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  Sidekicks Essentials
  
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS 
  The ofﬁcial rules for sidekicks in Dungeons and 
  Dragons 5th Edition ﬁrst appear in appendix A of 
  the Essentials Kit Rulebook and are designed to 
  allow the game to be played with as few as two 
  people: the Dungeon Master and a single player. 
  Sidekicks Essentials expands these rules and 
  provides additional types of sidekicks and 
  example personalities to round them out.
  SUPPLEMENT OVERVIEW 
  Sidekicks Essentials is divided into three sections:
  Playing with Sidekicks. A recap of the ofﬁcial 
  rules for sidekicks is accompanied by additional 
  optional rules for sidekick loyalty, controlling the 
  sidekick, and level advancement.
  Sidekick Stat Blocks. A collection of sidekick 
  stat blocks and leveling tables is expanded from 
  the original Expert, Spellcaster, and Warrior to 
  include:
  • The Archer, who strikes with precision from 
  afar.
  • The Berseker, a crazed killing machine. 
  • The Criminal, an underworld expert of 
  deception and theft.
  • The Knight, a bastion of self-sacriﬁce.
  • The Magician, an arcane ally.
  • The Medic, because nobody likes dying alone.
  • The Minstrel, whose songs hopefully prove to 
  be more useful than they are annoying.
  Sidekick Personalities. 11 named companions 
  you can match to a sidekick stat block, each with 
  art, personalities, ideals, bonds, and ﬂaws. All are 
  formatted to be printed matching the handout 
  cards included in the Essentials Kit boxed set.
  CREDITS 
  Crafted by Paul Metzger.  
  metzpaul on twitter and gmail.
  Cover image Meeting of King Ferdinand of 
  Hungary and the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain 
  at Nördlingen by Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 
  - 1640). Pubic Domain. Courtesy the J. Paul Getty 
  Museum, Los Angeles
  Some artwork courtesy Wizards of the Coast 
  Dungeon Masters Guild Creator Resources.
  Page background and watercolor splashes 
  designed by lifeforstock / Freepik.
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of 
  the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, 
  the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other 
  Wizards of the Coast product names, and their 
  respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast in the USA and other countries.
  This work contains material that is copyright 
  Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such 
  material is used with permission under the 
  Community Content Agreement for Dungeon 
  Masters Guild.
  All other original material in this work is 
  copyright 2019 by Paul Metzger and published 
  under the Community Content Agreement for 
  Dungeon Masters Guild.
  Second edition. December 13, 2019 
  1
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  
  PLAYING WITH 
  SIDEKICKS 
  Dolf, the DM: “Let’s play D&D at my house Friday 
  starting around 7. I'll order some pizzas.” 
  Ari, who plays Gorn, human ﬁghter: "You have my 
  sword.” 
  Leah who plays Golass, elf ranger: “You have my bow.” 
  Guy, who plays Imli, dwarf barbarian: “Friday isn't 
  great for me.”
  Memes spread across the Internet for a reason. A 
  top complaint about the game is organizing a 
  group to actually get together and play. The D&D 
  Essentials Kit boxed set, advertised as being for 2-6 
  players, addresses this difﬁculty with sidekicks.
  THE RULES FOR SIDEKICKS 
  The brilliance of the ofﬁcial rules for sidekicks is 
  simplicity. A sidekick is represented with a stat 
  block, just like any monster or NPC. The sidekick 
  stat block shows the sidekick at 1st level, and and 
  is accompanied by a table for adjusting the stat 
  block as the sidekick gains levels. The sidekick is 
  proﬁcient with all equipment mentioned in the 
  stat bock. The players and DM can adjust the stat 
  block based on other rules as they see ﬁt. The 
  sidekick becomes a person by giving them a 
  name, race, personality, ideals, bonds, and ﬂaws. 
  The DM decides who controls the sidekick in play.
  NEW OPTIONAL RULES 
  The ofﬁcial rules for sidekicks really are that 
  simple! Sidekicks Essentials offers the following 
  additional rules that you may wish to incorporate 
  into your game.
  LOYALTY 
  Another common D&D meme is “that’s what my 
  character would do!” Consider how a sidekick 
  might react to the choices the player characters 
  make. 
  Loyalty Score. A sidekick has a loyalty score, 
  which represents their willingness to stick with 
  the adventurers. A sidekick’s maximum loyalty 
  score is equal to their level. When a sidekick is 
  ﬁrst recruited, their loyalty score is equal to the 
  combined Charisma modiﬁer of all members of 
  the adventuring party (minimum 1).
  As the sidekick adventures with the party, the 
  loyalty score changes when the following occurs:
  • Gaining a level. When a sidekick gains a 
  level, their current loyalty score and maximum 
  loyalty score increase by 1.
  • Ideals. When the characters act in a way that 
  aligns with the sidekick’s ideals, the sidekick's 
  loyalty score may increase by 1. If the characters 
  act in a way that conﬂicts with the sidekick’s 
  ideals, the sidekick's loyalty score decreases by 
  1.
  • Bonds. If the characters act in a way that 
  violates the sidekick’s bonds, the sidekick’s 
  loyalty score immediately becomes 0. If the 
  characters help reinforce a sidekick’s bonds, the 
  sidekick’s loyalty score may increase by 1.
  • Flaws. Nobody likes having their deﬁcits 
  challenged. If the characters act in a way that 
  enables a sidekick’s ﬂaws, their loyalty score 
  may increase by 1. 
  The dungeon master has the ultimate say over 
  what inﬂuences a sidekick’s loyalty score. Have 
  the sidekick react appropriately to things that 
  they like or dislike. Winning a sidekick’s 
  affections presents interesting roleplaying 
  opportunities for the players.
  Lost Loyalty. If a sidekick’s loyalty score is 
  reduced to 0 or below, they are no longer loyal to 
  the adventurers. The DM should now control the 
  sidekick (see controlling a sidekick). When the 
  sidekick is no longer loyal they act in self interest 
  rather than the best interest of the party, and the 
  sidekick will take the ﬁrst convenient opportunity 
  to part ways. In extreme cases, the sidekick may 
  even take hostile action against the party 
  members that wronged them. 
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  2
  “The great part about Sidekicks is they inherently do less 
  than PCs and simply exist to aid in overall action economy. 
  They aren’t there to overshadow the PC at all.” 
   
