Buy me a coffeeBlack Shuck
This is a big black dog, as dark as midnight. Its eyes gleam with an unnatural green light.
Shuck is the name given to a ghostly black dog which is said to roam the Norfolk, Essex and Suffolk coastline. Black Shuck is sometimes referred to as the Doom Dog.
The legend
For centuries, inhabitants of England have told tales of a large black dog with malevolent flaming eyes that are red or alternatively green. They are described as being ‘like saucers’. According to reports, the beast varies in size and stature from that of simply a large dog to being the size of a horse.
Black Shuck is the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles.
It is said that his appearance bodes ill to the beholder, although not always. More often than not, stories tell of Black Shuck terrifying his victims, but leaving them alone to continue living normal lives; in some cases it has supposedly happened before close relatives to the observer die or become ill. In other tales he’s regarded to be relatively benign and said to accompany women on their way home in the role of protector rather than a portent of ill omen.
The spectre often haunts graveyards, sideroads, crossroads, near bodies of water and dark forests. Black Shuck is also said to haunt the coast road between West Runton and Overstrand.
Black Shuck
A gravelly growl reverberates from the throat of a large, shaggy black wolf. A single, glowing eye dominates its face. This fiendish black, shaggy, wolf-like creature is the size of a horse with a single, large eye that glows like molten iron.
Large fiend, chaotic evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 157 (15d10 + 75)
Speed 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 21 (+5) | 14 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Str +8, Dex +7, Con +9, Wis +7
Skills Athletics +8, Stealth +11, Survival +7
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses darkvision 90 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages understands Abyssal and Common but can’t speak
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +4
SPECIAL TRAITS
- Blood Frenzy. The black shuck has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hp.
- Keen Hearing and Smell. The black shuck has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
- Water Walker. The black shuck can move across the surface of water as if it were harmless, solid ground. This trait otherwise works like the water walk spell.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The black shuck makes three Bite attacks and can use Curse of the Grave or Fearsome Howl, if available. If at least two Bite attacks hit a Medium or smaller target, the black shuck sinks in its teeth, shaking its head violently, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or take 7 (2d6) slashing damage and be thrown up to 15 feet in a random direction and knocked prone.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.
- Curse of the Grave. The black shuck glares at one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed. A cursed creature has disadvantage on the next two death saving throws it makes in the next 7 days. The curse lasts until the cursed creature has made two death saving throws, until 7 days have passed, or until it is lifted by a remove curse spell or similar magic.
- Fearsome Howl (Recharge 5–6). The black shuck howls a haunting tune. Each creature within 60 feet of the black shuck that can hear the howl must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of its next turn. A frightened creature that is concentrating on a spell must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or it loses concentration.
BONUS ACTIONS
- Mist Stalker. While in an area of dim light, fog, or mist, the black shuck takes the Hide action.
Pastoral Prowler. Haunting country byways and back roads, black shucks are credited with countless murders, missing wayfarers, and the wholesale slaughter of entire caravans and patrols. Black shucks hide in the cover of fog and stride quietly across ponds, creeks, and other fog-shrouded bodies of water to ambush weary travelers stopping for a drink.
Unpredictable Predilections. A black shuck toys with its victims as often as it murders them, but this enigmatic entity is reported to show random kindness toward lost children, guiding them home.
Grim rituals can summon a black shuck to terrorize individuals, or even whole families, compelling it to haunt and beleaguer them and their household, sometimes for generations.
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Tome of Beasts 3 © 2022 Open Design LLC; Authors: Eytan Bernstein, Celeste Conowitch, Benjamin L. Eastman, Robert Fairbanks, Scott Gable, Basheer Ghouse, Richard Green, Jeremy Hochhalter, Jeff Lee, Christopher Lockey, Sarah Madsen, Ben Mcfarland, Jonathan Miley, Kelly Pawlik, Sebastian Rombach, Chelsea Steverson, Brian Suskind, Mike Welham
D&D 5E Epic Monsters: Black Shuck (5E)
Black Shuck is an interesting dog if nothing else. Legends about this canine go back to 1127 and range from it being Satan to a poor fellow’s lonely companion haunting the spot of his death to a terrifying monster that liked to bust into churches to wreck havoc. One thing is for certain: Black Shuck is a great example of localized folklore really taking root. Like the Jersey Devil but much, much older, and also like the Jersey Devil it’s still being spotted here and there.
