Topic: Hydras

[Ginger McMurray]

RM2 / RMC rule question: are there rules for hydra heads beyond the basics in C&T? Is the only way to kill a head to roll a random decapitation crit?

Answers from other editions are also appreciated as I may need to adapt them.

[Voriig Kye]

You can always do a called shot and adjust the crit to the head. RMU has that in the RAW but there are surely rules and houserules in all editions.

[brole]

RM2 / RMC rule question: are there rules for hydra heads beyond the basics in C&T? Is the only way to kill a head to roll a random decapitation crit?

Answers from other editions are also appreciated as I may need to adapt them.

I've never played in a game using a Hydra but it is an interesting creature and question.
I had a look in the RM2 books and I've noticed a couple of things.

The description mentions in C&T "if killed" referring to a skull it regenerates unless the 'original'.
So it is actually not dependent on a decapitation critical.

Also on the large and super large critical tables I could not find any result explicitly stating decapitation (although there is at least one if using Arms Companion).
I would adjust critical results to apply as destroying a head where it fits the result.

It seems that Hercules destroyed the 8 mortal heads first before the last immortal one. Was this because the immortal head held back until the last?
If wanting to make for an epic battle the PCs may have to destroy all the mortal heads first.

Otherwise they could use skills to determine which is the immortal/original.

[Ginger McMurray]

I ended up just winging it, letting them target specific heads, and basing its death on how much damage or what crits were done. A great time was had by all.

They fled as soon as they realized it was a hydra and they couldn't reach the body. Once they were off of the bridge it couldn't reach them. They had to cross another bridge so the alchemist cast run on everyone and they booked across. Then they were in its lair and it came up out of the lava to reach them.

Yes, I said lava. They were in what was basically the elemental plane of fire. Cold was needed to cauterize the wounds but they never figured that out. Instead one of the players used the picture I'd posted to figure out what the real head was, a lightning bolt and a high crit from a holy weapon killed it. I hadn't actually thought about the picture as it was just a visual aid in my mind. But her logic made sense so I rolled with it.

[Jengada]

Apportioning damage was the only answer I could think of, using RM2 rules. And I will add, I really appreciate the follow-up of what you and they actually did. I love hearing what was behind questions, and how it worked or didn't work out. That sometimes tells us how to best apply the mechanics.

[mrfantastic]

personally i rules this way since my party fighting a cryohydra

hydra hp 300 heads 9 (regenerate 9 hp rnd, can drop 1 each heads cutted off to a minimum of 5 regeneration)
called shot to neck only with slash weapon attack at -50 each neck got 25 hp (25x9=225 so the body got 75 hp) (if not cutted in 1 rnd the rnd after the regeneration heal the damaged neck 1st , so if they hit for 20 hp a neck the rnd after that neck got 14 hp 9+5)
prevent groving heads is to burn the stomp with 10 hp of fire or acid damage .
an hydra can have maximun a number of heads 2x the number of its starting heads so 9 heads max 18 heads since from the stomp after regrow 2 heads. One head, however, serves as the
original (and immortal core). It cannot regenerate, nor can it be stunned; but if slain, the hydra perishes. Alternatively, one can kill a Hydra by destroying its body. The primary head and body defend on Super Large Critical Strike Table, other heads use Large Critical Strike Table.