Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Eclipse Lutgehr 03-22-06, 02:33 AM	Might as well post this here to see what everyone else thinks. I was thinking of using this in an encounter or two in my next campaign. I know there's a real version of this in some book or another, but I just took a basic twelve-headed hydra and applied the half-illithid template. Yes, I already know this template doesn't apply to magical beasts, but I just rule 0'ed it. Does the CR seem high enough? Illithihydra Huge Aberration Hit Dice: 12d8+60 (121 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), Swim 20 ft. Armor Class: 23 (-2 Size, +1 Dex, +14 Natural), Touch 9, Flat-Footed 22 Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+23 Attack: 12 Tentacles +14 melee (2d6+6) Full Attack: 48 Tentacles +14 melee (2d6+6) Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Mind Blast, Improved Grab, Extract, Psionics Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Fast Healing 22, Low-Light Vision, Scent, Spell Resistance 22, Telepathy 100 ft. Saves: Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +12 Abilities: Str 23, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 13 Skills: Listen +11*, Spot +12*, Swim +14** Feats: Ability Focus (mind blast), Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes***, Improved Natural Attack (tentacle), Supernatural Transformation (mind blast), Weapon Focus (tentacle) Environment: Temperate Marshes, and Any Underground Organization: Solitary, With Trainer (1 Mind Flayer), or Cult (6-10 plus 3-5 Mind Flayers) Challenge Rating: 16 Treasure: 1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil Advancement: - Level Adjustment: - Illithihydra are multi-headed reptile-like monsters with a vicious appetite for the brains of other creatures, and a barrage of psionic attacks. A illithihydra's hide is light-purple to gray-brown, with a slimy sheen covering its entire body. The eyes are red to amber. It is about 20 feet long and weighs about 4,000 pounds. Illithihydra do not speak, but survivors of encounters with them have mentioned a mental presence of enourmous hunger. Combat Illithihydra can attack with all twelve of their heads at no penalty, even if they move or charge during the round. A illithihydra can be killed either by severing all twelve heads or by slaying its body. To sever a head, an opponent must make a successful sunder attempt with a slashing weapon. (The player should declare where the attack is aimed before making the attack roll.) Making a sunder attempt provokes an attack of opportunity unless the foe has the Improved Sunder feat. An opponent can strike at a head from any position in which he could strike at the illithihydra itself, because the heads writhe and whip about in combat. An opponent can ready an action to attempt to sunder an illithihydra head when the creature attacks with it's tentacles. Each of a illithihydra’s heads has hit points equal to the creature’s full normal hit point total, divided by its original number of heads. Losing a head deals damage to the body equal to half the head’s full normal hit points. A natural reflex seals the neck shut to prevent further blood loss. A illithihydra can no longer attack with a severed head but takes no other penalties. Each time a head is severed, two new heads spring from the stump in 1d4 rounds. A illithihydra can never have more than twice its twelve heads at any one time, and any extra heads it gains wither and die within a day. To prevent a severed head from growing back into two heads, at least 5 points of fire or acid damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before the new heads appear. A flaming weapon (or similar effect) deals its energy damage to the stump in the same blow in which a head is severed. Fire or acid damage from an area effect may burn multiple stumps in addition to dealing damage to the body. A illithihydra does not die from losing its heads until all its heads have been cut off and the stumps seared by fire or acid. A illithihydra’s body can be slain just like any other creature’s, but illithihydra possess fast healing (see below) and are difficult to defeat in this fashion. Any attack that is not (or cannot be) an attempt to sunder a head affects the body. Targeted magical effects cannot sever a illithihydra’s heads (and thus must be directed at the body) unless they deal slashing damage and could be used to make sunder attempts. Extract (Ex): A illithihydra that successfully maintains its hold with at least four tentacles for one full round automatically extracts that opponent's brain at the beginning of its next turn, instantly killing the creature. Improved Grab (Ex): If a illithihydra hits an opponent that is its own size or smaller with a tentacle attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it attaches the tentacle to the opponent's head. After a successful grab, the illithihydra can try to attach its remaining tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or Escape Artist check, but the illithihydra gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent's turn. Mind Blast (Su): A illithihydra can use this attack once every 1d4 rounds. It is a cone 40 feet long. Anyone caught in this cone must succeed on a Will save (DC 24) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. All the illithihydra's heads are involved in the use of this ability. If any head is severed in combat, the save DC gains a cummulative -1 penalty. In turn, any excess