Warhounds (skill)

In addition to his steel, fists, and command over souls torn from the Underhalls, a Carnifex will have access to skills to tame, train and lead his own hounds into battle. Far from a companion, these ruthless beasts are brought up under the rigors of combat, leaving them vicious and bloodthirsty. Although their masters are brutal, the hounds will fight to the death for their owners, providing useful backup and assistance to the Carnifex.

A skilled master of Warhounds will be able to command three of the beasts in battle at once, with a possibility of twenty total (thirty if a guilded Carnifex). Hounds can be bred with each other to pass on specific traits and abilities in an attempt to create the 'perfect' hound of war.

Abilities

Skill	Rank	Percent	Description
Hounding	Inept	0%	Manage your kennel of warhounds.
Naming	Inept	0%	Name your warhound.
Ordering	Inept	0%	Understand basic warhound commands.
Whistling	Novice	0%	Order your hounds back.
Scent	Apprentice	0%	Sniff out another.
Bloodtrace	Capable	0%	Learn of another's passage through their blood.
Digging	Capable	50%	Dig and bury items.
Preservation	Adept	0%	Your hounds will never die.
Flanking	Adept	25%	Intercept the cowardly.
Bestow	Adept	50%	Give your hounds away.
Openings	Adept	75%	Strike during opportunistic moments.
Sleuth	Skilled	0%	Scent out the location of an item.
Initiative	Skilled	33%	Your hound will choose its own attacks.
Target	Gifted	0%	Attack specific limbs.
Courser	Gifted	33%	Handle three hounds at once.
Report	Gifted	66%	Get details about the hound's location.
Deliver	Expert	33%	Like reverse fetch.
Breeding	Expert	66%	Who doesn't love puppies.
Retrieve	Virtuoso	0%	Actual fetch.
Track	Virtuoso	66%	Send your hound to find and follow.
Soulpact	Fabled	0%	Advance your hound in an instant.
Pedigree	Fabled	33%	Leave a hound as permanent breeding stock.
Leading	Fabled	66%	Your hound will bring others to you.
Outfit	Mythical	0%	Protect your hound with armour.
Sniff	Mythical	33%	Sniff the air for those nearby.
Focus	Mythical	66%	Your hound will focus its attention.
Beastmaster	Transcendent	0%	Remove one undesirable trait from your hound.

Hound Attacks

Skill	Rank	Percent	Description
Howl	Inept	0%	A piercing cry.
Bite	Inept	0%	Sink your teeth in.
Shatter	Skilled	66%	Shatter an enemy shield.
Ululate	Expert	0%	Hit the high notes.
Terror	Virtuoso	33%	Send their entities fleeing.

Hounding
Syntax:	HOUND REQUEST <MALE/FEMALE>
Description:	- Request a hound from the kennels. Must be used at a kennel. HOUND LIST [<trait>] - Lists all Warhounds under your dominion. Optionally filter by trait. HOUND LIST DETAILS - See the full overview of all your hounds. HOUND INFO [<hound>] - Get detailed information on a specific hound. HOUND REJECT <hound> - Destroy an unworthy hound. Must be used at a kennel. HOUND <MAJOR/MINOR> LIST - List possible hound traits. HOUND <MAJOR/MINOR> <trait> - See details about a hound trait. You may only have up to twenty hounds in your kennel at once.

Naming
Syntax:	HOUND NAME <hound> <name>
Description:	Give your hound a unique name to distinguish it from the other mutts. Renaming it, should it already have a name, will cost 1,000 gold to do so.

Ordering
Syntax:	The below are some basic commands you can do with your hound, once it has been taken out from the kennels and is in your direct care.
Description:	HOUND GLANCE [hound] - Glance to your hound's current location. HOUND RECALL <hound> - Recall a warhound from the kennels. Can be used anywhere. HOUND DISMISS <hound> - Send a warhound back to the kennels. Can be used anywhere. Warhounds can also be ordered like most other loyal critters, as outlined in HELP LOYALTY, although they will not attack on their own. They will require special commands on your behalf.

Whistling
Syntax:	HOUND WHISTLE [ALL/hound]
Description:	A sharp, high-pitched whistle that will call your active hound, or the specified hound, to your side. The warhound must be outside of its kennel.

Scent
Syntax:	HOUND SCENT <target>
Description:	If the target is in the same area, your hound will be able to pick up their scent and discern where exactly they are.

Bloodtrace
Syntax:	HOUND BLOODTRACE
Description:	If another's blood has recently been spilled in your room, your hound may detect the injured's identity.

Digging
Syntax:	HOUND DIG and HOUND BURY <item>
Description:	The canine is an experienced digger, and can quickly dig up or bury items for you.

Preservation
Syntax:	This ability is passive.
Description:	Being a master of souls, you can preserve the soul of your warhound from death itself. If slain, your warhound will eventually revive after a period of time, however it will lose some of its accumulated experience.

Flanking
Syntax:	HOUND FLANK <ON/OFF>
Description:	Your hound will intercept cowardly denizens that flee before your blows, preventing their escape.

Bestow
Syntax:	HOUND BESTOW <hound> <player>
Description:	You may permanently grant ownership of your hound to another player. It is recommended that the warhound in question have the Obedient trait, otherwise they may have difficultly in handling it.

Openings
Syntax:	HOUND OPENINGS <ON/OFF>
Description:	When fighting denizens, your hound will create openings for you by attacking their flank. This will allow your next blow to deal bonus damage.

