A companion is a wild animal you have tamed that walks at your side. Each kind of animal helps in its own way: the fox and the wolf bite, the rabbit casts spells on you, the deer carries things, the sheep draws enemies away from you. Companions gain levels, learn talents, can wear their own gear, and are never killed: at worst they are knocked out for a while.
CONTENTS
Getting a companion
Every animal in the wild can be tamed with its own treat. See Taming for how. The first animal you tame becomes your companion. Tame another while you already have one, and the new one goes home to your Goddess as one of The Herd (you need a Goddess for that).
You keep one companion at a time. The Shepherd's Bell (Shepherd's Bell), the gift of a five-heart Rancher (see Tenants), lets a second companion walk with you. The first one is the one you can ride; SWAP on its page changes which is first. Take the Bell off and the second goes home.
You can keep 5 animals in all (your companion and every animal at home), plus 4 more for each Jewel you hold, up to 25 with all five.
The kinds and what they do
| Animal | What it does with you | Base health |
|---|---|---|
| Fox | Runs at enemies attacking you and bites. | 24 |
| Wolf | The hunter: runs down enemies attacking you and bites, fast and often. Can be ridden. | 34 |
| Bear | The champion: slow, heavy blows that stun and knock enemies back and down. Can be ridden. | 64 |
| Cow | The bruiser: charges enemies, knocking them down; nothing knocks it back. Gives you milk once a day. Can be ridden. | 42 |
| Sheep | The guard: enemies attack it instead of you, and its fleece takes 40% less damage. It butts back. | 30 |
| Hen | The forager: pecks three times at once, dodges 1 in 3 blows, draws enemies to itself, and finds seeds and odds and ends. | 12 |
| Rabbit | Casts spells on you in a fight: heals you, makes blows glance off, makes your blows harder. | 14 |
| Bird | Rides on your hood; in a fight it flies up and swoops at enemies attacking you. | 12 |
| Raven | Watches from nearby trees; in a fight it flies up and casts fire, lightning or frost, then rests. | 14 |
| Frog | Lashes its tongue from range and poisons what it hits. | 16 |
| Deer | Carries things in its saddlebags and keeps clear of fights. Can be ridden. | 30 |
Each animal's own page has its numbers by level.
Its page and commands
Your companion has its own page on the stats screen (K), next to the Wanderer's. It shows its name (RENAME to change it, up to 12 letters), its level and how far it is to the next, what it does with the numbers for now and for the next level, its traits, its build and what it loves. At the foot are its commands:
- FOLLOW (1): it stays by you. It finds its way round rocks and trees, leaps up and down ledges two steps high and up onto roofs you stand on, and keeps pace with you. If it is stuck or left far behind, it turns up beside you.
- STAY (2): it waits where it is, however far you go.
- SEND HOME (3): it walks home to your Goddess and becomes one of The Herd. Inside a pen in her land the button reads STAY IN RANCH, and it joins the herd in that pen.
- GIVE A TREAT: uses one of its treats (see below).
- SADDLEBAGS (the deer only): opens its bags.
- RELEASE: asked twice; it goes back to the wild for good. Empty a deer's saddlebags first.
While you sleep, a companion that is following you lies down by the bed's foot, and a night's sleep heals it fully.
Levels
A companion starts at level 1 and grows to level 20. It learns by helping you: every bite, swoop, spell or find gives it a little experience, and treats give more. Level L needs 30 + 25 × L experience to reach the next, so level 1 to 2 takes 55 and level 19 to 20 takes 505 (5,320 in all).
Each level adds 12% of its base health, makes its blows and spells stronger, and gives it one new talent to choose (19 by level 20). A deer's saddlebags hold 5 + its level pockets, up to 14.
Build and traits
Every animal has a build of four stats from 1 to 10. A wild one rolls each from 2 to 6.
| Stat | What it changes |
|---|---|
| STRENGTH | How hard it hits: 5% more or less for each point above or below 4. |
| SPEED | How fast it keeps up: 2.5% for each point. |
| VITALITY | Its health: 5% for each point. |
| WITS | How soon it acts again (2.5% sooner for each point) and how fast it learns (2% for each point). |
Animals also have traits. A wild one has one (62 in 100), two (31 in 100) or three (7 in 100). Animals born at home can gather up to eight (see The Herd).
| Trait | What it does |
|---|---|
| Brave | Hits 15% harder. |
| Swift | Runs 12% quicker to keep up. |
| Bright | Learns 20% faster. |
| Greedy | Treats give it 50% more experience. |
| Keen | Acts 15% sooner between its moves. |
| Sturdy | 20% more health. |
| Tough | Takes 20% less damage. |
| Hardy | Heals twice as fast. |
| Plucky | Keeps fighting until it is below 20% health instead of 35%. |
Health, getting hurt and knocked out
Enemies may go for your companion instead of you when it is nearer. Its health shows as a thin bar over it while it is hurt.
- Below 35% of its health it backs away from the fight and keeps you between it and what is coming.
- Once nothing has hit it for 6 seconds, it heals 2% of its health a second.
- A treat heals it fully (see below). A night's sleep heals it fully.
- At 0 health it is knocked out, never killed. It lies where it fell for 30 seconds, and enemies leave it alone; then it gets up with a third of its health. If it was following you and you go far away or into a dungeon, it is brought along to you.
Treats for your companion
Each kind of animal has its own treat, made at a crafting table (the TREATS tab; see Taming). Given to your companion, a treat gives it 45 experience (68 with the Greedy trait) and heals it completely.
Gear and talents
Each kind of animal has its own armour or clothing, made at the Companion Workshop: see Companion Gear. Talents are chosen at each level: see Talents. The deer, cow, wolf and bear can be ridden once they learn the Saddle talent: see Riding.
Swapping with an animal at home
At home, E on one of your herd and choose to make it your companion: it comes along and your current companion stays home in its place. You have to be in your Goddess's land to do this. A little one too young to leave, or one that is knocked out, can't come yet.
