Title: Player wants a permanent T-Rex pet at level 7 — how would you handle this?
Hey all, looking for some advice from other DMs.
I’ve got a player running a Ranger/Rogue multiclass with expertise in Animal Handling, plus Speak with Animals + Animal Friendship. The party is currently on an island with a strong Jurassic Park vibe — lots of dinosaurs, dangerous ecosystem, that kind of thing.
Through a mix of polymorph shenanigans, roleplay, and some genuinely good rolls + planning, the party managed to befriend a T-Rex. Not just any T-Rex either — she’s basically the “queen” of the island. She’s intelligent (for a beast), grateful for their help, and kind of sees the party as her subjects.
Here’s the issue:
One of my players is now pushing hard for this to become a permanent, tameable companion. He’s really into the fantasy of riding a T-Rex into battle.
I didn’t shut it down immediately. I let them have a big moment where they rode her into a goblin stronghold, which was awesome. But now we’re getting into the long-term implications:
- It’s a CR 10 creature and they just hit level 7
- It completely warps encounter balance
- It creates huge logistical issues (travel, cities, NPC reactions, stealth, etc.)
- Every situation is starting to turn into “why don’t we just use the T-Rex?”
I’ve started introducing natural consequences (people fleeing, guards stopping them, travel complications), but the player is still very invested and clearly wants this to stick around long-term.
So now I’m at a crossroads:
- Do I just draw a hard line and say “no, this can’t be a permanent pet”?
- Do I let it exist but limit its availability somehow?
- Have the T-Rex leave (territorial queen, island-bound, etc.)?
- Worst case… kill it off? (feels bad, honestly)
I don’t want to punish creativity or cool roleplay, they earned that moment. But I also don’t want one player’s pet to overshadow the rest of the party or break the game.
How would you handle this in a way that feels fair but still respects the player’s investment?
Appreciate any ideas.