Death Dog
Medium Monstrosity · · CR 1
- Monstrosity
- Medium
- Tier 1
Death Dog is a medium monstrosity of neutral evil alignment, CR 1. Found in desert. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 1
- Type
- Monstrosity
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Desert
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Death dogs roam arid badlands and desert margins, hunting in mated pairs or family packs of three to five. They take goats, gazelles, and lone travelers, preferring weak or sick prey their disease can finish. The two-headed bodies require enormous caloric intake; a death dog kills more than it eats, scattering carcasses across a wide territory. Carrion-eaters that consume their leftovers often sicken and die in turn.
Behaviour
The two heads of a death dog often disagree, snapping at each other while sharing a body. This squabbling makes them poor pack hunters but excellent watchdogs, since one head sleeps while the other watches. They are aggressive toward anything that crosses their territory and rarely flee, preferring to spread their disease through bites that may kill long after the encounter ends.
Origin
Death dogs are believed to be the cursed offspring of jackals fed scraps from a demon's altar in some forgotten desert ruin. Yeenoghu's worshipers claim them as kin, but the demon lord rejects them. They breed true, passing the two-headed deformity and the disease-laden saliva to every litter. Some scholars suspect a fiendish patron's lingering corruption rather than mere genetic curse.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Death Dog
- What is the challenge rating of Death Dog?
- Death Dog is rated CR 1. The rating fits parties at the start of their adventuring careers.
- What type of creature is Death Dog?
- Death Dog is classified as a monstrosity in D&D 5e, medium size.
- Where does Death Dog live?
- The bestiary places Death Dog in Desert.