FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: CHIMERA VS HYDRA

New Fight Night. Fight of the multi-headed horrors of Greek mythology. Let's pit a chimera versus a hydra.

Ok, first let's figure out where they are going to fight. I couldn't find any DMG wilderness encounter tables where a hydra and chimera might meet. So lets say they meet in a dungeon.

OK, on to the challengers. First we have the chimera:

ARMOR CLASS: 6/5/2

MOVE: 9”/18”

MANEUVERABILITY CLASS: E

HIT DICE: 9

NO. OF ATTACKS: 6

DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 1-3/1-3/1-4/1-4/2-8/3-12

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon (3-24)

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

SAVE: Fighter 9

INTELLIGENCE: Semi-

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: L (4' at shoulder)

HIT POINTS: 41 (I rolled 2,5,5,6,7,3,5,7,1)

Dragon head breathes fire to range of 5”, doing 3-24 points of damage. It has a 50% chance per round of doing so. The dragon head also bites, I think this is the 2-8 points of damage. It has AC 2.

The lion head bites for 3-12 and the lion paws do 1-4/1-4 points of damage. It has AC 5 because of the mane. If it was a female chimera, it would have a lioness head and AC 6. Yes, I think about stuff like this.

The goat head head butts for 1-3/1-3 (each horn). It has AC 6. All these attacks/armor class ratings are assumptions by me. I can't actually back them up. It probably doesn't matter unless it meets a vorpal sword.

To hit an AC 5 hydra, the chimera needs a “7” to hit.

OK, on to the hydra. A chimera is monster level VII based on the wanderring monster table in the DMG, page 178. So we should choose a hydra that is found on that same table, right? Let's see. A hydra on that level would have 10-12 heads! Wow, that seems like a lot. Let's try something else. Let's compare XP Values. A 41 hit point chimera is worth 1492 xp. Remember that hydrae all have 8 hit points per head (and an equal amount of that sum for the body). Factoring in head hp only, an 8-headed hydra is worth 650 + 10 xp/hp or 650 + 10*64 = 1290. A 9-headed hydra is worth 1000 + 12 xp/hp (just like the chimera) or 1000 +12*72 = 1864. This is all based on DMG Appendix E.

Let's go with the 9 headed hydra, but you could make a case that the 8-header would be closer.

ARMOR CLASS: 5

MOVE: 9”

HIT DICE: 9

NO. OF ATTACKS: 9

DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 1-8 (X9), only up to 4 on same opponent

SPECIAL DEFENSES: All heads must be killed to slay

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

SAVE: Fighter 9

INTELLIGENCE: Semi-

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

HIT POINTS: 8 per head, and 72 for the body

The hydra dies if all the heads are killed, or if the body is killed. The body must either be reduced to 0 hit points and it will fight for 2-8 more rounds, or -20 hit pointsand it dies immediately.

Each head dies when it has 0 hit points, and excess damage does not carry over to another head.

A 9 headed hydra needs a “6” to hit AC 6, a “7” to hit AC 5 and a “10” to hit AC 2.

In my opinion, when the hydra suffers a area effect spell, or breath weapon, the damage should be equally distributed to the heads, with the body receiving a like amount. Saving throws are always made at starting HD or max HD in the case of a Lernaean hydra. Again, I can't pretend this is by-the-book.

First thing to do is roll for surprise. The chimera rolls a 2 and th hydra rolls a 2, so both are surprised. Next we must roll for encounter distance. Indoors it is 5” to 10” (d6+4), but we subtract 2” for the surprise.

How do monsters with this many heads get surprised. Ettins only have two and have a surprise bonus. Oh well.

I roll a 4, so the distance is 6” Now we must declare intentions. The chimera is too far away to use its breath weapon, so it moves forward 1”. The hydra closes to attack. Next we roll initiative. The chimera rolls a 6 and the hydra rolls a 3. The chimera has moved forward 1” and the hydra has moved forward the remaining distance, meaning they are effectively in melee.

Next round. New intentions. I roll for the chimera. Will it use its breath weapon? On a 01-50 it will and on a 51-00 it won't. I roll a 82 and it tries to bite. The hydra attacks with 4 heads. New initiative. The chimera rolls a 3 and the hydra rolls a 6.

I will randomly assign the hydra's attacks to different chimera body parts. I will assume for the purposes of the fight that the chimera is 1/3 AC 6, 1/3 AC 5, and 1/3 AC 2. Here is a random location chart:

d6

1-2 AC 6

3-4 AC 5

5-6 AC 2

Remember, the hydra has 9 heads but only 4 can attack one enemy.

The first head targets (Rolls a 3) AC 5 and rolls a 10, so it hits for 2 points of damage.

The second head targets (Rolls a 4) AC 5 and rolls a 5, so it misses.

The third head targets (Rolls a 2) AC 6 and rolls a 2, so it misses.

The fourth head targets (Rolls a 1) AC 6 and rolls a 3, so it misses.

Pretty crappy.

OK, the chimera's turn (1-3/1-3/1-4/1-4/2-8/3-12)

I will randomly assign the chimera's attacks to the heads on 01-50, it will go to the body on 51-00.

Goat horns: Roll a 5 an 10. So one hits (rolls) the body for 1 point of damage.

Lion claws: Roll a 9 and 6. So one hits (rolls) head #1 for 2 points of damage.

Dragon bite: Roll a 3, so it misses.