heads grown beyond the original twelve assess a +1 bonus to the save DC. Psionics (Sp): 3/day - Detect Thoughts (Will save DC 15), Levitate, Suggestion (Will save DC 15); 1/day - Charm Monster (Will save DC 16) Telepathy (Su): A illithihydra can communicate with any creature within 100 feet that has a language, though it rarely does so unless that creature is a mind flayer or another illithihydra. *Illithihydra have a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks, thanks to their multiple heads. **A illithihydra has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. ***A illithihydra’s Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity. I also managed to scrap together this little gem. I'm just on a hydra kick tonight I guess. Monstrous Vampire Template + Twelve-Headed Hydra. Comments appreciated. Monstrous Vampiric Hydra Huge Undead (Augmented Magical Beast) Hit Dice: 12d12 plus 3 (86 hp) Initiative: +7 Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), Swim 20 ft. Armor Class: 30 (-2 Size, +3 Dex, +19 Natural), Touch 11, Flat-Footed 27 Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+28 Attack: 12 Bites +20 melee (2d8+9); or Slam +19 melee (2d6+9) Full Attack: 12 Bites +20 melee (2d8+9) and Slam +19 melee (2d6+9) Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Blood Drain, Children of the Night, Create Spawn, Dominate, Energy Drain Special Qualities: Alternate Form, Cold Resistance 10, Damage Reduction 10/Silver and Magic, Darkvision 60 ft., Electricity Resistance 10, Fast Healing 22, Gaseous Form, Low-Light Vision, Scent, Spider Climb, Turn Resistance +4 Saves: Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +7 Abilities: Str 29, Dex 16, Con -, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 13 Skills: Bluff +9*, Hide +11*, Listen +20**, Move Silently +11*, Search +5*, Sense Motive +9*, Spot +21**, Swim +17*** Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes****, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite) Environment: Temperate marshes Organization: Solitary, pair, herd (3-5), or troupe (1-2 plus 2-5 vampire spawn) Challenge Rating: 13 Treasure: Double standard Alignment: Always Neutral Evil Advancement: - Level Adjustment: - Monstrous vampiric hydra are massive feral-looking reptiles with multiple heads. A Monstrous vampiric hydra's hide is dark-gray to black, with a light-gray underbelly, but the hide has a drawn back and cracked look to it. The eyes are reddish-black, and the teeth are yellow-green. It is about 20 feet long and weighs about 4,000 pounds. Like normal vampires, monstrous vampiric hydra cast no shadows and throw no reflections in mirrors. Monstrous vampiric hydra do not speak. Combat Monstrous vampiric hydra can attack with all their heads at no penalty, even if they move or charge during the round. A monstrous vampiric hydra has all the standard weaknesses of a normal vampire, except it may freely cross water or immerse itself in water to no harm. A monstrous vampiric hydra can be killed by severing all its heads as well. To sever a head, an opponent must make a successful sunder attempt with a slashing weapon. (The player should declare where the attack is aimed before making the attack roll.) Making a sunder attempt provokes an attack of opportunity unless the foe has the Improved Sunder feat. An opponent can strike at a monstrous vampiric hydra’s heads from any position in which he could strike at the hydra itself, because the heads writhe and whip about in combat. An opponent can ready an action to attempt to sunder a head when the creature bites at him. Each of a monstrous vampiric hydra’s heads has hit points equal to the creature’s full normal hit point total, divided by twelve. Losing a head deals damage to the body equal to half the head’s full normal hit points. A natural reflex seals the neck shut to prevent further blood loss. A monstrous vampiric hydra can no longer attack with a severed head but takes no other penalties. Each time a head is severed, two new heads spring from the stump in 1d4 rounds. A hydra can never have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time, and any extra heads it gains beyond its original number wither and die within a day. To prevent a severed head from growing back into two heads, at least 5 points of fire or acid damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit), or the stump must have been targeted by a vial of holy water, before the new heads appear. A flaming weapon (or similar effect) deals its energy damage to the stump in the same blow in which a head is severed. Fire or acid damage from an area effect may burn multiple stumps in addition to dealing damage to the hydra’s body. A hydra’s body can be slain just like any other creature’s, but hydras possess fast healing (see below) and are difficult to defeat in this fashion. Any attack that is not (or cannot be) an attempt to sunder a head affects the body. Targeted magical effects cannot sever a hydra’s heads (and thus must be directed at the body) unless they deal slashing damage and could be used to make sunder attempts. Alternate Form (Su): A monstrous vampiric hydra can assume the shape of a tiny viper snake, large viper snake, deinonychus, or megaraptor as a standard action. While in its alternate form, the monstrous vampiric hydra loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. Blood Drain (Ex): A monstrous vampiric hydra can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the monstrous vampiric hydra gains 5 