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, 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
• Concept: Who were they before encountering mages. What is your job?
• Motivation: Why’d they get involved with them? (We don't need a full background writeup. A good complete paragraph will do.)
• Affiliation: Traditions, Technocracy, Disparates, Marauders*, Nephandi*, or none? (No Marauder or Nephandi NPCs, those are left to staff)
• Type: Are you an acolyte, consor, hedge wizard, familiar, retainer, or what?
• Archetype (Nature and Demeanor): What’s your personality? Archetypes
Step Two: Attributes & Abilities
As per Mage 20, Chapter Six.
• Attributes: Primary 6, Secondary 4, Tertiary 3 (Physical, Social and Mental)
• 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: Essence 1
• 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 and backup agents get 3 freebies per dot of background trait.
-- Consors and other skilled allies get 4 freebies for dot of related background trait.
-- Familiars - get 10 freebies per Familiar background trait.
Type of 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.
Forged by Dragon's Fire allowed Bygone to have Quinessence Grazing Charm for free. If your familiar is a bygone, please note this.
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.
Companion 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:
| Name | Cost | Value Type |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 2 | Social |
| My Master is My Slave | 2 | Social |
| Other merits in regular chargen with staff approval |
| 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 |
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 |
| Charms | 1 pt. per Essence needed / 5 pts. |
| Merit | Cost as per Merit |
| Flaw | Bonus as per Flaw |
| Special Advantage | As per that Trait |
Experience Chart
You may buy up your NPCs stats with your own XP. Must be submitted via +xpsubmit.
| 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 |
| Charms*** | 1 pt. per Essence needed / 5 pts. |
*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.
