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Stephen Mayo

Skeletal Hydra

Part of an encounter my players had to face in my Legacy of the Patriarchs campaign. For this encounter the players find themselves in a room littered with bones. Adding additional undead doesn't hurt either. Whenever the hydra grows new heads the bones on the floor flow into the skeleton and construct a new head. If there are other undead that get destroyed the hydra can suck up their remains as well.

Bone Hydra

Huge monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 92 (8d12+40)

Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.


STR: 18 (+4)

DEX: 12 (+1)

CON: 20 (+5)

INT: 2 (-4)

WIS: 10 (+0)

CHA: 7 (-2)


Skills Perception +3

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, paralyzed, poisoned

Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 13

Challenge 4 (3,900 XP)


Multiple Heads. The hydra has four heads. While it has more than one head, the hydra has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. Whenever the hydra takes 15 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads die, the hydra dies. At the end of its turn, it grows two heads for each of its heads that died since its last turn, unless it has taken radiant damage since its last turn. The hydra regains 5 hit points for each head regrown in this way.


Reactive Heads. For each head the hydra has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks.


Regeneration. The hydra regains 7 hit points at the start of its turn. If the hydra takes radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the hydra's next turn. The hydra dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.


Actions

Multiattack. The hydra makes as many bite attacks as it has heads.


Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.



About the Author:


Stephen Mayo lives in Montana with his wife, daughter, corgi, and three cats.

You can keep in touch with him on Facebook and Twitter. Find more on his podcast A Side of Mayo. If you enjoyed reading this consider buying him a coffee or supporting him on Patreon.

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