Creating Companions

The following rules can be used to create allies, familiars, Wards (as per the Flaw of that name in The Book of Secrets, p. 66), retainers, spies, followers and other NPCs that might be vital to your character.

Please submit one complete write-up for the above mentioned stats you are buying.

Step One: Character Concept and Point Cost

All NPC backgrounds need this step done.

Determine what type of NPC you can buy based on the level of your Background stat. This is a house ruled chart. The majority of the population are regular human mortals, supernaturals are a rarity. As well, a mortal with a specific job level, or level of influence are a rarity too. This point cost does not affect the number of stat points they receive, except that supernaturals that receive 1 power stat.
1 pt - per mortal ally
2 pt - per Sorcerer/psychic ally (1 path), or mortal holding minor government job (clerk of some sort)
3 pt - per low rank shifter, mage ally (rank/arete 2) or mid-rank government official mortal (town mayor)
4 pt - mortal at c-level job or state government official, OR shifter or mage (rank 3)
5 pt - Mortal with minor Federal government job, OR Shifter or Mage (rank 4+), OR low rank class closed to pcs (Vampire, NPc Shifter races, changeling, etc), or sorcerer/psychic with 2 paths.

Thus,

• if your background stat is at 1, you may only have an everyday joe for an ally.
  
• if your background stat is at 3, you may have 3 "regular joes", OR 1 mortal with minor influence in their area, OR 1 low rank mage or shifter.
  
  

• Archetype (Nature and Demeanor) See Archtyes list
• Concept:
xxxxx* What is their job?
xxxxx* Do they know what you are?
xxxxx* If they are a supernatural, do -you- know what they are?
• Motivation: Why did you get involved with them? (We don't need a full background writeup. A good complete paragraph will do.)
• Type: Per the points spent on them above.
• In the case of Followers, Retainers, Spies: What do give them for their loyalty?

Step Two: Attributes & Abilities

This step need to be completed for Allies, Backup, and Retainers only.

• Attributes: Primary 6, Secondary 4, Tertiary 3 (Physical, Social and Mental)
xxxxx*Each Attribute starts at 1 dot.
• Abilities: Primary 11, Secondary 7, Tertiary 4 (Talents, Skills, and Knowledges)

Step Three: Advantages

• Background Traits: 5 (consors must put at least one dot into Mentor.)
• Special Advantages: Base 0 (limited to certain types of characters; see Special Advantages)
• Willpower: Base 3
• Essence: Willpower x 5 (Familiars only)
• Merits and Flaws: Base 0 (as per below.)
• Charms: Base 0 (familiars only; as per Spirit Charms.)

Freebie Points

The following are HOUSE RULED for NPC Companions.
-- Acolytes, Backup get 3 freebies per dot of background trait.
-- Consors and Allies get 4 freebies per dot of related background trait.
-- Familiars - get 10 freebies per Familiar background trait.
Starting levels in Abilities and Backgrounds may not be higher than four dots.

Freebie Costs
Attribute....5 per dot
Ability......2 per dot
Background...1 per dot
Willpower....2 per dot (*note this is different from PC creation)
Essence......1 per dot (Familiar only)
Charms.......1 pt. per Essence needed / 5 pts. (Familiar Only)

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Familiars

--Animal -- regular native animals, nothing for free.

--Bygone -- dragons, imps, sphinx, wyvern, griffins, etc, gain Quintessence Grazing Charm for free. The sight of them by sleepers may inflict paradox on their mage. (the reason for taking shapeshifter)

--Constructs -- immune to poison and disease and automatically, gain the Soak Lethal Charm at no cost (and can buy the Soak Aggravated Charm at 2 pts). If the construct is obviously well beyond modern technological capabilities, it will garner its mage Paradox if Sleepers sight it (vulgar-with-witnesses).

--Elementals* -- gain Quintessence Grazing for Free.

--Undead -- Zombies, skeletons, etc. Sleeper sighting counts as vulgar-with-witness for Paradox inflicted on their mage. All undead familiars have the Soak Lethal and Resilience Charms for no cost. They can buy the Soak Aggravated Charm at 2 pts, and additional Resilience levels at 3 pts each. They can also reduce their beginning one-dot Charisma rating to zero and add the dot to any other Attribute.

