Giant Eagle
image: Boris Vallejo - White Eagle
HD: d10
Skills: 2 + Int. Class Skills: Intimidate, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 0 2 2 0 Eagle Body, Swift Flight, Screech, Powerful Build, +1 Str, +1 Dex
2 1 3 3 0 Evasion, Bonus Feat, +1 Str, +1 Dex
3 2 3 3 1 Growth, Diving Blitz, Ideal Cohort, +1 Str, +1 Dex
FeaturesSkills: Their keen eyes grant them a +2 +1/HD racial bonus to spot checks. Riders with whom the Giant Eagle is friendly receive a +1/HD to their ride bonus.
Eagle Body: At first level a Giant Eagle loses all other racial features and becomes a medium magical beast. It has low light vision, natural weapons: 2 claws (1d6) and 1 bite (1d4), a base land speed of 10' and flying speed of 50' (average), and a natural armour bonus equal to its Con modifier.
Swift Flight: The Giant Eagle can fly like no other, gaining a +5' to flight speed per HD. For every 6HD its manoeuverability improves one step.
Screech: Perhaps one of the most recognizable sounds in nature, an Eagle's screech both herald's its arrival and strikes fear into its opponent's hearts. A Giant Eagle may make an intimidate check as a swift action during a charge/dive. This is a sonic & fear based effect.
Powerful Build: As per the Half-Giant entry. It retains this feature when it later attains Growth.
Ability Bonus: A Giant Eagle receives +1 Str and +1 Dex at every level.
Evasion: As the rogue special ability. If the Giant Eagle would gain evasion from another source, it gains Improved Evasion instead.
Bonus Feat: At 2nd level a Giant Eagle gains Flyby Attack. At 8HD it gains Improved Flyby Attack even if it does not meet the prerequisites.
Growth: At 3rd level a Giant Eagle increases one size category.
Diving Blitz: Able to lash out with its claws and beak in a flash, at 3rd level a Giant Eagle when flying can attack with all its natural weapons as a standard action. It may only target a single creature when doing so.
Ideal Cohort: A Giant Eagle who has been chosen as the cohort of a rider (or vice versa) has a maximum level of one lower than the rider rather than two. A Paladin who has chosen the the Giant Eagle as a cohort mount (DMG p.200) need not apply the +2 level adjustment.
Blurb:
Overall nothing too fancy. Added speed, upped the evasion slightly and gave it bonus feats. Screech seems like a good fit flavourwise and allows for fear chains.
I'm not sure exactly how the SRD entry calculated the carrying capacity. This is the quote from the SRD based on Str 18: A light load for a large sized giant eagle is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301-600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601-900 pounds. I kind of hamfisted it and gave the Giant Eagle powerful build, which in a way sort of fits the stature and ups the carrying capacity and allows for the Snatch feat which is quite suitable.
Ideal Cohort is an idea I'm playing with that I'd want to apply to other creatures like a Worg or Nightmare. They're sort of iconic as mount creatures so receive a bonus as such.
