Animal Companion Sizes

[Zotpox]

So i'm looking at the Table of Animal Choices Animal Companions. and I noticed that the size categories are off on a few entry's.

Is this intentional?

Are you befriending a pygmy Orca or is it a baby and your raising it?

I mean a Hippopotamus is listed as a Medium creature and a Horse is listed as a Large creature.

Any help with whats going on here would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Firebug]

You mean, compared to the bestiary entry for the same named monster?

Balance.

Think of it as how easy it is to gain access to a trainable version of the animal. Large, exotic animals are a bit harder to come by, but every town has a horse.

[Heather 540]

And don't forget that some animal companions grow bigger at level 4 or level 7.

[TheGreatWot]

I generally see it as, you adopted this animal as a baby/juvenile and are raising it as you grow in power alongside each other. Not because it fits the rules, just because I think it's adorable.

[LordKailas]

TheGreatWot wrote:

I generally see it as, you adopted this animal as a baby/juvenile and are raising it as you grow in power alongside each other. Not because it fits the rules, just because I think it's adorable.

That's the in game explaination for my character's warcat. It's still a cub which is why it's only medium size. Seeing how adult warcats are huge.

But yes the actual reason is so you can have a pet T-Rex while still maintaining some level of balance.

Also, smaller animals are easier to work with for most campaigns. My hunter currently has a large riding constrictor and it's making me seriously question if I should still pursue the mammoth rider prestige class at 10th level.

[Zotpox]

Ok

So....

Animal companions are closer to a "nature" provided eidolon based off of your characters connection with "nature" and the bestiary entry for the same named animal, which was kinda sorta maybe used as the basis for the said animal companion.

They have their own set of advancement rules and grow bigger at level 4 or level 7.

[Java Man]

Spot on. With the small correction that a few, like horses, don't grow. And for any that do grow you have the option to decline the size increase and take some stat bonuses that I do not exactly recall.

[LordKailas]

Java Man wrote:

Spot on. With the small correction that a few, like horses, don't grow. And for any that do grow you have the option to decline the size increase and take some stat bonuses that I do not exactly recall.

It's not just animal companions that grow. It's for all of them and you trade in the entire advancement.

animal companions wrote:

Instead of taking the listed benefit at 4th or 7th level, you can instead choose to increase the companion’s Dexterity and Constitution by 2.