Sidekicks

This section provides a simple way to add a special NPC - called a sidekick - to the group of an adventurers. These rules take a creature with a low challenge rating and give it levels in one of three simple classes: Expert, Spellcaster or Warrior.

A sidekick can be incorporated into a group at the party's inception, or a sidekick might join them during the campaign. For example, the party might meet a villager, an animal, or another creature, forge a friendship and invite the creature to join them on their adventures.

You can also use these rules to customize a monster as a DM.

Creating a Sidekick

A sidekick can be any kind of creature with a stat block in the Monster Manual or another D&D book, but the challenge rating must be 1/2 or lower. You take the stat block and add to it, as explained in the "Gaining a Sidekick Class" section.

To join the adventurers, the Sidekick must be the friend of at least one of them. This friendship might be connected to a character's backstory or to events that have transpired in play. For example, a sidekick could be a childhood friend or pet, or might be a creature the adventurers saved. As a DM, you determine whether there is sufficient trust established for the creature to join the group.

You decide who plays the sidekick. Here are some options:

• A player plays the sidekick as their second character - ideal when you only have one or two players.

• A player plays the sidekick as their only character - ideal for a player who wants a character who's simpler than a typical player character.

• The players jointly play the sidekick

• You play the sidekick

There's no limit on the number of sidekicks in a group, but having more than one per player character can noticeably slow down the game. And when estimating the difficulty of an upcoming encounter, count each sidekick as a character.

Gaining a Sidekick Class

When you create a sidekick, you choose the class it will have for the rest of its career: Expert, Spell-Caster, or Warrior, each of which is detailed below. If a sidekick class contains a choice, you may make the choice or let the players make it.

Starting Level

The starting level of a sidekick is the same as the average level of the group. For example, if a 1st level group starts with a sidekick, that sidekick is also 1st level. But if a 10th level group invites a sidekick to join them, that sidekick starts at 10th level.

Leveling Up a Sidekick

Whenever a group's average level goes up, the sidekick gains a level. It doesn't matter how much of the group's recent adventures the sidekick experienced; the sidekick levels up because of a combination of the adventures it shared with the group and its own training.

Hit points

Whenever the sidekick gains a level, it gains one Hit Die, and its maximum increases. To determine the amount of the increase, roll the Hit Die (the type of die appears in the sidekick's stat block), and add its constitution modifier. It gains a minimum of 1 hit point per level.

If the sidekick drops to zero hit points and isn't killed outright, it falls unconscious and subsequently makes death saving throws, just like a player character.

Proficiency Bonus

The sidekick's proficiency bonus is determined by its level in its class, shown in the class's table.

Whenever the sidekick's proficiency bonus increases by 1, add 1 to the to hit modifier of all the attacks in its stat block, and increase the DCs in its stat block by 1.

Ability score increases

Whenever the sidekick gains the Ability Score Improvement feature, adjust anything in its stat block that relies on an ability modifier that you increase. For example, if the sidekick has an attack that uses its Strength modifier, increase the attack's modifiers to hit and damage if the Strength modifier increases.

If it's unclear whether a melee attack in the stat block uses Strength or Dexterity, the attack can use either.

The Expert Sidekick

The Expert is a master of certain tasks or knowledge, favoring cunning over brawn. It might be a scout, a musician, a librarian, a clever street kid, a wily merchant or a burglar.

To gain the expert class, a creature must have at least one language in its stat block that it can speak.

A sidekick gains the following class features as it gains levels, as summarized on the Expert table.

Bonus Proficiencies

1st-level Expert feature. The sidekick gains proficiency in one saving throw of your choice: Dexterity, Intelligence, or Charisma.

In addition, the sidekick gains proficiency in 5 skills of your choice, and it gains proficiency in light armor. If it is a humanoid or has simple or martial weapons in its stat block, it also gains proficiency in all simple weapons and with two tools of your choice.

Helpful

1st-level Expert feature. The sidekick is adept at giving well-timed assistance; the sidekick can take the Help action as a bonus action.

