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 dot of 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: Willpower x 5 (familiars only.)
• Merits and Flaws: Base 0 (as per below.)
• Charms: Base 0. (familiars only; as per Spirit Charms.)
• Freebie Points:
-- Acolytes and backup agents get 15 points.
-- Consors and other skilled allies get 21 points.
-- Familiars get 25 points.
Starting levels in Abilities and Backgrounds may not be higher than four dots.
'Companion Specific Merits and Flaws'
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:
| Acute Senses | Animal Magnetism | |
| Berserker | Cast-Iron Stomach | Catlike Balance |
| Cloak of the Seasons | Code of Honor | Danger Sense |
| Enchanting Feature | Expert Driver | Ghoul* |
| Green Thumb | Hands of Daedalus | Hideaway / Safehouse* |
| Huge Size | Hyperflexible | “Immortal”* |
| Insensate to Pain | Iron Will | Jack-of-All-Trades |
| Language | Legendary Attributes | Loyalty |
| Mark of Favor | Natural Channel/Linguist/ | Shapeshifter |
| Nephilim / Laham | Nightsight | Nine Lives |
| Physically Impressive | Property | Sanctity |
| Secret Code Language | Shapechanger Kin | Socially Networked |
| Spirit Magnet | Too Tough to Die | True Faith* |
| True Love | Twin Souls | Unaging |
| Unbondable | Unobtrusive |
| Absent-Minded | Addiction | Anachronism |
| Bizarre Hunger | Blood-Hungry Soul | Bound |
| Cast No Shadow or Reflection | Child | Conflicting Loyalties |
| Cultural Other | Curiosity | Dark Fate |
| Dark Secret | Degeneration | Deranged |
| Diabolical Mentor | Double Agent | Echoes |
| Expendable | Extreme Kink | Family Issues |
| Faulty Enhancements | Feral Mind | Haunted |
| Horrific | Icy | Immortal Enemy |
| Impediment | Insane / Infamous Mentor | Mayfly Curse |
| Monstrous | Old Flame | Primal Marks |
| Psychic Vampire | PTSD | Repulsive Feature |
| Rivalry | Short fuse | Short |
| Sleeping with the Enemy | Strangeness | Stress Atavism |
| Sympathizer | Taint of Corruption | Throwback |
| Troublemaker | Twisted Apprenticeship | Uncanny |
| Ward | Witch-Hunted |
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.
