Re: Nonhuman Sidekicks

From: bethexton_at_...
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 18:11:46 -0000

wrote:
>
> > The rules (p.84 for reference) also go on to suggest that you can
> > still add up to three additional abilities to the natural
abilities
>
> So then is Bill, in the first example, hamstringing himself by
> choosing natural abilities for some of his Bison's three special
> abilities? Or are the natural bison abilities stuck at their
default
> level unless they are included in the three special abilities?
>
My understanding, and I'm best an initiate in the cult of HQ rules so am not sure of all the deeper secrets, is that the creatures normals stats are treated rather like a keyword. That is, you can't raise them. So if he wanted to raise one of its natural abilities with his 15 points, he had to choose it for one of the three abilities.

The same applies with sidekicks with normal keywords, by the way. So if you have a warrior sidekick, and want his sword combat to be better than 17, you have to choose "sword combat" as one of the three abilities and then apply some of the 15 points against it.

In either case the idea is that most of what the sidekick is should be defined by the keyword or creature type. Then there are three abilities that are out of the orginary for that keyword or creature. They could be abilities that most people/animals like that wouldn't have, or it could be typical abilities in which they are just better.

Note that it does not say anywhere that you can't buy new abilities for your sidekick in play, if you really want to. Say you wanted to raise one of your sidekicks keyword/animal abilities that was not in the initial three, you'd pay one hero point to buy it at its starting value (17 for a keyword, default creature level for a creature). For a brand new ability it would start at 13. In either case, you could increase it from there just as with the other three abilities.

--Bryan