Cunning Action

2nd-level Expert feature. The sidekick's agility or quick thinking allows it to act speedily. On its turn in combat, it can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action as a bonus action.

Expertise

3rd-level Expert feature. Choose two of the sidekick's skill proficiencies. The sidekick's proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check it makes that uses the chosen proficiencies.

Ability Score Improvement

4th-level Expert feature. At 4th level and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, the sidekick increases one ability score of your choice by 2, or the sidekick increases two ability scores of your choice by 1. The sidekick can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Legendary Sidekick (Optional, Homebrew)

5th-Level Expert Feature. If the sidekick is of significant enough importance to the plot or especially the player characters, they can gain additional features that will allow them to better help the party. They will gain more legendary sidekick features at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Coordinated Strike

6th-level Expert feature. The sidekick is adept at fighting in concert with a companion. When the sidekick uses its Helpful feature to aid an ally in attacking a creature, that target can be up to 30 feet away from the sidekick, and the sidekick can deal an extra 2d6 damage to it the next time the sidekick hits it with an attack roll before the end of the current turn. The extra damage is the same type of damage dealt by the attack.

Evasion

7th-level Expert feature. Because of extraordinary good luck, the sidekick is skilled at avoiding danger. When the sidekick is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it failed. The sidekick doesn't benefit from this feature while incapacitated.

Inspiring Help

11th-level Expert feature. When the sidekick takes the Help action, the creature who receives the help also gains a 1d6 bonus to the d20 roll. If that roll is an attack roll, the creature can forgo adding the bonus to it, and then if the attack hits, the creature can add the bonus to the attack's damage roll against one target. At 20th level, the bonus increases to 2d6.

Reliable Talent

14th-level Expert feature. The sidekick has refined its skills to an exceptional degree. Whenever the sidekick makes an ability check that includes its whole proficiency bonus, it can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Sharp Mind

18th-level Expert feature. The sidekick gains proficiency in one of the following saving throws of your choice: Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

Inspiring Help Improvement

20th-level Expert feature. At 20th level, the bonus dice granted by the sidekick's Inspiring Help increases to 2d6.

Legendary Expert Sidekick

(Optional, Homebrew)

Roguish Sidekick

Sneak Attack

At 5th level, the sidekick knows how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, the sidekick can deal an extra 2d6 damage to one creature they hit with an attack if they have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.

The sidekick doesn’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and the sidekick doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

The sneak attack damage damage increases to 3d6 at 9th Level, 4d6 at 13th Level, and 5d6 at 17th level.

Uncanny Dodge

At 9th level, when an attacker that the sidekick can see hits them with an attack, the sidekick can use their reaction to halve the attack’s damage against them.

Expert Burglar

At 13th level, the sidekick can use the bonus action granted by their Cunning Action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use their thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action.

In addition, the sidekick gains the ability to climb faster than normal; climbing no longer costs them extra movement. Also, when the sidekick makes a running jump, the distance they cover increases a number of feet equal to their dexterity modifier.

Blindsense

At 17th level, if the sidekick is able to hear, they are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of them. If they already possess blindsight from another feature, then the range of their blindsight increases by 10 feet.

Slippery Mind

At 17th level, the sidekick has acquired greater mental strength. The sidekick gains proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Ranger Sidekick

Favored Enemy

At 5th level, the sidekick has significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy. Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies.

The sidekick has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track their favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about their favored enemies. When the sidekick gains this feature, they also learn one language of their choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all.

The sidekick chooses one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language, at 13th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.

Defensive Tactics

At 9th level, the sidekick gains one of the following features of their choice:

• Escape the Horde. Opportunity attacks against the sidekick are made with disadvantage.

• Multiattack Defense. When a creature hits the sidekick with an attack, the sidekick gains a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.

• Steel Will. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Hunter's Prey

At 9th level, the sidekick gains one of the following features of their choice:

• Colossus Slayer. The sidekick's tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When they hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. The sidekick can deal this extra damage only once per turn.

