I refer to this archetype, specifically.
While it would be thematically appropriate for the campaign, it seems like it would break it in some points. For instance, the chase scene with Trinia Sabor.
It wouldn't be that hard for one of these guys to catch up with her. Just land on the same rooftop she's on, and make a diplomacy roll while shouting, "THERE'S NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, GET ON THE HIPPOGRIFF." Or if you're so inclined, "COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE." Worst case scenario, just beat her CMD and carry her off.
The only issue I can see off hand is that you would look like (and would most likely be a member of) the same Sable Marines that catch her if she evades the PCs. This would lead to a lack of trust. Even if she agrees to come with the PC Sable Marine, the other ones will wonder why he/she's flying out of the city instead of towards the castle, possibly resulting in intense aerial pursuit and combat while the PCs on the ground run around like axebeaks with their heads cut off.
The other issue is that you'd be pretty much useless when you can't use your mount, moreso then the typical Cavalier.
I don't know, what do you guys think?
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I refer to this archetype, specifically.
While it would be thematically appropriate for the campaign, it seems like it would break it in some points. For instance, the chase scene with Trinia Sabor.
It wouldn't be that hard for one of these guys to catch up with her. Just land on the same rooftop she's on, and make a diplomacy roll while shouting, "THERE'S NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, GET ON THE HIPPOGRIFF." Or if you're so inclined, "COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE." Worst case scenario, just beat her CMD and carry her off.
The only issue I can see off hand is that you would look like (and would most likely be a member of) the same Sable Marines that catch her if she evades the PCs. This would lead to a lack of trust. Even if she agrees to come with the PC Sable Marine, the other ones will wonder why he/she's flying out of the city instead of towards the castle, possibly resulting in intense aerial pursuit and combat while the PCs on the ground run around like axebeaks with their heads cut off.
The other issue is that you'd be pretty much useless when you can't use your mount, moreso then the typical Cavalier.
I don't know, what do you guys think?
Fixed the link for you.
Ok, let me pre-face this by saying that Curse of the Crimson Throne was the first game I've ever GM'd and that was, originally, to teach a few new players how to play. To start, I let them roll 4d6 drop the lowest, re-roll 1s. One of the players, a Ranger, ended up with the following scores: Str 18, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 15. Pre-racials.
Anyway, I let the group take the original Sable Company Marine feat that allowed for a Hippogriff companion, and this was back before Bestiary 2 which had Hippogriff stats. During that time period, I found a post recommending using the Young Template on a Griffon.
All-in-all it wasn't really that bad. The hippogriffon allowed the party to face threats earlier than expected, and also gave them some interesting tactics and strategies.
When my player suggested using the hippogriffin to hunt down Trinia, I point out to him that he would draw attention to himself by the other Marines in the air. Remember, this was to teach the player how the game went, and help them develop the mindset to think about issues like this.
As a GM, if I think it's something the character would have thought of (but the player himself wouldn't have), then I'll point it out to them. Something I stress, as a GM, is that the players are trying to play a role of someone that is a seasoned combat veteran. A civilian is likely going to have a hard time thinking about or coming up with ideas that might seem obvious to someone with military training. So if I think of something that would be obvious to such a character, I let the player's know.
They did, however, use the companion to prevent her from escaping entirely, by 'herding' her into the party. Basically, I had the hippogriffin rolling checks to slow her down (kind of like Aid another).
Also, as for the actual archetype, you don't really need to feat about the archetype having problems like a Cavalier would.
For example, all the ranger gives up is his first Favored Terrain, and it alters Hunter's Bond. The Ranger still keeps everything else, including Favored Enemy. Something to consider, as well, is that at 8th level, the Ranger would gain his 'first' favored terrain, but it would automatically be a +4 bonus, instead of +2 (as Ranger's gain a further +2 bonus at 8th level to apply to any terrain).
Quite honestly, the Hippogriff Rider archetype is a power up on the baseline Ranger class. You sacrifice your first favored terrain, and hunter's bond, and in exchange you get a powerful flying mount at level 4.
Besides letting the party Ranger take this archetype forges a background with him as a Sable Company Marine, which further strengthens his ties to the city. Strengthening the parties ties to the city is an important aspect of the first 3 modules, as the party departs at the end of the third and they need to want to come back.
One of my players is using the Sable Company Marine Feat from the Player's Guide.
Then all hell broke loose. In the Purge of the Sable Company following the Commandants assassination attempt, every other senior officer were murdered, leaving Zyriel as the new Commandant and since he had just taken Leadership, he was joined by Jotakar Raeland (an NPC of my own creation), who had been the Commandants confidante and spiritual advisor, and who would help him to rebuild the Company.
The party has since reclaimed an outlying, abandoned base, that used to serve as a Hippogriff breeding ground, and have started converting it into the new Headquarters with some help from the always nefarious Glorio Arkona. For this project I use a modified version of the Kingdom rules from Kingmaker, which the player and me runs on the side as Sendings between the party and the base