Man's Best Friend - Dog Abilities
Finding your forever dog
The dog's listed below are all pure breeds (except the mutt of course). Players must find a breeder to be able to purchase any of the dogs below. Most large cities have dogs breeders were you can buy a trained dog.
Dog Groups and Breeds
Below is a chart of the seven primary dog groups and the specific breeds that are available in most cities:
| Groups | Breeds | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Terrier | American Staffordshire, Bull, Fox, Rat, Russell | 150 gp |
| Toy | Chihuahua, Havanese, Papillon, Poodle, Pug | 100 gp |
| Working | Akita, Boxer, Doberman, Rottweiler, Husky | 250 gp |
| Sporting | Brittany, Wirehair Pointer, Labrador Retriever, Pointer, Weimaraner | 150 gp |
| Hound | Beagle, Bloodhound, Foxhound, Greyhound, Wolfhound | 150 gp |
| Non Sporting | Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Eskimo, French Bulldog, Shiba Inu | 50 gp |
| Herding | Border Collie, Corgi, Collie, German Shepherd, Sheepdog | 250 gp |
The Mutt
The mutt is that special breed of dog that everyone loves, but no one knows what it is. Mutts can be found wandering some cities looking for scraps and if fed it may follow the character in hopes of getting more food. Players wishing to have a mutt as a pet must make a DC 12 Animal Handling check, as they are naturally wary of people.
Mutts have the chance of having skills that they have developed from their life on the streets. When a character befriends a mutt, the DM can roll on the chart below to see what ability, if any, the lovable mutt may have. Most mutts will have no basic abilities (See The Basics).
| Roll | Ability |
|---|---|
| 01-50 | None |
| 51-65 | +2 to all attacks on medium creatures or smaller |
| 66-85 | Advantage on all Intimidation & Persuasion Checks |
| 86-99 | Knows Sit, Pretty/Beg Ability + 4 additonal abilites |
| 00 | Speaks common |
The Basics
While trained dogs will know many of the commands listed below, not all dogs will know all these skills. If you find a mutt (See "The Mutt") and decide to train it yourself, it will know none of these basic abilities. All trained dogs will know the following - Sit, Stay/Come, Pack up, Bark, Release, Heel, Take It, Leave It, Bring It and Leap. To determine if you were successful in training your pet, you will make an Animal Handling check after each Downtime Day to see if that day was a success (This chart can also be found in the Downtime days Article).
| Ability | Downtime Days | Animal Handling DC | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sit | 1 | 10 | Sit on command |
| Stay/Come | 1 | 10 | Stay/Come on command |
| Crawl | 1 | 10 | Crawl on command |
| Pack Up | 2 | 13 | Go into a predesignated spot |
| Play Dead | 2 | 13 | Pretend they died |
| Dance | 2 | 13 | Shake your groove thang |
| Shake | 1 | 10 | Shake off all that water |
| Human | 2 | 10 | Stand on their back paws and walk around |
| Count | 3 | 16 | Learn simple math tricks |
| Kiss | 1 | 10 | Licks your nose |
| Bark | 1 | 10 | Barks on command |
| Roll Over | 1 | 10 | Shows their belly |
| Spin | 1 | 10 | Circles around itself |
| Release | 2 | 13 | Lets go of an object |
| Heel | 2 | 13 | Sticks to your feet |
| Take It | 2 | 13 | Grabs an object |
| Leave It | 2 | 13 | Avoids an object |
| Bring It | 2 | 13 | Brings an object |
| Learn Names | 3 | 16 | Learn simple names for generic objects |
| Leap | 1 | 10 | Can jump over a low wall |
| Jumping People | 2 | 13 | Jumps & stands on your back |
| High Five | 1 | 10 | Gives you a high five |
| Sit Pretty/Beg | 2 | 13 | Begins begging |
| Back | 2 | 13 | Walks backwards |
| Bow | 2 | 13 | Takes a bow |
| Limp | 2 | 13 | Pretends an injury |
Group Skills
While all dogs have a natural set of skills, each group of dogs comes with its own special abilities. Some dogs are expert trackers while others can help you hunt for food. A trained dog will have one of the skills found in its group. These skills apply to the dog only, not its owner.
