@@crowsenpai5625 Yeah How was it that there was at least one person who remembers a missing person, and yet simultaneously is unaware of the hydra. You shouldn't remember it's victims the same time you should be aware of anything relating to the hydra. And how was the party somehow just able to rock up to the hydra and face it--with the hydra readily revealed and the party seemingly unaffected by it's power?
@@NamelessGYT that is not true. It's song is a continuous effect. Whenever the false hydra stops singing to feed, the song stops, and the town feels a sense of unease, as they realize something is... off. They start remembering small bits, or at least feel they forgot something. But as soon as it starts singing again, they forget that the song works its magic. For this reason, the hydra almost always sings, and deafness makes you immune to the hydra, making deaf people and silence immune. So they song DOES rely on you to hear it.
The party never left the cave. They succumbed to the song and perished fighting the hydra in the cave. Finding a convenient item to restore the people's memories, being celebrated, rebuilding, leaving to pursue a long career adventuring... All illusions and hallucinations before being eaten.
To be fair, when does a false hydra NOT almost destroy an entire town? Usually the players run into it only after it has gotten past the beginning growth stages of its development.
An amulet that restored their memories? Nah, my party had to leave that town scarred, damaged, but alive. There was one sole person with their memories intact, as they were immune to charm, that was left to try to fill in the blanks the town had, telling the stories of those who had fallen to the beast, including the party member the players don’t even remember.
That players character must have been barely holding on by a thread imagine seeing your freinds die but everyone else seeing it but not even remembering them not even a singlr one of their moments that they had shared together All of just gone to nothing
This ended a lot better than the first false Hydra story you did most definitely. That story definitely freaks me out to this day and it was pretty gnarly but still so fascinating to hear people using false hydras in their stories
That was a suspiciously long-winded happy ending. I was waiting for it all to come crumbling down in a heart-stopping instant, as the last remaining PC suddenly saw through the illusion cast upon them by the false hydra, with the rest of the party having already been consumed by the beast after they'd been overwhelmed by its song. False hydras are no joke.
I ran a false hydra two-shot where the heroes were visiting a friend's home town for an RnR and got pulled into the mystery of the town. They thankfully managed to save the town before it was completely wiped out, but considering how many people had died already, the place was probably not going to last that much longer. It was hiding in the library, which had been abandoned after the librarian disappeared. Fun times were had :D
Is it bad that i spent the entire second half of this video waiting for them to 'realize' that they had been caught by the false hydra and all their memories about being great hero's was a lie the hydra was feeding them while it held them in stasis until it was time to eat them . . .
Honestly... I might be a lil harsh but this felt a little like wasting the hydra.i like to plan ahead so that when it hits , it won't matter if they know about it or not. Its gonna be devastating either way
I was expecting a plot twist that turned the story on its head, like the party waking up after the celebration of their success and nobody remembering why they were celebrating because the False Hydra they had slain was just an offspring of the one lurking in the town's sewers, and killing the one they thought was the big threat was just the precursor to the awakening of the true monstrosity hiding right under their feet. It'd be extra unsettling if the heads of a False Hydra could just break off and become a new one, splitting off from its parent and fleeing to somewhere it could not be cannibalised in order to hunt its own prey - that might make it a little too strong as it can always come back, but then it's like the actual hydra of myth, where cutting off it's main head and disposing of it would ultimately kill the beast - as long as one head survives, the False Hydra can always return.
(My favorite version of the one that I run, feel free to use it) The party found themselves staying in town longer than they thought they were going to. They had been there 4 weeks, when the plan was, originally, a few days to restock their caravan and get back on the road. The town was full of people who spoke in a mix of sign language and common, though none of those the party met seemed to be deaf. They investigated this and discovered that the town had a mayor, Crazy Jeffo. To all reports, he'd always been crazy and he'd always been deaf. They brushed this off as interesting trivia and wandered to the inn they'd been staying at. (Note for any DMs who wanna try this, start describing the scene normally, then shift your voice to list-reading to make the party tune out. Their subconscious will hear the freaky part, but unlikely they will) DM reading notes aloud: You enter through the poorer section of town. You see people going about their daily business. Washing clothes, watching over children, yelling at the dog for pulling down the washing, shopping for dinner... You hear children's screams that break down into giggles as a little girl is tickled by an older boy who looks much like her. You smell something savory, and fishy, cooking. As you continue walking through town, you see a well-dressed woman being grabbed by horrible heads on the end of many long necks, four guards rushing past you, there's shouting, children crying and a dog running away, yelping in fear.... The smell of well-cooked bread and meat kabobs is a harsh counterpoint to the scene. *** (if challenged [which I never have been], read below like you're recapping/re-reading) You see well-dressed people strolling the streets for their shopping. A pair of guards rush past you, headed to their empty posts. There are the calls of vendors in the streets, people chatting loudly with one another, children laughing, screaming and crying, dogs barking faintly in the distance. The smell of cooking foods waft on the breeze, bread mostly, scorched, some meat kabobs that smell quite appetizing. Are you interested in shopping or something? *** You climb the ladder into the window of the inn, go downstairs & greet the innkeeper of Billamy's Drinkery (best stop on the pilgrimage to the Worldtree), Bredda. Bredda charged them 3 silver for the day (our sneaky double agent remembers it was 4, yesterday). (Unbeknownst to the party, currently, our double agent's twin sister was eaten by the hydra). (Wisdom save from the double agent, DC 30, he rolls a 22 and thinks he made whatever it