NPC: Companion Rules

''' COMPANION CHARACTERS ''' During the course of your characters adventures, characters may befriend non-player characters who become permanent followers or companions of theirs. Here are the rules for them.

-You cannot start with an NPC companion. You have to gain them during play via roleplay.

-If they have PC classes, they are 27 point buy and start with no magic items or additional gold and standard equipment for their class (Or whatever makes sense of they are not humanoids/don't have PC classes)

-They are not automatons and you do not completely control them. If you treat them badly, companions will act accordingly. Likewise if you treat them well.

-Their level/CR cannot exceed two less than your own, and they gain experience that would raise their level to 1 or more less than yours, they either lose this experience or cease to be your companion (player's choice).

-If taken on an adventure with you, they get half of your share of experience, gain experience (and thus levels/hit dice) as any other character would, and will likely demand a share of loot as well.

-DM's always have the right to forbid companion characters on scenes or adventures they run, but they should do so only when the character would truly be truly problematic or cause party size to be too large (More than six characters). Regardless, a DM can always determine that an action you ask or command a companion to perform is something they simply will not do (such as suicidal actions or actions clearly against their nature or beliefs). Companions exist to give PC's a way to fill in when there are not enough player characters, or to fill a role that a party needs but cannot be easily performed by another available player character. They are not your personal path to powergaming or munchkinism. Players may equip and outfit their companions with their own wealth and resources if they wish.