temporary hit points. Children of the Night (Su): Monstrous vampiric hydra command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 swamp strider swarms, 1d4+1 viper swarms, or a pack of 3d6 deinonychus as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the monstrous vampiric hydra for up to 1 hour. Create Spawn (Su): A magical beast slain by a monstrous vampiric hydra’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn 1d4 days after burial. If the monstrous vampiric hydra instead drains magical beast's Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less HD and as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the monstrous vampiric hydra that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time a monstrous vampiric hydra may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. A monstrous vampiric hydra may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again. Damage Reduction (Su): A monstrous vampiric hydra has damage reduction 10/silver and magic. A monstrous vampiric hydra’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Dominate (Su): A monstrous vampiric hydra can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the monstrous vampiric hydra must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the monstrous vampiric hydra targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the monstrous vampiric hydra’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a monstrous vampiric hydra’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the monstrous vampiric hydra might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the monstrous vampiric hydra gains 5 temporary hit points. A monstrous vampiric hydra can use its energy drain ability once per round. Fast Healing (Ex): A monstrous vampiric hydra heals 22 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its tombstone within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a Monstrous vampiric hydra forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest at its tombstone, a monstrous vampiric hydra is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 22 hit points per round. Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a monstrous vampiric hydra can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability. Spider Climb (Ex): A monstrous vampiric hydra can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell. Monstrous Vampire Weaknesses For all their power, monstrous vampiric hydra have a number of weaknesses. Repelling a Monstrous Vampiric Hydra Monstrous Vampiric Hydra cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from a mirror or a strongly presented holy symbol. These things don’t harm the monstrous vampiric hydra, they merely keep it at bay. A recoiling monstrous vampiric hydra must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for the rest of the encounter. Holding a monstrous vampiric hydra at bay takes a standard action. They are utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. Monstrous vampiric hydra usually circumvent this restriction by just knocking the structure down. They may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all. Slaying a Monstrous Vampiric Hydra Reducing a monstrous vampiric hydra’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see the note on fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay monstrous vampiric hydra. Exposing any monstrous vampiric hydra to direct sunlight disorients it: It can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the next round if it cannot escape. Driving a wooden stake through a monstrous vampiric hydra’s heart instantly slays the monster. However, it returns to life if the stake is removed, unless the body is destroyed. A popular tactic is to cut off the creature’s heads and fill the stumps with holy wafers (or their equivalent), then immerse the body in holy water. *Monstrous vampiric hydra have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Move Silently, Search, and Sense Motive checks. **Monstrous vampiric hydra have a +10 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks, thanks to their multiple heads. ***A monstrous vampiric hydra has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. ****A monstrous vampiric hydra’s Combat Reflexes feat allows it to use all its heads for attacks of opportunity.
Talisman 03-22-06, 11:26 AM	Yes, I already know this template doesn't apply to magical beasts, but I just rule 0'ed it. :thumbsup: Good show! Rules exist to support the story, not t'other way round! Attack: 12 Tentacles +14 melee (2d6+6) How does it get 12 attacks as a single attack action? Full Attack: 48 Tentacles +14 melee (2d6+6) :shocked: The math is right, but...sheesh. That's a lotta d20s. Extract (Ex): A illithihydra that successfully maintains its hold with at least four tentacles for one full round automatically extracts that opponent's brain at the beginning of its next turn, instantly killing the creature. Between its mind blast, 48 attacks and +23 grapple bonus, it's gonna be killing a lot of PCs. Does the CR seem high enough? I'm a lousy judge of CR, but it looks a wee bit low to me. Assuming 1 attack in 12 hits, it's got the necessary 4 tentacles attached...and a single grapple check vs. a +23 bonus stands between you and brainlessness. They are utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. Monstrous vampiric hydra usually circumvent this restriction by just knocking the structure down. :rofl: That's utterly hilarious. Seriously, the stats look good to me.
