Agathion, LeonalThis lion-headed humanoid has golden fur, sharp teeth, and long cat-like claws on its hands and feet.
Leonal CR 12Source Bestiary 2 pg. 19
XP 19,200
NG Medium outsider (agathion, extraplanar, good)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +19
Aura protective aura (20 ft.)
DefenseAC 27, touch 14, flat-footed 23 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +13 natural) (+4 deflection vs. evil)
hp 147 (14d10+70)
Fort +14, Ref +12, Will +6; +4 vs. poison, +4 resistance vs. evil
DR 10/evil and silver; Immune electricity, petrification; Resist cold 10, sonic 10; SR 23
OffenseSpeed 60 ft.
Melee bite +23 (1d8+8 plus grab), 2 claws +23 (1d6+8)
Special Attacks roar, pounce, rake (2 claws +23, 1d6+8)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +16)
Constant—speak with animals
At will—detect thoughts, fireball (DC 15), hold monster (DC 17)
3/day—cure critical wounds, neutralize poison, remove disease, wall of force
1/day—healStatisticsStr 27, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15
Base Atk +14; CMB +22 (+26 grapple); CMD 36
Feats Ability Focus (roar), Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (bite, claw)
Skills Acrobatics +24 (+36 jump), Handle Animal +19, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (any one) +19, Perception +19, Sense Motive +19, Spellcraft +16, Stealth +24; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Stealth
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; speak with animals, truespeech
SQ lay on hands (7d6, 9/day, as a 14th-level paladin)
EcologyEnvironment any land (Nirvana)
Organization solitary, pair, or pride (3–8)
Treasure standard
Special AbilitiesProtective 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 stat block.
Roar (Su) Up to three times per day, a leonal can emit a powerful roar as a standard action. Each roar affects a 60-foot cone with the effects of a holy word spell and also deals 2d6 points of sonic damage to all creatures in the area (DC 21 Fortitude negates). This is a sonic effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
DescriptionA leonal is a lion-like agathion, noble and fierce. Though gentle with their families and patient with strangers on their home plane, in battle leonals are deadly foes of evil and cruelty. They hunt fiends and other evil monsters, silently tailing their prey until they find the right time to leap and slash. Leonals pride themselves on their hunting prowess, and few land creatures can match their speed. Although capable of using weapons, the majority of leonals prefer to battle evil with tooth and claw.
Leonals like their battles to be straightforward affairs. They begin with a roar to put their foes off balance, then follow up with claw and bite attacks. They closely coordinate with others in their pride, watching one another’s flanks and setting up devastating attacks. They mainly use their magical abilities against large numbers of weaker foes and against those they need to capture or incapacitate without dealing harm to them.
Leonals stand 6 feet tall and weigh 270 pounds on average. Males usually have manes of either dark gold or black hair, which may only surround the head or may extend onto the shoulders and chest. Female leonals do not have manes, but may have longer hair on the back of the neck.Creatures in "Agathion" CategorySource Bestiary 2 pg. 15
Agathions are a race of beast-aspect outsiders native to the plane of Nirvana, a realm of pure good unconcerned with the dogma of law (represented by Heaven) or chaos (represented by Elysium). Though Nirvana is a place of rest where blessed souls seek enlightenment, agathions are aggressive and interventionist in the mortal world when it comes to dealing with evil. Created from the souls of good mortals who have managed to achieve the enlightenment they sought in life (or in some cases, after death), agathions embody the principles of a peaceable kingdom while marshaling their strength to defend that kingdom from any who would despoil it. Because they strike an ethical balance between the chaotic, fey-like azatas and the lawful, rigid process of the archons, agathions are often liaisons between the celestial races, soothing hot tempers and working toward mutual goals of vanquishing evil and protecting good.
All agathions have an animal-like aspect. Some are more humanoid in appearance, while others spend their entire existence in a form nearly identical to that of a true animal. Each type of agathion serves a particular role in Nirvana, and their duties on other planes echo these responsibilities: leonals watch over Nirvana's portals and have a guardian-like aspect in other worlds, draconals carry the wisdom of the ages and observe and guide exceptional mortals, vulpinals are bards and messengers and bear important news to celestial generals and mortal heroes, and so on. Agathions are proud of their feral aspects and don't take kindly to the suggestion that they are cursed folk like lycanthropes or nothing more than magical talking beasts. Every agathion was once a mortal who aspired to goodness and was rewarded in the afterlife with a form suiting her talents and personality; suggesting that an agathion's form is a kind of punishment is a terrible insult.
The following pages describe only a few of the best-known kinds of agathions, but other types exist, corresponding to other conventional animals (bears, dinosaurs, fish, wolves, and so on), with a few having shapes that resemble insects (particularly beetles, butterflies, and mantises); a handful resemble stranger creatures (such as basilisks and owlbears) or unique “animals” native to extreme environments on distant worlds. Certain animals, particularly those associated with scavenging activities (such as hyenas, buzzards, or jackals) or parasitism (like lampreys or ticks) specifically do not have agathions associated with them—these animals are not intrinsically evil, but their habits and ecological niches are far from the noble and proud traditions that most of the souls who seek enlightenment upon Nirvana would associate with themselves.
Individual agathions may be male or female, but they do not reproduce among their own kind—every agathion is a unique individual made from the soul of a good mortal. This does not prevent them from falling in love or having affairs with mortals, and a few aasimar and celestial sorcerer bloodlines derive from past contact with agathions, particularly among communities not averse to anthropomorphic humanoids. Indeed, many mythologies tie numerous races of this kind to the inevitable result of human tribes forming strong emotional attachments to visiting agathions.
Agathions speak Celestial, Draconic, and Infernal, though they can communicate with any intelligent creature because of their truespeech ability. They can also communicate with animals using a similar, silent ability. Even the weakest agathion is able to heal itself or others using a power similar to a paladin's ability to lay on hands. All agathions have a number of similar traits, as detailed in Appendix 3 of this book.
Agathions serving a particular deity or empyreal lord may have additional abilities depending on the role their deity assigns them. For example, a cetaceal serving a goddess of volcanic islands may be able to change shape into a more human-like form to walk on land, and may be immune to fire to tolerate and tend to the life-rich thermal vents at the ocean floor.
Agathion Leaders
Though agathions lack an organized hierarchy, each type of agathion has a few individuals invested with power by the gods of Nirvana or the plane itself. Common agathions look to these exceptional examples for leadership, wisdom, and inspiration; these enlightened folk do not openly claim any responsibilities or rank over their fellows, but welcome the obligations this added power places upon them and do not deny their status or shirk their duties. Part of a category of powerful outsiders known collectively as empyreal lords, these leaders are often significantly larger than common agathions (up to double the normal size, in some cases), and have unusual coloration (such as iron-gray fur) or unique sensory manifestations associated with their presence (such as illusory birds, a constant melody, the scent of oranges, or a calming aura). No agathion fails to recognize their presence when not disguised. Agathion leaders can serve as heralds for deities, although they tend not to encourage religions based on their teachings. The following is but a selection of notable agathion leaders.
Chavod Broken-Spear (cetaceal)
Kelumarion the King Over the Mountain (leonal)
Korada of the Dream Lotus (avoral)
Lady Taramyth the Singing Flame (vulpinal)
Sixlife the Violet Fury (silvanshee)
Walks with Golden Stars (draconal)
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