Monster Wednesday: Marchosian Hellhound, an Infernal, Flying, Shapeshifting Dog

Today's Monster Wednesday* is the marchosian hellhound, an intelligent flying beast that breathes fire and can shapeshift into an elite infernal soldier.

Marchosias, from the Dictionnaire Infernal, via Cornell Digital Collections

The beast I have statted up below is loosely based on the demon Marchosias (or Marchocias), the Marquis of Hell.  Marchosias comes to us from the great early works of demonology (basically early-modern fanfiction about Hell combined with occult mysticism that some people took too seriously).  According to the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, by Johann Weyer in 1577:

Marchocias is a great marquesse, he sheweth himselfe in the shape of a cruell shee woolfe, with a griphens wings, with a serpents taile, and spetting I cannot tell what out of his mouth. When he is in a mans shape, he is an excellent fighter, he answereth all questions trulie, he is faithfull in all the conjurors businesse, he was of the order of dominations, under him are thirtie legions: he hopeth after 1200 yeares to returne to the seventh throne, but he is deceived in that hope.

In the Ars Goetia of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a 17th century English grimoire drawing on the Pseudomonarchia as a source, Marchosias is described similarly:

The Thirty-fifth Spirit is Marchosias. He is a Great and Mighty Marquis, appearing at first in the Form of a Wolf having Gryphon’s Wings, and a Serpent’s Tail, and Vomiting Fire out of his mouth. But after a time, at the command of the Exorcist he putteth on the Shape of a Man. And he is a strong fighter. He was of the Order of Dominations. He governeth 30 Legions of Spirits. He told his Chief, who was Solomon, that after 1,200 years he had hopes to return unto the Seventh Throne

Marchosias would certainly be a CR 20+ monster, and given that I have no experience running games at that high of a level (nor do I particularly want to), I decided not to stat that up.  Instead, I made a lower-level monster based on Marchosias.

The marchosian hellhound has many of the same attributes as Marchosias: lawful evil, canine, winged, serpent-tailed, fire-breathing, shape-changing, etc.  These creatures make up Marchosias' thirty legions, and can shift shape back and forth between a heavily-armored infernal legionnaire and a winged hellhound.  More powerful than a standard hellhound, more versatile than the giant Nessian hellhound, and far more intelligent than both, the marchosian hellhound naturally makes for a dangerous enemy for any adventuring party.

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is ©2017 Jonah Bomgaars.

This black wolf has gryphon wings and a serpent tail. It rears onto its hind legs, belching fire and smoke.

Hellhound, Marchosian              CR 6

XP 2,400

LE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar, fire, lawful)

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +15

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural)

hp 76 (8d10+32)

Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +4

Immune fire, poison

Resist acid 10, cold 10

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)

Melee bite +12 (1d8+4 plus 1d6 fire), 2 claws +12 (1d6+4)

Special Attacks breath weapon (20-ft. cone, once every 1d4 rounds, 5d6 fire damage, Reflex DC 00 for half)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 9

Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 24 (28 vs. trip)

Feats Alertness, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative,

Skills Acrobatics +11, Fly +13, Knowledge (planes) +10, Perception +15, Profession (soldier) +11, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +18, Survival +11; Racial Modifiers +5 Stealth

Languages Infernal

SQ legionnaire form

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Legionnaire Form (Su)

As a standard action, a marchosian hellhound can assume the shape of an infernal humanoid legionnaire.  The hellhound loses its fly speed, breath weapon, natural attacks, and natural armor, but retains all other base statistics and abilities.  In its legionnaire form, the marchosian hellhound is equipped with +2 banded mail and a +1 flaming halberd.  Its adjusted armor class in legionnaire form is: AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 armor).  Its attack in legionnaire form is: +1 flaming halberd +13/+8 (1d10+6 plus 1d6 fire/x3).  These armor and weapons disintegrate upon the death of the hellhound.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Hell)

Organization solitary, pair, pack (1-3 and 1-9 hell hounds), or squad (7-12)

Treasure incidental

These elite, flying hellhounds are soldiers of Marchosias, the Marquis of Hell.  They roam across Hell performing their master’s bidding on wing, paw, and foot.  When called to war they transform into infernal soldiers and fill the ranks of Marchosias’ thirty dread legions. 

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*This is the second monster post this week since I missed last week's.

-your goetic d20 despot