Dogs in Dungeons and Dragons

Domestic dogs

Dogs may be employed as scouts, guards, or hunters, and are almost as useful and much less demanding than hirelings or henchmen. It follows, then, that these most ancient, ubiquitous, and multiform of domestic animals should be treated in more detail.

From MM1
DOG, Domestic
FREQUENCY: Common
NO. APPEARING: Varies with masters
ARMOR CLASS: 7 (better if armored)
MOVE: See below
HIT DICE: See below
% IN LAIR: Varies with masters
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Hold
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S to M; also see below
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: very small or small (any), I / 5 + 1/hp
medium (normal or runner), I / 10 + 1/hp
medium (fighter), I / 20 + 2/hp
large (normal or runner), I / 20 + 2/hp
large (fighter), II / 35 + 3/hp

The many different breeds of domestic dogs can be divided into twelve different categories for AD&D game purposes: three classes according to shape or build (fighter, normal, and runner) and four according to size (very small, small, medium, and large). For the purpose of this article, these size categories supersede the normal statistical designations of S, M, and L; however, note that a ìlargeî dog, in this classification system, is still size M (in AD&D game terms) for considerations such as the amount of damage it suffers from an attack. Movement rates, hit points, attack damage, and sizes for the dogs in these categories are given below.

The size classes are broad, to keep down the number of different classifications. Similarly, the build classes cover broad ranges.

Fighter dogs are those with massive bodies and outsize jaws and heads, enhanced resistance to pain, and relatively short legs. Runner dogs are long-legged and long-bodied, with narrow deep chests, large eyes, and long muzzles. Normal dogs are the majority, those of wolflike or houndlike build.

Not all the different breeds can be placed in this system, although the majority fit in one category or another. The few exceptions can be easily handled by the DM. A breed like the basset hound is a medium normal dog, for instance, but is 3î slower because of its short legs. Toy or lap dogs are not accounted for at all in the above system. These move at 9î, have one hit point each, have no effective attack against creatures weighing more than 30 pounds (against smaller creatures they can bite for O-l points of damage), and weigh 10 pounds or less.

Like toy dogs, very small dogs are given two damage ranges. The larger figure is for damage against creatures weighing less than three times the weight of the dog (60 pounds or less), and the smaller one is for creatures larger than that. This reflects the fact that while these dogs can kill rats or weasels, or each other, they canít do much damage against larger creatures.

The different categories of dogs are further explained below.

Very small fighter: Dogs of this type are bred to attack vermin such as rats, or to drive weasels, foxes, or even badgers from their burrows. Some of the terrier breeds fit this category.

Small fighter: Dogs of this type are much like their smaller brethren.

They may also be used in dog fights where there are weight categories.

Medium fighter: Dogs of this type may serve as guards, or fight other animals in such ìsportsî as dog fights, bull baiting, badger baiting, or bear baiting. Examples would be the boxer, the bull terrier, or the Staffordshire terrier.

Large fighter: These are generally huge beasts of the mastiff type, bred to guard and attack, or for use in hunting large and dangerous animals such as boars or lions. Rottweilers and bull mastiffs are typical examples.

Very small normal: These may serve in any number of ways.

Some, like Shetland sheepdogs, may be droversí or herdsmenís dogs, while others may be employed as burglar alarms, or are kept simply as pets. Still others are used to harass and delay large game for hunters, or are raised for the cooking pot, or to attack small animals.

Small normal: Dogs in this category are as various as their smaller cousins. They include the smaller hounds, herding dogs such as the border collie, the small spaniels, and some of the larger terriers.

Typical village scavengers are of this size.

Medium normal: This is by far the largest category, including dogs that serve almost every conceivable purpose. Among them are droversí and herdsmenís dogs such as collies, old English sheepdogs, and German shepherds; most of the hounds, including foxhounds and coonhounds; sled dogs of various types; fast, light guard dogs such as Doberman pinschers; and most of the pointers, setters, retrievers, and spaniels, as well as many others.

Large normal: Dogs in this category are heavily built, but less so than the fighting breeds. They include the biggest hounds, such as the bloodhound, droversí and herding dogs that also serve to protect the herd or flock, draft dogs, and rescue dogs such as the St.

Bernard or Newfoundland breed.

Very small runner: These are miniature versions of the other running dogs, and are kept as pets. The Italian greyhound is typical.

Small runner: Small running dogs are usually set on rabbits and hares. An example is the whippet.

