Companions of the Lost Mine 1
Each combat can include a maximum of one
Battle Companions battle companion. The players should decide who
goes into battle with the party if multiple NPCs
Every combat encounter can be its own story—a qualify. Changing which NPC acts as a battle
tale with its own heroes and villains, its own tension companion takes an hour or longer as their new
and plot. And like any good story, a good combat ally gears up, prepares spells, and otherwise readies
can be ruined by poor pacing. When combat has themselves for combat. This roster change can be
too many combatants taking too many turns, it can made during a short or long rest.
slow the whole session down into a slog, and allied
nonplayer characters (NPCs) can exacerbate that Making Battle Companions
problem.
The rules here model a new, faster way to include The anatomy of a battle companion is very simple:
such NPC allies. These battle companions’ abstract just choose an ability! Each battle companion has
mechanics keep them from slowing the action, two RAD features: the Teamwork feature and one
while their radical-and-daring (RAD) features make more that you select from the samples provided
combat fun without unbalancing the conflict or below. (Alternately, make up a new RAD feature to
taking the spotlight from the players. pair with Teamwork.)
Choose and flavor RAD features to match
Narrative Presence the battle companion’s concept. For example,
you might select a RAD feature that knocks
A battle companion has only a “narrative presence” down enemies if the battle companion is a burly
on the battlefield. The battle companion’s giant who rolls boulders like bowling balls, a
bookkeeping is cut down simply by ignoring its seductive siren whose song lulls enemies to sleep
position and health. Although a battle companion for a moment, or a frightening dragon whose
could come to harm through a narrative fiat as the countenance makes foes cower or grovel, dropping
story demands, they’re protected by the following prone.
rules:
✪ The battle companion’s position, movement, Radical-and-Daring Features
range, and line of sight aren’t tracked. RAD features are easy to apply but have a few
✪ The battle companion can’t be harmed or restrictions.
otherwise affected by enemies.
✪ The battle companion isn’t subject to ✪ The battle companion’s RAD features don’t use
impediments or hazards on the battlefield. attack rolls, nor do enemy targets get saving
throws.
The goal of abstracting the Battle Companion into ✪ An enemy with Legendary Resistance can spend
a narrative presence is to reduce mental overhead. one use of that trait to ignore a single use of a
RAD feature that targets it.
Running a Battle Companion ✪ An enemy that presents Overwhelming Odds
The battle companion has several special rules for (its challenge rating is 3 or more points higher
its own activity during combat. than the party’s average level) can’t be targeted
✪ The battle companion’s turn occurs immediately by RAD features except Teamwork.
after all other combatants take their turns in the Each RAD feature has an “affinity” upgrade. This
round, but some RAD features let it act earlier stronger version is a reward for players roleplaying
in the round. with the NPC, engaging with the character to a
✪ The battle companion has no effect on combat degree that creates familiarity and enhances the
except to use one RAD feature each round. battle companion’s combat synergy with the party.
✪ The player with the lowest initiative is the You determine when (or if) the players achieve this
designated “RAD Wrangler,” which is the affinity with an NPC, unlocking the more potent
person who decides which RAD feature the versions of the battle companion’s RAD features.
companion will use, who they target, and any On the next page are some sample mechanics for
other parameters for the feature. RAD features, including ways to fit them into the
✪ With the exception of Teamwork, the RAD combat descriptively and their affinity upgrades.
Wrangler can’t apply the same RAD feature to
the same target(s), whether allies or enemies,
for two rounds in a row.
2 MatthewPerkins.net
Companions of Aggressive Parry
the Lost Mine Spry beyond his years, the old knight’s
training allows him to harry an enemy
This section explores the cast of characters in Lost with great efficiency, lunging in to disrupt
Mine of Phandelver. It gives a fun RAD feature its attacks and spinning away to avoid
to some NPCs that are likely to join the party. retaliation.
Many of these NPCs have important personal Select one enemy. If the creature is Medium or
stories. Introduced correctly, these NPCs can foster smaller, all its attack rolls in the coming round have
exploration and discovery, motivating the party to disadvantage. If the creature is larger, only the first
travel the Triboar Trail and delve into Wave Echo of its attacks has disadvantage.
