Chimera



The  is an enemy in Dragon's Dogma.

It is a large, three-headed creature composed of three animals: on the front is a lion's head, which is mostly a physical melee attacker, on its back is a goat's head, which casts long-range magick spells, and on its tail is a snake's head, which attacks enemies that engage in close combat or climb onto it.

It is similar to the Gorechimera but has less health and cannot heal itself, making it easier to defeat.

Description
"A fearsome beast bearing the heads of both a lion and a goat while its tail takes the form of a giant snake. The chimera’s features so distinguish it from the natural world that it is believed by most to be born not of God’s power but of the sorcerer’s arts. The three beasts that reside within the creature each possess an independent will and this ability to act autonomously is frighteningly apparent if you come to blows with the chimera.  While the mobilization of its massive torso and legs is largely under the command of the lion head, the goat specializes in magickal attacks and the snake head on the chimera’s tail eliminates all blind spots and allows it to defend itself when downed. You would be foolish to approach a fallen chimera without caution if this snake is still able to fight.  On rare occasion, the chimera can be sent into a panic that will cause its respective personalities to fight for control of the body in a confused frenzy. Such behavior is not seen in other multi-headed beasts, such as the hydra, and so it appears yet another piece of evidence supporting the theory that the chimera is a man-made monster. Chimeras are highly adaptive and can survive in any habitat, but they are most often observed in mountain shadows and deep in dungeons. They do not make a den or any other home for themselves as they are constantly on the prowl in search of new prey."

- Capcom official description

Stats

 * Lion and Goat's health contribute to the main health bar, the snake's health is separate
 * Physical and Magickal power is thought to increase when the Goat or Lion are killed respectively.

Offensive

 * Vulnerable to Torpor, Silence, and Tarred, Sleep.
 * The Lion's head may be more vulnerable to sleep arrows than other parts.
 * The three heads take significantly more damage than the body.
 * The lion's head is weak to magic (but makes up a significantly large portion of the overall Chimera's health)
 * The goat's head is weak to physical attacks
 * The snake's head can be effectively hit by both (and has a separate health bar of its own)
 * If the Arisen climbs the area of the Chimera between the snake and the goat, swings with a one-handed sword can hit both sections.
 * Multi-strike spells (such as Bolide) can individually target each of the heads, resulting in multiple (meteor) strikes. This makes Bolide spells much more effective against Chimeras than they are against many other large monsters (such as Cyclopes, which will typically be hit by only one meteor).
 * The snake's head on Chimeras (and Gorechimeras) represents a true weak spot for skills such as Great Gamble.

Defensive

 * Vulnerable to Silence - the goat's head will still attempt to cast spells, but with no effect.
 * Targeting the snake's head first can make close quarters combat less troublesome, especially climbing attacks since the snake tends to strike and harass climbing combatants.
 * Killing the lion's head reduces the overall aggression and tendency to rage of the beast. The goat head takes charge and becomes more defensive, casting spells and mostly trying to evade the player.
 * If the lions's head is the last to be destroyed the chimera will rage, making it a difficult and dangerous target. However, it is more difficult to kill the lion first as it accounts for a large portion of the Chimera's overall health.
 * As the lion is weak to magicks a Mage may find it easier to take out the lion first.
 * Beware the Chimera's pounces and back kicks - both can be Perfect Blocked.

Class specific

 * Fighters : Dragon's Maw between the lion's head and the goat's head will do massive damage because the attack will hit both at the same time.
 * Striders : Skull Splitter and related skills with the Eminence augment can quickly kill one or more heads simultaneously.
 * Mages : High Comestion will often kill off the snake and goat while doing significant damage to the lion as well as setting it on fire. Silentium will silence the Goat from spellcasting and render it harmless. As the Lion is weak to magical attacks it may also be easier to kill the Lion head first, thus preventing the Chimera rampaging when only the Lion remains.
 * Magick Archers : Shadowshackle is strong enough to pin down and trap the Chimera for the duration of the fight.
 * Mystic Knights : A Ruinous Sigil will not only knock down a Chimera down, but will then do continued damage to all parts of the beast. General Mystic Knight tactics including perfect blocked ripostes work well.

Other

 * Chimeras are immune to poison, curse, petrification and blindness. Gorechimeras lack the immunity to poison.
 * The Chimera can be sent into a panic at times, causing its heads to fight for control of the body and rendering it unable to attack for a few seconds.
 * When wandering the open world, if the Arisen chooses to snipe a Chimera from afar, this first strike surprise attack will nullify the "Ambush! Slay your enemies" objective that rewards the player with gold and rift crystals upon victory. To ensure the Arisen gets paid for their effort, the chimera should be allowed to spot the party before the party initiates the first strike.
 * If both the goat's and lion's head are killed the creature dies even if the snake is still alive.

Pawn Bestiary Knowledge

 * Chimera Tactics - Specific tactics to beat Chimeras.
 * Chimera Strategy Vol. 1 - Kill the snake tail first to make climbing and attacking easier.
 * Chimera Strategy Vol. 2 - Silence the goat to make it unable to cast any spells.
 * Use magickal attacks on the Lion head as it is weak to Magick.
 * Killing the goat head first will increase aggression as the lion takes control of the body. It will pounce around randomly and violently. May not be a needed knowledge flag.
 * Killing the lion head first will decrease aggression as the goat takes control of the body. It will only be able to cast spells and will mostly try to run away from the attacking party. May not be a needed knowledge flag.

In addition to witnessing these techniques, it may be necessary for Pawns to participate in killing 30 Chimeras either with their own Arisen or while travelling with others.

More information can be found on the Pawn Bestiary Knowledge page.