False Hydras
In the realm of eldritch horrors, few creatures embody the true essence of dread and bewilderment as the False Hydras. These abominations, with their grotesque, apple-like bodies and myriad humanoid heads, are not just a visual horror. Their true power, and terror, lies in an eerie song that reaches into the very psyche of those who hear it, erasing their very perception and memory of the beast.
The False Hydra's most potent weapon is not physical, but auditory. With its multiple heads, it produces a haunting, harmonized melody that once heard, renders the beholder completely oblivious to its existence. This cursed song not only shields the Hydra from perception but also seeps into the memories of its victims, rewriting past experiences and making them forget any encounter or knowledge related to the creature. Towns plagued by a False Hydra often witness inexplicable disappearances, with families forgetting their lost loved ones, convinced they never existed at all.
The creature's insidious nature and its song make it nearly impossible to confront. However, there exists a fleeting moment of vulnerability. When the False Hydra decides to feed, its song ceases momentarily as its gnashing heads strike with ferocity. It is during this rare pause that the creature can be perceived and harmed. Many adventurers, on discovering the presence of such a beast, try to anticipate its next attack to exploit this brief moment. Still, the challenge lies in remembering the monster long enough to strike it down.
Tier 3
Young False Hydra
Large, Aberration
Tier 3, Challenge Point 20, XP: 60
Attributes
AC 7 AP 3 HP 128 Posture 65
- Passive Insight/ Perception 15
- Senses Blindsenses
- Language Far Speech
Movement
Base 25 Climb/ Swim 25 Dash 50 Stats + Skills
STR +8 DEX -1 INT +6 WIS +5 CHA -3
- LU -2: Luck Points: 0; Critical Fail: 1 or 2
Abilities
Acid Blood If a creature hits a Melee Attack while you are Bleeding or with 0 Posture, any Construct or Weapon being used also takes 1 Corrosion Point.
Maddening Aura At the start of your turn, all creatures within 10 feet of you must succeed on an Insight Save (DC 16) or take 1d6 psychic damage and become Confused.
Multiple Heads You gain advantage on Perception Checks. You gain multiple Reactions, but cannot use all of them at once.
You also gain advantage on all Saves that would make you become Blinded, Deafened, Surprised, Confused, Scared, or Enchanted.
Head Regeneration For every 40 HP you lose 1 head. If you lose all your heads, you die.
However, at the start of your turn, you gain 2 extra heads for every head lost. You do not regenerate heads you are Ignited.
You can take 1 Action and 1 Reaction for every head you have. You start with 3 heads.
Actions (3)
Bite Hit +8, Dmg 1d12 thrust + 1d12 acid
Corrosion: Any Construct, Armor or Shield being used by a creature also takes 1 Corrosion Point when they take this acid damage.
Long Reach: The reach of this Attack is 15 feet.
Song of the Forgotten (Concentration): By concentrating, you can begin to sing a cursed song. After singing for 1 minute, all creatures within a 5-mile radius that can hear you become cursed.
A creature cursed in this way becomes incapable of remembering you or anything related to you. Any unexplainable events or gaps in its memory are replaced by false memories, mimicking the effects of the Memory Control spell.
A cursed creature is unable to process your image due to its lack of memory, and will thus ignore you. It will also dismiss any notes or information about you.
The curse immediately ends if a creature ceases to hear the song. Creatures that are deafened, that have True Vision or that are able to speak Far Speech are unaffected by the curse. Moreover, a creature can attempt an Investigation Save (DC 16) to gather clues and determine that something is profoundly wrong.
You must sing for 1 minute (10 rounds) for the song to take effect. However, you can use an action to reduce this duration by one round. Your concentration on the song ends if you Attack.
Reactions (3)
- Territorial If a creature within reach moves without Disengaging first, you can make 1 Attack of Opportunity against that creature.
Tier 4
False Hydra
Enormous, Aberration
Tier 4, Challenge Point 40, XP: 160
Attributes
AC 7 AP 3 HP 250 Posture 128
- Passive Insight/ Perception 18
- Senses Blindsenses
- Language Far Speech
Movement
Base 25 Climb/ Swim 25 Dash 50 Stats + Skills
STR +10 DEX -1 INT +6 WIS +8 CHA -3
- LU -2: Luck Points: 0; Critical Fail: 1 or 2
Abilities
Acid Blood If a creature hits a Melee Attack while you are Bleeding or with 0 Posture, any Construct or Weapon being used also takes 1 Corrosion Point.
Maddening Aura At the start of your turn, all creatures within 10 feet of you must succeed on an Insight Save (DC 18) or take 1d12 psychic damage and become Confused.
Multiple Heads You gain advantage on Perception Checks. You gain multiple Reactions, but cannot use all of them at once.
You also gain advantage on all Saves that would make you become Blinded, Deafened, Surprised, Confused, Scared, or Enchanted.
Head Regeneration For every 50 HP you lose 1 head. If you lose all your heads, you die.
