Astral Wolf

When a wolf, dog or similar animal starves to death, its spirit may rise as an astral wolf. Packs of them range across the empty reaches of the Astral Plane in packs and call prey to them through dreams or magic. Anyone they have chosen may catch their distant howls, by day as well as by night.

A victim who sleeps near the pack is pulled into the Astral Plane to face the pack unless a save vs. spell succeeds. The victim fights with whatever weapons it has on its body, and any wounds suffered there appear on the sleeping form. Each astral battle lasts 3-12 turns.

A certain potion sends its drinker to the Astral with no saving throw, into the wolves' hunting grounds. Hunted people usually use it as a gamble to shake the pack off their trail.

The pack is the wolves' whole society, and every bit of their effort goes to tracking and catching food. Sometimes the ghosts of murdered humans run with them, also seeking revenge on their killers.

Only hunger and vengeance move these hounds. Wolves deliberately starved to death crave revenge on whoever starved them, and that person's only hope is to keep their hunger fed with sacrifices. After feeding, a pack rests for 1-6 days. A victim who never harmed the animals in life and leaves the area during that time is pursued only 25% of the time. Someone who killed one or more members of the pack has just two ways out: buy time with sacrifices, or go into the Astral Plane and destroy every hound.