The Griffon Knight (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Introduction

The Griffon Knight is a mounted warrior with a good amount of damage, a health pool and to support himself and allies. The key in the build is that you gain a combined health pool with your mount and both get maximum advantage of charging.

For this build, you need to be Lawful Good and some decent ability scores that work. I highly recommend a race that either gives your ability scores enough to run it or human for skill points.

References

SRD - Fighter, Cleric, Griffon, Feats, Spells

Unearthed Arcana - Prestige Paladin

Races of Stone - Goliath, Heavy Plate

Player Handbook 2 - Two-Weapon Pounce

Spell Compendium - Spells

Monster Manual 2 - Warbeast Template

Complete Warrior - Cavalier, Feats

Complete Mage - Remove Curse

Races of the Wild - Catfolk Pounce Feat

Complete Champion - Barbarian Lion Totem

Complete Adventurer - Feats

Game Rule Components

Spells, Powers, Soulmelds, Stances, etc...

Spells

Level 0: Detect Magic (2x), Detect Poison, Light, Read Magic

Level 1: Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Conviction, Nightshield

Level 2: Bull's Strenght, Shield Other, Resist Energy

Level 3: Prayer, Dispell Magic(, Grace if there is a better dispeller at your party)

Domains

Good: Granted Power: You cast good spells at +1 caster level

War: Granted Power: Free Martial Weapon Proficiency with deity’s favored weapon (if necessary) and Weapon Focus with the deity’s favored weapon.

Level 1: Protection from Evil

Level 2: Aid

Level 3: Magic Circle against Evil (only if the DM allowed spell progression also to be for domain spells)

Items

Heavy Plate (10 AC), Tower shield, lance, longsword and spell components. Other items are free to choose.

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): Str (Highest) Dex (lowest) Con (Second) Int 10 (or 8 when human) Wis 13 Cha 14 (recommended not necessary)

Race (Templates):

Starting Racial Traits:

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Fighter 1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Weapon Focus (lance)	Bonus Feat: Mounted Combat
2nd	Fighter 1/Cleric 1	+1	+4	+0	+4		Aura, Spells, Domains, Spontaneous Casting, Turn or Rebuke Undead	Weapon Focus (longsword)
3rd	Fighter 1/Cleric 2	+2	+5	+0	+5	Ride by Attack
4th	Fighter 1/Cleric 3	+3	+5	+1	+5
5th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4	+4	+6	+1	+6
6th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 1	+5	+8	+1	+6	Spirited Charge	Detect evil, smite evil 1/day, turn undead	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class, turn undead (5th lvl)
7th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 2	+6/+1	+9	+1	+6		Divine grace, lay on hands, special mount	turn undead (6th lvl), special mount (5th lvl)
8th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 3	+7/+2	+9	+2	+7		Aura of courage, divine health	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class, turn undead (6th lvl), special mount (6th lvl)
9th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4	+8/+3	+10	+2	+7	Power Attack	Remove disease 1/week	turn undead (7th lvl), special mount (7th lvl)
10th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 1	+9/+4	+12	+2	+9		Special mount, mounted weapon bonus (lance) +1, Ride bonus +2, courtly knowledge	special mount (8th lvl)
11th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 2	+10/+5	+13	+2	+10		Deadly charge 1/day, mounted weapon bonus (sword) +1	special mount (9th lvl)
12th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 3	+11/+6/+1	+13	+3	+10	Cleave	Burst of speed	special mount (10th lvl)
13th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 4	+12/+7/+2	+14	+3	+11		Deadly charge 1/day, Ride bonus +4	special mount (11th lvl)
14th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 5	+13/+8/+3	+14	+3	+11		Mounted weapon bonus (lance) +2	special mount (12th lvl)
15th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 6	+14/+9/+4	+15	+4	+12	Celestial Mount	Deadly charge 3/day, full mounted attack, mounted weapon bonus (sword) +2	special mount (13th lvl)
16th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 7	+15/+10/+5	+15	+4	+12		Ride bonus +6	special mount (14th lvl)
17th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 8	+16/+11/+6/+1	+16	+4	+13		Deadly charge 4/day	special mount (15th lvl)
18th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 9	+17/+12/+7/+2	+16	+5	+13	Improved mounted combat	Mounted weapon bonus (lance) +3, Ride bonus +8	special mount (16th lvl)
19th	Fighter 1/Cleric 4/Prestige Paladin 4/Cavalier 10	+18/+13/+8/+3	+17	+5	+14		Unstoppable charge 5/day, mounted weapon bonus (sword) +3	special mount (17th lvl)

Other Components

To qualified for Prestige Paladin and Cavalier you also need to invest 18 skill points next to the other requirements. For the other part getting a Griffon is the smartest idea to have as a mount. You should buy one or use the leadership feat to attract one. Remember that the increasing Hit Dice increases the size of a griffon from large to huge, increasing its other stats.

