Avoral

(from Planescape: Monstrous Compendium Appendix II - 1995):

Avorals’re guardinals with the wings of mighty eagles. They’re the scouts and skirmishers of their race, keeping watch over the peaceful skies of Amoria. No other guardinals can fly, so aerial vigilance falls to the avorals who confront any invaders who try that avenue. Avorals are born with a deep-rooted wanderlust that can take them on fantastic journeys through hundreds of worlds. Some leave Elysium and never return because they’ve just got to see what lies over the next hill or beyond the next sea.

Avorals have the bodies of tall, muscular men or women, but their arms are long, powerful wings and their lower legs feature strong talons and feathery vanes to act as a tail in flight. Their faces are more human than avian, but their hair seems to be a feathery cowl around their heads, and their eyes are bright and golden. 

Avorals’ chests are exceptionally deep and powerful, anchoring their wing muscles; their bones are strong but hollow, so even the largest avorals weigh no more than 120 pounds despite their appearance.

An avoral’s wings feature small hands at the midpoints. When its wings are folded beside its body, these wing-hands are carried about where a human’s would be, and can do just about anything a human hand could do.

Combat: On the ground, the avoral can lash out with its wings and deliver powerful, punishing blows. Just as a swan can kill a man with its wings, an avoral is easily capable of defending itself while on the ground. However, this isn’t its preferred mode of combat. 

The avoral’d much rather meet its foes in the air, where it can employ its rock-hard talons and make full use of its wonderful speed and agility in the air. (The avoral can’t make wing-buffet attacks while it’s flying; it’s too busy using its wings to stay in the air, berk.)

If the avoral can dive 100 feet or more to attack a target standing on the ground, it gains a +2 bonus to hit, and its talons inflict double damage with each successful hit. Normally, the avoral requires a round to climb and circle before it can attempt to stoop on its enemy again. An avoral can carry bashers weighing up to 300 pounds in its talons; it has to hit with both talons in order to get a hold of its foe, and can climb at a rate of 120 feet per round while burdened with an enemy in its grasp. It has to be really angry to drop a nonevil creature from on high.

Avorals also boast several spell-like powers. Once per round they can use blur, command, gust of wind, hold person, light, or magic missile (4 missiles). Once per day they can cast an 8d6 lightning bolt or create fear in a 20’ radius. Their visual acuity is unbelievable; avorals can see detail on objects up to 10 miles away, and can employ true sight to a range of 100 feet by concentrating for one round. It’s said the avorals can see the color of a cutter’s eyes at 200 paces.

Avorals can be struck only by silver weapons or weapons enchanted to +1 or better.

Habitat/Society: Like most guardinals, avorals don’t often gather together. They prefer to spend their time soaring on the winds of Elysium. Eronia and Belierin are their favorite layers, since they’re particularly fond of the isolation of these wild places. On rare occasions, a family group may be encountered in a temporary aeriyon some spectacular mountain peak.

Avorals are excelent hunters that enjoy stalking small game. They don’t kill needlessly or just for sport, however, and prefer their dinners prepare in a civilized fashion.

(from 3.5e Monster Manual- 2003):

This creature has the body of a tall, muscular human, but with long, powerful wings instead of arms. The face is more human than avian, but the hair resembles a feathery cowl, and the eyes are bright gold. The legs have strong talons and feathery vanes. 

An avoral’s bones are strong but hollow, so even the largest specimens weigh no more than 120 pounds. An avoral is about 7 feet tall. 

Each of an avoral’s wings has a small hand at the midpoint. When the wings are folded, these appendages are about where human hands would be and can do nearly anything hands can do. An avoral’s visual acuity is virtually unmatched: It can see detail on objects up to 10 miles away and is said to be able to discern the color of a creature’s eyes at 200 paces. 