was.) DM: You don't remember your sister and you feel like you're having to talk louder and louder to be heard. (Cue party panic.) The party decides to seek out the mayor as being the other obvious oddity. They ask around about him, and are eventually able to make it to his manor. No one's seen him in weeks, but his behaviour was escalatingly crazy in the time before that. People seemed to not want to think about him. They arrive at his manor and this time the whole party has to make a DC 30 Wisdom save. Everyone fails, and I describe how the holes they first saw in the walls of the manner seem to slowly close up. I describe it happening a bit differently for each of them. One, I say: The walls and windows seem to stretch until it's as if they're unable to perceive the where the holes were, as if their mind rejected their very existence. The last one (a very creative PC) I let come up with her own reasoning, after hearing everyone else's. I said "Your mind is grasping at a reasonable explanation for how the holes could disappear but still be there". She said "Guys, it's just illusion magic, don't worry about it." & marched into the house confidently. In the house, they glimpse horrible things for a moment (heads on long necks, people being eaten, music notes covering everything) and have to make another Wisdom save. Everyone fails, and I describe what looks like the ramblings and scribblings of a madman all over the walls and floor and windows. Upstairs, in the mayor's room, they find caged demons and his notebooks. (Most parties slay or banish the demons, some try to interrogate them. The demons work for the mayor in very humane conditions, according to them.) They scour the notebooks for information on what's going on. The notebook gets more and more insane and disjointed. There's a repeated phrase, "It's in the ears!!" They find a sketch of the creature, which I show the players (terrifying, many-headed false hydra, ofc). Time for another Wisdom save! Two of our players succeed! They remember everything! Several of their caravan members are straight up missing and they *just* noticed! They see the image of the monster and the Players are *struggling* to figure out what to do, how to handle this. They start trying to help the other party members remember. Seeing if they can push past the block, if they know it's there. Our creative player is determined. She heals herself, then tries to remember. Wisdom save, DC 30. Fail. Her nose starts bleeding as she takes psychic damage. A moment later the whole party is forced to do another Wisdom save. They all fail. DM: You forget your sister, and your missing caravan members. (to the creative player) You're struggling to remember why you're here, your brain is trying to fill in the gaps of anything connected to the monster with anything else. The other Players are worrying about her PC and her nosebleed, unable to remember why she has it. She decides to close her eyes and put her fingers in her ears, to just not be in the way. This *saves them*. I describe how she suddenly remembers everything, everyone. She shouts "It's in the EARS!" and yellingly tells them to put their fingers in their ears. Ensues a conversation at high volume where they figure out how to keep their ears blocked. Now, they can hunt down the false hydra and not fall prey to it. (I usually have two false hydras. One is stuck in the door of their inn. People are unable to perceive it, its heads are stuck inside the building. That's why they use the ladder and climb through the upstairs window of their inn, above. The second is tunneling under the city, popping out and eating people. They kill the tunneler (as it is actively hunting) and realize they only remember some of their missing peoples and can still hear singing. Track that back to their own inn and see the false hydra stuck in the doorjamb. This isn't really a battle scene so much as added anxiety followed by a funny moment to fully break all that tension.) edited for: spacing, clarity and detail
If its siging and they can hear it theres no fight. Unless they cast silence or block it out another way you couldn't see it to fight. Thats part of why its so dangerous is because its invisible and deletes the memories of it's victims so even if you you restore your memory it's song if you hear it still hides it. From you and alters you perception. And tbf you don't actually hear its song cause that would draw attention to itself and be counterproductive.
Just ran a false hydra with my group of people, they injured it and instead of it retreating to a hole to hide and heal it started rapidly snapping people up off the street. In the end the only ones to get out of the town alive was my party and two villagers. Then the false hydra ripped itself out of the ground and started crawling towards the next settlement.
A False Hydra once ate the deal that I was trapped in the Radio Demon's clutches with. I owe my freedom to their sacrifice for the cause of true life's purpose on my part.
When you look at any other false hydra story and compare it to this one, there is something wrong here. Something that sort of lulls on the first pass, a sort of boring 'all is seamlessly perfect and easy and dull' feeling. Something that itches at the back of the mind that this isn't right. That this isn't how it should go. Effortless. Simple. Lazy. ...it's still watching...
I believe the False Hydra in the story was not utilized to the fullest or that a number of changes were made that ensured that it less of a scary, potent, and interesting threat. As long as the False Hydra is singing, no one should have memories of those who were its victims. Having an NPC notice that someone was dead and point that out to players to get them to investigate completely removes the aura of mystery, fear, and disbelief that players are supposed to experience when they stumble upon a town or village with boatloads of missing people and watch as the Dungeon Master tells them their friends never existed. The False Hydra's singing is -not audible-. It should not be noticed or heard. The adventurers should work to discover this and people should not clearly figure out the cause of the dire situation and lost memory and lead the characters right to the lair. As long as the False Hydra is singing, it is also ignored, accordingly to the blogger (Goblin Punch) who created it. The players should not have been able to walk up to it and just create a lot of noise and smack it a lot and save the town and defeat the dreadful incarnation of lies and evil. All in all, this False Hydra was not run as well. As a result the story was not as satisfactory as some of the other experiences that have been showcased on this very channel. Not to say that the video wasn't interesting or it's not neat to see different approaches to this legendary creature, but I don't think the way it was used bred as much of an atmosphere of horror and as interesting a tale as a result. (Thank you for listening to my TED Talk).
