3e SRD:Hydra, Twelve-Headed

This material is published under the OGL 1.0a.

Twelve-Headed Hydra

Size/Type:	Huge Beast
Hit Dice:	12d10+60 (126 hp)
Initiative:	+1 (Dex)
Speed:	20 ft., swim 20 ft.
AC:	15 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural)
Attacks:	12 bites +13 melee
Damage:	Bite 1d10+6
Face/Reach:	20 ft. by 20 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:	Scent
Saves:	Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +4
Abilities:	Str 23, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills:	Listen +9, Spot +9
Feats:	Combat Reflexes
Climate/Terrain:	Any marsh and underground
Organization:	Solitary
Challenge Rating:	11 (normal); 13 (pyro- or cryo-); 14 (Lernaean); or 15 (Lernaean pyro- or cryo-)
Treasure:	1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment:	Always neutral
Advancement:

Combat

Hydras can attack with all their heads at no penalty, even if they move or charge during the round.

A hydra can be killed either by severing all its heads or by slaying its body. To sever a head, an opponent must hit the monster’s neck with a slashing weapon and deal damage equal to the hydra’s original hit point total, divided by its original number of heads, in one blow. (The player says where the attack is aimed just before making the attack roll.) For example, if a five-headed hydra has 52 hp, a single blow dealing 10 or more points of damage severs a head (52 / 5 = 10.4, rounded down to 10). Any excess damage is lost. A severed head dies, and a natural reflex seals the neck shut to prevent further blood loss. The hydra can no longer attack with the severed head but suffers no other penalties. A severed head regrows in about a month.

Skills: Hydras receive a +2 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks, thanks to their multiple heads.

Feats: A hydra’s Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity each round.

Magical Beasts

Three special kinds of hydras-the Lernaean hydra, the pyrohydra, and the cryohydra-are magical beasts rather than beasts. They have all the same characteristics and statistics blocks that ordinary hydras have, and in addition they possess special abilities.

Lernaean Hydra

The only way to slay a Lernaean hydra normally is to sever all its heads. However, each time a head is severed, two new heads spring from the stump in 1d4 rounds. A Lernaean hydra can never have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time, and any extra heads it gains beyond its original number wither and die within a day.

To prevent a severed head from growing back into two, at least 5 points of fire or acid damage must be dealt to the stump (AC 19) before the new heads appear.

Spells such as disintegrate, finger of death, and slay living kill a Lernaean hydra outright if they succeed. If the spell deals damage on a successful save, that damage is directed against one of the hydra’s heads.

Pyrohydra

These reddish hydras can breathe jets of fire 10 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet long. All heads breathe once every 1d4 rounds. Each jet deals 3d6 damage per head. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 hydra’s original number of heads + the hydra’s Constitution modifier.

Fire Subtype (Ex): Fire immunity; double damage from cold except on a successful save.

A pyrohydra may also be of the Lernaean form.

Cryohydra

These purplish hydras can breathe jets of frost 10 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet long. All heads breathe once every 1d4 rounds. Each jet deals 3d6 damage per head. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 hydra’s original number of heads + the hydra’s Constitution modifier.

Cold Subtype (Ex): Cold immunity; double damage from fire except on a successful save.

A cryohydra may also be of the Lernaean form.

---

Back to Main Page → 3e Open Game Content → System Reference Document → Creatures

This page is protected from editing because it is an integral part of D&D Wiki. Please discuss possible problems on the talk page.

Open Game Content (place problems on the discussion page).

This is part of the 3e System Reference Document. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the GNU Free Documentation License 1.3. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains SRD material and does not show this license statement, please contact an admin so that this license statement can be added. It is our intent to work within this license in good faith.