Barghest

Barghests are the most common, and among the most feared, inhabitants of the reeking rifts of a volcanic lower plane. In natural form one looks like an oversized goblin and usually stays that way when living among goblins. A whelp's yellow skin darkens toward bluish-red as it grows, ending a solid blue in adulthood, and its otherwise goblin-like eyes flare orange whenever it grows agitated.

At will it can also take the shape of a big war dog or wild dog, which earned it the nickname devil-dog, though it is no devil. The exact breed varies, and there is a 95% chance an observer cannot tell it from a real dog. Real dogs know better: they sense, fear and hate a barghest instantly and attack it whenever they can.

In goblin form a barghest attacks with two claws; as a dog it only bites. Only +1 or better weapons can harm it. It has no special weakness, except in canine form: struck while a dog by meteor swarm, flame strike or fireball, it must save vs. spell or be flung instantly back to its home plane. There its grown kin will probably kill or enslave it, and even if they do not, it has no way back to the Prime Material unless someone else brings it.

Once per round, at will, it can shape change between canine and goblin form, levitate, use misdirection or project image. Its daily powers, each usable once, are emotion, dimension door and charm (person or monster).

As a dog it moves at double speed (maximum 30), passes without trace as the spell, and is 75% likely to go unnoticed while holding still. If it remains undetected, opponents suffer -2 on surprise rolls.

On their native plane barghests live apart, each ruling its own stronghold and band of servants as a tyrant. Goblins recognize and worship them in either form, though other races cannot tell them from ordinary goblins. The goblins serve out of fear, bringing gifts and sacrifices, and in return the barghests kill the goblins' strongest enemies and swell their hoards.

Now and then a barghest births a litter of six, sent at once to the Prime Material to feed and grow. These whelps live alone or in pairs near isolated human communities or with goblin bands, and must eat humans and demihumans. They start at 6+6 Hit Dice. Every level of experience they slay or eat from a human or demihuman victim adds 1 hit point, and every eight levels absorbed grants another Hit Die with an extra hit point per die, so 6+6 becomes 7+7. A 0-level victim counts as only half a level, so heroes make far tastier targets. Each new Hit Die also improves its Armor Class by 1 and raises its Strength from a starting 18/00 toward a maximum of 24. Fully grown, it gains the power to plane shift home and claims a stinking valley rift of its own.

While on the Prime Material, a barghest keeps no treasure. What riches the grown ones hoard in their home strongholds is unknown but rumored to be vast.

A barghest's life has stages. The young barghest hunts and tracks on the Prime Material, growing in cunning and wisdom. Once ready, it returns home to lead, still a hunter, but now with grander tactics suited to bigger game: other intelligent beings.