   
  -Steve Fidler of Vorpal Dice Press
  
  CONTROLLING A SIDEKICK 
  While the sidekick has a positive loyalty score, 
  allow a player to control the sidekick's actions, 
  both in and out of combat. If more than one 
  player wishes to control the sidekick, choose a 
  way to share that works for your table. One 
  method is to roll for it before rolling initiative for 
  an encounter.
  Agency. Allow the player controlling the 
  sidekick to roleplay them in and out of combat, 
  but don’t allow the player to violate the sidekick’s 
  ideals or bonds without a good reason.
  Initiative. If a player is controlling a sidekick, 
  you can have them roll initiative for the sidekick 
  or allow them to choose to have the sidekick take 
  their turn either before or after their PC’s turn. If 
  the DM is controlling the sidekick, roll initiative 
  as you would for a monster or NPC. 
  Award inspiration. As with any character, 
  accurately roleplaying the sidekick’s personality, 
  ideals, bonds, and ﬂaws is a great opportunity to 
  award inspiration. The DM can choose to award 
  inspiration to the player, or speciﬁcally to the 
  sidekick.
  LEVEL ADVANCEMENT 
  The DM decides a sidekick's starting level. You 
  may wish to start the sidekick at the same level as 
  the PCs or at a lower level. A lower level sidekick 
  feels more like a sidekick, and is still of great help 
  simply due to action economy.
  Gaining a Level. The easiest way to level 
  sidekicks is to have them gain a level when the 
  PCs do, even if they aren't the same level as the 
  PCs. Alternatively, you can use level 
  advancement based on XP. If you are awarding 
  XP, don’t forget to split it with the sidekicks!
  Sidekicks Beyond 6th Level. By the time a 
  sidekick reaches 6th level, they are a bit of a hero 
  in their own right! If you choose to continue 
  leveling the sidekick, pick features from relevant 
  classes in the Player’s Handbook but note that 
  sidekicks intentionally have a weaker progression 
  than player characters. 
  Any NPC stat block could be played as a 
  sidekick. For higher level characters, the NPCs in 
  appendix B of Volo’s Guide to Monsters could be a 
  good ﬁt. 
  SIDEKICK STAT BLOCKS 
  The following pages contain seven new sidekick 
  types as represented by a stat block and 
  accompanying table for advancing the sidekick in 
  level.
  WHY A STAT BLOCK? 
  The end goal of sidekicks could be accomplished 
  by simply running another character. That’s ﬁne, 
  and is an approach parties short of players have 
  taken for decades. The advantage of sidekick 
  rules is in the clarity of who is the hero and who 
  is the henchman. 
  The ﬁnal rules for sidekicks evolved a bit from 
  the Unearthed Arcana that predates it, but this 
  earlier resource is still worth checking out: 
  https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-
  arcana/sidekicks
  In this Unearthed Arcana, any CR 1 or lower 
  creature or NPC with a stat block can become a 
  sidekick that levels up according to certain rules. 
  Consider adapting the following sidekick types in 
  the same way. Many an adventuring party 
  adopted the lovable goblin Droop in the 
  adventure Lost Mine of Phandelver. How great 
  would it be if it turns out that the kazoo he plays 
  turns Droop into a minstrel?
  While the power level and complexity in the 
  Unearthed Arcana is higher than the ﬁnal ofﬁcial 
  rules, you might also ﬁnd useful inspiration for 
  taking sidekicks beyond 6th level and creating 
  sidekick types of your own.
  CREATING SIDEKICK TYPES 
  Sidekick stat blocks emulate player character class 
  types and their features but are much less 
  powerful than a PC and advance more slowly. 
  When creating your own sidekick stat blocks and 
  level advancement tables, keep the following 
  principles in mind:
  Ability Scores. A sidekick’s ability scores are 
  15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 10. Like the children of Lake 
  Woebegon, sidekicks are all above average.
  Spellcasting. A sidekick knows far fewer spells 
  and has far fewer spell slots than a PC class.
  Class Features.  A sidekick has fewer class 
  features than a PC class, and gains abilities more 
  slowly.  
  3
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  
  THE ARCHER 
  Crouching low among the brush, a female elf 
  stealthily creeps along the ridgeline above the 
  goblin encampment. She reaches a boulder in the 
  shadow cast by the cavern wall and peers around, 
  now just able to see the goblin chieftain below 
  wildly dancing to ritual drumbeat. She knocks an 
  arrow into her longbow then draws back and 
  ﬁres, knocking a goblet of putrid wine from the 
  chieftain’s hand. Quick as a ﬂash, she ﬁres again, 
  this time her arrow landing in the rump of the 
  goblin’s pack mule, which bleats loudly and takes 
  off running down the canyon. 
  The confused and enraged goblin tribe draws 
  weapons and pursues the mule in hopes of 
  ﬁnding their unseen attacker. This opening allows 
  the archer’s companions to slip into the camp and 
  free the young farm hand the goblins had 
  kidnapped. 
  Striking from afar with deadly precision, 
  archers utilize stealth and surprise to turn the tide 
  of a battle right from the beginning. 
  ARCHERS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  19 (3d8+6)
  Stealth Attack. When the archer 
  hits with a ranged weapon attack 
  and has advantage on the attack 
  roll or the target is surprised, the 
  attack does an additional 1d6 
  damage.
  3rd
  26 (4d8+8)
  Quick Reload. Once on each of 
  their turns when the archer makes a 
  ranged weapon attack, they can 
  make another attack with the same 
  weapon against a different creature 
  that is within 5 feet of the original 
  target.
  4th
  32 (5d8+10)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  archer’s Dexterity score increases by 
  2, raising the modifier by 1, so 
  increase the archer’s Stealth bonus 
  by 1, and increase the bonus to hit 
  and damage of the archer’s weapon 
  attacks by 1.
  5th
  39 (6d8+12)
  Proficiency Bonus. The archer’s 
  proficiency bonus increases by 1, so 
  make the following changes in the 
  stat block: increase the bonus in the 
  Saving Throws and Skills entries by 
  1, and increase the bonuses to hit 
  of the weapon attacks by 1.
  6th
  45 (7d8+14)
  Extra Attack. The archer can attack 
  twice, instead of once, whenever 
  they take the attack action on their 
  turn. 
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  4
  ARCHER 
  1st-level Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 13 (2d8+4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Dex +4 
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4, Survival +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, plus one of your choice 
  Archery Expert. The archer gains a +2 bonus to ranged weapon 
  attacks (this bonus is included in the archer’s longbow action) 
  ACTIONS 
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. 
  Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  
  Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. 
  
