Pyrohydra

[sjmiller]

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.

Which is why I said it is in how you roll it and not in the number crunching. From a purely mathematical viewpoint there's no real difference between the numbers for (10d6)/2 and 5d6. Game-wise and rules-wise, i.e., how you roll it, it is important. The rules state you take half the damage, which would be (10d6)/2, and not 5d6, which would require another roll.

 

[Felix]

You know, I spotted my mistake upthread. Heh. Nevermind. Nothing to see here.

 

[Nail]

No, The hydra does not get seperate jets of flame per head. The Jet is [3d6 x # of heads] of fire damage.

Huh.

The best way to read this, IMO, is to assume "per head" applies to "Each jet". Thus each head has a jet of fire, and the jet does 3d6 fire damage. I readily admit you have to seriously contort the english to get that to work.

 

[Storyteller01]

They may target whoever they like. All six heads could target one area, if they like.

Yup. Breathing is a Standard Action, meaning the hydra could breath and do a move action.

They are dead meat against archers and ranged attacks.

With a Fast Healing of 16, those had better be some impressive attacks!

 

[Storyteller01]

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'd probably rule in this fashion, since the ability belongs to a CR 4 creature.

By the way, thanks for these posts (although I'm not the OP). I have a player who wants to go hydra hunting (ill adviced as it is) and I'll need the info.



PS: A quick question; Could you say that the hydra only gets two AoO's, but it could target x amount of heads per AoO provided all the heads are used?

Example: two fighters charge in. The pyro hydra can target three to both, four to one with two to the other, five to one and one to the other, etc as long as one is left for each AoO.

 

[Nail]

With a Fast Healing of 16, those had better be some impressive attacks!

Not really.

If a party of four PCs can't manage more than 16 hp of damage per round between them, they're not trying.

 

[Storyteller01]

Not really.

If a party of four PCs can't manage more than 16 hp of damage per round between them, they're not trying.

Depends on your view then. Same size as a giant croc, lives in the same environ, and is actually smarter than said croc. I don't see why a hydra won't use its environ in the same manner, or just getting in the water and running from too much damage.


Not wanting to argue; it would be nice to think about other tactics that could be used (like being smart enough to attack with its body mostly underwater, but being dumb enough to get baited out).

 

[Infiniti2000]

I'd probably rule in this fashion, since the ability belongs to a CR 4 creature.

Aside from the perceived unbalance in the other interpretations, keep in mind that your choice is identical to normal combat reflexes, as if nothing were printed in the hydra description.

 

[frankthedm]

Huh.

The best way to read this, IMO, is to assume "per head" applies to "Each jet". Thus each head has a jet of fire, and the jet does 3d6 fire damage. I readily admit you have to seriously contort the english to get that to work.

Some contortion, though it is not an unreasonable way to work it, though giving each hydra head a 10'x10'x20' jet gives lots of coverage but makes the breaths wimpy against fire resist. It is probably the safest way to work the breath since 15d6 fire is way to much to be expected to cope with at 6th level. Here is a 9 header...

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4643/ahpyroea4.gif

Look down-thread for a newer image...

 

[frankthedm]

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

No, the way i was reading it would be 6 AoO's. Each head can be used for an AoO.

Plenty nasty for thier CRs especially since those without improved sunder will generally eat an AoO every swing to behead.