Plaguehound (3.5 Monster) PEACH

[Jergmo]

Plaguehounds are the first homebrew monster I ever created, and as such I expect they're rough around the edges. I would appreciate any feedback that could be used to improve them.

Plaguehounds were the creations of the God of Death and Decay in one of my first settings, used to hunt down mortals hiding or fleeing from undead marauders.

Plaguehounds are slightly larger than most large breeds of hunting dogs, and are more solidly built with pitch black fur, elongated and raised ears, yellow eyes and protruding fangs which drip rancid, viscous fluid.

Lesser Plaguehound
Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar)
Size/Type: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: Bite +6 melee (2d4+3 plus disease) or breath weapon +6 ranged ()
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (2d4+3 plus disease) or breath weapon +6 ranged ()
Space/Reach:5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., healed by negative energy, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +13, Jump +12, Listen +7, Move Silently +13, Spot +11, Survival +7*
Feats: Improved Initiative, Run, TrackB
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +3 (cohort)

Breath Weapon (Su): Three times a day as standard action, a plaguehound releases a 30-foot cone of noxious gas that causes any creature with a sense of smell to be sickened for 1d4 rounds. A successful Reflex save (DC 11 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier) negates. Creatures with the Scent ability are sickened for twice as along and take a -2 penalty to their saves. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same plaguehound's breath weapon for 24 hours. The save is Constitution-based.

Disease (Ex): Plague—bite, Fortitude DC 15, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution based.
Skills
Lesser Plagehounds receive a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks.

*+4 bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

Plaguehound
Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar)
Size/Type: 8d8+16 (52 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+3 Dex, +6 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+11
Attack: Bite +11 melee (2d6+4 plus disease) or plague +11 ranged ()
Full Attack: Bite +11/+8 melee (2d6+4 plus disease) or plague +11 ranged ()
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Plague
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., healed by negative energy, immune to disease and negative levels, scent
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +6
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +14, Jump +18, Listen +11, Move Silently +14, Spot +15, Survival +11*
Feats: Improved Initiative, Run, TrackB, Ability Focus(Plague)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 9-12 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +3 (cohort)

Breath Weapon (Su): Three times a day as standard action, a plaguehound releases a 30-foot cone of noxious gas that causes any creature with a sense of smell to be sickened for 1d4 rounds. A successful Reflex save (DC 11 + 2 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier) negates. Creatures with the Scent ability are sickened for twice as along and take a -2 penalty to their saves. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same plaguehound's breath weapon for 24 hours. The save is Constitution-based.

Disease (Ex): Plague—bite, Fortitude DC 20, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution based.

Skills
Plaguehounds receive a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks.

*+4 bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

[Debihuman]

Yay new (to me) monsters to critique.

These are pretty good. I like that they have speed 40 ft. as they are quadrupeds and should be a little faster. Just remove the info for breath weapon in attack line. Breath weapon is a special attack and belongs in a text section. Also, you note the disease as disease in the text. What is the plague. Is it transmitted by touch or injury.

Attack: Bite +6 melee (2d4+3 plus disease)
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (2d4+3 plus disease)

Generally with Breath Weapon, you need to decide the type (cone or line usually) and range. Use CR as your guideline. Breath weapons usually allow a Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + ½ breathing creature’s racial HD + breathing creature’s Con modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). Some breath weapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save instead of a Reflex save.
Breath weapons are supernatural abilities except where noted.

Since this is relatively low level, the breath weapon shouldn't be usable very often. Here is an example of a weapon that I just made up on the fly.
Don't feel you have to use it though you may if you like.

Breath Weapon (Su): Three times a day as standard action, a plaguehound releases a 30-foot cone of noxious gas that causes any creature with a sense of smell to be sickened for 1d4 rounds. A successful Reflex save (DC 15) negates. Creatures with the Scent ability are sickened for twice as along and take a -2 penalty to their saves. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same plaguehound's breath weapon for 24 hours. The save is Constitution-based.

I really don't see the disease as a ranged touch. It should be transmitted through the creature's bite as you have it in the stat block.

Disease (Ex): Plague—bite, Fortitude DC 15, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution based.

Debby

[Jergmo]

These are really good ideas, Debi. Thank you! I'd kind of envisioned their breath as being a glob of bile they spat at enemies, but this makes a lot more sense.