  THE BERSERKER 
  While her party quietly discusses strategy, the 
  burly dwarf’s mind wanders. Suddenly, she snaps 
  to attention, grabs her greataxe in both hands, and 
  charges into the gnoll lair while shouting out her 
  own name at the top of her lungs.
  By the time her companions have gathered 
  their equipment and wits and join her in the 
  shallow cave, the dwarf is already looting trinkets 
  from the corpses of her fallen foes.
  Berserkers don’t always go about things with 
  the most care, but they tend to get the job done.
  BERSERKERS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  25 (3d12+6)
  Rage. As a bonus action on their 
  turn, the berserker may enter a rage 
  which lasts until the end of combat. 
  While in a rage, the berserker has 
  +2 to damage with melee attacks 
  and resistance to bludgeoning, 
  piercing, and slashing damage. 
  Once this feature has been used, 
  the berserker must finish a long rest 
  before it can be used again.
  3rd
  32 (4d12+8)
  Reckless Attack. When the 
  berserker makes the first attack on 
  their turn they may choose to do so 
  recklessly. Doing so grants them 
  advantage on all melee attack rolls 
  during this turn, but all attack rolls 
  against the berserker have 
  advantage until the start of their 
  next turn. 
  4th
  40 (5d12+10)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  berserker’s Strength score increases 
  by 2, raising the modifier by 1, so 
  increase the berserker’s Athletics 
  bonus by 1, and increase the bonus 
  to hit and damage of the 
  berserker’s weapon attacks by 1.
  5th
  47 (6d12+12)
  Proficiency Bonus. The berserker’s 
  proficiency bonus increases by 1, so 
  make the following changes in the 
  stat block: increase the bonus in the 
  Saving Throws and Skills entries by 
  1, and increase the bonuses to hit 
  of the weapon attacks by 1.
  6th
  53 (7d12+14)
  Extra Attack. The berserker can 
  attack twice, instead of once, 
  whenever they take the attack 
  action on their turn. 
  5
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  BERSERKER 
  1st-level Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 13 (unarmored defense) 
  Hit Points 17 (2d12+4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  15 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  Saving Throws Str +4, Con +4 
  Skills Athletics +4, Intimidation +3, Survival +3 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, plus one of your choice 
  Two-handed Axe Fighting. When the berserker rolls a 1 or 2 on a 
  damage die for an attack they make with their greataxe wielded 
  with two hands, they can reroll the die and must use the new roll, 
  even if the new roll is a 1 or 2. 
  Two Handaxe Fighting. When the berserker makes a melee or 
  ranged weapon attack with a handaxe in one hand, they can use 
  their bonus action to make a melee or ranged attack with the 
  handaxe they are holding in the other hand. The ability modifier is 
  not added to the damage of this attack. 
  Unarmored Defense. While the berserker isn’t wearing any armor, 
  their Armor Class equals 10 + their Dexterity modifier + their 
  Constitution modifier. 
  ACTIONS 
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 9 (1d12+2) slashing damage. 
  Handaxe. Melee or Thrown Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. / 
  range 20/60ft, one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. 
  BONUS ACTIONS 
  Second Handaxe. Melee or Thrown Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) piercing damage. This bonus 
  action may only be taken if the berserker used their action to 
  attack with a handaxe using one hand.  
  
  THE CRIMINAL 
  The thin human man smiles broadly as he 
  conﬁdently presents his invitation to the 
  doorman. Between his foppish garb, carefully 
  crafted wax ear tips and expertly applied 
  makeup, he looks every bit a drow elf as every 
  other guest.
  Upon examining the watermark, the doorman 
  returns the man’s invitation and welcomes him to 
  Jarlaxle’s home. The forgery was a complete 
  success.
  After mingling for a bit and enjoying some 
  sparkling wine and fresh oysters, the criminal 
  ﬁnds an opportunity to slip away unnoticed into 
  a back hallway. He locates a wall safe hidden 
  exactly where his source promised — behind a 
  portrait of beautiful blue eyed human woman 
  with auburn hair.
  CRIMINALS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  In mere seconds there is the telltale click, and 
  the door to the safe swings open. Inside is the 
  largest black sapphire the man has ever seen. 
  He stows the gem and his tools in an inner 
  pocket of his suit and returns to the party. After 
  picking up some promising rumors over a ﬁne 
  cigar and a snifter of brandy, he dissapears out a 
  back entrance into the night.
  It turns out crime pays handsomely.  
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  16 (3d8+3)
  Fast Hands. The criminal can use a 
  bonus action to make a Dexterity 
  (Sleight of Hand) check, use thieves’ 
  tools to disarm a trap or open a 
  lock, or take the Use an Object 
  action.
  3rd
  22 (4d8+4)
  Second Story Work. Climbing no 
  longer costs the criminal extra 
  movement.
  4th
  27 (5d8+5)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  criminal’s Dexterity score increases 
  by 2, raising the modifier by 1, so 
  increase the criminal’s Acrobatics, 
  Sleight of Hand, and Stealth  
  bonuses by 1, and increase the 
  bonus to hit and damage of the 
  criminal’s weapon attacks by 1.
  5th
  33 (6d8+6)
  Proficiency Bonus. The criminal’s 
  proficiency bonus increases by 1, so 
  make the following changes in the 
  stat block: increase the bonus in the 
  Saving Throws and Skills entries by 
  1. Increase the bonuses to hit of the 
  weapon attacks by 1. 
  6th
  38 (7d8+7)
  Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker 
  that the criminal can see hits them 
  with an attack, the criminal can use 
  their reaction to halve the attack’s 
  damage.
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  6
  CRIMINAL 
  1st-level Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  Saving Throws Dex. +4, Int. +3 
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Deception +4, Intimidation +4, 
  Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4,  
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, plus one of your choice 
  Double Daggers. When the criminal makes a melee or ranged 
  weapon attack with a dagger in one hand, they can use their bonus 
  action to make a melee or ranged attack with the dagger they are 
  holding in the other hand. The ability modifier is not added to the 
  damage of this attack. 
  Criminal Contact. The criminal has a reliable and trustworthy 
  contact who acts as their liaison to a network of other criminals. The 
  criminal knows how to get messages to and from their contact, even 
  over great distances.  
  Tools. The criminal has a disguise kit, forgery kit, gaming set, 
  poisoners kit, and thieves tools 
  ACTIONS 
  Dagger. Melee or Thrown Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. / 
  range 20/60ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. 
  BONUS ACTIONS 
  Second Dagger. Melee or Thrown Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 
  5 ft. / range 20/60ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage. This 
  bonus action may only be taken if the criminal used their action to 
  attack with a dagger. 
  
