D&D Essentials Expanded: Martial Sidekicks by Amit Sarkar (@AmitSarkar0)
“10 new warrior sidekicks for the world’s greatest roleplaying game!”
“Whether you want to fill a group or need a hand with a solo adventure, these courageous companions are ready to join your Dungeons & Dragons 5e adventuring party! All sidekicks include instant-play statblocks for 1st level and full progression to 20th level. Never be without a full party again!”
In the spirit of full disclosure, I was provided a review copy of this supplement for a full and honest review.
Does your party lack a certain all-business and upfront warrior, or are you looking to play a squishy and more cerebral character in a duet? Or is your small group in need of a retainer with the power to protect and/or augment their own abilities? Then look no further than these fine fellows of the fist, bow, blade, and other fine forms of violence. As well as 10 paragons of pummelling, you’ll find new rules for morale and payment (funny how often are closely linked?), as well as all the tools you need to create and convert your own martial manhunters, bruisers and bodyguards.
The supplement opens with a thoughtful piece of prose with a character reflecting upon their interaction and observation of their Monk Sidekick.
Introduction
“This tome provides a diverse offering of new sidekick types that are ready to join any party. Each brings its own unique abilities to a group, and PCs should assess their current party composition to determine which type of sidekick would best aid them.” All using the Sidekick rules introduced in Appendix A of the Essentials Kit.
Archetypes
Each archetype is given a lovely looking two-page spread providing background information, personality traits, individual background, character artwork, and level 1 statblock on page one, with the character progression featuring level, proficiency, HP, features, and archetype-specific dice (where appropriate), as well as addition artwork, on the second page. These aesthetic pages are designed to be printed as easy to reference sidekick character sheets.
Name
The sidekicks in this supplement are templates with archetypal designations in need of their own personal names to elevate them into a character the players and/or DM can roleplay with.
Some helpful and tongue-in-cheek advice on names and suggestions are provided such as “Fancypants Twinkletoes” being “entirely too dainty for the hardy and gruff nature of dwarves”, while it would “be an apt name for an agile swashbuckler.”
Motivation
All sidekicks are characters in their own right and come with their own Traits, Ideals, Bonds and Flaws to give them their own unique personality.
Stats
Each sidekick come with its own full statblock in the recognised format.
Race
Rather than setting out generic templates, the sidekicks are provided with an optimal race for each archetype, though a Racial Modifications table is provided in the back of the supplement to allow quick and simple generalising of each archetype.
Progression
Detailed information on the progression of sidekick from level 1 onwards is provided. The progression up to 20th level is also provided on the second page of each archetype.
Archetypes
Deepwood Sniper. Rapid-fire archer extraordinaire
The only primarily ranged of the archetypes in this supplement, Deepwood Snipers are accomplished in the art of the bow and putting down targets from long range with more than a few tricks in their quivers. Patient, professional and aloof, Deepwood Snipers are unlikely to become your bosom buddy, but you’ll feel a hell of a lot safer with them watching your back.
Frenzied Berserker. Enraged barbarian meat shield.
These frenzied barbarians live for the fight, losing themselves in the blood and carnage... conveniently keeping foes occupied with their fury and cleaving axes. Again, not likely to become your best friend and you would wish to stay on their good side, but if you are wanting to keep enemies occupied while you do your thing, look no further.
Golem Servant. Mindless mechanical minion.
These large constructs will carry out your every command, provided those commands are in the region of “get in the way and smash with your massive metal fists.” Due to their synthetic nature, Golem Servants don’t need to be fed, watered, or changed, and their lack of ego means they are unlikely to need payment or want a share of your spoils. Just be sure to duck if they go into a frenzy.
This was my partner’s instant first choice, as a sturdy guard for her decidedly squishy high elf wizard, based on her character’s interest in the arcane construct and having an obedient servant. As a solo player in particular, she wanted the support without the need for more roleplaying due to the intense nature of duets.
