NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVE: 12
HIT DICE: 14d6
% IN LAIR: 40%
ATTACKS: 5-30 (×2-7)
per bite, or by special
ORIGINAL STOCK: Diamond-backed
rattlesnake
MUTATIONS: Taller, multiple
body parts, gas genertion, pyrokinesis, illusion immunity
The Hydragen is a huge, mutated
descendant
of the diamond-backed rattlesnake.
It is found in many places
in the
deserts of southwest North
American (the
old United States and Mexico).
Hydragens
range from 15 to 20 meters
in length
in adulthood and appear
to be large,
multiple-headed serpents;
2-7 heads are
present and each is well
equipped with
razor-sharp fangs and teeth.
The six
major fangs, in the upper
jaws along the
front, contain an intensity
15 paralytic
poison effective only against
mammalian
creatures (including humans,
of course).
Because of their SPEED,
these monsters
rarely go hungry, although
relatively
intelligent beings give
them a wide berth.
They are not especially
intelligent themselves,
but Hydragens readily pursue
any
prey and use their cunning
to drive victims
into dead-ends (box canyons
and the
like) to prevent escape.
Gas generation: If
the creature is in grave danger or
confronted by many opponents,
a special
power of the Hydragen can
be brought
into play. The creature
can generate large
amounts of highly explosive
gases in its
stomach, and once every
12 combat
rounds it can belch out
clouds of this gas
from all of its heads, directed
at as many
different targets (within
range) as it has
heads.
Pyrokinesis: Each
head then uses the Hydragen?s
pyrokinesis ability to ignite
the gas
clouds, at ranges between
10 and 30
meters as desired, creating
an explosion
with a 5-meter radius of
effect. The
flames and concussion from
the blast will
do 10d6 damage to all within
the blast
area, and beings of man-size
or smaller
out to 10 meters from the
blast center
stand a 75% chance of being
knocked
down and suffering 1d6 damage.
A Hydragen may generate this
gas only
three times a day. If this
fails to stop an
opponent after the third
use, the Hydragen
will retreat. Those beings
caught in
the blast areas may take
half damage
(5d6) if they are immune
to either fire or
sonics, or no damage if
immune to both.
Note that even if the victim
is immune to
these effects, the 75% chance
of being
knocked down for 1d6 damage
still
applies.
Hydragens prefer living in
isolated
locations like deserts and
barren, rough
terrain. The brilliant patterns
of yellow,
red, and black across the
Hydrage'?s back
stand out clearly in any
terrain or environment,
though this is not yet a
major
problem for it, since its
speed and tenacity
make up for its lack of
camouflage.
A Hydragen
nest is a shallow depression
in sandy soil about 5 meters
across
and 2 meters deep. There
is a 20% chance
of 1-6 eggs being buried
one meter below
ground. Each egg is one-half
meter long,
ovoid in shape, and dull
yellow in color.
It is very possible that
more than one
adult Hydragen inhabits
the nest or the
area nerby. There is also
a good chance
(65%) that 1-6 treasures
and 1-2 artifacts
will be in or near the nest,
previously
appropriated from some unfortunate
adventurers who ventured
too close.
Each head of a Hydragen has
its own
brain, and the heads work
together with
exacting coordination. Among
other
advantages, this accounts
for the creature's immunity to illusions and illusional
attacks or forces. The lifespan
of a
monster of this sort is
estimated to be over
200 years.
Template
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 11
% IN LAIR: -
TREASURE TYPE: 1-6 treasures
and 1-2 GW artifacts
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 5-30 (x 2-7)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralytic
poison, Gas generation, Pyrokinesis
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune
to illusion
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard,
No save vs. magic spells
INTELLIGENCE: "not especially
intelligent", "cunning"
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (15 to 20 meters
in length)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense
Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: