I get to start riding a griffon!

[REVISIONIST]

I'll be playing in a game soon that allows us to ride griffons... from the start! We'll be starting at 3rd level. I'm unsure if it is better to start as variant human fighter for the feats or if anyone on the forum thinks there is a better build to start with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[darkrose50]

I'll be playing in a game soon that allows us to ride griffons... from the start! We'll be starting at 3rd level. I'm unsure if it is better to start as variant human fighter for the feats or if anyone on the forum thinks there is a better build to start with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You need to name your mount Gryffin and your character Dor . . . then you will be Gryffin and Dor.

[REVISIONIST]

RIP Alan Rickman, but I was thinking more along the lines of Victor Krum without the Imperious Curse.

[Rusvul]

If you want the Gryphon to be central to your build, perhaps the Cavalier fighter from UA would be of interest to you. I haven't read it thoroughly, but mounted combat is kind of its thing.

[MaxWilson]

I'll be playing in a game soon that allows us to ride griffons... from the start! We'll be starting at 3rd level. I'm unsure if it is better to start as variant human fighter for the feats or if anyone on the forum thinks there is a better build to start with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hopefully someone in your party will prioritize Feather Fall.

If you're going to be fighting other creatures mounted on their own flying mounts, I'd try to get a warlock with Repelling Eldritch Blast. That spell is pure nasty in a flying scenario--I've used it to knock umber hulks off spelljamming ships, which is sort of like dealing 93 HP with every hit. (There were a metric ton of umber hulks coming at us and I thought for sure the combat was lost and we'd have to retreat post-haste, until that tactic occurred to me.)

[Jeebs]

Assuming you want advice on which class to play, I like Mounted Combatant a lot for Rogues. Since the Griffon is Large, you get Advantage on Melee Attacks against anything Medium or smaller, which means pretty easy Sneak Attack.

You might just have to bump up your CON to take the hits your mount redirects toward you.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

You need to name your mount Gryffin and your character Dor . . . then you will be Gryffin and Dor.

If you name the griffon Pea Tear, it would be named Pea Tear Griffon.

But OP, is there any way I could convince you to go Warlock instead of Fighter? Blade pact can keep up with damage and you get the greatest spell for a game that revolves around mounted combat... Crown of Madness! (level 2 spell)

Now typically CoM isn't a great spell, there is a lot wrong with the spell to be used in most situations due to its limitations. However... When using it on a mounted opponent all those problems go away. And if the target decides to get off their mount... That's still a win for you!

Fiend Pact Blade Warlock makes for a great Fighter type :)

Edit

Making riders hurt their mounts is just plain fun, who knows what the mount will do to retaliate :smallamused:

[darkrose50]

Pea Tear Griffon.

I like it!

A ranged character would be fun.

A familiar like a hawk could carry messages between griffons, and try to catch falling items as you fight on.

An illusionist to make your Griffin look like a horse, or like a cloud would be interesting.

Would your Griffin be improved as a paladin mount and/or could you get a better Griffin? Check with your DM.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

I like it!

A ranged character would be fun.

A familiar like a hawk could carry messages between griffons, and try to catch falling items as you fight on.

An illusionist to make your Griffin look like a horse, or like a cloud would be interesting.

Would your Griffin be improved as a paladin mount and/or could you get a better Griffin? Check with your DM.

The hawk's name better damn well be Xerxes or else what's the point?

[REVISIONIST]

Sorry for the late reply playgrounders, no splatbooks, no UA. PHB only. That's why I thought v-human with feats best suited the role. I'm assuming
that we won't be riding bare back, so at least a saddle with straps to hold me in. ( no confirmation of this from the GM) I'm thinking from the teasers I've been given we'll be avian shock troops in an ongoing war. Not sure if I have to plan for arial combat or not. If feather fall is needed I'd imagine we'd already be in trouble. I think what the GM is going for is rain fire from above, spells or ranged, land and wreck havoc. Things get out of hand, flying mount leaps in air to safety. Maybe ranger suits the "ranged" part of this best, rogue will have hard time hiding and sneaking, early warlock.. well I'll take a look but they don't seem to sync with mounted combat, wizard seems to squishy. I'm going to try to come up with a decent
cleric build, good for buffing. not terrible up close, and I can tack on another range ability if we make it a few more levels.

[Shining Wrath]

You may want elf for longbow proficiency, as griffons are pretty fast and kiting is a real possible strategy. IIRC their fly speed is 80.

If you are fighting other fliers Web can be full of win. As can nets, especially if you are fast enough to go right over the top of someone and drop a weighted net. Which you are.

[Douche]

You need to name your mount Gryffin and your character Dor . . . then you will be Gryffin and Dor.

No, he must name his mount Peter. Then he'd be Peter Griffin

[Hudsonian]

Is the campaign sky based?
Mountain Based?
Ocean side?

These are all places that Griffons would make sense.

But it seems to me like with the speed of a griffon a mounted combatant dual wielding Lances with mobility could be DANGEROUS.

and if it's a dwarf it would be hilarious.

[E’Tallitnics]

But OP, is there any way I could convince you to go Warlock instead of Fighter? Blade pact can keep up with damage and you get the greatest spell for a game that revolves around mounted combat... Crown of Madness! (level 2 spell)

Now typically CoM isn't a great spell, there is a lot wrong with the spell to be used in most situations due to its limitations. However... When using it on a mounted opponent all those problems go away. And if the target decides to get off their mount... That's still a win for you!

Fiend Pact Blade Warlock makes for a great Fighter type :)


You can specify what creature my paladin makes a mêlée attack against and you choose my mount?

Great! As part of my Action I sheath my Vorpal Sword and make an unarmed strike against my mount. I've now fully complied, and 100% RAW, with the parameters of that spell.

Of course I also could have shoved or grappled my mount as well, but depending on circumstances those option my be worse than causing a maximum of 6 bludgeoning damage to my mount.