Hydra

Hydrae are enormous reptiles with one head for every Hit Die, 5 to 12 in all (1d8+4). Their hide is gray-brown to deep brown above and pale yellow or tan beneath, with amber eyes and yellowish-white teeth. The table above gives THAC0, head count and bite damage.

Each Hit Die is a flat 8 hit points, and each 8 damage dealt removes one head, the stump sealing itself by reflex; the hydra dies only when the last head falls. As many as four heads may bite any one foe each round. Lost heads do not lower its attack level: a ten-header attacks as 10 HD to the end. Body blows are wasted unless a single strike equals its full original hit points.

Hydrae live alone in gloomy places and meet only to breed.

For all their size and bite, they are frequent prey for dragons. They cannot be trained.

This variant regrows a pair of heads for every one lost, to a limit of 12. The new heads take 1-4 rounds to grow and can be prevented only by searing the stump with flame right after the killing blow. Nothing can harm its body.

A reddish hydra with 7 or 8 heads, each spitting flame twice daily in a jet 5 feet wide and 2 feet long; a victim takes 8 damage, or 4 on a successful save vs. breath weapon.

A purplish-brown hydra whose every head can exhale frost in a stream 20 feet long and 10 feet wide inflicting 8 damage (save vs. breath weapon for half).