Hydra head cap

[TwilightPhoenix]

Unless it's changed, Hydras cap at 20 heads. It should be 27.

[Kate]

The Lernaean Hydra gets to have 27 heads, it's special and unique and stuff!

[mageykun]

Then let's move the cap to 18 or 21, so it's another factor of 3. I mean really, powers of ten aren't crawl's style at all.

[ryak]

At that point you might as well make it 27. It's not like the hydra is actually going to reach the cap unless you are trying for it to do so anyway, whether it is 20, 21, or 27.

The Lernaean Hydra is still special for starting with 27 heads.

[galehar]

hit the cap in a real game and we'll discuss.

[seth]

I'm in favor of hydras dropping caps, maybe even a few randart ones.

[TwilightPhoenix]

My Felid Berserker made a 17-headed Hydra (and survived) before I realized I wasn't winning that fight. Is that close enough? I could have easily hit 20-heads if I took a second shot at it.

[snow]

I've hit 20 with a felid berserker in the swamps quite a few times. I had spirit and high EV so I was able to survive to 20 and then kill them.

The problem with felids is that... you can do stupid stuff like that and not even care because if you die you just respawn. You only start playing for real when you're on your last life but at that point you already have the orb.

[TwilightPhoenix]

Unless you're trying for the extended end-game. That or I'm doing it wrong.

Anyway, back on topic, someone hit 20. Can we discuss now?

[galehar]

Wouldn't it make The Lernaean Hydra less unique?
Even if someone has hit the cap with a felid, it's still mostly theoretical and irrelevant.
Also, since I don't care enough to implement it, why do I bother discussing it?

Another idea: when the hydra hit the head cap, it faints. (disclaimer: this isn't a serious proposal, but a shameless attempt to derail the discussion into Crazy Yiuf's territory ).

[dpeg]

Head cap of 20 is fine by me. There is also an anti-abuse motivation: if we let players make N-headed hydras, they'll possibly get N-headed hydra zombies out of this.

[joellercoaster]

I was keeping quiet about that

[XuaXua]

Does a hydra yield more experience based on how many heads it has, or how many it has when it dies, or is it a constant amount?

Can I artificially inflate my reward by cutting up a hydra to 20(27) heads, then fireballing it?

[Stormfox]

I haven't noticed a difference between 4 and 8-9 heads. More heads doesn't give the hydra more hit dice (which experience awards are based on), just more attacks.

[ryak]

That would also be problematic for anyone who kills the hydra by cutting off all its heads with a flaming blade.

[XuaXua]

That would also be problematic for anyone who kills the hydra by cutting off all its heads with a flaming blade.

That'd be why I wanted to know because that is my usual tactic to kill them.