If a player wants a dog to have more than one skill, the cost of the dog is double what is listed above. No dog may know more than two skills.
| Group | Skill |
|---|---|
| Terrier | +2 to Wisdom (Survival) checks when tracking underground |
| Terrier | +2 to Wisdom (Survival) checks when foraging for small game |
| Terrier | Advantage on Attack rolls when fighting tiny beasts |
| Toy | +1 to Charisma (Persuasion) checks when speaking with humanoids |
| Toy | Advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks when speaking with nobility |
| Working | Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks |
| Working | Max HP on all Hit Dice used during a short rest |
| Working | +3 damage on all Bite Attacks |
| Working | Cannot be surprised |
| Sporting | +2 to Wisdom (Survival) checks when foraging for small game |
| Sporting | +1 to Wisdom (Insight) checks on all humanoids |
| Sporting | May be used as a mount for small humanoids |
| Hound | +2 to Wisdom (Survival) checks when tracking outdoors |
| Hound | Pack tactics apply if two or more are present |
| Hound (Greyhound only) | 2x the speed of a normal hound |
| Non Sporting | Knows all Basic Abilities |
| Non Sporting | +2 to Charisma (Persuasion) checks when speaking with humanoids |
| Herding | Advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks |
| Herding | Negates Pack Tactics abilities of enemy creatures medium or smaller |
Negative Effects & Flaws
Certain groups of dogs have negative effects associated to them no matter how much training they received. Sometimes you just can't take the dog out of the dog. Not only that, but every dog is unique and they all have something just a bit off about them. The GM can roll on the table below, or create their own for your future forever dog.
| Group | Negative Effect |
|---|---|
| Terrier | Disadvantage on stealth rolls when in forest terrain |
| Toy | Dog must be carried, weight 10lbs |
| Working | None |
| Sporting | 5% chance to run away in forest terrain |
| Hound | 10% chance that hound will howl/bark during a long rest, alerting nearby enemies to your location |
| Non Sporting | Does not attack other creatures |
| Herding | None |
| d10 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I think everything is a bone to bury |
| 2 | I like to mark all of my kills by urinating on them |
| 3 | Sometimes I just want to cuddle at the most inopportune times |
| 4 | I'm actually a coward at heart and will run away at the first sign of trouble |
| 5 | I get destructive when I'm bored |
| 6 | I only like my master |
| 7 | I'm not house broken, and I'm never going to be |
| 8 | Sleeping is the only thing I like to do |
| 9 | Clothes are tasty, especially sweaty clothes |
| 10 | No matter how nice I smell, a dead rat will always make me smell better |
Dog Stats
Each group of dogs has it's own set of stats. These are general stats for each group of dogs ans are based on the averages of the dogs found within that group. Trained dogs will have slightly better stats than found in the Monster Manual.
Dog, Terrier
Small beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 10
- Hit Points 4 (1d6 + 1)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages ---
- Challenge 0 (10xp)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage.
Dog, Toy
Tiny beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 10
- Hit Points 1 (1d4 - 1)
- Speed 15 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 2 (-4) 10(+0) 8 (-1) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2)
- Skills Perception +1
- Senses passive Perception 10
- Languages ---
- Challenge 0 (10xp)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Dog, Working
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 12
- Hit Points 6 (1d8 + 2)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages ---
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength check saving throw or be knocked prone.
Dog, Sporting
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 12
- Hit Points 6 (1d8 + 2)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 7 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages ---
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. If the target is a medium creature of smaller, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength check or be grappled.
Dog, Hound
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 10
- Hit Points 5 (1d8 + 1)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages ---
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.
Dog, Non Sporting
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 10
- Hit Points 5 (1d8 + 1)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages ---
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Nimble Escape. The dog can take the Disengage or Hide action as an bonus action on each of its turns.
Dog, Herding
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 11
- Hit Points 6 (1d8 + 2)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 8 (-1)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages ---
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.
Dog, Mutt
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 10
- Hit Points 9 (2d8)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 12 (-+1)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages ---
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Camouflage. The dog has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide within an urban setting.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.