Companion System

[Cayden 0]

Originally this was something I developed for my proposed Theoretical Redesign thread (Which you should read if you haven't!), but I figured that unlike a lot of my stuff it could actually be imported pretty much 1:1 with our current rule setup, so I did some quick revision and here we are!

Companion System

Not every player in Sword Art Online has a story all their own to tell. For every player who seeks to carve their own place in the world there are perhaps ten who lack that singular spark. Yet no hero or villain exists in a vacuum, especially in an MMORPG, and many of the best and brightest inevitably find their lives intertwined with those around them, their companions.

Companions

The Companion System in Sword Art Online exists to allow players to bring background characters from their roleplay into the foreground as full-fledged party members, with the goal of expanding the options for play and introducing new opportunities for roleplay.

Acquiring Companions

Players may declare any created character with whom they have formed a party at least once as part of a roleplay as a companion, so long as the character meets these conditions:

- The character selected is a 'player' of SAO, not an NPC of the virtual game.

- The character selected is one you have created yourself, or one you have been granted full, permanent control over, either by a GM, or by its creator.

If the conditions are met then the companion can be included in the player's journal and can be used in the current or subsequent roleplays.

Usage

Players begin the game able to partner with up to one companion at a time. This number can increase as additional floors are unlocked through play.

To 'use' a companion, the player must indicate, both in and out of character that the companion is partied with the player. If the player wishes to end the party during the course of a topic for whatever reason, they must likewise indicate both in and out of character that the companion is no longer partied with them.

Players may only break party while out of combat.

If used in a Party or Open thread, all players involved in the thread must agree to allow the use of the companion. If this agreement is not made, then the companion may still be involved in roleplay but has no mechanical effect on gameplay.

Once partied with the player, the companion acts exactly like a player character with the appropriate stats. They are allowed to attack and deal damage in combat, and likewise can generate threat and receive damage in turn. They can even die.

Companion Drawbacks

Despite being controlled entirely by a player, companions are still their own people within the fictional world of SAO. They have their own goals and desires, and they don't ever work for free.

Companions will always receive one 'share' of loot received while partied with the player. This means, for example, that an 'in use' companion will take 50% of the Col, Materials and items received if they are partied with their player. If an additional player is involved the companion will take 33% and so forth. If multiple companions are in use, each companion receives one share.

Loot can typically be divided upon reaching the end of the topic. If a player decides to break party for some reason then loot must be distributed as soon as the party is broken.

Col and Materials should always be split as equally as possible. In the event of a remainder, the player should receive the extra material or Col.

If there are enough items of a similar quality level for each player/companion, divide the items equally as you see fit. If there are an unequal amount of items, or if the quality of the items differ then do the following:

- Allow the companion to 'roll' for the highest quality item. If the roll is equal to or less than the companion's share(50, 33 etc), the companion receives that item. If they failed to receive an item, roll for the item of the next highest quality. Repeat until an item is received or there are no more items.

- If there are multiple Companions involved, repeat the above process until all companions have either received an item or failed on all items.

- Players may select any item of their choosing from the items that remain.

- If the Players have more items than the companion, the companion selects the highest quality item from those that remain.

- If any items remain, repeat these steps.

Companions will under no circumstances return gear, materials or Col, whether these items are given to them or won as part of a loot roll. Companions will allow players to craft using their materials, but only for the purposes of making new gear for the companion to use.

A companion that is reduced to zero HP is dead. Its gear is destroyed and any wealth or items it had along with it. This can have serious implications for ongoing storylines if it is unexpected, so it is recommended never to use a companion you cannot afford to lose.

Companion Level and Skills

All companions have a level determined by their player at creation. This level must always be at least five lower than the player, though it can be lower. The player can level up his companions at will, but no companion can be leveled down after being leveled up.

Players lower level than seven may have companions, but the companions must remain at level one until the player has reached at least level seven.

Companions have a weapon and armor skill of the player's choice equal to one less than the skill of their player, to a minimum of zero. As with level this can be increased as soon as the player's weapon or armor skill is increased, but it is not required. Once the skill is increased it may not be decreased.

Companions may have one additional non-combat (weapon or armor) skill of the player's choice. This skill must be chosen at creation and may not be changed. Ranks in the skill may be equal to the highest non-combat (weapon or armor) skill of the player minus one, though the player need not have the same skill. As with level, this skill does not have to be at its maximum, but any improvements to it are permanent

Ex. A player's highest non-combat skill is hiding at rank five. All of his companions may have up to rank four in any one skill of their choice. If hiding is later increased to rank six, the companions may level their skill to five, but may not later reduce it back to four.

Companion Equipment

Companions begin the game with good quality weapons and armor of the player's choice.

Players may gift additional equipment to their companions, or companions may acquire it as part of their loot through combat. Players may purchase items as their companions provided that the companion has enough Col to make the purchase. They may also agree to have equipment crafted with Materials belonging to the Companion.

Under no circumstance will the companion give away equipment, money or items. The sole exception to this rule is that companions can use healing items to save the lives of players or other companions.

Players may choose what equipment a companion equips from the gear available to the companion. Players may not lend or borrow equipment to or from a companion.

Each companion has their own separate inventory.

Final Thoughts

Unsurprisingly, I really like this system.

The intent behind it is to allow players like myself who add NPC 'partners' to their play to have those partners play an active role in the mechanics rather than hand waving it away and trying to explain away the fact that combat takes the same amount of time with three people involved as it does with two.

Companions are markedly weaker than a second player, and because of the 'everyone must agree' rule are unlikely to be seen when floor bosses or other group combats arise. Coupled with the fact that they take 1/2 of all the loot in an encounter, starting with the best loot, they are far from overpowering. Frankly I do wonder if I made them a little too weak considering that NPC monsters generally can't do much damage as of the moment, but better weak and patched up than OP and nerf batted.

Currently I have the limit set on partners to one as part of the 'beta' for the idea. Frankly I don't see much reason you couldn't set it at 3-4 and allow people who want to to have their own personal parties kicking ass out there, but who knows what I might have missed.

Likewise there is no cap on Companions 'owned' because there doesn't seem to be a need. If you can only equip one companion at a time, having the ability to swap in 100 different faces doesn't make much difference apart from each having their own unique skill which is hardly game breaking.

Lastly, I've left out any sort of 'level up' system for the companions apart from tying it to PC progress. I have ideas for that sort of a system, but I don't think it much works with the xp gained from posting system that seems to be preferred.

[Life 0]

Essentially doubles up on a single character and negates the purpose of roleplaying with other people. Nice concept but redundant :L

 

The only time i'd see this working is when a temporary NPC comes to join you for a quest which would most likely be controlled by a GM (unless solo partying) 

[Argumail 0]

I for one don't think it is redundant. I have use this system before and it work quite well

[Kazuya 0]

Seems like an interesting idea. I think that it would help with Solo role plays if we have this kind of option in our system, but I wouldn't call it companions as there is already a think similar. I would call something like Accomplices or something similar. The title of companion should remain with our characters' lovers and bros.

[Cayden 0]

The idea derived from a combination of my own roleplay, and from reading through some games systems that have NPC allies who can assist in more than a narative sense.  There are actually a lot of different ways of doing it, and I've actually been playing around with the idea of a 'followers as gear' system, where rather than followers participating in combat, having their own gear etc, they instead offer bonuses depending on the 'type' of companion.

I just really like fiddling with rules if I'm being perfectly honest. >.>

Nice to see some feedback, by the by.