210
HOW
LER
A far-off
wail precedes the s ight of a howler. Even
at a
distance,
one's m ind cringes at the sound and fills
with
horror
at the realization that the noise is drawing
closer.
When howlers go on the
prowl, courage isn't enough to
stand up against the m,
and even one's sanity is at risk.
Prowlers from Pandemonium. These nightmare
creatures, native to Pandemonium, can also
be found
on most of the Lower
Planes, because of the many
fiends that capture
them and train them as war hounds.
Howlers can be domesticated,
after a fashion, but they
respond only to
brutal training during which they are
forced to recognize the trainer as the
pack's undisputed
leader. A trained pack then follow
s its leader without
hesitation. Howler packs course
over the battlefields of
the Blood
War and also serve evil mortals who have
the
power and
the savagery to command their loyalty.
Brutal Hunter s. Howlers
rely on speed, numbers, and
their mind-numbing howl
to corne r prey before they tear
it apart. The howl floods
the minds of its victims, mak-
ing complex thought impossible.
They can do little more
than
stare in horror and stumble around the
battlefield
in a search for safety. Any task more demanding
than
that is beyond their
capability. Fiends especially prize
howlers for this reason,
because for a few crucial mo-
ments in a battle,
their howls can neutralize an e nemy's
ability to use spells and other powers.
CHAPTER 6 I BESTIARY
HOWLER
Large fiend, chaotic
evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12dl0 + 24)
Speed 40 ft.
STR
17 (+3)
DEX
16 (+3)
Skills Perception +8
CON
15 (+2)
INT
5 (-3)
WIS
20 (+5)
CHA
6 (-2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire
, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing,
and
slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception
15
La nguages understands Abyssal but can't
speak
Challenge 8 (3,900
XP)
Pack Tactics. A howler has advantage
on attack rolls against a
creature
if at least one of the howler's allies is within
5 feet of
the creature and the ally isn't
incapacitated.
ACTIO N S
Multiattack. The howler makes two bi te attacks.
Rending
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target.
Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage, plus 22
(4dl0)
psychic damage if the target
is frightened. This attack ignores
damage
resistance.
Mind-Breaki
ng Howl (Recharge 6). The howler emits a keening
howl in a 60-foot cone. Each creature
in that area t hat isn't
deafened must s ucceed on a
DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or
be
frightened until the end of the howler's next turn.
While a
creature is frightened in
this way, its speed is halved, and it is
incapacitated. A target that successfully saves
is immune to the
Mind-Breaking Howl of all howlers for the
next 24 hours.