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Tag Archives: Hydra

Random Campaign Apocalypse

December 8, 2010 4:02 am / Leave a Comment / Chris

It’s been noted before that OD&D is a post-apocalyptic setting. Much of what was amazing and wondrous has been lost. The greatest technologies are stuffed in chests in deep underground dungeons and whatnot.

I imagine most world-builders have a well-thought-out apocalypse. As I put together my campaign, I need to decide what my apocalypse was and how long ago it was. I’ll also pick some sort of disaster that isn’t too far off as well.

Campaign Apocalypse (Roll your poor neglected d12 once)

1- Invasion overtakes known world!  (roll 1d6: 1- Mages on horseback, 2- giant ants, 3- elementals, 4- religious fanatics, 5- halflings, 6- human army)

2- Living Dead Return (If you don’t already have undead.)

3- World War! All nations are at war. It’s brutal. See WWII or A Game of Thrones.

4- Asteroid strike! Everything is mutated.

5- Extreme Weather (Ice Age, Desertification)

6- Geological disaster cracks continent in half!

7- The Lernaean Hydra/Gods/Giants walk the earth.

8- Yuchen-Domma, Goddess of Despair, is freed to sing her dirge. Or other religious disaster.

9- Economic Disaster, courtesy the halflings. They manage to take over your nation or corner the market on healing potions.

10- Magic disappears (Clerical or M-U or both!) for a period of time.

11- Summon Slim Whitman — Mars Attacks!  (you must be ready to transition campaign into space if necessary)

12- All children have level drain gaze attack. Which might also work in an RPG. Thanks very much everybody, tip your waitress!

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Posted in: content, legacy D&D / Tagged: campaign, disaster, giants, gods, halflings, hydra

Micro Hydra

July 14, 2010 6:57 pm / Leave a Comment / Chris

The Micro Hydra varies in size from that of a large coin to the palm of a hand. They bite with all their heads at once. They have grown from the severed head of a Small Hydra. Assassins have been known to hide them in clothing, plates of food, etc.  Since Hydra do not reproduce naturally, Micro Hydrae and their progenitors, the  Small Hydrae are very rare and fetch high prices from assassins and others who seek a deadly poison that will not be forgotten.

Micro Hydra

No. Encountered: 1

Alignment: Chaotic or Chaotic Neutral

Movement: 30’ (10’)

[S&W Move 9]

AC: 4 [15]

HD: Attack as 1 HD, has 1-2 HP

Attacks: 1 bite

Damage:

Poison, Save or die if less than level 5 or 5 HD

Save: Fighter 2 / Immune to all poisons

Morale 4

Hoard Class: N/A

Challenge Level / XP: 1

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Posted in: monsters / Tagged: classical, Greek, hydra, monsters

Small Hydra

July 14, 2010 6:52 pm / Leave a Comment / Chris

The Small Hydra is born from the head of a Lesser Hydra that has been severed. When the head is separated, the neck of a hydra grows two more, but the more-or-less helpless severed head does more than fall to the ground. It attempts to escape by growing legs, fins, a snakelike body or whatever is needed to get away.

The Small Hydra grows from a severed Lesser Hydra head after 1-2 days. The body and head together is about the size of a small or medium dog. These hydrae are about as smart as a dog as well (but do not get the idea they can be trained outside of a charm spell).  They are hostile to all humanoids.

Small Hydra

No. Encountered: 1-3

Alignment: Chaotic or Chaotic Neutral

Movement: 90’ (30’)

[S&W Move 9]

AC: 7 [12] (heads), 6 [13] (body)

HD: 10 HP/head, 30HP for body

Attacks: 1 bite/head  or 1 venom spit/head (as 4 HD Monster) 15 foot range

Damage:

Bite 1d6 + poison (1-4 hp, save for half damage)

Save: Fighter 3 / Immune to all poisons

Morale 8

Hoard Class: II

Challenge Level / XP: 1/2 per head plus 1 HD for Challenge Level Modifications

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Posted in: monsters / Tagged: classical, Greek, hydra, monsters

Lesser Hydra

July 9, 2010 5:14 am / Leave a Comment / Chris

Just as the great hydra grows from the severed head of the original Lernaean Hydra, the lesser hydra grows from the severed head  of a greater hydra. While the greater hydra feels constant pangs of separation from the original, a lesser hydra has no recollection of that great, perfect whole.

