Fen Hydra

Fen Hydra (Shooter; CR 13)

Pure Evil - Huge - Magical Beast

Lore:	Know (Arcana)
28		44
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

26

Perception:
31	+21
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Darkvision 300 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 30 ft.
• Lesser Climb 30 ft.

Defense

AC

34

Man Def

33

Monster Health
672	336	25
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+15
Refl:	+10
Will:	+10

Strong Against:

• Fast Healing 25 points per round
• Immune (no effect): Prone

• Immune (no effect): Acid (energy, common)

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Huge
15 ft.		15 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+20

Man Off

+21

Action

1

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Dripping Bite +20 (4d8+15/19-20 x2)
  as crushing (physical, common)
  plus: Sneak Attack (4d6+9)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Dripping Bite +20 (4d8+15/19-20 x2)
  as crushing (physical, common)
  plus: Sneak Attack (4d6+9)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 2x Seething Spittle +22 (4d8+15/19-20 x2)
  as acid (energy, common)
  (Increment: 500 ft.; Max Range: 500 ft.)
  plus: Go For The Eyes, plus: Sneak Attack (4d6+9)

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 4x Seething Spittle +22 (4d8+15/19-20 x2)
  as acid (energy, common)
  (Increment: 500 ft.; Max Range: 500 ft.)
  plus: Go For The Eyes, plus: Sneak Attack (4d6+9)

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

25

STR

19

DEX

30

CON

7

INT

10

WIS

13

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 21
• Stealth: 29
• All other skills: 16 (no ranks)

Languages: Boggard

Feats:

• Precise Shot (EFFECT: No penalty for shooting into melee at any range.)
• Mobility (EFFECT: +4 AC against attacks of opportunity from movement)

Special Abilities

Go For The Eyes (Ex) Automatic after successful attack

After any successful ranged attack, the target of the attack must make a Reflex save, DC 23, or become Blind with visual-based senses for 1d4 hours. Creatures who make their saves take the damage as normal, but are not blinded.

Sneak Attack (Ex) Automatic with conditions

Any time the Hydra makes a ranged attack against an opponent who is flat-footed, blind, flanked, unaware of its presence, or who hasn't yet acted in the combat, they may add 4d6+9 points of sneak attack damage to the attack. This is precision damage, is not multiplied on a critical hit, and is always of the same damage type as the attack which caused it.

Fast Healing (Su) Always On

At the beginning of each of its turns, a Hydra heals 25 hit points of damage during any round it remains alive. This is fast healing, not instant healing, and ceases upon being reduced to 0 or fewer hit points.

Deadshot (Ex; Shooter Role) Always On

Shooters may use any of their listed special attacks as though they have a range increment of 30 feet, with a maximum range of 150 feet. If an ability already has a listed range which is greater than this, use that range instead.

Unblinking Accuracy (Ex; Shooter Role) Always On

Shooters never take penalties for firing into melee. In addition, Shooters never suffer penalties on their attack rolls due to range, though they are still limited by the maximum range of their attack.

Fen Hydra

This creature possesses the Shooter role, and therefore counts as 2 monsters for purposes of encounter size, XP award, and treasure.

This monster frequently has the Shooter role, but may be set to other roles if desired.

Hydras are not dragons, nor are they even related to dragons. Instead, they are large, multi-headed serpents with legs. One notable difference between hydras and dragons (besides all the extra heads) is a decidedly sub-par intellect, and a kind of cautious anti-social behavior that dragons completely lack. While it could never be said that a dragon is "social" in the congenial sense, their propensity to engage other races in dialogue and intrigues sets them widely apart from hydras.

Contrary to many myths about hydras, the number of heads a hydra has is no real indication of its overall martial aptitude. Hydras can have as few as four heads and often up to eight or nine. Rarely, hydras with 10 or more heads have been seen, though slaying such beasts is really no more difficult than facing off against a four-headed hydra (though it certainly improves the bragging rights). It is speculated that the multi-headedness is a mutation of some kind, and while few anatomical studies of the beasts have been published, most scholars believe the hydra's brain isn't actually in any of the heads at all.

Fen hydras are so named because they are found in deep swamplands, marshes and thickly-wooded estuaries. Fen hydras are colored in browns and greens, which provides them with exceptional camouflage in such environments. They are quite capable ambush predators, and are often the apex predators in their chosen domains. In rare cases, hydras have been known to be pets for smarter races, though their loyalty is primarily maintained through constant bribery and threats, rather than any sense of devotion or familiarity on the hydra's part.

Combat Tactics

Fen hydras are ambush predators. They will often set up kill zones in their swamps, in which they can lie in wait until prey passes through an open area (usually one with easily passable ground or very shallow water), and attack. They will employ stealth to try to make their first attack against unaware opponents, thus getting sneak attack on their first attack. Their high initiatives also makes it likely they will get sneak attack in the first round.

Fen hydras will always prefer to attack from range whenever possible, and will take 5-foot steps to back away from enemies to maintain range, even when melee would be easier. (Their melee damage is pretty terrible, comparatively). They prefer to make full attacks as often as possible, but will maneuver for better position if necessary.

Fen hydras, like all hydras, have sneak attack damage, which they can employ with their ranged attacks, if the target is flat-footed, blind, flanked, unaware of the hydra's presence, or hasn't yet acted in the current combat. Since the hydra's ranged attacks inflict the blind condition, they can do a great deal of damage to creatures they've hit previously. However, the usual tactic for hydras is to try to blind all targets, so they will always direct at least one attack per round at a creature that isn't yet blind.

If the fen hydra has melee allies, it will spare some shots against flanked enemies, for the extra damage, and their skill with their Spittle means they take no penalties for such tricks.

Out of Combat

If Fen Hydras are living on their own, they are content to live the lives of beasts, wallowing in their beloved swamps and eating whatever they kill.

However, like all hydras, Fen Hydras are not just sought out by other monsters, they are positively feted by them. Having a Hydra ally enormously improves the stature of other monsters, and frankly, having a Hydra lurking in a place with good sight lines to cover your troops is just a huge boon.

Hydras make good allies to other monsters, as getting to live in castles and ruins is a nice change of pace, and they generally get good treatment from their monstrous allies. Hydras are also fairly genial fiends, and tend to be good allies...not least because even truly horrible allies don't want to make the Hydras into enemies.

Rewards

XP: 51,200 (Shooter role included.)

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 35,250 gp.

Weight: 260 lbs.     Volume: 10.4 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 8	Nothing Found
9 - 12	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
13 - 15	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
16 - 18	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
19 - 20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 3	4 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
4 - 7	4 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
8 - 11	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
12 - 15	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
16 - 18	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
19 - 20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 3	4 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
4 - 5	4 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
6 - 8	4 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
9 - 11	4 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
12 - 15	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
16 - 18	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
19 - 20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)