Leonal

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

Leonals are the wisest and most powerful of the guardinals. They’re chieftains and leaders when guardinals gather, but a leonal prefers to keep to itself when the forces of good allow it to rest. 

A leonal resembles a tall, muscular human with short, tawny-golden fur covering its body and a great red mane for hair. Its lower legs are formed like a great cat’s, and its arms conceal steal-hard talons. The leonal’s face is noble and terrifying at the same time: its mouth and nose meet in a subtle, flattened, lionlike muzzle, and a yawn reveals long, sharp fangs.

Leonals’re at home in the wilds of Eronia, but they travel widely throughout Elysium. When they’re not marshalling the guardinals against the threat of evil, they’re often busy on some important mission or task. At rest, a leonal’s a patient and regal creature; but when it confronts the forces of darkness, it’s a remorseless and tireless warrior of good.

Combat: A word of advice: Don’t pick a fight with a leonal. They’re superhumanly strong, packing the power of a frost giant (21 Strength) in their compact, athletic frames. Their talons can inflict devastating damage, and their bite can be lethal. Leonals’re incredibly fast and agile, and gain a -4 initiative bonus in any round they choose to make physical attacks. This agility allows them to dodge any missile or missilelike magical attack with a successful saving throw versus paralyzation. (This includes any thrown weapon, any missile fired by bow, crossbow, or sling, and spells such as burning hands, flame arrow, Melf’s acid arrow, and other physical manifestations of magic except magic missiles.)

A leonal can roar three times per day. This roar affects a cone-shaped area 60 feet long and 20 feet wide at the end, and is the equivalent of a holy word. In addition, all creatures in this area suffer 2d10 points of damage and must successfully save vs. spell or be deafened for a day. (Deafened creatures suffer a -1 penalty to any surprise checks and have a 20% chance to miscast any spell.) Any evil creature within 200 yards must survive an additional saving throw vs. spell or be affected by fear for 2d6 rounds.

Leonals are surrounded by an aura of double-strength protection from evil, 20’ radius. Once per round, they can use the following spell-like powers: continual light, ESP, cast a 10d6 fireball, hold monster, know alignment, magic missile (5 missiles), polymorph self, or create a wall of force. A leonal can cure critical wounds, cure disease, or neutralize poison three times per day, and once per day it can heal other. Once per year the leonal can grant a wish.

Leonals are never surprised, and can be hit only by +3 or better magical weapons.

Habitat/Society: Even in peaceful Elysium, leonals are loners. They keep to themselves, roaming the forests and mountains of the more remote areas of the plane. Among other guardinals, leonals are considered to be nobility or royalty; at their command, other guardinals embark on missions or organize armies. The leonals use their authority carefully and only when they feel that a matter can’t be attended to personally.

Leonals travel the planes extensively, keeping an eye open for trouble and dealing with it whenever they can. On rare occasions a leonal serves under a good power, acting as a proxy or adviser of some kind.

(from 3.5e Monster Manual - 2003):

This creature looks like a powerful humanoid about 6 feet tall, covered in short, golden fur. Its head is leonine in appearance, with a short muzzle and a lush, dark gold mane. Its arms end in powerful claws, and its mouth holds rows of long, sharp teeth. 

One of the most powerful guardinal forms, a leonal is every bit as regal as a lion of the Material Plane. As a foe, it can be just as terrifying, bellowing mighty roars and slashing with razor-sharp claws. 

Combat: Leonals like their battles as straightforward as can be. They begin with a roar to put their foes off balance, then follow up with a frenzy of claw and bite attacks. They closely coordinate with others in their pride, watching one another’s flanks and setting up devastating attacks. 

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

Roar (Su): A leonal can roar up to three times per day. Each roar releases a blast in a 60-foot cone that duplicates the effects of a holy word spell and deals an extra 2d6 points of sonic damage (Fortitude DC 20 negates). The save DC is Charisma-based. 

Pounce (Ex): If a leonal charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks. 

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a leonal must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake. 

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +20 melee, damage 1d6+8. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect thoughts, fireball (DC 15), hold monster (DC 17), polymorph, wall of force; 3/day—cure critical wounds (DC 16), neutralize poison, remove disease; 1/day—heal (DC 18). Caster level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. 

Protective Aura (Su): Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, this ability provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of the leonal. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals leonal’s HD). (The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in a leonal’s statistics block.)

Skills: Leonals have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks.

(from Book of Exalted Deeds - 2003):

TALISID, THE CELESTIAL LION:

This mighty figure looks like a poised, 9-foot-tall lion-headed man with a muscular build. He has golden fur, a regal mane of golden hair, and dark, penetrating eyes. He wears exquisite robes and absently strokes his chin whiskers with one sharp claw. 

Although proud of his accomplishments and those of his beloved Companions, Talisid (TAL-eh-seed) does not allow pride or other emotions interfere with his mission to protect and aid the residents of Elysium. His love for the Blessed Fields has grown in the thousands of years he has served as Celestial Lion, and he takes great delight in its many natural wonders. 

The wisest and most powerful of leonals, Talisid regular travels the four layers of Elysium but spends most of his time on Amoria, the topmost layer. He often assumes an animal form when traveling alone in the wilderness, taunting unlawful hunters with his trackless step and woodland stride abilities. He maintains no permanent residence, often “shacking up” with friends he has made throughout the Blessed Fields. A king among guardinals, Talisid prefers to think of himself as a humble servant of the people and demands no special treatment or consideration. 

Combat: Talisid has little need for armor or weapons, preferring to spring into battle by pouncing on foes and tearing them to pieces with his sharp claws. 

