Garuda

Garuda Creature9

CG Medium Celestial

Senses Perception +20; darkvision

Languages Celestial, Common, +1 additional

Skills Acrobatics +21, Athletics +17, Intimidation +19, Religion +16, Stealth +19, Survival +16

Str +4, Dex +6, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +3, Cha +4

Items +1 striking composite longbow (100 arrows)

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AC 28; Fort +17, Ref +21, Will +16

HP 135

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Speed 25 feet, fly 60 feet

Melee [one-action] beak +21 (finesse), Damage 2d10+7 piercing plus 1d6 good

Melee [one-action] talon +21 (agile, finesse), Damage 2d8+7 slashing plus 1d6 good

Ranged [one-action] shock composite longbow +22 (deadly d10, magical, range increment 100 feet, reload 0, volley 30 feet), Damage 2d8+5 piercing plus 1d6 electricity and 1d6 good

Divine Innate Spells DC 27; 4th freedom of movement; 3rd haste; 2nd see invisibility (×3); 1st true strike (at will)

Electric Projectiles (arcane, evocation) Any arrow the garuda fires gains the effects of a shock rune.

Swooping Dive [two-actions] The garuda flies up to their Speed in a straight line, descending at least 10 feet, and then makes two talon Strikes.

Wind Blast [two-actions] (air, evocation) The garuda flaps their wings with intense force. This has the same effect as gust of wind (DC 27) but in a 30-foot cone. In an area with loose debris (at the GM’s discretion), the gusts from the garuda’s wings create a cloud that obscures vision, making any creature in the area concealed, and creatures outside the area are concealed to those within the area.

About

Garudas are noble, birdlike beings descended from the gods. They were born under the cerulean skies of the Outer Plane of Elysium but have since spread to the Material Plane, and it is here that they primarily reside. The largest garuda populations in rugged hills and mountains.

Garudas usually roost in isolated aeries but spend much of their time gliding on the wind. Many garudas are nomadic or migratory, yearning to travel and soar above new landscapes. While they remain detached from humanoid societies, they are impetuous and gallant, frequently serving as protectors of communities near the cliffs and peaks where they roost. Some garudas instead combine their wanderlust and good-hearted nature by serving as messengers and emissaries between remote settlements, though most who take up this work abandon it after a few years when the same terrain becomes boring. Wandering garudas are no less compassionate, and many a tale tells of a garuda who came to the aid of a lost traveler or carried an endangered soul to safety.

Though they hold most living creatures in high regard, garudas loathe ophidian creatures-nagas in particular. Rarely do they come into contact without fighting, and a garuda will go out of their way to hunt down a naga if they hear even the tiniest hint of a rumor suggesting the presence of one.

A garuda’s feathering and coloration range widely depending on the terrain they favor. Garudas in temperate woodlands might resemble jays or falcons, while tropical garudas sport bright plumage.