Can I put an exotic saddle on my large constrictor snake companion?


Rules Questions


As I understand it snake companions can't wear armor and don't get any magic item slots, but can they wear saddles, saddlebags, or anything else? This is for a PFS character if it makes a difference. Thank you for any input, discussion, or explanation.


As I understand it, while PFS A/C don't get any magic item slots to start with, they can take the Extra Item Slot feat to get some---but only from a limited list dependent on their body type, namely the list in Animal Archive. That list says snakes can wear belts but not saddles. So I have to think even an exotic saddle won't fit (not even if you took the feat).

Someone correct me if I misunderstand the PFS rules, please.


*visual image of a snake wearing like 15 belts and one shoe... maybe a hat*


I'd say no due to anatomic reasons. Why not a lizard? It's like a giant snake with 4 legs

Vidmaster7 wrote:
*visual image of a snake wearing like 15 belts and one shoe... maybe a hat*

And painted crimson 'kiss me' lips hahah


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Fuzzy-Wuzzy wrote:
As I understand it, while PFS A/C don't get any magic item slots to start with...

PFS doesn't let your animal companions wear magical items!?

Man, it's no wonder I can't get any of my friends to join me at the PFS outings. Every time we blink there's a new (often seemingly arbitrary) limitation or restriction.


For the magic item slot discussion, and being PFS, that's probably a hard 'No'. For the purposes of saddles or saddlebags in general, I would say 'Yes.'

It would likely be an exotic saddle (which could then hold saddlebags.) I would picture it like a horse saddle, but instead of one strap around the creature, it has two ratcheting or climbing belt like straps, like a tree stand or what lumberjacks would use to climb a tree. As the creature slithers/moves, where most people would think the saddle would just slide off, one belt holds while the other 'ratchets' forward. Then as the slithering motion alters, the other belt slides forward, roughly keeping the saddle in the same position.

I don't know how realistically this might work. Obviously in real life we've never tried it because... well... we have horses and thankfully we don't find snakes big enough to ride. Even the huge constrictors in our world would likely leave us with our feet on the ground and our knees up to our chests. So... no one's likely devoted the R&D to working out the kinks.


there's a cavalier archetype just for nagajis called 'first mother's fang' that lets your lizard-man ride around on a giant snake. don't ask me how it works...


I've seen snakes slithering around with 6 pack rings on them. So it might work.

(most of these snakes have been ok with the removal)


I don't know about magic item slots for PFS specifically, but there are official rules for what magic item slots an animal companion generally has.


All I can think of is this Lowly the worm from busytown . . .


The equipment just says it goes on a mount. I'd say any creature that is a suitable mounts can have an exotic saddle. A First Mother's Fang's mount is a suitable one, so serpents can fit the bill.

That said, magic slots list "Belt, eyes, headband", while other animals have "belt (saddle)" listed so it looks like they can't wear magic saddles. That makes it seem like they can't wear normal saddle.

And I will add, I have NO idea what's PFS legal. I don't ply it, so I have no clue on their house-rules.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Claxon wrote:
I don't know about magic item slots for PFS specifically, but there are official rules for what magic item slots an animal companion generally has.

Yeah, I'm aware of those mentioned in Animal Archive. I'm more curious to know what restrictions, if any PFS applies to animal companion gear.

escherblacksmith wrote:
All I can think of is this Lowly the worm from BusyTown . . .

OMG. I haven't thought about BusyTown or its characters in nearly 30 years! What a throwback!


Ravingdork wrote:


Man, it's no wonder I can't get any of my friends to join me at the PFS outings. Every time we blink there's a new (often seemingly arbitrary) limitation or restriction.

Animal companions in pfs have the more restrictive of either the neck slot and armor or their write up in the animal archive: which means nothing for snakes. They can take feats to open up the slots the animal archive gives them on a 1 to one basis (Can take extra slot Belt, extra slot eyes , extra slot headband )

Your groups level of ultimate rules lawyering is probably going to be a poor fit for pfs.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
BigNorseWolf wrote:
Animal companions in pfs have the more restrictive of either the neck slot and armor or their write up in the animal archive: which means nothing for snakes. They can take feats to open up the slots the animal archive gives them on a 1 to one basis (Can take extra slot Belt, extra slot eyes , extra slot headband )

Do you know why it's structured that way? Seems like an unnecessary kick in the balls for anyone wanting to play a class that is reliant on their companion creature. The game assumes you're equipping your companion as well as yourself in order to stay on par with level-relevant encounters. This totally f!++s that.

BigNorseWolf wrote:
Your groups level of ultimate rules lawyering is probably going to be a poor fit for pfs.

Ultimate rules lawyering? Where'd you get that from? In any case, seeing as I'm the only one in our group who has even attempted it, you're probably right about it being a poor fit.


graystone wrote:

The equipment just says it goes on a mount. I'd say any creature that is a suitable mounts can have an exotic saddle. A First Mother's Fang's mount is a suitable one, so serpents can fit the bill.

That said, magic slots list "Belt, eyes, headband", while other animals have "belt (saddle)" listed so it looks like they can't wear magic saddles. That makes it seem like they can't wear normal saddle.

And I will add, I have NO idea what's PFS legal. I don't ply it, so I have no clue on their house-rules.

(bolding mine)

Yes, they can wear normal and magic saddles (<-- applies to 'normal' rules, PFS has its own). The rule for 'belt' vs 'belt (saddle)' is to indicate that 'belt (saddle)' is a more restrictive state, not a less restrictive one.

Animal Archive Inside Cover wrote:
Available slots followed by either “(saddle)” or “(horseshoes)” denote that creatures of that body type can only wear magic items in the appropriate slots as long as they are either saddles or horseshoes, respectively (for instance, a hoofed quadruped can wear a saddle of the sky-river, but not a belt of dwarvenkind).


Gauss wrote:
graystone wrote:

The equipment just says it goes on a mount. I'd say any creature that is a suitable mounts can have an exotic saddle. A First Mother's Fang's mount is a suitable one, so serpents can fit the bill.

That said, magic slots list "Belt, eyes, headband", while other animals have "belt (saddle)" listed so it looks like they can't wear magic saddles. That makes it seem like they can't wear normal saddle.

And I will add, I have NO idea what's PFS legal. I don't ply it, so I have no clue on their house-rules.

(bolding mine)

Yes, they can wear normal and magic saddles. The rule for 'belt' vs 'belt (saddle)' is to indicate that 'belt (saddle)' is a more restrictive state, not a less restrictive one.

Animal Archive Inside Cover wrote:
Available slots followed by either “(saddle)” or “(horseshoes)” denote that creatures of that body type can only wear magic items in the appropriate slots as long as they are either saddles or horseshoes, respectively (for instance, a hoofed quadruped can wear a saddle of the sky-river, but not a belt of dwarvenkind).

Ah, I missed that. Cool. Then it looks like a mundane saddle shouldn't be an issue then.


escherblacksmith wrote:

All I can think of is this Lowly the worm from busytown . . .

I was thinking the exact same thing. He had shoe, hat, bow tie, shirt-thing, and pants-thing.

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