Hydras, 3d6 breath per head & other ?s

[uzagi_akimbo]

<casts Bump>

Is there a definitive answer on whether the breath weapon is per head or all at once?

I don't think there is. My definite answer,though, would be
"Each head breathes a separate 3D6 stream/jet attack, which has to be saved against individually and can be targeted individually". For purposes of book-keeping, I would have all the heads breath in the same round , then recharge, but if you want to go the extra yard, keep track of recharge time for each of the heads (and any new growths ) separately.

IMC, we had a lot of hydras (thematically inavoidable in one) and after the first few fights (when the players still honed their skills), no-one ever died. Yes they are a hassle, but so is other stuff where one has to follow a specific tactic to succeed. ( And to reply to elder_basilisks fears , we definitely play below the monetary threshold for equipment, and with several key spells like fly etc out of the picture - my 14th level cleric holds about 60k gp worth of gear (should have around 150k of stuff by the DMG ), and he is easily among the better equipped PCs. We started with pretty average set stats, including a score of 8..... . Guess that is not too "high-powered", right ?)

In my/ IMC's experience Hydras die easily if you do not go the frontal assault road, periord. Neutralize their AoO salvoes (following Hyp's take on these here), say with a high-AC, expertised mobility moving fighter, some fun major image, summoned fall-guy, or even better send them confused/fleeing/charmed/stunned with mind affecting magics (and sneak them while they do), drain their Str with necromancy and see them flounder, hit them with curses and enervations till they cannot move even their tail-tips...

But they are a wonderful thing to humiliate groups relying on full-frontal assaults relying on brute strength and "dishing it out", like the combat-cleric and barbarian-berzerk crowds. If you are dumb enough to play to their strengths you get every TPK you deserve.

 

[Tyrol]

But they are a wonderful thing to humiliate groups relying on full-frontal assaults relying on brute strength and "dishing it out", like the combat-cleric and barbarian-berzerk crowds. If you are dumb enough to play to their strengths you get every TPK you deserve.

What if your party consists of a rogue and 2 rangers, and during the battle with the hydra a bunch of kobolds - with a number of levels of rogue each - sneak into the room and shoot you with crossbows from behind? (the DM explained to us later that he had written these Kobolds down as OPTIONAL in case we were defeating the hydra too easily, which we most certainly were not. We had barely been holding our own. Unfortunately, the DM didn't see his own word 'Optional' there, and proceeded to TPK us )

 

[iwatt]

What if your party consists of a rogue and 2 rangers, and during the battle with the hydra a bunch of kobolds - with a number of levels of rogue each - sneak into the room and shoot you with crossbows from behind? (the DM explained to us later that he had written these Kobolds down as OPTIONAL in case we were defeating the hydra too easily, which we most certainly were not. We had barely been holding our own. Unfortunately, the DM didn't see his own word 'Optional' there, and proceeded to TPK us )

But it wasn't the Hydra was it. It was any DMs favorite TPK weapon: Kobolds

Don't try to save face by blaming the lowly hydra Even the best can be taken down a notch by kobolds.

By the way.. are Pyro hydras the same CR as Cryo hydra's. Considering that they're inmune to half the attacks that seal the regeneating head stumps?

 

[Caliber]

Maybe its just me but it seems that a 30d6 attack is ROUGH. Sure, Protection from Elements would keep you safe, but thats assuming you have it prepped and ready. Even then, with 30d6 doing an average of 105 if you fail the save or 52.5 if you make it, the breath weapon of a 10-header will chew through that Protection from Elements FAST.

And of course, as heads are lopped off and more regrow in its place, the damage goes UP.

I'm not sure exactly how Resist Elements is supposed to help ... my group has always played Energy Resistances as a once per round deal. Have we been doing it all wrong?

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm not sure exactly how Resist Elements is supposed to help ... my group has always played Energy Resistances as a once per round deal. Have we been doing it all wrong?

Per round in 3E; per attack in 3.5.

-Hyp.

 

[Scion]

Also, at those levels this beast is a true terror in combat, and a pansy for will saves A good hold monster pretty well ends this fight the vast majority of the time.