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The Blood-Hounds of Valerius - AI-generated fantasy Monster

The Blood-Hounds of Valerius

Lord Valerius was always fond of the hunt. In death, he could not bear to be without his hounds, so he 'elevated' them. These hounds are magically bound to the stones of the castle, allowing them to sense when the air in a room stagnates or when a living creature lingers too long.

Monsters
Medium undead · CR 2 · Rare

The Blood-Hounds of Valerius

Undead sentinels used by vampires to hunt and track intruders within their domains.
AC13
HP45/45
CR2
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

Combat

AC 13 · HP 45 · CR 2

The Blood-Hounds of Valerius

Medium undead (canine), lawful evil
Armor Class13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points45 (6d8 + 18)
Speed
40 ft. walk
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsDexterityConstitution
SkillsPerceptionStealthSurvival
Damage Resistances
Necrotic,
Poison
Immunities
Exhaustion,
Poisoned
Weaknesses
Vulnerable to Radiant damage
Senses
Darkvision 60 ft.,
Passive Perception 14
Languages
Understands Common and Abyssal but cannot speak
Challenge2
Keen Scent. The hound has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Castle Stalker. If a living creature spends 10 minutes or more in a single room within Valerius' Castle, the Blood-Hound automatically picks up their scent. It can track that creature's exact path regardless of Stealth checks until the creature leaves the castle or uses magic to mask its scent.
Pack Tactics. The hound has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the hound's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Sanguine Obsession. If the hound starts its turn within 30 feet of at least 1 pound of raw meat or a magical illusion of fresh blood ( to detect), it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or spend its turn moving toward and interacting with the lure, ignoring all other targets unless it takes damage.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 () piercing damage plus 3 () necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Sanguine Bay (1/Day). The hound emits a terrifying howl. Each creature within 60 feet that can hear it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Reactions

Locking Jaw. When a creature within 5 feet attempts to move away from the hound, the hound can make a Bite attack. On a hit, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.
Role
Stalker and Sentinel
Built for
5

Gear

  • Spiked Iron Collar (Armor, 10 gp)A heavy collar marked with Valerius' crest.

Feats

Sentinel (Simplified)

Notes for the game master

Use these in groups of 2 to 4 for a level 5 party.
Focus on the tracking aspect to build tension.

Tactics

  1. Opening

    The hounds attempt to approach stealthily. One will use Sanguine Bay to frighten the party, while others use the opportunity to lunge at the most vulnerable-looking targets.

  2. Mid-fight

    They use Pack Tactics to keep accuracy high, focusing on knocking targets prone so the rest of the pack can tear into them with advantage.

  3. End of the fight

    They will stay locked onto a single target, refusing to let them escape the room.

  4. Retreat

    The hounds never retreat. They are mindless in their service to Valerius and will fight until they are piles of ash or bone.

How it fights

Circle the target to block exits.
Use Locking Jaw to stop characters trying to reach the moon amulet.
Wait for the 10-minute timer to hit before launching an ambush.

Who it attacks first

Characters carrying meat or blood.
The character holding the moon amulet.
Spellcasters who appear to be creating illusions.

Works well with

Vampire Spawns: The spawns can use Grapple to keep players in place while the hounds tear into them.
Fog Cloud: The hounds rely on scent, so they can fight effectively even if the players try to blind them with fog.

How to beat it

Raw Meat: Tossing meat can distract them for critical rounds.
Minor Illusion: Creating the smell and sight of blood can pull them off a trail.
Pass Without Trace: Increases the difficulty of the initial tracking (though does not stop the 10-minute automatic detection).

Ways to avoid a fight

Stealth: Avoid staying in one room for more than 10 minutes.
Bribery: Using fresh meat scavenged from the kitchens to lead them into a side room and locking the door.

Ecology

These massive, gaunt canines have patches of black, mangy fur clinging to their charcoal skin. Their ribcages are completely exposed, showing rhythmic, necrotic pulsations where organs should be. Their eyes glow with a baleful crimson light that leaves faint trails of red mist in the air.

Behavior

They move with a silent, jerky gait, sniffing the air constantly. When they find a scent, they do not bark immediately; they follow the trail until they are within lunging distance, then emit a blood-curdling bay to alert their masters.

How it lives

As undead, they do not require food or sleep, but they retain a vestigial instinct for blood and flesh. They are created through a ritual involving a hound's corpse and the blood of a vampire lord.

Lair

Valerius' Castle, specifically the kennels located near the main gate and the moon amulet's chamber.

Habitat
Castles, crypts, and gothic urban settings.

Signs that it is near

Scratch marks on stone floors
Faint smell of iron and rot
Glowing red eye-trails in dark corners
Single, bone-dry canine tooth

Tags

Undead,
Sentinel,
Pack,
Tracker

Lore

Lord Valerius was always fond of the hunt. In death, he could not bear to be without his hounds, so he 'elevated' them. These hounds are magically bound to the stones of the castle, allowing them to sense when the air in a room stagnates or when a living creature lingers too long.

What drives it

To protect the property of Valerius and eliminate any living scent within the castle walls.

After the fight

If defeated, the hounds dissolve into a pool of putrid black ichor within 1 hour. Valerius will immediately know his hounds have been 'silenced' and will raise the castle alert level.

“In death, he could not bear to be without his hounds, so he 'elevated' them.”
From its lore

Variants

Alpha Hound: Increase HP to 65 and add a multi-attack (two bites).
Shadow Hound: Resistance to all damage while in dim light or darkness.

Hooks

Plot hooks

A local butcher mentions that Valerius' servants have been buying up all the offal and scrap meat in town.
A previous thief escaped the castle but lost a leg to a 'crimson-eyed wolf' that knew exactly where he was hiding.

How to use it

Patrol units in the hallways of the castle.
Static guardians in the treasure vault.
The punishment for players who take too long to solve a puzzle.

Treasure

Engraved iron collars worth 10gp each.
Valerius' Sigil (can be used to bypass certain minor magical locks in the castle).

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