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CREATURE FEATURE: the HYDRA Sample File Sample file CREATURE FEATURE: THE HYDRA By Shane Lacy Hensley Art by Bryan Syme Savage Worlds, Weird Wars, all unique characters, creatures, and locations, artwork, logos, and the Pinnacle logo are © 2013 Great White Games, LLC; DBA Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Produced under license by Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. The Studio 2 logo is a trademark of Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to print for personal use. Creature Feature: THE HYDRA THE HYDRA original legend. It should most likely be found only in Lake Lerna in Argos. Mythology states that the Greek goddess The powerful creature is best used as a Hera created the hydra specifically to plot device or campaign goal (see The challenge Hercules. The demigod and Sleeper Awakens for one idea) rather his companion, Iolaus, battled the beast than as an isolated encounter. at Lake Lerna in Argos as part of the Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), “Twelve Labors of Hercules.” Spirit d10, Strength d12+8, Vigor d10 It was said to have poisonous breath Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, and numerous heads—from five to 100 Notice d10, Stealth d8 depending on the teller of the tale. Most Pace: 4; Parry: 7; Toughness: 19 (4) terrifying, when a head was cut off, two Special Abilities more would grow back in its place! • Aquatic: The hydra can swim at its Hercules defeated the beast by Pace. cauterizing the stumps of the thing’s • Armor (+4): The beast has thick, heads with blazing brands—perhaps rubbery skin. burning trees given the legendary hero’s • Fangs/Claws: Str+d8. great strength, or perhaps torches carried • Breath Weapon: Lernaean hydras can by Iolaus—until only the central head forgo their Fighting attacks to make a remained. This head, it was said, was noxious breath attack using the Cone immune to the usual weapons of man, Template. Anyone caught inside the but Hercules lopped it off with a magical area of effect must make a Vigor roll or sword he’d been given by Athena. be Shaken. Every child in Rome knows the myth of • Fear –6: The hydra is a massive, the hydra. Toys of the monster are carved terrifying supernatural creature, with from wood, ivory, or bone, and adorn black rubbery skin, nine heads, and their shelves—along with the figures slavering teeth. of Hercules, gladiators, Alexander, and other champions of the age. • Hardy: Multiple Shaken results do not cause a wound. Sometimes, the myth takes holdSample in the file conscience of men. In desolate swamps • Huge: Due to the creature’s massive or lakeshores red with the blood of size, attacks against it are made at +4. battle, men imagine they hear the multi- • Invulnerability: The Lernaean hydra headed terror in the darkness, screaming is a creature straight out of myth and with rage from its vast, fang-filled maws. can only be killed in an equally mythic manner. To defeat the beast, its extra HYDRA VARIATIONS heads must be removed first. Cutting On the following pages are three off a head requires a Called Shot to the different types of hydra you can use in head (getting +4 damage as normal) your Weird Wars Rome campaign; from doing at least one wound. Until all but powerful sea and mountain beasts to the one head is removed, the creature can Lernaean hydra, named after the lake in be Shaken but not wounded by any which it was originally said to dwell. attacks. • Multiple Heads: A hydra can attack w LERNAEAN HYDRA different targets with each of its heads This legendary version of the creature is at no multi-action penalty. It can by far the most deadly, and represents a also attack one target with two of its creature most mortals have little chance heads, treating it as a single action like of defeating. It has nine heads, poisonous Improved Frenzy. blood, and is inspired directly by the 2 Creature Feature: THE HYDRA • Poisonous Blood: The first time a normal action for the creature, applying character causes a wound to the hydra multi-action penalties if combined with in melee, everyone adjacent to it when other attacks or actions. he does so must make an Agility roll • Weakness (Fire): Wounds caused by at –2. Failure means the character is fire-based attacks (or sealed with fire hit with poisonous blood and must before they can heal) do not benefit make a Vigor roll (see Lethal Poison from Fast Regeneration (but may heal in Savage Worlds). If this ability is normally), nor do the creature’s heads known (at least after the first wound), spawn two new ones if severed by a the Agility roll no longer suffers the fire-based attack. The fire must be a -2 penalty. Any attack that prevents a significant source, such as a magical head