Cave. Affinity. The old knight can better defend
Since players are often unpredictable, a few party members on the battlefield. He can apply
generic NPCs appear here too, as do some enemies disadvantage to all his target’s attacks even if it is
who might change sides or might join the party Large or smaller.
while pretending to be allies.
Staredown
Teamwork
Our Bart is a no-nonsense straight-shooter
The battle companion presses the foe, relieving who, although generally kind, won’t hesitate
pressure on allies or creating openings for the to make threats or stare down the bad guys.
party to strike.
Bart’s piercing gaze intimidates one creature that
Every battle companion possesses this RAD can see him, causing its confidence to waiver.
feature. The battle companion targets one ally. In Until the end of its next turn, the enemy has
the coming round, that ally can claim advantage disadvantage on attack rolls and on ability checks to
on a single attack roll or ability check they make. shove or grapple another creature.
Teamwork is the only RAD feature which can target Affinity. The affected creature “retreats” from
the same enemy on successive rounds or affect foes Bart; move it 10 feet in any direction. This uses
which present Overwhelming Odds. the creature’s movement but does not provoke
Affinity. The battle companion can instead use opportunity attacks.
this RAD feature as a reaction at any point in the
round, targeting an ally as they makes a saving
throw. The NPC grants advantage to that ally’s
save. This ability must be declared before the ally
has rolled their saving throw.
Rolling Rock
The dwarf lowers his shoulder and bowls
through the enemies at a strategic moment,
knocking around these startled foes.
Select one enemy; regardless of its size, that target
falls prone. If the creature is Medium or smaller,
you can also push it up to 10 feet in any direction.
Affinity. The dwarf gets vengeful when his allies
are harmed. He can affect two enemies if at least
one of them inflicted damage on an ally in the
current round.
Companions of the Lost Mine 3
Luck’s a Bitch Bone Tackle
Sister Gee knows when you’ve been pushing
The dwarf’s magic raises skeletal arms from
your luck and when it’s about to run out.
the earth. These bony appendages claw at an
She’s always ready with a handy curative for
enemy, tangling it in a necromantic embrace.
her friends.
Pick one foe of Medium or smaller size; that
Once per round, when one of Sister Gee’s allies is
creature is grappled until the end of the following
about to roll a d20 for an attack roll, ability check,
round, when the Necromancer can again invoke
or saving throw, the priestess can invoke her deity’s
this effect against another target.
luck. If the d20 roll results in an odd number, add
Affinity. When a foe currently grappled by this
1d4 to the result.
effect hits one of the necromancer’s allies with a
Affinity. The bonus to the roll’s result is 1d6
melee weapon attack, the rest of the necromancer’s
instead of 1d4.
magical creation—something vaguely skeleton-
Blinding Curse shaped—erupts from the earth to intercept it. This
changes the hit into a miss, though it destroys
Shatter Staff levels a curse at a recalcitrant the bony conjuration, freeing that foe from the
foe, striking it blind! grappled condition.
Select one foe that has eyes. That creature is
blinded until the end of the following round. Big Bully
Affinity. The affected creature’s movement is also
halved until the end of the following round. The bugbear charges across the battlefield like
a bellowing bull, lifting allies and throwing
them out of harm’s way.
The bugbear scoops up an ally then, hands
overhead, rushes that creature over to a more
advantageous position on the battlefield. Select an
ally of Medium size or smaller and move it to an
unoccupied space within 60 feet. This does not use
the target’s movement. If the affected character
opts to become prone upon arrival at the new
location, having been thrown or rolled for part of
the distance, that ally’s movement does not provoke
opportunity attacks.
Affinity. Draw the shortest line possible between
the affected ally’s starting location and ending
location. The line can bend, but only if doing so
is necessary to take it around impassible obstacles.
Up to three enemies within 5 feet of that line are
knocked prone as the bugbear bowls past.
4 MatthewPerkins.net
Piercing Piece Dark Whispering
The goblin sings an annoying song. The The banshee sweeps across the battlefield,
limericks are catchy but nonsensical, and the singling out foes and speaking dark portents
widely-wavering pitch is hard to tune out. into their ears. The banshee’s targeted
Cunning allies can make good use of the attention creates a visceral terror in those who
distraction the goblin’s song provides. hear her words.