Highlights

Fighter/Cleric

The early levels you are fine by seeing the frontline, tanking, healing and buffing. Yes, you have not the full BAB advancement but you compensate that 1 lost by gaining great spells to buff you.

Prestige Paladin

Prestige Paladin gives you the benefits of a paladin -2 levels, which you want:

- One: Your spells are equal to that of a 6th level cleric which is better than having 8 paladin levels for spells

- Two: You gain all the great class features of a regular paladin

- Three: The Paladin's special mount

The last reason is the best reason. First, your mount doesn't die as fast as regular mounts. Second, your mount gains increase stats above the normal mount. Three your mount and you share spells with your mount. The spell, shield other, allows receiving damage equally (it distributes 50% of the damage to your mount and 50% of that again back to you, etc). Combining both your health pools into one.Also, a healing spell on you heals also your mount. Effectively making your heals twice as good.

Cavalier

The Cavalier is just the cherry on top of the ice. It gives your great maneuverability and great charge damage.

The Damage

Considering the follow abilities score: Str 16, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 14 (+4 Str from levels) And using a lance one-handed and a griffon. Using Unstoppable charge, Power Attack, smite evil, Bull's Strenght and Prayer.

Cavalier Attack Bonus: +18(BAB) +7(Str) +1(Focus) +1(Prayer) +3(Cav) +2(Charge) +1(High Ground) +2(Cha)-18(Power Attack)= +17

Cavalier Damage: 5(Cavalier)X(D8(Weapon) +7(Str) +1(Prayer) +4(Paladin) +18(Power Attack))= 5d8+150 (on Critt: 15d8+450)

Huge Griffon Attacks (pounce):

1 Bite

-Bite Attack Bonus: +25 (Base) +2(Bull's Str) +1(Prayer) +2(Charge)= +30

-Bite Damage: 3d6+10 (Base) +2(Bull's Str) +1(Prayer)+ 15(Smite)= 3d6+28 (on Critt: 6d6+56)

2 Claw

-Claw Attack Bonus: +22 (Base) +2(Bull's Str) +1(Prayer) +2(Charge)= +27

-Claw Damage: 1d6+5 (Base) +1(Bull's Str) +1(Prayer)= 1d6+7 (on Critt: 2d6+14)

2 Rakes

-Rake Attack Bonus: +22 (Base) +2(Bull's Str) +1(Prayer) +2(Charge)= +27

-Rake Damage: 1d8+5 (Base) +1(Bull's Str) +1(Prayer)= 1d8+7 (on Critt: 2d8+14)

Total Damage Potential = 7d8+5d6+206 (all Critt: 19d8+10d6+562)

Munchkin-Size Me

With or without Level adjustment reducing from UA, I would recommend taking the race Goliath (LA+1). It gives you +4 str, -2Dex, +2Con and because of Powerfull Build, you can use large weapons as a medium character. If you don't have enough Wisdom and Charisma, go for Lesser Aasimar (LA+0) giving +2 Wisdom and +2 Charisma.

Drop your shield and use the Lance Two-Handed, resulting in twice the Power Attack Bonus.

Substitute one level of prestige paladin with Barbarian Lion Totem (CC) gives you pounce!

Being a Catfolk (RotW) and having Catfolk Pounce Feat allows you to make a full attack on the end of your charge if the enemy is flatfooted.

Two lances deal more than one lance. A lance is a One-Handed weapon when on a mount, so getting Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Pounce (PH2) and Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting (CA) allows you to do almost twice the damage.

Munchkin size your mount by adding the Warbeast Template from Monster Manual 2.

Gain the Remove Curse as Alternative Class Feature instead of Remove Disease for Paladin (CM

Leap Attack Feat (CA) gives more damage from Power Attack. Shock Trooper Feat (CW), you can trade the penalty you take on your attackroll for making a powerattack to your AC instead.

Side Notes

Don't forget armor for your mount (light is the max when you want it to fly), Both of you having a decent to good AC. Your unmounted damage is still decent and you are still a valuable asset without your mount.

DM Counters

The DM might restrict a number of classes you may take. A griffon is not a standard mount so getting one could be hard if the DM say you have to find one in the game (or not even allowed to get one). Because of the size of the mount (early large, later huge), the DM might make combat space really small preventing you from mounting or changing direction.

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