In practice the big lug was very effective in combat, but not putting out enough damage to outshine a PC. Kalu, as my partner named her Golem, was good fun to roleplay with, despite her previous concerns, giving us a real good laugh as it did it’s best to clean up the mess it had made of a group of goblins and acted as a snow plough for her Elven Red Wizard, Elester.
Mystic Fist. Enlightened unarmed disciple.
The quintessential mindful martial artists. Possibly the most qualified and trustworthy bodyguard, as well as the least likely to turn on you, overcharge, or have disputes. There is the possibility of a personality clash with more materialistic and morally dubious parties.
Ogre Enforcer. Dim-witted brute hireling.
As long as the gold keeps coming, these big bastards will “smash em gud” with the ‘em’ being anyone who so much as looks at you the wrong way, which is unlikely due to how scary Ogre Enforcers are. There’s no other who can do what they do as effectively and look absolutely terrifying while doing it.
I particularly enjoyed the feature names on the levelling table for Ogre Enforcer such as, “bigger rok”, “nailz in da klub” and “swole up”.
Pit Fighter. Tactical & versatile mercenary cohort.
Pit Fighters make great allies stalwartly standing by their party and plying their bloody trade with hard-earned adaptability. Professional as they are resourceful, they can aid the party in combat, understanding teamwork, as well as the lawlessness of street fights.
This would be my pick for MVP simply for the all-round skills in combat, talents as a team player and most likely to be able to socialise with the rest of the party!
Ronin Retainer. Loyal & skilled samurai comrade.
These steadfast warriors of adept martial talent are positively covered in weapons, from the katana and wakizashi for up close, naginata for brute swinging and longbow for distance. There are few who can claim to be such a consummate fighter or to have such devotion to their principals and a true do or die mentality as these fighters. Ronin Retainers will always put the work in, but assaults, boss battles, and dungeons are where their devil may care determination for victory will shine. Again, there is the chance for a serious clash of morality and the finer points of honour.
Shield Knight. Valorous & honorable armored ally.
The Shield Knight is the tankiest tank that ever tanked, but due to their morality they are not in fact a tankie. Their Ideal is, “I am the shield against evil” but really, they are a living shield, which they literally become at level 20! This is your classic valiant knight of the protect the innocent and vanquish the evil variety. If you want someone you can you can really get behind, figuratively and literally, someone to take the brunt of combat and will do it with a smile, the Shield Knight is for you. Their binary morals could be a sticky wicket, but if you play your cards right you can have them so busy being a humanoid wall and so knackered on downtime, they won’t notice anything sketchy.
If I was playing a particularly pious character, Shield Knight would definitely be my go-to. I have an image of another melee character fighting shoulder to shoulder with them, and would enjoy throwing the huzzahs back and forth. The opposite could also make an interesting, if fractious, relationship for roleplay.
Stalwart Sentinel. Staunch support from the rear.
While the Shield Knight is the defence, Stalwart Sentinel is the offence...albeit from a distance, and if the Shield Knight is the babysitter of the group, Stalwart Sentinel is your buddy. They are swinging a halberd around like a helicopter, able to deal a massive amount of damage and maintain a perimeter of pain. This tactically thinking soldier follows orders and will work diligently for the party. Just remember, “Ye cannae touch this!”
Wardancer. Pure aggression & magic swords.
This humanoid whirling dervish literally has “Baneblades”, which are “special swords” that will tear through flesh, bones and bathtubs everywhere! Wardancers make the hacking and slashing of combat into an art form and will speak of its poetry at length of you allow them. Unfortunately, when you’re a sword everything looks like something to stab, so maybe don’t let the Wardancer be your lead negotiator.
Appendix
New Rules
Morale
“Sidekicks have feelings too, determined in large part by how well they’re treated by their leaders, employers, or masters.”
This nifty scale allows DMs to take note of the way a character and/ or the party treat their sidekick and give or deduct morale points. These begin at Indifferent, rise to Devoted and plummet to hostile with mechanical bonuses or penalties, possibly leading to your sidekick trying to kill you or working with your enemies at their lowest score. This is great simple system that reinforces the fact sidekicks are characters too and encourages players to treat them as such, learning their motivations and seeing the person behind the shield or spiked club.
