Companion

• : Edit for new non-ranked regime.
• : Add inspiration earning abilities.
• : Plot ideas:
  • Companion goes away
    • WHY?
      • Independence
      • Betrayal
      • Obligation
      • Held hostage > heist
      • Killed > Leads to revenge arc
      • Sacrifices itself
    • THEN WHAT?
      • Save a piece of them
      • Mourn
      • Revenge
      • Rescue
      • Depression

Companion, Rank 1
You have a companion that is well-trained and loyal to you.

If the companion is not sapient, it has advantage on checks that pertain to keeping itself alive within an environment that it is familiar with, and advantage in one of the following skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception, Intimidation, Performance. It is trained to obey the following simple commands delivered via voice, whistle, or hand-signal from its master: 'Guard', 'Stay', 'Come', 'Get Help', 'Hunt', 'Sneak', 'Scout' etc. Even if the creature is not sapient, there is enough of a rapport between it and its master to convey at least simple information - 'danger nearby', 'suspicion', 'trust', 'I understand', etc.

If the companion is sapient, it has apprentice-level proficiency in two professions or skills, or professional-level training in one. It knows at least its own native language and whatever language you speak.

The companion is not very effective in combat; it can only attack once per turn and deals one light injury when its attack hits. It can sustain one moderate injury before being knocked out. If both the master and the companion are within arm's reach of each other and are aware of an incoming attack, then when either one would sustain damage, the other may take the damage instead.

If the companion dies, you may retain the ranks in Companion while attempting to gain a new companion. Once you have gained a new companion, they begin as if at rank 1, but grow to match what you have spent in the Companion feature at the rate of 1 rank every season (three months). If you decide to not gain a replacement companion, then you lose ranks in companion, though you may gain one or more Story Arcs to compensate.

Each time you gain ranks in Companion, you may also gain your choice of one of the following perks:

Combat training
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
The companion becomes a competent combatant, gaining one rank in 'Combat' as if a Player Character.

Dire
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
The companion grows by 1 size category (small to medium, or medium to large, etc.) Its attacks deal increased damage, and it gains advantage on intimidation checks.

Extraordinary
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
The creature has a supernatural origin. It gains resistance to one damage type, and a monstrous ability. This perk may be taken multiple times. Example Monstrous Abilities:

• Aura of Fear: Creatures you choose within 10 meters (30 feet) of the companion have disadvantage in resisting intimidation checks.
• Blink: The companion can use an action to teleport itself to a point within its line of sight that is no more than 5 meters away from it. If the companion teleports to a location that is close enough for it to attack a target, it may attack the target once as part of the Blink action.
• Darkvision: The companion can see in any lighting conditions as if properly lit.
• Dragonbreath: The companion gains a special attack named 'Dragonbreath'. Once per combat scene, it may emit a 5 meter cone of flame, ice, lightning, poison, or thunder. This attack deals 1 moderate injury to all creatures in the cone.¹⁾
• Dragonscales: The companion's skin is as hard and durable as iron. It gains resistance to injuries caused by bludgeoning, slashing, piercing, crushing, and heat. Additionally, it cannot be injured by creatures whose rank in combat is less than Rank 2.
• Invisibility: If the companion has not attacked a target in the past minute, it can choose to become invisible. Its invisibility ends immediately if it attempts any violent action.
• Regeneration: The companion can regenerate limbs. The companion can heal injuries such as cuts and bruises heal rapidly, as long as they are kept clean and uninfected. Injuries of these kinds heal at the following rates: Mortal to severe = 3 days, severe to light = 3 hours, light to none = 3 minutes. The companion can heal only one injury at a time using this ability.
• Spider-crawling: The companion can scale walls and crawl across ceilings as a spider.
• Swallow Whole: The companion grows a pelicanesque throat-pouch. If a creature is a smaller size category than the companion and is suffering from the grappled condition, the companion can use an action to swallow the creature whole, storing it in its throat-pouch. The creature is restrained until the companion releases the creature.
• True-senses: The companion's senses are not fooled by illusions.

