Aversion to Daylight: Charnel hounds loathe daylight. If exposed to daylight, a charnel hound makes all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks with disadvantage while exposed to light.
Frightful Presence: A charnel hound can inspire terror by charging or attacking. Affected creatures must succeed on a DC 24 Wisdom save or become frightened, remaining in that condition as long as they remain with 40 feet of the charnel hound. Any afflicted target who moves out of the affected zone can attempt to end the affliction by succeeding on a Charisma saving throw.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Rend: A charnel hound that hits with both claw attacks latches onto the opponent’s body and tears its flesh. This automatically deals an extra 4d6+21(38) points of damage.
Unholy Toughness: A charnel hound gains temporary hit points equal to its Charisma modifier × its Hit Dice. Once the creature uses this action, it must finish a short or long rest before it can use it again
Body Integration: Whenever a charnel hound reduces a living humanoid foe of Large size or smaller to negative hit points, the foe must immediately make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the victim’s body is instantly absorbed into the form of the charnel hound, healing the charnel hound of points of damage equal to 3 × Hit Dice of the victim. This effect kills the victim, and makes it difficult for his companions to recover his body or equipment unless the charnel hound is defeated and the proper body pulled from the pile of resultant corpses.
Description
The hound-shaped creature stands at least 20 feet at the shoulder. Closer scrutiny reveals that while the creature has the outward shape of a hound, its form is composed of the bodies of hundreds of rotting humanoid corpses.
Charnel hounds are a stunning achievement of some crazed necromancer or god of death. Their very presence is a proclamation of necromantic power. The way in which the bodies making up a charnel hound’s form sometimes scream, mutter, and jerk serves to horrify and frighten onlookers. Charnel hounds, once created, are self-sufficient engines of undead destruction found at night roaming plains where battles have been fought, or loose in underground areas large enough to accommodate their bulk. During the day, they dig themselves great burrows to escape the sun. When clerics or necromancers are powerful enough to command a charnel hound, it is often used as a guardian. A charnel hound is about 20 feet tall and weighs about 6 tons.