from regenerating (such as fire), attack or blazing inferno. A simple also prevents the creature’s blood from torch isn’t enough unless purposefully spraying on adjacent targets. extinguished when making the attack. • Regeneration (Special): The hydra w has fast regeneration on its body. If a HYDRA Hydras like this one might be found head is cut off, two more grow in its throughout the dark swamps and place. Between encounters, the hydra waterways of the ancient world. Perhaps chews off the extra heads and returns they are spawn of the original Lernaean to its usual nine heads. hydra. A list of variants off this basic • Size +8: Lernaean hydras are massive template is found on the following pages. creatures. They stand 8’ high at the Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), shoulder and are 30’ long from breast Spirit d10, Strength d12+6, Vigor d10 to the end of their 10’ long tail. Each Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, neck and head is 10’ long. Notice d10, Stealth d8 • Tail Lash: Hydras can sweep all Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 15 (2) opponents in their rear facing in a 3” Special Abilities long by 6” wide square. Make a Fighting • Aquatic: The hydra can swim at its roll for the hydra. Each opponent must Pace. beat the total with his AgilitySample or be file • Armor (+2): Thick rubbery skin. smashed for Str –2. This counts as a • Claws/Fangs: Str+d6 3 Creature Feature: THE HYDRA • Fear –4: The hydra is a massive, HYDRA VARIANTS terrifying supernatural creature, with black rubbery skin, five heads, and BLACK HYDRA slavering teeth. Black hydras get their name from their pitch black coloration, but their most • Hardy: Multiple Shaken results do frightening aspect is their intelligence. not cause a wound. Of the rare people who know of them, • Improved Frenzy: All five of the none know why this variant can think hydra’s heads can attack at once. Only and speak as men. Sages theorize on the two heads may attack the same target influence of the gods or perhaps darker in the same round, however. beings. • Large: Attackers add +2 to their attack Regardless, black hydras are extremely rolls when attacking a hydra due to its dangerous, not just for their natural large size, and hydras are at -2 to attack abilities, but their ability to intelligently normal sized targets. deal with their foes. Some say it’s even • Multiple Heads: A hydra can attack possible to reason with the creatures, different targets with each of its heads though it’s best done from a position of at no multi-action penalty. Most hydras strength. Black hydras are rumored to have five heads, though a rare few may know much about the occult, including have up to eight. Only the Lernaean how to create a healing poultice from hydra has nine (or more) heads. Hydras hydra blood (even their own). can also attack one target with two of Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, its heads, treating it as a single action Spirit d10, Strength d12+8, Vigor d10 like Improved Frenzy. Additional Skills: Faith d10, Fighting • Regeneration (Fast): The hydra makes d10, Intimidation d12, Knowledge a Vigor roll to regenerate wounds each (Occult) d10, Notice d10, Persuasion d10, round. It does not instantly regrow Streetwise d10, Stealth d8, Taunt d10 heads like the Lernaean hydra, but can Additional Special Abilities: do so if given enough time to heal (one • Magic: Black hydras have access to head every two days). Samplemagic file with earth and death trappings, • Size +6: Hydras stand 6’ high at the using Faith to activate their powers and shoulder and are 24’ long from breast being Shaken if they roll a 1 on their to the end of their 8’ long tail. Each neck Faith die. The have 20 Power Points and head is 8’ long. which recharge at 1 per 15 minutes, • Tail Lash: Hydras can sweep all and the following powers: barrier opponents in their rear facing in a 3” (a wall of earth and bone), deflection long by 6” wide square. Make a Fighting (ghostly spirits block attacks), healing roll for the hydra. Each opponent must (earth sprinkled over the wound), beat the total with his Agility or be speak language (ghostly translator), and smashed for Str –2. This counts as a zombie. normal action for the creature, applying • Smooth Talker: Black hydras have +2 multi-action penalties if combined with Charisma and gain the benefits of the other attacks or actions. Strong Willed Edge (+2 to Tests of Will • Weakness (Fire): Wounds caused and resisting them). by fire-based attacks (or sealed with fire before they can heal) and flaming CAVE/MOUNTAIN HYDRA Cave and mountain hydras share weapons are not healed by the thing’s the same abilities but live in different Regeneration ability.
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