Eclipse Lutgehr 03-22-06, 12:10 PM	How does it get 12 attacks as a single attack action? Illithihydra can attack with all twelve of their heads at no penalty, even if they move or charge during the round. Verbatim from the SRD. They are utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. Monstrous vampiric hydra usually circumvent this restriction by just knocking the structure down. :rofl: That's utterly hilarious. Heh, I actually got that from the vampiric dragon flavor text in the Draconomicon. After some sleep, overall I like what I did with these things on lack of sleep and boredom, though I think I'm gonna up that Illithihydra CR to 17 or 18, it just seems too low. Since my players will be relatively lower level when I toss this at them, CR really doesn't matter yet. I just like making them flee in abject terror as one of their cohorts or followers gets his brain sucked out. Though they do have a revenge streak that's gotten them killed on more than one occasion, it's simply going to be amusing.
Morrowner 03-22-06, 03:47 PM	48 attacks and fast healing 22 and a monster Extract check, thank God I'm not in that party. If even 1/4 of those tentacles hit:Make a 47 Grapple check or die. That Transposition doesn't seem so Benign anymore.
SightlessSeer 03-22-06, 05:19 PM	I dont know about the fiend folio but the half-illithid template, in the forgotten realms underdark can be applied to any corporeal creature that is not a construct, and the templates look to be the same, since your version is like the one I used. It gave a group of 17 one nasty fight, I say CR 18 is about right.
SightlessSeer 03-22-06, 05:27 PM	Oh by the way the Vampiric Hydra is cool, Hydra's are fun to mess with :)
Diet_Sunkist 03-22-06, 05:37 PM	I must say, these are two very good looking monsters, in a twisted and sickening way. Children of the Night (Su): Monstrous vampiric hydra command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 swamp strider swarms, 1d4+1 viper swarms, or a pack of 3d6 deinonychus as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the monstrous vampiric hydra for up to 1 hour. Very cool idea, but I'd take out the other summon right below it. Too much summoning creates too many creatures, and too complicated a battle. Also it gets sort of lame, he really will never have to fight to whoop everyone. Again, cool monsters.
Eclipse Lutgehr 03-23-06, 07:14 AM	I must say, these are two very good looking monsters, in a twisted and sickening way. Children of the Night (Su): Monstrous vampiric hydra command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 swamp strider swarms, 1d4+1 viper swarms, or a pack of 3d6 deinonychus as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the monstrous vampiric hydra for up to 1 hour. Very cool idea, but I'd take out the other summon right below it. Too much summoning creates too many creatures, and too complicated a battle. Also it gets sort of lame, he really will never have to fight to whoop everyone. Again, cool monsters. Other Summon? I'm not quite sure I follow... Anyway, I altered the base vampires summon as well as the alternate form. A reptile who lives in the swamp really wouldn't (or shouldn't, IMHO) be summoning, or be able to transform into, mammals. Overall the way I see those summonings are if the monstrous vampiric hydra (damn that's a mouthful) has to flee. With only an intelligence of 4 (just barely above animal instinct), it will be fight or flight, and it will more than likly fight until it has drained a few creatures of all their Con. Sure it's able to create spawn and all that, but then it'll just become a pack of these things all trying to suck your Con out while trying to rip you apart at the same time. All around, if I throw one of the vampiric versions at them, I think around sunset I'll have them wander into a "graveyard" of dead hydra, with the corpses in various states of decay. And the "fog" surounding a large obelisk-type stone in the center of it all will be none-other than the vampire sitting in wait (while it is just barely above animal intelligence, predators know how to spring a trap using their abilities to the fullest). BTW, how does everyone else see a monstrous vampire hiding from the sun during the day? Usual vampires just hide in their coffins, but a monstrous version simply has a "tombstone" to work with. Besides the obvious cave lair if availible, I see them shifting into gaseous form and sinking into the ground. I just don't know if basic physics allows that to happen. I know soil is porus, but I'm not sure of just how porus it is, especially in a swamp.
Ront Iron-Roar 04-11-06, 06:46 PM	Question is....What happened to the vampire and what the hell was he thinking when he did this?
Eclipse Lutgehr 04-11-06, 06:50 PM	Question is....What happened to the vampire and what the hell was he thinking when he did this? The Hydra et him up :D As to why he did it... Ummm... He was in a blood frenzy and wanted to go binge on some exotic monstrous beast's blood... Um, yeah, that works...