Combat: On the ground, an avoral can lash out with its wings to deliver punishing blows. However, it prefers to meet its foes in the air, where it can employ its talons and make full use of its aerial speed and agility. It can’t make wing attacks while flying, however. 

An avoral’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—aid, blur (self only), command (DC 14), detect magic, dimension door, dispel magic, gust of wind (DC 15), hold person (DC 16), light, magic circle against evil (self only), magic missile, see invisibility; 3/day—lightning bolt (DC 16). Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. 

Fear Aura (Su): Once per day an avoral can create an aura of fear in a 20-foot radius. It is otherwise identical with fear from an 8th-level caster (save DC 17). The save DC is Charisma-based. 

True Seeing (Su): This ability is identical with true seeing (caster level 14th), except that it has personal range and the avoral must concentrate for 1 full round before it takes effect. Thereafter the ability remains in effect as long as the avoral concentrates on it. 

Skills: An avoral’s sharp eyes give it a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks

(from Book of Exalted Deeds - 2003):

SATHIA, THE SKY DUCHESS:

This tall, lithe woman has powerful wings instead of arms. Flecks of green speckle her snow-white feathers. Her face is more human than avian, but her hair resembles a feathery cowl, and her eyes are bright gold. Her feet end in talons that have an emerald-green luster and look as sharp as diamonds. Numerous small birds flutter around her, obviously drawn to her powerful presence. 

The voice of the avorals, Sathia (SAY-thee-ah) is also a patron and muse for gifted painters and sculptors. She possesses a sharp eye for detail and has created a number of masterful paintings and wood sculptures. Most of all, she enjoys time spent with the Companions and soaring in the skies of Elysium. C

Combat: Sathia attacks with her talons or the razor-sharp edges of her mighty wings. She does not wear armor or carry weapons, preferring to remain unburdened in flight. 

Sathia’s natural weapons and any weapons she wields are treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. 

Fear Aura (Su): Once per day, Sathia can create an aura of fear in a 20-foot radius. It is otherwise identical to the fear spell (caster level 8th; save DC 37). The save DC is Charisma-based. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—aid, blur(self only), command (DC 21), detect magic, dimension door (DC 24), dispel magic, gust of wind (DC 22), hold person (DC 22), light, magic circle against evil (self only), magic missile, see invisibility; 1/day—lightning bolt (DC 23). Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. 

True Seeing (Su): As the true seeing spell (caster level 20th) except that it has personal range and Sathia must concentrate for 1 full round before it takes effect. Thereafter, it remains in effect as long as she concentrates on it. 

Skills: Sathia’s sharp eyesight gives her a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks (included in the statistics above).

(from Planescape: Morte's Planar Parade - 2023):

Avorals are eagle-like bipeds with winged arms and keen, golden eyes. Prone to wander, these avian Celestials leave Elysium more frequently than their counterparts, meandering across the Outlands to wherever the winds might take them. Solitary scouts and skirmishers, avorals are nimble aerial combatants, able to swiftly dive at foes from the heavens and tear into them with razor-sharp talons.

AVORAL GUARDINAL (5e)

Medium Celestial, Typically Neutral Good

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 172 (23d8 + 69)

Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft.

STR 16(+3)   DEX 19(+4)   CON 17(+3)   INT 16(+3)   WIS 16(+3)   CHA 18(+4)

Saving Throws: Dex +8, Cha +8

Skills: Perception +11, Religion +7

Damage Resistances: radiant

Condition Immunities: frightened

Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 21

Languages: Celestial, Common

Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) 

Proficiency Bonus +4

Dive Attack. If the avoral is flying, dives at least 30 feet in a straight line toward a Medium or smaller creature, and ends within 5 feet of it, that creature must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or take 14 (4d6) piercing damage and have the prone condition.

Flyby. The avoral doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Actions:

Multiattack. The avoral makes two Talon attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting.

Talon. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 13 (2d12) radiant damage.

Spellcasting. The avoral casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 16):

1/day each: command, hold person