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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Prometheus's Avatar

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    Default Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Yeth Hound is here. I break from the pattern a little bit, mostly because I couldn't figure out where to put what.

    Bad street Rep: Hell hounds, howlers, krenshar, worgs, winter wolfs, dire wolfs, werewolves, barghest, blink dog, and displacer beast! How many weird and evil dogs does the Monster Manual need? The Yeth Hound just seems odd, with arbitrary abilities. No modules have any place for it, and at the end of the alphabet, DMs just forget about it.

    i care for it because: First of all, Yeth Hounds are legit. They are some accident generated by a wizard (of the coast), they are a Scottish legend. They are creatures with a fear ability, but they are also descriptively and pictorially scary. An emaciated dark dog, with a humanoid head, erie yellow eyes, terrifying screams, and INEXPLICABLY FLYS! It's certainly creepier than any of another variety of monsters.

    - perception: They are seen as just another hack and slash monster, or exactly like the krenshar. Either that, or they are relegated to evil planes and never seen ever. More importantly, it isn't used how it can be.

    - concept: Yeth Hounds seem to have a culture of fear, they actually enjoy it and their existence seems to be driven by it. I prefer the Yethi version of "creature of fear" than some cliche amorphous spirit of darkness. To many tales about the Yeth Hounds have been spun to justify the irrational fear of their barks, therefore their is a certain degree of paranoia about them.

    -Fear's Purpose: Some isolationist towns like to cultivate or introduce a band of Yeth Hounds into the surrounding wilderness. Most of the time, they don't harm people, they just give them a good chase. As a result, the village tends to be bypassed by most outside events and can keep to itself. Perhaps more nefariously, a few in control of the city use it to make sure that no one else attempts to leave (like M.Night Shamalan's The Village).
    -mechanics: Each time a creature fails a Will Save to the Yeth Hounds Bay special attack, it receives a cumulative -2 penalty to it, to a maximum of -6, each penalty lasting for a month.
    Rather than make multiple bay attacks, a herd of Yeth Hounds can make a single Bay attack that receives a +2 bonus to the DC for each beyond the first up to a maximum of four with a +6 bonus.

    -Yeth Hound Den: While yeth hounds are frequently encountered on the prowl, they gather in their own cavernous den where they hide in the day, and the only way to root them out of an area is to destroy it. Yeth hounds permit other creatures to inhabit the outskirts of their den - so long as they don't hunt the yeth hounds, they can feed off of those driven from the den by fear. In addition to the hazards posed by the cohabitants, the complex is usually very uneven, slippery, jagged and unstable - most of this is natural, but occasionally intelligent yeth hounds put work into digging up and trapping their surroundings. The yeth hounds are easily able to fly through the caves, and the more the fleeing humanoids trip and harm themselves, the better. Also, it provides many perches for them to hide on in the dark. The cavern usually has an erratic and maze-like quality to it with many deadends and more than one exit/entrance.
    From a distance, Yeth hounds can cause their cries to echo so that the creature is confused about which way to run or harms himself or herself trying to escape. When they come closer, they can choose to herd their subject in circles, out of the cavern, or into a deadend -whichever they prefer.
    Exceptionally large and well-made Yeth Hound dens will usually include a band of enslaved humanoids or monstrous humanoids (Grimlocks, Mongrelfolk, Goblins, Gnomes) which they chase around their for their daytime amusement. After a hunt, they'll bring back some scraps for their prisoners to subsist on, which is usually the best indication of where a Yethi hound den is, and whether or not they have captives.
    -mechanics: A Yeth Hound's Bay ability echoes two times the ordinary range in a Yeth Hound's Den. In a Yeth Hound's Den, a Yeth Hound may make a DC 15 Dex Check to direct its Bay ability so it appears to come from a different direction so long as it has the ability to find an appropriate path within range.

