Monster Specification

Hydrae

Typical Monster Level ("ML"): 5 to 12 (have a number of heads equal to ML)

Typical Number Encountered: 1

Usual Alignment(s): E/C, N/C, E/N, N/N

Description: a giant, multi-headed snake, the heads having ears and beaks.  There also exist a few with legs.

Habitat: Dungeons, Green Areas, Wilderness Areas, Lakes & Rivers (prefer to dwell in lakes, but may be encountered anywhere)

Language: none

Chars: Co 4d8, Wp MLd4

Movement:

Rate Melee Travelling
Slither @ up to 6 ft/sec 4 mph
Dart to attack @ up to 8 ft/sec n/a
Swim @ up to 15 ft/sec 10 mph

Fighter Abilities:

ML/2, FRD AMR    D = 25 + (5ML) %    RD = 5 + (5ML) %    6ML HP

Attack Modes:

Beak @ A = 10ML %, DAM = dML

HitLoc Table:

HitLoc Area

Front

Side

Rear

Head (*ML)

01 to 30

01 to 20

n/a
Neck (*ML) 31 to 90 21 to 100 n/a

Body

91 to 100

101 to 225

01 to 100

ADS:

HitLoc Area

 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Head

 4 4 2 1 0 0 1 2 4 4
Neck 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Body

 3 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 3

Effects of Specific Damage:

Hit Loc Area %age HP Damage taken Effects
Head  (*ML) 15% Unconscious, Co check vs Death (for that Head only)
  30% Decapitation, Death (for that Head only)
Neck  (*ML) 30% Co check vs Neck Severed (for that Head only)
  60% Neck Severed (for that Head only)
Body 80% Incapacitated, Co check vs Death
  160% Death

Bleeding is minimal, and can be ignored.

Thievish Abilities:

none

Other Abilities / Powers / Notes:

  1. Hydrae are Reptilian and Serpentine Monsters.  The legged species are Reptilian and Saurian Monsters.
  2. Hydrae have a common sentience, which may exist in a single head.
  3. Some (10%) Hydrae Regenerate @ ML HP/10 sec (spaced as evenly as possible), starting (15-ML) sec after first take Damage.  Only Fire, Acid or Disintegration will prevent Regeneration.  The body Regenerates from the largest surviving piece.
  4. A few (5%) Hydrae have Magical Breath Weapons (roll on Dragon Encounter table for type).  Each head may breathe 1d6 in a cone 20 ft deep and 5 ft wide at base (BTS 8ML% [Co]).  They are Resistant to their Breath Effect and Vulnerable to its opposite (e.g. a Fire-breathing Hydra is Fire Resistant but Cold Vulnerable).

Back to Monsters index

Back to Encounters index