Buy me a coffeeGoblin Dog, Filth-Hound of the Warrens
“The Goblin Dog: part pest, part plague, all teeth—every goblin’s best friend, and every adventurer’s allergic nightmare.”
Despite its name, the Goblin Dog bears little resemblance to a true canine. It is a gangly, skeletal quadruped covered in wisps of mangy, patchy fur clinging to grey, inflamed skin. Its elongated snout bristles with yellowed fangs, and its eyes burn with a nervous, twitchy malice. The Goblin Dog’s flesh constantly weeps with minor infections, and its odor is a vile blend of sour milk, wet fur, and festering wounds. Its tail is long and rat-like, and its paws end in cracked, curling claws.
Behaviour
Goblin Dogs are cowardly yet aggressive, frequently driven by hunger, pain, and confusion. They are intensely loyal to goblins, who adore them despite (or perhaps because of) their foulness. Though easily panicked and wildly territorial, they are emboldened in the presence of goblins or when defending filth-ridden dens. They attack in erratic, jerky lunges, favoring ambushes and overwhelming numbers. In combat, they bark, shriek, and drool uncontrollably, spreading disease and panic.
Habitat
These wretched creatures thrive in squalid environments—abandoned sewers, garbage heaps, plague pits, or the bone-littered outskirts of goblin warrens. They prefer places thick with rot and decay. Goblin tribes often keep them penned in pits or tethered near entrances as living alarm systems. In the wild, small packs haunt ruins and filth-covered dungeons, scavenging whatever they can digest.
Modus Operandi
The Goblin Dog hunts primarily through scent, able to locate prey by the faintest whiff of flesh or fear. It rarely chases for long, preferring ambush tactics or swarming prey with others of its kind. Its bite carries a minor but persistent skin-borne disease that causes intense itching, swelling, and distraction—especially dangerous to spellcasters and lightly armored foes. If threatened, Goblin Dogs flee—but only after urinating in fear, marking enemies with their stench for future pack retaliation.
Motivation
Driven by a constant state of hunger and irritation from its own diseased body, it seeks out food, filth, and goblin approval. It craves attention and praise from its goblin masters, often performing grotesque tricks or bringing back chunks of intruders to earn favor. Despite its wretched existence, the Goblin Dog feels joy only when surrounded by goblins and garbage—the filthier, the better.
Goblin Dog 5e
Goblin Dog, Pathfinder
Goblin Dog
Small Beast, Unaligned
Armor Class: 13 (mangy hide)
Hit Points: 9 (2d6 + 2)
Speed: 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) | 2 (−4) | 12 (+1) | 6 (−2) |
Saving Throws: Dex +4
Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +4
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages: Understands Goblin but cannot speak
Challenge: 1/8 (25 XP)
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Traits
Goblin Ally.
Goblins within 30 feet have advantage on attack rolls against creatures adjacent to the goblin dog.
Diseased Hide.
A creature that touches the goblin dog or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or suffer intense itching and inflammation for 1 minute. While affected, the creature has disadvantage on Constitution checks and saving throws, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
Allergenic Dander (Recharge 5–6).
When it takes damage from a creature within 10 feet, it releases a cloud of irritating dander. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn and have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract Goblin Mange (see below).
Infectious Snap (Recharge 5–6).
The goblin dog makes a wild, disease-ridden snap at up to two adjacent creatures. It makes a separate bite attack against each. On a hit, the target has disadvantage on their next saving throw against Diseased Hide or Goblin Mange.
Bonus Actions
Feral Scurry.
The goblin dog can take the Disengage or Hide action.
Pack Yelp (1/Day).
The goblin dog releases a sharp bark. Each goblin within 60 feet that can hear it may move up to 10 feet as a reaction. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Reactions
Flea-Bitten Dodge.
When a creature misses the goblin dog with a melee attack, the goblin dog can move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Goblin Mange (Disease)
A creature infected with Goblin Mange shows symptoms after 1d4 hours. The disease causes extreme itching, rashes, and low-grade fever. The infected creature must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw every 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature gains one level of exhaustion. After three successful saves, the disease ends. A lesser restoration spell or similar magic ends the disease immediately.
Goblin Dog
This mangy canine’s face has the same flat nose, beady eyes, and protruding teeth as a rat grown grotesquely large.
Loathed by men and beasts alike, goblin dogs are ugly, stinking, craven, and foul-tempered. It’s no surprise that goblins find kindred spirits in these shunned, disgusting beasts. Constantly itching, afflicted with a species-wide mange exacerbated by prolific dander, even the healthiest goblin dog looks sickly and starved.
Despite its name, the goblin dog is in fact a species of rodent grown monstrously large. Their long-legged shape and proclivity to hunt and run in packs earned them their popular name, a name that many goblins take issue with, as it galls the average goblin to consider these, their favored mounts, having anything at all to do with actual dogs. Of course, being goblins, they haven’t bothered to come up with alternate names for goblin dogs. Perhaps they don’t realize they can.
Contact with one’s infested, mangy hide causes most other creatures to break out into hives, a condition known as “goblin rash.” Goblinoids seem to be immune to this affliction, and are fond of keeping goblin dogs as guardians and mounts.
Despite their skin conditions and disorders, goblin dogs are highly resistant to disease. Their favored food is carrion- the riper, the better. That many goblin tribes let their goblin dogs run free in their lairs is the single reason most goblin dens aren’t filthier than they actually are; constantly hungry, a goblin dog eats anything it can chew that it finds left behind by other, more discerning palates.
A goblin dog is 5 feet long but weighs only 75 pounds.
| Goblin Dog CR 1 |
| XP 400 N Medium animal Init +2; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +1 |
| DEFENSES |
| AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dexterity, +1 natural) hp 9 (1d8+5) Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1 Immune disease |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 50 ft. Melee bite +2 (1d6+3 plus allergic reaction) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 15, Dexterity 14, Constitution 15, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 12, Charisma 8 Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 14 Feats Toughness Skills Stealth +6 |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Allergic Reaction (Ex) A goblin dog’s dander is highly irritating to all creatures save those with the goblinoid subtype. A non-goblinoid creature damaged by a goblin dog’s bite, who deals damage to a goblin dog with a natural weapon or unarmed attack, or who otherwise comes into contact with a goblin dog (including attempts to grapple or ride the creature) must make a DC 12 Fortitude save or break out in an itching rash. A creature affected by this rash takes a =2 penalty to Dexterity and Charisma for 1 day (multiple allergic reactions do not stack). Remove disease or any magical healing removes the rash instantly. This is a disease effect. The save DC is Constitution-based. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment temperate forest, swamp, or underground Organization solitary or pack (2-12) Treasure none |
Goblin Dog Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 50 ft.; Attack bite (1d4); Ability Scores Strength 11, Dexterity 16, Constitution 11, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 12, Charisma 8; Special Qualities allergic reaction, Low-Light Vision, Scent.
4th-Level Advancement: Size Medium; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d6); Ability Scores Strength +4, Dexterity 2, Constitution +4.