Converting Planescape monsters

[Cleon]

That's fine. There's probably no need to mention the "alert others" distance. I think that's generally built-in with Listen checks.

That sounds OK.

Skills: 11
Split between Listen and Spot?

How about a point in Survival, and 5 each in Listen and Spot?

Feats: 1
Alertness and Track (B) like riding dog?

Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3–8)?

Challenge Rating: 2?

The above all looks good. Their bark is potentially very nasty so they should be CR2.

Alignment: Always neutral, often evil?

I was thinking "Usually neutral evil", but that's at least as good.

Advancement: x

Freyar's suggestion of 3-4HD (Medium), 5-6HD (Large) suits me fine.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

We'll need a Training section...

Aoskian hounds cost from 20 gp (weaned) to 150 gp (grown and trained). They were first bred by the followers of the god Aoskar. The power’s been destroyed and nearly forgotten, but the hounds are thriving.

 

[freyar]

Probably best just to modify the viper venom dog, I think.

 

[Cleon]

Probably best just to modify the viper venom dog, I think.

I'm not seeing anything that suggests they are as amenable to training as the VVD. I'd rather go for the standard +5 Handle Animal DC to train a Magical Beast. We could modify the Scorpion Venom Dog. I'm thinking they may cost around the same as well, since their stunning bark is a very useful power for your trained beast to have.

How about:

Training an Aoskian Hound
An Aoskian hound dog serves readily as a guard animal, but it requires training. Training an Aoskian hound requires a Handle Animal skill check with the normal +5 increase to DCs for training a magical beast. See the Handle Animal skill description for more information on training and handling magical beasts.

A fully trained Aoskian hound costs 1,500 gp. Aoskian hound puppies are worth 200 gp on the open market. Professional trainers charge 500 gp to train an Aoskian hound.

 

[freyar]

That's fine, but the last mention needs to be Aoskian hound rather than scorpion venom dog.

 

[Cleon]

That's fine, but the last mention needs to be Aoskian hound rather than scorpion venom dog.

Fixed.

 

[Shade]

Updated. Done?

 

[freyar]

They still need height and weight. How about 3 ft high at the shoulder and 300 lb (between shadow mastiff and yeth hound)?

 

[Shade]

Works for me!

 

[Cleon]

They still need height and weight. How about 3 ft high at the shoulder and 300 lb (between shadow mastiff and yeth hound)?

I was thinking they'd have the same "slightly more than 2 feet high at the shoulder" as the shadow mastiff and weigh a bit more - I'm guessing the extra head would mean their body's wider than a regular dog's, and the head won't be weightless either.

Perhaps "An Aoskian hound is slightly more than 2 feet high at the shoulder and weighs about 250 pounds."

However, 3 feet and 300 pounds will do.