User:ThunderGod Cid/Hydra

Hydra
This gigantic beast looks up from its meal, and with horror you realize that its massive body is topped with multiple heads, each lined with large, needle-like teeth very capable of tearing flesh to pieces.

The problem with the hydra is twofold, each problem coming from the totally opposite end of the spectrum. On one hand, their relatively low hit points per head make them extremely easy to defeat at higher levels (keep in mind that in many games, high levels are considered to be anything above level 10), when a single optimized character can easily deal that much damage or more. Secondly, ambiguous wording and a loose interpretation allows the breath weapons of the pyro- and cryo-hydras to be superpowerful.

Hydras are extremely draconic creatures, so giving them the draconic subtype seems appropriate. Unlike the chimera, each of a hydra’s does not possess complete and separate control over its main body. Instead, all are interconnected so that they share sensory information with each other. More heads result in bigger, meaner, and more cunning hydras.

Combat
A hydra can attack with all of its heads without a penalty to attack rolls, even if it moves or charges in the same round; when working in concert, multiple heads can rip a foe to pieces with terrifying efficiency, creating a very dangerous combination in melee. Each head attacks and is treated for the purposes of Armor Class as a creature three size categories smaller than the hydra's normal size (gaining bonuses due to size if applicable). Plus, a hydra can make a number of attacks of opportunity per round equal to the number of heads it has; combined with their long reach, this makes them excellent zone controllers.

One of the key points of the hydra is how tough it is to kill one. The two methods of slaying a hydra are almost equally difficult, but because attacking the heads temporarily decreases its combat efficacy this is often the recommended course of action. While the hydra's main body has the number of hit points given it the monster entry, each of its heads has one quarter that number (rounded down). In addition to its large quantity of hit points, the main body has spell resistance and damage reduction (X/-) both equal to 10 + the hydra's original number of heads.

Breath Weapon (Su): Like its dragon kin, a hydra has a breath weapon that is always a line 5 feet wide and 20 feet long per original head it possesses. This breath weapon deals 2d6 damage per original head of the hydra to all within range (with a Reflex save to halve the damage). The hydra may voluntarily reduce the number of heads that use this breath weapon, decreasing the range and damage accordingly but allowing the others to attack normally. Any heads that they hydra regenerates beyond the original number cannot use this breath weapon, but are still free to attack if the other heads use it.

The hydra can only breathe one element, which may be determined randomly or chosen by the DM, from the following list: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Choosing an element grants the hydra immunity to that damage type. Division (Ex): Although a hydra’s heads are all interconnected, they maintain a level of separation that makes them function in many ways as multiple separate creatures. If targeted by an effect that targets multiple creatures (such as mass hold monster) targets each of the hydra’s heads as if it were a separate creature, allowing each to save independently of the others (using the same saving throws).

A targeted effect that requires a save can either target the main body, in which case the hydra gains a bonus on the save equal to its current number of active heads, or a single individual head. Area effects are always considered to target the body and cannot harm the heads in any way.

Fast Healing (Ex): Each of a hydra's heads has fast healing equal to its Challenge Rating. The hydra's main body has fast healing equal to twice that value.

Legendary Beast (Ex): The attacks of a hydra ignore all hardness and damage reduction of any kind, and each of its bite attacks carry the effect of a greater dispel magic ability.

Regrowth (Ex): A hydra that loses one of its heads grows a pair of new ones to replace it at the start of its next turn. These new heads function in exactly the same way as the original, except they start with one hit point and are only subject to the hydra's fast healing starting the turn after they spawn.

This ability does not allow the hydra to permanently grow new heads; any heads that exceed the hydra's original number wither and die within 24 hours.

Tear (Ex): A hydra that hits with at least two of its heads on the same opponent in a single round can attempt to rip the victim into pieces as a free action, dealing an additional 1d6 damage to the target for each head that successfully attacked.

Skills: A hydra gains a +1 competence bonus on Listen and Spot checks per permanent head it possesses beyond the first.

Growth
As hydras gain size, strength, and more heads, they also receive other abilities that make them even more deadly. These abilities are described below.

Inhale (Ex): A hydra with six or more permanent heads may attempt to draw in a tremendous volume of air through one or more of its mouths, forcing a single creature within the length of its breath weapon to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the number of heads used + the hydra’s Constitution modifier) or be pulled towards it a number of feet equal to 10 x the hydra’s HD. The hydra may use this ability as a swift action, but all heads that were used to inhale cannot be used to attack in the same turn.