  THE KNIGHT 
  As the ogre lunges at the young halﬂing she 
  was sworn to protect, the gold scaled dragonborn 
  shoves the girl out of the way, taking the full 
  brunt of the giant’s swinging club.
  Realizing that the two are no match for the 
  raiding party they have stumbled upon, the 
  knight clutches her holy symbol while making a 
  silent prayer to Helm. Then she erupts in a roar 
  more ﬁerce sounding than that of a true dragon. 
  The confused ogres ﬂee, hoping to ﬁnd easier 
  prey.
  The halﬂing looks up at her protector with 
  wide-eyed admiration. The knight nods back 
  respectfully, the satisfaction of her duty its own 
  reward.
  KNIGHTS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  23 (3d10+6)
  Lay on Hands. The knight can use 
  an action to restore a number of hit 
  points equal to 5 x their level. Once 
  they do so they may not use this 
  feature again until they finish a long 
  rest.
  3rd
  30 (4d10+8)
  Rebuke Evil. The knight can use an 
  action to frighten evil-aligned 
  creatures. Each evil creature within 
  30 feet must succeed on a DC 11 
  saving throw or be frightened for 1 
  minute or until it takes damage. 
  While frightened a creature must 
  spend its turn trying to move as far 
  away from the knight as it can. 
  Once the knight uses this feature 
  they cannot do so again until they 
  finish a long rest
  4th
  38 (5d10+10)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  knight’s Strength score increases by 
  2, raising the modifier by 1, so 
  increase the knight’s Strenth Saving 
  throw bonus, Athletics bonus, and 
  bonus to hit and damage of 
  weapon attacks by 1. The DC for 
  the knight’s rebuke evil action 
  increases to 12.
  5th
  45 (6d10+12)
  Proficiency Bonus. The knight’s 
  proficiency bonus increases by 1, so 
  make the following changes in the 
  stat block: increase the bonus in the 
  Saving Throws and Skills entries by 
  1 and increase the bonuses to hit of 
  the weapon by 1. The DC for the 
  knight’s rebuke evil action increases 
  to 13.
  6th
  53 (7d10+14)
  Extra Attack. The knight can attack 
  twice, instead of once, whenever 
  they take the attack action on their 
  turn. 
  7
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  KNIGHT 
  1st-level Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield) 
  Hit Points 15 (2d10+4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  Saving Throws Str. +4, Cha. +3 
  Skills Athletics +4, Religion +3 
  Senses passive Perception 11 
  Languages Common, plus one of your choice 
  ACTIONS 
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  
  Hit: 6 (1d8 +2) slashing damage. 
  REACTIONS 
  Noble Sacrifice. When a creature the knight can see targets an ally 
  within 5 feet of them with an attack, the knight can swap places with 
  the ally and become the target of the attack instead. 
  
  THE MAGICIAN 
  As a child, while his brothers and sisters labored 
  meticulously over serious inventions, this gnome 
  put his considerable tinkering talents toward a 
  single purpose: tricks. 
  He crafted a ﬂower pot that seemed to instantly 
  bloom a daisy; a hat that could produce a rabbit; 
  gloves that concealed coins to be pulled from 
  behind ears. He received quite the whipping after 
  convincing his terriﬁed siblings that he had 
  successfully sawed their youngest sister in half.
  When a real wizard who could tap the magic of 
  the weave came through town, stowing away on 
  her carriage was the only logical course of action. 
  The hard apprenticeship that followed led to a life 
  of adventuring.
  This ﬂashback, which took place in the space of 
  the half-orc raider’s single knockout blow, 
  concluded with a strange thought: he had turned 
  out a bit like his stalwart older brother’s worst 
  invention: a glass cannon. 
  MAGICIANS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  14 (3d6+3)
  Spellcasting. The magician gains 
  one 1st-level spell slot. The 
  magician also learns another 1st-
  level spell: thunderwave.
  3rd
  18 (4d6+4)
  Ritual Casting. The magician learns 
  the following first level spells and 
  gains the ability to cast them as 
  rituals: comprehend languages, 
  detect magic, and identify.
  4th
  23 (5d6+5)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  magician’s Intelligence score 
  increases by 2, raising the modifier 
  by 1, so increase the magician’s 
  Intelligence Saving throw bonus, 
  Arcana bonus, spell save DC, and 
  bonus to hit of spell attacks by 1. 
  Spellcasting. The magician learns 
  another cantrip: minor illusion
  5th
  27 (6d6+6)
  Proficiency Bonus. The magician’s 
  proficiency bonus increases by 1, so 
  make the following changes in the 
  stat block: increase the bonus in the 
  Saving Throws and Skills entries by 
  1. Increase the bonuses to hit of the 
  weapon and spell attacks by 1, and 
  increase the spell save DC by 1. 
   
  Spellcasting. The magician gains 
  one 1st-level spell slot and two 
  2nd-level spell slots. The magician 
  also learns two 2nd-level spells: 
  thunderstep and scorching ray.
  6th
  32 (7d6+7)
  Arcane Recovery. Once per day 
  when the magician finishes a short 
  rest they may regain two 1st-level 
  spell slots or one 2nd-level spell 
  slot.  
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  8
  MAGICIAN 
  1st-level Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 11 (unarmored) 
  Hit Points 9 (2d6+2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Int +4 
  Skills Arcana +4, Sleight of Hand +3 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common, plus one of your choice 
  Spellcasting. The magician’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence 
  (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). 
  Cantrips (at will): acid splash, prestidigitation, shocking grasp 
  1st level (2 slots): magic missile 
  ACTIONS 
  Quarterstaff. Melee Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  
  Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage. 
  
