Rob wrote:
> Hey, don't let me stand in the way of MGF, as of course YGWV. I
was
> merely reciting the rules as I remember them.
No problem. My enthusiastic support of Nick stemmed from my personal recitation and interpretation of the rules. :)
> Exaactly what would be the framework you
> would hang this on? Or have no rules at all? Or use the keyword +
> 3 abilities just as a starter?
I definitely go with the rules as written and start a sidekick with a keyword (or natural species abilities) + 3 additional abilities (if the player wants them -- I've gathered they're optional). From there, sidekick improvement should follow the same rules for hero improvement, because, in effect, they are improvements to the complete hero concept.
The best examples I can think of for the hero-sidekick relationship come from Greek mythology. Achilles and Patroclus leaps immediately to mind, although Gilgamesh and Enkidu from Sumerian myth comes to mind as well. In both cases, it's clear who the real hero is, and ultimately that hero operates independently of the sidekick, but the sidekick is an integral part of the hero. A counter-balance or a complement if you will.
Obviously not all sidekicks need take on such strong roles as Patroclus or Enkidu, but that's one model for a second-tier character that doesn't have to be either another player character or narrator-controlled character. I think the sidekick rules can support this model nicely.
!i!
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