Medium fiend, lawful evil
Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 45 (7d8+14)
Speed 50 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 6 (-2) | 13 (+1) | 6 (-2) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Str +5
Skills Perception +5
Skills (suggested) Perception +5, Stealth +3
Damage Immunities Fire
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 15
Languages understands Infernal but can’t speak It
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The hound has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Pack Tactics. The hound has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the hound’s allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Stealthy Hunter (suggested). Hell hounds have advantage on stealth checks.
ACTIONS
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
- Bite (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
- Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). The hound exhales fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- Fire Breath (suggested). The hound exhales fire in a 30-foot cone as a bonus action. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A hell hound is a monstrous, fire-breathing fiend that takes the form of a powerful dog, often with black or red fur, glowing eyes, and sharp teeth and claws. Hell hounds are native to the lower planes of existence, where they serve as guard animals and companions for evil creatures such as devils, demons, and yugoloths. Hell hounds can understand Infernal but cannot speak it, communicating instead with barks, growls, and snarls. Hell hounds are loyal to their masters, but also vicious and cruel to their enemies.
A hell hound resembles a large hound with rust-red or red-brown fur and red, glowing eyes. The markings, teeth, and tongue are soot black. It stands two to three feet high at the shoulder, and has a distinct odor of smoke and sulfur. The baying sounds it makes have an eerie, hollow tone that send a shiver through any who hear them.
COMBAT
Hell hounds are efficient hunters. They use their keen hearing and smell to track their prey, and their pack tactics to surround and ambush them. A favorite pack tactic is to surround prey quietly, then attack with one or two hounds, driving it toward the rest of the pack with their fiery breath. If the prey does not run away, the rest of the pack closes in within few rounds.
Hell hounds can also use their fire breath to set flammable objects on fire, creating chaos and confusion. Hell hounds can continue to exhale flame while biting.
Hell hounds are immune to fire damage, but vulnerable to cold damage. They can also be affected by spells and effects that target fiends, such as protection from evil and good or banishment.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Hell hounds can be found in any of the lower planes of existence, such as the Nine Hells, the Abyss, or Gehenna. They often serve as guards or pets for powerful fiends, such as archdevils, demon lords, or yugoloth princes. Some hell hounds are also part of the Wild Hunt, a legendary horde of spectral hunters that roam the planes in search of prey.
Hell hounds are social animals that live in packs of six to ten members. They have a strict hierarchy based on strength and cunning, with an alpha male or female leading the pack. Hell hounds are loyal to their pack and their master, but will not hesitate to challenge or betray either if they sense weakness or opportunity.
The hell hounds on the Prime Material plane are summoned there to serve the needs of evil creatures. Most of them later escape to the wild. Each pack is led by a 10-Hit Die hell hound. The leader drives off other 10 HD rivals, who form their own packs.
The diet of hell hounds is similar to that of normal canines. They roam a wide area of 1d10+4 square miles centered on their den. Pack territories may overlap.
Prey is usually eaten where it is slain, though hell hounds occasionally haul a carcass back to their den for later meals. Hell hounds are also similar to normal canines in that they may act as retrievers.
Some objects are specifically sought; this is especially the case in trained hell hounds. Other hell hounds are simply playful and use the retrieved items as toys. They especially like noisy bags and pouches filled with their late victims’ treasures. Flammable containers eventually burn and spill their contents in or around the den. Parchments are rarely found here unless protected by nonflammable containers.
ECOLOGY
Hell hounds have little place in the ecology of the normal world. They are dangerous annoyances prone to cause fires wherever they hunt. Hell hounds cause more forest fires than any other creature except for humanoids. Hell hounds have their uses, though.
Because of their ability to easily detect hidden or invisible creatures, hell hounds make excellent watch dogs, especially for intelligent monsters such as fire giants. Hell hounds can be domesticated if raised from puppies, but there is a chance each year that domesticated hell hounds go wild.
Hell hounds do not reproduce naturally, but are created by fiends through dark rituals or experiments. Some fiends also crossbreed hell hounds with other creatures, such as wolves, worgs, or even dragons, creating new and more powerful variants of hell hounds.