| Hit Dice: | 10d10+50 (105 hp) |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | 40 ft. (8 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 22 (−1 size, +2 Dex, +11 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 20 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +10/+22 |
| Attack: | Bite +18 melee (1d8+9) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +18 melee (1d8+9) and 2 claws +13 melee (1d6+5) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Enchanted natural weapons, improved grab, trip |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, resistance to cold 10, scent, trackless step, wild empathy |
| Saves: | Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +5 |
| Abilities: | Str 27, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 12 |
| Skills: | Hide +13, Knowledge (nature) +16, Listen +17, Move Silently +4, Spot +17, Survival +18 (+20 in aboveground natural environments) |
| Feats: | Alertness, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Survival), Stealthy, Track [bonus] |
| Environment: | Temperate forests |
| Organization: | Solitary or pair |
| Challenge Rating: | 7 |
| Treasure: | Usually neutral good |
| Alignment: | Usually neutral good |
| Advancement: | 11–20 HD (Large); 21–30 HD (Huge) ♊ |
| Level Adjustment: | +4 (cohort) |
A large bear with the strong, sharp teeth of a wolf looks at you. It has a thick neck and a long, heavy tail.
Bearhounds are intelligent, masterful hunters. Usually loners that value their privacy and keep to the woodlands, they will sometimes associate with good creatures for a righteous cause.
Many laugh at the mention of the elusive bearhound. Some call it a myth, an animal invented by inebriated hunters. Few sightings of a bearhound come from reputable sources.
A typical bearhound stands 6½ feet tall at the shoulder when on all fours. It weighs as much as 2,000 pounds.
Bearhounds speak Common and Sylvan.
A bearhound typically attacks in response to a threat. It will focus on attacking one opponent at a time. When that opponent is dead, it will move on to another foe.
Enchanted Natural Weapons (Su): A bearhound gains a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls with all its natural weapons.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a bearhound must hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Trip (Ex): A bearhound that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+12 check modifier) as a free action without having to make a touch attack or provoking attacks of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the bearhound.
Trackless Step (Ex): A bearhound leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. It can choose to leave a trail if so desired.
Wild Empathy (Ex): A bearhound can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The bearhound rolls 1d20 and adds +11 to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the bearhound and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
A bearhound can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but it takes a −4 penalty on the check.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for a bearhound is up to 1,038 pounds; a medium load, 1,039–2,079 pounds; and a heavy load, 2,080–3,120 pounds.
Bearhounds are most commonly found in the temperate forests of the Eldeen Reaches, although agents of House Vadalis have also taken to enlisting the services of the beasts as guardians and mounts, for wealthy nobles and merchants throughout central Khorvaire.
Source: Monster Manual III, page 16.