Hades Hounds
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Climate/Terrain | Abyss/Prime material plane |
| Frequency | Very rare |
| Organization | Pack |
| Activity Cycle | Night |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Intelligence | High (13+) |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Lawful evil |
| No. Appearing | 3-6 |
| Armor Class | 0 |
| Movement | 12 |
| Hit Dice | 10 |
| THAC0 | 8 |
| No. of Attacks | 3 |
| Damage | 1d6/1d6/1d10 |
| Special Attack | See below |
| Special Defense | See below |
| Magic Resistance | 35% |
| Size | M (6') |
| Morale | 19 |
| XP Value | 5,000 |
Description
Despite their name, these creatures serve powerful masters who reside in the Abyss of the Outer Planes. Little is known about the beings who command these dangerous beasts, but the hounds are known to come to the Prime Material Plane only at night and in areas where there is no natural moonlight. Such an area could exist in the shadows of clouds which obstruct the light of the moon, or on nights of the new moon. The hounds are sent by their masters for various, nefarious reasons, including the procurement of souls (or bodies) for experimentation purposes.
Looking much like very large dogs, the hounds are pitch black when they first appear. As they take damage, their color gradually lightens so that by the time they've lost half their hit points, they have turned gray. When they are reduced to 3 or fewer hit points, they become ghostly white.
Combat
The hounds fight with their two front paws and a bite. If a Hades hound is reduced to 3 or fewer hit points, instead of attacking, it emits a haunting howl. Anyone within listening range except other Hades hounds must save vs. death magic at –4 or lose his soul to the wounded hound. A resurrection spell cast within one turn can return the soul to the body; otherwise, it is irretrievably lost. The hound returns to the Abyss with the soul and delivers it to its master. Without a soul to animate it, the victim's body dies.
Habitat/Society
Hades hounds are never encountered on the Prime Material Plane unless they have been sent there on a mission by their masters. The hounds do not have the ability to gate to the Prime Material Plane, although they can return to the Abyss at will. Fearing the wrath of their masters, they will be reluctant to return without having accomplished their mission.
In the Abyss, these hounds are rarely encountered away from their masters, as they are generally trained from pups to serve their masters loyally.
Ecology
Because researchers have had difficulty capturing and studying Hades hounds, little is known about their origin and habits within the environment of the Abyss. Their unusually loyal behavior suggests the Abyss may not be their plane of origin, but little more than speculation is available at this time.