Sleuth
Syntax:	HOUND SLEUTH <item> [target]
Description:	Your hound will attempt to seek out the location of an item in your current room, notifying you if any present have the item in your inventory. You may optionally target a specific person to search.

Initiative
Syntax:	HOUND INITIATIVE <target>
Description:	HOUND INITIATIVE CEASE Your warhound will decide its own attacks, attacking the target without any commands from you.

Target
Syntax:	HOUND TARGET <limb/NONE>
Description:	Direct your active hound to attack a specific limb when making use of the Bite ability, dealing a small amount of trauma. You can view AB WARHOUNDS BITE for more information.

Courser
Syntax:	HOUND SWITCH <hound>
Description:	You are now capable of controlling up to three hounds in the fray at once. Simply make sure you take out additional warhounds from your kennel in order to do so. Traits will generally work with your active hound only, unless otherwise specified. You will need to switch out your active hound in order to make use of your full rotation.

Report
Syntax:	HOUND REPORT
Description:	You may not only see through the eyes of your hound, but do so with greater discernment - allowing you to gauge the health of those present as well.

Deliver
Syntax:	HOUND DELIVER <item> <target>
Description:	Order your hound to carry an item to someone on the same continent as you.

Breeding
Syntax:	Syntax:
Description:	HOUND PEN <hound> HOUND UNPEN <hound> HOUND BREED LIST [MINE] [<trait>] HOUND BREED INFO <hound> HOUND BREED <hound #1> <hound #2> HOUND PUPPY LIST [DETAILS] HOUND PUPPY RETAIN <puppy> HOUND PUPPY REJECT <puppy/ALL> Once your hounds have reached six weeks of age, they are eligible for breeding. To begin the process, place the hound in the breeding pen. From there, you may breed it with a hound of the opposite sex. You may choose from your penned hounds or hounds which others have chosen to pedigree publicly. The breeding process takes roughly one real-life day, during which the breeding pair is unavailable. At the conclusion of that period, a litter of between three to five puppies will be produced. You may choose to keep or discard as many of those puppies as you wish, with respect to the maximum number of hounds allowed in your kennel. Puppies cannot be used for regular Warhound tasks until you have chosen to RETAIN them. Puppies will die on their own after seven real-life days if not retained.

Retrieve
Syntax:	HOUND RETRIEVE <item>
Description:	Order your hound to pick up an item from its location.

Track
Syntax:	HOUND TRACK <target>
Description:	Your hound will ruthlessly track down the victim you specify, moving quietly to their location. If they are an enemy of yours, it will pin them down and stun them when the hound reaches them.

Soulpact
Syntax:	HOUND SOULPACT <hound>
Description:	Forging a pact between souls will allow you to unlock your warhound's potential, maximising its level and unlocking all traits in the process. Additionally, it will no longer lose experience should it die. Keep in mind however, a soulpacted warhound can no longer be bestowed upon another, nor will it be able to breed. Make sure this is what you want to do before soulpacting it to you. Only hounds that have been soulpacted are eligible for customization.

Pedigree
Syntax:	HOUND PEDIGREE <hound> <PUBLIC/PRIVATE>
Description:	You can permanently send your hound to the kennels to be used as breeding stock, allowing you to perpetuate their line. You will never be able to retrieve this hound, however, so be careful in your choice. Hounds set as breeding stock will no longer count towards the limit of hounds you may possess in your kennel, however you may only have ten private and ten public pedigreed hounds. You may toggle your hound to be available for public breeding using the public/private options.

Leading
Syntax:	HOUND LEAD <target>
Description:	Order your hound to attempt to lead a target - your hound will first track to that target, and then motion your target to follow. For the next two minutes, the target will be able to PATH FIND HOUND in the room with the hound to reach you. After two minutes, the hound will return to you.

Outfit
Syntax:	HOUND OUTFIT
Description:	Outfit your hound in canine battle armour, increasing the percentage of damage reduced when it is struck by another.

Sniff
Syntax:	HOUND SNIFF
Description:	Your hound will report the traces of all scents it picks up nearby, showing you all denizens within a five room radius.

Focus
Syntax:	This ability is passive.
Description:	The focus of your warhound has improved to a point where certain abilities now have a secondary effect should the opponent already be afflicted by the primary. The following is a list below: Poisonclaw - Causes limp veins if they have blisters. Shock - Causes hallucinations if they have epilepsy. Acidspit - Causes crippled if they have weariness. Stare - Causes impairment if they have berserking. Growling - Causes recklessness if they have dizziness.

Beastmaster
Syntax:	HOUND RETRAIN <old trait> <new trait>
Description:	Your mastery of hounds will now allow you to retrain one of your hound traits into something more fitting of your liking. This only works on hounds that are max level and have been soulpacted to you. The first time you retrain your hound it is free. Subsequent retraining will cost 25,000 gold for a major trait, and 15,000 gold for a minor trait.

Howl
Syntax:	HOUND HOWL <target>
Description:	Your hound's howl will have an adverse effect upon your opponent, draining them of their mana.

Bite
Syntax:	HOUND BITE <target>
Description:	Order your hound to chomp down on your victim, causing cutting damage.

Shatter
Syntax:	HOUND SHATTER <target>
Description:	Order your hound to go forth and shatter your opponent's magical shield, destroying it in the process.

Ululate
Syntax:	HOUND ULULATE
Description:	A emotionful mourning howl that will cause all those who hear it to tear up, blurring their vision.

Terror
Syntax:	HOUND TERROR
Description:	Send animals fleeing with a terrifying bellow.