I came to the comments to mention all the issues I had with how the dm ran this false hydra. It was more like a siren/psychic vampire thing rather than the mindsplitting eldritch horror it should have been
The thing about the issues that you've had with this story, is that not everyone can handle the same level of gut-wrenching anguish or even wants to in an RPG. For my friends, this is exactly how I'd run a false hydra with them. I'd be aware of their triggers and anxieties, but still want them to experience what a false hydra is because I know they'd enjoy the monster and the story of it, but not be able to handle the version that you would want to hear about. This is a classic case of "Not every table/DM is fit for every player" and that's okay, but I don't think we should tear down DMs for wanting to share their Homebrew of an already homebrewed monster.
@@LuckasSilver I think you're right that this Dungeon Master may have run the False Hydra properly for their group if there are certain sensitivities or things people don't feel comfortable with in game. I amend the notion I expressed of disagreement that this monster was run well in the text above. However, I would like to point out that this story was shared with thousands of viewers and the title implied something about calamity and the devastation that comes from a False Hydra's attacks. I believe that this story should possibly have not been selected because the way the False Hydra was run did not seem very appealing to the people who viewed it. At a minimum, the title should have said something like "DM Runs Modified False Hydra and Lets the Players Save and Restore the Town of Gavynie."
@@anonymustarrasque3550 The thing with titles like this is that they're meant to be a hook for an audience, and while I can see how some were misled by the title, it's also a thing about the DM's perspective. Especially for a group that's already had the false hydra adjusted for possible triggers, the DM probably does believe this is their party's calamity and high stakes/pressure situation. It's possible that this is just an error of translating the story from the environment at the table, to a text recreation for a larger audience. A discrepancy I have experienced with GMs for other RPGs who are great at oral storytelling, but can't write prose or events on paper/text for the life of them. My other thoughts for the title, was that it was possibly changed either for the video or to bring more attention to it. I do wish the title wasn't so misleading for others, but I don't agree with the title you think it should have had instead. If I were to take it as a literal or honest suggestion at least. Every false hydra has been run differently and the stories that stick with me the longest have always done something different. Any encounter can become stale and repetitive if it sticks too adherently to the same beats. Some of those beats are necessary to clue the audience and players in for what's about to happen, but in my opinion, some of the best false hydra stories have been modified versions of the monster. Again, this is a homebrew monster, passed down by DMs and shared to be brought to more homebrewed game encounters, there's nothing wrong with them being different. There's also nothing wrong with playing them the same way as someone else has done, but you're not as likely to share that story or have it reach such a wide audience as this if you do. I also don't agree that the happy ending should be featured in the title at all. So far, you seem to present with a severe case of wanting the story to meet your expectations and have made several statements of discontent that it doesn't meet the values you place in a homebrewed creation you feel passionately about. There's nothing wrong with this, just your continued instance that the DM should have done things differently without actually regarding the DM's perspective or considering their reasoning behind their choices without prompting from a third party. I feel that your emotions with this are valid and completely fair, because no one is expecting you to enjoy every false hydra story or even to agree with every method DMs use to bring it to life. I'm sorry you wanted and expected more from this story and were disappointed and unsatisfied by it. You're not the only one, but this story wasn't meant for you or others like you. This story is great for beginner DMs and new parties. It's great for DMs needing to accommodate the triggers of their players. For me, it's nice to see that it can be used in a way that respects those points I keep reiterating. This story makes the monster and its encounters more accessible for others, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's wonderful to see because it helps people learn and feel more comfortable with taking chances and risks. Whether the DM for this story could have done better is a moot point, because at the end of the day, they and their players had fun. That's all that truly matters, and this DM did an excellent job in ensuring that their players weren't soured or distraught with a game that they want their players to enjoy and keep coming back to. Agree to disagree, but I think we should all be more respectful of how other DMs run their games and work with their group to create something they can all enjoy, even if it's not to our personal tastes.
@@LuckasSilver My goal isn’t just for the video to meet my expectations. My belief is that people in the comments here, people in other videos, and the very nature of a False Hydra combine to suggest something terrifying. My title suggestion was serious, but you may discard it if you want because it certainly isn’t perfect. However, I just wish that the title and/or thumbnail had been more clear on how expectations had been subverted in a way that most people seem to not have wanted.
The DM played nice with the hydra. Maybe the group wouldn't have enjoyed an encounter with the actual horror of the beast. It's all about having fun, afterall.
There were certainly some discontinuities. I’ve been running a False Hydra over the course of a few weeks and a False Hydra doesn’t eat memories. The Blindsong suppresses memories, but should the song be ended, the memories would return. Additionally, anyone that had the capability of hearing that song would have forgotten all the people that were eaten. Aside from some small physical traces left behind, no one would be able to even suspect that anyone had gone missing. Also, while you can hear a False Hydra’s Blindsong technically, you wouldn’t notice that you had been listening to the song until the song stops. This was more your run of the mill Hydra with some basic psionic abilities, but definitely not a False Hydra.