  THE MEDIC 
  The battle raging all around them, the seasoned 
  human steadies their resolve. They see a brave 
  knight stuck down by two bugbears, who 
  continue advancing as they see the knight fall 
  unconscious. 
  The shout of a word of prayer to Ilmater rings 
  out, and suddenly the knight rises to her feet. 
  Swinging her greatsword with precision, she 
  cleaves through the backs of the bugbears who 
  had left her for dead. Then the knight looks at the 
  human who revived her and winks. They smile 
  gently back.
  When the battle is over, the medic tends to the 
  injured, soothing souls as well as wounds. As the 
  army resumes its patrols, they turn their energy to 
  concocting the elixirs that will revive the soldiers 
  out of their reach.
  The medic knows that while the battle may 
  have been won, the war is far from over. It is their 
  solemn vow that it takes as few lives as the gods 
  will allow.
  MEDICS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  14 (3d6+3)
  Spellcasting. The medic gains one 
  1st-level spell slot. The medic also 
  learns another 1st-level spell: 
  goodberry.
  3rd
  18 (4d6+4)
  Potioncraft. The medic can take 
  one full day of uninterrupted work 
  and 25gp worth of ingredients to 
  create one potion of healing.
  4th
  23 (5d6+5)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  medic’s Wisdom. score increases by 
  2, raising the modifier by 1, so 
  increase the medic’s Wisdom 
  Saving Throw bonus, Skill bonuses, 
  spell save DC, and bonus to hit of 
  spell attacks by 1. 
  5th
  27 (6d6+6)
  Proficiency Bonus. The medic’s 
  proficiency bonus increases by 1, so 
  make the following changes in the 
  stat block: increase the bonus in the 
  Saving Throws and Skills entries by 
  1. Increase the bonuses to hit of the 
  weapon and spell attacks by 1, and 
  increase the spell save DC by 1. 
   
  Spellcasting. The medic gains one 
  1st-level spell slot and two 2nd-
  level spell slots. The medic also 
  learns two 2nd-level spells: lesser 
  restoration and prayer of healing.
  6th
  32 (7d6+7)
  Blessed Healer. When the medic 
  casts a healing spell on another 
  creature, the medic also regains hit 
  points equal to 2 + the spell’s level.
  9
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  MEDIC 
  1st-level Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield) 
  Hit Points 13 (2d8+4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  10 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Wis. +4, 
  Skills Medicine +4, Religion +3, Survival +4 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, plus one of your choice 
  Spellcasting. The medic spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save 
  DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). 
  Cantrips (at will): spare the dying, thaumaturgy, toll the dead 
  1st level (2 slots): healing word 
  ACTIONS 
  Mace. Melee Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  
  Hit: 4 (1d6 +1) bludgeoning damage. 
  
  THE MINSTREL 
  A throng gathers as a ﬂamboyantly dressed 
  young halﬂing begins tuning his lute. His 
  traveling companions look on, often with shades 
  of embarrassment, as the lad proceeds to recount 
  their trials and tribulations in magical song.
  The crowd is enthralled as they hear the tale of 
  how the adventurers vanquished the troll that 
  had been terrorizing their village. The musician 
  isn’t shy about embellishing the role his magical 
  songs had in confounding the brute.  
  At the end of the evening, after the grateful 
  villagers have bought round after round of ale on 
  the account of her heroics, the self-conscious 
  leader of the minstrel’s adventuring party isn’t 
  even that mad any more that the minstrel sang a 
  verse describing how she had slipped in the mud 
  and sliced her leg on her own handaxe. 
  MINSTRELS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  19 (3d8+6)
  Song of Rest. When the minstrel 
  performs soothing music during a 
  short rest, they and any 
  companions regain an extra 1d6 hit 
  points.
  3rd
  26 (4d8+8)
  Distracting Chords. The minstrel 
  may use their Inspiring Song 
  reaction to instead subtract 1d6 
  from the ability check, attack roll, or 
  saving throw from an enemy within 
  60 feet who can hear them. 
  4th
  32 (5d8+10)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  minstrel’s Charisma score increases 
  by 2, raising the modifier by 1, so 
  increase the minstrel’s Charisma 
  Saving Throw, Performance and 
  Persuasion bonuses by 1, and 
  increase the bonus to hit and 
  damage of the weapon attacks by 
  1. The DC for the Wisdom save of 
  the minstrel’s Satirical Song increaes 
  to 13. The minstrel now has three 
  uses of the Inspiring Song or 
  Distracting Chords reaction. 
  5th
  39 (6d8+12)
  Proficiency Bonus. The minstrel's 
  proficiency bonus increases by 1, so 
  make the following changes in the 
  stat block: increase the bonus in the 
  Saving Throws and Skills entries by 
  1. Increase the bonuses to hit of the 
  weapon attacks by 1. The DC for 
  the Wisdom save of the minstrel’s 
  Satirical Song increases to 14. 
  6th
  45 (7d8+14)
  Potent Satire. The damage from 
  the minstrel’s Satirical Song 
  increases to 2d4. 
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  10
  MINSTREL 
  1st-level Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  Saving Throws Dex +4, Cha +4 
  Skills History +3, Performance +4, Persuasion +4 
  Senses passive Perception 11 
  Languages Common, plus one of your choice 
  By Popular Demand. Among friendly humanoids, a minstrel can 
  always find a place to perform songs of their companions’ 
  triumphs and misfortunes, earning their party free lodging and 
  food of a modest standard. 
  ACTIONS 
  Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. 
  Rapier. Melee Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 
  (1d8+2) piercing damage. 
  Satirical Song. A creature within 60 feet must succeed on on a DC 
  12 Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4 psychic damage and have 
  disadvantage on the next attack roll it takes before the end of its 
  next turn.  
  REACTIONS 
  Inspiring Song. When an ally within 60 feet of the minstrel who 
  can hear them makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, 
  the minstrel adds 1d6 to the roll. This ability may only be used 
  twice between each long rest.  
  
  SIDEKICK 
  PERSONALITIES 
  The following pages contain eleven more 
  individuals for you to turn into sidekicks. While 
  the characters in the Essentials Kit are tied to a 
  speciﬁc stat block, these characters are free to be 
  matched to any sidekick stat block. 
  Although the art might make suggestions, 
  these individuals do not have a presumed race or 
  gender.
  SIDEKICK CARDS 
  These sidekicks are formatted to print the same 
  size as the cards included in the Essentials Kit. 
  Permission is granted to photocopy or digitally 
  remix for personal use to best suit the game at 
  your table.
  CREATING NEW 
  PERSONALITIES 
  The variety of sidekicks is only limited by your 
  imagination. Choose a sidekick statblock and 
  race. Give the sidekick a quick description (or a 
  detailed backstory!) and assign personality, ideals, 
  bonds, and ﬂaws. 
  The personality, ideals bonds, and ﬂaws can be 
  of your own creation, or you can choose from or 
  roll on the tables in the Personality and Background 
  section of the Player’s Handbook. 
  Tip: Have the Players Do It 
  When your players ﬁrst acquire a new sidekick, 
  consider having them decide just who their new 
  companion is. If the players determine the sidekick’s 
  personality, ideals, bonds, and ﬂaws it will make the 
  sidekick easier to roleplay and give the players a much 
  closer personal attachment to their new companion. 
  11
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  Shava’s strict upbringing is evident in 
  what is expected of the behavior of 
  others.
  Personality. “You had best mind 
  your manners, or I’ll mind them for 
  you.”
  Ideal. “Respect is a given, not 
  earned. Until you do something to 
  unearn it.”
  Bond. “Family is where we come 
  from, but also those who have proven 
  themselves worthy.”
  Flaw. “I’m worried that no matter 
  my successes, I'll never ﬁnd true love.”
  • SIDEKICK •
  SHAVA CORNROSE 
  
