Fighter Archetype
Houndmaster
The houndmaster is a versatile fighter, whose versatility comes from a very specific source. They are bonded to a beast, or a pack of them - caring for their animal companions nearly as an extension of themselves. Typically, these are dogs or wolves, but houndmasters can be found with any sort of animal. Their beasts are beloved friends, loyal comrades, and reliable packmates.
Houndmasters can come from any background. A noble houndmaster might have a pack of hunting hounds, while a wilderness traveler might be accompanied by a gang of exotic reptiles. Similarly, houndmasters vary in their alignment - a good-aligned houndmaster might love and protect their beasts, while an evil-aligned one might train them cruelly and engage in coldhearted sacrifices.
Houndmaster Features
| Fighter Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Friend to Beasts, Leader of the Pack, Commanded Attack |
| 7th | Sniffing Trouble, Dogs of War |
| 10th | Masterful Hounds |
| 15th | Unleash the Pack |
| 18th | Pack Savagery |
Friend to Beasts
When you adopt this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Animal Handling, or another skill of your choice if you are already proficient. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for all Animal Handling checks you make.
In addition, you learn the revive beast* spell, with Wisdom as your spellcasting modifier. You can cast it once, regaining the ability to do so after a long rest.
Leader of the Pack
Additionally at 3rd level, you gain the companionship of a hound. Initially, you have one companion hound, receiving additional hounds at levels 7 and 10. Your hound is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands to the best of its ability. See its game statistics in the accompanying War Hound stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.
In combat, all of your hounds share your initiative count, taking their turns in any order immediately after yours. They can move and take reactions on their own, but the only action they take on their turns is the Dodge action. When you take the Attack action, you may sacrifice one attack to command one of your hounds to take an action. When you gain the Extra Attack feature, you may sacrifice any number of attacks in this way, though you may only command each hound once. A hound's action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, any one of your hounds can take any action in this way, but only one may do so.
Your hounds cannot spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points, but you may spend your Hit Dice to heal them. When you heal your hounds with your Hit Dice, you roll the die, adding your Constitution modifier and all of your hounds' Constitution modifiers to each die roll, and then divide the hit points equally among all your hounds.
When one of your hounds is reduced to 0 hit points, it begins making death saving throws as if it were a player character. You may stabilize one of your hounds within 5 feet as a bonus action. If one of your hounds is irretrievably lost, you may replace it after 1 week of searching and for a cost of 50 gp.
Commanded Attack
Also at 3rd level, you and your hound learn to work together to pressure an enemy's defenses. As a bonus action after you hit an enemy with a weapon attack, you can command one of your hounds within 5 feet of the target to immediately make an attack as a bonus action.
You can command your pack of hounds in this way a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier, regaining all uses after a long rest.
Sniffing Trouble
At 7th level, you and your hounds make an excellent tracking team. Your hounds may add your Wisdom modifier to the result when they make Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) checks.
Dogs of War
Also at 7th level, your hounds' combat skill increases. They gain the following features:
- Evasion. When the war hound is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage on a success, and only half damage on a failure.
- Magic Fangs. The war hound's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
- Directed Assault. The war hound may add your Wisdom modifier to its attack and damage rolls.
Masterful Hounds
At 10th level, your hounds' combat abilities improve. You can select an additional ability for each of your war hounds out of the following options:
- Crippling Fangs: After the hound deals damage to an enemy, that creature must roll 1d4 and subtract the result from its next attack roll before the start of your next turn.
- Overpowering Jaws: The hound gains proficiency in Athletics, and can attempt to grapple an enemy with their mouth in place of making an attack.
- Savage Rush: The hound's speed increases by 10 feet, and in the first round of combat, the hound can Dash as a bonus action.
Unleash the Pack
At 15th level, when you use your Commanded Attack feature, you may command all your war hounds instead of just one.
War Hound
Small beast
- Armor Class 11+PB
- Hit Points 5+3 times your fighter level
- Speed 35 ft.
16 12 14 5 13 12 STR(+3) DEX(+1) CON(+2) INT(-3) WIS(+1) CHA(+1)
- Saving Throws Strength +2 plus PB, Dexterity +1 plus PB
- Senses passive Perception 11+PB
- Skills Perception +1 plus PB, Survival +1 plus PB
- Languages Understands the languages you speak
- Proficiency Bonus equal to yours
Traits
Keen Hearing and Smell. The war hound has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Fierce Packmate. The war hound has advantage on its attacks when the houndmaster or another war hound is within 5 feet of its target.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: 3+PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 + PB piercing damage.
That's...a lot of legs on that dog
If you would rather create a houndmaster who works with other animals, talk to your DM about modifying the War Hound's stat block. You might consider things like a climb speed, poison damage, or using Dexterity for its attacks. Anything that increases its damage, durability, or mobility should probably be counterbalanced by removing Fierce Packmate.
Pack Savagery
At 18th level, you and your hounds fight in perfect coordination with one another. Whenever any of your hounds deals damage to a target, the next attack you make against that target within 1 minute deals an additional 1d4 damage. This effect can stack up to three times.
Houndmaster quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Domain to choose from.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You sleep snuggled up with all your hounds. |
| 2 | You always let your hounds clean your plate at the end of a meal. |
| 3 | You get deeply offended anytime someone tells you your hounds aren't welcome somewhere. |
| 4 | You claim to be immune to fleas. You aren't. |
| 5 | You always feed strays. |
| 6 | Nothing has ever offended you more than seeing someone kick a dog. |
Appendix 1: Spells
Revive Beast
3rd level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (Gems worth 25 gp, which the spell consumes)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Ranger
You touch a beast that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with half of its maximum life. This spell can’t return to life a creature that has died of old age, nor can it restore any missing body parts.
Appendix 2: Equipment
Consider making the following equipment available as treasure to a houndmaster PC.
Infernal Collar
Wondrous Item, uncommon
This collar gives off small embers and glows a dull red in darkness. When worn by a war hound, the hound gains resistance to fire damage, and all its attacks deal fire damage instead of their normal damage type.
Booties of Speed
Wondrous Item, rare
These leather dog shoes have small wings embroidered on them. When worn by a war hound, the hound's movement speed increases by 10 feet, and it can jump up to half its movement.
Barding of Duplication
Wondrous Item, rare
This quilted dog coat shimmers in the light, its patterns subtly rippling even when held perfectly still. If you touch it to a suit of barding made for a war hound, it transforms to mimic the barding in every way, granting all its benefits. If the original barding is destroyed or damaged, the coat reverts to its original form.
Change Log
v0.3
- Updated art and license
v0.2
- Rephrased how hit dice healing works
- Unnerfed hounds' Constitution
v0.1
- Initial Draft!
Credits & References:
- Houndmaster created by somanyrobots Discord | Patreon
Spells
- Revive Beast by KibblesTasty
Art
- Houndmaster Fighter, by Duong Thanh Lam
Background Image Stains
License
- © 2023 somanyrobots, CC BY-NC 4.0
5E SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available here.
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.