Waterspout Hydra
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By JerrilJerril

This monster looks like a horrible scaly cross between a giant shark, a giant seal, and a nest of sea serpents.

ST: 25 HP: 35 Speed: 6
DX: 10 Will: 13 Move: 1
IQ: 6 Per: 11 Water Move: 7
HT: 12 FP: 12 SM: 2
Dodge: 10 (see notes) Parry: 10 DR: 6

Tail Slap (10): 2d+6 crushing. Reach C-5.
Waterspout (15): 4d+7 crushing. No wounding or knockback. Range -/20, once per head per day.
Bite (12): 2d+3 impaling and automatically grabs if it hits. This attack counts as a grapple, taking half penalties for hit location and reversing the usual penalty for relative SM to a bonus (as usual). Treat a one-head bite as a one-handed Grapple, although the Hydra may apply more heads to the situation as if they were hands (does not increase damage, does increase hit bonuses). See also Swallow. Reach C-5.
Swallow: If a Delver with SM 0 or less does not break free from a biting Grab before the Hydra's next turn, the Hydra swallows the delver as an Attack action (no defense). The Delver is now considered pinned (pB370) and the Hydra's mouth is now available for a new bite.
Each turn thereafter the Hydra makes a ST vs. best of Delver's ST/HT attack as a free action, and deals crushing damage equal to the margin of success to the Delver (counts as a Large Area Injury). Swallowed Delvers who must breathe are subject to Drowning in stomach acid, and should probably hold their breath. Waterspout Hydra stomach acid is not strong enough to do significant damage over the course of combat, but there are rumours of Hydras with weaker bites and more reactive bile. Escape from the Hydra's gullet can be achieved by Breaking Free. The Hydra can have swallowed at one time one SM 0 delver, two SM -1 delvers, 3 SM -2 delvers, and so on. GM's problem to figure out combinations.

Regeneration: The hydra focuses and unleashes enormous healing potential, its flesh knitting before the eyes of the Delver. It gains 10 seconds of Extreme Regeneration (requires 1 turn of concentration, 3 uses per day). During this time the hydra heals 35 HP/second and Regrowth is fully active.

Traits: 360° Vision; Discriminatory Smell; Doesn't Breathe (Gills); Enhanced Move 1 (Water Move 14); Extra Attack 4; Extra Head 4; Ichthyoid; Nictitating Membrane 6; Night Vision 8; Regrowth; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling–12; Innate Attack (Breath)–15.
Class: Extremely Dire Animal (unclear what type originally!).
Combat Effectiveness Rating: 76 (OR 36 and PR 40).
Notes: Maneater. Well, almost-everything-eater. Not able to negotiate, but highly subject to distraction with food. Considers dead/unconscious/pinned/helpless delvers to be food. Dodge 13 vs. head or neck attacks.

Commentary:
Does not grow two heads for each severed, does REGROW heads, see Regeneration power above.
Originally a Dragon, but along with applying lenses I've messed around with it.

Tough, stubborn, great Reach and can use the Waterspouts to try to isolate one delver for munching on, and it lives in an awkward environment (water) that it can reach out to grab delvers with, dishes out the physical damage and regenerates, and as a man-eating Dire Animal delvers take -10 to Animal Handling rolls, if a delver can figure out what specialty is needed!

If there's no Animal Control college penalty vs Dire Animals, this is one of it's distinct weaknesses - even if there is a penalty it's probably a useful tactic. It's also pretty stupid, and noncombative delvers can get by it just by throwing it food (lots of food - a few deer at a time!) and running/swimming past while it's distracted.

Variants

Adventure Ideas