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  12
  • SIDEKICK •
  Lamlis always has a tame joke ready, 
  and it won’t be the ﬁrst time you've 
  heard it. 
  Personality. “Did I ever tell you 
  about that time I've told you about 
  dozens of times before?”
  Ideal. “You’re kind enough to let 
  me be me, the least I can do is let you 
  be you.”
  Bond. “You protect the people 
  you're with. Everyone knows that.”
  Flaw. “I’ll give you the shirt off my 
  back, even though I know you don’t 
  deserve it.”
  LAMLIS HIGHTONE 
  • SIDEKICK •
  The scar near Iosua’s eyepatch isn’t 
  the biggest one, just the most visible 
  one.
  Personality. “It’s hard to make new 
  friends after seeing so many old ones 
  meet violent ends.”
  Ideal. “I’ve been given enough 
  orders in my life to know better than 
  to follow all of them.”
  Bond. “My honor is the one thing I 
  know can never be taken from me.”
  Flaw. “After all I’ve seen I’ve 
  become skittish and too eager to slice 
  ﬁrst and ask questions later.”
  TIAHO IOSUA 
  
  13
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  • SIDEKICK •
  Bruno always has perfectly spiked 
  hair and gleaming armor. Always.
  Personality. “Hey there how you 
  doin’?”
  Ideal. “Whatever I'm doing isn't 
  half as important as looking cool 
  doing it.”
  Bond. “I deserve to be famous. It’s 
  just a matter of time.”
  Flaw. “I’ll never be able to love 
  anyone else half as much as I love 
  myself.”
  BRUNO ESTES 
  • SIDEKICK •
  Morlan’s physical appearance changes 
  as rapidly as what you hear spoken to 
  others.
  Personality. “Hmmm. I wonder 
  what they want to hear.”
  Ideal. “So long as I keep my story 
  straight, my narrative is just as valid 
  as yours.”
  Bond. “My father disgraced us, but 
  someday I’ll restore the Frost family 
  name.”
  Flaw. “I just can’t help telling the 
  truth about everything. There. I said 
  it.”
  MORLAN FLARE 
  
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  14
  • SIDEKICK •
  Nilpat loves the forest, hates the city, 
  and isn't shy telling you about it. 
  Personality. “Come now friend, it 
  surely isn’t any worse than yesterday.”
  Ideal. “If we stick our nose in the 
  skunk’s den we ought be prepared for 
  its spray.”
  Bond. “Someday I’ll have to face 
  what I ran from. Someday.”
  Flaw. “Oh my! The titillating  
  pleasures the city presents are simply 
  irresistible, aren't they?”
  NILPAT RUKHARZ 
  • SIDEKICK •
  Sheldon was a knight’s shield bearing 
  squire. Sheldon became “Sheld”, 
  which became Shield, and the name 
  stuck. The “The" makes it sound 
  classier.
  Personality. “That’s awesome!”
  Ideal. “The gods know best, and I 
  act in their will. So whatever I’m 
  doing is what they want!”
  Bond. “I owe my life to the order 
  that took me in.”
  Flaw. “Taken advantage of? What? 
  You worry too much. No, these good 
  folks know best and just need us to do 
  our part to help.”
  THE SHIELD 
  
  15
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  • SIDEKICK •
  Lamis always wears a frown is and 
  quick to tell you why you should too. 
  Personality. “Smile more? Why 
  would I? Thanks not how I feel.”
  Ideal. “At least people generally get 
  what they have coming to them.”
  Bond. “…I’ll make sure of it.”
  Flaw. “All these happy looking 
  people. Sometimes I wonder what it’s 
  like to be so stupid.”
  LAMLIS HIGHTONE 
  • SIDEKICK •
  Adrie loves the thrill of the hunt 
  almost as much as the delicious stews 
  that come from its spoils.
  Personality. “That’s nothing, you 
  should have seen the one that got 
  away!”
  Ideal. “Only when you get back out 
  among the beasts does it become 
  apparent how much more civilized 
  their world is than the world of men.”
  Bond. “I’d love to see your trophies, 
  but can’t stomach one you didn't 
  win.”
  Flaw. “The strong survive, the 
  weak perish.”
  ADRIE YAELDRIN 
  
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  16
  BROTTOR DANKIL 
  Brottor might be the toughest old 
  codger you’ll ever meet, and deﬁnitely 
  the most kindly .
  Personality. “Aw, you remind me 
  of me children when they was yer 
  age.”
  Ideal. “You gotta let ‘em live in 
  order to 'em to learn.”
  Bond. “The only true way to help 
  the young folk is ta lead by example. I 
  had my years ta ﬁgure things out.”
  Flaw. “Spare the rod and spoil the 
  child! They’re only young once after 
  all.”
  • SIDEKICK •
  The hair that used to be on Orskik’s 
  head has migrated elsewhere. Doff 
  armor together lest you doubt it. 
  Personality. “I always tell the truth, 
  but no harm in making it more 
  interesting.”
  Ideal. “We each put in our best, so 
  each share should be the same.”
  Bond. “The crew you’re with brings 
  the ship home to port.”
  Flaw. “What's the harm in sharing 
  a nip? It’s just a wee wager. The lass 
  here seem plenty clean. A little leaf 
  never hurt the halﬂing.”
  ORSIK SILVERAXE 
  • SIDEKICK •
  