A lesser hydra is far less poisonous and far less dangerous than the greater. While it is also less intelligent, it is more independent. When the head of a greater hydra is severed, the head will spout small legs, fins or tentacles in order to make its escape while the attacker is occupied with the two new heads growing in its place.

This head will then seek shelter and begin its week-long transformation into a hydra body about 3 meters long. The body shape is determined by the means the head took to escape. It could have a tail, tentacles, legs, fins or perhaps even wings. In most cases, the head will seek the nearest safe spot. During this week of transformation, it is extremely vulnerable to attack and can be treated as a 1HP mass of meat. Once the transformation is complete, 1d6 necks and heads will sprout.

The lesser hydra is usually dominated by its progenitor. The greater hydra can send simple telepathic commands to the lesser, provided they are about a mile apart or less. The slave hydra can send back simple answers such as “alarm” or “food” or images. The lesser hydra is somewhat disloyal. If it has a reasonable chance of escaping this one mile radius without being caught, it will try. Should the greater hydra wish, it can kill the lesser with a thought within that mile radius.

Lesser hydra are often posted on guard duty or sent hunting for food, for a greater hydra is a very hungry animal. When alone, a lesser hydra will seek a home anywhere it can find one. They are very vicious and still exude the poison that is the hydra’s nature. Much like other hydra, any head that is severed is replaced by two more unless fire or acid is used to cauterize the stump of the neck. For a lesser hydra, this means using a full flask of oil or acid. The severed head will attempt to escape, growing any needed appendages to do so while the attackers are distracted. Within 3 days the head will now be the body of a dwarf hydra.

Lesser hydra can spit poison as a cobra and have a poisonous bite. Some (30%) can breathe a poisonous cloud (save or take 1d4 HP/round until cured) once per day. Their blood is an effective poison if ingested and can corrode or eat through non-magical armor, weapons and other materials in a period of hours. Its blood is a much sought-after ingredient in witches’ brews and blasphemous rituals.

Lesser Hydra

No. Encountered: 1-3

Alignment: Chaotic or Chaotic Neutral

Movement: 90’ (30’)

[S&W Move 9]

AC: 5 [14] (heads), 6 [13] (body)

HD: 14 HP/head, 50HP for body

Attacks: 1 bite/head  or 1 venom spit/head (as 8 HD Monster) 30 foot range

Breath 1 times/day as chlorine gas breath weapon (30% have this attack)

Damage:

Bite 2d6 + poison (1-4 hp/round until cured)

Breath weapon as dragon—HP of all heads combined as damage, save for half

Poison spit cloud 1d4 hp damage + 1d4/round save vs. poison for 1-2 half damage

Save: Fighter 6 / Immune to all poisons

Morale 8

Hoard Class: X

Challenge Level / XP: 1 per head plus 2 or 3HD for Challenge Level Modifications

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Posted in: monsters / Tagged: classical, Greek, hydra, monsters, poison

Great Hydra

June 16, 2010 10:29 am / Leave a Comment / Chris

Previously I posted some thoughts on the hydra in old school D&D. I’m trying to get it closer to its mythological roots while still keeping it relevant and useable in D&D. The Lernaean Hydra, whose stats are in that previous post, is of course a bit much for all but the highest level and best-prepared characters.

To keep the hydra relevant, as opposed to unapproachable, I suggested that all hydra are a part of the original Lernaean beast and that they are also somewhat mentally linked together.

Here’s a hydra that should interest players in the level 10-15 range. The DM should adjust the number of heads as appropriate.

These stats are basically for Labyrinth Lord, but I include the ascending AC from S&W to be more inclusive. I am also not a fan of treasure class, so I just used what they use for dragons. I would expect there to be a lot of dead bodies with armor, shields, weapons and items scattered about if the hydra is well-known.

