Griffon Scout

Elves of the forested Woodlands and Mountain foothills often uphold the tradition of taming and riding griffons, living on the same windswept crags where griffons nest, thus giving themselves the ability to Command vast tracts of woodland territory. Trained by elf veterans and beast tamers, rangers of the Griffon Scout archetype learn to move swiftly and stealthily both on foot and while mounted, gathering information on their enemies and mounting devastating hit-and-run raids with precision and coordination.

(A reimaging of the Griffon Scout conclave released in Kobold Press's Deep Magic, based upon the Drakewarden conclave that released in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons)

Telepathic Scout

3rd-Level Griffon Scout Feature

You form a mental link with bond your griffon, allowing you to use it as an effective scout.

Mental Link. While within 1 mile of your griffon Companion, you can communicate with it telepathically. It is capable of understanding and conveying basic ideas and concepts, as well as complex battle plans. 

A Scout of Two-Minds. Once per long rest, you can use your action to touch your griffon, transferring your consciousness into it. This allows you to perceive through it's senses. This lasts until the end of your next turn. So long as your griffon is on the same plane as you, you can use your action on subsequent turns to maintain the connection, extending the duration to the end of your next turn. While using this ability, you benefit from the griffon's Keen Mind and 60ft of Darkvison. In addition to this, while perceiving through your griffon's senses, you are blinded and deafened to your own surroundings.

Griffon Companion

3rd-Level Griffon Scout Feature

At 3rd level, as an action, you can magically summon the griffon that is bound to you. It appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within 30 feet of you. 

The griffon is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the accompanying Griffon Companion stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. Whenever you first gain this feature, choose your griffon's creature type from the following: Monstrosity, Beast, or Fey. You can determine the cosmetic characteristics of the griffon, such as its plumage and coloring, your choice has no effect on its game statistics.

In combat, the griffon shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the griffon can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.

The griffon remains until it is reduced to 0 hit points, until you use this feature to summon the griffon again, or until you die. Anything the griffon was wearing or carrying is left behind when the griffon vanishes.

Once you summon the griffon, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to summon it.

A Bond of Feathers and Flesh

At 7th level the magical bond you share with your griffon intensifies, empowering both you and your griffon. While your griffon is summoned, you and the griffon gain the following benefits:

Griffon Mount. The griffon grows to Medium size. Reflecting your special bond, you can use the griffon as a mount if your size is Medium or smaller. While you are riding your griffon, it's flying speed is halved if you are small, and is divided by 4 if you are medium.

Powerful Physique. The griffon's Beak attack can count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities. In addition to this, the griffon gains resistance to non-magical piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.

Loving Bond. When you are about to take non-magical piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage, your griffon may take that damage in your stead.

Monstrous Rage

11th-Level Griffon Scout Feature

When you take the Attack action, you can expend one of your attacks to have your griffon take make a Beak or Claws melee weapon attack. In addition to this, when you command your griffon companion to take the Attack action, it can instead take the following Multiattack action: 

Multiattack. The griffon makes two attacks: one with its beak and one with its claws.

When you are incapacitated, the Griffon will automatically take the Multiattack action any time it would it take the Attack action.

Lifelong Bond

15th-Level Griffin Scout Feature

Your bond to your griffon reaches the pinnacle of its power. While your griffon is summoned, you and the griffon gain the following benefits:

Bond-Fueled Bite. The griffon’s Beak attack deals an extra 1d6 magical piercing damage. When the griffon attacks with it's Beak, you can expend a spellslot to further increase the amount of magical piercing damage by 1d6 per spell level (to a maximum of 5d6).

Large Griffon. The griffon grows to Large size. When you ride your griffon, it is now capable of using it's full flying speed.

Aerial Dodge. When either you or your griffon takes damage while you’re mounted on your griffon, you can use your reaction to have the incoming damage. If you were not already flying, you move up to 10 feet up into the air, provided there is room to do so. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.