  APPENDIX A: MONSTER SIDEKICKS 
  CREATING A NEW  
  MONSTER SIDEKICK 
  Any monster your adventuring party encounters 
  has the potential become a sidekick if the 
  situation warrants. You can create new monster 
  sidekicks by following these general guidelines.
  Level. A sidekick should not overshadow 
  player characters of the same level. In general, a 
  monster can be turned into a sidekick matching a 
  general tier of play based on its challenge rating.
  SIDEKICK LEVEL RANGE BY CHALLENGE RATING 
  Stat Block and Leveling. As a rule of thumb, 
  the stat block mostly remains the same, but some 
  attributes are removed to bring the sidekick’s 
  starting level to the bottom of its tier range. Those 
  attributes are then moved to appropriate level 
  advancements. This may include adjusting an 
  ability score or the monster’s proﬁciency bonus 
  (which is opaquely and not always uniformly) 
  applied to skills and attacks.
  Abilities and Actions. Many monsters have 
  interesting abilities or special actions. These tend 
  to be perfect candidates for the sidekick to gain as 
  it advances in level.
  Be ﬂavorful! Look at the monster’s descriptive 
  text and investigate historic lore to invent your 
  own abilities. Puns and wordplay are a great way 
  to come up with ideas for abilities to give a bland 
  monster. Player character class abilities, spells, 
  and feats can be good places to ﬁnd ideas for 
  speciﬁc game mechanics.
  Personality. A new sidekick you are 
  incorporating into your campaign will likely be 
  NPC monster with a backstory and motivations. 
  Ideals, bonds, and ﬂaws can be of your own 
  invention or chosen from player character 
  backgrounds. 
  DROOP’S MONSTER 
  MANUAL OF SIDEKICKS 
  The following four example monster sidekicks are 
  taken from Droop’s Monster Manual of Sidekicks, 
  a collection of over ﬁfty monsters turned into 
  playable sidekicks, available on DMsGuild.
  https://www.dmsguild.com/product/297618/
  Droops-Monster-Manual-of-Sidekicks 
  Challenge Rating
  Tier of Play
  < 2 
  Levels 1 – 4
  2 – 4
  Levels 5 – 10
  5 – 6
  Levels 11 – 16
  7+
  Levels 17 – 20
  17
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  
  DROOP 
  Droop was the runt of the litter, and it followed 
  him his entire life.
  Personality. “That’s cool. You’re cool. What do 
  you want me to do? Cool.”
  Ideal. “If I try hard enough, I’m bound to ﬁt 
  in.”
  Bond. “Once I ﬁnd a crew that accepts me, I’ll 
  do whatever it takes to stay in their good graces.”
  Flaw. “Do you have a new best friend yet? I’ve 
  been looking for someone to push me around.”
  GOBLIN SIDEKICKS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL 
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  18
  GOBLIN SIDEKICK 
  1st-level Small humanoid (goblinoid) 
  Armor Class 14 (shield) 
  Hit Points 7 (2d6) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Proficiency Bonus +2 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  8 (-1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  8 (-1) 
  8 (-1) 
  Skills Stealth +6 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 
  Languages Common, Goblin 
  Nimble Escape. The goblin can take the Disengage or Hide action 
  as a bonus action on each of its turns. 
  ACTIONS 
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  
  Hit: 2 (1d4-1) bludgeoning damage. 
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. 
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  10 (3d6)
  Combat Initiate. The goblin gains 
  proficiency with martial melee 
  weapons, martial ranged weapons, 
  and light armor. If the goblin 
  becomes equipped with better 
  arms or armor, make the 
  appropriate adjustments to the stat 
  block.
  3rd
  14 (4d6)
  Second Strike. When the goblin 
  makes a melee weapon attack, it 
  can use its bonus action to make a 
  second attack with the same 
  weapon at disadvantage.
  4th
  17 (5d6)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  goblin’s Dexterity score increases to 
  16 (+3). 
  Useful. The goblin can take the 
  Help action as bonus action.
  5th
  21 (6d6)
  Proficiency Bonus. The goblin’s 
  proficiency bonus increases to +3. 
  Medic. The goblin gains proficiency 
  with the healer’s kit. When the 
  goblin uses a healer’s kit to stabilize 
  a dying creature, that creature also 
  regains 1 hit point.
  6th
  24 (7d6)
  Redirect Attack. When a creature 
  the goblin can see targets it with an 
  attack, the goblin can choose 
  another creature within 5 feet of it. 
  The two swap places, and the 
  chosen creature becomes the 
  target of the attack instead.
  
  BULLYWUG SIDEKICK 
  TORBIT 
  Torbit made some bad life choices and had to rethink his once-unshakable devotion to his master. Now 
  he's looking for a way to regain his former position within his tribe and is willing to do whatever it takes 
  to get there.
  Personality. “If it's worth having, it's worth killing for.”
  Ideal. “It’s a frog-eat-frog world. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
  Bond. “I'll work with anyone...as long as it's to my advantage to do so.”
  Flaw. “I have many ﬂaws; compulsive honesty is not among them.” 
  19
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  2nd
  15 (3d8+2)
  Slippery. The bullywug can use a 
  bonus action to excrete a slimy 
  coating to its skin that confers 
  resistance to attempts to grapple or 
  restrain for 1d4 rounds. 
  Swamp Camouflage. The bullywug 
  has advantage on Dexterity 
  (Stealth) checks to attempt to hide 
  in swampy terrain.
  3rd
  20 (4d8+2)
  Thundercroak. The bullywug can 
  produce a painfully loud croaking 
  noise once per day. Each creature 
  within a 15 ft. cube originating with 
  the bullywug must succeed on a 
  Constitution saving throw or be 
  deafened 1 minute.
  4th
  24 (5d8+2)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  bullywug’s Dexterity score increases 
  to 14 (+2) . 
  Produce Toxin. The bullywug can 
  secrete enough toxin once per day 
  to coat a weapon. A creature hit 
  with such a poisoned weapon must 
  succeed on a DC 13 Constitution 
  save or be poisoned for 1 hour.
  5th
  29 (6d8+2)
  Proficiency Bonus. The bullywug’s 
  proficiency bonus increases to +3. 
  Amphibian Intimidation. Once per 
  long or short rest, the bullywug can 
  compel up to 20 Tiny or Small  
  amphibians to make a DC 15 
  Charisma check or obey its 
  commands.
  6th
  33 (7d8+2)
  Swamp Gas. The bullywug can 
  produce a 10 ft. radius cloud of 
  fetid gas that smells like a stagnant 
  swamp. Each creature that begins 
  its turn within the cloud must 
  succeed on a DC 14 Constitution 
  saving throw or be poisoned until 
  the start of its next turn.
  BULLYWUG SIDEKICKS BEYOND 1ST LEVEL
  BULLYWUG SIDEKICK 
  1st-level Medium humanoid (bullywug) 
  Armor Class 15 (hide armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Proficiency Bonus +2 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
  10 (+0) 
  7 (-2) 
  Skills Stealth +1 
  Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, Bullywug 
  Amphibious. The bullywug can breathe air and water. 
  Speak with Frogs and Toads. The bullywug can communicate 
  simple concepts to frogs and toads when it speaks in Bullywug. 
  Standing Leap. The bullywug’s long jump is up to 20 feet and its 
  high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The bullywug makes two melee attacks: one with its 
  bite and one with its shortsword. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 
  (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage. 
  Shortsword. Melee Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 
  (1d6+1) piercing damage 
  
