This is a rough draft, please comment!
Waterspout Hydra (5 heads)
Lesser Boss
This monster looks like a horrible scaly cross between a giant shark, a giant seal, and a nest of sea serpents.
Attributes
Code:
ST 25 HP 35 Speed 6
DX 10 Will 13 Move 1 (7 in water, enhanced water move 14)
IQ 6 Per 11
HT 12 FP 12 SM 2
Dodge 10* Parry 10 DR 6
* 13 vs head or neck attacks
Tail Slap (10): 2d+6 cr at reach C,1-5.
Waterspout (15): 4d+7 cr nw dbk, jet, range of 20 / 20, once per head per day.
Bite (12): 3d+4 imp at reach C, 1-5 and automatically
grabs if it hits. This attack counts as a
grapple, taking half penalties for hit location and reversing the usual penalty for relative SM to a bonus (as usual). Treat a one-head bite as a one-handed Grapple, although the Hydra may apply more heads to the situation as if they were hands (does not increase damage, does increase hit bonuses). See also Swallow.
Swallow: If a Delver with SM 0 or less does not break free from a biting Grab before the Hydra's next turn, the Hydra swallows the delver as an Attack action (no defense). The Delver is now considered pinned (pB370) and the Hydra's mouth is now available for a new bite.
Each turn thereafter the Hydra makes a ST vs. best of Delver's ST/HT attack as a free action, and deals crushing damage equal to the margin of success to the Delver (counts as a Large Area Injury). Swallowed Delvers who must breathe are subject to Drowning in stomach acid, and should probably hold their breath. Waterspout Hydra stomach acid is not strong enough to do significant damage over the course of combat, but there are rumours of Hydras with weaker bites and more reactive bile.
Escape from the Hydra's gullet can be achieved by Breaking Free
The Hydra can have swallowed at one time one SM 0 delver, two SM -1 delvers, 3 SM -2 delvers, and so on. GM's problem to figure out combinations.
Regeneration: The hydra focuses and unleashes enormous healing potential, its flesh knitting before the eyes of the Delver. It gains 10 seconds of Extreme Regeneration (requires 1 turn of concentration, 3 uses per day). During this time the hydra heals 35 HP/second and Regrowth is fully active.
Traits
360° Vision; Discriminatory Smell; Doesn't Breathe (Gills); Extra Attack 4; Extra Head 4; Ichthyoid; Nictitating Membrane 6; Night Vision 8; Regrowth; Wild Animal.
Skills
Brawling–12; Innate Attack (Breath)–15.
Class: Extremely Dire Animal (unclear what type originally!).
Notes: Maneater. Well, almost-everything-eater. Not able to negotiate, but highly subject to distraction with food. Considers dead/unconscious/pinned/helpless delvers to be food.
Commentary:
Does not grow two heads for each severed, does REGROW heads, see Regeneration power above.
Originally a Dragon, but along with applying lenses I've messed around with it.
Tough, stubborn, great Reach and can use the Waterspouts to try to isolate one delver for munching on, and it lives in an awkward environment (water) that it can reach out to grab delvers with, dishes out the physical damage and regenerates, and as a man-eating Dire Animal delvers take -10 to Animal Handling rolls, if a delver can figure out what specialty is needed!
I'm not sure if there's an Animal Control college penalty vs Dire Animals. If not, this is one of it's distinct weaknesses. It's also pretty stupid, and noncombative delvers can get by it just by throwing it food (lots of food - a few deer at a time!) and running/swimming past while it's distracted.
I'm not sure the bonus Bite damage (upgraded from 2d+3 imp) is overkill or not. If knocking the Bite damage back, I'd be inclined to up Brawling skill to improve accuracy with the tail swipe and the bite attacks - I'm half inclined to do that anyways.