BLOODHOUND

Merciless undead hunter

For crouched within that centuried coffin, embraced by a close-packed nightmare retinue of huge, sinewy, sleeping bats, was the bony thing my friend and I had robbed; not clean and placid as we had seen it then, but covered with caked blood and shreds of alien flesh and hair, and leering sentiently at me with phosphorescent sockets and sharp ensanguined fangs yawning twistedly in mockery of my inevitable doom.

—The Hound, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 1924

This undead creature is created by transforming dead ghouls or humans with the Jade Soul Symbol amulet. Usually this happens when a bloodhound’s amulet changes hands, who is then hunted down and killed by the bloodhound. After his death, the dead man himself turns into a bloodhound.

The creature retains its basic form at the time of transformation – a half-rotted corpse, a skeleton – but takes on canine features, developing sharp fangs, terrible claws, and black web-like wings, while empty eye sockets are phosphorescent in the dark.

If a bloodhound’s amulet is stolen, or if a creature otherwise draws its attention, the bloodhound will give chase. After 1d10 nights, he has caught up with his victim, the faint distant bark of a monstrous dog heralding his approach—a bark that steadily draws nearer. Bloodhounds are rational, but utterly vicious.

Once they find their victim, they terrify them for another 1d6 nights before finally ripping them to pieces with tooth and claw: scraping and knocking on doors, a whirring or flapping in the air, mad giggles and unintelligible things Babble, inexplicable claw marks on the windows and the feeling of eyes watching you in the dark – always accompanied by the barking of the invisible dog, which grows louder every night.

SPECIAL POWERS 

Special Sense: The creature can locate its amulet over unlimited distances.

Pin Down: On a successful attack by the creature, the target is pinned down and then shredded. This state can only be avoided by dodging.

Curse of the Bloodhound: Being mauled by a Bloodhound automatically triggers the dead creature’s transformation into an undead Bloodhound.

Ability to Fly: The creature can move through the air.

Light Sensitivity: Bloodhounds, like ghouls, are extremely uncomfortable with light and avoid it where they can. Bloodhounds take a -20% penalty on all actions in normal daylight and -40% in bright sunshine.

Unnatural Swiftness: The creature is always considered a fast-moving target in combat. It can also use the dodge action against firearms.

Yog-Sothothery: After the hunt, the bloodhound withdraws into his coffin like a vampire, clutching his amulet with bloody fangs and a sardonic grin. Bats seem to show a special affinity for bloodhounds. Bloodhounds all belong to the cult of the corpse eaters of Leng.

BLOODHOUND, Merciless undead hunter

STR: 20

CON: 20

DEX: 10

INT: 10

POW: 20

HP: 20

Damage Bonus/Lethality: +#D#

Build: Medium

Willpower Points: 20

ATTACKS

Attacks per round: 1

Fighting attacks: .

Claws 60% Damage is Lethality 10%, Armor Piercing 3 (see Pin Down ).

Fangs 40%, damage 1d8+2.  

Armor: None (see Unnatural Swiftness ).

Skills: Athletics 50%, Stealth 60%, Unnatural 30%, Pursue (find amulet) 70%.

Rituals: None

Sanity Loss: 1/1d8

This creature description is translated from the German version published by FHTAGN-RPG.