General Rules: Monsters - Guardian Hound

Guardian Hound (from Mercenaries)
Small Magical Beast

Hit Dice: 1d10 + 2 (7 hit points)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 feet
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +3 Dexterity, +1 natural)
BAB/Grapple: +1/-2
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+1, nonlethal, 20 x2)

Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d4+1, nonlethal, 20 x2)

Space/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
Special Attacks: Spell-Like Abilities
Special Qualities: Scent
Saves: Fortitude +4, Reflex +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Int 7, Wis 12, Dex 17, Con 15, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +6, Swim +4
Feats: Track
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary or hunting pack (2 - 5)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 2 - 5 Hit Dice (Small)

Scholars believe that guardian hounds were first bred by the legendary wizard Elesh the Mighty. According to legend, at one point in his life Elesh was plagued by a gang of half-orc looters. He hired bounty hunters who used tracking dogs to hunt down the marauders, but the half-orcs proved skillful at ambushing them. Elesh set out creating a breed of bloodhound that could not only track fugitives, but hold them in place until help arrived to seal their fate. His work culminated in a species that looked in all respects like an ordinary dog, but which also had spell-like abilities to paralyze the minds of their prey.

Guardian hounds are valued by bounty hunters and formal law enforcement alike, allthe more so because they are both expensive to acquire and notoriously difficult to breed. Because of their scarcity, their masters employ them individually. Even so, small packs have been rumored to exist.

Combat
Guardian hounds are highly disciplined animals; they know what they are supposed to do and they do not waver from it. They engage in melee combat like normal dogs, except that they only inflict nonlethal damage. Their conditioning prepares them to pursue and subdue, not attack and kill.

Before engaging in melee, guardian hounds use their spell-like abilities to hold their quarry in place until their handlers can finish the job.

Hold Person (Sp): Three times per day, a guardian hound may cast hold person (Will save DC 11 negates) as a 5^th level sorcerer. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Hold Monster (Sp): Once per day, a guardian hound may cast hold monster (Will save DC 13 negates) as a 7^th level sorcerer. The save DC is Charisma-based.

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