Horrible Hydra
Welcome again to Masters and Minions, where I strive to give you interesting NPCs and encounters that can be placed easily into your game. This week’s encounter is with a dracohydra, a half‑blue dragon ten‑headed hydra. This particular dracohydra used to freely roam the Nagashi marshes, until it was captured and put on display by an explorers’ guild. This explorers’ guild has been parading their discovery from city to city in a cage made out of six walls of force which have been made permanent with the permanency spell. However, while the guild was showing off the hydra in a large metropolis, the creature was released into the city when a hooded figure cast a disintegrate spell on one of the walls of force; the figure teleported away immediately after. Once released from its cage the hydra quickly overpowers its guards and begins to attack the crowd. Now it’s up to the PCs to stop this rampaging monster from destroying the city.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Fast Healing (Ex)
A hydra's fast healing ability is equal to its current number of heads (minimum fast healing 5). This fast healing applies only to damage inflicted on the hydra's body.
Hydra Traits (Ex)
A hydra can be killed by severing all of its heads or slaying its body. Any attack that is not an attempt to sever a head affects the body, including area attacks or attacks that cause piercing or bludgeoning damage. To sever a head, an opponent must make a sunder attempt with a slashing weapon targeting a head. A head is considered a separate weapon with hardness 0 and hit points equal to the hydra's HD. To sever a head, an opponent must inflict enough damage to reduce the head's hit points to 0 or less. Severing a head deals damage to the hydra's body equal to the hydra's current HD. A hydra can't attack with a severed head, but takes no other penalties.
Regenerate Head (Ex)
When a hydra's head is destroyed, two heads regrow in 1d4 rounds. A hydra cannot have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time. To prevent new heads from growing, at least 5 points of acid or fire damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before they appear. Acid or fire damage from area attacks can affect stumps and the body simultaneously. A hydra doesn't die from losing its heads until all are cut off and the stumps seared by acid or fire.