• Giant Killer. When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of the sidekick hits or misses them with an attack, the sidekick can use their reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that the sidekick can see the creature.

• Horde Breaker. Once on each of the sidekick's turns when they make a weapon attack, the sidekick can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of their weapon.

Land's Stride

At 13th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs the sidekick no extra movement. They can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such those created by the Entangle spell.

Hide in Plain Sight

At 17th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage.

Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up against a solid surface, such as a tree or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you are. You gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks as long as you remain there without moving or taking actions. Once you move or take an action or a reaction, you must camouflage yourself again to gain this benefit.

The Spellcaster Sidekick

A sidekick who becomes a Spellcaster walks the paths of magic. The sidekick might be a hedge wizard, a priest, a soothsayer, a magical performer, or a person with magic in their veins.

To gain the Spellcaster class, a creature must have at least one language in its stat block that it can speak. A sidekick gains the following class features as it gains levels, as summarized on the Spellcaster table.

Bonus Proficiencies

1st-level Spellcaster feature. The sidekick gains proficiency in one saving throw of your choice: Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma.

In addition, the sidekick gains proficiency in two skills of your choice from the following list: Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, and Religion.

The sidekick gains proficiency with light armor, and if it is a humanoid or has a simple or martial weapon in its stat block, it also gains proficiency with all simple weapons.

Spellcasting

1st-level Spellcaster feature. The sidekick gains the ability to cast spells. (If the creature already has the Spellcasting trait, this feature replaces that trait.) Choose the Spellcaster's role: Mage, Healer, or Prodigy. This choice determines the spell list and spellcasting ability used by the sidekick, as shown on the Spellcasting table.

Role/ Spell List / Ability

• Mage / Wizard / Intelligence

• Healer / Cleric and Druid / Wisdom

• Prodigy / Bard and Warlock / Charisma

Spell Slots. The Spellcaster table shows how many spell slots the sidekick has to cast its Spellcaster spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, the sidekick must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. The sidekick regains all expended spell slots when it finishes a long rest.

Spells Known. The sidekick knows two cantrips and one 1st-level spell of your choice from its spell list. The Cantrips Known and Spells Known columns of the Spellcaster table shows when the sidekick learns more spells of your choice. Each of the spells in the Spells Known column must be of a level for which the sidekick has spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when the sidekick reaches 5th level in this class, it can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when the sidekick gains a level in this class, you can choose one of the spells it knows from this class and replace it with another spell from its spell list. The new spell must be a cantrip or of a level for which the sidekick has spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. The sidekick's spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the choice you made on the Spellcasting table. The sidekick uses its spellcasting ability whenever a spell refers to that ability. In addition, it uses its spellcasting ability modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell it casts and when making an attack roll with one.

• Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting modifier

• Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting modifier

Spellcasting Focus. The sidekick can use a focus for its spells depending on the choice you made on the Spellcasting table. A Mage can use an arcane focus, a Priest can use a holy symbol, and a Prodigy can use an arcane focus or a musical instrument.

Ability Score Improvement

4th-level Spellcaster feature. At 4th level and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 18th level, the sidekick increases one ability score of your choice by 2, or the sidekick increases two ability scores of your choice by 1. The sidekick can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Legendary Sidekick (Optional, Homebrew)

5th-Level Spellcaster feature. If the sidekick is of significant enough importance to the plot or especially the player characters, they can gain additional features that will allow them to better help the party. They will gain more legendary sidekick features at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Potent Cantrips

6th-level Spellcaster feature. The sidekick can add its spellcasting ability modifier to the damage it deals with any cantrip.

Empowered Spells

14th-level Spellcaster feature. Choose one school of magic. Whenever the sidekick casts a spell of that school by expending a spell slot, the sidekick can add its spellcasting ability modifier to the spell's damage roll or healing roll, if any.

