Celestial Eagle
A radiant great eagle of the Upper Planes, built for speed, vigilance and sudden violence from the sky.
It circles before it strikes, judges before it commits, and almost never gives an enemy the ground fight it wants.
A Celestial Eagle is an intelligent great eagle whose nature is bound to the good-aligned planes. Silver, pale gold and sunlit-white plumage are common, but colour is less important than presence: these birds watch with deliberate attention, recognise individuals, remember trespass and can distinguish a frightened traveller from a deliberate threat.
They resemble Giant Eagles closely enough that a distant observer may not know which kind is circling overhead. The difference becomes obvious when a Celestial Eagle crosses a planar boundary, shrugs off hostile energy or turns its attacks against an evil foe with supernatural force.
Game Statistics
Choose the ruleset in play. The current D&D rules already classify the Giant Eagle as a Celestial. The older systems use their own Giant Eagle statistics and celestial-creature rules rather than changing the creature’s scale between editions.
Celestial Eagle — 5.5e / 2024
Large Celestial, Neutral Good • CR 1
Skills Perception +6
Resistances Necrotic, Radiant
Senses Passive Perception 16
Languages Celestial; understands Common and Primordial (Auran) but can’t speak them
CR 1 (200 XP; PB +2)
Actions
Multiattack. The eagle makes two Rend attacks.
Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) Slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) Radiant damage.
Celestial Eagle — 5e / 2014
Large Beast, Neutral Good • CR 1
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 26 (4d10 + 4)
Speed 10 ft., fly 80 ft.
Skills Perception +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Giant Eagle; understands Common and Auran but can’t speak them
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Traits
Keen Sight. The eagle has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Actions
Multiattack. The eagle makes two attacks: one with its beak and one with its talons.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Celestial Eagle — Pathfinder 1e
CR 3 XP 800
NG Large magical beast
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15
Defense
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, −1 size)
hp 26 (4d10+4)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3
Defensive Abilities evasion; Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5; SR 8
Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
Melee 2 claws +7 (1d8+4), bite +7 (1d6+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks smite evil 1/day
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 11
Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 22
Feats Alertness, Flyby Attack
Skills Fly +8, Perception +15, Sense Motive +4; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
Languages Auran (cannot speak)
Ecology
Environment good-aligned planes and high mountain eyries
Organization solitary, pair, or eyrie (3–12)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Smite Evil (1/Day). As a swift action, the eagle chooses one evil creature it can see. Against that creature it adds its Charisma bonus to attack rolls and +4 damage to successful attacks until the target dies or the eagle rests.
Celestial Eagle — D&D 3.5e
| Size/Type | Large Magical Beast (Extraplanar) |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 4d10+4 (26 hp) |
| Initiative | +3 |
| Speed | 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 80 ft. (average) |
| Armor Class | 15 (−1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +4/+12 |
| Attack | Claw +7 melee (1d6+4) |
| Full Attack | 2 claws +7 melee (1d6+4) and bite +2 melee (1d8+2) |
| Space/Reach | 10 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Smite evil 1/day |
| Special Qualities | Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, evasion, acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, damage reduction 5/magic, spell resistance 9 |
| Saves | Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3 |
| Abilities | Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10 |
| Skills | Knowledge (nature) +2, Listen +6, Sense Motive +4, Spot +15, Survival +3 |
| Feats | Alertness, Flyby Attack |
| Environment | Any good-aligned plane |
| Organization | Solitary, pair, or eyrie (5–12) |
| Challenge Rating | 4 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always good (any) |
| Advancement | 5–8 HD (Large); 9–12 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment | +4 (cohort) |
Special Abilities
Smite Evil (Su). Once per day, the eagle can make a normal melee attack against an evil foe and deal +4 damage if the attack hits.
Evasion (Ex). If the eagle succeeds on a Reflex save against an effect that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage.
Celestial Defenses. Its natural weapons count as magic for overcoming damage reduction while its celestial template provides the listed resistances, damage reduction and spell resistance.