Payment
This optional rule covers the expenses for sidekick who do not join the party for philanthropic reasons. While many do join for the fun of adventure and a share of treasures, others are pure mercenaries. This table provides a suggested percentage share of profits and cost per day in gold for levels through 1 to 20. Another effective and simple optional rule, enabling the party to actually take on sellswords.
Making Your Own
A step by step tutorial takes you through building your own sidekick, as well as advice on establishing their concept.
Step 1: Core Class
Step 2: Ability Scores
Step 3: Race
Step 4: Proficiencies
Step 5: 1st Level Features
Step 6: Level Progression
An example “swashbuckling musketeer” is built using the process with examples at each step.
Racial Modifications
An explanation about the archetypes in this supplement being created with a race to make them ready for quick play, as well as a table containing each of archetypes with the ability score increase and racial features to remove to have the base archetype template.
Tokens
A token of each Sidekick is presented, enabling them to be printed and cut to use at your table. Separate digital files are included for use in virtual tabletop games.
Martial Sidekicks ends with the teasers for upcoming Expert, Arcane and Divine Sidekicks, all of which I am thoroughly looking forward to!
Conclusion
This is a thoroughly well put together supplement with great layout and art, which definitely make it aesthetically pleasing. I thoroughly enjoy each archetype, and can see them fitting well into many parties after a little more pow.
At first glance these sidekicks seem somewhat more powerful than some in previously released supplements. But this partly comes from the fact we are dealing with Martial Sidekicks, primarily built for offence and damage dealing. They also seem to have more abilities, or at least more useful and potent abilities available to them. This is not a bad thing in the least, in fact I believe their strength is the strength of this supplement.
Using sidekicks is still a relatively new thing for folks on either side of the screen, and there are a lot of different supplements out there. Martial Sidekicks stands out for its clear focus and the amount of fun to be had with the archetypes. It is both a specific tool for a specific job, as well as just a great collection of sidekicks.
If you’re looking for muscle, protection or someone to smash or slash your enemies, this is the place to come! If you have gaps in your party that can be filled by fists, blades and/ or shields step right up. I would caution that there is a chance that unexperienced, those players who don’t and/ or never use all their abilities, as well as the chronically terrible rollers may feel they are being outshined by these refined combat-focused sidekicks. Though I do not believe it is the fault of the balancing, but the inherent risk of making effective and fun sidekicks to play. Making sidekicks enjoyable to play is really important, and this supplement does it bloody well! The wealth of fun, interesting and helpful abilities elevate these sidekicks from another body randomly swinging into the wind to colourful characters with some serious moves that are actually a lot do fun to play. There’s a fine line between being helpful and overshadowing the players, which Martial Sidekicks accomplishes by toeing the line.
The two-page layout is beautiful with great use of design and artwork, which works well as simple, aesthetic character sheet that’s easy to read in game. I find the level progression table clear and easy to follow, preferring it to the various pages of different levels with additional level boxes so often used in sidekick supplements. Having everything there is so much cleaner and there’s no flipping backwards and forwards. The only thing I would suggest as an addition would be a character sheet for each archetype, which could sit over one or other of the pages with space for adding the abilities and amending scores.
The additional rules are interesting and definitely add something the sidekick experiences, and the Create Your Own and Racial Modifications table are clear and easy to use. The provided tokens are a great touch.
This is a straight forward quality supplement, well worth checking out!
Credits
Avatar Games
Game Designer: Amit Sarkar
Editors: Trevor Armstrong, Jeffrey Fischer
Art Director: Amit Sarkar
Artists: Geun Cheol Jang, Bob Greyvenstein, Dean Spencer, Critical-Hit, Faraz Shanyar
Layout Editor: Amit Sarkar
Graphic Designer: Nathanael Roux
Game Design Consultants: Kayla Bayens, Stuart Broz, Jos Wijchgel
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