Creating Sidekicks based on Tasha's CoE

[Titus54]

I just watched Zacchaeus' video on making sidekicks using the new rules from Tasha's CoE. Now I know what I did wrong my first time trying to do it.

But a question arises based on the description in the book on how it should be done. "You take that stat block and add to it, ..."
This is what I did when I first had trouble figuring out how to use the sidekick classes. So I copied a Goblin stat block and edited it to add the levels of Expert to it. It worked okay for the game session. But I wanted to use the automated sidekick classes because it will be easier to maintain and use as the campaign progresses. I want to let the players handle the sidekicks during the game.

So for creating a sidekick in FGU, we should create the "PC" with the abilities, skills, hit points, traits, etc. from the stat block. Then we can add the sidekick class level(s) to it. Our sidekick will have all the attributes it had as the base creature, plus what it gains from levels in the sidekick class.

Am I interpreting this correctly?

[Zacchaeus]

Yes, as the video showed. Create a new PC and give it the ability scores of the creature and add in any of the creature's traits or features manually. For animals and such you may also need to add in things like bite attacks or other special things depending on the creature used. You'll also want to edit the class to what you want it to be (again as shown in the video). Then add in your first level of that class to the PC. The players can then use your amended class for future level ups etc.

And welcome to FG.

[Titus54]

Zacchaeus, thanks for the confirmation.

I was able to use the information in your video to figure out how to create the sidekicks. The video was clear about how to properly apply the sidekick classes in Fantasy Grounds.

What had me questioning my understanding was the it looked like the kobold's hit points were wrong after the level up. I realized after reviewing the video that the 5 HP was not the original HPs from the basic kobold, but rather
0 HP + 6 HP (from class) + (-1) CON MOD. I was expecting it to be 10 HP because the base kobold had 5 HP. I figured it was probably an oversight based on expediency while making the video. But I wanted to clarify that it was not deliberate. Thanks for clarifying.

This video was very helpful and informative. Besides learning how to use the sidekick classes in FGU, I learned a lot about how the Class system works in FGU. Several months ago I purchased additional types of sidekicks on DMGuild.com. I believe I learned enough from your video to incorporate any of those if I want to by copying and modifying one of the base sidekicks classes. I am making Expert D6, Expert D8, Expert D10, Warrior D6, Healer D6, Mage D6, etc. That should cover most of the needs and then I just have to pick the correct hit dice size and apply that class.

I have watched a lot of your videos and found them very informative. I have bookmarked several of them for quick reference.
Thanks for doing them.

[Titus54]

Zacchaeus, One More Thing.

I think your video on using the sidekicks classes is very important for understanding how to make them work. At least for those of us not used to tinkering with the guts of FGU.

If it was allowed, it would be helpful to put a special note in the reference manual section on Sidekicks referring people to the video.

Possibly add a BOLD reference/link to it on the product page in the store. "We highly recommend this video for understanding how to..."

Or maybe create classes for the different hit dice. (Expert D8, Warrior D6, Spellcaster Healer D8, etc.)

[Zacchaeus]

Zacchaeus, One More Thing.

I think your video on using the sidekicks classes is very important for understanding how to make them work. At least for those of us not used to tinkering with the guts of FGU.

If it was allowed, it would be helpful to put a special note in the reference manual section on Sidekicks referring people to the video.

Possibly add a BOLD reference/link to it on the product page in the store. "We highly recommend this video for understanding how to..."

Or maybe create classes for the different hit dice. (Expert D8, Warrior D6, Spellcaster Healer D8, etc.)

I did think of adding more sidekick classes but there would still be edits needed based on the NPC used and there are hundreds of those so I left it at just the three. Adding a link to the videos might be helpful so I'll think about that; and/or adding more explanation in the refmanual itself.

[Titus54]

I did think of adding more sidekick classes but there would still be edits needed based on the NPC used and there are hundreds of those so I left it at just the three. Adding a link to the videos might be helpful so I'll think about that; and/or adding more explanation in the refmanual itself.

I went ahead and created 15 Sidekick classes. (Hit Dice d6, d8 and d10 for classes Expert, Healer, Mage, Prodigy and Warrior)
It was mostly just copy/paste and a little text editing.
I didn't worry about the saving throw since that is easy to set on the main tab of the character sheet.
I didn't find any CR 1/2 or lower creatures with Hit Dice size larger than D10 and I didn't think I would be making sidekicks of any of the d4 creatures, but if want to I can just use the original classes included.

I don't really expect to be making a lot of sidekicks, but this way I won't have to look up what needs changing 6 months from now.

The biggest task will be having to transfer the data from a creature stat block to a PC character sheet. In some cases, it may just be easier to copy and edit the stat block.

Thanks for making this video and for all the other ones you have posted.

[blazingwebs]

stupid question... where is the video?

[Zacchaeus]

stupid question... where is the video?

They are all linked here https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?63715-Videos-for-Tasha&p=557113#post557113

[blazingwebs]

Thanks, it was informative. Question though; if you create a sidekick as a PC instead of an NPC he/she ends up feeding on party experience, correct? Why wouldn't I just create the sidekick as an NPC and assign it to the player? I am asking because I go live with my campaign in two weeks and I have already created the sidekick NPCs for my players but i want to know what the ramifications of my method are before proceeding.

[Zacchaeus]

Sidekicks get experience just like the PCs do; so yes they should be on the party sheet and level up just like player characters. If you don't like that idea then don't put them on the party sheet and they won't get experience. (The idea behind sidekicks is really to fill out a smaller party or for playing with just one PC - see the Dragon of Icespire Peak for an adventure specifically written with sidekicks in mind).

You can alos of course create them as NPCs but then you'll need to manually level them up instead of using drag and drop.

[blazingwebs]

I don't believe that is accurate. Please see the excerpt from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Additionally, there is no experience table I can find for sidekicks. I am not trying to be argumentative, I just want to make sure I understand the RAW.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/tcoe/dungeon-masters-tools#LevelingUpaSidekick

"Leveling Up a Sidekick
Whenever a group’s average level goes up, the sidekick gains a level. It doesn’t matter how much of the group’s recent adventures the sidekick experienced; the sidekick levels up because of a combination of the adventures it shared with the group and its own training."

[Zacchaeus]

Ah, yes you are correct. I clearly didn't read the stuff enough when I was developing it. I knew they levelled up and assumed they'd get xp as normal. My bad.

Then my second suggestion is apposite - don't put the sidekicks on the Party sheet and they won't get any xp.

[Titus54]

So far I have only used sidekicks in Dragon of Icespire Peak which I run as an alternate game when I don't have a quorum for my main game. That adventure uses milestone leveling, so XP distribution has not been an issue.

As far as I have found, Tasha's sidekicks rules don't talk about giving XPs to the sidekicks (I might have missed it). They suggest that when the PCs level up, the sidekicks should level up. They also suggest that the sidekicks be the same level as the PCs. Both of those suggestions are ones I will ignore when it suits me. If I am using XP leveling and the sidekicks are the same level as the PCs, I would distribute XPs to the sidekicks.

A lot of this will depend on how and why the sidekicks are traveling with the PCs. Are they hirelings being paid wages? Are they fellow adventurers getting full shares of loot?
If you don't want to distribute XPs to the sidekicks, you can remove them from the Party Sheet, distribute the XPs and then add them back on. The same could be done if the sidekicks are not getting shares of loot.