Medium runner: Most dogs built for speed are of this type, the optimum size for running; greyhounds, salukis, and Afghan hounds are examples. Over long distances other canids might be superior, but nothing canine can beat one of these in a sprint. These dogs usually pursue jackals, coyotes, gazelles, hares, and other speedy animals.

Large runner: These dogs are somewhat slower than their smaller cousins, but their greater size and strength allows them to attack larger game. Borzois, Irish wolfhounds, and Scottish deerhounds are examples of the type.

Special characteristics Many of the qualities that dogs may be bred for, such as distrust of or acceptance of strangers, cold or heat tolerance, sociability, ability to live on vegetable food, presence or absence of a loud bark, and so on cannot be rendered into AD&D game statistics. Some of the breed differences that can be expressed in game terms are included in the discussion below.

In combat, some dogs grab and hold on. The hold is inflicted if the dog scores a hit with a roll of 16 or better, and it may then do damage equal to half the normal bite damage each round thereafter with no roll ìto hit.î Opponents so held are considered to be held by one leg, with appropriate combat penalties (DMG, page 67). Fighting breeds do this naturally, and others may be taught the move. A determined dog cannot be removed unless it is stunned or killed.

Dogs are generally slower swimmers than humans are. Small or very small breeds swim at 6î, and medium or large dogs swim at 9î regardless of body form. Water dogs are 3î faster, but the major difference between them and other dogs is their inclination to enter water and their more water-repellent fur. Water dogs will last longer in cold water ó four times as long as humans, and twice as long as ordinary dogs.

Dogs bred for digging ability (some of the small or very small breeds) can burrow as rapidly as badgers (3ì). Other dogs of small or very small size dig at 1î) and larger dogs can excavate burrows but have no burrowing movement per se.

Dogs have keen hearing, and any breed gains a 20% bonus to its chance of detecting hidden or invisible creatures by sound, as applicable.

This bonus may be halved or doubled according to the conditions.

Most dogs are allowed a similar bonus of 20% because they can detect otherwise hidden objects or creatures by scent. Most dogs can detect and identify people for a considerable distance downwind.

The scenting bonus is increased to a basic 30% for tracking and pointing breeds and is reduced to 10% for running breeds (the latter hunt primarily by sight). An ordinary dog can track as an onyx dog can (DMG, page 144), while tracking breeds are allowed an additional 20% chance and running breeds track at a 10% penalty.

In strong light, dogs do not see as clearly as humans do (the running breeds are exceptions to this rule), and no dog perceives colors.

However, a dogís night vision is superior to that of a human ó about as good by moonlight as it is by daylight, and as good on a moonless night as a humanís would be under a full moon.

The morale of an unaccompanied dog is as described for monsters on page 67 of the DMG, but all dogs are of the largest size for purposes of this calculation. Dogs with their handlers are treated as henchmen when morale is determined. In its lair a dog gains a 20% bonus to morale (ìevery dog is a lion in his own back yardî), and morale may be affected by training, as shown below. Fighting breeds gain a 10% bonus under all conditions.

Training Dogs can be trained to attack on command, and ones so trained gain 10% to morale. Dogs may also be taught the hold described above.

Dogs that have not been trained to track do so at a penalty of - 20%) even if they are instructed via speak with animals, and they may forget the object of the search and track something that smells more interesting.

Dogs can be trained to point out hidden creatures, just as pointing breeds spot tures is not game for increased hunters. A dogís by training.

ability to detect hidden crea- Equipment Dogs may be outfitted with armor, with specifications similar to those for horse armor (barding) as decribed by Gary Gygax in DRAGONÆ Magazine #74 and in Unearthed Arcana.

Maximum Armor type speed Leather or padded armor 15î Studded leather, ring or scale mail 12î Chain mail, banded mail 12î Plate mail 9î AC bonus 1 2 3 4 Only large dogs can carry plate mail, and only medium or large dogs can carry metal or partly metal armor at all. Small dogs are restricted to leather or padded armor, and very small dogs cannot carry armor. A spiked collar provides AC 6 versus bites from other animals (which instinctively are aimed for the throat).

costs A few of the costs related to domestic dogs are listed in the Players Handbook. The prices given below are to the same scale.

coursing hound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 gp
draft dog/sled dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 gp
dog-fighting/bear-baiting dog . . . . .30 gp
food dog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 gp
herding dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 gp
ratter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 gp
collar, normal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 sp
collar, spiked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 sp
dogsled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 gp

The prices for dogs given here are for those that have already received any necessary training. The cost of dog armor is one-fifth that of equivalent human armor. Rations for dogs cost the full human amount for large dogs, half of that for medium dogs, onequarter for small dogs, and one-eighth for very small dogs.