This isn't how false hydras operate no one can hear the song, that's how you get it. Honestly this was the most dry Bland and incorrect tale I see you've made. im glad you didn't at least make the attempt to act to lie as if this really happened
Huh, that was a decent story/game. But compared to the other False Hydra vids it was more of a one off monster. Maybe it was done by a new DM or someone who wasn't great at building mystery or suspense.
While the art is great, I think the video would benefit from a few more pictures and even some more animations within those pictures. Maybe show more of the story, I think that could get more attention and views. Awesome video in general though 5/5. Thanks for the content! ❤
Wish I had time to put more animation, I really do, but I have been back at my dayjob for a while and I can only commit about a day's work for each video. I have other priorities, and other illustration work for our own side project.
What a bland and generic way to run such a cool and unique monster. DM didn't even scratch the surface of its creepy horror and unsettling potential. 2/10
There were no issues with how the DM ran the False Hydra, it was perfect for Him and his Playerbase. There is no "Right Way" There is, "by the book", and "Homebrew/Freedom" as I call it. By the Book is going about the rules and everything else, so what the false hydra was suppose to be. The Homebrew / Freedom way, as I Say it is running the campaign to MY and My Players liking and enjoyment. whether its changing rule systems or editing a Monster to make it "Fair" for the player or going completely Homebrew with everything. As said, the DM in this story did the False Hydra perfectly fine for HIS playerbase, As they may have not been up for something as Sinister or Mind F-ing. Or as Difficult as most False Hydra Stories can be. I always promote Freedom in a story. Dnd or not. Tell a Story HOW YOU WANT TO, not how some stupid book says, or not by Rules Made for others say.
cute but imho too soft. i wouldn't call this a false hydra, more like kinda false hydra-ish pseudo siren homebrew. kudos for sharing this though, must have been fun.
Dm really scaled down the hydra to preschool level. No rolls for the party to resist the song? The npc somehow knew where it was coming from and that it was a song? Makes no sense. I get it, its your game but it feels like you robbed your players of an experience.
Not what this creature is, telling the players or being told about it from the dm that "a song keeps coming from x place" or "you see something blah blah" that hints that they aren't seeing whats there kinda hints to it and gives big knowledge to it. A good plot kinda goes like "The town's been like this for awhile now, and the fact they've been gone shows how out of touch they've been with the townsfolk for some time. That the town had been attacked by (x creatures via gnolls, goblins, you name it) and have taken and killed many of their own friends and family. Sometimes deep in the woods at night they can see the rustling in the treeline and the bushes of something sinister. Soon they come back to the village, and find everything is the way things are, but sometimes another attack happens, and there's nothing they can do but cower." It doesn't sounds like a false hydra. A false hydra simply changes the memories of the dead to something else for the others that hear the song to comprehend. The easiest way is to make them think they "never had x friend/family member." But when the party knows they existed, a band of gnolls, a ghost, or otherwise sounds like something else. If you want to make the players "forget" about npcs, never tell them about the other NPCs so when the party comes back and sees their long time friend in the village of tomatoes has a picture of a wife and kids but the party only ever remembers him being a single man, it messes with them.
Can y'all stop spreading False Hydra information? They are one of the few TRULY terrifying enemies that remain in the game. Spreading the information about them takes away the fear and mystery of them. :^/
But the idea of it is enough. It is a monster found in no book that used to be passed down from table to table as players became DMs and shared it with the next 'generation' of players. The concept of a subconscious for or a reality warping enemy only works in practice when the players are unaware of the idea. It is tricky to gives players an actual sense of dread in a game these days, I just want to be able to keep a few classic tools from the old days.
That DM was incredibly kind. Normally a false hydra eats its victims immediately.
And it’s impossible for a person to notice the song. Hearing the song makes you forget and ignore the song is there!
@@crowsenpai5625
Yeah
How was it that there was at least one person who remembers a missing person, and yet simultaneously is unaware of the hydra.
You shouldn't remember it's victims the same time you should be aware of anything relating to the hydra.
And how was the party somehow just able to rock up to the hydra and face it--with the hydra readily revealed and the party seemingly unaffected by it's power?
It effects everyone, regardless of uf you hear it or not.
@@NamelessGYT that is not true. It's song is a continuous effect. Whenever the false hydra stops singing to feed, the song stops, and the town feels a sense of unease, as they realize something is... off. They start remembering small bits, or at least feel they forgot something. But as soon as it starts singing again, they forget that the song works its magic. For this reason, the hydra almost always sings, and deafness makes you immune to the hydra, making deaf people and silence immune. So they song DOES rely on you to hear it.
@@NoahMuhlbach ah thanks, the person I heard about it from made it sound that way.
The party never left the cave. They succumbed to the song and perished fighting the hydra in the cave. Finding a convenient item to restore the people's memories, being celebrated, rebuilding, leaving to pursue a long career adventuring... All illusions and hallucinations before being eaten.
To be fair, when does a false hydra NOT almost destroy an entire town? Usually the players run into it only after it has gotten past the beginning growth stages of its development.
An amulet that restored their memories? Nah, my party had to leave that town scarred, damaged, but alive. There was one sole person with their memories intact, as they were immune to charm, that was left to try to fill in the blanks the town had, telling the stories of those who had fallen to the beast, including the party member the players don’t even remember.
