Hydras and Combat Reflexes

[Gotterdammerung]

From the SRD, on Hydras: "Feats: A hydra's Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity."

I need some help figuring out what that means. Let's say a five-headed hydra with 10' reach is attacking a group of six pc's. All six pc's close in to melee range.


Scenario 1:

- Hydra gets 5 attacks of opportunity on the first person to close in.
- Hydra gets 5 attacks of opportunity on the second person to close in. (because of combat reflexes and DEX 12)
- Hydra can make no further attacks of opportunity because its DEX is only +1.


Scenario 2:

- Hydra gets a single attack of opportunity (one head each) on each of the first 5 characters to close.
- The sixth character to close is safe from attacks of opportunity because the hydra only has 5 heads (and the number of hydra heads takes the place of DEX for a hydra's combat reflexes)


anybody have advice on which is correct?



thanks,

-eric

 

[cmanos]

Can't say for sure but I would rule in favor of scenario 2...5 attacks of opportunity, one for each head.

 

[Sir ThornCrest]

I would rule that each head gets AoO but no more than 2 heads can attack 1 small or medium size of creature at a time.....doesnt seem the third head would fit in there.

if your party attacked in a wave of 5 then each head would attack 1 pc each.

does the head striking out trigger an AoO from the players? Wow this is good to rap your head around!

Also, if the Hydra was int I would also have it move into positions to help enduce AoO, with 5 heads that would be primo stratagem.

Thorncrest

From the SRD, on Hydras: "Feats: A hydra's Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity."

I need some help figuring out what that means. Let's say a five-headed hydra with 10' reach is attacking a group of six pc's. All six pc's close in to melee range.


Scenario 1:

- Hydra gets 5 attacks of opportunity on the first person to close in.
- Hydra gets 5 attacks of opportunity on the second person to close in. (because of combat reflexes and DEX 12)
- Hydra can make no further attacks of opportunity because its DEX is only +1.


Scenario 2:

- Hydra gets a single attack of opportunity (one head each) on each of the first 5 characters to close.
- The sixth character to close is safe from attacks of opportunity because the hydra only has 5 heads (and the number of hydra heads takes the place of DEX for a hydra's combat reflexes)


anybody have advice on which is correct?



thanks,

-eric

 

[Gotterdammerung]

oh, wait...

There may actually be a third scenario. If the designers intended each head to be allowed an attack of opportunity for any sunder attempts...

Scenario 3:

- Hydra gets one attack of opportunity (one head each) on each of the first five characters to close in. (because each head is allowed AoO's.)
- One of the heads that made an AoO gets another AoO on the sixth character to close in. (because combat reflexes and DEX give it +1 AoO in a round)
- Each of the characters make a sunder attack, but none have Improved Sunder.
- The hydra gets 4 attacks of opportunity, one per character (one attack per head, minus one because one head has reached its AoO limit for the round.)


I feel like I'm trying to get at what the designers intended for the monster, but I'm just ending up confused.

-eric

 

[Jdvn1]

I think Scenario 2 makes sense with the Combat Reflexes reference.

 

[dcollins]

From the SRD, on Hydras: "Feats: A hydra's Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity."

This has been debated at great length on these messageboards in the past. You'll find a split of opinions on the two possibilities. There's been no official clarification via FAQ, Sage, ROTG, or anything else.

To me, it makes the most sense that your Hydra gets 5 AOOs per round, one for each head.

 

[dcollins]

There may actually be a third scenario. If the designers intended each head to be allowed an attack of opportunity for any sunder attempts...

Almost certainly not that. The Hydra's Combat Reflexes text was written identically in 3.0, before the sundering mechanism was introduced in 3.5.

 

[mikebr99]

Each head has combat reflexes... and DEX. So, the 5-headed Hydra could take up to 10 AoO's.


Mike

 

[DungeonMaster]

Scenario 1.
Hydra attack bonuses are low. Hydra should be feared, not just the pyro and cyro kinds.

As a general rule (which is not in the rules) I think independant thinking heads should be able to target as a creature. Ettin and chimera should be allowed to charge and attack with multiple attacks as well with combat reflexes.

 

[Hypersmurf]

As a general rule (which is not in the rules) I think independant thinking heads should be able to target as a creature. Ettin and chimera should be allowed to charge and attack with multiple attacks as well with combat reflexes.

Sean K Reynolds has a template on his site that sort-of considers those sorts of things. Though not exactly the mechanics you describe.

-Hyp.