since it is actually an earth elemental, using bestiary stats, what can you equip it with?

it is not a mount, animal companion, or a normal/improved familiar.

i have a stonelord about to be level 5, and i am assuming that you could buy it mithril chain shirt armor/barding/whatever(because it has no armor feats), but what else? or would armor not be allowed either? it is quite weak compared to a paladin mount as it is.

I say just give it a humanoid shape and go with that, but I'd say no boots (and probably no pants). Seems like an earth elemental would want to stay in contact with earth.

Earth elementals fall under the level 5 improved familiar list, so just follow the rules for what such familiars could use and you should be fine (which from what I recall is Animal Companion gear restrictions unless its an imp or quasit)

Earth elementals fall under the level 5 improved familiar list, so just follow the rules for what such familiars could use and you should be fine (which from what I recall is Animal Companion gear restrictions unless its an imp or quasit)

Sadly I would go with this as well.

If you get one as a familiar then this applies.

Can my animal companion or familiar wear or use magic items?

The intent is that animal companions or familiars can not activate magic items that require activation. Something like an amulet of natural armor does not require activation; it's always on (unless it's in an antimagic field or someone dispels it or whatever).

That said, a creature is limited by its anatomy. Something without shoulders can't wear a cloak, and something without fingers can't wear a ring. For the sake of PFS, animal companions can wear barding and neck-slot items. All other slots aren't really appropriate for animals (or even magical beasts). The only exception to this would be an brownie, imp, lyrakien azata, or quasit familiar gained with the Improved Familiar feat. One could reasonably face either of these wielding a wand or wearing a circlet of persuasion in combat, and after investing a feat to gain their service, they are not limited by the same restrictions as normal bonded creatures like animals (whether treated like animals or magical beasts and regardless of Int scores).

the normal AC rules are just armor slot and neck slot. since there is no way to get the elemental armor proficiency slots that means just neck slot and a mithril chain shirt. i find that a bit ridiculous considering how much weaker an earth elemental is to a mount. if it was even smarter than a mount i could say that you get intangible benefits for that, but it isn't, it is 2 points less intelligent than a mount is allowed to be.

elementals are usually depicted as humanoid shaped, and if comparing them to familiars it requires the improved familiar feat to get one, and improved familiars are said to have all item slots if they are roughly humanoid, but they were excluded from the PFS official list, which only contains brownie, imp, lyrakien azata, or quasit (and soon to be faerie dragon).

and regardless a familiar would get his master's skill ranks and base saves, along with other abilities, whereas this archetype just gets the base elemental with the celestial template. i don't think it's that valid to compare the two. i was just looking for some official stance on what you can do with a elemental that does not follow the standard rules for any type of companion creature.

The point being at such time no such official ruling specific to the stonelords companion exists and hence you have to fall back onto the only campaign specific rules regarding such creatures which is the improved familiar rules for elementals (as I can see no reason why the stonelords companion would have different equipment rules than a wizards familiar they are pretty much identical in form and as such would have the same slots available).

If the improved familiar elemental was added to the list of creatures able to use other items then I would have no issues with the stonelords elemental companion doing the same as like I said they are both identical beings, yes they have different rules behind what bonuses they get from their masters but functionally they are both earth elementals and thus should have the same magic item options.