Companion

**Companion** is an attribute given to Characters or Creatures. It refers to one of the four Types of NPCs, describing significant individuals that are known in their communities or somewhat notable and skilled with unique capabilities. Companions are characters and creatures that can be recruited by the player character to be a part of their group.

Despite being mentioned or somewhat regarded in the main Core Rulebook for Fallout 2D20, Companions as a Type of NPC and its features is a mechanic introduced in Fallout: New Orleans.

## Characteristics

It must first be noted that Companions is a Type of NPC. These Characters manifest similarly to Normal, Notable, Major, Mighty and Legendary NPCs, controlled by the Game Master (GM) and follow many of the same rules in order to function during a session in a game.

A group can have up to two Companions at a time: one human and one robotic or animal Companion. Alternatively, a group may use **Charisma** as a determinator for the maximum amount of Companions their group may have at a given time, by having the highest **Charisma** out of all PCs as that determinator. Of course, this means that if the highest amount of **CHARISMA** in the group is maxxed at 7, the group's maximum amount of Companions will be only one if this method is selected.

 **CHARISMA** 8 - 9
 **CHARISMA** 10+

### Level

A Companion is a character that follows the group for long periods of time, and may sometimes leave the group, be sent somewhere, be swapped with another Companion or simply left by the group. Just like every other Character or Creature, they have a Level and follow a progression, although at the very start of any given sessions all Companions have a standard Level of 5.

When a Companion is recruited, they participate in the group's progression while progressing themselves. For example, if a Companion kills a Bloatfly, they will receive 17 XP for that kill, This Experience will then be shared among the group evenly (rounded up). Meaning that a group of 3 players will each receive 6 XP for that Companion's kill alone. The Companion will still receive full Experience for it.

Companions then will eventually progress to their next level. Their statistics will be adjusted but they will not receive an additional Perk for their progress. Alternatively, a GM may regard a Companion as having a "general Level". Meaning that they will progress along with the group's average progression and consider their level as the group's average Level (rounded down). Take a group of 3 players with the respective levels of 3, 4 and 5; their Companions' level will then be (3 + 4 + 5) / 3, making it so that their Companions have a Level of 3 and only progress when the average Level ranking also increases. A Companion's maximum Level is the same as the Player Characters.

### Action Points

A Companion does not affect the group's Action Points Pool (although their Companion Perk or one of the players could have the means of doing so), neither do they draw Action Points from it. Instead, Companions have their own personal Action Points Pool that stacks up to 4 Action Points at any given time.

* This Pool is preserved if the Companion is swapped, left or separated from the group.

## Companions Abilities

Companions have, virtually, the same stat rules and abilities given to other types of NPCs and even Player Characters, with some evident differences. Most notably, Companions have unique **Perks**, which are only obtainable/active for the PCs if the Companion is recruited and in the group at that time.

### **Companion Perks**

Each Companion has a unique **Companion Perk**. This Perk cannot be obtainable by Level Progression, nor can be active if that Companion is not in the group at that time (physical separation, such as being in two different viscinities but still in each other's proximities do not follow this rule). A Companion cannot obtain more Perks or improve their Companion Perk by levelling up, although some Companions may acquire changes to their Perks by completing certain Quests or objectives.

Otherwise, Companion Perks function the same for Companions as standard Perks function for Player Characters.

### Attributes, Skills and Statistics

Companions, such as Player Characters, have S.P.E.C.I.A.L Attributes and Skills.

* **ATTRIBUTES**
	+ A Companion Character's S.P.E.C.I.A.L Attributes added together total 41 + their Level.
	+ A Companion Creature's total **BODY** and **MIND** scores should add up to 8 + half the Companion’s Level, rounding up. Companion Creatures add +1 to both **BODY** and **MIND** Attributes.
* **SKILLS**
	+ A Companion Character has 3 Tag Skills, both rated at 2. Then, they receive a number of extra skill points equal to their **INT** plus their level.
	+ A Companion Creature has 3 Skills: **MELEE**, **GUNS** and **OTHER**, that are always regarded as Tag Skills. Companion Creatures have skill points equal to their Level. Companion Creatures receive an additional skill point every even-numbered level. Companion Creatures do not have Luck Points.

* **DERIVED STATISTICS**
	+ **HIT POINTS:** A Companion Character has HP equal to their **DUR** plus twice their **LCK** stat. A Companion Creature has HP equal to their **BODY** + **MIND** + their Level.
	+ **LUCK:** A Companion Character has Luck Points equal to half their **LCK**, rounding up.
	+ Defense, Initiative and Damage Resistances work the same for Companions as they do for NPCs.

### Interactions

* **COMMAND MAJOR ACTION:** Companions cannot be commanded nor benefit passively from the Command major Action. Instead, they can always be commanded freely by the Player Character if they are able at the moment, However, companions will refuse to obey to any command they would not do for their own personal reasons. This makes it so that commanding a Companion is far more interpretative than systematic.

> *Boone won't refuse to attack the Legion Invaders.*
> *Paladin Danse won't attack the Brotherhood of Steel Paladins.*
>
>

* **BURST:** A Companion's Inventory is always tracked, therefore their Ammunition is tracked as well; This allows Companions to make use of the Burst Damage Effect, that trades ammunition for  Damage. Alternatively, a GM may make it so a Companion's ammunition is untracked, meaning that they will have infinite ammunition on the account of losing the ability of using the Burst Damage Effect.

* **WEALTH:** A Companion may also have some amount of Wealth in their inventories. This works the same Companions as it does for NPCs, and their starting Wealth is considered the amount rolled when they are first recruited by the group (even if not a Permanent Companion at the time). A Companion's Wealth cannot be untracked.

* **OTHER:** Consumables, gear and weapons work the same for Companions as it does for PCs. These items cannot be untracked.