Templated Animal Companion?

[Sir_Chivalry]

Would it be fair for the DM (me) to allow a character with an animal companion to apply a template (namely Winged) to her companion, and if so, would I use the LA or CR adjustment to determine the penalty to abilities?

P.S. The player wants a winged tiger.

[Thurbane]

Maybe allow it, but treat it as an alt companion from the next higher group? That would put it in the same group as a Polar Bear or Dire Lion, though...

Actually, just checked the Winged template, and it changes animals to magical beasts. ...come to think of it, the vast majority of templates you can add to animals do this, except Magebred, Warbeast and possibly one other (that escapes me).

[Tyger]

Ironically, my character is also begging the universe to provide a winged tiger friend. But I am prepared to buy it.

At the end of the day, the Winged template changes the type to Magical Beast as noted, so its not a RAW legal animal companion. That's RAW. You're the DM. :)

I would crank it up as Thurbane suggested though I would put it in the 13th level animal companion. Its a free means of 24 hour a day flight, which none of the regular animal companions ever provide.

[Thurbane]

There are a few options to allow Magical Beasts as animal companions, notably the Exalted Companion feat - it allows your AC to have the Celestial Template. Now, this won't help you get a Winged Tiger by RAW, but does set the precedent of "buying" a non-standard AC with a feat.

Also, the Beastheart Adept PrC specializes in having magical beasts as companions. The DM might hand-wave a winged tiger onto the list as an alternate companion.

[Sir_Chivalry]

So a low-level character couldn't hope to have a winged tiger? What if I ruled she couldn't ride it?

[FearlessGnome]

So a low-level character couldn't hope to have a winged tiger? What if I ruled she couldn't ride it?

You're the boss. There are no points awarded for not bending the rules.

Make them pay for it, though. Say they can't fly it (As it'll shake them off or that it interferes with flying or something) or that it costs them a feat.

I'd do both.

[Thurbane]

If you really want the character to have it, you could always handwave it. Or they could take a normal tiger, and you could have some weird, wild-magic effect cause it to sprout wings. Basically, it's your game, and if you don't think it will break the game, then go for it.

To compare, in PHB II (p. 41), it gives an expanded list of ACs. Two flyers appear: Dire Hawk (medium, 7th level) and Dire Vulture (large, 10th level). The Dire Vulture is a CR 3 6HD creature, while a winged tiger is a CR 5 6HD creature.

[edit]Missed the dire bat.[/edit]

[bokodasu]

Assuming you're light enough, you can fly around on a Dire Bat at -3, which is already earlier than a regular tiger. Bump it up to -9 and call it a day.

I'd actually recommend against making it a feat; if you can introduce it through gameplay, that's cool, but if you let your players take magical beasts as ACs as a general rule you can break all sorts of stuff. Maybe figure out a swap, like she has to spend wildshape attempts to magically strengthen the tiger enough for its wings to actually enable its flight or something.

[Urpriest]

Incidentally, depending on what you want, it's perfectly fine to outfit an animal companion with magic items, like, say, grafts. Graft on some feathery wings. I believe it costs something like 13,000gp.

[Jack_Simth]

Its a free means of 24 hour a day flight, which none of the regular animal companions ever provide.

Dire Bat: Core listing, Druid level -3. Large, fly 40 (Good). It has a fairly low Strength score for it's size, and if you look enough, there's a pesky clause about natural, winged flyers requiring a light load, so you need to be pretty light to fly with it initially, but after a while with the Animal Companion's Strength Boosts, it stops being a problem.

[Coidzor]

Assuming you're light enough, you can fly around on a Dire Bat at -3, which is already earlier than a regular tiger. Bump it up to -9 and call it a day.

I'd actually recommend against making it a feat; if you can introduce it through gameplay, that's cool, but if you let your players take magical beasts as ACs as a general rule you can break all sorts of stuff. Maybe figure out a swap, like she has to spend wildshape attempts to magically strengthen the tiger enough for its wings to actually enable its flight or something.

Choose one form of buying off the power increase rather than reading the riot act, would be my advice.

And I'd also recommend against adding in more feats.

[gallagher]

as in all life situations, we can simply apply some form of Munchkin to it.

in munchkin, you can buy wings (i believe they are paper wings, i could be mistaken).

so make her buy wings that let the tiger fly, but not ride it i guess to even it out.

give it bonuses for charging though. because come on, i mean COME ON