Travel The following daily movement rates, in miles, are typical of dogs and dog-drawn conveyances. These figures are to be compared to those on page 58 of the DMG.

Terrain type
Normal Rugged Very rugged
Dog, medium 60 40 20
Dog, small or large 45 30 15
Dog, very small 30 20 10
Dogsled 40 25 10
Skijorer 60 40 20
Fighting dogs are one size class slower than normal or running
dogs, the very small fighting dogs moving at 20/10/5. 

Dogs carrying packs move at half the daily rate shown above. Skijoring is riding on skis that are pulled by relays of dogs. A dogís movement rate is little affected by forests, marsh, or snow; all of these conditions are interpreted as one terrain class better in assessing the difficulty of the terrain for dogs. Sleds can only travel where there is good, firm snow, which counts as normal terrain.

Dog breeds Like those of medieval times, the breeds of dogs in an AD&D game world are likely to be less distinct from one another and less uniform within themselves than breeds of the real and modern world, since they are likely to be defined more by their functions than by their ancestry. Planned, long-term breeding programs will be relatively rare. Nevertheless, it is likely that each country-sized area will have its own set of dog breeds, adapted to local conditions, and that in less civilized areas each tribe will have one or more distinct breeds of dog. Spaniels, setters, and pointers will be relatively rare, since there is less of a demand for these in a world without guns. Nevertheless, they will find some employment with those who go hawking or (more commonly) with those who hunt birds using nets. Similarly, the retrievers will be fetching nets and fishing gear (and the occasional fisherman) rather than downed waterfowl.

Demi-human and humanoid species may also have suitable breeds of dogs if they havenít other animals on hand. Dwarves, for instance, are likely to have heavily built and loud-voiced fighting dogs to guard their mine sites and treasure troves. Elves, if they havenít got the cooshee dogs described in Monster Manual II, will probably have swift running breeds of medium size, silent and canny scouts and hunters. Orcs might keep vicious fighting dogs of the largest size ó animals as ugly and bad-tempered as the orcs themselves. Only the humanoids of chaotic alignment and low intelligence are unlikely to have dogs; an ogre might well forget a dogís usefulness on a hungry day and eat it.

Wild Dogs

Although some of the wild canids (wolves, foxes, and their kin) have been described briefly in the Monster Manual, others which might be of interest to AD&DÆ game adventurers are not mentioned. As for the three that have already been covered, the entries on them might be fleshed out to the benefit of a campaign. The same might be said of canid-like carnivores such as hyenas, which are covered in the latter portion of this text. Player characters will frequently encounter these animals, if only through the agency of conjuring and summoning spells, and some characters (particularly druids and magic-users) will take the forms of these animals.

Described below are several canids and canid-like carnivores, including those already detailed in the Monster Manual. In the latter cases, new material has been added, and a few changes are suggested.

These changes are based on available information about these animals, with the assumption that those found in the AD&D game world are much like their equivalents in the real world. Reasons for some specific alterations are given at the end of the descriptions.

Canids, wild Canids are very successful predators and are common in their native haunts. The number encountered can be highly variable, except in the case of solitary species such as the fox. In some cases two ranges are shown for number appearing, one for times and places in which prey is small or scarce (the lower number) and one for those in which prey is large and abundant (the larger number).

Wolves, for instance, are found in greater numbers during the winter, when they hunt deer and moose, than in the summer, when they hunt mice and rabbits.

As indicated in the Monster Manual, these ranges are to be used as guidelines, not rules. For instance, several otherwise separate groups of canids might gather and mingle where food is superabundant: wolves scavenging at the site of a battle, hunting dogs where large herds of animals are on the move, or foxes in a mouse-rich meadow. It is suggested that 5% of encounters with canids should be in the vicinity of a large carcass. In such a case, there is a 25% chance that 1-2 other groups of canids (chosen at random from the appropriate types) will also be present, and a 25% chance (checked separately) that another carnivore or group of carnivores is in attendance. The largest, most numerous, and hungriest animals will have taken possession of the kill, and the others will dispute this or wait for an opportunity to steal or scavenge.

