FREQUENCY: Rare
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Dungeon Level VI])
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 7+2
% IN LAIR: 30%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5/2-5/2-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Special invisibility and see below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20% and immune to charm, sleep and similar spells
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: L
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VI | 1,000 + 10

Hellcats are the associate familiars of devils,
and as such can usually be found upon their native levels of Hell.
They will occasionally journey to the Prime Material Plane, where they seek to serve the
ends of Hell by becoming servants to powerful characters of lawful evil alignment.

The hellcat is invisible in the presence of any light-source, but in darkness it
can be seen as a faintly-glowing wraith-like outline with blazing crimson eyes,
in form resembling a domestic cat the size of a tiger.

It can only be harmed by magical weapons, and even the the magical
damage bonuses do not apply (so, for example, a +2 dagger would do 1-4
hit points of damage rather than 3-6 if it hit). It has a base 20%
MR and is completely immune to the effects of all mind-controlling spells
(such as charm, hold, sleep, suggestion etc.)

If a hellcat is encountered which is not already attached to a character
or a creature, the hellcat will select the most powerful member of the party with
LE alignment and will serve him. If there are two or more members of the party with that alignment and of equally high
experience levels, the hellcat will choose a cleric over other classes,
then a magic-user or illusionist, followed by a fighter and then other classes.
Once it has selected a master, the hellcat will serve that person
in the performance of evil deeds, will protect and defend that person
and communicate only with him, using telepathy of range 9". It will
only serve intelligent creatures of the lawful evil alignment.

The attachment of the hellcat to its master can be broken in two
ways. First, a hellcat will always give up its current master for a new,
more powerful, master of the LE alignment whenever such is
encountered, providing the potential new master will have the hellcat
(if not, the hellcat's bond with the existing master will remain intact).
The creature, if it selects and is received by a new master, will have no
compunctions about attacking its former master if ordered to do so.
It is therefore possible for a character to 'steal' a hellcat from one monster only
to have it 'stolen' from him, in turn, by another.

Secondly, the hellcat can only remain on the Prime Material Plane in
the service of a master for a year and a day, after which it must
return to its home in Hell. It may return again subsequently, but its
bond with its former master is no automatically re-established. If
the master encounters the creature again he may acquire its services in
the same manner as before.

The only demand that the hellcat makes in return for its services is the
payment of one living human victim per week as its meal. The master
must supply the victim -- if he fails to do so, he will fill that role personally.

A hellcat attacks with two claws for 2-5 hit points of damage each
and a bite for 2-12 hit points of damage.

If a party encounters a hellcat which is already in the service of a
person or creature, the hellcat may switch its allegiance as described
above or it may remain in the service of its existing master.

If a hellcat is encountered by a party of which no member is of the
lawful evil alignment there are two possibilities. If the party contains
one or more persons or creatures of evil disposition (i.e. neutral evil or
chaotic evil) the hellcat will FLEE. However if the party contains no person or creature
with an evil alignment, in any combination, the hellcat will attack.
 

    by David Taylor