DMG2 Excerpts: Ch. 1 Companion Characters
I don't get this. Why would you do this, rather than just make another PC?
I don't get this. Why would you do this, rather than just make another PC?
DMG2 Excerpt: Companion Characters
- Thread starter Rechan
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Vael
Legend
Who runs the extra PC? A Companion Character is more of a cohort, follower or hireling. I like the versatility of this system ... simple tables to drop away from Monster HP to more PC-type HP, and you can use more than just an NPC, it's versatile enough to add animal companions, or monsters. I quite like this.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
becuse you may not want another full PC, this is way easier...maybe 2 atwills 1 encounter...totaly less book keeping...a side kick not another hero...
GMforPowergamers
Legend
Are companion characters entitled to a share of xp whenever the party overcomes a challenge? The article is surprisingly silent on that issue, and I cannot help thinking of the rules on cohorts from dnd3e's leadership feat...
since the article refrences pages of DMG2 we can only hope that it is addressed there
Lancelot
Adventurer
I've tried something similar to these rules multiple times in a current Dragonlance campaign I'm running.
Why do it, instead of running another PC?
Because you're dealing with basically a monster stat block - an NPC hireling who fits on a 3x5 card. A single at-will power, and a mix of (say) four simple (no sustain or complex effect) encounter and/or daily powers. No feats. No equipment lists. No rituals. Abbreviated skill list.
That's a lot easier to manage than another section of the table covered in power cards, and splitting the magic items 7 ways to make sure someone isn't falling behind the "numbers curve", and so forth.
Personally, I like how its worked for me in the past and I'm really looking forward to these rules. I had players going through DL7 (Dragons of Light), which is absolutely bulging at the seams with NPC companions. At one stage, every player at the table had a hireling to manage (Theo the Gnome, Vanderjack, Silvara, Theros Ironfeld, etc). And yet, it was surprisingly streamlined. They each had just enough flavor to feel unique (Vanderjack's shifty mercenary tactics, Theros's all-or-nothing hammer swings), yet they took very little extra time to play. My players would agonize over their primary PC's actions, then choose something fairly obvious for the NPC... largely because they didn't have the feats (Power Attack or no Power Attack?) or the powers (sustain my Spiritual Weapon?) where complex decision-making is required.
To add some additional incentive for not treating the NPC as simple cannon fodder, the players also know that their quest XP is tied to how many NPCs survive the session. I've seen players risk their PC's lives to save an NPC (or spend ludicrous amounts of effort to see them healed/raised), simply based on their attachment to that 3x5 card, and their "responsibility" for "keeping it safe".
Why do it, instead of running another PC?
Because you're dealing with basically a monster stat block - an NPC hireling who fits on a 3x5 card. A single at-will power, and a mix of (say) four simple (no sustain or complex effect) encounter and/or daily powers. No feats. No equipment lists. No rituals. Abbreviated skill list.
That's a lot easier to manage than another section of the table covered in power cards, and splitting the magic items 7 ways to make sure someone isn't falling behind the "numbers curve", and so forth.
Personally, I like how its worked for me in the past and I'm really looking forward to these rules. I had players going through DL7 (Dragons of Light), which is absolutely bulging at the seams with NPC companions. At one stage, every player at the table had a hireling to manage (Theo the Gnome, Vanderjack, Silvara, Theros Ironfeld, etc). And yet, it was surprisingly streamlined. They each had just enough flavor to feel unique (Vanderjack's shifty mercenary tactics, Theros's all-or-nothing hammer swings), yet they took very little extra time to play. My players would agonize over their primary PC's actions, then choose something fairly obvious for the NPC... largely because they didn't have the feats (Power Attack or no Power Attack?) or the powers (sustain my Spiritual Weapon?) where complex decision-making is required.
To add some additional incentive for not treating the NPC as simple cannon fodder, the players also know that their quest XP is tied to how many NPCs survive the session. I've seen players risk their PC's lives to save an NPC (or spend ludicrous amounts of effort to see them healed/raised), simply based on their attachment to that 3x5 card, and their "responsibility" for "keeping it safe".
Pour
First Post
I would rule they don't steal experience. I don't think they turn the tide of battles, at least not by the description, but help as a good item would. I would use them mainly for the rp factors, anyway, namely personality and companionship.
Frankly, playing in a game where NPCs tag along and drain experience leaves me feeling a little cheated and largely resentful of the NPCs themselves. It's harder to like them when they're slowing your progress, where as this sort of companion character, streamlined and simple to use, feels just right.
Oddly enough, I needed to make a companion monster for the game I run on Tuesdays. This will help.
Frankly, playing in a game where NPCs tag along and drain experience leaves me feeling a little cheated and largely resentful of the NPCs themselves. It's harder to like them when they're slowing your progress, where as this sort of companion character, streamlined and simple to use, feels just right.
Oddly enough, I needed to make a companion monster for the game I run on Tuesdays. This will help.
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
Interesting.
There are aspects of this I really like. Having the ability to take a monster and turn it into a party helper is a big neat thing for me. Unfortunately, the actual guidelines kind of boil down to: "Here's how to translate it, now don't screw it up! How will you know? Oh, you'll just magically know."
The existence of some list of "companion stats" and "companion abilities" is likewise quite helpful, though they're not previewing them in this preview.
The artwork is good!
I dunno...this preview simultaneously tells me they want to help me run my games better, but also would prefer to give me broad general advice with constant "oh, don't screw this up!" warnings rather than specific rules and guidelines for how not to screw it up.
Intriguing, but I can't extrapolate a lot. I'll have to look at how it looks in the DMGII to gauge whether or not it's useful for me.
There are aspects of this I really like. Having the ability to take a monster and turn it into a party helper is a big neat thing for me. Unfortunately, the actual guidelines kind of boil down to: "Here's how to translate it, now don't screw it up! How will you know? Oh, you'll just magically know."
The existence of some list of "companion stats" and "companion abilities" is likewise quite helpful, though they're not previewing them in this preview.
The artwork is good!
I dunno...this preview simultaneously tells me they want to help me run my games better, but also would prefer to give me broad general advice with constant "oh, don't screw this up!" warnings rather than specific rules and guidelines for how not to screw it up.
Intriguing, but I can't extrapolate a lot. I'll have to look at how it looks in the DMGII to gauge whether or not it's useful for me.
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