Mutant hounds are dogs that have undergone a major mutation after being contaminated by the Forced Evolutionary Virus, after the poisoning of the Huntersville river. Usually, they are accompanied by super mutant although wild packs can be encountered in the Appalachia.
Mutant hounds are much more massive than pre-War dogs and mongrels. They are extremely aggressive towards any creature except the super mutants. The modification imposed on their anatomy by the FEV is similar to that of super mutants: increase of the muscular mass, depigmentation of the skin towards a greenish color and total loss of fur and important dental development. Due to their exposure to the FEV, they are unable to be infected by the Scorched Plague.
Their height is about three feet to the shoulder and five feet in length. Their intelligence seems to have been affected as well as for the super mutants. Their vocal cords have evolved to replace their barking with a very deep and low scream that they use to alert super mutants or congeners.
Mutant hounds will alert if enemies approach too close to them. In this case, they will attack. Their bite can inflict serious damage on low-level players, and luminescent variants inflict a large amount of radiation. They live alone or in packs.
A charred, fleshy mutant hound infected with the Scorched Plague. All regular hound variants have a corresponding Scorched variant with the same stats, abilities, and items. They may become Scorched when attacked by scorchbeasts or the scorchbeast queen, becoming allies with other Scorched creatures. This contradicts lore, because due to exposure to FEV, they are supposed to be immune to the Scorched Plague.[citation needed]