Hydra Question

[Pinotage]

I'm sure this has been asked dozens of times and I'm hoping there's an official answer out there.

The hydra's description for combat reflexes says that it can use all its heads for attacks of opportunity. Does this mean:

1) It can make N attacks of opportunity per round, but only one per opportunity,

or

2) It can make N attacks of opportunity per round, and as many as it wants per opportunity, i.e. a eight-headed hydra can make 8 attacks of opportunity on the fighter than closes into melee with it.

Thanks!

Pinotage

 

[dcollins]

There is no official answer. There is constant debate around this topic.

 

[Elephant]

I would lean towards option 2. That pushes it more into "difficult to defeat by conventional means" territory.

I look at it almost as though you're fighting N separate warriors, one for each head, when you're fighting a hydra. Each head can act independently of the others, within the limits imposed by the shared body.

 

[Pinotage]

I would lean towards option 2. That pushes it more into "difficult to defeat by conventional means" territory.

I look at it almost as though you're fighting N separate warriors, one for each head, when you're fighting a hydra. Each head can act independently of the others, within the limits imposed by the shared body.

In that case, can you Cleave and Great Cleave a hydra's heads?

 

[Hypersmurf]

The hydra's description for combat reflexes says that it can use all its heads for attacks of opportunity.

The third option commonly included in the debate is that it can make two AoOs per round (1, plus 1 for Dex 12 with Combat Reflexes), and that on both of those two, it can bite with all 8 heads.

-Hyp.

 

[Pinotage]

Thanks

Thanks all! In the old end I went with option 1. I think I've still got my players scared silly, though.

Pinotage

 

[rrealm]

I use option 3 with my hydras. My players are forced to come up with alternate plans of attack.