Blink Dog

Description

(from 3.5e Monster Manual I - 2003):

A big canine with yellow-brown fur and large ears appears completely ordinary. And then it disappears in the blink of an eye and instantly reappears in a different location. 

The blink dog is an intelligent canine that has a limited teleportation ability. 

Blink dogs are social animals, often traveling in packs. They eat equal amounts of meat and plant matter. They avoid human lands but drive off evil humanoids that enter their territory. 

Blink dogs have their own language, a mixture of barks, yaps, whines, and growls that can transmit complex information. When not hunting, they are playful with each other but very protective of their pups, which outsiders sometimes steal to train as guard animals. Blink dogs and displacer beasts are natural enemies. 

Combat: Blink dogs hunt in packs, teleporting in a seemingly random fashion until they surround their prey, allowing some of them to take advantage of flanking. 

Blink (Su): A blink dog can use blink as the spell (caster level 8th), and can evoke or end the effect as a free action. 

Dimension Door (Su): A blink dog can teleport, as dimension door (caster level 8th), once per round as a free action. The ability affects only the blink dog, which never appears within a solid object and can act immediately after teleporting

(from 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual - 1995):

Blink dogs are yellowish brown canines which are stockier and more muscular than other wild dogs. They are intelligent and employ a limited form of teleportation when they hunt.

A blink dog attack is well organized. They will blink to and fro without any obvious pattern, using their powers to position themselves for an attack. Fully 75% of the time they are able to attack their targets from the rear. A dog will teleport on a roll of 7 or better on a 12-sided die. To determine where the dog appears, roll a 12-sided die: 1 = in front of opponent, 2 = shielded (or left) front flank, 3 = unshielded (or right) front flank, 4-12 = behind. When blinking, the dog will appear from 1 to 3 feet from its opponent and will immediately be able to attack.

Blinking is an innate power and the animal will never appear inside a space occupied by a solid object. If seriously threatened, the entire pack will blink out and not return.

Blink dogs are intelligent, and communicate in a complex language of barks, yaps, whines, and growls. They inhabit open plains and avoid human haunts. A lair will contain 3-12 (3d4) pups 50% of the time (1-2 hit dice, 1-2/1-3 hit points damage/attack). These puppies can be trained and are worth between 1,000 to 2,000 gold pieces.