Venom Dog, Viper
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Semi- (2-4)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: Variable
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 3+3
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S-M (3-5’)
MORALE: Average (10)
XP VALUE: 270
Venom Dog, Scorpion
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Semi- (2-4)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVEMENT: 12
HIT DICE: 4+4
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8/1-3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (4-6’)
MORALE: Average (10)
XP VALUE: 420
Venom dogs are greatly valued by wizards, as they are loyal, easy to train, and highly dangerous. Two types exist: the smaller is a merging of a pit viper and a mastiff; the larger, a mastiff and a huge scorpion. Both primarily retain the dogs physiognomy, but the smaller gains both the scales and the fangs of the pit viper, while the larger looks like a regular dog except for the large, venom-tipped scorpion tail rising from its hindquarters. Coloration ranges from a glistening black to tan for the “viper” venom dog, while the only difference between a “scorpion” venom dogs coloration and that of a normal dog is its tail, which can be either red, brown, or black.
Combat: Venom dogs bite for 2d4 hp damage. In addition, the bite of a “viper” venom dog is poisonous, causing the victim to save vs. poison at +2 or be slain the next round. Like pit vipers, these creatures have heat-sensitive organs on their snouts that gives them the equivalent of 30’ infravision. “Scorpion” venom dogs get two attacks per round: a (nonpoisonous) bite and a tail-stinger attack. These creatures can attack two different opponents each round, or concentrate both attacks on a single victim. Opponents hit by the stinger suffer 1-3 hp damage and must save vs. poison or die the next round.
Habitat/Society: Like normal domesticated dogs, venom dogs live to serve their masters. They are quite easily trained, a fact that makes them very desirable and quite valuable (venom dog puppies of either type can go for as high as 3,000 gp on the open market). Of course, special precautions must be taken while they are being trained due to their poisonous nature. However, it is this ability to poison enemies that makes these creatures so valuable as watchdogs. They live for about 15 years.
Ecology: “Viper” venom dogs are strictly carnivorous and swallow their prey whole in the fashion of snakes. Also like snakes, they require much less food than a normal dog, being content with a decent meal every few weeks. This makes caring for viper venom dogs relatively inexpensive. “Scorpion” venom dogs have normal, canine heads and teeth, and thus eat the same things any normal dog eats.
“Viper” venom dogs share many traits with the serpents from which they get half of their heritage. Because of their reptilian nature, “viper” venom dogs must shed their skin periodically as they grow in size. Unlike true serpents, these skins do not cover the creature’s eyes—“viper” venom dogs have standard canine eyes and eyelids as well. However, like many serpents, they do lay leathery eggs from which the venom dog puppies hatch. While warm-blooded, “viper” venom dogs do enjoy basking in the sun like many reptiles.
While looking the least like normal dogs, the scalecovered “viper” venom dogs maintain a disposition most similar to that of the standard canine. Thus, they can be raised in litters and trained to work together. “Scorpion” venom dogs, however, tend to be loners. They viciously attack other members of their own species except during mating season. Therefore, it is uncommon to see more than one of these creatures at a time, and a wizard owning and raising several “scorpion” venom dogs must make special arrangements to keep them separated.
“Scorpion” venom dogs are not immune to the effects of their own poison, nor to the poison of giant scorpions or scorpion-like creatures. Of the two types of venom dog, the “scorpion” is the only one able to bark like a dog, and is therefore a better guardian when it comes to alerting its masters of trouble. “Viper” venom dogs are capable only of a reptilian hiss, although the volume of the hiss can get rather high when the dogs are excited.
Venom dogs of either type are highly desirable as animal followers to rangers, although the opportunities of coming across one of these creatures in the wild are negligible. This is because nearly all venom dogs are specifically created as watchdogs, either for the Wizards themselves or for a particular client who wishes to purchase one. Venom dogs are treated well by their masters, so the chances of one escaping to the wild are slim. For this reason, a ranger wishing a venom dog is more than likely going to have to go out and buy one from a wizard like everyone else.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #243 (1998).
