Hydras, 3d6 breath per head & other ?s

[strongbow]

After looking through the MM for some overpowered monsters for their CR, I came across the Hydra. Does a pyro/cryohydra really get a 3d6 breath weapon per head in 3.5? If so, the damage dealing capacity in relation to CR is out of whack. Also, what does the phrase "A hyrdra may use all of its heads for Combat Reflexes" mean. (I am paraphrasing the text, btw). Does that mean that it gets 1 + (# of heads) of AoOs per round?

What happens if the body of a hyrda has total cover and someone casts an area of effect spell on the hydra? Do you fudge and have the body take damage? Does one head take damage, or none of them?

Thanks,

 

[Mephistopheles]

Does a pyro/cryohydra really get a 3d6 breath weapon per head in 3.5? If so, the damage dealing capacity in relation to CR is out of whack.

Not really. A hydra is a slow mover and its breath weapon has limited range and area. You get a save against each individual dose of breath weapon you're hit with. When a party encounters its first pyrohydra or cryohydra it should have access to resist energy via some means. Versus the 3d6 (average 10-11) damage of each head's breath weapon the resistance 10 granted by resist energy will be pretty effective. With those who are going to close with the hydra having resist energy cast on them and the rest keeping their distance and taking advantage of the lack of mobility of the hydra with ranged attacks the threat of the breath weapon will be pretty minimal.

Also, what does the phrase "A hyrdra may use all of its heads for Combat Reflexes" mean. (I am paraphrasing the text, btw). Does that mean that it gets 1 + (# of heads) of AoOs per round?

The text from the SRD is "A hydra's Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity", so the hydra can make one attack of opportunity with each head it has left.

What happens if the body of a hyrda has total cover and someone casts an area of effect spell on the hydra? Do you fudge and have the body take damage? Does one head take damage, or none of them?

The hydra does not have total cover in this case (you can't have partial total cover). The hydra's combat rules text states that "Any attack that is not (or cannot be) an attempt to sunder a head affects the body". The spell affects the hydra normally and the damage is applied to the body.

 

[hong]

The AoO thing is one that comes up all the time. In fact, it came up just yesterday.

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93255

The breath weapon is 3d6 per head. This is very nice, especially when used against a PC who's forgotten about it and charges alone after the retreating hydra.

 

[Pinotage]

Hydra

My party just faced a lernaen cryo-hydra in their last encounter (still under 3e rules). The encounter lasted four rounds. The two fighters closed in to attack it, took the AoOs or stopped at 10 ft to wait for the 5 ft step, and between the two of them they lopped of the eight heads in two rounds. While hydra's have many attacks, they do not last long against good fighters. AC is awful at 15 and +8 attack bonus is rubbish against a decent fighter's AC. It got to use the breath weapon once, but the heads all targetted different opponents - I'd agree that targetting 8 heads against one opponent would probably kill it, but I didn't think a hydra would do that if it was surrounded by multiple opponents. It's only got a Int 3.

I ruled that it could make 8 attacks of opportunity per round, but only one per opportunity. So in effect the hydra's combat reflexes goes on its number of heads rather than its dexterity. Seems to make the most sense to me, but I'm sure people will disagree.

Pinotage

 

[mikebr99]

I ruled that it could make 8 attacks of opportunity per round, but only one per opportunity. So in effect the hydra's combat reflexes goes on its number of heads rather than its dexterity. Seems to make the most sense to me, but I'm sure people will disagree.

Pinotage

Well, an 8 headed hydra with 12 DEX, and combat reflexes can react to 2 stupid things per round (as per combat reflexes feat)... each of those stupid things provokes 8 bites.

So if that is what you meant... then I don't disagree.


Mike

 

[green slime]

Well, an 8 headed hydra with 12 DEX, and combat reflexes can react to 2 stupid things per round (as per combat reflexes feat)... each of those stupid things provokes 8 bites.

So if that is what you meant... then I don't disagree.


Mike

Which makes it for an interesting surprise for those spring-attacking twinkle toes... 7 AoO on the way in...

 

[mikebr99]

Which makes it for an interesting surprise for those spring-attacking twinkle toes... 7 AoO on the way in...

Unless they use the Spring attack feat... which prevents AoOs from the movement part of spring attacking from your target.


Mike

 

[green slime]

Unless they use the Spring attack feat... which prevents AoOs from the movement part of spring attacking from your target.


Mike

Except the argument would be that they are not specifically attacking that head/target; therefore, that head gets an AoO... repeat for 6 heads.

 

[mikebr99]

Except the argument would be that they are not specifically attacking that head/target; therefore, that head gets an AoO... repeat for 6 heads.

Well... I guess you could argue that way... But a hydra is one defender... so one target for the spring attack feat. It just has a lot of heads... it isn't a lot of monsters.


Mike

 

[Pinotage]

Well, an 8 headed hydra with 12 DEX, and combat reflexes can react to 2 stupid things per round (as per combat reflexes feat)... each of those stupid things provokes 8 bites.

So if that is what you meant... then I don't disagree.


Mike

Then by that argument you are implying that any two-weapon fighting wielder with combat reflexes can make two attacks per opportunity and gets 'dexterity' amount of opportunities

The Combat Reflexes 'ability' of the hydra merely extends it's attacks of opportunity from 2 to X. In that sense it's just an extention of the norm. Or at least that's what I believe. Besides, the official ruling is that an attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and nothing in the desctiption of the hydra or the use of combat reflexes feat tells me otherwise.

Pinotage