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

Improved Grab (Ex): If Talisid hits a Medium or smaller opponent with his bite attack, he deals normal lethal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If he gets a hold, he can attempt to rake on the same round. Thereafter, Talisid has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use his mouth to hold the opponent (–20 penalty on grapple check, but Talisid is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check he makes during successive rounds automatically deals bite damage. 

Pounce (Ex): If Talisid charges, he can make a full attack (including a rake attempt, as described below), even though he has moved. Rake (Ex): If Talisid gets a hold on an opponent (see Improved Grab, above), he can make two rake attacks (+55 melee) with his hind legs for 1d8+16 points of damage each. If Talisid pounces on an opponent, he can also rake. 

Roar (Su): Talisid can roar up to five times per day. Each roar releases a blast in a 60-foot cone that duplicates the effects of a holy word spell and deals an additional 4d6 points of sonic damage (Fortitude save DC 37 negates). The DC is Charisma-based. 

Spells: Talisid casts spells as a 20th-level druid. Spells Prepared (6/7/7/6/6/6/5/4/4/4; save DC 16 + spell level): 0—create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, guidance, purify food and drink, resistance; 1st—calm animals, eyes of the avoral, detect snares and pits, entangle, faerie fire, longstrider, silvered claws*; 2nd— animal messenger, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, owl’s wisdom, wood shape; 3rd—affliction*, plant growth, protection from energy, quench, speak with plants, wind wall; 4th—air walk, control water, flame strike, freedom of movement, repel vermin, rusting grasp; 5th—animal growth, atonement, awaken, control winds, death ward, wall of thorns; 6th—find the path, greater dispel magic, mass bear’s endurance, mass cat’s grace, touch of adamantine*; 7th—control weather, rain of roses*, sunbeam, true seeing; 8th—animal shapes, repel metal or stone, sunburst, whirlwind; 9th—elemental swarm, foresight, mass cure critical wounds, summon nature’s ally IX. 

*New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect evil, detect thoughts (DC 19), fireball (DC 20), hold monster (DC 21), wall of force; 3/day—cure critical wounds (DC 21), neutralize poison (DC 20), remove disease (DC 20); 1/day— heal (DC 23). Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma based. 

Bastion of Good (Su): As a free action, Talisid can surround himself with a 20-foot-radius nimbus of light. This acts as the bastion of good spell (see Chapter 6: Magic). 

Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): Talisid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey. Thousand Faces (Su): While in his natural form, Talisid can alter his appearance at will, as if using the alter self spell (caster level 20th). 

Trackless Step (Ex): Talisid leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Wild Shape (Su): At will, Talisid can turn himself into any animal, plant, or good-aligned magical beast of Tiny to Huge size or an elemental of Small to Huge size. Aside from having no usage limit, this ability works the same as a druid’s wild shape ability. 

Woodland Stride (Ex):Talisid may move through any sort of natural undergrowth at his normal speed and without suffering damage or other impairment.

LEONAL GUARDINAL (5e homebrew)

Medium Celestial, Neutral Good

Armor Class 21 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 200-272 (16d10 + 72)

Speed 60 ft.

STR 21(+5)   DEX 23(+6)   CON 24(+7)   INT 20(+5)   WIS 20(+5)   CHA 22(+6)

Saving Throws: DEX +15, CON +8, STR +10, WIS +5

Skills: Athletics +8, Acrobatics +15, Indimidation +8, Perception +8, Persuasion +5, Stealth +10, Survival +10

Resistances: Acid, Cold, Force, Poison, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Weapons that aren't silvered

Immunities: Lightning, Petrified

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15

Languages: Celestial, Common, Lupinal

Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)

Celestial Weapons. The leonal's weapons and natural attacks are considered magic weapons. When the leonal hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 6d8 radiant damage (included in the attack).

Innate Spellcasting. The leonal's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19). The leonal can innately cast the following spells, requiring only verbal components:

At will: continual flame, fireball, detect evil and good, dimension door, dispel magic, hold monster, light, magic missile (5 darts), protection from evil and good, see invisibility, speak with animals.

3/day each: cure disease, mass cure wounds, protection against poison

1/day: heal

1/year: wish

Keen Smell. The leonal has advantage on wisdom (perception) checks that rely on smell.

Lay on Hands. The leonal has a pool of 100 hit points that it can use, as an action, to heal a creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in the pool. Alternatively, the leonal can expend 5 hit points from its pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. The leonal can cure multiple diseases and poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending Hit Points separately for each one. The pool replenishes after a long rest, and has no effect on Undead of Constructs.

Magic Resistance. The leonal has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The leonal uses its bestial roar and then makes three melee attacks: one with its bite, one with its claw, and one with its greatsword of sharpness. If unarmed, the leonal makes a second claw attack instead.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (4d6 + 5) piercing damage, and if the target creature is sized large or smaller, it must make a DC 19 strength saving throw or be dragged prone. Creatures dragged to the ground are grappled (escape DC 19), and the leonal grappling them automatically hits with subsequent bite attacks as long as the creature remains grappled.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.

Bestial Roar (3/day). The leonal makes a terrifying, otherworldly roar. Every enemy within 300 feet of the leonal that can hear it must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for one minute or until the leonal is incapacitated. Targets who fail the save within 30 feet of the Leonal are also affected as if by a Divine Word spell. Frightened targets that starts their turn within 30 feet of the leonal must use all their movement on that turn to get as far from the leonal as possible, must finish the move before taking an action, and must take the most direct route, even if hazards lie that way. A target that successfully saves is immune to the roars of all leonals for the next 24 hours.

Reactions

Missile Evasion. When a leonal is targeted with a ranged weapon or spell attack, it can make a dexterity (acrobatics +15) check as a reaction. If the number rolled is higher than the attack roll, the attack misses.