Focused Casting

20th-level Spellcaster feature. Taking damage can't break the sidekick's concentration on a spell.

Legendary Spellcaster Sidekick

(Optional, Homebrew)

Wizardly Sidekick

Prerequisite Mage Sidekick

Arcane Recovery

5th-Level feature. The sidekick has learned to regain some of their magical energy by studying their spellbook. Once per day when they complete a short rest, they can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half their mage level (rounded up).

Ritual Casting

5th-Level feature. The sidekick acquires a ritual book holding one 1st-level wizard spell with the ritual tag. They are now capable of casting a wizard spells as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tage and is recorded in their ritual book.

If the sidekick comes across a spell in written form, such as a magical spell scroll or a wizard's spellbook, the sidekick might be able to add it to their ritual book. The spell must be a wizard spell, the spell's level can be no higher than half their level (rounded up), and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into the sidekick's ritual book takes 2 hours per level of the spell, and costs 50 gp per level. The cost represents the material components the sidekick expend as they experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks they need to record it.

Cram Session

9th-Level feature. The sidekick chooses a school of magic, learning one cantrip and one 1st-level wizard spell belonging to the chosen school. They can cast the chosen spell once at 1st-level without expending a spell slot. When they do so, the sidekick can't do so again until they finish a short or long rest. If the sidekick wants to cast the spell at a higher level, they must expend a spell slot as normal.

Spell Mastery

13th-Level feature. The sidekick chooses a 2nd-level wizard spell that they have already learned. They can cast this spell once at 2nd-level without expending a spell slot. When they do so, the sidekick can't do so again until they finish a short or long rest. If the sidekick wants to cast the spell at a higher level, they must expend a spell slot as normal.

Signature Spell

17th-Level feature. The sidekick gains mastery over one 3rd-level wizard spell that they have already learned. They can cast this spell once at 3rd-level without expending a spell slot. When they do so, the sidekick can't do so again until they finish a short or long rest. If the sidekick wants to cast the spell at a higher level, they must expend a spell slot as normal.

Cleric Sidekick

Prerequisite: Healer Sidekick

Channel Divinity: Turn Undead

5th-Level feature. The sidekick gains the ability to channel divine energy directly from their deity, using that energy to fuel magical effects. When the sidekick uses their Channel Divinity, they must finish a short or long rest to use their Channel Divinity again.

As an action, the sidekick presents their holy symbol and speaks a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear the sidekick within 30 feet of them must make a Wisdom saving throw against the sidekick's spell save DC. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.

A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from the sidekick as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of them. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

Destroy Undead

9th-Level feature. When an undead fails its saving throw against the sidekick's Turn Undead feature, the creature is instantly destroyed if its challenge rating is at or below a certain threshold, as shown in the Destroy Undead table.

• 9th Level: CR 1 or lower

• 13th Level: CR 2 or lower

• 17th Level: CR 3 or lower

Blessed Healer

13th-level feature. The healing spells the sidekick casts on others heal them as well. When the sidekick casts a spell of 1st-level or higher that restores hit points to a creature other than them, the sidekick regains hit points equal to 2 + the spell's level.

Divine Intervention

17th-level feature. The sidekick can call on their deity to intervene on their behalf when their need is great. Imploring their deity’s aid requires them to use their action. Describe the assistance the sidekick seeks, and roll percentile dice. If the sidekick rolls a number equal to or lower than their cleric level, their deity intervenes. The DM chooses the nature of the intervention; the effect of any cleric spell or cleric domain spell would be appropriate. If their deity intervenes, they can’t use this feature again for 7 days. Otherwise, they can use it again after they finish a long rest.

Druidic Sidekick

Prerequisite: Healer Sidekick

Wild Shape

5th-level feature. The sidekick can use their action to magically assume the shape of a beast that they have seen before. The sidekick can use this feature once and they must finish a short or long rest before using this feature again. The sidekick's sidekick level determines the beasts they can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes table.