Black Shuck
Large fey, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 76 (8d10+32)
Speed 55 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 18 (+4) | 17 (+3) | 19 (+4) | 6 (-2) | 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) |
Skills Athletics +7, Insight +7, Perception +7, Stealth +16
Damage Resistances cold
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Common; telepathy 100 ft. (images of death omens only)
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Innate Spellcasting. Black Shuck’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Constant: pass without trace
At will: divination (indefinite timespan; death omens only)
3/day: fog cloud, hellish rebuke, hunter’s mark
Keen Hearing and Smell. Black Shuck has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Magic Resistance. Black Shuck has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Terrifying Howl. Black Shuck can use a bonus action to unleash a terrifying howl. Each creature of its choice within 120 feet of Black Shuck that is able to both see and hear it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Black Shuck’s Frightful Howl for the next 24 hours.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Black Shuck attacks twice.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) magical piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Black Shuck
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Black shucks are normally dismissed as folklore or peasant tales, but the eerie creatures have been encountered by adventurers in the oddest of places.
Monster Encyclopaedia I: Ravagers of the Realms
Author August Hahn, Gareth Hanrahan, Lizard
Series Monster Encyclopaedia
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2004
Physically, they appear to be ordinary dogs such as pit bulls or wolfhounds, but their eyes glow slightly green in the darkness. Black shucks are associated with treasure troves, haunted sights, dungeons, ruins and druidic groves, leading some to believe that they are wardens of such dangerous places. They have been known to hunt down and kill travellers, but the locals tend to think ill of anyone killed by a black shuck. The general sentiment is that the fearsome hounds are beneficent in some fashion and anyone killed by one probably had it coming.
Attempts to capture black shucks are always fruitless, thanks to their ability to shadow walk. They may sometimes accompany a ranger or druid for a time, but are not true companions and only work towards their own cryptic ends. There is an unexplained enmity between black shucks and shadow mastiffs; travellers have sometimes come across the bodies of black dogs with their jaws locked on each others throats and watched in alarm as one body vanishes as daylight strikes it.
| Black Shuck | |
| Medium magical beast | |
| Hit Dice | 5d10+10 (37 hp) |
| Initiative | +1 |
| Speed | 40 ft. (8 squares) |
| Armour Class | 16 (+1 Dexterity, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +5/+8 |
| Attack | Bite +8 melee (1d8+4 plus trip) |
| Full Attack | Bite +8 melee (1d8+4 plus trip) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Trip, savage |
| Special Qualities | Fast healing 1, Low-Light Vision, Scent, shadow walk |
| Saves | Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +3 |
| Abilities | Strength 16, Dexterity 12, Constitution 15, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 14, Charisma 13 |
| Skills | Hide +5, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Spot +4, Survival +9* |
| Feats | Alertness, Stealthy, TrackB |
| Environment | Temperate forests and plains |
| Organisation | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating | 4 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Usually neutral |
| Advancement | 6-12 HD (Medium) |
| Level Adjustment | – |
Combat
A black shuck prefers fighting opponents one at a time and so uses its shadow walk ability to divide and confuse foes, before pulling one down and tearing out his throat.
Fast Healing (Su): A black shuck automatically heals one hit point every round.
shadow walk (Su): A black shuck can shadow walk, as the spell, at will. It may walk for a maximum of ten minutes per day, so this ability is often used just to move from one random area to another rather than for actual travel. The travel must begin and end in an area of darkness or shadowy illumination.
Savage (Ex): A black shuck who is attacking a prone enemy may make a grapple attack on that target. This grapple attack requires a touch attack, but does not draw an attack of opportunity. The black shuck gains a +4 bonus to this grapple check. If the check succeeds, the victim is shaken for 2d6 points of damage and must make a Fortitude check (DC 15) to avoid being stunned for one round. The save DC is Strength-based.
