If you are GMing a scenario that includes a terrain challenge that seems unreasonable for an animal companions to travel through (example below), and the PCs are unable to present a strategy for getting past it, should the PC be forced to leave their companion behind?
Or is there an assumption that an Animal Companion is such an important class feature that this should be hand-waved so the PC isn't "nerfed" by the absence of their companion through much of the scenario?
This scenario involves descending down vines into a shaft of broken earth to reach the interior of a Gloomspire, where the bulk of the adventure takes place. Most 4-legged creatures (boar, wolf, etc.) lack adequate Climb skills for this challenge. If the PC is unable to provide some alternate method of getting the companion down the shaft, must the companion be left behind up top?
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I think the example given is easily passable, but the larger question is valid. The answer is players should anticipate that their Companion might not be able to come along on every mission. This is less of a problem in PFS2 where Companions are less likely to be a mechanical focus of the PC's build, but it was certainly a problem in PFS1, where sometimes all available resources were dedicated to them and the PC was just along for the ride.
This is no different than a fire-based Sorcerer playing in an underwater scenario. Sometimes a major part of your build is just temporarily nerfed.
Players can usually mitigate this sort of "debuff" through preparation. Just as a Fire Sorcerer could bring along scrolls of ice spells, a Companion's owner could invest in a scroll of shrink (for PFS2) or any of the several methods that were available in PFS1.
Otherwise you can brush up on your "eggs in a basket" metaphors, and next time you see the player hopefully they'll be better prepared.
Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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And that's just one obstacle in getting the animal companion down. It can get a lot worse, with 5ft hallways and a ride-by-attack built on a large sized horse (or as we had it, a huge T-Rex and small corridors).
A PC should be prepared for situations that challenge their normal way of operating. It's really no different from a situation where a greataxe wielding barbarian realises that they should have bought potions of flight when their enemy is a flying devil with a longbow.
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And that's just one obstacle in getting the animal companion down. It can get a lot worse, with 5ft hallways and a ride-by-attack built on a large sized horse (or as we had it, a huge T-Rex and small corridors).
A PC should be prepared for situations that challenge their normal way of operating. It's really no different from a situation where a greataxe wielding barbarian realises that they should have bought potions of flight when their enemy is a flying devil with a longbow.
5ft corridoors is one reason that small cavaliers are SO attractive. And feats like undersized mount and narrow frame are also useful (albeit from splat books)
But it is absolutely the case that preparing for such situations is part of building a good mounted character. And one should always have a decent backup plan for when, despite all your efforts, the mount is just not available for awhile
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And that's just one obstacle in getting the animal companion down. It can get a lot worse, with 5ft hallways and a ride-by-attack built on a large sized horse (or as we had it, a huge T-Rex and small corridors).
A PC should be prepared for situations that challenge their normal way of operating. It's really no different from a situation where a greataxe wielding barbarian realises that they should have bought potions of flight when their enemy is a flying devil with a longbow.
GMing PFS1, I grappled a 9th level warpriest* at which point it was discovered that in 9 levels of play he had not bought a single 1 handed weapon, not even a backup dagger. Fortunately the other players killed the creature before he died.
*It was especially funny because it was a 10 foot slime in a 10 foot hallway and he was trying to acrobatics through it's space to get to the other side to attack it, because all the squares on this side of it were full. This also meant that the only legal place for the grab to put him was on the other side of the slime. Meaning he got exactly what he asked for, but exactly what he didn't want...
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Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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Strictly mechanically speaking, I think a lot of companions, even the surprising four-legged ones, might be better at climbing than a lot of PCs. Just because it's a class skill into which you can sink a point and it's strength-based.
It's a RAW vs RAI argument, I think. I agree that if it's a cat, it should be able to climb (and so on) despite climbing saying that it requires two free hands.
Maybe paws count as hands?But on the other hand, horses (etc) aren't so well known for climbing a 90 degree wall, or up a knotted rope...
Obviously, depends a lot on the obstacle too. Sometimes you might be able to reason why your animal can clear it without too much hassle (maybe a skill check or two from you or the animal) while other times the situation isn't as easy or clear, and GM needs to make some calls on the spot. If all else fails, better hope you brought some sort of a trick with you. (potions and scrolls, mainly).