Errata Suggestion for the Core Rulebook's Mature Animal Companion blurb

[menacing-cucumber]

I know this is already a common homebrew and has probably been mentioned before, but since it hasn't been errata'd yet, I'd like to suggest this:

In the blurb for Mature Animal Companions, it says this:

| If your companion is Medium or smaller, it grows by one size.

It should be changed to say this

| If your companion is Medium or smaller, it can grow by one size.

This is just a nice QOL improvement for small player characters who would like to keep their medium mount.

[Anne Archer]

This harkens back to 1e. If you choose not to grow your animal companion, it stays the same size... but then the benefits of reaching 4th/7th level are different and, IIRC, weaker.

I'd certainly look at such an option for 2e seriously.

[Nelzy]

Feels like the Bonuses for Mature Animal companion is because of its growth in size.

so its weird to me if it would stay a smal cub and still be as strong as a fully grown animal.

i understand the game-play reasons some want them to stay smal/medium
but that's kinda like "Have your cake and eat it too" thing.

[Squiggit]

Nelzy wrote:

but that's kinda like "Have your cake and eat it too" thing.

I mean it's a feat you're expected ahead of time to take for mathematical reasons, I'm not sure there's a problem in "have your cake and eat it too"

[Nelzy]

Squiggit wrote:

Nelzy wrote:

but that's kinda like "Have your cake and eat it too" thing.

I mean it's a feat you're expected ahead of time to take for mathematical reasons, I'm not sure there's a problem in "have your cake and eat it too"

I Would count increased size as a possible downside, so yes it is kinda like that if you want to ignore the possible downside of something but still gain all the benefits.

[SuperBidi]

Rulewise, you can always retrain your AC for a small one that would then grow to medium size. So, I don't think it's that much of an issue to not apply the size increase.

I still doubt it's a common homebrew as it's the first time I heard about it.

[breithauptclan]

SuperBidi wrote:

Rulewise, you can always retrain your AC for a small one that would then grow to medium size.

You could have your medium size Young Horse companion mature into a medium size Mature Pony companion.

Except that there isn't a Pony animal companion. Only the Horse that starts at size medium or large.

[Perpdepog]

All ponies will eventually become horses.

[breithauptclan]

Perpdepog wrote:

All ponies will eventually become horses.

Are you talking game rules or actual animals?

Because that sounds like you are confusing a pony with a foal.

[Lucerious]

Perpdepog wrote:

All ponies will eventually become horses.

No. Ponies are not small horses, they are ponies. Foal grow up to be horses. Some may use the term “pony” colloquially to refer to a foal, but the use is incorrect.

[Squiggit]

Nelzy wrote:

Squiggit wrote:

Nelzy wrote:

but that's kinda like "Have your cake and eat it too" thing.

I mean it's a feat you're expected ahead of time to take for mathematical reasons, I'm not sure there's a problem in "have your cake and eat it too"

I Would count increased size as a possible downside, so yes it is kinda like that if you want to ignore the possible downside of something but still gain all the benefits.

Why do you think there needs to be a weird, situational downside to using an animal companion past level 6?

[Lucerious]

I find it odd how often the answer in Pathfinder 1 & 2 eds for a creature becoming tougher is to increase its size. It is seen repeatedly in the monster stats as well as animal companions and battle forms. Heck, the entire campaign of Rise of the Runelords is basically a bigger enemy each chapter starting with goblins and ending with rune giants (rune giants being giants to giants as to make them more powerful than the other giants).

Increase in size makes sense sometimes to increased threat, but I do think it gets way overused with Pathfinder.

[Tarpeius]

Construct companions let you maintain full control over the size, so maybe that's the new standard. If so, hopefully they'll backport it.

[Baarogue]

breithauptclan wrote:

SuperBidi wrote:

Rulewise, you can always retrain your AC for a small one that would then grow to medium size.

You could have your medium size Young Horse companion mature into a medium size Mature Pony companion.

Except that there isn't a Pony animal companion. Only the Horse that starts at size medium or large.

Horse Companion

"Your companion is a horse, pony, or similar equine."
but yes, it begins at size M or L

[Perpdepog]

breithauptclan wrote:

Perpdepog wrote:

All ponies will eventually become horses.

Are you talking game rules or actual animals?

Because that sounds like you are confusing a pony with a foal.

I would assume that was obvious; this is the rules forum, so I'm referring to the rules. The pony is a medium-sized creature, horses are large. Mature animal companion rules state your animal companion increases by one size, from medium to large in the case of an equine.

Therefore, ponies become horses.

[Gortle]

Nelzy wrote:

Feels like the Bonuses for Mature Animal companion is because of its growth in size.

so its weird to me if it would stay a smal cub and still be as strong as a fully grown animal.

i understand the game-play reasons some want them to stay smal/medium
but that's kinda like "Have your cake and eat it too" thing.

Like humans get 20 levels and 8 pips of Strength and stay the same size.

The size increase for animals is a common trope, but its not the only one. I always allow my players to choose the size of their animal companion. Its not a balance concern in this sytem, and it enables them to keep the same animal throughout their career if they want to.

[pauljathome]

Gortle wrote:

The size increase for animals is a common trope, but its not the only one. I always allow my players to choose the size of their animal companion. Its not a balance concern in this sytem, and it enables them to keep the same animal throughout their career if they want to.

While I agree that it is no big deal and I'd probably allow it too (it hasn't come up yet at tables I've run) it is wrong to say that it is not at all a balance issue.

While there definitely ARE times that one prefers the large animal as it takes up more space on balance (:-)) a medium or small Animal Companion is going to be better than a large one just because it fits better into most dungeons(*) and most campaigns include a lot of dungeons.

* dungeon - Pretty much any mapped area with lots of encounters