Sidekicks? Please?

[Arnabas]

So, this started off with me thinking about having a Hero variant of Mastermind, but with a single pet-- a Sidekick. While I still think that could be cool, I'm not sure what an entire powerset devoted to it would look like. The actual summon, maybe 2 buffs like Masterminds, and then... maybe combo moves or something?

 

But from there, I remembered how Ice Mastery for Defenders has an Ice Elemental pet and I started thinking... Tier 4 and 5 of Leadership are pretty similar. Maybe Tier 5 could be replaced with a summonable Sidekick? It would also be thematically appropriate as part of Leadership....

 

I don't really think such a thing would ever make it into the game, but it's nice to dream, especially since it would be so appropriate to the genre and, I'm sure, many character concepts. And maybe it would be easier to implement than a full powerset.

Bonus points if we could design the sidekick's costume.

[Rudra]

Sidekicks as a power pool and as an AT choice have been pitched before. You can do a search on the forums if you want to know more about those pitches. Now setting aside that I'm stuck wondering how improving your team's damage, ToHit, and defense in response to losing a team mate is supposed to be pretty similar to bolstering your team's recovery and reducing their endurance costs for defeating an enemy, and my adamant opposition to changing power sets because players are already using the powers in those sets and I very much disagree with taking things away from other players so another player can get something they want, there is a way to have a sidekick in the game currently. It won't be anything like the previous proposals for a sidekick, and I'm not sure how it contrasts with your idea for having a sidekick, but you can take a Thugs or Mercenaries MM if you are a human character and only take the T3 as your pet which effectively grants you a sidekick. Or Robotics if you are playing a bot character of some type and Demon Summoning or Ninjas if you are playing a demon character of some type. You can't get your sidekick until level 22? Okay, that just means you haven't earned enough reputation for anyone to be willing to be your sidekick yet until you reach level 22.

 

(Edit: If you are open to sidekicks of a different species than you? Then it opens up all the MM primaries to give you a sidekick by just taking the T3 pet. Beast Mastery? Your character can be a ranger with his/her/their animal companion. Necromancy? You resurrected someone important to you, maybe a previous sidekick, and now that undead companion aids you. Or you gained the attention of a lich that wants to learn from you as your sidekick. Possibilities are endless if you are willing to accept "sidekicks" of other creature types.)

 

This is not to say I am opposed to adding a Sidekick or Partner pool or AT, but this is a means of having a sidekick right now in the game.

 

Edited Monday at 01:25 AM by Rudra

[Rigged]

I'm not opposed to adding something new, but if you happen to be not particular about customizing your sidekick, one option in the meantime is to take a PPP and the accompanying pet power.

[MTeague]

I guess I do a lot of "lone wolf" heroes, but I sorta looked at teammates as fodder for sidekick headcanon.

[Wavicle]

Teammates are 100% EXPLICITLY your sidekick. It's actually CALLED Sidekicking, to have a teammate who is lower level than you.

There are Epic sets with pets in them, and there probably should be more, but I don't think there should be a pet in a standard Power Pool.

Customization options for ALL pets, Troller/Dominator, MM, Arachnos, Lore, and Epic, would be nice though.