The creature before you looks like a large, hairless wolf. Its pale, slimy skin is covered with bizarre, abstract tattoos. As it moves forward, you see that it has no head; instead, a long, serpentine neck extends from the middle of its back, terminating in a grotesquely oversized maw filled with multiple rows of teeth. Though it has no eyes, the mouth unerringly whips around to face you, spewing forth a jet of acidic bile.
A runehound’s slick skin is pale and mottled; the rune-like “tattoos” on its hide are patterns of pigmentation just beneath the skin, whose purpose is unclear. These patterns move or change on occasion, though no one’s been able to discern a pattern to these shifts.
A runehound can be up to 6 feet long and 31⁄2 feet tall at the shoulder, and can weigh up to 360 pounds.
Runehounds have a limited language using clicks and squeals, which is virtually impossible for humanoids to reproduce.
Combat
Runehounds are cunning and tenacious creatures. If an enemy does not possess ranged weapons, a runehound will attempt to use its speed to flank its opponents, staying out of reach while using its acidic spew to injure its foes. Against a foe with ranged weapons, the hound will use its sticky spew against the strongest ranged combatant and then close as quickly as possible. It makes maximum use of its reflexes and extended reach, striking out against any creature that moves through its threatened space.
Runehound
Medium aberration
Init +2; Senses blindsight 500 ft.; Perception +6
Defense
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 natural); can’t be flanked
hp 30 (4d8+12)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +5
Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +9 (2d6+5) or vile spew +6 ranged touch (see text)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Statistics
Str 20, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Lightning Reflexes
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +7, Survival +3 (+23 to track)
Languages speak own language
Morale resolute (+4)
Ecology
Environment temperate marshes
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (1d6+2)
Special Abilities
Vile Spew (Ex)
A runehound can produce two noxious substances that it can spit with tremendous force. It can emit a stream of acid that deals 1d6 points of damage for every Hit Die the runehound possesses (4d6 for a typical specimen), with a DC 15 Reflex save halving this damage. Alternatively, it can spit a glob of glutinous goo that acts as a single-target web spell; a DC 15 Reflex save negates the effect. Both attacks have a range of 100 feet, require a successful ranged touch attack, and can be used once every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Extended Reach (Ex)
The serpentine neck of a runehound is long and powerful, giving the creature a reach of 10 feet with its bite attack; this reach also allows it to threaten a 10-foot-radius area. Because of the flexibility of its neck, the runehound can attack adjacent foes with no penalty.
Psychic Scent (Su)
A runehound tracks by following psychic trails and aura traces. It gains a +20 bonus on all Survival checks made to track. (It does not receive this bonus against mindless creatures or creatures shielded against mental effects.)
Uncanny Blindsight (Su)
Runehounds are blind but perceive their surroundings with their psychic senses. This ability provides a runehound with blindsight out to 500 feet. In addition, a runehound cannot be flanked.