Garuda (3.5 monster/race)

[Admiral Squish]

Garuda

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Large Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 HP)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+4 armor (chain shirt), +3 natural, +2 dex, -1 size), 11 touch, 16 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+9
Attack: Falchion +4 melee (2d6+4) or Talon +4 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Falchion +4 melee (2d6+4) and talon -1 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 10ft x 10ft
Special Attacks: Wings
Special Qualities: Garuda traits, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Spot +8*
Feats: Flyby attack
Environment: Warm Mountains
Organization: Solitary, Flight (3-8), or Roost (20-50, with an additional 20% noncombatants)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Lawful Neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1 (Thunderbird +2)

This massive, muscular humanoid is covered head to toe in thick, golden-brown feathers. It's eyes seem to glow with an inner fire as it glares down at you over it's hooked, tearing beak.

Garuda are a race of massive, warlike bird-folk who claim to be descended from rocs. Indeed, the two are usually found in close proximity, with colonies of garuda taking up residence on the slopes of the mountains where their titanic brethren roost. The garuda guard the nest of the roc, believing these sites to be holy, and that each roc carries a sliver of the divine essence of their progenitor, an eagle so massive it could move mountains and dry the seas with the wind of it's wings.

Garuda range in coloration from dark brown to gold, and stand between 10 and 12 feet in height fully upright. They have broad, muscular chests and powerful arms, marked by a distinctive ridge of feathers running down from the armpit, over the elbow, and to the outside of the wrist. This ridge of feathers explodes into a huge pair of feathery wings with a brief thought. Their legs are human in structure above the knee, but from there they become more avian, terminating in scythelike talons. They are largely carnivores, and their favorite prey is snakes.

Combat:
Garuda are a warlike folk. On the ground, they rush into battle wielding massive, cleaving blades, taking full advantage of their great strength. In the air, they swoop down from above, striking with their deadly talons to great effect. They are honorable fighters, though, and while they strike quickly and with terrible force, they dislike traps and ambushes.

Wings (Su): Garuda are most remarkable for their wings, which extend and retract with the aid of natural magic. As a move action, a garuda can extend or retract their wings. With their wings extended, they take a -4 penalty to all attack rolls and skill checks involving their arms, and while flying cannot use their arms at all, but they gain a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability. With their wings retracted, they cannot fly, but take no penalty to attacks and skill checks.

Talons (Ex): Garuda use their talons to great effect in combat. When standing, they can use the talons as a primary or secondary natural attack by kicking or raking with one talon, dealing (1d6+1/2 strength mod) points of damage. However, when airborne they can use them to full effect, dealing (1d8+1.5 x strength mod) points of damage.

Garuda Thunderbirds:
Some garuda show a stronger connection to the element of air, which gives them a measure of control over lightning. These garuda are usually shamans or cheiftans, and often possess levels of fighter, ranger, or cleric. About one in 50 garuda possess this connection.

Garuda thunderbirds possess electricity resistance 10.

Thunderstrike (Su): A garuda thunderbird's talons crackle with electricity. Whenever a garuda thunderbird makes a successful attack with their talons, they deal an additional 1d6 points of electricity damage, plus one additional damage for every four HD the garuda possesses.

Stormwing (Su): While flying, a garuda thunderbird can take a full-round action to move up to it's speed, dealing 1d6/2 HD electricity damage to all creatures it flies directly over. This only works of the garuda passes within 30 feet of the creature. Targets may make a reflex save (DC 10+1/2 garuda's HD+wis mod) to halve the damage.

Garuda as Characters:

Garuda characters have the following racial traits:

• +4 str, +2 dex, +2 con, -4 int, -2 cha
• Monstrous humanoid: Garuda have the monstrous humanoid type.
• Large: As Large creatures, garuda take a –1 penalty to Armor Class and a –1 penalty on all attack rolls. They also have a reach of 10 feet.
• Garuda base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low-light vision: Garuda can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, or similar conditions of low illumination.
• Racial Hit Dice: A garuda begins with two levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3.
• Racial Skills: A garuda’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Listen and Spot. It gains a +4 racial bonus on spot checks.
• Racial Feats: A garuda's monstrous humanoid levels give it one feat.
• Natural Armor: Garuda's feathers and thick skin provide a +3 natural armor bonus.
• Wings: See above
• Talons: See above
• Wing-brother: Garuda can qualify for feats and prestige classes as though they were raptorans, if they choose.
• Automatic Languages: Auran and Common. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Orc.
• Favored Class: Fighter.
• Level Adjustment: +1 (Thunderbird +2)

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Hi playground! I've been working on a few big projects offline, but I haven't posted anything in quite a few months! So, this is just a quick creation to 'stretch my legs' so to speak. Anyways, please review, tell me what you think of it, flavor-wise and crunch-wise.

