I hope you enjoy the deathstrike hydra, and I'll see you next week with another monster. Thanks for reading!
Several lightning-quick
serpentine heads, with fangs dripping green and sizzling venom, extend from this
creature’s powerful body.
Deathstrike
Hydra CR 14
XP 38,400
CE Huge magical beast
Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision, scent; Perception +17 (+2 per additional head)
DEFENSE
AC 29, touch 17,
flat-footed 20 (+8 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural, –2 size)
hp 199
(19d10+95); fast healing 12
Fort +16, Ref +19, Will +12; –4 vs. mind-affecting effects or spells originating from
serpentine creatures
Defensive Abilities
all-around vision, poisonous blood (deathstrike hydra venom); Immunities poison
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.,
swim 30 ft.
Melee 7 bites +23
(2d6+6/18–20 plus poison)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks pounce,
quick strike, vicious bite
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 27, Con 20, Int 3, Wis 19, Cha 10
Base Atk +19; CMB +27; CMD 46 (can't be tripped)
Feats Acrobatic
Steps, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Greater Spring Attack[UW], Improved Initiative,
Improved Spring Attack[UW], Iron Will, Mobility, Nimble Moves, Spring Attack
Skills Acrobatics
+19 (+23 to jump), Perception +17 (+2 per additional head), Swim +18; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception per
additional head
SQ hydra traits,
regenerate head
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate
and warm marshes
Organization
solitary
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
All-Around Vision
(Ex) A deathstrike hydra loses this ability if it only has one head remaining.
Deathstrike Hydra
Venom (Ex) Bite—Injury or Contact—Poisonous Blood; save Fort DC 24; frequency
1/round for 8 rounds; effect 1d6 Con;
cure 3 consecutive saves.
Fast Healing (Ex)
A deathstrike hydra’s fast healing ability is equal to its current number of
heads (minimum fast healing 10). This fast healing applies only to damage
inflicted on the hydra’s body.
Hydra Traits (Ex)
A deathstrike hydra can be killed by severing all of its heads or slaying its
body. Any attack that is not an attempt to sever a head affects the body, including
area attacks or attacks that cause piercing or bludgeoning damage. To sever a
head, an opponent must make a sunder attempt with a slashing weapon targeting a
head. A head is considered a separate weapon with hardness 5 and hit points
equal to the hydra’s HD. To sever a head, an opponent must inflict enough
damage to reduce the head’s hit points to 0 or less. Severing a head deals
damage to the hydra’s body equal to the hydra’s current HD. A hydra can’t
attack with a severed head, has its Perception modifier reduced by 2, and
potentially loses its all-around vision, but it takes no other penalties.
Poisonous Blood (Ex)
In addition to the usual ways to invoke this ability, an opponent that severs a
deathstrike hydra’s head is sprayed with deathstrike hydra venom.
Quick Strike (Ex)
A deathstrike hydra with at least two heads can make an additional attack for a
given opportunity. A second attack counts as two attacks for purposes of Combat
Reflexes. The hydra can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent that misses
a melee attack or fails to sunder one of the hydra’s heads.
Additionally, if a deathstrike hydra succeeds on a bite
attack, it can make an additional attack with that head at a –5 penalty. This
counts against the attacks it receives with Combat Reflexes, and it only receives
one such additional attack per head.
Regenerate Head (Ex)
When a deathstrike hydra’s head is destroyed, two heads regrow in 1d4 rounds. The
hydra cannot have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time.
To prevent new heads from growing, at least 20 points of acid or fire damage
must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before they appear. Acid or
fire damage from area attacks can affect stumps and the body simultaneously. A
hydra doesn’t die from losing its heads until all are cut off and the stumps
seared by acid or fire.
Vicious Bite (Ex)
A deathstrike hydra's bite attacks threaten a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.
If the hydra scores a critical hit on a target, it deals 2d6 bleed in addition
to twice its bite damage.
Modified from standard hydra stock by druidic serpentfolk transmuters,
deathstrike hydras marry a king cobra’s deadliness to the hydra’s formidability.
The resulting creatures are supremely quick, even more foul-tempered, and highly
venomous. Their heads lash out with incredible speed, allowing them to attack opponents
twice in rapid succession with a single head. While they can become impatient
in their attacks and strike speedily on the offensive, they are cunning enough
to recognize when foes attempt to maneuver around them and reserve some of
their attacks to thwart opponents trying to do so.
Deathstrike hydras respect intelligent serpentine creatures
and often ally themselves with such creatures. The hydras’ serpentfolk creators
left safeguards in place to control them, since the irritable creatures often
lose sight of who their allies are and attack everything in sight.
A typical deathstrike hydra stands 12 feet tall and measures
25 feet from head to tail.
Variant Deathstrike
Hydras
Caustic Deathstrike
Hydra (+2 CR): A caustic deathstrike hydra’s heads each have a breath
weapon (30-ft. line, 6d6 acid damage, Reflex half) usable in place of a bite
attack every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 the hydra’s HD + the hydra’s
Con modifier. The hydra also adds 1d6 acid damage to its bite attacks. Additionally,
the hydra is immune to acid, so only 20 points of fire damage can prevent its
neck stump from growing new heads. Finally, the hydra’s poisonous blood also
deals 4d6 points of acid damage.
Snakehead Deathstrike
Hydra (+1 CR): When a snakehead deathstrike hydra’s head is severed, the
head becomes an independent advanced king cobra (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2), which has DR 5/—.
Additionally, if the hydra dies, all its current heads detach and become advanced
king cobras with DR 5/—.
The above variants can be combined. The snakehead deathstrike
hydra’s independently created king cobras retain the caustic deathsrike hydra’s
breath weapon.
