HydraCR 8 · Huge Monstrosity · Stat Block & Encounter Builder

Huge monstrosity, Challenge 8. AC 15, 172 hit points.

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Armour Class

Hit Points

172

Speed

30 ft.

Challenge

8 · 3,900 XP

Alignment

Unaligned

The card

Stat Block

Huge Monstrosity · Unaligned

Hydra

172

15d12 + 75 · 30 ft., swim 30 ft. · AC from natural armor

Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16

Languages: —

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	12 (+1)	20 (+5)	2 (-4)	10 (+0)	7 (-2)

Traits

Hold BreathThe hydra can hold its breath for 1 hour.

Multiple HeadsThe hydra has five heads. While it has more than one head, the hydra has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. Whenever the hydra takes 25 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 10 hit points for each head regrown in this way.

Reactive HeadsFor each head the hydra has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks.

WakefulWhile the hydra sleeps, at least one of its heads is awake.

Actions

MultiattackThe hydra makes as many bite attacks as it has heads.

BiteMelee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.

How to actually run it

Tactics

The stat block tells you what it can do. This tells you what to do with it.

1Multiattack: The hydra makes as many bite attacks as it has heads.

Pitch the fight

Encounter Difficulty

Encounter Builder

How bad is this fight?

Real DMG maths — XP thresholds by level, and the group multiplier that makes crowds so much worse than the raw total suggests.

Hydras4Party size4Party level3

Could kill someone — and at high enough numbers, the whole party.

Difficulty

Deadly

31,200 adj. XP · ×2

deadly at 1,600

Build this Deadly encounter

Pre-filled · you press Generate

Counsel

Hydra, Answered

What is Hydra's challenge rating in D&D 5e?

Hydra is Challenge 8, worth 3,900 XP. Encounter maths multiplies XP by the number of monsters, so a group is deadlier than the raw total — use the calculator on this page.

What are Hydra's stats?

AC 15 (natural armor), 172 hit points (15d12 + 75), speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.. Ability scores: STR 20, DEX 12, CON 20, INT 2, WIS 10, CHA 7.

Where does Hydra fit in an encounter?

As a monstrosity of Challenge 8, it suits a party whose level is in the same range. Adjust party size and level in the builder above to see the difficulty shift live.

Put It On The Table

Set your party, read the difficulty, and build the encounter around it. Your first is free.

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