War Dogs for Sale

What feels like a long time ago (June 2012), I copied the general idea of Zak S.' d100 wardog table into the notebook in which I was keying my first megadungeon in my still-ongoing B/X game. It's much modified from Zak's table (and Noism's dogs, which Zak liberally lifted); my proud addition to it, which has taken some prominence in my recent Greyhame Game, was the entry of "Snake-Killing Weasel: 3 HD, x2 cost, murders snakes, morale fails 50%"; the characters Baby-Face and Aethelwulf have both purchased a number of such creatures for that game, and used them well in many a combat.

I break this table out pretty much every session; the value of a wardog that you can buy for 25 gold and then set in the front line so that it takes the brunt of the damage is pretty well intuitive to just about everyone who plays. But my notebook is getting beat up (my own characters are in it; some of the pages are stained, and the spiral coil is well-used), so I think it's time to write out a new copy of the table; and since I've been using it for almost six years, maybe it's time for some new entries!

War Dogs for Sale (d100 table)

1d4+1 dogs are available per session

normal cost 25 gold per dog

all dogs have AC 6 unless otherwise mentioned, and morale 8; all dogs know "heel", "come", "sic", and "stay" as base commands; HD 1 dogs deal 1d6 damage on a bite, HD 2 or higher dogs deal 2d4 damage on a bite

01-04  Well-Trained Dog: HD 1, never checks morale

05-08  Avenillish Cur: HD 1, AC 5, surprised only on a 1

09-13  Ghost Hound: HD 1+1, detects invisible within 60 feet

14-17  Aachen Weaseler: HD 1, AC 4 (highly agile)

18-22  Wolfhound: HD 2, +2 to hit

23-29  Pack Dog: HD 2, +1 to hit and damage when attacking with other dogs (+5 maximum)

30-35  Lion Dog: HD 2, can carry 250 coin of stuff

36-43  Boarhound: HD 2, 60% chance to track enemies, may wear armor (costs 25 gp, AC 4)

44-50  St. Bernard: HD 2, trained to drag unconscious allies to safety

51-62  Mastiff: HD 2, ordinary war dog, may wear armor (costs 25 gold, AC 4)

63-67  Hexenhound: HD 2, detects familiars, shape-changers, etc.

68-72  Half-Wolf: HD 2+2, +2 damage, 50% attacks allies if morale fails

73-77  Basilisk Hound: HD 1+1, -2 to attack, immune to gaze attacks (because they're blind)

78-81  Dungeon Terrier: HD 1, AC 5, surprised only on a 1, x2 damage to creatures dog-size or smaller

82-85  Bloodhound: HD 2, 80% chance to track target given to it via scent (i.e. dirty socks or something)

86-89  Orc Mastiff: HD 3+3, x3 cost, morale 10, invisible to infravision, 60% chance to track orcs, may wear armor as boarhounds or mastiffs

90-93  Snake-Killing Weasel: HD 3, x2 cost, murders snakes, morale fails 50%

94-95  War Bear: (as B/X black bear) HD 4, x6 cost, attacks 1-3/1-3/1-6, morale 7, may wear armor (costs50 gold, AC 4)

96-97  Warbat: HD 2, x4 cost, echolocate 60 feet [a silence spell will blind it], trained to scout ahead in darkness and come back with warnings, fly 180 feet/round, attack 1-4)

98-99  Hunting Pard: (like B/X mountain lion) HD 3+3, x6 cost, attacks 1-3/1-3/1-6, surprise on 1-3 if sent ahead)

00  Warbeetle: HD 3+3, x8 cost, AC 3, attack 2-12, morale 10)