Hydra heads

[glass]

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

You're right. For some reason I was thinking that the Hydra was bigger than a dinosaur, but a quick glance at the SRD indicates that a triceratops (for example) is also Huge.
[SBLOCK=Triceratops]

Monsters
Digester - Doppleganger
DIGESTER
pictMedium Magical Beast Hit Dice: 8d10+24 (68 hp) Initiative: +6 Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares) Armor Class: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15 Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+11 Attack: Claw +11 melee (1d8+4) Full Attack: Claw +11 melee (1d8+4) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Acid spray Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to acid, low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +3 Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10 Skills: Hide +9, Listen +6, Jump +21, Spot +6 Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes Environment: Warm forests Organization: Solitary or pack (3–6) Challenge Rating: 6 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 9–12 HD (Medium); 13–24 HD (Large) Level Adjustment: —

A digester stands about 5 feet tall and is 7 feet long from snout to tail. It weighs about 350 pounds,
COMBAT

A digester is a hunting and eating machine. When it is not hungry (which is rarely), it lies low and avoids most other creatures. When hunting, it looks about for a likely target, then charges forth and delivers a gout of acid. If the initial attack is insufficient to kill the prey, the digester attacks with its hind feet until it can spray acid again.

Acid Spray (Ex): A digester can spray acid in a 20-foot cone, dealing 4d8 points of damage to everything in the area. Once a digester uses this ability, it can’t use it again until 1d4 rounds later. The creature can also produce a concentrated stream of acid that deals 8d8 points of damage to a single target within 5 feet. In either case, a DC 17 Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Skills: A digester’s coloration gives it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. It also has a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks.
DINOSAUR

Dinosaurs come in many sizes and shapes. Bigger varieties have drab coloration, while smaller dinosaurs have more colorful markings. Most dinosaurs have a pebbly skin texture.
COMBAT

Dinosaurs take full advantage of their size and speed. The swift carnivores stalk prey, staying hidden in cover until they can get into charge range and rush to the attack. Herbivores frequently overrun and trample their opponents.
DEINONYCHUS
Medium Animal Hit Dice: 4d8+16 (34 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares) Armor Class: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7 Attack: Talons +7 melee (1d8+4) Full Attack: Talons +7 melee (1d8+4) and 2 foreclaws +2 melee (1d3+2) and bite +2 melee (2d4+2) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Pounce Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2 Abilities: Str 19, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10 Skills: Hide +12, Jump +26, Listen +10, Spot +10, Survival +10 Feats: Run, Track Environment: Warm forests Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3–6) Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 5–8 HD (Medium) Level Adjustment: —

A deinonychus is bright green along its back and flanks, with a much lighter shade of the same color on its underside. The body has darker spots or stripes. Its tail extends straight out behind itself, held aloft by an intricate structure of bony supports, thus allowing its weight to be carried entirely by the back legs. It weighs about 600 pounds.
Combat

A deinonychus uses a combination of speed, grasping forearms, large teeth, and hind legs with ripping talons. It hunts by running at prey, leaping, and ripping with its rear talons as it claws and bites. The talons count as one attack. A deinonychus has a relatively large brain for a dinosaur, and its pack hunts with cunning tactics.

Pounce (Ex): If a deinonychus charges, it can make a full attack.

Skills: A deinonychus has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.
ELASMOSAURUS
Huge Animal Hit Dice: 10d8+66 (111 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 50 ft. Armor Class: 13 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 11 Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+23 Attack: Bite +13 melee (2d8+12) Full Attack: Bite +13 melee (2d8+12) Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: — Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +4 Abilities: Str 26, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 9 Skills: Hide –4*, Listen +4, Spot +9, Swim +16 Feats: Dodge, Great Fortitude, Toughness (2) Environment: Warm aquatic Organization: Solitary, pair, or herd (5–8) Challenge Rating: 7 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 11–20 HD (Huge); 21–30 HD (Gargantuan) Level Adjustment: —

Though it resides primarily in the water, an elasmosaurus only breathes air. An elasmosaurus has a total length of some 30 feet, including a tail half as long as its entire body, and weighs about 5,000 pounds. Observers who see only its head or tail might easily mistake it for a massive snake.
Combat

An elasmosaurus is aggressive and attacks anything it notices. The creature is strong, fast, and highly maneuverable, able to turn quickly and lunge at prey. When hunting, it travels with its head out of the water, snapping down quickly to seize prey.

Skills: *An elasmosaurus has a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in water.
MEGARAPTOR
Large Animal Hit Dice: 8d8+43 (79 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares) Armor Class: 17 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15 Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15 Attack: Talons +10 melee (2d6+5) Full Attack: Talons +10 melee (2d6+5) and 2 foreclaws +5 melee (1d4+2) and bite +5 melee (1d8+2) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Pounce Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +4 Abilities: Str 21, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10 Skills: Hide +9, Jump +27, Listen +12, Spot +12, Survival +12 Feats: Run, Toughness, Track Environment: Warm forests Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3–6) Challenge Rating: 6 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 9–16 HD (Large); 17–24 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: —

This creature is a larger version of the deinonychus, standing about 12 feet tall with a total length of 24 feet. It has the same appearance, habits, and abilities of the smaller version.

Pounce (Ex): If a megaraptor charges, it can make a full attack.

Skills: A megaraptor has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.
TRICERATOPS
Huge Animal Hit Dice: 16d8+124 (196 hp) Initiative: –1 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) Armor Class: 18 (–2 size, –1 Dex, +11 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 18 Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+30 Attack: Gore +20 melee (2d8+15) Full Attack: Gore +20 melee (2d8+15) Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Powerful charge, trample 2d12+15 Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +19, Ref +9, Will +6 Abilities: Str 30, Dex 9, Con 25, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 7 Skills: Listen +13, Spot +12 Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Toughness (4) Environment: Temperate plains Organization: Solitary, pair, or herd (5–8) Challenge Rating: 9 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 17–32 HD (Huge); 33–48 HD (Gargantuan) Level Adjustment: —

A triceratops has a body about 25 feet long and weighs about 20,000 pounds.
Combat

These creatures are likely to charge and skewer any creature of at least Large size that infringes on their territory. A triceratops uses its trample attack on smaller opponents.

