Carry Companion and Actions

[Dazz]

This came up during a game where we had to go to a fancy dinner, and bringing in an Anaconda was frowned upon. Not wanting to be completely separated from my companion, I used the handy Carry Companion spell.

If combat breaks out and I return my companion to full size, when does he get to act? Does he go immediately, or wait until my next turn? The spell description mentions that it is similar to Flesh to Stone, but I'm not able to find any clarification in that or in Stone to Flesh.

Also for what action it is to return your companion to full size: it says "you may return the creature to its normal form at any time simply by placing the figurine on the ground, touching it, and uttering a word of command"--we went with the general rule that if it doesn't mention a specific action type consider it a standard action, but I would like to know if I was wrong in that assumption.

Forgive me if these have been asked, but a search through the rules forums wasn't able to find anything on it.

[Joe loves Rules]

I don't see any explicit wording for when it acts. But acting immediately would be in line with other spells which add another combatant to the fray.

Also, were there buns at this fancy dinner? I recall a knight of much renown once saying "my anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, Hun."

[RedDogMT]

I think you would be hard-pressed to find a rule for this.

I would treat it as bringing a new combatant into an ongoing fight. Roll Initiative and place them in the order.

If the GM prefers to have summoned creatures, animal companions, etc go on the caster's initiative, then I would let it take it's first action on the caster's initiative next turn.

[Joe loves Rules]

Almost all (maybe all - I didn't look that hard) summoned creatures explicitly act immediately on the casters turn. A GM could house rule they had to roll their own initiative as RedDog suggested, but it would make the spells worse.

[Tomos]

Dazz wrote:

Also for what action it is to return your companion to full size: it says "you may return the creature to its normal form at any time simply by placing the figurine on the ground, touching it, and uttering a word of command"--we went with the general rule that if it doesn't mention a specific action type consider it a standard action, but I would like to know if I was wrong in that assumption.

Using a Command Word is a standard action.

Since this is not a summoning effect (it's transmutation), I think RedDog is right. The snake would be treated as a new combatant and would have to roll Initiative.

If your GM has you and you animal companion act on the same initiative count, I think it would have to wait until your next turn anyway. It just got turned back to flesh; I imagine it would be at least a little disoriented, but that's just my opinion.

@Joe: nicely done. +1

[Joe loves Rules]

Yeah. I'm pretty sure this is a case where there is no RAW. The rules aren't entirely clear about adding combatants in the middle of a fight under even much more mundane circumstances. Having your anaconda act immediately, on his next initiative (rolled when he was made flesh), or on your next turn all seem like reasonable rulings for your GM to make.

Personally, I don't like that having him roll his own initiative could mean that rolling a high initiative results in him acting later than rolling a low initiative. But rules weirdness happens sometimes, and it would still be a reasonable way to play it.