Using Different Dog Breeds!

[Klaus]

Greetings!

Do you use different breeds of dogs in your campaigns? In the natural world, of course, there are many different kinds of dog breeds, many of which have salient skills and characteristics. For example:

German Shepherds: These dogs, as a breed, are world-famous for their talents at security work.

Border Collies: Border collies have this insane discipline, are intelligent and easy to train, and have a deep need to "herd" others around them, and keep a watch on them--whether "they" are sheep, other dogs, or small children.

Labrador Retrievers: Labs are famous for being intelligent, good hunters, swimmers, and friendly and sociable, as well as being sensitive--this is why they are used for bomb and drug detection, as well as trained for special people with disabilities.

and so on.

In my own campaign world of Thandor, I have a number of special breeds of dogs, that are often available for player characters to buy, or otherwise acquire as some form of treasure or gift.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

A good 3 years ago I wrote an article for the Fiery Dragon website called "Good Boy!", where I wrote up stats for Tiny, Small and Medium dogs, with breed examples for each. If anyone wanted more differentiation, it's an easy thing to move a couple of skill points around and trade in a feat or two.

Here's the article:

DOG, TINY
Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 1/2d8+1 (3hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-7
Attack: Bite -1 melee (1d3-3)
Full Attack: Bite -1 melee (1d3-3)
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +3, Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +1*
Feats: Alertness, Track (b)
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 1/6
Advancement: 1HD (Tiny)
These statistics reflect smaller breeds, like poodles, jack russells and chihuahuas. 1 HD varieties include beagles, border collies and bull terriers, which have Str 7.

DOG, SMALL
Small Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8+2 (6hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-3
Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +7, Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +1*
Feats: Alertness, Track (b)
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Advancement: 2HD (Small)
These statistics reflect most breeds, including boxers, bloodhounds and collies, as well as most mongrels (mixed-breed). 2HD varieties include huskies, pit bulls and irish setters.

DOG, MEDIUM
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip (if trained for war)
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +8, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +3, Survival +1*
Feats: Alertness, Track (b)
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: 3HD (Medium)
These statistics reflect larger or fiercer breeds, like german shepherds, dobermans and rottweilers. 3HD varieties include mastiffs, great danes and pyrenees mastiff.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

These are the stats I used for the Cooshee (but they're basically wolf stats):

Cooshee (Elven dog), CR 2, Medium animal, HD 2d8+4, HP 13, Init +2, Spd 40 ft, AC 14, Atk +3 melee (1d6+1 bite), SA Trip, SQ Scent, AL NG, SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1, Str 13, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills & Feats: Hide +8, Listen +6, Move Silently +4, Spot +4, Wilderness Lore +1, weapon finesse (bite). Trip: initiate trip as free action if hit with bite.

Were I to redo the Cooshee, I'd probably give it a better camouflage ability -- up the hide modifier, give it a chameleon coat, give it Hide in Plain Sight, or some similar effect.

 

[Shadeydm]

Unless the player is looking for something specific War Dogs IMC are usually Mastiffs and often quite big.

 

[jdrakeh]

As for Border Collies...I've owned 5 in the past 20+ years.

What is it with attorneys and Border Collies? I know an attorney locally who currently owns three. . . weird.

 

[Peni Griffin]

We have lots of reference books and a group full of animal-lovers, so we routinely find ourselves having to tweak the existing animal stats, which are all crap. However, we don't do this ahead of time. If a player or the DM wants to do things with animals in the game, out come the reference books and the most interested parties do the work, then present stats/rules to the other players for critique and playtesting. This is the sort of thing you can make yourself crazy with, and an individual who wants to use animals realistically should be prepared to do the work for himself and not insist that other people be equally fascinated.

We are presently experimenting with a variant on the Noble Steeds advancement made generically appropriate for other animals and with a set of dog-training rules taken off the net. If they work, good. If they don't, we'll change 'em. If they turn the party into a walking menagerie, I'm fine with that.

 

[smootrk]

I have always imagined Dwarven Mastiffs, Elven Cooshee and Greyhounds, Halfling lapdogs (shi-tsu, pomeranians, etc), Orcish Bull Terriers and Wolfhounds, and Kobolds with Chihuahuas.

Lots of cool imagery that can be used in the game when one describes a dog in more ways than simple stats.

 

[Peni Griffin]

Halflings, as agriculturalists, should have terriers to keep the rats out of the grain. Wait, that's old-style halfings...what the heck, terriers - hyper, small, and clever - suit the new-style halfings, too.

Halfling weiner dogs!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Halfling weiner dogs!

Those are mounts.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What is it with attorneys and Border Collies? I know an attorney locally who currently owns three. . . weird.

I blame my mother- she's a BC junkie...she's got statues, clocks, pillows, etc. all over her house.

Beyond them, though, I want stats for War Chihuahuas!

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

For stats, I'd go with Tiny, Small, and Medium dogs, and the rest would be flavor.