Canids are all at least as speedy as humans, though none of them are quite so fast as a horse or deer. It is noteworthy that canids are not slowed as much by undergrowth or rough ground as humans are, so that even the stubby-legged bushdog can be a good deal faster than a man under certain conditions. The smaller canids (those weighing less than 40 pounds) swim at 6î, while the larger ones swim at 9î. Most are handicapped by the fact that they must keep their heads above water, since unlike humans they cannot submerge themselves without getting water in their nostrils. An exception to this is the bushdog, which can immerse itself without difficulty and can swim at 9î) despite its small size. Only dholes and bushdogs will willingly enter the water. With the exception of foxes, no canids can climb.

The smallest canids are given two damage ranges for the bite, the larger amount being applicable to creatures less than three times their weight and the larger amount being applicable to creatures of more than three times their weight. This reflects the fact that these animals are deadly to their usual prey, but less so when larger animals are concerned. Note that some canids of approximately the same size are given different amounts of bite damage. This is a reflection of differences in anatomy and behavior.

The sizes given for the various canids are approximate averages to the nearest 5 pounds. Exceptional individuals may weigh as little as half or as much as twice the amount given. Males are typically larger than females.

Canids encountered in the lair during the season of greatest abundance (spring, or the beginning of the rains) will always include one male and one female, even in solitary species, and 2-8 pups. All of the adults help care for and guard these pups, which are usually kept in a cave or burrow. Among social canids, the pups will typically be the offspring of the dominant female (the one with the largest hit-point total) and her chosen mate (usually the dominant male).

Pups have no effective attack. There is a 30% chance that they will be young enough to be tameable.

Though canids of a suitable age can be

Coyotes, dingoes, wolves, and jackals are all fertile with domestic or feral dogs and with each other, though they do not normally interbreed. The offspring, themselves fertile, are intermediate in most characteristics, though from a human point of view crosses of domestic with wild canids look adults they may wander away from their handlers, just as in the wild they eventually leave their parents. The social canids (bushdogs, dholes, feral dogs, hunting dogs, wolves, and dire wolves) can be trained as well as tamed. With the exception of feral dogs, though, they will seem aloof and indifferent by comparison with domestic dogs, and since they are less dependent on ings may have tragic results.

Some of the abovementioned difficulties can be mitigated if a spell such as animal friendship is used, or if the handler makes frequent use of speak with animals, but charm spells will be ineffective since the problem lies not with how well the animal loves its handler but how well it expresses that emotion. Feral dogs do not present the and act ìwildî and present the training problems described above, being difficult to train and seemingly unpredictable. A dogwolf cross, for instance, inherits the wolfs aloofness and hostility toward strangers, and this, along with its large size and powerful jaws, might suggest that it would be a good guard dog. However, it shows a wolfs reluctance to bark, and it may show wolflike caution and simply avoid an intruder rather than risk an attack.

Canids of all sorts have keen senses of smell and hearing. In good light, a canidís sense of sight is less exceptional, since canids do not perceive colors and havenít the sharpness of vision that humans have.

However, a canid can see about as well by moonlight as by daylight, and can see as well on a moonless night as a human would under a full bright moon. A canidís hearing allows it a 20% bonus to its chances of detecting hidden or invisible creatures, where applicable. This bonus may be halved or doubled according to circumstances.

A similar 20% bonus is granted because of the canidís keen sense of smell, as appropriate. This bonus too may be halved or doubled as circumstances warrant.

An alert wolf, for instance, can detect a human for quite some distance downwind, and canids can even distinguish different individuals of the same species. A canidís nose also allows it to track as an onyx dog (DMG, page 144).

Canids are opportunists, and will eat practically anything: fresh meat, carrion, fruit, insects, and even some roots and grasses, including what humans would regard as garbage. Dholes, hunting dogs, and bushdogs are more exclusively predacious than the others, while foxes are best described as omnivores with a preference for meat. The others fall somewhere in between, with the larger and more social sorts showing a greater preference for hunting.

Even the largest canid is cautious, and will seldom attack an animal of its own size or larger that fights back. A wound can be fatal, even for an individual that is supported by the rest of the pack; the animal may well starve before it recovers, even living on ìcharity.î This doesnít mean that hunting canids will leave humans and their domestic animals in peace, however. They may test them to see if they are able to run away or defend themselves, and if they uncover weakness they will exploit it. However, humans (and, in an AD&D game world, human-like creatures) are not on any canidís ìpreferredî list. They are too likely to have nasty surprises on hand, such as swords and spears, and after centuries of association canids know this instinctively.

Unless they are starving and desperate, they will avoid humans entirely.