That players character must have been barely holding on by a thread imagine seeing your freinds die but everyone else seeing it but not even remembering them not even a singlr one of their moments that they had shared together All of just gone to nothing
This ended a lot better than the first false Hydra story you did most definitely. That story definitely freaks me out to this day and it was pretty gnarly but still so fascinating to hear people using false hydras in their stories
Your wife is dead”…I HAD A WIFE!?!”
Where’s the link to it? I can’t find it
I think that’s what he means?
That was a suspiciously long-winded happy ending. I was waiting for it all to come crumbling down in a heart-stopping instant, as the last remaining PC suddenly saw through the illusion cast upon them by the false hydra, with the rest of the party having already been consumed by the beast after they'd been overwhelmed by its song. False hydras are no joke.
I ran a false hydra two-shot where the heroes were visiting a friend's home town for an RnR and got pulled into the mystery of the town. They thankfully managed to save the town before it was completely wiped out, but considering how many people had died already, the place was probably not going to last that much longer.
It was hiding in the library, which had been abandoned after the librarian disappeared. Fun times were had :D
Is it bad that i spent the entire second half of this video waiting for them to 'realize' that they had been caught by the false hydra and all their memories about being great hero's was a lie the hydra was feeding them while it held them in stasis until it was time to eat them . . .
You know what? I was expecting the same thing!
....Part 2 when?
Same. that would of been a better tale
And how to vin?
Honestly... I might be a lil harsh but this felt a little like wasting the hydra.i like to plan ahead so that when it hits , it won't matter if they know about it or not. Its gonna be devastating either way
The DM really wanted the party to win.
The second I heard "amulet of memory" I thought NAH.
I was expecting a plot twist that turned the story on its head, like the party waking up after the celebration of their success and nobody remembering why they were celebrating because the False Hydra they had slain was just an offspring of the one lurking in the town's sewers, and killing the one they thought was the big threat was just the precursor to the awakening of the true monstrosity hiding right under their feet.
It'd be extra unsettling if the heads of a False Hydra could just break off and become a new one, splitting off from its parent and fleeing to somewhere it could not be cannibalised in order to hunt its own prey - that might make it a little too strong as it can always come back, but then it's like the actual hydra of myth, where cutting off it's main head and disposing of it would ultimately kill the beast - as long as one head survives, the False Hydra can always return.
(My favorite version of the one that I run, feel free to use it)
The party found themselves staying in town longer than they thought they were going to. They had been there 4 weeks, when the plan was, originally, a few days to restock their caravan and get back on the road. The town was full of people who spoke in a mix of sign language and common, though none of those the party met seemed to be deaf. They investigated this and discovered that the town had a mayor, Crazy Jeffo. To all reports, he'd always been crazy and he'd always been deaf. They brushed this off as interesting trivia and wandered to the inn they'd been staying at.
(Note for any DMs who wanna try this, start describing the scene normally, then shift your voice to list-reading to make the party tune out. Their subconscious will hear the freaky part, but unlikely they will)
DM reading notes aloud:
You enter through the poorer section of town. You see people going about their daily business. Washing clothes, watching over children, yelling at the dog for pulling down the washing, shopping for dinner... You hear children's screams that break down into giggles as a little girl is tickled by an older boy who looks much like her. You smell something savory, and fishy, cooking.
As you continue walking through town, you see a well-dressed woman being grabbed by horrible heads on the end of many long necks, four guards rushing past you, there's shouting, children crying and a dog running away, yelping in fear.... The smell of well-cooked bread and meat kabobs is a harsh counterpoint to the scene.
***
(if challenged [which I never have been], read below like you're recapping/re-reading)
You see well-dressed people strolling the streets for their shopping. A pair of guards rush past you, headed to their empty posts. There are the calls of vendors in the streets, people chatting loudly with one another, children laughing, screaming and crying, dogs barking faintly in the distance. The smell of cooking foods waft on the breeze, bread mostly, scorched, some meat kabobs that smell quite appetizing.
Are you interested in shopping or something?
***
You climb the ladder into the window of the inn, go downstairs & greet the innkeeper of Billamy's Drinkery (best stop on the pilgrimage to the Worldtree), Bredda.
Bredda charged them 3 silver for the day (our sneaky double agent remembers it was 4, yesterday). (Unbeknownst to the party, currently, our double agent's twin sister was eaten by the hydra). (Wisdom save from the double agent, DC 30, he rolls a 22 and thinks he made whatever it was.) DM: You don't remember your sister and you feel like you're having to talk louder and louder to be heard.
(Cue party panic.)
The party decides to seek out the mayor as being the other obvious oddity. They ask around about him, and are eventually able to make it to his manor. No one's seen him in weeks, but his behaviour was escalatingly crazy in the time before that. People seemed to not want to think about him.
They arrive at his manor and this time the whole party has to make a DC 30 Wisdom save. Everyone fails, and I describe how the holes they first saw in the walls of the manner seem to slowly close up. I describe it happening a bit differently for each of them. One, I say: The walls and windows seem to stretch until it's as if they're unable to perceive the where the holes were, as if their mind rejected their very existence. The last one (a very creative PC) I let come up with her own reasoning, after hearing everyone else's. I said "Your mind is grasping at a reasonable explanation for how the holes could disappear but still be there". She said "Guys, it's just illusion magic, don't worry about it." & marched into the house confidently.
