Garuda Bird

Garuda Bird (Legend; CR 40)

Neutral - Titanic - Magical Beast

Lore:	Know (Arcana)
80		95
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

78

Perception:
77	+67
Passive	Active

Ambush:

9+

on a d20

• Ambush Notes: Garuda Birds are surprisingly capable at ambushes, despite their incredible size. That still doesn't make them GOOD at ambushes, but they're surprisingly not-terrible.

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Low-Light Vision
• Darkvision 1500 ft.
• Airsense 1500 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 500 ft.
• Greater Flight 500 ft.

Defense

AC

65

Man Def

82

Monster Health
26,284	13,142	85
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+44
Refl:	+44
Will:	+39

Strong Against:

• (Legend Role) Immunity (partial 7): Legends are immune to the first seven conditions applied to them during an encounter. If an eighth condition is applied to a legend, it is resolved normally. A 'condition' is defined as any non-instantaneous harmful effect applied to the monster, other than damage, but is most commonly one of the defined Status Conditions (but it doesn't have to be). Statuses related to damage (such as injured, bloodied, staggered, dying, or dead) are not 'conditions', and cannot be negated or avoided with this ability.
• Immune (no effect):Lightning, Winded

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Titanic
30 ft.		30 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+52

Man Off

+69

Action

7

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 4x Garuda Beak +52 (6d10+228/18-20 x2)
  as Gnashing (physical, uncommon)
• 4x Garuda Claws +56 vs. AC (always hits on a 17+ on the die) (6d6+110/x2)
  as Obliteration (physical, rare)
• 1x Feathery Spears (Y -- auto-hit) (6d10+207/x2)
  as Piercing (physical, common)
  Affects all enemy creatures in a space of 7x7x7 squares of which at least one square must be within within 50 feet of of the Garuda Bird's space. Affected creatures are allowed a Reflex saving throw against a DC of 52 to only take half damage.

Full Attack (Melee):

• 5x Garuda Beak +52 (6d10+228/18-20 x2)
  as Gnashing (physical, uncommon)
• 5x Garuda Claws +56 vs. AC (always hits on a 17+ on the die) (6d6+110/x2)
  as Obliteration (physical, rare)
• 1x Feathery Spears (Y -- auto-hit) (6d10+207/x2)
  as Piercing (physical, common)
  Affects all enemy creatures in a space of 7x7x7 squares of which at least one square must be within within 50 feet of of the Garuda Bird's space. Affected creatures are allowed a Reflex saving throw against a DC of 52 to only take half damage.

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 2x Piercing Cry +52 (6d10+228/x2)
  as Sonic (energy, common)
  (Increment: 500 ft.; Max Range: 2500 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 4x Piercing Cry +52 (6d10+228/x2)
  as Sonic (energy, common)
  (Increment: 500 ft.; Max Range: 2500 ft.)

Siege Damage:

• 1x Piercing Cry +69 (5d6+3)
  (Increment: 500 ft.; Max Range: 2500 ft.)

Statistics

72

STR

66

DEX

80

CON

4

INT

44

WIS

64

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 67
• Survival: 67
• All other skills: 62 (no ranks)

Languages:

Feats:

Special Abilities

Burning Gaze (Su) Swift

As a swift action, the Garuda Bird may burn what it looks at. The Bird will typically use this attack upon a creature that has offended it the most, such as a very damaging melee or ranged attacker, or a spellcaster that has struck it from a 'safe' distance. Burning Gaze inflicts 6d8+168 point of Darkfire (energy, rare) damage, and inflicts the Immolated condition inflicting normal Fire (energy, common) damage as well. Note that Burning Gaze can be combined with Piercing Shriek to inflict siege damage (via the Immolated condition), and thus allow a Garuda Bird to destroy a fortification, or city, with terrifying ease and quickness.

