Pyrohydra

[Felix]

A six-headed pyrohydra would do 18d6 flame jets every 1d4 rounds.

And barring Evasion, would do a minimum of 31 damage. That will kill a great deal of 7th level characters outright, and severely harm the rest.

 

[sjmiller]

And barring Evasion, would do a minimum of 31 damage. That will kill a great deal of 7th level characters outright, and severely harm the rest.

The minimum for 18d6 is 18. The maximum is 108, with an average of 63. With Evasion, and the successful save, you are good. Without Evasion, but with a successful Reflex save, your range is 9 minimum, 54 maximum, with 31 as an average. That can still wipe out a lot of 7th level characters, or get them close to destruction.

 

[Felix]

My pardon. Not minimum: Average Damage Given Save. I figured "minimum" was less wordy and just as understandable.

Without Evasion, but with a successful Reflex save, your range is 9 minimum, 54 maximum, with 31 as an average.

Eh? So saving throws are:

10d6 Fireball, Reflex Half.
Successful Reflex save.
Take 5d6 damage.​

And not

10d6 Fireball, Reflex half.
Successful Reflex save.
Take (10d6 Damage)/2​

This will be the first I'd heard of this.

 

[sjmiller]

My pardon. Not minimum: Average Damage Given Save. I figured "minimum" was less wordy and just as understandable.

That's okay. I am a bit of a probability and statistics guy, so my mind hit a speed bump when you mentioned minimum.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Okay, but what exactly IS the interpretation?

The different interpretations I'm aware of are:

1. Each head gets 2 AoO/round and may take them independently or simultaneously at their discretion. ("each head is a monster with Combat reflexes")

2. The creature gets 2AoO/round with all heads attacking ("all heads attack on an AoO")

3. The creature gets a total of 2 AoO/round but any available head can be used to make the AoO. ("heads are weapons")

I personally find #1 and #3 to be more likely than #2, both from a logical and systemic stand point. Option 3 is a more conventional interpretation but since I think hydras should be terrifying beasties I prefer #1.

Fortunately, it's very hard to be "wrong." I would, however, suggest you have the PCs make Knowledge:Bestiary or Bardic Lore checks to know which rules you are using. (#1: "Hydras can literally make dozens of attacks against foolish foes in the time it takes to cough thrice," #2 "all heads are aware of openings in combat and will strike as a unit", and #3 "though many eyes let it notice openings, the heads' vying for control tend to limit its ability to capitalize on them")

 

[Felix]

1. Each head gets 2 AoO/round and may take them independently or simultaneously at their discretion. ("each head is a monster with Combat reflexes")

2. The creature gets 2AoO/round with all heads attacking ("all heads attack on an AoO")

I'd just like to point out that if the PCs incurs an AoO and is attacked by every head, he won't know the difference between option 1 and option 2. There will only be a difference in these two options when more than two AoO's are incurred in a round and some of the heads chose not to attack on those first two AoO's.

 

[frankthedm]

The different interpretations I'm aware of are:

1. Each head gets 2 AoO/round and may take them independently or simultaneously at their discretion. ("each head is a monster with Combat reflexes")

2. The creature gets 2AoO/round with all heads attacking ("all heads attack on an AoO")

3. The creature gets a total of 2 AoO/round but any available head can be used to make the AoO. ("heads are weapons")

The one Luke and I were using was

4. Each head may be used for taking an AoO. Still only one AoO may be taken per opportunity. Thus the heads provide a larger supply of AoOs than they hydra's dex would provide it with. I think it even fits the imagry of fighting a hydra, you and your allies close in and each one of you get bit by a head.

I say leave the 12 hit Instant-Hell-Murder for the hydra's actual turn.

 

[Felix]

4. Each head may be used for taking an AoO. Still only one AoO may be taken per opportunity. Thus the heads provide a larger supply of AoOs than they hydra's dex would provide it with. I think it even fits the imagry of fighting a hydra, you and your allies close in and each one of you get bit by a head.

So a 6 headed Hydra has a supply of 12 AoO's for each round?

 

[sjmiller]

Eh? So saving throws are:

10d6 Fireball, Reflex Half.
Successful Reflex save.
Take 5d6 damage.​

And not

10d6 Fireball, Reflex half.
Successful Reflex save.
Take (10d6 Damage)/2​

This will be the first I'd heard of this.

If you take the 10d6 numbers (min 10, max 60, average 35) and divide them by 2 (min 5, max 60, average 17.5), you get numbers remarkably close to 5d6 (min 5, max 30, average 17.5). It's just how you roll it, not how you crunch the numbers.

 

[Felix]

If you take the 10d6 numbers (min 10, max 60, average 35) and divide them by 2 (min 5, max 60, average 17.5), you get numbers remarkably close to 5d6 (min 5, max 30, average 17.5). It's just how you roll it, not how you crunch the numbers.

The difference being that if you have 2 PCs targeted by the Fireball, and one saves while the other does not, then the one who saved does not necessarily get hurt less than the one who didn't.