Behaviour
Celestial Eagles watch before they commit. From altitude, one can follow a road, valley, shrine, marching force or mountain trail without immediately revealing why it is there. A circling eagle may be hunting, guarding an eyrie, escorting a traveller or observing someone whose intentions have not yet been judged.
They respond well to restraint and respect for territory. Threatening eggs, attacking a protected creature or deliberately entering a forbidden eyrie can turn that caution into immediate violence. They are intelligent enough to recognise surrender and to distinguish accident from repeated aggression.
A free Celestial Eagle is not a mount waiting to be claimed. It can form friendships, carry a willing rider, guide travellers through dangerous mountains or serve beside other celestial beings, but cooperation rests on trust rather than ownership.
If Violence Starts
It takes the sky. Unless something important prevents retreat, the eagle gains altitude before committing to repeated attack passes.
It chooses exposed targets. Archers in open ground, isolated spellcasters, fleeing enemies and creatures separated from cover are more attractive than a tight shield wall.
It does not waste altitude. A wounded eagle climbs, circles and reassesses. It lands only to protect a nest, a grounded ally, a planar gate or another objective that cannot move.
It recognises when the fight is over. Most Celestial Eagles do not pursue a defeated intruder indefinitely. A retreat away from an eyrie or protected site is often enough to end the encounter.
Habitat & Eyries
Celestial Eagles favour high places with clear lines of sight: isolated peaks, great escarpments, cliff-bound planar crossings and mountain valleys where rising air makes long patrols easier. Their nests are enormous constructions of timber, bone, woven vegetation and whatever durable material can be carried from the surrounding territory.
An eyrie is rarely positioned for convenience. Reaching one should involve exposure to wind, narrow approaches and long sight lines. The bird wants to know who is approaching long before the visitor reaches the nest.
When found away from the Upper Planes, a Celestial Eagle may be attached to a planar route, an old pact, a protected community or a single individual. Some remain on the mortal world for years after the purpose that first brought them there has ended.
Relationships & Other Creatures
Giant Eagles. They are the closest mortal comparison and can share hunting territory where neither side treats the other as prey. Celestial individuals are not automatically leaders of ordinary Giant Eagles.
Avoral Agathions. Avorals and Celestial Eagles share an affinity for sky, sight and rapid intervention. A Celestial Eagle may carry messages for an avoral or patrol a route both regard as important.
Couatls. Their methods differ, but both can become long-lived guardians of places mortals do not initially realise are important.
Outsiders. Not every planar being is an ally. Celestial Eagles are particularly alert to creatures using hidden routes between planes to approach protected territory.
Encounter Ideas
The Circling Witness
A luminous eagle follows the party for three days but never approaches. It is watching one member whose recent actions have attracted planar attention.
The Empty Eyrie
A mountain nest contains broken feathers, blood and an unhatched egg. Whatever drove the parents away is still using the same pass.
The Wrong Quarry
Hunters have mistaken a Celestial Eagle for a valuable magical beast. Stopping the hunt is easy; discovering who paid for the feathers is harder.
Across the Pass
An eagle offers to guide travellers through lethal weather, but only if they first help remove something that has occupied its preferred landing site.
Grounded Guardian
An injured Celestial Eagle refuses to abandon a ruined gate between planes. Its presence is the only reason nearby predators have not crossed through.
The Stolen Egg
A trader has acquired an egg and insists it was found abandoned. Two adult eagles are searching the region with increasing urgency.
Explore Further
Rules Sources & Licensing
5.5e / 2024: Giant Eagle, System Reference Document 5.2.1.
5e / 2014: Giant Eagle, Basic Rules / SRD-era 2014 rules.
Pathfinder 1e: Giant Eagle from the Pathfinder Bestiary with the Celestial Creature simple template applied. At 4 Hit Dice the template does not increase the base CR.
D&D 3.5e: Giant Eagle with the SRD Celestial Creature template applied; at 4 Hit Dice the template raises the creature’s CR by 1.