Hydra and sunder

[Trellian]

OK, so my players are facing a hydra later tonight, and I'm REALLY baffled about how to do this encounter. It says that you need to sunder the heads with a slashing weapon. So far, so good.

Checking the sunder rules, I see that it is an attack vs. attack check. A hydra is huge, so for medium creatures, it gets a +8 bonus. This is a six-headed hydra, so the total sunder check is +16 for the hydra. My players are 5th level, are you kidding me? They can't take down this thing. And does the fast-healing apply to the heads as well? So that the character needs to chop down a head with one swing?

OR... is the head considered a carried or worn object? Meaning that it's an AC 9 to hit (or something).

Help!

 

[darthkilmor]

My players are 5th level, are you kidding me? They can't take down this thing.

If they keep their distance and use lots of ranged attacks they should be ok yes ?

 

[frankthedm]

Checking the sunder rules, I see that it is an attack vs. attack check. A hydra is huge, so for medium creatures, it gets a +8 bonus. This is a six-headed hydra, so the total sunder check is +16 for the hydra.

Well, IMO the hydra heads ought to be trreated as natural weapons, that means they are always considered light weapons, taking a -4 on that sunder roll. Do note, the sunder route is for those GOOD at it. Otherwise piling on the damge does work.

My players are 5th level, are you kidding me? They can't take down this thing.

They don't have expendable items yet? 16 HP a round is not THAT much. This will be a fight to bust out the potions for such as Enlarge and Bulls strength and that rainy day the caster was saving that high level scroll for. If your player sold off every expendable item they got, then it IS time they die.

And does the fast-healing apply to the heads as well? So that the character needs to chop down a head with one swing?

No. heads don't heal AFAIK, completely severed necks do though.