Giant
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
The companion grows by 1 size category (small to medium, or medium to large, etc.) Its attacks deal double damage against structures (as a siege weapon), and its movement speed increases by 2 meters (5 feet).

Heroic
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
The creature starts down the path of becoming a hero. It gains Rank 1 of any ability, and begins earning inspiration points, which it can also use, as if it were a player character.

Intelligence and Education
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
The creature, if not already sapient, becomes so. It gains apprentice-level proficiency in two skills, or professional-level profiency in one skill. It also gains the ability to speak two languages. If your companion does not speak your native language, it is recommended that your native language be one of your choices.

Magical
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
Your companion is magical in nature. It learns one rank 1 magical ability, and can be summoned to your side or sent away to a safe pocket dimension)²⁾ magically using an action. If the companion is killed, its body is destroyed and its spirit forcibly unsummoned to some faraway location. Performing a day-long ritual involving a pint of the master's own blood (or whatever counts for vital substance), and whatever components to reconstruct a body require, will reconstruct the body and resummon the spirit of the companion.

Symbiote
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1.
Your companion lives inside your body, but can be called to manifest outside your body. While inside your body, it shares your senses and will communicate with you mentally. Additionally, while residing inside your body, your symbiote shares its abilities with you, allowing to use those abilities as of they were your own. Additionally, while the symbiote resides in your body, any perks that you have in 'Companion' also apply to yourself. For example, if you have the Companion perk 'Extraordinary', and with it took the Dragonbreath monstrous ability, you yourself can emit the dragonbreath. Finally, you can use an action to manifest the companion outside your body or, if the companion is within arm's reach³⁾, an action to return it to reside in your body.

Hollow
Prerequisite: Companion rank 1, at least one of the following perks in Companion: 'Dire', Extraordinary', 'Giant', 'Magical'.
: Change the title and wording to make this work as either a mount, or a mecha. Your companion is a hollow shell which you can occupy. While occupying your companion, you gain the following benefits: You are immune to all damage until your companion has at least 1 mortal injury; you can command or pilot your companion; you are always considered within arm's reach of your companion; you can communicate with your companion freely.

Most magic-users have some sort of familiar, ranging from rank-1 to rank-3 in power. These familiars, if not created by the magic-user themselves, are bequeathed upon them (incurring Debt) by a higher authority, either to train them, keep them out of trouble, spy on them, or to mentor them.

Many savage persons or wild folk have an animal companion that aids them in the wilderness, usually rank 1, or rank 2 (Combat Training).

Nobles will often have a valet, page, or squire, rank 1 or rank 2 (Intelligence and Education), to help them navigate the muddy waters of house politics.

Some heroes have a companion that is not animal in nature. The sword of a paladin may be inhabited by a holy spirit, or the tome of a necromancer may be similarly haunted - the 'Magical' and 'Extraordinary' features are meant to allow for this freedom of interpretation.

Some background must be developed for the companion as well. If the companion is a valet or squire, then (s)he must have come from somewhere, and most likely, from a wealthy family in good relations with the player character's own. If the creature is extraordinary, then the player character maybe had to travel to some alien plane and subdue the creature to gain its service. If the creature is magical, perhaps it was experimented on to become so, and enhanced by artificial means. If the creature has the 'Intelligence and Education' feature, then it must have spent an extensive amount of time, at least three months, under some form of tutelage - if there aren't any sages or schools nearby, then the companion may have some adventures of its own during that journey.

On the Magical perk: Alternatively, the day-long ritual might instead merely LOCATE the companion's spirit, requiring a journey to that location and the ritual to be performed again within the vicinity of the companion's spirit to reconstruct the companion's body.

On the Heroic perk: This might be a highly abusable perk. Veto during session zero if you do not wish your players to take this perk.

Tags: Mundane, companion,

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