  HARPY SIDEKICKS BEYOND 6TH LEVEL 
  HARPY SIDEKICK 
  SICORD 
  Sicord has grown bored, sitting on cliffs, year 
  after year, singing her songs to lure the unwary to 
  her dinner table...as the main course.
  Personality. “There must be more to life than 
  this. I need to get out more.”
  Ideal. “I chatted with a bard once, before I ate 
  him. He was interesting. I think I want to learn to 
  do something besides just charm people. ” 
  Bond. “Is it shiny? I must have it!”
  Flaw. “I’ll never tell my sister harpies, but 
  sometimes I just want a salad.”  
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  7th
  41 
  (8d8+10)
  Expertise. The harpy’s proficiency 
  bonus is doubled for Charisma 
  (Performance) checks.
  8th
  49 
  (9d8+13)
  Song of Second Chances (1/day). 
  As a reaction, the harpy can choose 
  to make a creature reroll one attack 
  roll, ability check, or saving throw 
  that it dislikes. The second roll must 
  be used.
  9th
  56 
  (10d8+16)
  Proficiency Bonus. The harpy’s 
  proficiency bonus increases to +4.
  10th
  64 
  (11d8+19)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  harpy’s Dexterity score increases to 
  15 (+2). 
  Song of Repose (1/day). The harpy 
  can sing a soothing song to help 
  revitalize its wounded allies during 
  a short rest. If any friendly creatures 
  who can hear its song  regain hit 
  points at the end of the short rest 
  by spending one or more Hit Dice, 
  each of those creatures regains an 
  extra 2d8 hit points.
  11th
  71 
  (12d8+22)
  Song of Dismissal (1/day). The 
  harpy can sing a disquieting song 
  to attempt to repel up to three 
  interlopers that it can see. If the 
  targeted creatures can hear its 
  song, they must succeed on a DC 
  14 Wisdom saving throw or move 
  away at their speed. Once per turn 
  they can repeat the saving throw; 
  success ends the effect.
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  20
  HARPY SIDEKICK 
  6th level Medium monstrosity 
  Armor Class 11 
  Hit Points 38 (7d8+7) 
  Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. 
  Proficiency Bonus +3 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  Skills Performance +4 
  Senses Passive Perception 10  
  Languages Common 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The harpy makes two attacks: one with its claws and 
  one with its club. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  6 (2d4+1) slashing damage. 
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage. 
  Luring Song. The harpy sings a magical melody. Every humanoid 
  and giant within 300 feet of the harpy that can hear the song must 
  succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the 
  song ends. The harpy must take a bonus action on its subsequent 
  turns to continue singing. It can stop singing at any time. The song 
  ends if the harpy is incapacitated. 
  While charmed by the harpy, a target is incapacitated and ignores 
  the songs of other harpies. If the charmed target is more than 5 
  feet away from the harpy, the target must move on its turn toward 
  the harpy by the most direct route, trying to get within 5 feet. It 
  doesn’t avoid opportunity attacks, but before moving into 
  damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit, and whenever it takes 
  damage from a source other than the harpy, the target can repeat 
  the saving throw. A charmed target can also repeat the saving 
  throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is 
  successful, the effect ends on it. 
  
  REDCAP SIDEKICK 
  M’DURHOEBO 
  This charming fellow was born out of your own 
  bloodlust. I guess you should feel grateful it 
  views you as a role model rather than a potential 
  victim?
  Personality. “Enough yapping, roll initiative!”
  Ideal. “Death comes for us all. I’m death.  
  I showed up early.” 
  Bond. “I exist only by spilling fresh blood, and 
  I’ve grown rather fond of existing.”
  Flaw. “It feels soooo good to get out of these 
  iron boots after a hard days’ murdering. But no 
  one must ever ﬁnd out how ticklish my feet are.” 
  REDCAP SIDEKICKS BEYOND 3RD LEVEL 
  21
  SIDEKICKS ESSENTIALS
  Level
  Hit Points
  New Features
  4th
  17 (5d6)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  redcap’s Strength score increases to 
  18 (+4). 
  Wreckful Abandon. The redcap 
  makes all attacks at advantage, 
  causing all attack rolls against the 
  redcap to be at advantage until the 
  start of its next turn.
  5th
  21 (6d6)
  Proficiency Bonus. The redcap’s 
  proficiency bonus increases to +3. 
  Extra Attack. The redcap can 
  attack twice, instead of once, 
  whenever it takes the Attack action 
  on its turn.
  6th
  24 (7d6)
  Sickle Sweep. When the recap hits 
  with a wicked sickle attack, it may 
  choose a creature within 5 feet of 
  the target and within its reach and 
  make a single wicked sickle attack 
  against that creature as a bonus 
  action. 
  7th
  28 (8d6)
  lronbound Pursuit. As an action, 
  the redcap moves up to its speed 
  to a creature it can see and kicks 
  with its iron boots. The target must 
  succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity 
  saving throw or take 21 (3d10+5) 
  bludgeoning damage and be 
  knocked prone. 
  8th
  31 (9d6)
  Ability Score Improvement. The 
  redcap’s Strength score increases to 
  20 (+5). 
  Extra Attack, Again! The redcap 
  can attack 3 times when it takes the 
  Attack action on its turn.
  REDCAP SIDEKICK 
  3rd-level Small fey 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 30 (4d6 +16) 
  Speed 25 ft. 
  Proficiency Bonus +2 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  18 (+4) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  9 (-1) 
  Skills Athletics +6, Perception +3 
  Senses darkvision, 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Sylvan 
  Steeped in Slaughter. The redcap always fights to the death, 
  unless magically compelled to do otherwise.  
  The redcap must soak its hat in fresh blood at least once every 
  three days or the redcap vanishes as if it had never been.  
  If the recap is reduced to 0 hit points it does not fall unconscious, 
  but immediately vanishes in the same way. 
  Iron Boots. While moving, the redcap has disadvantage on 
  Dexterity (Stealth) checks. 
  Outsize Strength. While grappling, the redcap is considered to be 
  Medium. Also, wielding a heavy weapon doesn’t impose 
  disadvantage on its attack roll. 
  ACTIONS 
  Wicked Sickle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) bludgeoning damage.  
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Paul Metzger/Sidekicks Essentials.pdf