I am playing an elf, there will be a time skip. Will the animal companion like a familiar be tied to the master's life force or is the elf going through critters?
I don't think there's a rule for this.
Me, I'd say that familiars are magical creatures linked to their masters so they live as long as the master, but animal companions are just animals. Improved, impressive animals to be sure, but just animals. With animal lifespans.
I totally wouldn't object to any GM who says otherwise.
Just have your elf get a tortoise AC; at least he won't have to replace it often...
Ask your GM. Pretty much the only solid answer you'll be able to get.
On a side note, I'm no druid and I've never had time skips, but in my life I've had Schnopsie, Brandy, Shinobi, Beowulf, and Yukiko. 5 dogs, none at the same time. I'm outliving my animal companions.
It's natural.
Druids kinda dig nature - I don't see why they'd object to naturally outliving their animal companions the way nature intended.
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There's no real rules on the matter.
If your DM says that the animal would age, look up it's age, and figure out if it would be alive. IF your going for hard realism, maybe even switch it out just ebcause whislt it might still be alive, it's to old for fighting. Animals as mighty and powerfuls as many animal companions turn out to be might (as in, I would say this if I was DMing) live a bit longer than the norm for their race, but they are still just animals.
Personally as a GM, I would simply ask the player. If they are interested in keeping the same companion over the years, I'll just say it magically only ages as fast as they do. If they aren't overly attached to it and want to try something new, I'll say it dies of old age. As long as the player isn't trying to be abusive with constantly switching animal companions I wouldn't mind it going either way.
Animal companions are not magical beings, they are still animals and they have not been enhanced through magic (the ability is extraordinary). I'd imagine they would live as long as a very healthy example of their species.
