BLINK DOGS
Now you see it, now it's behind you chomping you on the ass.
The prime requisite for a blink dog is Dexterity. A blink dog character whose Dexterity score is 13 or higher will receive a bonus on earned experience.
RESTRICTIONS: Blink dogs use eight-sided dice (d8) to determine their hit points. They may advance to a maximum of 8th level of experience. Blink dogs are nimble and thick-skinned; this grants them a base AC of 5, but they may not wear armor or shields, nor may they use weapons. Their lack of opposable thumbs also limits their ability to use other magic items; rings don’t fit on their paws, for example, while they require another character’s help to drink a potion. Specific magic items, such as necklaces, may fit them at the DM’s discretion. Blink dogs must have a minimum score of 9 in Dexterity.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Blink dogs have a natural bite attack that inflicts 1d6 points of damage on a successful attack; this increases to 2d4 at level 5 and 2d6 at level 8. Due to the blink dog’s magical nature, this bite attack counts as a magic weapon for the purpose of damaging opponents that can only be hit by magic weapons. Blink dogs may “blink” both at the start and at the end of their initiative. “Blinking” allows the blink dog to teleport to a location within line of sight that is no more than (level x 10) feet away. A blink dog’s instincts protect it from teleporting into a solid object. All blink dogs speak Common, Blink Dog and the alignment language or dialect of the character.
SAVING THROWS: As fighters.
ATTACK PROGRESSION: As fighters.
ADVANCEMENT: As per the fighter advancement table.
Charlatan
Eric Minton
maldoor
Greengoat
David Wellington
James Nostack
tavisallison
Blink Dogs? Sheesh, that has little to no exploit potential, the main reason for playing monster PCs. Ideas: Slaad, Celestial Dragons (awesome breath weapon!), Githyanki, Modron, Medusae, vampires.
Upon the appearance of a Displacer Beast, the Blink Dog must peel off from the group and immediately take it on, as an arch-nemesis.
I work hard to remove each new class’s exploit potential, so I’m sure that my version of the PC Slaad will leave you unsatisfied.
The roleplaying potential in the love of a blink dog PC for his human master is oh so tempting. Die, Gael Ur-Boss, so that I can replace you with a mutt!
Tavis, you know very well that it’s perfectly legitimate Old School behavior to alternate between two or more PCs. So what’s with the urge to self-immolate?
Self-immolation is even more perfectly legitimate Old School behavior, though seldom intentional.
We should roll up alternate Blink Dogs and go adventure as a pack. It will be hilarious tugging sacks of gold up stairs.
Now you need to create some blink-dog specific artifacts like The Squeaky Bone of Doom.
I can foresee the tomfoolery that will ensue if our group is left to think up a Blink-doggish accent.
Talking dogs:
Who doesn’t love the Venture Bros?
As to items specific to blink dogs, I think collars are the way to go. They can also wear pretty much anything that doesn’t have to attach to a specific body part: amulets, scarabs, medallions, phylacteries, etc, with amulet-type items attached to a collar and phylacteries tied to any convenient body part. You could also argue that a belt and girdle wrapped around a blink dog’s midsection would work normally.
The dog would be at the mercy of its handlers. I’ve seen enough pugs and lap dogs around here dressed in bizarre things. It seems they’d be appreciative of blink powers to teleport away from the shame.
That is, in fact, the primary non-combat function of the blinking power. It’s better than casting protection from fuzzy sweaters!
You could use the Mystic Unarmed Attack Equivalents Table, instead of Blink Dogs just being able to damage any old monster at all.
I gather that the Mystic is the Mentzer Companion equivalent of the AD&D monk? How does that particular table work?
It’s in the RC, but yeah.
At level 2, hands = silver weapons.
5 = +1 weapon
8 = +2 weapon
11 = +3 weapon
14 = +4 weapon
16 = +5 weapon
No actual bonus to hit, just the ability to hit monsters that need that level of magical weapon to be hit. You’d have to tweak the table if your class has level limits, etc.
Looks good. Recommended for use with the Blink Dog PC!