[Chrona]

Say this was possible what should it's unique bonuses be?
I'm thinking +2 Reach, +2 Body, +2 Strength, 3 or 4 Necks/Heads and the hydras fighting style

With
a single Complex Action, each of a hydra’s heads can make a melee
attack. The hydra’s dice pool is not split between each attack, and
each attack is handled separately. No more than four heads can
attack the same target. The hydra can benefit from the “Friends in
Melee” modifier (Multiple Opponents and Friends in Melee, p.
157, SR4A) if two or more of its heads attack the same target, and
a single melee attack can have multiple targets (Multiple Targets,
p. 158, SR4A).

[Charybdis]

Sounds Fair enough (for an NPC only) but I'd trade this fof against the Dragon breath quality.

ie have Hydra Fighting style, OR Dragon Breath (but not both).

Of course, if this is just for an NPC bad guy (as opposed to an NPC ally), then give them both qualities and truly mess with the group...

that's what I'd do

[Chrona]

It's in the Hydra section of Running Wild that they breath fire but a drake might not be able too yes.

What'd you think would make it fair for a PC drake? The problem with all the heads but not the fighting style would be being a bigger target without regen like real Hydra can have

[Charybdis]

To make it fair for PC's to use, I'd limit it the following ways:

A) No Elemental Attack. Swap this for: option B AND C.
B) 3 heads with the standard hydra options of Friends in Melee, Multiple Targets and Full Dice pool on melee attacks. This is a nice bonus with Hydra flavour, but not enough to unbalance the power level
C) Venom attack (Bite only, Disorientation until damage is healed, as per Hydra optional power)). This is a nice buff, without being overpowered, and limits to Melee only (instead of an Elemental ranged attack).
D) Stat options look fine with +2 to Reach, Body and Strength.

Historically(/Mythologically ), the (singular) Hydra was an up-close legendary creature wiping out would-be heroes with claw and fang, not artillery. So in my head, a drake form should indeed follow that same line of being a Melee combatant, but not a big old Fire-breathing dragon... other drakes can do that, so the Hydra should be different (otherwise, why bother?)

Note: No drakes get regeneration AFAIK, and this target would be no bigger than any other drake, so I don't quite understand any requirement for regeneration (which even for full hydras is only an optional power)

[Chrona]

Sounds good to me thanks!

As for the regen, I just picture a Troll with a combat axe suddenly reducing your bonuses very quickly. I dont think it should have regen but ouch.

[Charybdis]

Sounds good to me thanks!

As for the regen, I just picture a Troll with a combat axe suddenly reducing your bonuses very quickly. I dont think it should have regen but ouch.

A troll with a combat axe can ruin anyone's day, so Why should the Hydra PC be any different?

Note: The Friends in Melee also counts as a DEFENSIVE dice pool
Therefore in the case of Troll vs PC-Hydra,
 A) Reach of +2 Hydra, vs +1 Troll and +2 axe = +1 in favour of Troll
 B) Friends in Melee of +2 for Hydra (additional Heads) = +2 in favour of Hydra

Therefore, the PC-Hydra gets a net +1 modifier to both attack and defense, but also gets 3 attacks (with full dice pool, Venom and cumulative reductions to Troll-target's defense pool) on a complex action...while troll just gets a single big Combat axe swing...

Looks like Troll should legitimately give this fight a second though, else may have a bad day....

[Chrona]

Haha nice!

[Charybdis]

My only concern with this build is it may be too much of a combat monster.

Having 2 heads only (?!) would still be a very powerful option... and my campaign is a bit more conservative so I'd likely make a hydra-PC only have two heads.

- Dice pools would remain on par with Troll/Combat axe
- Still 2x Attacks (with Disorientation poison) which stacks another -2 modifier to all dice-pool tests (which should be cumulative for multiple bites/doses, just like any other toxin)... this isn't too overpowered as the toxin onset time is 1 Combat Turn (which according to SR4A p.254 is actually the end of the NEXT combat turn)

This gives an excellent incentive to make a few bites, then go Full Defense until the toxin takes affect ... just watch the target fall over from having a dice pool of 1 on all tests

Then make a nice big called shot Bite (x2), +4 DV
CHOMPY-CHOMP

[Chrona]

Without needing to spend points on flight or exotic ranged it can put points into a wider range of skills for the metahuman form too

[Teknodragon]

Huh. Without the flight or elemental attack, I wonder if a hydra-dracomorph PC would be more balanced than the ones from RC.

