Hydra Form

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Hydra Form
Level	6
School1	Transmutation
Source(s)	Book of Transfigurations Fen Folio
Casting noise	?
Spell noise	?

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Hydra Form is a level 6 Transmutations spell which briefly turns the caster into a rampaging hydra, gaining the following:

Pros

• +50% HP
• Poison resistance
• Gain multiple heads, granting you cleaving and increased Unarmed Combat base damage (2 + (3 per head up to 10 heads) + (1.5 for each head after the tenth)
• Grow new heads each time you have one lopped off (see Hydra article for details)
• Immediately devour any edible monster smaller than you upon kill, gaining satiation and healing (amount healed based on monster HD)

Cons

• All equipment slots except for rings and amulets meld into the new form
• Size penalizes evasion
• Very short transformation duration (7 turns minimum, rises with spell power)

Strategy

Hydra Form provides the caster with some rather extreme strengths and weaknesses for its duration. First and foremost, it should be emphasized that entering hydra form drastically reduces the caster's defensive stats: no armour or defensive mutations means that the caster's AC will drop dramatically, and the increase in size will make all but the most nimble and well-trained dodgers into sitting ducks for its duration.

To make up for this, the caster is given a significant boost to HP, a massive increase in damage output (assuming many heads), and a significant amount of healing each time you defeat a monster which leaves an edible corpse. At its best, this amounts to an extraordinarily powerful vampiric-branded Unarmed Combat attack that specializes in taking out large groups of enemies. Also, the cleaving effect is superior to that provided by axes (secondary opponents do not take reduced damage), and unlike with natural hydras, you only make a single attack against your target, allowing Hydra Form to devastate even high-AC opponents. Unfortunately, these factors only come together in niche circumstances.

Getting enough heads for Hydra Form to become truly devastating is difficult. Your initial headcount is based on your spell power, and there are very few spell enhancers for the Transmutations school of magic. You gain further heads each time you are attacked by a bladed attack, and the spell has a duration so short that it's impossible to build up a healthy bouquet of heads before a big battle. Also, as with real hydras, bladed attacks with the flaming brand will reduce your headcount. If you should be reduced to 0 heads, the spell instantly ends.

The pseudo-vampiric cleaving effect is very impressive under the right circumstances, but bear in mind that areas without edible corpses suddenly render the powerful healing effect completely useless. Effortlessly plowing through swarms of weak, tasty humanoids may be fun, but attempting to do so against demons or the undead will likely leave you severely injured. On top of that, the healing effect only kicks in once you've killed an opponent; until that point, it does nothing. A string of unlucky misses may get you killed, no matter how delicious your opponent may be.

Finally, bear in mind that the significant damage output of Hydra Form is nearly matched (at least against a single opponent) by the level 5 spell Blade Hands, particularly for characters with high strength and dexterity. This alternative leaves your defenses largely untouched, and is much easier to get up and running in almost all circumstances. It does have the downside of reducing your spell success rates, but this may not be much of an issue if you only planned on punching your opponents for the next dozen turns anyway.

As with its bigger brother Dragon Form, Hydra Form benefits greatly from support magic such as Ozocubu's Armour, Condensation Shield, Phase Shift, Repel/Deflect Missiles, and Haste.

History

Hydra Form will be added in 0.16.