In Dungeons and Dragons, a Hydra (plural: Hydrae[1] or Hydras[2]) is a species of large, draconic monster with multiple heads. The hydra is known to be a fearsome creature with regenerative abilities, making it a formidable foe for a trained adventurer to combat.
Description[]
A hydra in the basic sense possesses a crocodilian-like body with multiple serpentine heads. They generally are gray to dark brown with a tan underbelly as well as amber eyes and teeth that are yellow white in color. A hydra's heads are individual actors which are always active, at least one head being awake while the creature is at rest. A hydra possesses the unique ability to regenerate and regrow 2 heads in the place of one if one head were to be cut off, unless if it were afflicted with fire damage.[2][3]
Behavior[]
Hydras are bestial, savage creatures that have insatiable hunger. Once they have eaten all prey within a general region, if they cannot move to another area to find more food, they can get hungry enough to the point of individual heads turning onto and attempting to eat each other. When it comes to movement, hydras are adept swimmers and rarely make lairs as they are always on the prowl for more prey. Only in colder areas do hydras resort to forming a lair within hospitable caverns or ruins.[2]
Origin[]
A general assumed origin of the hydra is that the species had emerged from the blood droplets of a former dragon god, Lernesa, who was slain by Tiamat, the goddess spreading her slayed foe's blood across the Multiverse.[2] In Faerun, dragon scholars have noticed in the fossil record remains of a species of multi-headed dragons that died off sometime in prehistory, the scholars speculating the hydras and its subtypes such as the Dracohydra are evolutionary successors of this extinct species.[4]
Subtypes[]
There are several subtypes of the hydra which include the following.
- Lernaean Hydra - A rare species of hydra that has enhanced and much faster regenerative capabilities then a normal hydra.[1]
- Pyrohydra- A red-colored hydra that can breath fire. Unlike a normal hydra, fire does not prevent the pyrohydra from regenerating its heads if one were to be cut off.[3]
- Cyrohydra- A purple-tinted hydra that can breathe frost. They are resistant to cold damage but vulnerable to fire damage.[3]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gary Gygax (1979) Monster Manual TSR Inc pp.53-54
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014) Monster Manual 5th Edition Wizards of the Coast pp.190
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams (2003) Monster Manual 3.5e Edition Wizards of the Coast pp.155-156
- ↑ Nick Findley et al. (1990) Draconomicon TSR Inc. pp.8