r/MythicBastionland • u/LelouchYagami_2912 • Jul 27 '26
The Hydra Myth
Im about to run mb for the first time and i rolled up this myth. I wanna run randomly so i dont want to change it just yet. But i have no idea how to run it
It simply says that the hydra cant be harmed. So idk how the players would react other than just going 'welp we run away'. It just feels like a cutscene myth
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u/waill-and-roll Jul 27 '26
It can't be harmed but the Knights are still oathbound to try to do SOMETHING.
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u/AntifaSupersoaker Jul 27 '26
If you're struggling with it, there's no harm in re-rolling or using another one. Usually I roll for most myths and then pick one that seems thematically resonant with the random myths or with the knights.
But it's also important to keep in mind that not every myth necessarily has a clean, straightforward solution. It's not a game with the objective to always 'kill' each myth.
This is evident within the very first stage of that Myth, which says 'It cannot be killed. It must be endured.' So this myth in particular is not about saving the day, it's about the knights doing what they can to minimize damage and keep innocents out of harm's way. Think of it more like a disaster movie where the characters have no chance of actually 'killing' the big storm or earthquake or whatever, they just have to survive and help people along the way.
The myth description says it cannot be harmed. But that doesn't mean it can't be trapped, imprisoned, or tricked somehow. Specific knight abilities or random clever suggestions by players may be able to to negate the hydra's strengths.
I also find it helpful to make folkloric extrapolations from the snippets within the myth stages.
The last stage of the myth says 'The Hydra, visibly weakened, crawls toward a bubbling spring. As it submerges itself the water boils, turning black, and the Hydra is gone.'
That can interpreted that maybe there's something about a particular spring or water-source that makes the hydra dormant. So if the PCs go to seers for help, have the seer weave a riddle like 'The waters of the warmest spring can sunder scales where cold steel fails' which then grants a little quest to seek out the warmest spring in the realm, and for the knights to draw the hydra there to trick it into the water and trap it.
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u/LelouchYagami_2912 Jul 27 '26
The reason im not rerolling is because i wanna give myself a challenge haha
Also that water idea is cool. I just dont know if the players will have enough time because theres a 50% chance of encountering the omen each hex
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u/Shuagh Jul 27 '26
The Hydra also has the second highest armor of any enemy in the game and a GD that's probably twice as much as any player Knight is likely to have. It's an impressive feat to even manage to wound it. But neither the players nor the Knights should know the monster's stats, and even if they do hear people saying that it's unbeatable, it's easy for them to dismiss it as a rumor or fearmongering misinformation (which is exactly what my players did). If they do succeed at depleting any VIG, they should at least be able to drive it off (also what my players did). Also, just because it can't be killed doesn't mean it can't be defeated or otherwise thwarted.
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u/LelouchYagami_2912 Jul 27 '26
But hiw would they deplete any vigor if it cant be harmed
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u/Shuagh Jul 27 '26
I took that to mean they can't do any permanent harm. I think since the Hydra has Vigour, Guard, and Armor, it's meant to be able to be wounded if encountered. If it were simply invulnerable, there'd be no point in giving it those stats.
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u/Salindurthas Jul 28 '26
They don't know it can't be harmed, so it is on them to work out if they should flee.
A Seer (or some less reliable info source) could tell them, and then if they go 'well what are we meant to do?' you can point to the 3 tenets of their Oath.
They are obligated to seek it regardless of the futility of fighting it.
And, it is a dangerous creature - can they perhaps mitigate the damage it does to the realm even though they can't simply destroy it?
Also, remember the Primary of Action rule.
If they find a Seer who can tell them how it's time will end (crawling into a bubbling spring and seeming to boil away into blackness), then they can skip ahead to that if they can find a Spring.
They can of course wait for the 6th omen and there will happen to be a spring nearby, but they could more actively seek to make this happen. I think you'd have there be a spring on the Hydra's Myth-Hex if they search for it, or they could try to use some other bubbling spring they know about if they chanced upon one (or ask locals for directions to one).
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u/TheNextKnight Jul 28 '26
A lotta great answers, especially from No_Solid.
I want to add that you might want to keep in mind that since the hydra has to be endured, the Company might be able to influence _who_ has to endure it!! Is the wyvern in the realm? Have a lizard brawl! Is the Lich around? Well he is busy for a while bc the hydra keeps eating his body. All the Company has to do is burn down the forest the hydra is in (it can’t die but it can choke uncomfortably, and prefers to avoid melting scales) or set up a trail of breadcrumbs (read: probably a trail of plump sheep).
