D&D Players Can Now Journey with Companions and Sidekicks

Adventurers in Dungeons & Dragons often find themselves wanting to bring along more than just their party members; they envision loyal beasts or helpful figures joining their quests. This desire to expand the adventuring party beyond typical player characters is now being addressed with a new resource, allowing Dungeon Masters and players alike to seamlessly integrate a wider array of allies into their narratives and encounters.

The recently launched “Pets & Sidekicks” compendium, developed by EN Publishing and penned by Paul Hughes, offers a solution for players eager to include such companions. This comprehensive guide introduces structured systems for incorporating various creatures and non-player characters (NPCs) into a campaign. For instance, players can now raise a unicorn from its infancy, watching it grow and develop alongside their own characters. The book also details how relationships with intelligent companions, like a young dragon, evolve based on player interactions, potentially fostering deep bonds or even creating formidable adversaries if neglected. Beyond combat, the guide delves into the practicalities of companion ownership, including magic items designed to enhance their abilities and the benefits of spending downtime cultivating their loyalty, which can improve their cooperation and even aid player characters struggling with mental fatigue.

This innovative resource also simplifies the inclusion of human-like companions, such as bards, who can bolster a party with their unique skills and provide narrative richness. These sidekicks are designed with simplified progression rules, making them manageable for Dungeon Masters or even for players to control alongside their main characters, thus making the game more accessible for smaller groups. With rules covering over 200 different creatures and flexible options for custom companion creation, “Pets & Sidekicks” is poised to enrich the D&D experience, allowing for more diverse party compositions and unexpected twists in storytelling. The Kickstarter campaign for this exciting new addition to the D&D universe is open until August 7, inviting players to bring their wildest companion dreams to life.

This expansion into companion-centric gameplay highlights the boundless creativity inherent in tabletop role-playing games, where the only limits are imagination and the rulebook. By fostering deeper connections between players and their in-game world through beloved animal companions and sidekicks, these games continue to demonstrate their unique power to build empathy, responsibility, and an enduring sense of camaraderie, reminding us that even in fantastical realms, loyalty and friendship are invaluable treasures.