Advancing Beast (3.5e Spell)

History
Druids always want a strong companion for which they can continue to travel with however... As the druid and her enemies become stronger, the animal companions which the druid has spent months or years with often need to be left behind for stronger creatures. To keep their well-trained companions, the druids created a spell/ritual which they could use to strengthen their smaller/weaker companions. Turning their old companions into larger, more powerful counterparts such as turning a tiger into a dire tiger and eventually a legendary tiger.

=Advancing=

Druids are known far and wide as the keepers of beasts and natures power. To achieve this they sometimes empower beasts beyond their natural kin to protect the forests and all which reside within.

Selecting an space the druids instruct the creature which is to be advanced to stay in the area until the ritual is over. The druid then encircles the area with vines, shrubbery and other plants which act as the "magic circle". Preparing a ritual which is even more mysterious than the druids language.

What does it do
This causes a willing monster to advance (as listed on almost all of their stats), If advancement reaches it's maximum then it becomes an greater evolution or adds templates most common are celestial, fiendish, dire and legendary. (for DM's I advise applying a limit on the number of templates allowed, but allow the player's to get creative for finding templates they want (that fit) Evolving into a new creature (from cat to tiger) causes the creature to lose all previous templates. this "should" work with all d20 pokemon.

The Druids, Sorcerers and wizards commonly use this on their Animal Companions and familiars, their CR cannot match or exceed the masters level. Creatures without magical bonds and are only taught captivity, need to have its handle animal checks succeeded during the ritual or it will no longer be captive.
 * such as a dragon growing up in captivity.

This ritual only has effect if the monster advances as a monster, not character classes.
 * Constructs cannot be advanced with this ritual, unless they are considered "living".
 * Undead cannot be advanced with this ritual, unless they are considered "living".

This ritual can be used to apply templates by Challenge rating or Savage species levels.
 * Either the druid(s) or the subject pays the exp cost.

Example1: Sarah is a level 5 wizard with a Housecat familiar, having heard of the amazing abilities of druids causing creatures to "advance" decides to see what will become of her familiar. With 2500gold her familiar gains the dire template becoming a Dire Housecat with a full HD and CR:2 Satisfied with the results, she leaves the familiar with the druids for a few days. Her familiar can become a much larger feline namely a Cheetah, Leopard, Lion or Tiger (maybe even a griffon which is a cross between Lion and Eagle), however becoming a new creature causes the familiar to lose all previous templates. The creature can have the template re-applied to become an Dire Lion or Dire Tiger however not at this time, because both dire creatures have a CR greater than Sarah's level.

Example2: Fred is a level 15 sorcerer with Improved familiar (Hippogriff) however having had three familiars die already. He decides to hire 10 druids to advance his familiar. The familiar's challenge rating cannot match or exceed his level, so we're going to buff his hippogriff up to 33HD and CR:14 Starting with 3HD and CR:2. we'll first advance it to huge size and 9 HD for a CR:4, basic for the SRD. now, two options arise here This Dire Hippogriff has 17HD, CR:8 (6,000XP cost) and a few more bonuses (including a second size upgrade to gargantuan). To give this hippogriff the CR:14 Fred wants, we're going to give it the Legendary Template adding 16HD and CR:6 (15,000XP). The Legendary Hippogriff has 33HD, CR:14, increases to AC and many stat-boosts make this a familiar that will not be easily slain. But, How much did it cost Fred to accomplish this task?
 * 1) The hippogriff is known to become celestial (Celestial Hippogriff) and for any good aligned master it would be perfect.
 * 2) Fred is neutral, so giving him a celestial or fiendish creature wouldn't fit. meaning we'll give him the Dire template. making it a Dire Hippogriff.
 * Unfortunately for Fred these creatures still don't have much damage and because it's double size increase makes it stand out so much it is attacked even more (and the cost of feeding...).
 * The benefits being, now it can survive most fights and fly with the entire party mounted.
 * 13 year ritual divided by 10 druids equals a 1.3 year ritual, with each druid taking part in the two added templates (21,000 XP total).
 * using the standard 1XP to 5gp ratio the druids charge to advance the hipprogriff "at cost" would be 105,000gp, then the 10 druid's charge for performing this one ritual more than a year!
 * Total cost for Fred to have this Dire+Legendary Hippogriff familiar? 105,000+(15,000 x10)= 255,000gp and over a year without his familiar!


 * This cost assumes that there are not additional complications during the ritual such as earthquakes, tarassque attacks, shortages on food/water, fights, plagues and other adventurers not limited to DM intervention.