Trip (Ex): A black shuck that hits its opponent with its bite attack can attempt to trip him as a free action (+3 bonus) without making a touch attack or drawing an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the black shuck.
Skills: A black shuck has a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks when tracking by Scent.
Adventure threads
- “The Hound of the Baskervilles”
- “The Haunting of Black Shuck”
- “The Curse of Black Shuck”
- “The Black Shuck’s Curse”
“The Hound of the Baskervilles”
Episode 1: “The Inheritance”
The adventure begins with the players being called to Baskerville Manor, the ancestral home of the Baskerville family, by the last surviving member of the family, Sir Charles Baskerville. Sir Charles is on his deathbed and wishes to reveal a dark secret that has plagued the family for generations.
He tells the players that the Baskerville family has been cursed by a powerful demon known as Black Shuck. The curse was placed on the family by a powerful sorcerer who was wronged by the Baskervilles in the past. The sorcerer summoned the demon to take revenge on the family and it has been haunting them ever since.
Sir Charles reveals that the curse can only be lifted by finding and destroying the sorcerer’s powerful magical artifact that is the source of the curse. He entrusts the players with the task of finding the artifact and breaking the curse before it claims another victim.
The players will have to navigate the treacherous moors surrounding Baskerville Manor and search for clues that will lead them to the artifact. Along the way, they will encounter strange creatures and ancient ruins that hint at a deeper mystery surrounding the curse.
Episode 2: “The Hunt for Black Shuck”
With the knowledge of the curse, the players set out to find the artifact and lift the curse from the Baskerville family. However, the demon Black Shuck is not so easily defeated. It begins to stalk the players, hunting them down as they search for the artifact.
The players will have to track Black Shuck through the moors, using all of their skills and abilities to outsmart it. Along the way, they will encounter other creatures that have been affected by the curse, including giant spiders and giant rats. The players will also have to overcome the sorcerer’s minions, who will stop at nothing to protect their master.
The players will finally come face to face with Black Shuck in a final, epic battle. They will have to use all of their abilities and resources to defeat the demon and lift the curse from the Baskerville family.
Episode 3: “The Legacy of the Baskervilles”
With the defeat of Black Shuck, the curse is lifted and the Baskerville family is safe once again. However, the players will soon discover that there are consequences to their actions.
The sorcerer, angered by the players’ interference, will seek revenge. The players will have to defend Baskerville Manor against the sorcerer’s attacks and put an end to his threat once and for all.
Additionally, the Baskerville family, who have lived in fear for so long, will need help to come to terms with their past and move on. The players will have to assist the Baskervilles in rebuilding their lives and their legacy.
In the end, the players will have saved the Baskerville family from a terrible fate and restored peace to the land. But the memory of Black Shuck will live on, a reminder of the power of curses and the strength of those who dare to confront them.
“The Haunting of Black Shuck”
Episode 1: “The Legend of Black Shuck”
The adventure begins in a small village in England, where the villagers are plagued by a terrifying creature known as Black Shuck. The villagers believe that Black Shuck is a demon that haunts the nearby woods, and they have lived in fear of it for generations. The players are passing through the village when they hear of the legend of Black Shuck and decide to investigate.
The players will have to navigate the treacherous woods, avoiding traps and overcoming obstacles to reach the heart of the forest. Along the way, they will encounter strange creatures and ancient ruins that hint at a deeper mystery surrounding Black Shuck.
As they delve deeper into the woods, the players will discover that the legend of Black Shuck is rooted in a tragic event that occurred many years ago. The villagers had angered an ancient druidic cult that worshiped a powerful demon known as Shuck. The druids cursed the village and summoned the demon to take revenge. The demon appeared as a giant black dog, and from that day forward, the villagers lived in fear of the beast.
The players will have to uncover the truth about the curse and find a way to defeat the demon and lift the curse from the village.
Episode 2: “The Hunt for Black Shuck”
With the knowledge of the curse, the players set out to hunt down Black Shuck and put an end to its reign of terror.
They will have to track the demon through the forest, using all of their skills and abilities to outsmart it. Along the way, they will encounter other creatures that have been affected by the curse, including giant spiders and giant rats. The players will also have to overcome the druids, who will stop at nothing to protect their demon.