Powerful Charge (Ex): When a triceratops charges, its gore attack deals 4d8+20 points of damage.

Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 28. The save DC is Strength-based.[/SBLOCK]Of course, this leads to a similar (but more accurate) point. If the triceratops actually charged the way its Powerful Charge ability suggests, it'd break its beak.


glass.

 

[glass]

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.

So noone'd never encounter any monstrous spiders in your games, because it is not specifically stated they can breathe (even though by real world physics they couldn't)?

There are countless examples of things withing the rules (and implied) that are not magical in game terms, but are definitely fantastical. Everything from dragons that can fly and titans that can jump, to weapons now breaking when you hit a stone golem with them, to the huge level of mutual interfertility between the various creatures out there.

You can't say there is magic, and everything that isn't magic works just like the real world. Well, you can, but D&D just doesn't.

glass.

 

[ThirdWizard]

You can't say there is magic, and everything that isn't magic works just like the real world. Well, you can, but D&D just doesn't.

Nah, there is magic, and everything that isn't magic works as the rules dictate.

If the spider somehow breathed with magic, then it would asphyxiate in an anti-magic area. If dragons flew with magic, they would fall in an anti-magic area. Now, of course, physics says dragons shouldn't be able to fly, but its best when these things arise to smile and nod and not think about them too much. On that level, my explaination is simple: it's cool to have flying dragons; people like flying dragons; therefore dragons can fly.

 

[KarinsDad]

Our group has taken down 2 hydras (one at low level, one at high level). In both cases, and after advance warning, we were able to use tactics that easily took them out in just a few rounds. ...and sundering was never used; what an awful tactic!

Sundering is not that bad of a tactic if the character doing it has Improved Sunder.

With two PCs, you can take out one or more heads per round. The touch attack with a fire (or acid) source is not that hard to accomplish. If you used flaming oil or an alchemist's flask, they do D6 damage per round for two rounds. That's 7 average points of damage. Even a flaming sword does D6.

Remember, the Hydra's two new heads grow in 1D4 rounds and, it does not matter if the fire damage heals or not. The rule is 5 points of fire or acid damage before the heads regrow.

So often, if the head gets sundered, there's a fairly high chance of it staying that way using this tactic.

The downside is if the head does not stay that way.


But, the best way to do this is with a specialized party. PC1 needs Improved Sunder with a Flaming weapon and PC2 should also have a Flaming weapon (a Druid with the Flame Blade spell would be a good choice for the second PC).

That way, PC1 can sunder the head and burn the stump (as per the Hydra description) while PC2 burns the stump. Depending on number of attacks per round of the PCs, they could even take out multiple heads per round.

 

[Hypersmurf]

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.

He takes a -2 for being Huge; he gets a +8 for being two size categories larger than his opponent (assuming a Medium PC); he takes a -4 for wielding a light weapon (natural weapons are considered Light); for a net bonus of +2 on his roll. (Plus BAB, Str bonus, etc.)

Sundering is not that bad of a tactic if the character doing it has Improved Sunder.

Of course, in most other encounters, 'having Improved Sunder' is the bad tactic

-Hyp.

 

[Rkhet]

So noone'd never encounter any monstrous spiders in your games, because it is not specifically stated they can breathe (even though by real world physics they couldn't)?
glass.

actually...

Traits

Vermin possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

* Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Proficient with their natural weapons only.
* Proficient with no armor.
* Vermin breathe, eat, and sleep.

 

[glass]

Nah, there is magic, and everything that isn't magic works as the rules dictate.

If the spider somehow breathed with magic, then it would asphyxiate in an anti-magic area. If dragons flew with magic, they would fall in an anti-magic area. Now, of course, physics says dragons shouldn't be able to fly, but its best when these things arise to smile and nod and not think about them too much. On that level, my explaination is simple: it's cool to have flying dragons; people like flying dragons; therefore dragons can fly.

But the point is, a monstrous spider's breathing isn't magical in game terms, but it is magical (or fantastical, if you prefer) in real world terms.

There is no specific rule that spiders in D&D can breathe, so you can assume that they can (because D&D is a fantasy game), or you can assume that they can't (because they couldn't in real life). Most people would choose the former assumption, of course.


glass.

 

[glass]

actually...

Traits

Vermin possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

* Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Proficient with their natural weapons only.
* Proficient with no armor.
* Vermin breathe, eat, and sleep.

Exactly. That is saying that they need to breathe, not that they always can. Humanoids also breathe, but it doesn't mean that they can breathe under water.


glass.

 

[Rkhet]

Ah, it says neither, actually. it just says 'vermin breathe'. I suppose you can even take it to mean 'they breathe once every 500 years, and only if the moon is full at the time', if you'd like.

I summon Occam's Razor.

 

[KarinsDad]

Of course, in most other encounters, 'having Improved Sunder' is the bad tactic

Only because many PCs are greedy.

In our current party, we have a Paladin with an (adamantine) Ancestoral Relic and a Fighter/Kensai with a Signature Weapon.

I suspect the Paladin might one day take Improved Sunder and most of the party might just not care if enemy weapons get destroyed. Sure, you lose some wealth, but you tend to gain shorter less dangerous combats, especially against opponent mega-Fighter types (i.e. those that get a lot of attacks and do a lot of damage per hit).