The Rabid Baron

This fiend resembles a wolfhound in size and the shaggy appearance of its fur. Its face even appears friendly and familiar until hackles draw back from a mouth full of human teeth and a forked tongue. Of course, its sickly yellow fur dotted with ruddy patches, especially around the mouth, speaks to the rabid barons unnatural origins. So to do its hooked, six-fingers claws it has instead of paws. Its blood-red tail is actually a squirm of tangled furless tendrils that can unfurl and lash out like a whip. Most of the time, though, the rabid baron has transformed itself into a normal looking canine, lupine or vulpine to lure its victims in.

Man's Worst Friend. The Rabid Baron exists to spread pestilence and madness among mortals. When not tending to its infernal court of barghests, hellhounds and howlers the fiend assumes the shape and demeanor of a friendly dog in ingratiates itself into a mortal family and community. It will carefully spread the Red Sight among local people and animals, which become increasingly erratic and violent. The whole time, it remains a 'loyal' companion and doesn't reveal its true nature until its dark works reach the point of no return. Then it relishes in the agony and madness of those that relied on the false hound the most.

The Rabid Baron

Medium fiend, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)

Speed 50ft

Str 16 Dex 12 Con 16 Int 14 Wis 11 Cha 18

Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +3

Skills Arcana +5, Deception +7, Perception +3

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 13

Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal

Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Disarming Chomp.

Whenever the rabid baron scores a critical hit against a creature it tears a weapon or item that creature is wielding in one or more hands from its grip and tosses it 10ft in a random direction.

Heightened Smell.

The rabid baron has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks involving smell.

Lockjaw.

Creatures grappled by the rabid baron have Disadvantage on escape rolls.

Plague's Herald.

The rabid baron is immune to all diseases. The rabid baron automatically smells any creature that currently has a disease within 30ft.

Shapechanger.

The fiend can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium dog, fox, wolf, or back into its true form. Other than its size, its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Actions

Multiattack

The rabid baron makes two attacks as one turn.

Bite.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8+3 ) piercing damage. In addition, if the target is a Large or smaller creature it is grappled (escape DC 14). Likewise, if the target is a creature it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or contract Red Sight.

The first symptoms of the disease appear in 1d4+1 hours. The creature's eyes become extremely bloodshot and their gums bleed. The infected creature suffers 1 level of exhaustion. While the creature has at least 1 level of exhaustion it has trouble distinguishing friend from foe. Whenever the creature starts its turn with half or fewer hit points, roll a d6. On a 6 the creature goes berserk. On each of its turns while berserk, the creature attacks the nearest creature it can see. If there is no creature near enough to move to an attack, the creature attacks an object with a preference for an object smaller than itself. Once the creature goes berserk, it continues to do so until it drops to 0 hit points or regains all its hit points.

At the end of each long rest, the infected creature must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On failure, they gain another level of exhaustion. If the creature reaches level 6 of exhaustion, it dies and a hellhound burns its way out of your body.

While the rabid baron is grappling a creature it cannot make a bite attack.

Tendril.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.

Shake.

The rabid baron violently shakes a creature it has grappled in its mouth. The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution check or take 20 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and be stunned until the end of its next turn. If the creature fails this save by 5 or more its hit points drop to 0 instead. On success the creature takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and is not stunned.

Breath Weapon. (Recharge 6).

The rabid baron vomits a 20ft cone of bubbling, putrid blood. All creatures in the area of effect must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity save or take 30 (9d6) necrotic damage or half as much damage on success. If a creature fails this save by 5 or more it is also Restrained until the end of its next turn.

Legendary Actions

The rabid baron can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The rabid baron regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Bite (1 point).

The rabid baron makes a bite attack.

Move (1 point).

The rabid baron moves up to its speed. This movement does not provoke an Opportunity attack.

Bark (2 points).

The rabid baron barks and howls. Non-fiend creatures within 120 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma save or be Frightened until the end of their next turn.