Duskwolf
GM's Eyes Only
Spoilers. This page is written for the GM, and players who read on will learn things their characters don't know.
Enormous, clever wolves of Silbriesti's old forests. Source: Iron Kingdoms Monsternomicon, p. 38.
What it is. A male stands six to seven feet at the shoulder, ten feet long, up to eight hundred pounds, dusky gray with a dark umber mane down the spine. Females are a little smaller, maneless, and much darker, and they can shift their pelts to match the shadows at will. Its jaws break armor and the bone under it. It is smarter and fiercer than any ordinary beast.
Packs. Males are rare. A typical pack is one male, six to eight females, and a handful of young. Lone males driven out by rivals are half-starved and attack anything. The packs keep no permanent dens and stay near fresh water. They grow far more aggressive as winter comes on, killing to build a surplus.
The hunt. The male opens with a chilling howl that can freeze the weak-willed, then seizes the prey and drags it down. The females come through the shadows and strike from behind. Large prey gets chased over long distances until it is too tired to fight.
Kept by others. IK's wild peoples ride the best of them as mounts and wear their skulls as trophies, and druids set packs loose to guard sacred sites.
In Tir Hathar. Silbriesti's forests, which had no creatures until now. Duskwolves aren't the hags' wolves; those are the Argus.
Stats¶
First draft, built from WWN's baseline stat lines.
| HD | AC | Atk | Dmg | Shock | Move | ML | Inst | Skill | Save | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duskwolf (female) | 3 | 13 | +4 | 1d8 | 2/13 | 50' | 8 | 5 | +1 | 14+ |
| Duskwolf (male) | 4 | 14 | +5 | 1d10 | 2/13 | 50' | 9 | 5 | +1 | 13+ |
- Shadow pelt. Females only. In shadow or dim light, as an On Turn action, she blends in: she can't be targeted by ranged attacks from more than 30 feet away until she attacks.
- Cull the weak. +1 to hit and damage against a creature that's already wounded.
- Howl. Males only, once per scene, as a Main Action: every foe within 60 feet that hears it makes a Mental save or loses their next Move action. Creatures with Morale also make a Morale check.
- Mount. A duskwolf can carry a rider at full speed.
Still open: playtesting the numbers, and how the Elves relate to them. Suggested, not settled: as IK's druids do, Silbriesti's Primal practitioners set packs to guard the forest borders, which suits an isolationist realm. The Duskwolf's stats could also serve as the Winter Wolf's, with a cold breath added.