The players will finally come face to face with Black Shuck in a final, epic battle. They will have to use all of their abilities and resources to defeat the demon and lift the curse from the village.
Episode 3: “The Aftermath”
With the defeat of Black Shuck, the curse is lifted and the village is safe once again. However, the players will soon discover that there are consequences to their actions.
The druids, angered by the players’ interference, will seek revenge. The players will have to defend the village against the druids’ attacks and put an end to their threat once and for all.
Additionally, the villagers, who have lived in fear for so long, will need help to rebuild their lives and their village. The players will have to assist the villagers in rebuilding their homes and their livelihoods.
In the end, the players will have saved the village from a terrible fate and restored peace to the land. But the memory of Black Shuck will live on, a reminder of the power of fear and the strength of those who dare to confront it.
Episode 4: “The Ghost of Black Shuck”
Despite the defeat of Black Shuck, strange occurrences continue to happen in the village. Villagers report seeing ghostly apparitions of a large black dog and hearing eerie howls in the night. The players soon learn that the ghost of Black Shuck is still haunting the village, and it is seeking revenge for its defeat.
To put the ghost to rest, the players will have to uncover the true cause of its haunting. They will discover that the ghost is bound to the village by a powerful curse placed on it by the druids. To break the curse, the players will have to find and destroy the source of the curse, which is located deep in the ruins of an ancient druidic temple.
The players will have to navigate the treacherous ruins, avoiding traps and overcoming obstacles to reach the source of the curse. Along the way, they will encounter undead druids who guard the temple and will stop at nothing to protect it.
Finally, the players will reach the source of the curse and destroy it, breaking the curse and putting the ghost of Black Shuck to rest. However, the players will soon discover that the ghost was not the only thing haunting the village, and they will have to face one final challenge to truly end the nightmare.
Episode 5: “The Final Confrontation”
With the ghost of Black Shuck laid to rest, the players think that their adventure is over. However, they soon learn that the druids have one final card to play. The druidic cult leader who cursed the village and summoned Black Shuck is still alive and seeks revenge for the defeat of his demon.
The players will have to track down the cult leader and put an end to his plans. They will have to navigate through the ancient ruins where the cult leader is hiding, and face off against his powerful magic and deadly traps.
In the final confrontation, the players will have to use all of their abilities and resources to defeat the cult leader and put an end to his reign of terror once and for all. With the cult leader’s defeat, the village is safe, and the players can finally rest easy knowing that they have saved the village from a terrible fate and restored peace to the land.
Epilogue:
The adventure concludes with the players being celebrated as heroes by the village, and the villagers will always remember their brave deeds and the sacrifices they made to save them. The memory of Black Shuck will live on, but now it will be remembered as a legend of the past, a story of how the village was saved by a group of brave adventurers.
The players will have the opportunity to rest and recuperate in the village, and they may even decide to stay and help the villagers rebuild their homes and their livelihoods. But eventually, they will have to continue on their journey, and the village will always be a special place in their hearts, a place where they faced their fears and emerged victorious.
“The Curse of Black Shuck”
Episode 1: The Haunting of the Village
The adventure begins in a small medieval village on the outskirts of the kingdom. The villagers have been plagued by strange occurrences and terrifying visions of a large black dog with glowing red eyes, known as Black Shuck. The villagers believe that the creature is a curse upon their village and have asked for help from the adventurers.
Upon arrival, the villagers tell the adventurers that the sightings of Black Shuck have increased in frequency and that several people have gone missing. The villagers also mention that they have heard strange noises coming from the nearby forest at night.
The adventurers must investigate the village and the surrounding area to find out what is causing these strange occurrences. They may discover that the villagers have angered an ancient druidic spirit by cutting down trees in the nearby forest. The spirit has taken the form of Black Shuck as a form of punishment.
Episode 2: The Forest of the Druids
The adventurers must venture into the nearby forest to find the source of the curse. As they enter the forest, they will encounter various traps and obstacles set by the druidic spirit to protect itself. The adventurers will also encounter other creatures of British folklore, such as faeries and will-o’-the-wisps, who may help or hinder them on their quest.