In the house, they glimpse horrible things for a moment (heads on long necks, people being eaten, music notes covering everything) and have to make another Wisdom save. Everyone fails, and I describe what looks like the ramblings and scribblings of a madman all over the walls and floor and windows.
Upstairs, in the mayor's room, they find caged demons and his notebooks. (Most parties slay or banish the demons, some try to interrogate them. The demons work for the mayor in very humane conditions, according to them.) They scour the notebooks for information on what's going on. The notebook gets more and more insane and disjointed. There's a repeated phrase, "It's in the ears!!" They find a sketch of the creature, which I show the players (terrifying, many-headed false hydra, ofc). Time for another Wisdom save! Two of our players succeed! They remember everything! Several of their caravan members are straight up missing and they *just* noticed! They see the image of the monster and the Players are *struggling* to figure out what to do, how to handle this.
They start trying to help the other party members remember. Seeing if they can push past the block, if they know it's there. Our creative player is determined. She heals herself, then tries to remember. Wisdom save, DC 30. Fail. Her nose starts bleeding as she takes psychic damage. A moment later the whole party is forced to do another Wisdom save. They all fail. DM: You forget your sister, and your missing caravan members. (to the creative player) You're struggling to remember why you're here, your brain is trying to fill in the gaps of anything connected to the monster with anything else.
The other Players are worrying about her PC and her nosebleed, unable to remember why she has it.
She decides to close her eyes and put her fingers in her ears, to just not be in the way.
This *saves them*. I describe how she suddenly remembers everything, everyone. She shouts "It's in the EARS!" and yellingly tells them to put their fingers in their ears. Ensues a conversation at high volume where they figure out how to keep their ears blocked. Now, they can hunt down the false hydra and not fall prey to it.
(I usually have two false hydras. One is stuck in the door of their inn. People are unable to perceive it, its heads are stuck inside the building. That's why they use the ladder and climb through the upstairs window of their inn, above. The second is tunneling under the city, popping out and eating people. They kill the tunneler (as it is actively hunting) and realize they only remember some of their missing peoples and can still hear singing. Track that back to their own inn and see the false hydra stuck in the doorjamb. This isn't really a battle scene so much as added anxiety followed by a funny moment to fully break all that tension.)
edited for: spacing, clarity and detail
Sounded a little too wholesome for a false hydra. Like if it was the wrong monster for this DM to use
Gavony? Alara?… wait a minute!
I was thinking the same thing
easy mode hydra , too many clues like hearing the singing and the town almost discovering it too , a true hydra its almost really almost undetectable.
My 3.5 character made it a point to cast Mind Blank on himself each day precisely to prevent things like this. It was part of his morning routine.
wild, i started watching this an hour ago because im running it this weekend and didnt realize it was a brand new video lol. Great tale!
That was uncharacteristically uplifting for a False Hydra story.
If its siging and they can hear it theres no fight.
Unless they cast silence or block it out another way you couldn't see it to fight.
Thats part of why its so dangerous is because its invisible and deletes the memories of it's victims so even if you you restore your memory it's song if you hear it still hides it. From you and alters you perception. And tbf you don't actually hear its song cause that would draw attention to itself and be counterproductive.
Just ran a false hydra with my group of people, they injured it and instead of it retreating to a hole to hide and heal it started rapidly snapping people up off the street. In the end the only ones to get out of the town alive was my party and two villagers.
Then the false hydra ripped itself out of the ground and started crawling towards the next settlement.
Wait what? How did the people who died come back to life?
The GM doesnt know how to handle deaths or understand what the False Hydra does to its victims
dm just lame as fok thats why
I don't think the pc's killed the false hydra
At what point in this story did they find the missing people? That seemed to get glossed over.
How could they perceive the Hydra while it was singing?
Unless the end is all part of the song : ) !!!
A False Hydra once ate the deal that I was trapped in the Radio Demon's clutches with. I owe my freedom to their sacrifice for the cause of true life's purpose on my part.
When you look at any other false hydra story and compare it to this one, there is something wrong here.
Something that sort of lulls on the first pass, a sort of boring 'all is seamlessly perfect and easy and dull' feeling.
Something that itches at the back of the mind that this isn't right.
That this isn't how it should go.
Effortless. Simple. Lazy.
...it's still watching...
I believe the False Hydra in the story was not utilized to the fullest or that a number of changes were made that ensured that it less of a scary, potent, and interesting threat.
As long as the False Hydra is singing, no one should have memories of those who were its victims. Having an NPC notice that someone was dead and point that out to players to get them to investigate completely removes the aura of mystery, fear, and disbelief that players are supposed to experience when they stumble upon a town or village with boatloads of missing people and watch as the Dungeon Master tells them their friends never existed.
The False Hydra's singing is -not audible-. It should not be noticed or heard. The adventurers should work to discover this and people should not clearly figure out the cause of the dire situation and lost memory and lead the characters right to the lair.
As long as the False Hydra is singing, it is also ignored, accordingly to the blogger (Goblin Punch) who created it. The players should not have been able to walk up to it and just create a lot of noise and smack it a lot and save the town and defeat the dreadful incarnation of lies and evil.