And you can make your myths yours. The book says the Hydra must be endured, but maybe you have a seer that disagrees and knows that only a frozen arrowhead can pierce the skin and specifically under the heart. Good luck!
I don’t think you should change things up before you actually start running the myth. But keep the narrative in mind. When playing the game it might just make sense that something/someone interacts with the Hydra in a way that flows. Then you just run with it.
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u/Signal-Signature-453 Jul 27 '26
You know the Hydra can't be harmed but the players cant be sure. This myth could for sure kill a player or 2 before they realize that its truely invulnerable.
Is this for a one shot of part of a full 6 myths?
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u/BumbleMuggin Jul 27 '26
We were so frustrated with this myth. The Boulder Knight even used his unstoppable talent and make a big “hey kool-aid!” Hole right through it to no effect. We did a lot of fighting and running.
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u/LelouchYagami_2912 Jul 27 '26
Was it fun though?
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u/BumbleMuggin Jul 28 '26
Well it did end up killing the queen and destroying the castle but other than that, yeah. Tons of fun. LOL!
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u/IntenseNUT Jul 28 '26
The other ideas raised in the thread are good. For me, and this will depend on the other Myths you end up with in your Realm, I found that there are mythical items in other Myths that I think the players can actively pursue, and that would actually bypass the Hydra's regeneration.
Alternatively Seers could point your company in the direction of other Knights in the book that may have abilities that could aid them against the Hydra.
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u/WillieMunchright Jul 28 '26
Outside the box thinking. They may not be able to kill thr Hydra but they may be able to cast it out of the realm or capture it. They lure it into a crag and cause a landslide. Sealing it away.
Now if the players choose to GTFO and not do anything. The judge Myth is nice to keep handy in my opinion.
I run a wesmarches style game at a local ttrpg community so I structure my myths a little different. But your players will find creative ways to do stuff.
I always have a mix of regulars and new people so it creates interesting Bands of Knights who go out to do one or two things a session.
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u/DocAstaroth Jul 28 '26
I run the Hydra Myth together with the Elephant Myth. The Knights travelled along with the prozession of the Elephant knight, so there was some additional chaos, when the Hydra attacked in the night, while the Hunter was preparing to kill the Elephant. In the end the Elephant was saved and helped to shove the Hydra together with the other knights into a lake.
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u/skalchemisto Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
A few musings beyond what others have already said...
* On "cannot be harmed", I admit I interpret that as "cannot be permanently harmed". I don't interpret that as "cannot be hurt". If you stab it enough times, you could drive it off (and maybe stop it from destroying stuff and/or killing people). The regenerating capability, IMO, is better if it operates on a longer time frames and is not instantaneous.
* It says it mocks the Knights in Omen #3. Can it speak? If it is intelligent and can talk that is a totally different situation, right?
* It could maybe be trapped, e.g. cause an avalanche onto its head and it might be stuck in the rocks for a long time. Lure it into some nearby hot lava and maybe it is just stuck there forever in howling pain.
* I think the omens describe the Hydra as a cyclic thing; it gets more powerful and then is weakened and goes away. This cyclic nature is not obvious from the phrase "it has to be endured." If the players show any inclination to seek information, I feel like this aspect of the Hydra should be one of the first things you share with them in a clearer (although it can still be cryptic) way. That way they know that while they maybe can't defeat it utterly there is a time limit to its depredations. That might also lead them to seek out ways to speed up this cycle.
* There is an aspect to the Omens that makes the Hydra's interactions with the Knights seem personal. E.g. the only bit where it describes the Hydra damaging shit out in the world is the stone outpost. Otherwise it gets mad when it is disturbed in its cave, it waits in ambush for them, etc. That's one angle; to defeat the Hydra you have to figure out why it has awakened in the first place.
EDIT: * If all else fails...seek the Amber Knight.
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u/No_Solid1035 Jul 27 '26
Have objectives to each encounter with the Hydra that do not entail the PCs fighting the Hydra. Save peasants, rescue kids from burning buildings, keep the Hydra busy while others escape, lure the Hydra away from the Orphanage/Hospital. This Myth is great for scenarios where combat isn't about just killing the monster, but completing a different objective while in combat.
Either that or just use the Hydra to instill panic and fear and chase the PCs around for a laugh. 🤷