As the adventurers delve deeper into the forest, they will come across a druidic circle. Here, they will encounter the druidic spirit in the form of an ancient tree-like creature ( possibly a regular Treant or Elder Treant, depending on campaign ). The spirit will explain that it has been angered by the villagers’ actions and that Black Shuck is its way of punishing them.
The adventurers must find a way to appease the spirit and put an end to the curse. This may involve making offerings to the spirit, performing a ritual, or even going on a quest to find a powerful magical item.
Episode 3: The Return of Black Shuck
The adventurers have successfully appeased the druidic spirit and put an end to the curse. However, as they return to the village, they find that Black Shuck has returned. The villagers are once again terrified and the adventurers must find a way to stop the creature once and for all.
The adventurers will discover that Black Shuck is being controlled by a powerful sorcerer who is using the creature as a tool to gain power and control over the kingdom. The sorcerer has taken refuge in a nearby castle and the adventurers must go there to stop him.
As the adventurers battle their way through the castle, they will encounter various minions of the sorcerer, including undead warriors and other undead creatures of British folklore such as the Banshee. Finally, they will come face to face with the sorcerer in a final showdown.
Upon defeating the sorcerer, the adventurers will have put an end to the curse of Black Shuck and saved the village from certain doom. The villagers will be forever grateful and the adventurers will be hailed as heroes of the kingdom.
Note: This is a rough draft and can be adjusted accordingly to your desired settings and characters.
“The Black Shuck’s Curse”
Episode 1: The Haunting of the Village
The adventure begins in a small medieval village on the outskirts of the kingdom. The village has been plagued by strange occurrences and terrifying visions of a large black dog with glowing red eyes, known as Black Shuck. The villagers believe that the creature is a curse upon their village and have asked for help from the adventurers.
Upon arrival, the villagers tell the adventurers that the sightings of Black Shuck have increased in frequency and that several people have gone missing. The villagers also mention that they have heard strange noises coming from the nearby graveyard at night.
The adventurers must investigate the village and the surrounding area to find out what is causing these strange occurrences. They may discover that the village has been built on an ancient burial ground and that the villagers have disturbed the graves of powerful warriors. The warriors have risen from the dead and have taken the form of Black Shuck to seek revenge on the living.
Episode 2: The Warriors’ Tomb
The adventurers must venture into the nearby graveyard to find the source of the curse. As they enter the graveyard, they will encounter various traps and obstacles set by the warriors to protect themselves. The adventurers will also encounter other creatures of British folklore, such as ghosts and undead, who may help or hinder them on their quest.
As the adventurers delve deeper into the graveyard, they will come across an ancient tomb. Here, they will encounter the warriors in the form of Black Shuck. The warriors will explain that they have been disturbed from their rest and seek revenge on the living for disturbing their graves.
The adventurers must find a way to put the warriors to rest and put an end to the curse. This may involve finding and destroying a powerful magical item that the sorcerer used to curse the warriors, or performing a ritual to send the warriors to the afterlife.
Episode 3: The Final Confrontation
The warriors have been put to rest, but the villagers are still in danger. The sorcerer who cursed the warriors is still at large and the adventurers must find and defeat him to end the curse once and for all.
The sorcerer has taken refuge in a nearby castle and the adventurers must go there to stop him. As they battle their way through the castle, they will encounter various minions of the sorcerer, including undead warriors and other creatures of folklore. Finally, they will come face to face with the sorcerer in a final showdown.
Upon defeating the sorcerer, the adventurers will have put an end to the curse of Black Shuck and saved the village from certain doom. The villagers will be forever grateful and the adventurers will be hailed as heroes of the kingdom.
As a reward for their bravery, the villagers may offer the adventurers a share of the treasure found in the sorcerer’s castle, which could include powerful magical items, gold, and jewels. The villagers may also offer the adventurers a place to stay in the village, and they may even be honored with a feast in their honor.
But the adventure doesn’t end there, as the sorcerer had other plans and may have other minions to attack the village again. The adventurers may have to come back to the village to protect it from any other possible dangers.
This is a rough draft and can be adjusted accordingly to your desired settings and characters.