Hold Breath. The Ancient Hydra can hold its breath for 2 hour.
Legendary Resistance (4/Day, or 5/Day in Lair). If the Ancient Hydra fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Multiple Heads. The Ancient Hydra has nine heads. While it has more than one head, the hydra has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.
Whenever the hydra takes 35 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads die, the hydra dies.
At the end of its turn, it grows two heads for each of its heads that died since its last turn, unless it has taken fire damage since its last turn. The hydra regains 20 hit points for each head regrown in this way.
Reactive Heads. For each head the hydra has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used for opportunity attacks and counter attacks.
Wakeful. While the hydra sleeps, at least one of its heads is awake.
Ancient Senses. Having survived and thrived for over a millennia the Ancient Hydra has developed a superb sense of hearing, smell, and vision. While more than one head remain intact it can not be surprised and is immune to blinded.
Multiattack. The hydra makes as many bite attacks as it has heads to the nearest creature and one tail sweep attack each turn.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (1d12 + 8) piercing damage.
Tail Sweep. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, 15-ft cone, multiple targets. Hit: 20 (2d12 + 8) piercing damage, and be knocked Prone.
King of The Swamp. As a bonus action the Ancient Hydra may move up to it's movement speed to take full cover under the waters of it's territorial swamp. It becomes Invisible and this action does not change the initiative order.
Apex Awareness. After a melee attack is made within 10 ft of the Ancient Hydra, successful or not, it makes two Bite attacks on the attacking enemy. This counter attack uses one of it's opportunity attacks available.
Legendary Action Uses: 3 (4 in Lair). Immediately after another creature's turn , the Ancient Hydra can expend a single use to take one of the following actions. The Ancient Hydra regains all expended uses at the start of each its turns.
Feeding Frenzy. Smelling the fresh blood in the air the Ancient Hydra can go into an adrenaline fueled Feeding Frenzy. The Ancient Hydra may move up to it's movement speed, ignoring opportunity attacks, to the target that lost the most hit points over the last round and use Bite equal to half, rounded down, the number of heads left at the time, on the target.
Survivalist Regeneration [2pts]. Through millennia of perfecting survival, the Ancient Hydra has adapted it's regenerative genetics to a state of perfection. As long as one head remains alive, it tears the cauterized neck stump off, instantly growing back two new heads and regenerating 70 hit points.
No Escape. The Ancient Hydra targets a flying creature within 60 ft of it and lets out a concentrated sonic roar. The target must make a DC 24 Constitution Saving Throw or take 33 (4d12+7) Thunder damage and knocks the target Prone and pushes the target 10 ft away and causing the target to descend 3/4 it's distance to the ground. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed or knocked prone.
Description
The Ancient Hydra has lived in Mistmarsh, 20 miles south of Blackwall Keep at an abandoned Silverfox Trade Outpost on the Neen River, for over a millennia. It is the Apex Predator in the swamp and has evolved and adapted it's already robust hunting abilities to the peak of natural ability. It's regenerative properties have enhanced over it's extremely long life to heal not only heads but the creature as a whole. The Ancient Hydra is such an opposing predator that even an Adult Black Dragon thinks twice before entering this primal killer's territory.
Lair and Lair Actions
The Ancient Hydra stakes a claim to a swampy territory that can range for hundreds of miles. It is the Apex Predator in these swamps that even Adult Black dragon's avoid if possible due to the Ancient Hydra's excessive territorial nature and it's ability to meld into its swampy domain. It's Lair inside it's swampy domain, is 1/4 mile radius from its location within it's territory.
Lair Actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Ancient Hydra takes one of the following lair actions; the Ancient Hydra can’t take the same lair action two rounds in a row.
- Call of the Alpha. Although Hydra are extremely territorial, it is the absolute Apex Alpha Predator within it's territory. The Ancient Hydra lets out an root shaking roar that calls forth 3 Giant Crocodile, or 1 Young Black Dragon, it's choice. The crocodile will appear instantly at random places within 120 ft of the Ancient Hydra under the swampy waters, while the Young Black Dragon will appear in the air or under the water within 120 ft of the Ancient Hydra. All creatures summoned will take initiative spots immediately when summoned.
- Death from Below. The Ancient Hydra uses it's King of The Swamp ability and initiates 2 consecutive turns, each ending in another use of King of The Swamp. While using this Lair Action every attack is considered a surprise attack unless the target rolls a DC 24 Wisdom Saving Throw. On a successful Wisdom Saving Throw the attacks are not considered surprise attacks.
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