Good preliminary encounters for a hydra

[cpendlet]

I think that the Hydra only gets to use the triggered action once per turn (between the end of its turn and the start of its next turn). That is how immediate interrupts and reactions are handled and I think the Triggered actions section is where that stuff is now listed.

I could be wrong on this as I don't have and of the newer Monster manuals to look up the details of how a triggered action is supposed to be handled. It seems way over powered (which is one way I use to tell if I am interpreting the rules correctly or not) if it can use the triggered action on each PC that ends its their turn next to it each round?

 

[NewJeffCT]

I think that the Hydra only gets to use the triggered action once per turn (between the end of its turn and the start of its next turn). That is how immediate interrupts and reactions are handled and I think the Triggered actions section is where that stuff is now listed.

I could be wrong on this as I don't have and of the newer Monster manuals to look up the details of how a triggered action is supposed to be handled. It seems way over powered (which is one way I use to tell if I am interpreting the rules correctly or not) if it can use the triggered action on each PC that ends its their turn next to it each round?

I'll have to look in the rule book later, but the double bite is one triggered action:
Trigger: an enemy ends its turn within two squares of the hydra.
Effect: the hydra uses its bite twice against the triggering enemy.

 

[cpendlet]

I know it gets to bite the triggering PC twice (the power says so ). I was saying that I don't think the hydra gets to use the Snapping Jaws power multiple times in a round (as if it were an immediate reaction).

So PC 1 ends their turn and the hydra uses Snapping Jaws and then PC 2 goes and ends turn near hydra. This time the hydra can't make the attack because it already used it on PC 1 this round.

 

[NewJeffCT]

I know it gets to bite the triggering PC twice (the power says so ). I was saying that I don't think the hydra gets to use the Snapping Jaws power multiple times in a round (as if it were an immediate reaction).

So PC 1 ends their turn and the hydra uses Snapping Jaws and then PC 2 goes and ends turn near hydra. This time the hydra can't make the attack because it already used it on PC 1 this round.

turns are different than rounds, however. A "turn" is each PC/NPC/Monster's actions in the round. The hydra should be able to use its triggered action after each PC's turn - assuming the PC is within its threatening reach.

example:
Round 1:
Turn A) Hydra moves forward towards PCs on its turn in Round 1
Turn B) PC Fighter takes a move action to engage in melee with said hydra. Hydra then gets Opportunity Attack as PC fighter closes from 10 feet to 5 feet. PC Fighter attacks Hydra with a daily power. Hydra then gets its triggered attack because PC Fighter cannot move out of the threatened area.
Turn C) PC Rogue use a move action to circle around hydra to flank, but still must provoke Opportunity attack to close from 10 feet to 5 feet. PC Rogue pulls out a daily power, but the hydra will then get another triggered attack because it is a new turn.

It was a big change in that regards from 3E to 4E.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I know it gets to bite the triggering PC twice (the power says so ). I was saying that I don't think the hydra gets to use the Snapping Jaws power multiple times in a round (as if it were an immediate reaction).

No, it's not an immediate action, it's explicitly a FREE action (and an effect at that). The hydra can use it as often as the trigger occurs. There's no limit. NOTE: Even being stunned or dominated doesn't stop this because of the hydra's Many Headed trait.

 

[cpendlet]

When looking at the stat block I was wondering where it indicated if it was an immediate reaction or what (have not worked much with the newer stat blocks yet) and did not notice the free in there. I retract my previous comment as it was incorrect.

Edit: that certainly does make this a nasty monster

 

[GameDoc]

Back to a thematically apropriate build-up, I have a couple of ideas.

1) SWAMP PEOPLE (just look for clips of the show on YouTube to get the feel) - just use humans and flavor them accordingly. Have them in shacks up on stilts and poling aoround on rafts. Maybe throw in a little role-playing elements with them to set the tone. Or you could use halflings. Of the "civil" races, they are the ones most likely to be mucking around (pun intended) in a swamp. Maybe they have a secret to hid and the hydra is their last line of defense against outsiders.

2) CTHUHLU JR. - the original tale has the narrator encounter some creepy voodoo stuf in the Everglades early on that clue him into the existence of Cthuhlu. Maybe you can develop some sort of swamp cult that worship the hydra. Throw in some ghosts or zombies to add the voodoo feel to it. A hag would be a good high priestess for such a cult.

 

[MortalPlague]

How about quicksand?

 

[d2OKC]

This thread is making me want to use a hydra so badly. My players will know who to blame if they tpk, so heads up everyone.

 

[NewJeffCT]

This thread is making me want to use a hydra so badly. My players will know who to blame if they tpk, so heads up everyone.

Well, a few sessions back, I gave the players a very easy encounter (level minus 2) just to show them how much they had grown since first level - the players had started off in session 1 of the campaign at first level and had three consecutive goblin encounters, level 2, 2 and 3. I basically threw the 3 encounters together and made it into one level 5 encounter and the players waltzed through it... (most of the goblins broke & ran after a few of their leaders were dropped.)

I also warned them afterwards that while this was a cakewalk, I could also run an encounter at them that was too powerful where they'd either have to flee or negotiate their way out of it, instead of fighting.

The hydra could very well be the "too powerful" encounter since the human fighter, human swordmage/artificer and eladrin brutal rogue are mostly melee oriented... each one would be getting 2 free attacks on them each turn.

But, my players also are pretty good at adapting on the fly to tough situations.