Desdemona vs the Hydra

Desdemona is attempting to conquer Fire Island to claim it as her personal demesne, but to do so, she must defeat its inhabitant: the Hydra!

Using 5e Hydra plus young red dragon's breath weapon. We'll say it has 5 hits, and can exchange heavy damage for losing a head.

Status

• Desi
  • -5 Mana
• Hydra
  • -3 hits

Preparation

Desi is attacking the Hydra in its lair, and is therefore at a disadvantage. However, there are some skeletal remains of adventurers foolish enough to challenge the beast before her. She animates 5 skeletons at a cost of 5 Mana. She also activates Path of Frost.

Round 1

Desdemona

She bursts into the Hydra's lair, calling it out. The hydra is slumbering beneath the water, but one of its heads is always awake, and detected her approach. The Hydra is ready for battle.

As her skeletons advance across the water's surface (thanks to her Path of Frost aura), she casts Pestilence (nat 20, DC is 24), infecting the Hydra with Blood Boil, Frost Fever, and Shadow Plague.

She then charges forth, using a Power Charge to upgrade her damage. She hits a 18, easily defeating its armor, and inflicts critical damage. Of course, the Hydra can exchange any heavy hit for a missing head, and he does so. Still, Blood Boil is activated, and the Hydra takes a light hit from it.

The skeletons attack...sort of. There are no targets for them to hit right now. They're mostly just a battery for Death Pact.

Lair

Hydra causes a Geyser, which hits skeletons 2 and 3, as well as Desdemona. The skeletons are destroyed. She fails the save, but resists the damage, suffering a light hit, which she easily soaks at a 19 Con check.

Hydra

Four heads emerge from the water, and they all breathe. With an Intelligence of -4, it is not smart enough to know which targets matter, so it divides its attacks, with one attack each against skeletons 1, 4, and 5, and one against Desdemona.

The skeletons die. Desi uses her Runeblade to block (at an 18), mitigating the damage to light, and her resistance further mitigates it to none.

Round 2

Top of round:

• Hydra takes 4 hits from ongoing diseases, fails all saves.
• Hydra regenerates missing head (2 take its place), healing 1 hit.

Lair

Toxic gas fills the chamber, lightly obscuring vision. It also causes poisoned, but Desdemona ignores that with her resistance.

Desdemona

Desi uses Slam, provoking an attack from all six heads. Because she's fucking Desi.

Heads 1 and 2 miss. Heads 3 and 5 are parried. Head 4 hits for medium damage; she nat 20's the Soak, mitigating it to no damage.

She swings, inflicting critical damage, and using Whirlwind Attack. Her attack roll is an 18...which hits...all 6 heads.

It's a bloody, glorious sight. Heads and necks fly, spouting useless gouts of flame which lick helplessly across her armor. Each time she severs a head, Blood Boil causes a burst of flame, harmless enough the fire-breathing dragon's scales, but reflecting the horrible damage occuring within. From 6 critical-damage attacks against its heads, it suffers 6 hits, leaving it Heavily Wounded.

And as it quivers, she raises her sword, calling its soul into the blade.

Notes

Diseases and Whirlwind Attack are so damn cheesy!