Each canid has a distinct odor, which may be detectable to the human nose (foxes can be quite rank). Whether or not humans detect and approve of these odors, other canids can detect them, and they almost universally disapprove. Treat this as ìhateî on any interspecies reaction roll. Domestic and feral dogs and dingoes are mutally acceptable, however, as any canid which has been raised with the smell in question wonít be bothered by it.

The characteristics of the different kinds of canids are as follows: Bushdog: A bushdog is a small brownish canid of robust build, covered with coarse, sparse hair. It has a short, broad skull, powerful jaws, short legs, small ears, and a short tail, and looks somewhat like a heavily built dachshund, or a cross between an otter and a small dog. With their low-slung bodies and webbed feet, bushdogs are well suited to the heavy undergrowth and abundant water of their native haunts. They live in small packs and communicate using various whistles, clicks, chirps, and squeals.

When excited, they give voice to highpitched, metallic barks. Bushdogs regard nearly anything of suitable size as prey, and will pursue large water rodents, small deer, and birds up to the size of a rhea as well as lesser game. Young bushdogs are not difficult to tame and train. Their expressive faces make their moods as easy to read as those of dogs and wolves, making the task an easy one. Tame bushdogs are affectionate and gentle as they are homely. Bushdogs are tropical, living in the forest or near water and away from settled areas.

Coyote: This is a versatile, mid-sized predator, able to take prey as large as sheep or goats, although coyotes generally restrict themselves to less difficult foods, such as mice and berries. The typical coyote is greyish, with long fur and long legs. Coyotes are wary and difficult to catch; they are less odorous than foxes and therefore more difficult to track, and over long distances they can outpace the fastest coursing hounds. Semi-social, coyotes can be tamed but not trained. They may be found in any climate from subarctic to subtropical and in any sort of terrain, even invading the mountainous parts of the tropics. They thrive in both settled and domestic areas.

Dhole: The dhole, or red dog, resembles a domestic mongrel at first glance, but it carries its bushy tail low and has reddish fur, short legs, and a short muzzle that has a unique profile: the line from skulltop to nosetip is convex rather than concave.

Dholes hunt in large, highly cooperative packs, and they chatter when they are excited (they seldom bark). Aggressive and bold, they will attack even the largest herbivores, though they prefer deer-sized game. They have been known to drive away or kill competing predators, including tigers.

Dholes trot tirelessly after their chosen prey, following it until it weakens and is suddenly vulnerable to a sudden coordinated rush. What they lack in sprinting speed, dholes make up for in endurance.

Unlike other canids they are fond of water; it is difficult to escape them. Dholes hunt by day, or on moonlit nights. Dholes show little fear of humans, but are not known to attack them either. They can be tamed if captured when young, but are perhaps more difficult to handle than some other social canids might be because of their relatively inexpressive faces. Dholes live in both the forest and the steppe in temperate to subarctic climes. They survive in both settled and wilderness areas.

Dingo: Though they are like coyotes in size, build, and habits, dingoes are descended from or closely related to domestic dogs. Evidence of domestic ancestry is to be found in dingo coat colors and patterns, which (in addition to the nondescript tawny color typical of wild dogs) range through black, red, white, yellow, brown, and piebald, though none of these is as common as the ìwildî type. Like coyotes, dingoes may be found in any sort of terrain, but they range from tropical to temperate climes rather than from subtropical to subarctic.

They will not occur together with coyotes.

Dingoes are semi-social. They can be tamed but not trained.

Feral Dog: This type is not truly a wild canid. Feral dogs are domestic dogs that have spent a generation or more away from human interference. Natural selection tends to produce an animal midway in size between coyote and wolf, and features such as droopy ears, odd coloration, gigantism, dwarfism, and so on become less common with each generation. Feral dogs do not occur together with truly wild canids of the same size, since they canít compete, especially where seasons are marked. Like domestic dogs, feral dogs may bear young at any time of the year, including such inappropriate times as the middle of the winter or the height of the flood season. Feral dogs will be found in most climes and sorts of terrain, but only within 50 miles of human settlements. They can be tamed if captured young, and are in effect domestic dogs.

Fox: Foxes and foxlike canids of various sorts are found everywhere, from the high arctic, to the deep tropical rain forest. Except when rearing their pups, they are solitary, and they are generally nocturnal.

They catch game of pheasant size or less, and feed on whatever else is available. Most kinds are unobtrusive and wily enough to survive in settled areas despite organized persecution. Being asocial creatures, foxes can be tamed but not trained.

