Cleon
Legend
And I might as well working draft the Pine Puppies while I'm at it!
Pine Kindred, Pine Hound
I spent ages vaccillating between a Dog's ferocity and bite-and-grab, a Wolf's pack tactics and pite-to-knock-prone and a Zombie Dog's pounce (which is basically an alternate phrasing of the Wolf's bite attack.
Couldn't decide which I liked better, although I was leaning slightly towards the Dog's version, but eventually concluded that they were (a) all a bit too fiddly and (b) seemed slightly too potent for CR 1/8 so just dropped them in favour of a plain vanilla bite.
What do you think?
Dog Version
Ferocity. When the pine hound drops to 0 hit points, it immediately makes one attack against a creature within 5 feet as a reaction before dying.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, and a Medium or smaller creature is grappled (escape DC 11). A grappled creature takes 1d6 + 1 piercing damage at the end of its turn.
Wolf Version
Pack Tactics. The pine hound has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the hound's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Zombie Dog Version
Pounce. If the pine hound moves at least 15 feet directly toward a creature, and then hits it with a bite attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw, or be forced prone.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.