Spectral Hound
by Ivan ChiaMedium Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 6d10+12 (45 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 40 ft.
Armour Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flatfooted 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+9
Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d8+4 plus astral shift)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d8+4 plus astral shift)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Astral shift
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic or silver, darkvision 60 ft., greater plane shift, scent, spectral sight
Saves: Fort. +7, Ref. +8, Will +4
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +8, Listen +6, Spot +7, Survival +5 (+17 when tracking)
Feats: Ability Focus (astral shift), Alertness, Improved Initiative, Planar Tracking (B), Track (B)
Environment: Astral Plane
Organisation: Solitary, pack (2-5) or hunting party (1-4 plus 1-4 githyanki)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium); 13-18 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice a ghostly, translucent hound tracking and observing you.
A spectral hound is said to be the creation of the githyanki, who breed them from some other planar canine. If this is true, the secrets have been lost as they are now found everywhere in the service of other creatures like demons, slaadi, etc. On the Astral Plane, it appears as a normal, gaunt-looking hound. Most githyanki communities have a kennel of spectral hounds as trackers and guardians.
COMBAT
A spectral hound fights as any other war-trained canine, with just a little more cunning. They have no control over their ability to shift their foes to the Astral by bite.
Astral Shift (Su): A spectral hound's bite forces the target to make a DC 16 Will save or be transported to the Astral Plane within the next 4d6 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Greater Plane Shift (Sp): At will, a spectral hound can shift directly to the destination of any creature affected by its astral shift ability. This is akin to a plane shift spell except that it arrives at the exact destination (instead of 5d% miles away), and only transport to the Astral Plane and back is possible.
Spectral Sight (Su): A spectral hound can see all invisible and ethereal creatures and objects.
Skills: A spectral hound has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks and a +12 racial bonus on Survival checks made while tracking. It can track through any medium, even the astral void, thanks to its Planar Tracking feat.