Re: Hippogriffs? Hippogriffs.

SilentBelle Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:13 pm

Jason Shadow wrote:...Yeah, okay. Fair enough. Between your points and the "saftey tips" in the Races of Equestria expansion (which I hadn't seen when making the previous post), I concede. While this means that that the average hippogriff could give even Rainbow Dash a run for her money if it was feeling suicidal enough, the ability itself still strikes me as fair - mechanically. And by fair, I mean "reasonable except for maybe in the hands of your average weaselly munchkin", but those guys can turn anything into an advantage.

Of course, this puts a little pressure on the DM, because now he has to work out reasonable distances between potentially every single town and landmark in his campaign... and, of course, there's the potential implications regarding sonic rainbooms (after all, regular ol' sonic booms happen at a little over 761 mph [at sea level], and a hippogriff can move at 360,000 mph). But hey, that's the DM's problem. If you want to lessen these issues a bit, you could reduce the speed and damage die proportionally to each other, down to 50 miles per second and 1d10 - still about the same distance, but twice as much time.

However, you've won me over, and I'm perfectly willing to support this ability as-is.

TL;DR: Objection withdrawn. Woo-hoo!

Suicidal indeed. Just imagine, the big bad of your campaign makes his appearance. Then the hippogriff gets the great idea to go kamikaze at close to 500 times the speed of sound Smile

That would actually be pretty hilarious to see, and a fun skill check to roll.

I still hold some apprehension for it. Kind of like giving a level 1 character a not-very-accurate 100 mile teleportation effect, while everyone else is stuck with their level 1 spells. Maybe it's just that it's so completely different from the rest of the races' abilities. Though on the plus side, it sure does have a lot of flavour.

Though mechanically, I think it works. So I'll stop poking at it for now...

AProcrastinatingWriter Fri Aug 17, 2012 3:12 am

So something occurred to me.

I realize Hippogriffs can take stuff normally exclusive to Pegasi, but shouldn't they also be able to take stuff from Griffins? Like, we were discussing it and then we dropped it.

I mean, I do realize that notion is a bit OP, but...it also makes sense and that's why it's a bit tough for me, at least, to write off entirely. Like maybe Hippogriffs are more pony than griffin, but with a utility talent they could be able to take griffin stuff too? Does that sound fair at all?

Appkes Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:07 pm

Using 1 AM math
I calculate 100 miles per second is not just "blisteringly fast", it's about 0.002 C! At that freakish speed the 0-to-max acceleration would firstly be like smashing into a reinforced conctre wall in a supersonic jet fighter. And then, if they survive that, there's the fact they're travelling about ten thousand times faster than the re-entry of the Apollo capsules, which would easily incinerate any organic material, and most nonorganics too.

(C is the speed of light, incidentally)

Magic sure does a lot, eh?

**Stairc -Dan Felder** Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:23 pm

Absolutely. Just try comparing that to the butterflies that catch fluttershy's fall from the sky. MLP, Physics is Magic.

Brony 7 of 9 Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:27 pm

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:Absolutely. Just try comparing that to the butterflies that catch fluttershy's fall from the sky. MLP, Physics is Magic.

They're made of dark matter.

Anyway, Superman goes roughly at that speed when spinning the world backwards in time - but then, he's Superman and he has super-endurance, which Hippogriffs do not. Maybe increase the damage they take going at that speed?

SilentBelle Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:29 pm

Appkes wrote:Using 1 AM math
I calculate 100 miles per second is not just "blisteringly fast", it's about 0.002 C! At that freakish speed the 0-to-max acceleration would firstly be like smashing into a reinforced conctre wall in a supersonic jet fighter. And then, if they survive that, there's the fact they're travelling about ten thousand times faster than the re-entry of the Apollo capsules, which would easily incinerate any organic material, and most nonorganics too.

(C is the speed of light, incidentally)

Magic sure does a lot, eh?

Yeah, I made a similar comment a few posts back. I have to force myself to think of it as the Hippogriff taking on the form of a lightningbolt, otherwise I figure the hippogriff would just self-destruct from using it Razz

I still think it's way to fast, but if it works mechanically I won't fuss too much. And it would be quite the sight to see a Hippogriff purposefully crash, kamikaze style, directly into the BBEG of your campaign at that speed.

**Stairc -Dan Felder** Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:00 pm

Brony 7 of 9 wrote:
Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:Absolutely. Just try comparing that to the butterflies that catch fluttershy's fall from the sky. MLP, Physics is Magic.
They're made of dark matter.

Anyway, Superman goes roughly at that speed when spinning the world backwards in time - but then, he's Superman and he has super-endurance, which Hippogriffs do not. Maybe increase the damage they take going at that speed?

If butterflies can be made of dark matter, I think Hippogriffs get a little leeway when it comes to flying. Wink

**Philadelphus** Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:50 am

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:Absolutely. Just try comparing that to the butterflies that catch fluttershy's fall from the sky. MLP, Physics is Magic.

Or as physicists in the real world say, "Physics is 10% math and 90% magic." In Equestria, it's just 100% magic.

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