Pig-Headed Hydra
by Jamie BatyPC2 AB 28
Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 7d10+40 (78 hp)
Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 20 ft. (4 squares) (can't run)
Armour Class: 15 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+18
Attack: Gore +8 melee (2d8 +5)
Full Attack: 7 Gores +8 melee (2d8 +5)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Ferocity
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60ft., fast healing 17, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 12, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 1
Skills: ---
Feats: ---
Environment: Any forest or marsh
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 8-14 HD (Huge); 15-21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
A horrible experiment of the mage Kavel Kleinszter, the pig-headed hydra was an experiment in animating flesh, in this case a hydra's body with the heads of a great boars. However, the new abomination did not retain as much of the hydra's regenerative abilities as Kavel had hoped.
It was released into the Blackheart forest when it was apparent the experiment did not go quite as well as planned. There it recklessly attacks anything that it encounters. Oddly, though a failed experiment, it has become an efficient guardian of the Blackheart and Kavel's Obsidian Tower. It is unknown how many of these creatures were created beyond the original.
Combat
Pig-headed hydras can attack with all their heads at no penalty, even if they move or charge during the round.
A pig-headed hydra can be killed either by severing all of its 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 pig-headed hydra's heads from any position in which he could strike at the hydra itself, because the hydra's head writhe and whip about in combat. An opponent can ready an action to attempt to sunder a hydra's head when the creature bites at him. Each of a pig-headed hydra's heads has hit points equal to the creature's full normal hit point total, divided by its 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 hydra can no longer attack with a severed head but takes no other penalties.
Each time a head is severed, a new head springs from the stump in 1d4 rounds. To prevent a severed head from growing back, 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 hydra's body. A pig-headed hydra does not die from losing its heads until all its heads have been cut off and the stumps seared by fire or acid.
A pig-headed hydra's body can be slain just like any other creature's, but pig-headed 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 pig-headed hydra's heads (and thus must be directed at the body) unless they deal slashing damage and could be used to make sunder attempts.
Ferocity (Ex): A pig-headed hydra is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty if it succeeds in a Fortitude save vs DC 12 whenever it suffers damage that would cause its hitpoint total to be 0 or less. If successful, the pig-headed hydras only reduced to 1 hp.
Construct Traits: A construct possesses the following traits: Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects); Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects; Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain; Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless); Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less; Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected; Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe. Please see the 3.5E Monster Manual for more information.