Hunting Dog: Also called the African hunting dog or Cape hunting dog, this canid is not closely related to the others. It resembles a big domestic dog with long legs, an outsize head, powerful jaws, and large, rounded ears. The short fur is sparse, and the black skin beneath it can be seen in places. Hunting dogs sport a peculiar harlequin pattern: asymmetrical white blotches, rimmed with black, on a yellowish background.

The tip of the tail is always white, and the face and muzzle black. Hunting dogs have a strong, musky odor. They are efficient hunters, and can bring down anything smaller than an elephant or a hippopotamus, hunting in coordinated groups near sunrise or sunset. They chatter when excited, and make a strange, bell-like sound in the chase. Members of the pack are very close, and it is surprising that these canids are not more often tamed. Their inexpressive faces and strong odor may have something to do with this. They can be tamed and trained for use as coursing hounds, though. Hunting dogs seldom attack humans, but will take domestic animals. They are native to open tropical country.

Jackal: Jackals (there are several species) are like coyotes in appearance and behavior, though they are smaller. They catch game up to the size of a gazelle or lamb but generally eat smaller animals or scavenge, hunting cooperatively only on occasion.

They are semi-social, like coyotes. Jackals are found in warm temperate or tropical climates in any sort of terrain except heavy forest.

Wolf: Wolves are the largest modern canids. They vary in appearance from place to place, both in size and in color. Wolves vary from white through greys, browns, and red-browns to black. The larger races tend to specialize in larger prey, but any sort will take prey of mouse-size to moose-size. As with other canids, wolves (with the exception of rabid individuals) usually leave humans alone, though they are less circumspect when it comes to domestic animals.

They may pick up scraps or stray animals.

During time of war, wolf populations tend to grow, for wolves will not pass up carrion.

Since they are closely akin to domestic dogs and they are social carnivores, wolves are perhaps the easiest to tame and train of the wild canids. However, they need to be kept under strict supervision, especially when they reach maturity at two years of age. At that time they may try to take over leadership in their adoptive ìpack.î Wolves are found in arctic to subtropical climates, in carrion. The dire wolf looks much like an any sort of climate but the driest desert. In ordinary wolf, but is more heavily built, has settled areas, wolves will be rare or nonex- proportionately shorter legs, and has larger istent. In arctic and subarctic climates, teeth and more powerful jaws. A dire wolf is wolves may grow quite large: every fifth less intelligent than an ordinary wolf, individual will have 3 + 3 hit dice and bite though still within the semi-intelligent for 2-7 points of damage. range. Dire wolves can be tamed and Wolf, dire: Dire wolves are wolflike trained, but the handler is in grave danger canids from the Pleistocene epoch, and in should he make a miscalculation. Dire such settings they are quite common. They wolves are found in the same sorts of enviresemble wolves in most aspects, but prey ronments that wolves are, wherever large on larger animals and are more partial to prey species are available.

Prehistoric canids Canids of the Pleistocene epoch will be of modern type, even to the particular species, with the addition of the dire wolf. Similar types will be present in Pliocene and Miocene settings, but they will include hyenalike forms (use the figures for hyenas given below). Canids and canidlike predators from earlier in the Age of Mammals will be 3î slower, and of animal intelligence rather than semi-intelligent. The canids have no close analogues from earlier eras.

Cave Hyena Hyenas Although hyenas are more closely related to cats than they are to canids, they parallel the canids in a number of ways. With the few exceptions mentioned here, the earlier general remarks concerning canids apply to hyenas as well.

Like canids, hyenas are runners and attack their prey by biting; this is related to their somewhat similar appearance. However, hyenas have relatively large forequarters and small hindquarters, so that the back slopes downward from shoulders to hips. Hyenas typically have less elegant pelts than canids do; their fur is coarse and unkempt, though hyenas keep themselves as well groomed as any canids. Hyenas also differ from canids in that they are better adapted to scavenging the remains of large animals, though they are by no means poor hunters. Hyenas have powerful jaws, and teeth specially adapted to crushing bones, not to mention a robust digestive system.

They can finish off not just the meat and internal organs of a kill, but the hide and bones as well. Even the most predatory hyenas seldom pass up a free (effortless) meal, and some villages depend on hyenas to clean up refuse. Male hyenas are no larger than females, contrary to the situation among canids. In fact, female spotted or cave hyenas are larger than the males.

Unlike canids, hyenas do not cooperate in caring for their young. Raising the pups is the sole responsibility of the female that gave birth to them, and other hyenas may eat these pups if they are undefended. As with canids, the lair is typically a cave or burrow, but the further reaches of the lair are extended by the pups themselves among the hyenas, and adult hyenas cannot reach them. Among social hyenas, several females may keep their pups in the same den. Each female typically has 1-2 pups, and as with canids there is a 30% chance that the pups in any single litter encountered will be young enough to be tameable.

