A sidekick is a specialized character build designed to accompany and support your party in Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Using sidekick rules allows you to start with a low-level stat block and add skills and features that improve their support for the party and allow them to scale levels alongside the party.
It can be helpful to use the sidekick build for a simple player character or an NPC that accompanies the party along their adventures. The sidekick can be a humanoid, an animal, or another type of creature, and they can have different classes that dictate how they will support your party. There are a lot of different ways to build and play a sidekick.
Features Of A Sidekick
Stats
To start a sidekick, you choose any stat block in the Monster Manual or any other source book as long as that creature’s challenge rating is 1/2 or lower. This stat block serves as the baseline for your sidekick.
Levels
The sidekick starts at the same level as the party’s average level, and levels alongside the party. The benefits of leveling up depend on your sidekick class.
Hit Points
The sidekick gains one hit die for every level above first. You use the hit dice listed in the stat block you choose for your sidekick. In addition, roll one of these hit dice every time the sidekick gains a level, add its constitution modifier, and add that number to its maximum hit points.
When a sidekick falls unconscious, they make death saving throws in the same way a player character would.
Proficiency Bonus
The sidekick’s proficiency bonus starts at two and increases by one point each at fifth, ninth, thirteenth, and seventeenth level, to a maximum of six.
Ability Score Increases
The sidekick gains an ability score increase every four levels just like a player character. They also gain an additional ability score improvement at either eighteenth or nineteenth level depending on the class you choose.
Additionally, when you create a sidekick, you can choose between three specialized classes: the expert, the spellcaster, and the warrior. Each of these classes fulfills a certain role within the party and has a different range of benefits.
The Expert Sidekick
The expert is well-versed in certain knowledge. The expert makes use of quick feet and advanced knowledge to assist your party with intelligence and specialized information. When choosing your starting stat block for the expert, keep in mind the creature must speak at least one language.
It’s best to introduce an expert sidekick if the party is entering a region they don’t know a lot about, or if the entire party is working with a low intelligence.
Proficiencies
The expert gains proficiency in either Dexterity, Intelligence, or Charisma saving throws. They also gain proficiency in light armor, all simple weapons, any two tools, and any five skills.
Features
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Feature |
Description |
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Helpful |
At first level, the sidekick gains the ability to take the Help action as a bonus action. |
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Cunning Action |
At second level, the sidekick gains the ability to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action. |
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Expertise |
At third level, the sidekick gains expertise in any two skill proficiencies, meaning its proficiency bonus is doubled for those skills. |
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Coordinated Strike |
At sixth level, the sidekick’s Help action becomes more powerful. They can use Help on an ally’s attack roll from up to 30 feet away, and if the sidekick attacks the same enemy on the same turn they can deal an extra 2d6 damage. |
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Evasion |
At seventh level, if the sidekick is making a Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage, they take no damage on a successful save and only half damage on a failed one. |
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Inspiring Help |
At eleventh level, the sidekick grants their allies a 1d6 bonus to their d20 roll when they take the Help action. If the roll is an attack roll, the ally instead adds the 1d6 to the damage from the attack. This benefit increases to 2d6 at twentieth level. |
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Reliable Talent |
At fourteenth level, the sidekick treats any ability check where they roll a nine or lower as if they had rolled a ten, as long as they are proficient in the skill. |
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Sharp Mind |
At eighteenth level, the sidekick gains proficiency in either Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom saving throws. |
The expert is best utilized as a quick-footed combat support and a reliable ability check on certain skills. Make sure that their areas of expertise match the party’s current mission.
The Spellcaster Sidekick
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The spellcaster class embodies all sources of magic and gives your sidekick access to certain spell lists. This sidekick must be able to speak at least one language.
Proficiencies
At first level, the spellcaster gains proficiency in either Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma saving throws. They also choose two proficiencies from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, or Religion. They gain proficiency with light armor and all simple weapons as well.
Spellcasting
At first level, the sidekick gains access to certain spell lists based on which spellcasting role you choose.
- Mage: Wizard spell list, cast using Intelligence
- Healer: Cleric and Druid spell list, cast using Wisdom
- Prodigy: Bard and Warlock spell list, cast using Charisma
Choose a spell list that is not reflected in the party, or else choose whichever one best reflects the backstory of your sidekick. For example, a priest sidekick would be a healer whereas an inherently magical creature may be a prodigy.
The sidekick knows two cantrips and one spell at first level, and the amount of known spells increases as they gain levels. They never gain access to spells above fifth level.
Features
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Feature |
Description |
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Potent Cantrips |
At sixth level, the spellcaster adds its spellcasting ability modifier to any damage it deals with a cantrip. |
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Empowered Spells |
At fourteenth level, the spellcaster can choose one school of magic and add its spellcasting ability modifier to any damage or healing they deal from that school. |
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Focused Casting |
The sidekick cannot lose concentration on a spell from taking damage. |
The spellcaster will never be the most powerful caster in a party, so it is best for them to focus on support spells that either heal allies, or incapacitate and inconvenience enemies in any way possible.
The Warrior Sidekick
The warrior is a strong, martial combat sidekick that will help assist and protect the party during fighting. This is the best sidekick to choose if you are working with a creature that doesn’t speak, as it doesn’t require a language.
Proficiencies
The warrior gains proficiency in either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throws. They gain proficiency in all armor, all shields, and all simple and martial weapons. In addition, they can choose proficiency in two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, or Survival.
Features
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Feature |
Description |
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Martial Role |
At first level, the warrior chooses to play as an attacker and gain a +2 bonus to all attack rolls, or play as a defender and use its reaction to impose disadvantage on attack rolls against their allies within five feet. |
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Second Wind |
At second level, the warrior can use its bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10+its level once per long rest, or twice per long rest at twentieth level. |
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Improved Critical |
At third level, the warrior can treat an attack roll of 19 or 20 as a critical hit. |
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Extra Attack |
At fifth level the warrior gains the ability to attack twice when it takes the Attack action, and three times once it reaches fifteenth level. |
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Battle Readiness |
At seventh level the warrior gains advantage on initiative rolls. |
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Improved Defense |
At tenth level the sidekick gains one extra point to its Armor Class. |
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Indomitable |
At eleventh level the sidekick can reroll a failed saving throw once per long rest, or twice per long rest at eighteenth level. |
The warrior is best to introduce if a party has a hard time defending itself, or if they will be going up against an especially difficult boss fight.
Who Can Play A Sidekick?
The sidekick can be played a couple of different ways, depending on how your party wants to tell their story.
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Example |
Description |
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DM Sidekick |
Try the Dungeon Master as the sidekick. This option works best if the sidekick is an established NPC joining the party, or if the choices they will make during play have a significance to the story of the campaign. |
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Collaborative Sidekick |
The party can play the sidekick jointly. This option works best if the sidekick is simply there to provide support in combat or in exploration, as the party can work together to make the best of the sidekick’s in-game benefits and share the added responsibility of a second character. |
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Secondary Sidekick |
One player can play the sidekick as a second character. This option works best if the sidekick is connected to a certain player character – an old friend, a spouse, or a bestial companion attached to a specific character’s backstory or in-game actions. While it can be fun to play a second character, it can also slow down play if one or more player characters are trying to keep track of multiple characters at all times. Limiting the number of sidekicks active in one party at one time will help streamline play. |
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Solo Sidekick |
One player can play the sidekick as their only character. This is a good choice if a player wants to play a character that is simpler than building an entire new player character. This is also a good choice if the player will only be playing with the party for a short time. |