Hello fellow members of Paizo.
I am a GM in my group, and I think that I might have misunderstood on how the Hydra traits work.
The party consists of a Level 4 Samurai, a level 4 Martial Artist (monk) and a Level 3 ranger. 20 point stat system, very min/max players.
They were bringing a Drow to a Dayimo (Japanese Lord of the Realm)for questioning (the drow is basically the main enemy of all the common races). During questioning, the drow was able to get out of her shackles, and threw a red ruby by the players. She also threw a grenade at the Dayimo and his guards, making them stunned for 3 rounds.
The red ruby summoned a Hydra with 5 heads.
The stats were the same as in the Bestiary.
I made a quick house rule on the fly, the fast healing each round comes in effect when it's the Hydras turn. The grow of heads, happens at the end of the turn.
So the question I have is this:
Do the fast healing work when the Hydra is dying? E.g have negative hit points? Also, if the Hydra grows additional heads, logically, he would have more heads to attack with, the same being that if it has less heads.
Also, regarding sundering the heads, it seems to me that any player that is level 3/4 should easily cut off a head, since you only need to do HD damage (5). Do the players need to add acid after the cut has been cut off, what if they have a weapon with acid/fire damage applied to it?
I ask, because the Hydra got up several times, in the end making all the players unconscious. It was up to the now unstunned NPCs to take him out. I rolled a lot of 1, in the head growing rolls.
If you chop off a head, you do Hit Die damage to the boy (in this situation it would be 5 damage).
I like to point out that the players didn't figure out how they could stop the growing of the heads (my fault for not giving them a knowledge Nature check). Even though it doesn't matter, as they didn't have fire/acid available.
I like to point that they did have a fun time, but I feel I might have went too far. They even put on sad movie music when they were all dying.
Thanks for future answers!
Fast Healing Rules: Bestiary 1
A creature with fast healing regains hit points at an exceptional rate, usually 1 or more hit points per round, as given in the creature’s entry. Except where noted here, fast healing is just like natural healing. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, nor does it allow a creature to regrow lost body parts. Unless otherwise stated, it does not allow lost body parts to be reattached. Fast healing continues to function (even at negative hit points) until a creature dies, at which point the effects of fast healing end immediately.
Of course for the hydra, there is a caveat:
A hydra's fast healing ability is equal to its current number of heads (minimum fast healing 5). This fast healing applies only to damage inflicted on the hydra's body.
They do need to apply fire and acid after they make the cut. Personally, I think the hydra should have regeneration... but I'm a mean GM.
I am bit confused on the last part, does that mean that any damage they inflicted on the heads (which affects the total HP) does not get healed by the fast healing? Meaning if they sever 10 heads total, the hydra would remain at negative HP? (assuming he has 47 HP total )
Would I be too nice too give them more XP?
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Basically, how I have played it, is that any damage deal to the heads that doesn't decapitate it does not get healed back. However, once you cut a head off, the damage is gone and the fast healing could then heal the health. Considering you lose an attack and one point of fast healing when a head is cut off, seems like a good trade off.
I tend to think they should have regeneration only countered by removing all their heads, albeit with additional ways beyond sundering to damage heads (such asranged attacks with penalties, etc).
As is, hydras are quite weak for their CR and fall easily, if you ignore the idea of chopping off their heads. The body has very few hit points.
I am bit confused on the last part, does that mean that any damage they inflicted on the heads (which affects the total HP) does not get healed by the fast healing?
No. Damaging the head inflicts NO DAMAGE on the body. Severing the head inflicts only the Hydra's HD in damage to the body, which can be fast healed.
A head is considered a separate weapon with hardness 0 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, but takes no other penalties.
Also note Regenerate Head is only stopped if the stump is damaged by fire or acid. Severing heads with Flaming or acidic weapons does not help stop Regenerate head.
Regenerate Head (Ex) When a hydra's head is destroyed, two heads regrow in 1d4 rounds. A hydra cannot have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time. To prevent new heads from growing, at least 5 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
Thanks for the clarification guys!
It seems that a combo of lucky rolls from my part and the encounter being just a bit too hard, almost wiped the party out. I won't be rewarding them any significant additionatal XP then :)
Hydra can pump out plenty of damage, especially if the players are not rules savvy enough to keep the hydra from charging.
I tend to think they should have regeneration only countered by removing all their heads, albeit with additional ways beyond sundering to damage heads (such asranged attacks with penalties, etc).
As is, hydras are quite weak for their CR and fall easily, if you ignore the idea of chopping off their heads. The body has very few hit points.
Depends. Since they can be an epic encounter for a level one group, they can be very brutal. Beyond that, I tend to add things to beef them up. Usually giving them DR and regeneration is enough for a CR +1 bump, if not +2. That's also enough to scare the hell out of most players. I remember fighting a half black dragon pyrohydra... that was a terrifying fight!