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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide

Chapter 1: Companions

Source Kingmaker Companion Guide pg. 5
In the Kingmaker Adventure Path, a band of adventurers become the unlikely rulers of a brand-new kingdom. Set in the so-called Stolen Lands of the River Kingdoms, this campaign presents the players with a vast wilderness to explore—one infested by bandits, monsters, and worse. But not all of those the PCs meet during this campaign are destined to be enemies—some will be allies, some will become friends, and a rare few will become true companions. The timing for each of these characters' first encounters with the PCs varies; in some cases, their introduction is included in the text of the Adventure Path, while in others it's left largely to the GM. Companions can also be encountered in the PCs' throne room once they've established their kingdom, leading potential allies to seek out the rulers of this new land to present their cases in person.

Using Companions

Source Kingmaker Companion Guide pg. 5
Seven primary companions—the barbarian Amiri, the ranger Ekundayo, the alchemist Jubilost, the bard Linzi, the rogue Nok-Nok, the cleric Tristian, and the fighter Valerie—are presented on the following pages in full detail. Each has two sets of statistics—one for use when the companion first encounters the PCs, and one at a higher level for use during that companion's personal quest. These statistics were built using the rules for character creation, not for NPCs. As such, if your group takes a shine to a companion, that NPC can level up alongside the party as if they were a PC. In such a case, the choices you and your players make for that NPC take precedence over the higher level stats given for a companion.

No statistics are presented for the five secondary companions, as their roles in the Kingmaker Adventure Path are limited to downtime activities and kingdom management roles.

Befriending Companions

Source Kingmaker Companion Guide pg. 5
Companions won't necessarily trust the PCs when they first meet. They never start their initial encounter hostile, but they need to be influenced to friendly before they'll be comfortable allying with the PCs. Each companion is presented with a brief influence encounter.

Each companion includes several character options that have the uncommon or rare trait; once the PCs have befriended a companion, these options become available and the PCs gain access to them.

Adventuring with Companions

Source Kingmaker Companion Guide pg. 5
Companions that have joined the PCs don't need to accompany them on every encounter. They can be held back in reserve to guard a campsite, left to perform downtime activities, serve as leaders in the kingdom, and so on. But at times, it may make sense for one or more companions to accompany the PCs on their adventures. If you allow this, you'll want to adjust encounters to account for the increased number of characters in the party.

Personal Quests

Source Kingmaker Companion Guide pg. 5
The seven primary companions each have a personal quest as part of their storyline. Though some companions provide foreshadowing to the PCs beforehand, each quest formally begins with a specific event timed to coincide with particular developments in the Kingmaker Adventure Path and also to a specific character level for the companion. (In order to avoid the party becoming distracted with multiple personal quests at the same time, each quest triggers at a different character level.)

Whether the PCs decide to accompany the companion on their quest is left to the players to decide. However, this book assumes that the PCs join the companion, who takes a full role in the PCs' party through the events and encounters of the short adventure. These companion quests are therefore designed for a party of 5 characters rather than the standard 4, so encounters in these quests are slightly more dangerous than comparable encounters in the Kingmaker Adventure Path.

If the PCs choose not to accompany a companion on their personal quest, it's up to you to determine the ramifications. A companion might to try to tackle their quest on their own (in which case, that companion's disappearance might serve as an additional hook to lure the PCs into that quest), they might choose to let the quest slide and not pursue it, or they might even abandon the PCs to seek help elsewhere—such as from potential rival settlements like Drelev or Pitax. In such a case, a former companion could well show up as an antagonist working against the PCs later in the campaign!