All in all, this False Hydra was not run as well. As a result the story was not as satisfactory as some of the other experiences that have been showcased on this very channel. Not to say that the video wasn't interesting or it's not neat to see different approaches to this legendary creature, but I don't think the way it was used bred as much of an atmosphere of horror and as interesting a tale as a result.
(Thank you for listening to my TED Talk).
I came to the comments to mention all the issues I had with how the dm ran this false hydra. It was more like a siren/psychic vampire thing rather than the mindsplitting eldritch horror it should have been
The thing about the issues that you've had with this story, is that not everyone can handle the same level of gut-wrenching anguish or even wants to in an RPG. For my friends, this is exactly how I'd run a false hydra with them. I'd be aware of their triggers and anxieties, but still want them to experience what a false hydra is because I know they'd enjoy the monster and the story of it, but not be able to handle the version that you would want to hear about.
This is a classic case of "Not every table/DM is fit for every player" and that's okay, but I don't think we should tear down DMs for wanting to share their Homebrew of an already homebrewed monster.
@@LuckasSilver
I think you're right that this Dungeon Master may have run the False Hydra properly for their group if there are certain sensitivities or things people don't feel comfortable with in game. I amend the notion I expressed of disagreement that this monster was run well in the text above.
However, I would like to point out that this story was shared with thousands of viewers and the title implied something about calamity and the devastation that comes from a False Hydra's attacks. I believe that this story should possibly have not been selected because the way the False Hydra was run did not seem very appealing to the people who viewed it. At a minimum, the title should have said something like "DM Runs Modified False Hydra and Lets the Players Save and Restore the Town of Gavynie."
@@anonymustarrasque3550 The thing with titles like this is that they're meant to be a hook for an audience, and while I can see how some were misled by the title, it's also a thing about the DM's perspective. Especially for a group that's already had the false hydra adjusted for possible triggers, the DM probably does believe this is their party's calamity and high stakes/pressure situation. It's possible that this is just an error of translating the story from the environment at the table, to a text recreation for a larger audience. A discrepancy I have experienced with GMs for other RPGs who are great at oral storytelling, but can't write prose or events on paper/text for the life of them. My other thoughts for the title, was that it was possibly changed either for the video or to bring more attention to it.
I do wish the title wasn't so misleading for others, but I don't agree with the title you think it should have had instead. If I were to take it as a literal or honest suggestion at least. Every false hydra has been run differently and the stories that stick with me the longest have always done something different. Any encounter can become stale and repetitive if it sticks too adherently to the same beats. Some of those beats are necessary to clue the audience and players in for what's about to happen, but in my opinion, some of the best false hydra stories have been modified versions of the monster. Again, this is a homebrew monster, passed down by DMs and shared to be brought to more homebrewed game encounters, there's nothing wrong with them being different. There's also nothing wrong with playing them the same way as someone else has done, but you're not as likely to share that story or have it reach such a wide audience as this if you do. I also don't agree that the happy ending should be featured in the title at all.
So far, you seem to present with a severe case of wanting the story to meet your expectations and have made several statements of discontent that it doesn't meet the values you place in a homebrewed creation you feel passionately about. There's nothing wrong with this, just your continued instance that the DM should have done things differently without actually regarding the DM's perspective or considering their reasoning behind their choices without prompting from a third party. I feel that your emotions with this are valid and completely fair, because no one is expecting you to enjoy every false hydra story or even to agree with every method DMs use to bring it to life. I'm sorry you wanted and expected more from this story and were disappointed and unsatisfied by it. You're not the only one, but this story wasn't meant for you or others like you.
This story is great for beginner DMs and new parties. It's great for DMs needing to accommodate the triggers of their players. For me, it's nice to see that it can be used in a way that respects those points I keep reiterating. This story makes the monster and its encounters more accessible for others, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's wonderful to see because it helps people learn and feel more comfortable with taking chances and risks. Whether the DM for this story could have done better is a moot point, because at the end of the day, they and their players had fun. That's all that truly matters, and this DM did an excellent job in ensuring that their players weren't soured or distraught with a game that they want their players to enjoy and keep coming back to. Agree to disagree, but I think we should all be more respectful of how other DMs run their games and work with their group to create something they can all enjoy, even if it's not to our personal tastes.
@@LuckasSilver My goal isn’t just for the video to meet my expectations. My belief is that people in the comments here, people in other videos, and the very nature of a False Hydra combine to suggest something terrifying.
My title suggestion was serious, but you may discard it if you want because it certainly isn’t perfect. However, I just wish that the title and/or thumbnail had been more clear on how expectations had been subverted in a way that most people seem to not have wanted.
I'm confused. All the stuff I know about false hydras does not mesh with this story. I guess this is a Homebrew Hydra?
The DM played nice with the hydra. Maybe the group wouldn't have enjoyed an encounter with the actual horror of the beast. It's all about having fun, afterall.
There were certainly some discontinuities. I’ve been running a False Hydra over the course of a few weeks and a False Hydra doesn’t eat memories. The Blindsong suppresses memories, but should the song be ended, the memories would return. Additionally, anyone that had the capability of hearing that song would have forgotten all the people that were eaten. Aside from some small physical traces left behind, no one would be able to even suspect that anyone had gone missing. Also, while you can hear a False Hydra’s Blindsong technically, you wouldn’t notice that you had been listening to the song until the song stops. This was more your run of the mill Hydra with some basic psionic abilities, but definitely not a False Hydra.
