Dogs help

[sambouchah]

So in the MM there are rules for dogs, it says the statistics block can be used for coyotes and jackals but what if I want a bulldog or great Dane? Should I use riding dog stats or wolf stats, maybe even create a new set for each different type(not ideal)?

Thanks ahead of time, Sam

[Greenish]

Use riding dog, it's explicitly meant to model the larger breeds of dog.

[awa]

great dane = riding dog
bull dog= dog
something like a German shepherd or husky= wolf
sure different dogs would have different abilities but you have to ask your self is their really any benefit to it.

huh just noticed that wolves are faster then dogs that's kinda silly

[Vizzerdrix]

If you need a bigger dog, Heroes of battle has one in the back.

[Chilingsworth]

What I'd like to know: How can I stat up my pets: a pair of shid tzus. (Even normal dogs are too big to represent them, I think.)

[Greenish]

What I'd like to know: How can I stat up pets: a pair of shid tzus. (Even normal dogs are too big to represent them, I think.)Use rat stats. Remove climb and swim speeds and the stat bonuses.

[Chilingsworth]

Use rat stats. Remove climb and swim speeds and the stat bonuses.


So their stats might look something like:

Shid Tzu

Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: ¼ d8 (1 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attack: Bite -2 melee (1d3-4)
Full Attack: Bite -2 melee (1d3-4)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Shrill Yapping
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +9, Listen +7, Spot +3
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse(B)

As decidedly non combative creatures, shid tzus treat their bite attack as a secondary weapon.

Shrill Yapping (Ex): As a standard action, a shid tzu may engage in incessant shrill yapping. This has no direct effect, but does alert any non deaf creatures within hearing range of its presence. Such creatures usually take measures to quiet it as quickly as they are able.

[Invader]

great dane = riding dog
bull dog= dog
something like a German shepherd or husky= wolf
sure different dogs would have different abilities but you have to ask your self is their really any benefit to it.

huh just noticed that wolves are faster then dogs that's kinda silly

Not if think in the context that dog stats generalize all breeds. Is it silly that a wolf is fast than a bulldog, chihuahua, or mastiff? I'd say it makes perfect sense to have wolves be faster than animals that are actually slower than them :smallamused:

[awa]

yhea but grey hounds and presumably some other breeds are faster i probably would averaged it so that "dog" had the same speed as a wolf

[Hand_of_Vecna]

yhea but grey hounds and presumably some other breeds are faster i probably would averaged it so that "dog" had the same speed as a wolf

Greyhounds are probably like cheetahs minus a hd. I think its better for "dog" to be a mode average rather than a median. Basically, the mutt we'd get if we averaged all dogs with random breeding, which the MM entry does pretty well.

On a side note. The Monster Manual lists border collie as a Riding Dog while by weight the breed fits dog.

[dspeyer]

There are rules for changing a monster's size in the srd. You adjust str, dex, and maybe some other stuff.

[Invader]

Greyhounds are probably like cheetahs minus a hd. I think its better for "dog" to be a mode average rather than a median. Basically, the mutt we'd get if we averaged all dogs with random breeding, which the MM entry does pretty well.

On a side note. The Monster Manual lists border collie as a Riding Dog while by weight the breed fits dog.

This is what I was trying to say sounded like in my head lol.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

If you care to seek it out, Dragon 237 had an article entitled "Man's Best Friend" that had modifiers for lots of breeds and types of training. It was second edition, but it could make a good start to some high quality homebrew.