Animal Companions and Traits

[Wade_H]

Hello everyone, I have seen this subject discussed, but was unable to find a place that hard rules it for Pathfinder Society play.
Some would argue of course, but what throws me off is the wording in the Advanced Players Guide for Additional Traits, where it refers to "you" and "character", does this wording apply to the animal companion as well?

1) Can Animal Companions/Mounts take the Additional Traits Feat? (assuming an animal has 3+ Int: Paladin mount, increase attribute to Int, etc.)

2) If they can, are there any limitations to which ones they can take?

Example we are currently discussing:

Bodyguard Animal Companion/Mount takes additional traits feat, then takes the Adopted, then the Halfling "Helpful" trait.

The end result potentially is a "helpful" bodyguard animal companion/mount, that can bodyguard for +4 AC?

Is this legal or not legal? If it is, can someone site the sources for me?

Thanks in Advance!

[Nefreet]

Only Player Characters (PCs) are allowed to take traits. Non-Player Characters (NPCs, such as your Animal Companion) are not allowed to take traits, unless they take the Additional Traits feat. It's all written in the first few paragraphs on page 326 of the Advanced Player's Guide regarding traits.

Since this is not a Pathfinder Society specific rules question, you would be better off asking future questions in the Rules Questions forum. You're more likely to receive a prompt reply. Just state that you're seeking an answer for a character in Pathfinder Society and that you're not looking for homebrew answers.

[Nefreet]

Hilarious revelation: A Beast-Bonded Witch could give her monkey familiar the Additional Traits feat to learn Dangerously Curious. The idea of a "dangerously curious" monkey trying to zap a wand of magic missile makes me chuckle.

[BigNorseWolf]

I think it is a PFS question, since he's asking about something that is raw allowed but might run into the DM not liking it: raw it hands down works. Only PCs get traits for free but i don't see anything that prevents a critter from taking the additional traits feat.