Briar-Back Hound

Thorn-Bound Camouflage. While the hound remains motionless against a wall covered in thorns or vines, it is indistinguishable from the castle architecture.

Shadow-Vines. As a bonus action, the hound can "melt" into a surface covered in thorns or shadows and magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is also in shadows or covered in thorns.

​Obsidian Spikes. Any creature that hits the hound with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) piercing damage from its obsidian-thorned spine.

Multiattack. The hound makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its thorned lash.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Thorned Lash (Tail). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Heart-Thrum (Recharge 5–6). The hound emits a low-frequency vibration. Each creature within 15 feet must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is Frightened until the end of its next turn. While frightened this way, the creature's speed is 0.

Shadow-Vine Surge (Recharge 4–6): The hound causes spectral, thorned vines to erupt from the ground in a 15-foot square centered on itself. That area becomes difficult terrain until the start of the hound's next turn. Any enemy that starts its turn in the area or enters it for the first time on a turn must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) piercing damage from the obsidian thorns.

Wall of Brambles. When a creature the hound can see moves within 5 feet of a nearby ally, the hound can cause a sudden growth of thick, black briars to block the path. The moving creature must immediately stop, and its speed becomes 0 until the end of the current turn. Additionally, the creature takes 3 (1d6) slashing damage from the reactive thorns.