Stamping Claws (Ex) Standard Action

If the Garuda Bird is adjacent to a surface suitable for Walk, Climb, or Swim movement, it may use its terrifying Stamping Claws attack upon any or all enemy creatures within its melee reach plus 50 feet. All enemy creatures within this space takes 6d10+240 points of Obliteration (physical, rare) damage, with a Fort save allowed against a DC of 52 to take half damage, and at the end of all damage resolutions, the Garuda Bird may place itself anywhere in the potentially affected area without provoking attacks of opportunity. Note that Garuda Birds are so large they may Overrun most other creatures and place themselves on top of smaller creatures without suffering any penalties for doing so.

Lash Out (Ex; Legend Role) Free Action 1/Rnd

During each of their turns, Legends gain one bonus Attack Action at their full attack value, but this bonus attack can only be made against a creature they have not already performed an attack or maneuver against since the start of their current turn, and by using this attack, the Legend can no longer target this creature with any of their other attacks or maneuvers until the end of their current turn. If no valid target is within their melee reach, the Legend can use a ranged attack to perform this bonus attack instead. If the Legend performs a double move during their turn, they gain two bonus attack actions, but each of these attacks must be against creatures they have not yet, and will not this turn, target with any other attacks or maneuvers.

Invigorating Bloodthirst (Ex; Legend Role) Auto At Start of Encounter

At the start of any encounter, even during an encounter with a surprise round, Legends gain a number of temporary hit points equal to their Bloodied Hit Points value (13,142 hit points). This ability can never be used more than once per encounter.

Juggernaut's Path (Ex; Legend Role) Free Action

Legends can force-move any non-Legend creature out of the path of their movement as a free action during their movement. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity. There is no strict limit to how far a creature can be pushed with this ability, but it is always the least number of squares required to move the creature out of the Legend's path (in the event that there are multiple paths of the same number of squares, the Legend chooses which path the pushed creature takes). This ability cannot be reduced by forced movement resistance in any way. The legend can decide the final space of the creature pushed, but that space must be unblocked and unoccupied (though it can be hazardous). As all forced movement, creatures can elect to fall prone to end it.

Garuda Bird

This creature possesses the Legend role, and therefore counts as 5 monsters for purposes of encounter size, XP award, and treasure.

Garuda Birds are the largest of the flying birds. They are so large, and their existence so intensely magical, that they are believed to only be able to exist in the Outer Planes, notably the Wards of the Will, where the dreams of Deities provide them with sufficient Reality to thrive.

Some scholars and Sages speculate that Garuda Birds who have made their way to the Prime material over the eons are the source of the mighty Rocs and Thunderbirds, but the Garuda is believed to be larger and mightier by far. Fighting a Garuda is the province of the truly mighty, and rumor has it that meeting a Garuda Bird on the ground is the height of folly, and taking to the air in the presence of one is even worse. Garuda's are said to be absolutely masterful in the air, incredibly fast and flitting and hovering with ease despite their wings beggaring a galleons sails in size, and they are supposedly able to see or hear even the tiniest sparrow that dares approach them.

Exact descriptions of Garuda Birds are sparse and contradictory, with some accounts likening them to vast Eagles or Hawks with massive, cruelly curved beaks, while others say they are more akin to long-legged Secretary Birds that attack on the ground with titanic talons like a forest of spears. Some accounts label them as akin to terrible Owls, with great and fiery eyes that burn anything, even to the far horizon. Yet other accounts say they are akin to incredibly vast Hummingbirds, moving so fast they are difficult to even see, despite being as tall as a castle tower. The truth of it is unknown, and a dreadful possibility is that there is more than one sort of Garuda Bird, although the truth of this is unknown.

One constant is their color. Garudas are associated with the color red. Red for blood, red for fire, red for the vast feathers, as long as a wagon, that have been recovered as artifacts by the intrepid and adventurous. Their plumage is likely to have other colors, blacks and browns and even greys, but all accounts recall the red.

Garudas are intensely magical, and there is no safe way to combat a Garuda Bird. Their gaze is flame, their pinions rain harpoons, and their beaks smash chariots.

Combat Tactics

Garuda Birds are so gigantic, and have such tremendous attacks, they barely need tactics. They will usually only attack or be encountered outdoors, or inside truly vast spaces such as the Main Ways of the Unterwelt, although it is rare indeed to see a Garuda on the Prime material, no matter how small or young they may be. Garuda Birds have unlimited range Low Light Vision, a huge Darkvision range, and worst of all, Airsense to an equally huge range. It is nigh-impossible to catch a Garuda off-guard due to this imposing array of senses.

