Mage's Faithful Hound

Type ritualSchool conjuration (creation)

Casting
Casting Time 30 minutesComponents V, S, M (a tiny silver whistle, a piece of bone, and a thread)

Effect
Range ritualArea within 30-ft. of any ritual nodeDuration permanentSaving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

Description
This ritual conjures up a phantom watchdog that is invisible to everyone but yourself. It then guards the ritual where it was conjured, or any ritual within 100-ft., or you can give it a patrol route within 100-ft. The hound immediately starts barking loudly if any Small or larger creature approaches within 30 feet of it. (Those within 30 feet of the hound when it is conjured may move about in the area, but if they leave and return, they activate the barking.) The hound sees invisible and ethereal creatures. It does not react to figments, but it does react to shadow illusions.

If an intruder approaches to within 10 feet of the hound, the dog stops barking and delivers a vicious bite (+10 touch attack bonus, 2d6+[3/5/6/7/9] points of piercing damage) once per round. The dog also gets the bonuses appropriate to an invisible creature (see invisibility).

The dog is considered ready to bite intruders, so it delivers its first bite on the intruder's turn. Its bite is the equivalent of a magic weapon for the purpose of damage reduction. The hound cannot be attacked, but it can be dispelled.

[6/8/10/12/14] rounds after the dog begins barking, it is dimissed for the remainder of the day. It returns to its post at sunrise.