War Dog Working Draft
Dog, War
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +2 leather armor), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+4
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +11, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +4, Survival +1
Feats: Alertness, Track (B)
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Domesticated
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
A powerfully built dog with a massive head and heavy jaws. It is dressed in armor of cured leather.
A war dog is a canine specially bred for strength and aggression, then trained for warfare or guard duty.
War dogs are proficient in light armor and are normally dressed in leather barding by their owners. A few war dogs wear spiked armor, they are not proficient in weapons so have a -4 penalty to attack with armor spikes.
A typical war dog is 2½ to 3 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs from 150 to 180 pounds.
Combat
A war dog will attack on command or when threatened by a stranger. Normally, the dog grabs its opponent and tears into them with its jaws. War dogs with special training (see Training a War Dog, below) can be taught to pin or disarm an opponent on command, instead of fighting to kill or injure. A few war dogs can make trip attacks just as wolves do (see the Wolf entry).
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a war dog must hit an opponent up to 1 size category larger than itself with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold.
Skills: War dogs have a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks.
Training A War Dog
War dogs can be trained for a general purpose and taught tricks following the rules for the Handle Animal skill. A trained war dog gains the attack trick as a bonus trick, in addition to the maximum of 6 tricks it can learn with its Intelligence of 2. Some war dogs are taught tricks that are not in the standard selection described in the Handle Animal skill. Most such tricks teach the dog to use a particular special attack against an opponent on command. Examples of these "combat tricks" (and their associated Handle Animal DCs) include Disarm (DC 25), Pin (DC 20) or Trip (DC 25).
War dog pups are worth 50 gp apiece on the open market, while trained war dogs are worth 250Y gp each. Professional trainers charge 100 gp to rear or train a war dog.
