PET/COMPANION RULES
PET & COMPANION RULES
Requirements
To own a Pet, you must have an ANIMAL score of 5+.
To own an Upgradable Pet, you must have an ANIMAL score of 10+.
Companions (NPC allies, slaves, creatures, etc.) have no Animal score requirement unless specified by the DM.
PETS (Player-Controlled)
Control: Pets are fully controlled by the player on their turn.
Turn Order: Pets act during the player’s initiative, directly after the player’s action.
Types:
Animal pets (wolves, cats, birds, etc.)
Enslaved/controlled creatures (if requirements met, DM discretion)
Captured monsters (if conditions for taming are achieved)
Rules:
Pets share the player’s alignment/morality unless the DM rules otherwise
Pets must be named and treated as gear/companions — they can die or be lost.
Pets can level up or evolve only if the player has ANIMAL 10+.
Pets cannot act independently outside of the player’s turn.
COMPANIONS (DM-Controlled NPCs)
Control: Companions are fully controlled by the DM.
Turn Order: Companions act on their own initiative order, separate from the player.
Types:
Human NPC allies (mercenaries, travelers, friends, etc.)
Slaves or servants
Wild creatures who join temporarily or permanently (DM discretion)
Rules:
Companions do not require the ANIMAL score.
Companions may leave, betray, or die based on roleplay, loyalty, and DM judgment.
Companions may have their own goals and quirks, and will not always obey orders.
Companions may improve or evolve if the DM allows, often through story progression rather than stats.
Shared Rules (Pets & Companions)
Both count against the Party Limit (decided by DM, usually 1–3 per player).
Both can fight, scout, or support depending on type.
Both can die, become injured, or flee depending on conditions.
Both can be abandoned or dismissed at any time.
Both may require feeding, rest, or upkeep depending on type and DM judgment.
PET & COMPANION EVOLUTION RULES
Experience Costs
Normal Pets/Companions:
10 XP per evolve level x level
Magical Pets/Companions:
20 XP per evolve level x level
No Multipath: Each Magical Pet must choose one path only.
Normal Pet Evolution (10 XP per level x level)
Evolves grant stat boosts or abilities depending on the pet type.
Example:
Bears - Strength & HP
Cats - Agility & Speed
Slaves - Intelligence or Swordcraft
Birds - Vision & Scouting
Reptiles - Defense & Resistances
Magical Pet Evolution (20 XP per level x level)
Evolves grant abilities depending on the chosen single path:
Enhancer Path - Directly buffs the player
Caster Path - Learns idependent spells
Mirror Caster Path -Copies player’s spells
Magical Arms Path - Wields magical gear
Attuned Path -Senses/resists ley/magic
Progression Limits
Normal Pets: Up to 20 evolve levels (player with ANIMAL 5+).
Upgradable Pets: If player has ANIMAL 10+, pets may evolve further, potentially unlocking unique abilities.
Magical Pets: Always evolve on the 20 XP track, up to 40 levels, each with strong magical scaling.
Control
Pets: Player-controlled, act on the player’s initiative.
Companions: DM-controlled, act independently with their own initiative.
Perfect — that gives fallen players a way to stay in the game without breaking immersion. Here’s how we can add it as a final universal rule to your Pet/Companion system:
FINAL RULE: PLAYER DEATH & COMPANION CONTROL
If a player character dies, the player may take full control of one of the following:
An NPC Companion (formerly DM-controlled).
Their own Pet (formerly player-controlled as a side entity).
When this happens:
The NPC/Pet becomes the player’s new main character.
The entity retains all its stats, evolutions, abilities, and limitations.
The DM may allow roleplay adjustments (ex: the NPC gains new motivation, or the Pet develops heightened intelligence).
The new character may continue to evolve as normal under the established rules.
This ensures continuous play — no one is sidelined if their main dies, and Companions/Pets gain extra weight in the story.
If the player decides after the session is complete that they want to take the NPC or Controlled pet as their primary player, procced to go through the upgrade process for a standard character, based on the level of the companion you may upgrade on the experience points vs the level point threshold
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