However, at the start of your turn, you gain 2 extra heads for every head lost. You do not regenerate heads you are Ignited.
You can take 1 Action and 1 Reaction for every head you have. You start with 4 heads.
Actions (4)
Acid Spit Hit +10, Dmg 2d12 acid
Acid Trace: Regardless if you hit the Attack, the target and every creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on an Agility Save (DC 18) or take 1d12 acid damage.
Corrosion: Any Construct, Armor or Shield being used by a creature also takes 1 Corrosion Point when they take this acid damage.
Ranged Attack (30/60)
Triumph: Can only use this Action once per round.
Bite Hit +10, Dmg 1d12 thrust + 1d12 acid
Corrosion: Any Construct, Armor or Shield being used by a creature also takes 1 Corrosion Point when they take this acid damage.
Long Reach: The reach of this Attack is 15 feet.
Song of the Forgotten (Concentration): By concentrating, you can begin to sing a cursed song. After singing for 1 minute, all creatures within a 5-mile radius that can hear you become cursed.
A creature cursed in this way becomes incapable of remembering you or anything related to you. Any unexplainable events or gaps in its memory are replaced by false memories, mimicking the effects of the Memory Control spell.
A cursed creature is unable to process your image due to its lack of memory, and will thus ignore you. It will also dismiss any notes or information about you.
The curse immediately ends if a creature ceases to hear the song. Creatures that are deafened, that have True Vision or that are able to speak Far Speech are unaffected by the curse. Moreover, a creature can attempt an Investigation Save (DC 18) to gather clues and determine that something is profoundly wrong.
You must sing for 1 minute (10 rounds) for the song to take effect. However, you can use an action to reduce this duration by one round. Your concentration on the song ends if you Attack.
Reactions (4)
- Territorial If a creature within reach moves without Disengaging first, you can make 1 Attack of Opportunity against that creature.
Tier 6
Hydrakonos, the Forgotten Son
Colossal, Aberration/ Godly
Tier 6, Challenge Point 100, XP: 600
Attributes
AC 3 AP 5 HP 816 Posture 414
- Passive Insight/ Perception 24
- Senses Blindsenses
- Language Far Speech
Movement
Base 25 Climb/ Swim 25 Dash 50 Stats + Skills
STR +16 DEX -5 INT +12 WIS +14 CHA -3
- LU -2: Luck Points: 0; Critical Fail: 1 or 2
Villain Action
- Head Save When you fail a Save, you can succeed on it instead. However, you lose 50 HP when you do so, losing 1 head in this process.
Abilities
Acid Blood If a creature hits a Melee Attack while you are Bleeding or with 0 Posture, any Construct or Weapon being used also takes 1 Corrosion Point.
Maddening Aura At the start of your turn, all creatures within 30 feet of you must succeed on an Insight Save (DC 24) or take 1d12 psychic damage and become Confused.
Multiple Heads You gain advantage on Perception Checks. You gain multiple Reactions, but cannot use all of them at once.
You also gain advantage on all Saves that would make you become Blinded, Deafened, Surprised, Confused, Scared, or Enchanted.
Head Regeneration For every 50 HP you lose 1 head. If you lose all your heads, you die.
However, at the start of your turn, you gain 2 extra heads for every head lost. You do not regenerate heads you are Ignited.
You can take 1 Action and 1 Reaction for every head you have. You start with 5 heads.
Actions (5)
Acid Spit Hit +16, Dmg 3d12 acid
Acid Trace: Regardless if you hit the Attack, the target and every creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on an Agility Save (DC 24) or take 2d12 acid damage.
Corrosion: Any Construct, Armor or Shield being used by a creature also takes 1 Corrosion Point when they take this acid damage.
Ranged Attack (300/600)
Triumph: Can only use this Action once per round
Bite Hit +16, Dmg 2d12 thrust + 1d12 acid
Corrosion: Any Construct, Armor or Shield being used by a creature also takes 1 Corrosion Point when they take this acid damage.
Long Reach: The reach of this Attack is 60 feet.
Song of the Forgotten (Concentration): By concentrating, you can begin to sing a cursed song. After singing for 1 minute, all creatures within a 300-mile radius that can hear you become cursed.
A creature cursed in this way becomes incapable of remembering you or anything related to you. Any unexplainable events or gaps in its memory are replaced by false memories, mimicking the effects of the Memory Control spell.
A cursed creature is unable to process your image due to its lack of memory, and will thus ignore you. It will also dismiss any notes or information about you.
The curse immediately ends if a creature ceases to hear the song. Creatures that are deafened, that have True Vision or that are able to speak Far Speech are unaffected by the curse. Moreover, a creature can attempt an Investigation Save (DC 24) to gather clues and determine that something is profoundly wrong.
You must sing for 1 minute (10 rounds) for the song to take effect. However, you can use an action to reduce this duration by one round. Your concentration on the song ends if you Attack.
Reactions (5)
- Territorial If a creature within reach moves without Disengaging first, you can make 1 Attack of Opportunity against that creature.