Man wondered how long those players further delude themselves
This isn't how false hydras operate no one can hear the song, that's how you get it. Honestly this was the most dry Bland and incorrect tale I see you've made. im glad you didn't at least make the attempt to act to lie as if this really happened
Bro what are you going on about
@@Plight_ Bruh you can't of listened to that dryass video and think it was worth the time it wasted from my life
I have a false hydra in my homebrew campaign
Huh, that was a decent story/game. But compared to the other False Hydra vids it was more of a one off monster. Maybe it was done by a new DM or someone who wasn't great at building mystery or suspense.
I hate False Hydra stories. They're just so forgettable.
While the art is great, I think the video would benefit from a few more pictures and even some more animations within those pictures.
Maybe show more of the story, I think that could get more attention and views.
Awesome video in general though 5/5.
Thanks for the content! ❤
Wish I had time to put more animation, I really do, but I have been back at my dayjob for a while and I can only commit about a day's work for each video. I have other priorities, and other illustration work for our own side project.
What a bland and generic way to run such a cool and unique monster.
DM didn't even scratch the surface of its creepy horror and unsettling potential.
2/10
There were no issues with how the DM ran the False Hydra, it was perfect for Him and his Playerbase. There is no "Right Way" There is, "by the book", and "Homebrew/Freedom" as I call it. By the Book is going about the rules and everything else, so what the false hydra was suppose to be. The Homebrew / Freedom way, as I Say it is running the campaign to MY and My Players liking and enjoyment. whether its changing rule systems or editing a Monster to make it "Fair" for the player or going completely Homebrew with everything. As said, the DM in this story did the False Hydra perfectly fine for HIS playerbase, As they may have not been up for something as Sinister or Mind F-ing. Or as Difficult as most False Hydra Stories can be.
I always promote Freedom in a story. Dnd or not. Tell a Story HOW YOU WANT TO, not how some stupid book says, or not by Rules Made for others say.
If the PCs manage to Raise Dead or Reincarnate some of the dead, do the memories of them return? Or would they stay erased? How would you handle that?
I would imagine them being brought back as just your usual undead, no thoughts, nothing but a shambling corpse with no purpose
cute but imho too soft. i wouldn't call this a false hydra, more like kinda false hydra-ish pseudo siren homebrew. kudos for sharing this though, must have been fun.
Oh dear. I'm excited for how this will turn out.
Edit: Also, first
Honestly this is a pretty weak False Hydra story everything got wrapped up nicely. Instead of mass hysteria and distraction with some survivors.
Dm really scaled down the hydra to preschool level. No rolls for the party to resist the song? The npc somehow knew where it was coming from and that it was a song? Makes no sense. I get it, its your game but it feels like you robbed your players of an experience.
Couldn't they have casted Silence on it?
I've not seen the appeal of this "monster". If I was mind altering effects illusions work well to mess with players.
Blood and Doom has Hydras. BIG Hydras. Just sayin'. ;-)
What is a false hydra?
Think the silence from Dr who, but an angry worm.
@@seabass819 The who but an angry worm? 🤔🙂🤔🙂🤔🙂
(Silence will fall)
Not what this creature is, telling the players or being told about it from the dm that "a song keeps coming from x place" or "you see something blah blah" that hints that they aren't seeing whats there kinda hints to it and gives big knowledge to it.
A good plot kinda goes like "The town's been like this for awhile now, and the fact they've been gone shows how out of touch they've been with the townsfolk for some time. That the town had been attacked by (x creatures via gnolls, goblins, you name it) and have taken and killed many of their own friends and family. Sometimes deep in the woods at night they can see the rustling in the treeline and the bushes of something sinister. Soon they come back to the village, and find everything is the way things are, but sometimes another attack happens, and there's nothing they can do but cower."
It doesn't sounds like a false hydra. A false hydra simply changes the memories of the dead to something else for the others that hear the song to comprehend. The easiest way is to make them think they "never had x friend/family member."
But when the party knows they existed, a band of gnolls, a ghost, or otherwise sounds like something else.
If you want to make the players "forget" about npcs, never tell them about the other NPCs so when the party comes back and sees their long time friend in the village of tomatoes has a picture of a wife and kids but the party only ever remembers him being a single man, it messes with them.
This sounds ai scripted ngl
Can y'all stop spreading False Hydra information? They are one of the few TRULY terrifying enemies that remain in the game. Spreading the information about them takes away the fear and mystery of them. :^/
That's the thing about the false hydra, due to its very nature, there's no way to know if any of it is accurate.
You're all whack. There's no such thing as a false hydra.
I mean they aren’t in the game though, they’re homebrew. Which means short of this source that information is just barely gonna spread at all.
But the idea of it is enough. It is a monster found in no book that used to be passed down from table to table as players became DMs and shared it with the next 'generation' of players. The concept of a subconscious for or a reality warping enemy only works in practice when the players are unaware of the idea. It is tricky to gives players an actual sense of dread in a game these days, I just want to be able to keep a few classic tools from the old days.
Roll persuasion!
That was a boringly typical story
YIRBEL LIVES! HUH? oh hell no i'm so sick of false hydras, sorry fellahs i'm skipping this one
First.
All others who thought they were first were just spam bot accounts that have since been closed...