    -Yethi Mounts & Companions:
    Sinister witches and staunch warlords alike can use a beast which drives their enemies mad with fear. They can serve as scouts, guard dogs, and as part of a strategic attack. They are the traditional mount of Wisplings, and their flying trickery is quite something to mettle with.
    -mechanics: A Yeth Hound may serve as a Blackguard's fiendish servant as though the Blackguard had a character level of three less. A Yeth Hound may serve as an improved familiar (CWar) at an Arcane Caster and BAB level of 7. Obviously, a Yeth Hound is still able to function as a cohort with an LA +3.

    -Wereyeths: That is, the Were-Yeth Hound. When Yeth Hounds are struck by a Werewolf, they must make a Fortitude save to avoid contracting the curse of lycanthropy as if they were humanoid, but rather than becoming a werewolf yeth hound, or a werefolf humanoid, they become a wereyeth humanoid (of the same species of that the werewolf was). Although this seems like an unlikely event, the results are quite enduring. Even in human form, its irrational form of flight is completely active and it makes for a formidable opponent.
    mechanics-the lycanthrope template remains mostly the same, with a few modifications. It has outsider HD rather than animal HD. DR/silver is increased by 5 in every form. It's ability modifiers are Str +6, Dex+4, Con+4. Alignment Neutral Evil.

    Bring it all Together: Mayor trains Yeth Hounds to isolate town. Yeth hounds keep traveling-mechants prisoners in their den. The mayor periodically comes by and collects the merchant's wealth (he's yething all the way to the bank). When players destroy the den, the Mayor introduces more. They must be coming from somewhere and the experts agrees destroying the den usually does it. When the players confront the Mayor, oh snap, he's a Wereyeth! Apparently this little project had that nasty side effect - a nasty side effect he defends to his death (But if he inflicts one of them, he gets his last yeth). If only he would have let his daughter go out at night a flirt with the city merchants we wouldn't have this problem, would we.

    in conclusion: Yeth hounds, are awesome I hope I gave the thread format justice.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    -follows link-

    ...so you aren't makign these thigns up. Wow, chalk them up on the list of monsters I forget exist.

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    I'm never able to forget these things because of the Tacharim using them to scare freaking MODRONS.

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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Quote Originally Posted by Prometheus View Post
    -Wereyeths: That is, the Were-Yeth Hound. When Yeth Hounds are struck by a Werewolf, they must make a Fortitude save to avoid contracting the curse of lycanthropy as if they were humanoid, but rather than becoming a werewolf yeth hound, or a werefolf humanoid, they become a wereyeth humanoid (of the same species of that the werewolf was). Although this seems like an unlikely event, the results are quite enduring. Even in human form, its irrational form of flight is completely active and it makes for a formidable opponent.
    mechanics-the lycanthrope template remains mostly the same, with a few modifications. It has outsider HD rather than animal HD. DR/silver is increased by 5 in every form. It's ability modifiers are Str +6, Dex+4, Con+4. Alignment Neutral Evil.
    This needs some more explanation, as it's outside the normal rules for such things. What's the CR, is it affected by the moon, and so on.
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  5. - Top - End - #5
    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Hell hounds, howlers, krenshar, worgs, winter wolfs, dire wolfs, werewolves, barghest, blink dog, and displacer beast! How many weird and evil dogs does the Monster Manual need?
    Krenshar and Displacer Beasts are both more catlike than doglike, and blink dogs are good (and universally recognized as cool).

    And all of those, and you didn't even mention the Yeth Hound's near-twin, the Shadow Mastiff?
    First of all, Yeth Hounds are legit. They are some accident generated by a wizard (of the coast), they are a Scottish legend.
    Yes, but the Yeth Hound is the same legend as the Barghest (also not original to D&D). And if you want more inspiration, look to the Hound of the Baskervilles, the most prominent example in (semi-)modern fiction of such a beast. Similar creatures also show up in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series, though I've loaned out my books and can't remember what name they go by there.
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    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    first of all- Hurrah! thansk for lifting the glove! i must admit i didn't much think of the yeth hound myself, preety much for the reasons you mentioned. EXACTLY what i was talking about.
    as to the format- don't worry about it! it's made to be altered, twisted and reformed. it was a guideline to help people who sought structure. (and mainly it was for me to arrange my ideas). you seemed to have achieved what i inspired to, and that is to raise ideas, and curiousity about formerly unused monsters!
    i loved the idea of the were-yeth (didn't think to make were-magical beasts before). and especially liked the yeth hound lair, frightenting tactics, and the enslaved prisoners.
    adding them as possible cohorth/ servents/ familiars was a nice touch.

