(3.5) Animal Companion questions

[Goonthegoof]

I'm going to be having a Dire Polar Bear animal companion and a lot of money to spend on him. Does anyone know what types of items I'm legally allowed to equip him with, or have any suggestions for said items? (He has 9 int if that has anything to do with it)

[Greenish]

Barding. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#bardingMediumCreatureandLarge Creature) Animal item slots. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031125a)

Int 9 is no longer animal, and thus not legal animal companion, I think.

[Goonthegoof]

Thanks for the info. I have Devoted Tracker, the animal counts as both my mount and my companion, so the int 9 part is legal.

[Greenish]

Thanks for the info. I have Devoted Tracker, the animal counts as both my mount and my companion, so the int 9 part is legal.Ah, of course.

[Goonthegoof]

And silly me, I just reread it and it says:
'If you have both the Special Mount and the Animal Companion class features, you can designate your special mount as your animal companion'
Does this mean the combined creature has to be the mount?

[pres_man]

And silly me, I just reread it and it says:
'If you have both the Special Mount and the Animal Companion class features, you can designate your special mount as your animal companion'
Does this mean the combined creature has to be the mount?

Sort of, it would work for a human paladin that chose to have a riding dog as a "mount" (clearly a human can't ride a riding dog). While the main function of the "mount" class feature is to give the character a creature they could ride, it doesn't actually have to be used as that. A guard dog works fine as well, for example.

[Goonthegoof]

No, I mean the feat lets you blend the mount and the companion together, but I'm trying to figure out if that means you have to use the paladin mount as the base creature.

Also: If I have a 14HD young gold dragon mount and increase its HD by 16, what happens? Does it stay a young dragon?

[sofawall]

No, I mean the feat lets you blend the mount and the companion together, but I'm trying to figure out if that means you have to use the paladin mount as the base creature.

Also: If I have a 14HD young gold dragon mount and increase its HD by 16, what happens? Does it stay a young dragon?

First answer, yes. The Animal Companion mods are applied on the Paladin mount.

Second answer, I think yes, but I'm not sure.

[PinkysBrain]

Animals don't grow in size category either from bonus HD, so dragons won't grow in age category. It's just like adding class levels to a dragon, only racial HD progress the racial progression.

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

Animals don't grow in size category either from bonus HD, so dragons won't grow in age category. It's just like adding class levels to a dragon, only racial HD progress the racial progression.Excuse me? (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/snake.htm)

Usually for monsters if they can change categories HD is the catalyst. Dragons also allow age to do this. So it seems you do gain age categories for your dragon mount (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142554). There are no specific rules on this so its interpretation area - but is the only one that's made sense to me.

[Goonthegoof]

So, definitive answer: Does my dragon increase age category with extra HD or will he somehow be a young gold dragon with 30 HD?

[PinkysBrain]

No, they are bonus HD. For what it's worth, from the FAQ :

An animal companion doesn’t get bigger when it adds extra
Hit Dice for the master’s levels.

[PinkysBrain]

So, definitive answer: Does my dragon increase age category with extra HD or will he somehow be a young gold dragon with 60 HD?
Why would that be strange? You can have a Wizard 60 young dragon too (see the Draconomicon) although you would have to level rather quickly.

[Goonthegoof]

Because he would be significantly stronger than say an adult gold dragon, and the way dragon aging works means that would never happen, ever?

[PinkysBrain]

It just doesn't happen very often, there are other ways for Dragons to progress than through age (ie. by taking class levels, or being the mount for an uber mount adventurer) but dragons generally take the safe road ... the life expectancy of adventurers is really bloody poor ya know.