Cave Hyena: The cave hyena is a large variety of spotted hyena from the temperate plains and the steppes of the Pleistocene. It is of the same species as the spotted hyena, and is like it in all but size.

Short-faced Hyena: The short-faced hyena is a lion-sized relative of the striped hyena from the Pleistocene. Its habits are those of its smaller cousin, though it can tackle larger game. It lives in temperate climates.

Spotted Hyena: Spotted hyenas are dirty orange in color, with small black spots. The spotted hyena has a large repertoire of calls, including the famous ìlaugh,î which really does sound like it ought to be coming out of a lunatic asylum in a third-rate movie. This laugh brings other scavengers and predators on the run, for it means the hyenas have made a kill. Swift runners, spotted hyenas hunt cooperatively, and will attack anything that doesnít put up too much of a light.

Where they depend on refuse, spotted hyenas may start in on the human population if the supply of garbage falls off. These hyenas can be tamed and used as hunting beasts if they are caught when young. They inhabit open country in tropical climates, in settled and wilderness areas.

Striped Hyena: This hyena (and its relative the brown hyena, which is essentially the same in size and habits) conforms best to the hyena stereotype. It seldom attacks something larger than itself (goats and small humanoids are near the upper limit), and shows little or no social behavior.

Striped hyenas eat human refuse, and will also raid crops of melons, dates, grapes, or other sweet fruits. A striped hyena is greyish, with vertical stripes on its sides and a crest of longer hair running down the back.

Its ears are larger and more pointed than those of the spotted hyena. Brown hyenas are essentially the same, except that they are (as the name bears out) brown. Striped hyenas can be tamed if they are captured as juveniles, though they may be rather shy.

Striped hyenas live in open country in tropical and subtropical regions.

Prehistoric hyenas In Pleistocene settings the modern varieties of hyenas will be present, along with the larger sorts mentioned above. Also present will be slender hyenas of cheetahlike build and habits (as the cheetah, but 3î slower). Hyenas date back to the Miocene epoch. Similar creatures of earlier times will be 3î slower and of animal intelligence rather than semi-intelligent.

Hyaenodons are prehistoric carnivorous animals that were common predators during the Oligocene, before the rise of dogs, cats, hyenas, weasels, and their relatives.

They had relatively short legs, long jaws full of large teeth, and small brains. They resembled hyenas, if at all, in the shapes of some of their teeth (Hyaenodon = ìhyena toothî). These animals ranged from kittensized to lion-sized, and the figures given under ìHyaenodonî in the Monster Manual describe one of the larger varieties quite well, even to the relatively slow movement rate and low intelligence, though there is some tenuous evidence that these animals were solitary.

Summary of changes Jackals are given a figure for number appearing that reflects the typical jackal group size. They are also made a good deal faster, since no jackal is as slow as a human unless it is missing a leg. Jackals are speedy enough to steal meat from hyenas and hunting dogs or from lions, and to catch gazelles. Since jackals have no lairs, a chance is given that they will be encountered in or near them; a small chance, since the lair is often concealed and the animals are often out hunting. This reasoning applies to all the canids and canidlike animals, and indeed to all of the carnivores.

Wolves sometimes occur singly or in pairs according to local conditons, thus the addition to the figure for number appearing.

They are seldom encountered in the lair, for the reasons discussed above, and so the chance has been reduced from 1 in 10 to 1 in 20. Since most wolves are the size of a small person, the size rating has been increased to M. To reflect the great variation in size between wolves of the south and northern wolves, the northern wolves are given more hit dice and a greater bite damage, as noted.

Indications are that dire wolves were rather common in their chosen habitats, and the frequency classification has been changed accordingly. The armor class has been changed to 7 to bring it in line with the other canine armor class ratings. If the change to armor class 7 needs justification, it might be pointed out that while large animals are more robust, smaller ones are more maneuverable, and the two factors might cancel out. The dire wolfs movement rate has been reduced because of the length and proportions of its legs: evidence indicates that it was almost certainly slower than the ordinary wolf.

