Animal Companion Monitor Lizard


Rules Questions


In the bestiary monitor lizards are listed as medium sized creatures. I was really excited then because I thought that after the level 7 advancement it would become large I could ride it.

But in the animal companion section I saw that they're listed as small, and only become medium at the level 7 advancement. Why the discrepancy?

Follow up question: is there some feat or something I could take that would make it large/ride-able?

Sczarni

It's not just the Monitor Lizard, (almost) every Animal Companion starts out one size category smaller than its corresponding Bestiary entry.

Call it "starting out with a youngster", if you want, but the idea is that you aren't starting off with a full power animal.


Since there is no size limit to ride creatures, I assume the reason you can't ride it as a medium creature would be encumbrance related?

If so you could try things like muleback cords


To ride a creature it must be at leasts 1 category larger than you.
Or is it only for 3.5?


AFAIK that was true in 3.5, but that text was removed for pathfinder.


In the text for the Cavalier's Beast Rider archetype, we have

Beast Rider wrote:


The animal chosen as a mount must be large enough to carry the beast rider (Medium or Large for a Small character; Large or Huge for a Medium character).

I think that's the only indication I can find.


I had always heard that a creature had to be larger than you to be ridden. Both from the text referenced above and from GM ruling.


Only as a cavalier, other people don't have that restriction.
Your DM might have houserules to that effect though.

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