Tuesday, August 17, 2021

THE HOUNDS OF THE HORN (Hounds of Kerenos from the Chronicles of Corum)

Jill Thompson (art)/Ray Murtagh (colour)
From the comic adaptation of The Bull and the Spear

AC +4     HD 4+1     Move 125% Normal Human     Morale 10

Dead white hounds, the size of a pony or a small cow. Blood red ears - sometimes tails, paws and bellies, too. Capable of great leaps in the air and running tirelessly over miles of snow-covered terrain.

They obey the Fomorians as much because they recognise their power as because they are bound to the Horn. The Horn calls and controls them, but does not strike them dead.

  • Bites for 2d4 damage.
    • On a crit or if damage rolled >target HD/level, you're knocked prone (50% drop whatever you're holding)
    • If they hit a prone target, they worry for 2d4 hits per round.
    • If two Hounds both bite the same target, they try to pull them limb-from-limb for 4d4 hits per round; if damage is 12+, they have pulled off a limb and will release the victim to fight over it.
  • If you have 3 HD or less, save vs. fear or flee when attacked by a Hound or Hounds; Morale check to hear their baying in the distance.
  • Immune to cold.
  • They absolutely obey whoever blows/holds the Horn of the Hounds (overriding any other mental control), but can otherwise be directed by anyone able to handle them successfully.
  • For even bigger Hounds, swap d6/d8 HD for a d10 or even a d12. Add one or more d4 to damage or give it a 2d6 bite attack like the Bloodbeast.

Commentary.

White Dwarf no. 18 carries stats for Hounds of Kerenos, pitching them as frosty Hell Hounds - though a Winter Wolf would work just as well.

I've used the BECMI Dire Wolf with a bit of Giant Shrew as the base, but there are various monster hounds and wolves across various games and their editions that would work just as well. 

I think that they're living things rather than magical beasts, which is why I've not given them a breath weapon. They are specifically a reference to the Cwn Annwn, with their white coat and red ears.






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