How do you keep your animal companions safe when they're too big to bring with you?

[GuestEleven]

I'm about to play in a PF1e/3.X campaign and my character has multiple animal companions, namely a Dire Tortoise that is size HUGE. Obviously I can take my Fleshraker down in a crypt with me, but not the Tortoise. I really don't want my big companions to get killed while waiting at a dungeon entrance which is definitely a possibility in this campaign. Is there any tricks or magic items to help me in this regard?

[Forrestfire]

Your best bet is the shrink collar (A&EG p. 81), which reduces your companion down to Small size without changing its ability scores while worn. 10,000gp.

[Biggus]

Cast Reduce Animal on them and take them with you?

[GuestEleven]

Cast Reduce Animal on them and take them with you?

That is a pretty handy spell, thanks for pointing it out. But it just shrinks him one size so wouldn't large still be a bit big?


Your best bet is the shrink collar (A&EG p. 81), which reduces your companion down to Small size without changing its ability scores while worn. 10,000gp.

That is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thank you.

[ShurikVch]

Petrify and Shrink Item (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0790.html)?

If you can get access to it - Trap the Soul (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trapTheSoul.htm)

[Ramza00]

Carry Companion is a 2nd level Pokeball spell

[Biggus]

That is a pretty handy spell, thanks for pointing it out. But it just shrinks him one size so wouldn't large still be a bit big?


The advantage of Reduce Animal is that it's only a 2nd-level spell for Druids so it's available quite a few levels before you can afford the Shrink Collar; but yes the Collar is definitely better for your purposes if you can.

Edit: the dire tortoise is described as 20-30ft long, so that would be 10-15ft when Reduced. Looking at photos of tortoises they're typically a little over half as wide as they are long, so that'd be about 6-9ft. So a 10ft wide corridor would be ok (although turning round might be difficult) but they definitely wouldn't fit in a 5ft corridor.

[Gorthawar]

The advantage of Reduce Animal is that it's only a 2nd-level spell for Druids so it's available quite a few levels before you can afford the Shrink Collar; but yes the Collar is definitely better for your purposes if you can.

Edit: the dire tortoise is described as 20-30ft long, so that would be 10-15ft when Reduced. Looking at photos of tortoises they're typically a little over half as wide as they are long, so that'd be about 6-9ft. So a 10ft wide corridor would be ok (although turning round might be difficult) but they definitely wouldn't fit in a 5ft corridor.

Actually following the rules on squeezing the reduced size large tortoise would be able to get through a 5ft wide corridor at half speed and take a -4 penalty on attacks and armor class. If you give it the tunnel fighting for feat it can even act normally.

[Maat Mons]

Carry Companion is also great as a better, lower-level version of Shrink Item. You just need to get a friendly animal or magical beast to pick up the item. Unlike Shrink Item, Carry Companion is permanent and can affect magical items.

[Doctor Despair]

Just let them fend for themselves for a minute and summon a new one with a 24-hour ritual if something happens to them

[flappeercraft]

Your best bet is the shrink collar (A&EG p. 81), which reduces your companion down to Small size without changing its ability scores while worn. 10,000gp.

Alternatively there is the Ring of Reduction (LoM 130) which shrinks you by just one size category instead of setting you to small. It does cost 20k, changes ability scores, and can be activated/deactivated with a command word however.

[Darg]

The advantage of Reduce Animal is that it's only a 2nd-level spell for Druids so it's available quite a few levels before you can afford the Shrink Collar; but yes the Collar is definitely better for your purposes if you can.

Edit: the dire tortoise is described as 20-30ft long, so that would be 10-15ft when Reduced. Looking at photos of tortoises they're typically a little over half as wide as they are long, so that'd be about 6-9ft. So a 10ft wide corridor would be ok (although turning round might be difficult) but they definitely wouldn't fit in a 5ft corridor.

Tortoises can stand on their hind legs given a surface to place their front. A 5×10 vertical space gives a little over 11 ft of clearance from corner to corner.

[ShurikVch]

It's some heavy investment, but you can take a level in Arcane Hierophant - for Companion Familiar class feature - and Token Familiar feat, which allow to shift your Familiar into small inanimate form (Figurines of Wondrous Power (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#figurinesofWondrousPower)-style)