Great Hydra

No. Encoutnered: 1

Alignment: Chaotic or Chaotic Neutral

Movement: Body 90’ (30’), Heads 120’ (40’) up to maximum length of neck

AC: 3 [16] (heads), 6 [13] (body)

HD: 20 HP/head, 120 for body

Attacks: 1 bite/head (as 12 HD Monster)

Breath 4 times/day as chlorine gas breath weapon

Poisonous gas cloud surrounds the beast at all times

Damage:

Bite 3-18 + poison (1-6 hp/round until cured)

Breath weapon as dragon—HP of all heads combined as damage, save for half

Poison gas cloud 1-4 hp damage/round save vs. poison for 1-2 half damage

Save: Fighter 10 / Immune to all poisons

Morale 12

Hoard Class: XV

A Great Hydra grows from a severed head of the Lernaean Hydra. It remembers all it knew when it was part of that great beast and especially remembers those responsible for it being cut off. Because it can never again be as great as it once was, these hydrae are extremely vengeful and will, resources permitting, seek out those who separated it from the original and exact vengeance for generations to come.

The heads of a Greater Hydra may be attacked separately. When they are severed or bashed off the neck, two heads of equal hit dice and hit points will grow back on that neck in two rounds (able to act on the third round following). This can be prevented by applying fire or acid to the stump of the neck.

The intelligence of these hydrae vary as they most sustain various amounts of damage when they are beheaded from the Lernaean Hydra. Some of these have bodies shaped for walking, others slither or even have fins for swimming. A greater Hydra’s blood is a powerful poison if ingested or introduced to the blood stream. Any such contact will cause 1-8 HP damage immediately. When distilled and placed on a weapon, it can cause an extra 2-24 HP damage.

An older Great Hydra will often have a number of Lesser Hydrae living nearby. These smaller versions are created when someone severs a head from a Great Hydra. The heads attempt to escape when severed and within a matter of weeks, have morphed into the body and 1-4 heads of Lesser Hydra. In some cases, the larger beast will lure challengers to it in order to lose a few heads, creating lesser hydrae to do its bidding.

A great hydra can telepathically communicate with intelligent creatures in its presence, regardless of language barriers. A Great Hydra needs a great deal of food.

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Posted in: monsters / Tagged: classical, Greek, hydra, monsters

Hydrae

June 14, 2010 6:42 pm / Leave a Comment / Chris
Lernaean Hydra

This is the first in a series of posts about monsters. I want to reinvent and retool some of them, while others I hope can be returned to their classical roots in literature and folklore. By making some changes, maybe we can make some old monsters interesting again, or at least surprising.

I’m going to start with several monsters from the Greek myths. Some of these, such as the hydra and Medusa, were nerfed and commoditized for D&D. First up is the hydra.

Lernaean Hydra

Gustave Moreau's Heracles and the Lernaean Hydra

The Hydra

In the original Greek tales of the labors of Heracles, the Hydra of Lerna was a giant, multi-headed serpent representing the hopeless battle. A strong poison ran through its veins, and if a challenger cut off one of its heads, two more grew back in its place. According to legend, it was the son of the monsters Typhon and Echidna, and among its siblings were Cerberus, the Chimera and the Sphinx. These were major league monsters, not your garden-variety beasts.  It took a demigod to defeat it and even then, Heracles needed help to do it.

But having only one official hydra makes it unlikely that players will ever see one. So let’s say the hydra of Lerna spawns smaller a smaller hydra when it loses a head. If you ever saw John Carpenter’s The Thing, you remember the scene where the Thing is under attack while still mostly in human form. The head detaches itself, sprouts legs and walks away. Let’s say that the smaller hydrae come from severed heads of the original. These heads burrow, slither or otherwise try to escape rather than attack. These heads would be very vulnerable until they grow into the body of a smaller hydra. If that hydra could in turn also spawn smaller hydrae when their heads are severed, we have the option of creating smaller and smaller hydra.