Garudas will use their beak, claw and spears attacks if they are in range of a foe, moving with utter impunity around the field of battle, shoving smaller foes out of the way or simply stepping or flying over them. If no foes are within their gigantic reach, they will use Piercing Shriek and Burning Gaze to deadly effect, all the while closing in with move actions. Note that Burning Gaze is absolutely horrifying. It has no range limit, and needs no roll to hit. The Bird spends a swift action, and whatever catches its eye burns. The only restriction is line of sight, and since the Birds have Airsense, that can be extremely difficult to stop. Diving into water or another fluid is almost the only way to escape.

When they are close enough for melee combat, they will Stamp and use their Feathery Spears. Stamping Claws is one of their favorite attacks, because it showcases their devastating speed. Since Stamping Claws is a Standard action, they can use it as their opening attack in a Full Attack Action, damaging every foe in a vast area and moving themselves as they wish, and then able to use the rest of their incredible number of attacks to good effect on whatever luckless foes they find themselves next to. Note that their Tertiary Attack, Feathery Spears, is available every time they use melee attacks! Even a single Garuda Bird is a wheeling, flying, feather-shedding engine of destruction. If they have their default Legend Role, they will then gain yet another free attack, and lastly, can then use Burning Gaze. They can also use Stamping Claws with an Action Point, and will totally do so if they are feeling pressed in battle. Garuda Birds may look like simple foes, but they are absolutely lethal.

Garuda Birds are fiercely proud creatures, but they are still only animals, albeit majestic ones. If they are reduced to half-health (13142 hit points) and at least half of their enemies are still alive, they will seek to flee. Garuda Birds that flee this way are defeated, and will never again trouble their foes, and thus reward full xp and treasure.

Out of Combat

Garuda Birds are fierce, majestic, and for many intelligent beings, both Civilized and Monster, considered to be the absolute peak of status symbols. As a result, it is rare but not unheard of to encounter Garuda Birds in vast palace-sized cages, kept as truly impressive status symbols. By the REALLY powerful bad guys out there.

It is also possible to encounter Garudas in glorious solitude, their vast nests built upon the very peaks of tall mountains. Indeed, it is also fairly common for these titanic nests to be completely infested by lesser creatures, and it is not unheard of for entire towns to be built into the structure of a Garuda Nest, and if that nest still has a Bird....well, nobody will attack THAT town. Although waking the Bird may result in the entire town being eaten.... Garuda Birds in the wild are incredibly rare, even in the Outer Planes, and like many truly magnificent creatures, it may be that there are more Garuda's kept as pets, status symbols, and guard beasts than roam free...although the Outer Planes are vast beyond imagining, so there may well be untold numbers of the mighty, magnificent creatures out there, undiscovered.

Garudas are found in nearly all of the Outer Planes, and they will hunt, eat, and thrive on a diet of lemurs, Devils, and indeed, anything even vaguely meat-like. Their magical metabolism means they can digest practically anything, and they can survive on far less food than seems even possible for a beast of their titanic size and ridiculous metabolism. Garudas are nearly always nested pairs, although one of the Birds is almost always away from the nest, hunting, and given their size, it may be years before the other half of a pair will return to the nest. It is common to find eggs in their nests, although it is rumored to take decades for even a viable egg to hatch, although persistent rumor tells that if raised from hatching, they are readily tamed.

Rewards

XP: 1,574,400,000 (Legend role included.)

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 23,930,000 gp.

Weight: 2000 lbs.     Volume: 80 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	Nothing Found
6 - 10	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
11 - 14	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
15 - 17	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
18 - 20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1	5 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
2 - 5	5 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
6 - 10	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
11 - 14	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
15 - 17	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
18 - 20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1	5 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
2	5 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
3 - 6	5 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
7 - 10	5 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
11 - 14	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
15 - 17	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
18 - 20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)