So through a quirk of storytelling, I ended up in my current campaigns (I’m running three) with four people who wanted to take an animal they’d met in their adventure as an animal companion, and exactly one of them had the ability to take a companion (a champion, I fudged the mount requirement). On the one hand, this was a pretty good sign that I’d done good in my presentation of these animals. On the other, I didn’t want to force people to multiclass into ranger or druid just to enjoy the benefits of this. So I wrote them some feats, and while I was under the hood I started tinkering with companion stuff in general, and now, I share these blessings with y’all.

RULES RE-WRITES

Because of my expansion on the Nimble/Savage dynamic (which in fairness Paizo did first), I’ve adjusted that section to make it a proper category. As follows:

Incredible Animal Companions

Incredible animal companions have reached their final stage of growth, developing into their final stage before specialization. Nimble, savage and indominable companions are considered types of incredible animal companions. Typically a feat which advances a mature animal companion to an incredible animal companion will list what types it can advance to.

ADORABLE ANIMAL COMPANIONS

To advance a mature animal companion to an adorable animal companion, increase its Charisma modifier by 2 and its Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom modifiers by 1. It deals 2 additional damage with its unarmed attacks. Increase its proficiency ranks in Diplomacy and unarmored defense to expert. It also learns the advanced maneuver for its type. Its attacks become magical for the purpose of ignoring resistances. An adorable animal companion can attempt to Aid Another checks to Diplomacy. When it rolls a critical failure on a Diplomacy check to Aid Another, it gets a failure instead.

Special A druid can select adorable animal companion when they take the Incredible Companion feat.

NOBLE ANIMAL COMPANIONS

To advance a mature animal companion to a noble animal companion, increase its Constitution modifier by 1 and its Strength, Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers by 1. It deals 3 additional damage with its unarmed attacks. Increase its proficiency rank in Athletics to expert. It also learns the advanced maneuver for its type. It gains the mount trait, and if it is the same size as you it grows to be one size larger than you. Its attacks become magical for the purpose of ignoring resistances.

Special A ranger, druid or champion can select noble animal companion when they take the Incredible Companion or Imposing Destrier feat.

CLASS FEATS

WARRIOR’S STEED FEAT 1

[Fighter]

You gain the service of a young animal companion as a mount. Ordinarily, your animal companion is one that has the mount special ability, such as a horse. You can select a different animal companion (GM’s discretion), but this ability doesn’t grant it the mount special ability.

MATURE STEED FEAT 6

[Fighter]

Prerequisites Warrior’s Steed

Your mount grows up, becoming a mature animal companion and gaining additional capabilities. During an encounter, even if you don’t use the Command an Animal action, your mount can still use 1 action that round on your turn to Stride toward an enemy.

INCREDIBLE STEED FEAT 10

[Fighter]

Prerequisites Mature Steed

Your mount continues to grow and develop. It becomes an indomitable, nimble, noble, or savage companion (your choice), gaining additional capabilities determined by the type of companion.

WELL TRAINED FEAT 12

[Fighter]

Prerequisites Warrior’s Steed

You’ve taught your mount to emulate your fighting style. Choose one fighter feat of half your level or lower that you’ve learned. Your mount gains the benefit of this feat.

Special You can select this feat multiple times. Each time, you select another qualifying feat.

SPECIALIZED STEED FEAT 16

[Fighter]

Prerequisites Incredible Steed

Your mount has become cunning enough to become specialized. Your mount gains one specialization of your choice.

PARTNER IN CRIME FEAT 1

[Rogue]

You gain the service of an animal, either a familiar or young animal companion. Your partner is trained in Stealth and the skill granted by your racket, and if it is a familiar it uses your Dexterity for its skill checks in place of your Intelligence.

MATURE PARTNER FEAT 6

[Rogue]

Prerequisites Partner in Crime, animal companion

Your partner grows up, becoming a mature animal companion and gaining additional capabilities. During an encounter, if you don’t use the Command an Animal action and deal sneak attack damage to a creature your partner is threatening, it can use a single action to either Strike or to apply its support benefit to the triggering attack. If you use the Command an Animal action after this, it only gains one action.

INCREDIBLE PARTNER FEAT 10

[Rogue]

Prerequisites Mature Partner, animal companion

Your partner continues to grow and develop. If you’re a thief it becomes a nimble companion; if you’re a scoundrel is becomes an adorable companion; and if you’re a thug it becomes a savage or indomitable companion (your choice), gaining additional capabilities determined by the type of companion. It becomes an expert in Stealth and the skill granted by your racket.

SPECIALIZED PARTNER FEAT 16

[Rogue]

Prerequisites Incredible Partner, animal companion

Your partner has become cunning enough to become specialized. If you are a ruffian it gains the bully or wrecker specialization; if you are a scoundrel your partner gains the trickster specialization (see below); and if you are a thief your partner gains the ambusher specialization.

DIVINE COMPANION FEAT 1

[Cleric]

Your deity blesses an animal to serve as your companion. You gain the service of a young animal companion.

MATURE COMPANION FEAT 6

[Cleric]

Prerequisites Divine Companion

Your animal companion grows up, becoming a mature animal companion and gaining additional capabilities. During an encounter, even if you don’t use the Command an Animal action your companion can still use 1 action that round on your turn to Stride or Strike.

HEAL MOUNT FEAT 8

[Cleric]

Prerequisites Divine Companion, healing font

Your divine bond with your animal companion manifests as a surge of positive energy. When you cast heal as a single action on your animal companion, you can treat each die as though you’d rolled the maximum amount.

INCREDIBLE COMPANION FEAT 10

[Cleric]

Prerequisites Mature Companion

Your animal companion continues to grow and develop. It advances to an incredible companion depending on your deity (determined by the GM, although you may be offered multiple choices), gaining additional capabilities determined by the type of companion.

SPECIALIZED COMPANION FEAT 16

[Cleric]

Prerequisites Incredibly Companion

Your animal companion is blessed with greater power and ability, and is now cunning enough to become specialized. Your animal companion gains one specialization of your choice.

SPECIALIZED ANIMAL COMPANIONS

You can select the following specialization for animal companions.

TRICKSTER

Your companion uses its appearance and cunning to apply deceptive tactics. Its proficiency rank in Bluff increases to expert (or to master, if it was already an expert), its Dexterity modifier increases by 1, and its Charisma modifier increases by 3.