Perhaps there’s some form of psychic link between the child hydrae and their parent. The new, smaller hydra will remember what the spawning head experienced, perhaps even seeking out an enemy for revenge. Hydra might retain a telepathic link with the hydra from which is spawned in combat, and can be commanded by its “parent” when within one mile. I’d also want to make the original hydra able to send out a telepathic message to all living hydrae of any size.

All hydrae should be poisonous. The smaller varieties might have only a poison bite, while the larger ones might have a breath weapon and a permanent cloud of poisonous gas around it. The big kahuna should have poisonous/acidic blood. One note on poison: I don’t usually go for the save-or-die poisons. I like to give lots of damage, even over an extended period of time, but I don’t do save-or-die. That’s just how I roll.

The heads of a Hydra can be cut or bashed off, but care must be taken to burn the stump within 2 rounds. On the third combat round, the two new heads will have finished growing. The new heads are stuck together on one stump for the next few days, until the neck splits and allows them to be separate.

Lernaean Hydra

No. Encoutnered: Unique

Alignment: Chaotic or Chaotic Neutral

Movement: Body 60’ (20’), Heads 150’ (50’) up to maximum length of neck (typically 1/3 are 100′ long, 1/3 are 80′, 1/3 are 40′)

AC: 0 [19] (heads), 6 [13] (body)

HD: 40 HP/Head, Infinite for body

Attacks: 1 bite/head (as 20 HD Monster)

Breath 8 times/day as chlorine gas breath weapon

Poisonous gas cloud surrounding beast

Poison blood

Damage:

Bite 2-20 + poison (1-8 hp/round)

Breath weapon as dragon—HP of all heads combined as damage, save for half

Poison gas cloud 1-8 hp damage/round save vs. poison for half damage

Poison blood spashes all characters within 10 feet of head when severed or near fresh stump until cauterized. 1-8 hp damage, save for half. Erodes magic armor, weapons, shields and items  -1 per 2 rounds unless blood wiped or washed off (items may save to avoid).

Save: Fighter 18

Morale 12

Hoard Class: DM Discretion

This is the original Hydra of Greek legend. It appears as a multi-headed snake, although in some accounts it has legs and the body of a reptile. It’s body is immortal and unkillable, as is one of its eldest head. Heracles himself could do no more to this last head than wedge it between some rocks after killing the other heads (and cauterizing the neck wounds).

The DM will need to decide how many heads it has and how intelligent it is. If it is weak from a recent defeat, then it will have little treasure and perhaps is not that smart. If it is strong and has faced many foolish mortals, then it will have more heads (Heracles fought nine), more intelligence and a larger number of dead bodies (and treasure) around it.

A severed head of the Lernean Hydra will immediately seek to escape into the sea, burrow into the earth or otherwise escape or hide. Within 2 weeks it will grow into a Greater Hydra. This Hydra will forever hate and seek revenge on whomever cleaved it and his or her heirs and loved ones.

The Lernaean Hydra will not tolerate the presence of another hydra on its island unless it needs to as part of a scheme or a desperate situation. It can, however, telepathically contact any other hydra within 100 leagues. It can send a short (up to 1 minute) one-way telepathic communication to all hydrae anywhere once per day. It almost never does this.

The longer a blade has been near the Lernaean Hydra, the more likely it is to have a permanently poisonous or acid dripping blade. The Lernaean Hydra’s poison is the poison from which all venoms have come. It is not negated by magic. Some assassins worship this hydra for its gift of poison to the world.

The Lernaean Hydra takes its name from the island of Lerna, where it supposedly lived. It eats entire schools of large fish, whales and other large sea beasts, but it does not need to eat often. No one is quite sure whether the separate heads are separate minds or part of one mind.


If this version of the Hydra seems unbeatable in ODD/Basic/LL/S&W terms, then I’ve done my job right. As with all things I post, please feel free to tinker, playtest and let me know what you think.

Greater Hydra to follow.

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Posted in: monsters / Tagged: classical, Greek, hydra, monsters, poison
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