Lion bite: Roll a 2, so it misses.

After two rounds. We have the following:

Chimera: 39 hit points

Hydra:

head 1 6 hp

head 2 8 hp

head 3 8 hp

head 4 8 hp

head 5 8 hp

head 6 8 hp

head 7 8 hp

head 8 8 hp

head 9 8 hp

body 71 hit points

Next round, the chimera wants to breathe fire and the hydra wants to bite. The chimera rolls a 5 and the hydra rolls a 4. The chimera breathes fire for 16 points, and the hydra rolls a 14 to make the save. The hydra takes 8 points. I roll to see which head is spared … head 4.

Goat horns: Roll a 17 an 2. So one hits (rolls) the head #6 for 2 points of damage.

Lion claws: Roll a 3 and 7. So one hits (rolls) head #7 for 1 point of damage.

Dragon bite: No bite, because it breathed fire.

Lion bite: Roll a 15, so it hits (rolls) the body for 7 points of damage.

Now the hydra bites:

The first head targets (Rolls a 5) AC 2 and rolls a 14, so it hits for 6 points of damage.

The second head targets (Rolls a 1) AC 6 and rolls a 13, so it hits for 6 points of damage.

The third head targets (Rolls a 4) AC 5 and rolls a 16, so it hits for 3 points of damage.

The fourth head targets (Rolls a 4) AC 5 and rolls a 18, so it hits for 1 points of damage.

OK, end of round 3.

Chimera: 23 hit points

Hydra:

head 1 5 hp

head 2 7 hp

head 3 7 hp

head 4 8 hp

head 5 7 hp

head 6 5 hp

head 7 6 hp

head 8 7 hp

head 9 7 hp

body 56 hit points

New round, so new intentions. The chimera rolls a 12, so it decides to breathe fire again. The hydra is still bitey. Initiative, chimera 2, hydra 2, so simultaneous attacks.

The chimera breathes fire for 12 points. The chimera makes its save and takes only 6 points. Heads 7,8, and 9 are spared.

Goat horns: Roll a 7 an 14. So they both hit and I roll it is one of the heads. Because both goat horns are on the same goat head I rule that they both hit the same hydra head. Makes sense to me. It is head # 7 and it takes 4 points of damage.

Lion claws: Roll a 12 and 10. So they both hit heads #1 and #9 for 2 points each.

Dragon bite: No bite, because it breathed fire.

Lion bite: Roll a 3, so it misses.

The hydra:

The first head targets (Rolls a 4) AC 5 and rolls a 19, so it hits for 7 points of damage.

The second head targets (Rolls a 3) AC 5 and rolls a 9, so it hits for 7 points of damage.

The third head targets (Rolls a 3) AC 5 and rolls a 14, so it hits for 1 point of damage.

The fourth head targets (Rolls a 2) AC 6 and rolls a 5, so it misses.

Chimera: 8 hit points

Hydra:

head 1 2 hp

head 2 6 hp

head 3 6 hp

head 4 7 hp

head 5 6 hp

head 6 4 hp

head 7 2 hp

head 8 7 hp

head 9 5 hp

body 50 hit points

The chimera is in serious trouble. All the hydra's heads are still alive and the chimera is at less than one-fifth of its starting hit points. Things are starting to become inevitable.

New round. The chimera decides to bite. The hydra attacks as always. Roll for initiative. Chimera 2 and hydra 2, another simultaneous combat.

Chimera:

Goat horns: Roll a 18 an 16. So they both hit and I roll it is head # 4 and it takes 3 points of damage.

Lion claws: Roll a 17 and 17. So they both hit the body for 3 points total.

Dragon bite: Rolls a 5, so it misses.

Lion bite: Roll a 6, so it misses.

Hydra:

The first head targets (Rolls a 6) AC 2 and rolls a 9, so it misses.

The second head targets (Rolls a 5) AC 2 and rolls a 7, so it misses.

The third head targets (Rolls a 2) AC 6 and rolls a 10, so it hits for 1 point of damage.

The fourth head targets (Rolls a 1) AC 6 and rolls a 2, so it misses.

Chimera: 7 hit points

Hydra:

head 1 2 hp

head 2 6 hp

head 3 6 hp

head 4 4 hp

head 5 6 hp

head 6 4 hp

head 7 2 hp

head 8 7 hp

head 9 5 hp

body 47 hit points

Wow, somehow the chimera got through that round and is still alive. It helps that the hydra targeted the armored dragon part of the body, causing the misses.

New round and new intentions. Chimera will (rolls) breathe fire. Hydra does the same-old. Chimera rolls a 3 and hydra rolls a 6. The hydra goes first.

The first head targets (Rolls a 3) AC 5 and rolls a 10, so it hits for 4.

The second head targets (Rolls a 4) AC 5 and rolls a 3, so it misses.

The third head targets (Rolls a 5) AC 2 and rolls a 1, so it misses.

The fourth head targets (Rolls a 1) AC 6 and rolls a 18, so it hits for 7.

Dead chimera. The hydra enjoys a nice three-course meal (goat, lion, dragon) and lumbers away on those big old legs. All nine heads are still alive.

Okay, what happened. I think the massive hit point advantage of the hydra was just too much for the chimera. In addition the chimera failed to hit with its stronger bite attacks more than once. The hydra also made its breath weapon saving throws. This was a mismatch and a chimera might only be as tough as a 6 or 7 headed hydra.