Starting levels in Abilities and Backgrounds may not be higher than four dots.

Additional Notes on Familiars

HOUSE RULE: We find there is a discrepancy between what the background Familiar allows and what some of the 'Special Advantages allow, especially since it specifically points out the Background Familiar. This is most important when stating NPC Familiars for Paradox Nullification. We are bringing back Thaumivore from the Bygone Beastiary. While a familiar can absorb a certain 'dose' of paradox at once, it is nullified at a rate of 1 per week. They don't like doing this, it was formerly called "Feast of Nettles" for a reason. See the writeup on Special Advantages for Paradox Nullifcation.


Familiar 1 = Paradox Nullification 2, Thaumivore 1
Familiar 2 = Paradox Nullification 3, Thaumivore 2
Familiar 3 = Paradox Nullification 4, Thaumivore 3*
Familiar 4 = Paradox Nullification 5, Thaumivore 4*
Familiar 5 = Paradox Nullification 6, Thaumivore 5*

Familiar Background 3+ is currently restricted. To have a familiar of that level you must provide plan for how you are going to provide enough Quintessence for you familiar that fits within the theme of the game.

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Familiar Specific Merits and Flaws

Companions are not required to have a merit and flaw like PCs are.

Merits: Alpha or My Master is my Slave (See: Merits)
Flaws: Alien Impression, Animal, Aura, Beta, Broken, Limbless, Power Source, No Dexterous Limbs, Omega, Ungainly Fingers, Weak Spot,
Thaumivore(bygone), Umbelief (bygone) (See Flaws)

'Companion-Suitable Merits and Flaws'
Aside from Traits that apply specifically to Awakened mages and their abilities (Avatar Companion, Cyclic Magick,
Manifest Avatar, and so forth), a companion-type character can have any Merit or Flaw that suits the character in
question. The Storyteller gets the final say as to what is and is not allowed in your game. Certain Merits and Flaws,
though, are especially appropriate for companion-type characters:

Merits

Name	Cost	Value Type
Alpha	2	Social
My Master is My Slave	2	Social
Other merits in regular chargen with staff approval

Flaws

Name	Cost	Value Type		Name	Cost	Value Type
Alien Impression	1/2/3/4/5	Physical		Animal	2	Social
Aura	3	Supernatural		Beta	1	Social
Broken	5	Mental		Limbless	5	Physical
Power Source	1/2/3/4/5	Physical		No Dexterous Limbs	4	Physical
Omega	4	Social		Ungainly Fingers	2	Physical
Weak Spot	3	Physical		Thaumivore	5	Supernatural
Unbelief	3/5/8	Supernatural

Special Advantages

Charms

Charm	Cost		Charm	Cost
Bad Luck Curse	5		Bargain	2
Create Water	5		Deflect Harm	5
Disorient	1		False Wealth	5
Good Luck Charm	5		Jack In	5
Mirage	5		Mislead	5
Plant Command	5		Rouse the Dead	N/A
Sand Storm	8		Sand Swallow /Sinkhole	5
Smoke Screen / Blinding Fog	2		Spirit Gossip	5
Teleport	10/20		Wish Fulfillment	N/A

'Freebie Points'

Trait	Cost
Attribute	5 per dot
Ability	2 per dot
Background	1 per dot
Willpower	2 per dot
Essence	1 per dot (Familiars Only)
Charms	1 pt. per Essence needed / 5 pts. (Familiars Only)
Merit	Cost as per Merit
Flaw	Bonus as per Flaw
Special Advantage	As per that Trait (Familiars Only)

Experience Chart

You may buy up your NPCs stats with your own XP. Must be submitted via +xpreq.

Traits	Cost
New Ability	3
Ability	current rating x2
Attribute	current rating x4
Background*	current rating x3 / x6
Willpower	current rating x1
Essence	current rating x2 (Familiar NPCs Only)
Charms***	1 pt. per Essence needed / 5 pts. (Familiar NPCs Only)

*If allowed; see “Raising and Buying Backgrounds with Experience Points,” Mage 20, p. 366
** Xp spends for NPC must be justified.
*** Not applicable to Paradox Nullification or Thaumivore for NPC familiars, unless the Mage first buys up their Background Trait Familiar.

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