Yowler

A yowler is a massive, muscular dog with a short, flat black coat like chimney soot. Its face can look unsettlingly human, its creased ears resemble stubby horns, red light burns in its eyes, and its yellowed fangs are made for ripping meat.

The pack opens with its bay, audible a mile away or farther. Anyone within 90 feet must save vs. spell or flee in panic until out of earshot. Five or more baying together impose -1 on the save, plus another -1 per extra yowler, up to -10. A creature that saves is immune to that pack's bay for the encounter. Panicked victims run in a random direction away from the sound, fight only when cornered, bolt again when they can, and drop held items 50% of the time. Magical silence stops the effect until the sound returns.

While anyone remains panicked, some yowlers keep baying. The rest fly down one or two fleeing targets while a few harass those who held firm. They bite for 2d4, swooping in and out of reach. Only silver or magical weapons hurt them: magic weapons deal only their enchantment bonus in damage (a +2 two-handed sword does 2), silver deals 1, and Strength or specialization bonuses never apply.

Yowlers haunt only the bleakest wilds, sleeping by day in dismal caves. A pack claims about 200 square miles, attacks warm-blooded intruders, and savagely evicts other carnivores, rival yowlers included. Tales of evil masters keeping them as hounds exist, yet even pups are surly and untrainable, and any captive will flee or turn on its keeper at the first chance.

Like wolves, a pack has a dominant breeding pair and junior members used as disposable scouts and fighters. Juniors often challenge the leaders; losers usually die, and the few who escape become lone yowlers. The ruling pair guards the pups while the others feed them and their mother. When the range grows too crowded, several juniors leave to start a pack of their own.

Yowlers eat any meat but favor demihuman flesh. They will scavenge, though little within a pack's range lives long enough to die naturally.