    so again, thank you for doing this, truly.
    Kol.

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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Heh, finally.

    Have you thought about Yeth hounds with class levels?

    Swordsage: You know you like it...

    Barbarian: A very logical step for a bestial, low-intelligence creature.

    Siren: You would have to toss in a few class levels before this PrC, but then
    you've got a nasty little thing that can turn people to stone or kill them by barking...

    Warlock: This would be frightening for a Hideous Blow-based Warlock.

    Rogue: Chuck it some ranks in Hide and Move Silently, and you've got a perfect ambush hunter.

    Scout: An excellent combination in my eyes, however, I'd change Fast Movement to work with flight. Just add Flyby Attack and water.

    Ninja: This would work well for lower levels, at least until the PCs got See Invisibility.

    Ranger: I kinda think this is not really a great idea, but Swift Tracking, Evasion, and the various hiding abilities are handy, plus (although I wouldn't do this, for RP reasons) they could get an animal companion

    Others

    Druid: Just no.

    Monk: See druid.

    Wizard: Very bad idea, just look at that Intelligence score.


    Also, have you thought about allowing players to play them?
    Last edited by Risek; 2008-11-18 at 08:32 AM.

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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    The dead have risen!
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Where's Sstopidtallkid when you need him? I can't seem to find that "Arise thread long since dead!" picture he always quotes.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    I never do know what the protocol is for posting in a thread that someone else resurrected. Oh well.

    I do think that it is nice to have a lycanthrope that has supernatural abilities. It makes it so that fighter-types can successfully optimize it, but at the same time gives them so extra goodies.

    As for use by PCs, it's a balanced as any of the other lycanthrope types are, by following the same template, for similar advantages, based on a creature with similar CR. Some would rate Flight a more powerful ability than Scent, but that is all depending on the application. Certainly in higher level play Flight is easier to come by for a PC.

    I think it is interesting to imagine the wereyeth applied to different humanoids. Elves, for example, would probably have slick shiny fur and ridiculous ears. A kobold would have a mouth full of knives and hair in the form of tuffs. A dwarf or gnome would just look wrong.
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    Also, its time to think about Yeth Hounds in a whole new way

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    Colossus in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Fiend folio did hellhound, shadow mastiff, and vorr, a Abyssal houndlike beast, with shapeshifting variants called Canomorphs.

    Didn't do yeth hounds though. They work well as The Wild Hunt, with the Lord of the Wild Hunt in MMV being a formidable huntmaster. He also comes with scarier hounds though.

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    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Mwahaha...I raise thee again!

    You misunderstood, I mean using yeths as a PC race, not were-yeths.
    Cool idea though.
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    ...Although traditionally of course, the gods play Populous.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Ode to Yeth Hounds

    Oh yeah, I see now. They have a listed LA, so as long as they could come up with a proper RP and build than they would make a great addition.

    I lol at Ninja Yeth Hounds, that is an amusing thought. I think they would make very good casters and ranged archers because they start with the ability to fly. Flying at a distance is synergistic with the resistance to non-silvered, non-magical weapons and also the fear effect (if it remain relevant that is). Warlocks would fit the flavor of the class well that's for sure, but they already get flight in their class progression.

    I'm not sure if the Yeth Hound's Trip ability stacks with similar abilities obtained from feats, but if it does than it could easily be incorporated into trip-munchkinry.
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    Also, its time to think about Yeth Hounds in a whole new way

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