[3.5] Guard Dog, 25gp

[Crow]

I assume I use the "trained for guarding" package listed in the Handle Animal skill for this, but I am having difficulty determining what type of dog this should actually be statted as.

There is the basic "Dog", which the MM calls any breed from 20-50lbs, which seems a bit small for a guard dog in my opinion.

Then there is the "Riding-Dog", which lists Collies, Huskies, and St. Bernards as examples. It says that if the Riding Dog is trained for war, it receives the trip attack.

So do I use the regular dog stats for a "Guard Dog"?

Or do I use the Riding Dog stats, only without the trip attack?

[Godskook]

A guard dog would be a "Dog", not a "Dog, Riding" in this case. Considering that a "Dog, Riding" is listed as costing 150gp in the same section.

[icefractal]

Seeing as a "Riding Dog" is listed immediately after that - and costs 6x as much - I think I'd assume it was the smaller kind. I mean, not being trained for riding specifically could be worth some discount, but not that much.

[Coidzor]

Suffice to say, there's issues with both ways of cutting it.

[Tengu_temp]

Yeah. For the same price you can get three mules, and a single combat-trained mule is already a much more powerful opponent than a dog. You actually need to train them, of course, but that only takes time.

[Coidzor]

Even without warbeast (mm2) training, mules with combat riding and the attack trick again give ponies a run for their money and can compare with the horses as well, especially considering their economical price.

Oh, and if time isn't an issue (due to this being during downtime of a longer sort or pre-campaign stuff, the Arms and Equipment Guide gives the price of a riding dog pup as 50 gp, IIRC.

[Worira]

I'd say decide what breed of dog it is, or at least how big it is, then choose the stats from there. So if you have a German Shepard or a Pinscher, that's probably a Riding Dog statswise, but if it's a terrier that serves as a burglar alarm, that's probably just a Dog. I think, in general, a riding dog would be more appropriate for a guard dog, at 150 gp. The SRD seems to be meaning watchdogs when they say guard dogs.

[Hawriel]

The riding dog is not only for riding. The stats are supposed to be used for any large dog, huskies, shepards, and great danes for example.

The 150 price tag mostly pays for the training. A dog is trained to be a mount. Think about how the average dog behaves. Now think about how a seeing eye dog, police dog, herd dog, or bomb sniffing dog. Your paying for discapline and skill.

150 gold is for a riding dog. teaching a tog how to be a mount is probably more time consuming that teaching a dog how to guard. Use the riding dog stats, give them up a level with the rules for advancing monsters. Give them alertness and the trip attack. That should be worth about 150 gold for a good guard dog.

If you dont want to do that. Give it the trip attack and price it 75 or bellow. It's a large dog who is basicly trained. If you just want the raw stats for a large dog. make it 25-35 and call it a day.

[bokodasu]

The 150 price tag mostly pays for the training. A dog is trained to be a mount.... teaching a tog how to be a mount is probably more time consuming that teaching a dog how to guard.

Not much. Teaching an animal the combat riding package is 6 weeks, and the guard package is 4, not enough to make up a 6x price difference. You're paying for the bigger dog + the better skills.

Also, think "pit bull", not "chihuahua" when you're thinking 20-50 lb. dog.

[CockroachTeaParty]

The Magebred template from the Eberron campaigns setting can be useful for guard dogs. It doubles the price, I believe, but gives them sweet boosts to their ability scores, natural armor, and potentially their natural attacks.

[Jyokage]

Man, now I want to stat out a Magebred, Warbeast, Riding Rottweiler for a tiny halfling mage...

[gorfnab]

Man, now I want to stat out a Magebred, Warbeast, Riding Rottweiler for a tiny halfling mage...
One of the PCs in my campaign is playing the halfling supermount build with a Magebred Warbeast Climb Dog (A&EG, advanced to medium size) for a mount. It's not too shabby and surprisingly not overpowered.