Mist

What AoO?

Nice one!

 

[TimSmith]

You know, I just pictured a hydra who put one of his ability score increases into Dex, and swapped out Toughness, Iron Will, and Weapon Focus for Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack.

Spring in, 9 attacks, spring out... no 5 foot step for you!.

Teenage mutant ninja hydras

What makes you think that? A readied action provokes AoOs as normal. It leads to the unusual situation where the head attacking you triggers a readied action, which provokes an AoO, allowing the head to attack you before your readied action interrupts the head attacking you, after which (assuming the head still exists) the head attacks you. Plus, depending on the interpretation your DM is using, that AoO is backed up by AoOs from all the other heads.

-Hyp.

Hmm, I see what you mean. I took the section in the Hydra entry where it states that "you can ready an action to sunder a head which attacks you" as implying that it was a way to avoid the AoO (as it goes without saying that you can ready any action you like). However, I guess you are right, as the inference was not specifically spelled out. Seriously, they need some editing and clarification doing on that Hydra entry....

 

[Hypersmurf]

I took the section in the Hydra entry where it states that "you can ready an action to sunder a head which attacks you" as implying that it was a way to avoid the AoO (as it goes without saying that you can ready any action you like). However, I guess you are right, as the inference was not specifically spelled out.

Ah. No, what that means is that you can Ready an action to sunder a head which attacks you, even though you don't threaten the body. The body is ten feet away, you only have five feet of reach... but with a readied action, you can attack the head when it comes close enough to bite you.

You don't avoid the AoO provoked by the Sunder action.

-Hyp.

 

[IanB]

Option 3 seems to be the best for game balance and general common sense, but the wording doesn't support it terribly well. This is what I've always gone with, because otherwise the hydra is badly mis-CRed, especially at pre-flight levels.

Another badly worded rule, in any case.

 

[glass]

We have to assume that standard laws of physics are in place and that magic is a manipulation of these laws, much like technology.

That is the last thing we have to do. If real world physics applies, the the hydra not being able to attack with all its heads isn't a problem, because it probably can't move at all. It certainly can't take a step without breaking its legs.


glass.

 

[mvincent]

If real world physics applies, the the hydra not being able to attack with all its heads isn't a problem, because it probably can't move at all. It certainly can't take a step without breaking its legs.

Do you mean because of it's weight? Isn't its body somewhat similar to a dinosaur's?

 

[IanB]

That is the last thing we have to do. If real world physics applies, the the hydra not being able to attack with all its heads isn't a problem, because it probably can't move at all. It certainly can't take a step without breaking its legs.


glass.

Nah, we're not talking about a giant arthropod here, the hydra is a vertebrate and no larger than many prehistoric reptiles.

What might be true is that it wouldn't be able to hold those heads up, though - long necked dinosaurs tended to either be aquatic or have very small heads.

 

[airwalkrr]

You do not have to sunder the heads with improved sunder. If you ready an action to sunder when it attacks, you can do so without AoO. The size bonuses don't apply to sunder-its an opposed attack roll so size bonuses are actually PENALTIES!

I see where you are coming from, but you seem to be forgetting bonuses based on weapon size. As a creature increases in size, a typical weapon increases in size as well. So a hydra is suffering a -2 penalty to all attacks for being huge already, but that is more than offset by a +8 bonus for weapon size.

 

[airwalkrr]

So you argue that because it is not explicitly stated a magical (i.e. reality-violating) creature cannot possibly have unenumerated minor magical properties that might only be implied by the rules?

That's exactly what I'm saying. It's called RAW. It's a term I know you are familiar with as you have used it several times already. An unenumerated property does not, ipso facto, exist.