[NeoSeraphi]

Looks good. You should add in something that it qualifies for RotW prestige classes and feats as if it was a raptoran, since they're quite similar and share a connection to air.

Surprised that you didn't add the (air) subtype to the thunderbird, but it doesn't really grant a benefit, so I guess it's just a matter of flavor.

I like this race. I would make a deadly psychic warrior out of this.

[Yitzi]

What's the asterisk after the Spot modifier for?

[NeoSeraphi]

What's the asterisk after the Spot modifier for?

To indicate that the garuda is receiving a racial bonus to it. It's how WotC does racial bonuses to skills in Monster Manuals.

[Admiral Squish]

Looks good. You should add in something that it qualifies for RotW prestige classes and feats as if it was a raptoran, since they're quite similar and share a connection to air.

Surprised that you didn't add the (air) subtype to the thunderbird, but it doesn't really grant a benefit, so I guess it's just a matter of flavor.

I like this race. I would make a deadly psychic warrior out of this.

I might just do that. I mean, there's not a whole lot of raptoran material, but more options never hurts.

Didn't think of the subtype, honestly. I dunno, though, I think it probably has more downsides than upsides.

And thanks a lot! I thrive upon your praise.

[Debihuman]

The stat block is missing Flight speed and maneuverability as is the race. Creatures that can fly gain an automatic +1 LA just for flight. So your LA is off.

Debby

[NeoSeraphi]

The stat block is missing Flight speed and maneuverability as is the race. Creatures that can fly gain an automatic +1 LA just for flight. So your LA is off.

Debby

What? That's not true. Raptorans can fly. The dragonborn template grants flight for +0 LA as well. Both of these are scaling, of course, but they grant automatic flight at high levels for no LA.

Edit: The air mephling from Planar has a +1 LA, perfect fly speed, and a good stat array with a breath weapon and a Caster Level boost.

[Admiral Squish]

The stat block is missing Flight speed and maneuverability as is the race. Creatures that can fly gain an automatic +1 LA just for flight. So your LA is off.

Debby

That was intentional, actually. The idea was that the stat block was to depict them with their wings retracted. The wings ability technically grants them their fly speed.

As for LA, I used half-ogre as a base for this. I turned the +2 LA into RHD to better depict a tough, capable warrior-race, then added the extra LA for flight. However, since the flight comes at level 3 minimum and includes some downsides, I figured the rest of it balanced out, and didn't need any more LA for the other goodies.

[Debihuman]

What? That's not true. Raptorans can fly. The dragonborn template grants flight for +0 LA as well. Both of these are scaling, of course, but they grant automatic flight at high levels for no LA.

Edit: The air mephling from Planar has a +1 LA, perfect fly speed, and a good stat array with a breath weapon and a Caster Level boost.

Gaining flight at your first HD is a +1 LA, scaling so you gain it later isn't. Raptorans and Dragonborn can only fly 10 minutes per day before becoming fatigued so it has a l limiting factor.

Debby

[Zale]

It already has two racial hit die and a LA 1..

So you want to make the race start at ECL 4?

[Admiral Squish]

Gaining flight at your first HD is a +1 LA, scaling so you gain it later isn't. Raptorans and Dragonborn can only fly 10 minutes per day before becoming fatigued so it has a l limiting factor.

Debby

Well, then, simply assume it was just 2 RHD, then adding the flight made it 2 RHD/+1 LA.

I simply don't agree that it needs an additional point of level adjustment.

[Admiral Squish]

Gaining flight at your first HD is a +1 LA, scaling so you gain it later isn't. Raptorans and Dragonborn can only fly 10 minutes per day before becoming fatigued so it has a l limiting factor.

Debby

Well, then, simply assume it was just 2 RHD, then adding the flight made it 2 RHD/+1 LA.

I simply don't agree that it needs an additional point of level adjustment.

[LibrarianHuntar]

All racial abilities make it almost exactly level 4 (something like total starting level 3.99714).

[Admiral Squish]

All racial abilities make it almost exactly level 4 (something like total starting level 3.99714).

I don't know of any formulae to come up with a number like that. What are you using?

[LibrarianHuntar]

everything after .9 is just to make it sound moree impressive, under scifi law no 192 "the more decimals a statement has, the more important it must be". If you use standard level adjustment checkers by comparison with playable monsters, your Garudas are just under +2 level adjustment, but my math isn't always correct, and it's your race, I merely imput advice.