Pyrohydra

[sjmiller]

It may be badly worded, but I don't agree there's not a single RAW interpretation.

Okay, but what exactly IS the interpretation?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Okay, but what exactly IS the interpretation?

Per combat reflexes, the hydra gets 2 attacks of opportunity per round (based on Dex 12, more if it has a higher Dex). It can also do so while flat-footed. Per the hydra description, it may use all of its heads on those attacks of opportunity, meaning all N heads on each opportunity.

Whether that's too powerful is another argument, but I say it's not too powerful.

 

[lukelightning]

One big problem is that the hydra description is poorly edited. The disputed text is under "feats."

Whatever the hydra does with its AoOs is something special, and should be a Special Quality and Extraordinary Ability the same way an ettin's special two-weapon fighting is.

 

[sjmiller]

Per combat reflexes, the hydra gets 2 attacks of opportunity per round (based on Dex 12, more if it has a higher Dex). It can also do so while flat-footed. Per the hydra description, it may use all of its heads on those attacks of opportunity, meaning all N heads on each opportunity.

Whether that's too powerful is another argument, but I say it's not too powerful.

That makes sense, and sort of how I thought it would work in the first place. So, that's what I am going to use. We'll see how the party holds up against the pyrohydra on Sunday!

 

[frankthedm]

That makes sense, and sort of how I thought it would work in the first place. So, that's what I am going to use. We'll see how the party holds up against the pyrohydra on Sunday!

 

[Infiniti2000]

Make a poor tactical decision and get wasted before acting = learning experience. Make a knowledge check and then ready to take a 5ft-step closer and attack when the hydra charges = being prepared.

 

[Nail]

Agreed, I2K.

The interesting thing, IME, was finding out that if you can avoid the AoOs of the approach, you can stand toe-to-toe with a hydra long enough to kill it....providing the "you" we are talking about isn't just one lone PC.

For our group, we used Obscuring Mist to get a Ftr, a Mnk, and a flanking Rog in there at the same time. A fireball cleared the 'Mist (and did extra damage to the cryohydra, then the melee PCs attacked. IIRC, the hydra was dead at the end of round 2.

If you've got the resources, Invisibilty would do the same kinda thing. Don't forget about the hydra's Scent ability.

 

[mikebr99]

Agreed, I2K.

The interesting thing, IME, was finding out that if you can avoid the AoOs of the approach, you can stand toe-to-toe with a hydra long enough to kill it....providing the "you" we are talking about isn't just one lone PC.

For our group, we used Obscuring Mist to get a Ftr, an Mnk, and a flanking Rog in there at the same time. A fireball cleared the 'Mist (and did extra damage to the cryohydra, then the melee PCs attacked. IIRC, the hydra was dead at the end of round 2.

If you've got the resources, Invisibilty would do the same kinda thing. Don't forget about the hydra's Scent ability.

Or shoot it with Ray of Stupidity... and you've got one unconscious Hydra to dispatch at your leisure.... the spell isn't going to fail...

Mike

 

[frankthedm]

Anything else I might want to know about these nasty, nasty creatures?

You might want to switch Toughness for Improved Toughness if that feat is used in the game.

If they Hydra has 6 or more heads, have it take Improved Natural Weapon (Bite) before it take Weapon Focus (Bite). A +1 to hit is worth trading for 2d8 on each hit.

And since we are in cheese the players mode, re-read the pyrohydra breath weapon...

These reddish hydras can breathe jets of fire 10 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet long. All heads breathe once every 1d4 rounds. Each jet deals 3d6 points of fire damage per head. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is 10 + ½ hydra’s original number of heads + hydra’s Con modifier.

So if those jets are layered up...

Though i am pretty damn sure it does not work that way!

From the way the text looks, the jet is a single area of [heads x 3d6] in fire damge. A concerted effort of all the heads at once.

 

[Nail]

Right.

Or you could do it the easy way, I guess.

(Darn rays with no saving throws......."touch attack is balancing factor" my big white hairy &*%&*$$!!!)