The hyena is given a movement rate of 15î because it is certainly faster than a human. An argument might in fact be made for 18ì, except that wolves already occupy that slot and are probably faster than hyenas. Hyenas are given a chance to be encountered in the lair because they have lairs, just as canids do. The amount of damage from a hyenaís bite is reduced because while hyenas do have great crushing power they are accustomed to bringing it to bear against immobile things such as bones from a carcass. Hyenas are therefore judged to do no more damage per bite than do large wolves. Hyenas are given an intelligence rating of semi- to bring them into line with the other carnivores; there is no evidence that they are more stupid.

The hyaenodon has been released from the hyena group, since it is not a relation and doesnít look particularly hyenalike. It is recommended that gnoll tribes should have short-faced hyenas in place of hyaenodons, since the latter are more gnoll-like.

Many of the descriptions of natural animals in the Monster Manual make them more likely to attack people than animals in the real world are. This is probably not a lapse in accuracy, or ìrealismî; it is more interesting from a story-telling point of view if adventurers come into direct conflict with these beasties, and the entries in the Monster Manual may well have been composed with this in mind. A different tack is taken in the preceding descriptions, however. The animals are described in naturalistic terms, and it is up to the DM to devise situations in which the animals might come into conflict with adventurers.

Wild Dog Species

BUSHDOG

COYOTE

DHOLE

DINGO

FREQUENCY:
NO. APPEARING:
ARMOR CLASS:
MOVE:
HIT DICE:
% IN LAIR:
TREASURE TYPE:
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
INTELLIGENCE:
ALIGNMENT:
SIZE:
PSIONIC ABILITY:
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:

Common
2-12
7
12î
1/4
5%
Nil
1
1/1-2
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (15 lbs.)
Nil
I/5 + 1/hp

Common
1-2/2-8
7
18î
1-1
5%
Nil
1
1-3
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (30 lbs.)
Nil
I/10 + 1/hp

Common
4-16
7
15î
1 + 1
5%
Nil
1
1-4
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (40 lbs.)
Nil
I / 2 0 + 2 / h p

Common
1-2/2-8
7
15î
1-1
5%
Nil
1
1-3
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (35 lbs.)
Nil
I / 1 0 + 1 / h p

FREQUENCY:
NO. APPEARING:
ARMOR CLASS:
MOVE:
HIT DICE:
% IN LAIR:
TREASURE TYPE:
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
INTELLIGENCE:
ALIGNMENT:
SIZE:
PSIONIC ABILITY:
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:

DOG, FERAL
Common
1
7
18î
1
5%
Nil
1
1-4
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (45 lbs.)
Nil
I / 1 0 + 1 / h p

FOX
Common
7
18î
1/4
5%
Nil
1-2/1
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (10 lbs.)
Nil
I/5+1/hp

HUNTING DOG
Common
4-24
7
21î
2
5%
Nil
1
2-5
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (60 lbs.)
Nil
I/20+2/hp

JACKAL
Common
1-2/2-8
7
18î
1/2
5%
Nil
1
1-2
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
S (20 lbs.)
Nil
I/5 + 1/hp

FREQUENCY:
NO. APPEARING:
ARMOR CLASS:
MOVE:
HIT DICE:
% IN LAIR:
TREASURE TYPE:
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
INTELLIGENCE:
ALIGNMENT:
SIZE:
PSIONIC ABILITY:
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:

WOLF
Common
1-2/2-20
7
18î
2 + 2
5%
Nil
1
2-5
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
M (90 lbs.)
Nil
II / 35 + 3/hp

WOLF, DIRE
Common
3-12
7
15î
3 + 3
5%
Nil
1
2-8
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
Neutral
M (150 lbs.)
Nil
III / 60 + 4/hp

CAVE HYENA
Common
2-12
7
15î
4
5%
Nil
1
2-8
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
M (200 lbs.)
Nil
III / 60 + 4/hp

SPOTTED HYENA
Common
2-12
7
15î
3
5%
Nil
1
2-7
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
M (140 lbs.)
Nil
II / 35 + 3/hp

SHORT-FACED HYENA

STRIPED HYENA

FREQUENCY:
NO. APPEARING:
ARMOR CLASS:
MOVE:
HIT DICE:
% IN LAIR:
TREASURE TYPE:
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
SPECIAL ATTACKS:
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
INTELLIGENCE:
ALIGNMENT:
SIZE:
PSIONIC ABILITY:
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:

Common
1
7
15î
5
5%
Nil
1
2-12
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
N
L (300 lbs.)
Nil
III / 90 + 5/hp

Common
1
7
15î
2
5%
Nil
1
2-5
Nil
Nil
Standard
Semi-
N
M (90 lbs.)
Nil
I/20+2/hp

Created on ... November 15,