I am building a character who is focusing on their animal companion. My plan is to take one of the base animal companions, subject it to polymorph any object (PAO) into its true form or another which will allow its duration to be permanent. Yes I know that if I took the drake I could turn it into a true dragon of any age, but Ive tried to keep my character from being truly overpowered compared to the other players.
For the purpose of this question I have chosen an Allosaurus as my animal companion. I will be turning it into its much bigger "true" variant.
I have not counted the bonus from it being an animal companion, only what is listed on the chart.
- Lv 4 Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
- Lv 7 bonus Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4
- Lv 7 Ability Scores Str 22, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
- Real Ability Scores Str 26, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
So the animal companions ability scores should change to the line that is listed as "real" because PAO turns it into the actual thing. Then if I am level 7 or higher I would add the level 7 bonus(?) as well as whatever the bonus is from the chart for being that level.
So lets say I was level 7, the final stats should be str 36, dex 15, con 19, int 2, wis 15, cha 10, correct? Part of my confusion is that people do not seem to agree on exactly how PAO works or is different from the other polymorph spells. From the spell description it lists a transformation and target which is not possible with any of the others so Im on the side where its not limited to only the choices of the other spells. It would also have any special abilities if that form, so special attacks and what not, even if the animal companion version did not get it.
Best Answer
The stats themselves don't change
...but the effective stats will.
Though in the game-world, the animal becomes its larger self, with all that implies, the mechanical truth is you don't replace the stats with those of the new form, only add modifiers appropriate to it.
The flavor text along each step of the way describes in-fiction reality, but we'll have to go through a bit of a process to find the mechanical "how-to", rather than just flavor text.
The mechanical description of polymorph any object states that:
So, the spell exclusively changes objects and creatures into those of different types, and offers absolutely no mechanical description of what that looks like, until we get to what's almost a footnote in PFSRD:
To be clear this spell provides no unique mechanics for changing and animal into another form, aside from its duration table - the details of transformation are left to those other spells listed. The mechanical effects of this particular transformation would be handled under the rules of greater polymorph, as the only one that could actually do what you describe.
Greater Polymorph further redirects you:
So among other steps in beast shape IV's transformation process, we finally get to the stat effects:
Last thing to take into account, and it's up for interpretation, is just what beast form modifiers are already applied to your creature intrinsically.
The wording of the beast form spell seems to assume the target is a Medium, humanoid race (like any PC), and thus offers non-size-related bonuses for turning from that into a Medium animal:
It makes little sense and would be redundant for a Medium Allosaurus to gain these benefits if it were to simply be changed into the form it already occupies - Medium Allosaurus. Similarly, once it has grown at level 7 to become a Large creature, it makes little sense for it to gain the benefits of being Large, in addition to those of being changed into a Huge animal.
Were I GMing your game, both of these bonuses would be assumed as built into the Allosaurus stat block, and so would be subtracted from the modifers for Huge Animal.
This would leave you, prior to level 7, with the following adjustments to your stat-sheet:
At 7th level, when your companion grows to Large size, apply the modifiers listed on its animal companion entry before applying these:
Entirely subjective:
Note that instead of what I'd call the pure "size-related" strength bonus of +2 when your companion grows, it gains +8 Strength at level 7. The difference of 6 I would count as natural changes, and thus not subtract it from your Huge Animal Strength modifier, which leaves you with the one outlined above.