Enemies that can hear have disadvantage on The banshee’s voice terrorizes one enemy, causing
concentration checks and on Wisdom (Perception) it to huddle in place. During the following round,
checks. that creature can use its normal move for the turn
Affinity. The goblin can improvise lyrics for or use its action, but it cannot do both.
one enemy that can hear, singing in a particularly Affinity. The affected creature also falls prone
distracting way. In addition to the normal effect, and remains prone during the following round.
the target creature’s movement is halved in the
coming round. Gory Feast
Fair Warning The owlbear, ever hungry, charges across the
battlefield toward a newly-injured foe, feasting
The nothic’s ability to read the foes’ surface on the exposed innards. A fallen foe won’t
thoughts lets it shout warnings to nearby keep the beast’s attention for long; the owlbear
allies, allowing them to react to the creature’s will rush from enemy to enemy, trailing the
prescience and get into more-advantageous ropey bowels of its most recent feast, drawn to
positions. the excitement of fresh gore.
At the start of combat, and at the start of each Once each round when an ally inflicts piercing or
round thereafter, each of Ixal’s allies can use a slashing damage on an enemy, the owlbear rushes
reaction to move a distance equal to half that ally’s over for a feast; the damaged creature suffers 2d6
normal movement speed. This does not use the slashing damage at the end of the current turn.
allies’ normal movement for their turns. Affinity. If the damaged enemy falls to 0 hit
Affinity. The granted movement does not points at the end of the turn—killed by the
provoke opportunity attacks. owlbear’s feasting—the owlbear loses interest
and flings the corpse at another enemy. If that
Flash Fire secondary target is within 20 feet of the primary
target, and the primary target is Medium or
The wizard stands ready to exploit openings smaller, the secondary target takes the remainder of
created in battle, flinging deadly fire at your the owlbear’s damage as bludgeoning damage. For
foes. example, if the owlbear’s damage roll is 8 and the
Once per round, when one of the wizard’s allies primary target had only 2 hit points remaining, the
misses an attack, she evokes a deadly arc of power secondary target takes 6 damage. (If the primary
that burns the target. The missed foe takes your target was already at 0 hit points at the end of the
choice of 2d6 fire damage or 2d6 acid damage. turn, all 8 damage would transfer to the secondary
Affinity. The damage increases to 3d6. target.)
Companions of the Lost Mine 5
a liking to you!
Pack Tactics
Whether playful or ferocious, the wolf’s
presence distracts enemies. The creature leaps
in as allies attack, getting underfoot, nipping
and tripping the foe.
Choose one foe. In the coming round, all allies
have advantage on melee weapon attacks against
that foe.
Affinity. The first time an ally hits the targeted
creature with a melee weapon attack during the
round, the wolf takes advantage of the enemy’s
reaction or imbalance; it snatches a weapon or
other held item from the enemy’s hand and runs
off, depositing the item somewhere within 40 feet
of that enemy.
Credits
Writer: Randall Right • At the beginning of your turn in combat
roll an Animal Handling check (DM determines dif
Steel Patrons: Abbi Taylor, BlackbirdofTx, Brian
Smith, Caitlin Bellinger, Charles Bryant, Cody
Nevel, Craig Savage, David Dyer, David McCall,
Enrico Viscione, Flowers, James Makkyla, Jill Potter,
• If you succeed, your first attack roll of your
Joseph Brown, Justin Rossman, krishna chivukula,
Kyle Somers, Lara Ty, Luke Hermann, Luke Rule,
is made with advantage as the wolf distrac
Max David, Michael Dodds, Paul Carmichael, Paul
S, Phillip Brown, Platypulogist, Scott Thomas,
SonOfSofaman, Steve Yahner, Thomas Dutton, Tim,
William Bond
your opponent.
Everything Else: Matthew Perkins (@ heyitsMattyP)
• If you roll a
This work includes material taken from the System on your Animal Handling ch
the wolf flees.
Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of
the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.
com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD
5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution
• The wolf’s curiosity fades and it leaves th
4.0 International License available at https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Originally published 30/07/2022
group when you take a short or long rest.
Latest version 13/05/2023
6 MatthewPerkins.net
