The statistics block below contains details for more than one shape, size, or type of this creature. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.
| Hell Hound Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Fire, Lawful) | Nessian Warhound Large Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Fire, Lawful | |
|---|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 4d8+4 (22 hp) | 12d8+60 (114 hp) |
| Initiative: | +5 | +6 |
| Speed: | 40 ft. (8 squares) | 40 ft. (8 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15 | 24 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural, +6 +2 chain shirt barding), touch 11, flat-footed 22 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +4/+5 | +12/+24 |
| Attack: | Bite +5 melee (1d8+1 plus 1d6 fire) | Bite +20 melee (2d6+12/19–20 plus 1d8 fire) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +5 melee (1d8+1 plus 1d6 fire) | Bite +20 melee (2d6+12/19–20 plus 1d8 fire) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon, fiery bite | Breath weapon, fiery bite |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire, scent, vulnerability to cold | Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire, scent, vulnerability to cold |
| Saves: | Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4 | Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +9 |
| Abilities: | Str 13, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6 | Str 26, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 6 |
| Skills: | Hide +13, Jump +12, Listen +7, Move Silently +13, Spot +7, Survival +7; racial bonuses | Hide +17, Jump +19, Listen +18, Move Silently +21, Spot +18, Survival +8; Tumble +3; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Improved Initiative, Run, Track [bonus] | Alertness, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Run, Track, Weapon Focus (bite) |
| Environment: | Nine Hells of Baator | Nine Hells of Baator (Nessus) |
| Organization: | Solitary, pair, or pack (5–12) | Solitary, pair, or pack (1–2 Nessian warhounds and 5–12 hell hounds) |
| Challenge Rating: | 3 | 9 |
| Treasure: | None | +2 chain shirt barding |
| Alignment: | Always lawful evil | Always lawful evil |
| Advancement: | 5–8 HD (Medium); 9–12 HD (Large) | 13–17 HD (Large); 18–24 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment: | +3 (cohort) | +4 (cohort) |
The creature resembles a big, powerfully built dog with short, rust-red fur; its markings, teeth, and tongue are sooty black. It has red, glowing eyes.
Hell hounds are aggressive, fire-breathing canines from the plane of Acheron. Specimens are frequently brought to the Material Plane to serve evil beings, and many have established indigenous breeding populations.
A typical hell hound stands 4½ feet high at the shoulder and weighs 120 pounds.
Hell hounds do not speak but understand Infernal.
Hell hounds are efficient hunters. A favorite pack tactic is to surround prey quietly, then attack with one or two hounds, driving it toward the rest with their fiery breath. If the prey doesn’t run, the pack closes in. Hell hounds track fleeing prey relentlessly.
A hell hound’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Breath Weapon (Su): 10-foot cone, once every 2d4 rounds, damage 2d6 fire, Reflex DC 13 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fiery Bite (Su): A hell hound deals an extra 1d6 points of fire damage every time it bites an opponent, as if its bite were a flaming weapon.
Skills: Hell hounds have a +5 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. They also receive a +8 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent, due to their keen sense of smell.
The Lords of the Nine, the great devil princes who rule over the Nine Hells, keep vast kennels of hell hounds. From the fiery pits beneath the palace of Asmodeus in Nessus, the lowest of the Nine Hells, come the Nessian warhounds, a terrifying breed of hell hound. Nessian warhounds are coal-black mastiffs the size of draft horses, often fitted with shirts of infernal chainmail.
Nessian warhounds resemble hell hounds, except as otherwise noted.
Breath Weapon (Su): 10-foot cone, once every 2d4 rounds, damage 3d6 fire, Reflex DC 21 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fiery Bite (Su): A Nessian warhound deals an extra 1d8 points of fire damage every time it bites an opponent, as if its bite were a flaming weapon.
Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 151.