Beast Shapes

Max. CR / Limitations

• 5th Level: 1/4 / No flying or swimming speed

• 9th Level: 1/2 / No flying speed

• 13th Level: 1 / - - - - -

• 17th Level: 2 / - - - - -

The sidekick can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half their sidekick level (rounded down). They then revert to their normal form unless they expend another use of this feature. The sidekick can revert to their normal form earlier by using a bonus action on their turn. The sidekick automatically reverts if they fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• The sidekick's game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but they retain their alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. The sidekick also retains all of their skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as them and the bonus in its stat block is higher than theirs, they use the creature’s bonus instead of their own. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, the sidekick can’t use them.

• When the sidekick transforms, they assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice. When they revert to their normal form, the sidekick returns to the number of hit points they had before they transformed. However, if they revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to their normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce their normal form to 0 hit points, they aren’t knocked unconscious.

• The sidekick can’t cast spells, and their ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of their beast form. Transforming doesn’t break their concentration on a spell they’ve already cast, however, or prevent them from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that they’ve already cast.

• The sidekick retains the benefit of any features from their class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, the sidekick can’t use any of their special senses, such as darkvision, unless their new form also has that sense.

• The sidekick chooses whether their equipment falls to the ground in their space, merges into their new form, or is worn by them. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. The sidekick's equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until the sidekick leaves the form.

Healer Wild Shape

9th-level feature. The sidekick gains the ability to use Wild Shape on their turn as a bonus action, rather than an action. Additionally, while the sidekick is transformed by Wild Shape, they can use a bonus action to heal a creature they touch, expending a spell slot to restore 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended.

Primal Strike

9th-level feature. The sidekick's attacks in beast form count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Beast Spells

13th-level feature. The sidekick can cast many of their spells in any shape they assume using Wild Shape. They can perform the somatic and verbal components of a spell while in a beast shape, but they aren't able to provide material components. They are only able to cast spells this way a number of times equal to a third their sidekick level (rounded down).

Thousand Forms

17th-level feature. The sidekick has learned to use magic to alter their physical form in more subtle ways. They can cast the Alter Self spell at will.

Amicable Sidekick

As a prodigy sidekick, the character was naturally born with an aptitude for magic. They proceeded to use this skill as a way to assist and entertain those around them.

Bonus Proficiencies

5th-level feature. The sidekick gains proficiency in the Medicine or Performance skill if they do not have it already. In addition, they also gain proficiency with either an artisan tool, herbalist kit, or musical instrument of their choice.

Inspiring Show

5th-level feature. The sidekick can make a performance that lasts at least one minute. At the end of the performance, upto the sidekick's proficiency bonus in allied creatures that could hear or see the performance will recieve a 1d6 inspiration die. This die can added to any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll prior to the DM saying whether the roll was a success or failure. The sidekick can make use this feature only once per short or long rest.

Once rolled, the inspiration die is lost, and the creature looses the inspiration die once they take a short or long rest. A creature can have only one inspiration die at a time.

The inspiration die changes at certain sidekick levels. The die becomes a d8 at 9th-level, a d10 at 13th-level, and a d12 at 17th-level.

Fortifying Performance

9th-level feature. As part of their Inspiring Show feature, when the sidekick finishes their performance they can select a number of allies equal to half of their proficiency bonus (rounded down). These allies will have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed for the next hour.

Friendly Warning

13th-level feature. When an allied creature within 60 feet that the sidekick can see is attacked, the sidekick can use their reaction to magically warn their ally of the impending attack and distract the enemy. The sidekick rolls a d10 and adds that number to the allied creature's Armor Class until the start of the sidekick's next turn. When the sidekick uses this feature, they must take a short or long rest before they can use it again.

Magical Secrets

17th-level feature. The sidekick has plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level the sidekick can cast, as shown on the Spellcaster Sidekick Table, or a cantrip.

The chosen spells count as bard spells for the sidekick and are included in the number in the Spells Known column.

Spooky Sidekick