[Kot]

The thing is, Hydras were mindless hybrids created by the Therans(atlanteans) in the Age of Legends from stolen dragon eggs. Thus there couldn't be a hydra-drake, since the process of creating drakes would have to be undertaken by a sentient dragon. And dragons hate hydras almost as much as they hate therans. They're an abomination...

[Medicineman]

What about a Hydra Shapeshifter NPC ?!

with a Greek Dance
Medicineman

[Chrona]

What about a Hydra Shapeshifter NPC ?!

with a Greek Dance
Medicineman

If not a drake this might be possible but shifters are mundane animals that are awakened right? I don't think you get any awakened critter shapeshifters like a devil rat shifter.

The thing is, Hydras were mindless hybrids created by the Therans(atlanteans) in the Age of Legends from stolen dragon eggs. Thus there couldn't be a hydra-drake, since the process of creating drakes would have to be undertaken by a sentient dragon. And dragons hate hydras almost as much as they hate therans. They're an abomination...

Well this isn't specified in Shadowrun and they seem to be talking about them like Dracoforms and not Dracomorphs. As there are now sapient Hydra in 4A and If there is now Great Hydra (Fanany), couldn't it be possible?

[Charybdis]

What about a Hydra Shapeshifter NPC ?!

with a Greek Dance
Medicineman

As previously mentioned indeed, there aren't any awakened animal shapeshifters.

However, since we're house-ruling in a Hydra, it's not a big step to house-rule in an awakened animal shapeshifter
Note: I personally wouldn't though, as the precedent for dracoform-type PC's is more mechanically aligned with Drakes, and IMHO it's more balanced to follow the Drake-PC principles for a Hydra.

The thing is, Hydras were mindless hybrids created by the Therans(atlanteans) in the Age of Legends from stolen dragon eggs. Thus there couldn't be a hydra-drake, since the process of creating drakes would have to be undertaken by a sentient dragon. And dragons hate hydras almost as much as they hate therans. They're an abomination...

There are many more freakish variations in Shadowrun than there were in Earthdawn. I don't recall metagenic extra tails, eyes or other options in any ED PC-options, nor any Drake options to begin with.

And seeing as Chrona pointed out, the Hydra hybrid may indeed have been an abomination at the time (like Immortal Elves), but it's been a few thousand years since then, so that's more than enough time for such an abomination to become widespread (and apparently metamorphose into a Great Dragon)....

Yes, there will DEFINITELY be repercussions once any of the great dragons get wind of a Hydra-drake, however since any Drake-PC's are already hunted by dragons (to serve as minions), it's just a different aspect to be hunted down for your parentage.... and if the Great Hydra fins out, then the Hydra-PC is defeinitely going to be called in for some question-time! o.O

Let's face it, even a troll-PC could be hunted down by Humanis, Police, Corps, Crime Mobs etc anyway.... being hunted is always an option for a Shadowrunner

[Mäx]

With
a single Complex Action, each of a hydra’s heads can make a melee
attack. The hydra’s dice pool is not split between each attack, and
each attack is handled separately. No more than four heads can
attack the same target. The hydra can benefit from the “Friends in
Melee” modifier (Multiple Opponents and Friends in Melee, p.
157, SR4A) if two or more of its heads attack the same target, and
a single melee attack can have multiple targets (Multiple Targets,
p. 158, SR4A).

Reading that makes me think that a 9 headed hydra  would be pretty damm scary in close-quarters
Can attack up to 9 enemies with full pool or 18 enemies with about half-pool or one enemy four times in the same turn with full pool for all of those
For added challenge one coudl build the hydra as a melee combat adept