Damage to a Hydra's body from cutting off a head. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Damage to a Hydra's body from cutting off a head. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
forkboy137
04-21-07, 08:06 PM Hi there!

These may be silly questions, but I can't seem to figure them out.

When you cut off a hydra's head, it deals damage to the body equal to half the number of hit points the head has. (With each head having hit points equal to the total hit points divided by the number of heads.) Now, does this damage reduce the maximum hit point total of the hydra? That is, can the damage done by cutting off a head be healed by the hydra's fast healing?

For example, take the 6-headed hydra. It has 66 hit points, and each head is considered to have 11 hit points. If a head is cut off, it does 5 points of damage to the body. Is the max hit point total now 61? Or can it go back up to 66 with the fast healing?

As a follow-up, what would happen to the hit point total if that severed stump grew two heads? Would the hit point total go back up to 66?

Why is the hydra so darn confusing?

Thanks in advance for your help.
forkboy137
04-23-07, 04:41 PM Bump for answers. Thanks!
PhaedrusXY
04-23-07, 04:46 PM Nothing in the description indicates that the loss of a head lowers the maximum hit points for the hydra. It is just damage. So yes, fast healing would heal it back to full. How many heads it has has no impact on its max hit points.
forkboy137
04-23-07, 09:20 PM Thanks very much, PhaedrusXY! That was my thinking, but something was just bugging me about it. I'll go with my gut next time. =)
LeuktheSavior
04-23-07, 09:31 PM Hydra's are wonderful creature to battle, and are way too underrated.
PhaedrusXY
04-23-07, 10:46 PM Hydra's are wonderful creature to battle, and are way too underrated.By whom? I thought it was common knowledge that they are very tough for their CR.
Grier
04-23-07, 11:31 PM Tough, and confusing, because no one (in my experience) ever uses the Sunder option, and hence has no clue how to sunder the heads. Plus I forgot (twice) to add in its fast healing. Honestly, with the heads coming back over and over, I think it's a better idea to hit it until it stops moving, Fast Healing be darned.
PhaedrusXY
04-23-07, 11:35 PM I think it's a better idea to hit it until it stops moving, Fast Healing be darned.In most cases, it absolutely is. Death effects work just fine too, as do things that just make it save or be useless. There are only a couple of instances in which I think Sunder would be a reasonable option. One is if it were doing "hit and run" against the party by repeatedly attacking, then diving back underwater to let its fast healing bring it back to full health before attacking again. The second is if one party member had Ride-by-Attack and Improved Sunder, and could lop its heads off without drawing all those horrible attacks of opportunity and/or having to stand there and eat full attack after full attack by the thing.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
forkboy137 04-21-07, 08:06 PM	Hi there! These may be silly questions, but I can't seem to figure them out. When you cut off a hydra's head, it deals damage to the body equal to half the number of hit points the head has. (With each head having hit points equal to the total hit points divided by the number of heads.) Now, does this damage reduce the maximum hit point total of the hydra? That is, can the damage done by cutting off a head be healed by the hydra's fast healing? For example, take the 6-headed hydra. It has 66 hit points, and each head is considered to have 11 hit points. If a head is cut off, it does 5 points of damage to the body. Is the max hit point total now 61? Or can it go back up to 66 with the fast healing? As a follow-up, what would happen to the hit point total if that severed stump grew two heads? Would the hit point total go back up to 66? Why is the hydra so darn confusing? Thanks in advance for your help.
forkboy137 04-23-07, 04:41 PM	Bump for answers. Thanks!
PhaedrusXY 04-23-07, 04:46 PM	Nothing in the description indicates that the loss of a head lowers the maximum hit points for the hydra. It is just damage. So yes, fast healing would heal it back to full. How many heads it has has no impact on its max hit points.
forkboy137 04-23-07, 09:20 PM	Thanks very much, PhaedrusXY! That was my thinking, but something was just bugging me about it. I'll go with my gut next time. =)
LeuktheSavior 04-23-07, 09:31 PM	Hydra's are wonderful creature to battle, and are way too underrated.
PhaedrusXY 04-23-07, 10:46 PM	Hydra's are wonderful creature to battle, and are way too underrated.By whom? I thought it was common knowledge that they are very tough for their CR.
Grier 04-23-07, 11:31 PM	Tough, and confusing, because no one (in my experience) ever uses the Sunder option, and hence has no clue how to sunder the heads. Plus I forgot (twice) to add in its fast healing. Honestly, with the heads coming back over and over, I think it's a better idea to hit it until it stops moving, Fast Healing be darned.
PhaedrusXY 04-23-07, 11:35 PM	I think it's a better idea to hit it until it stops moving, Fast Healing be darned.In most cases, it absolutely is. Death effects work just fine too, as do things that just make it save or be useless. There are only a couple of instances in which I think Sunder would be a reasonable option. One is if it were doing "hit and run" against the party by repeatedly attacking, then diving back underwater to let its fast healing bring it back to full health before attacking again. The second is if one party member had Ride-by-Attack and Improved Sunder, and could lop its heads off without drawing all those horrible attacks of opportunity and/or having to stand there and eat full attack after full attack by the thing.