D&D 5E The new sidekick rules are great not just for 1-on-1 games

[Ash Mantle]

As someone who has unfortunately fallen out of gaming for a while now (I used to play quite regularly with a circle of four close friends), which has as much to do with our hectic lifestyles and jobs, and clashing schedules, the new sidekick rules give me quite a bit of hope.

Namely they seem to be able to shore up a party lacking members. Two of these friends from that circle regularly can't make sessions (and that means a half-hearted party), the beauty of the sidekick rules means we can still play the adventure modules as written, just with two extra sidekicks, which has me excited to run games again

 

[Krachek]

You’re right, Sidekick is a DM tool, not a player option.

 

[Ash Mantle]

You’re right, Sidekick is a DM tool, not a player option.

Yeah, that's definitely true. Though I feel, that if a player is up for it, they could also roleplay as the sidekick. This may work better if the PCs play each others' sidekicks.

 

[Krachek]

Yeah, that's definitely true. Though I feel, that if a player is up for it, they could also roleplay as the sidekick. This may work better if the PCs play each others' sidekicks.

Indeed, players may join the Dm. But the decision to introduce it, and the overall responsibility go to the dm.

 

[Inchoroi]

If my players end up finding what I think they're going to find, they'll have a reasonably high-level warrior sidekick for a while.

 

[JeffB]

Essentially (NPI) Companion characters- Used them for PCs and NPCs in 4E for years, as well as in 13A. If a player doesn't want to deal with complexity and just wants to play, they are awesome.