Companion info and a bit of a guide
Companion info and a bit of a guide
So what are companions in Neverwinter Online and why should you care about them?
Companions in neverwinter are weaker versions of character classes that follow you around and fight beside you and you should care because they are awesome ya goof!
How do I get a companion?
There are a couple different ways to get yourself a companion:
1. The most basic manner is to level to 16. At level 16 you will get a companion for free from a quest. You will get to pick from 5 basic humanoid companions – One representing each class.
2. Buy one of the founders packs. Each founders pack comes with one exclusive companion. The $60 pack comes with a dire wolf and the $200 pack comes with a black panther.
3. Buy them from the zen store. The zen store has special companions for sale from 1500-3500 zen.
4. Buy them with in game currency. The companions available at the emporium for in game currency are listed down below in the companions section. They cost a variety of different currencies from gold to AD to rare materials.
5. Get lucky and get them from a nightmare box. Ones found from there will be reported in the companion section below
I have a companion, now what?
Your companion can be summoned and dismissed from the companions tab of the character sheet (C to bring it up). Keep your companion with you at all times while you play so that they will level up along with you.
Once your companion reaches the next level they can be sent for training. This is also done from the companions tab of the character sheet. While out for training your companion will not gain the experience of being next to you, but will increase in level and come back a bit stronger. While you have sent one companion out for training feel free to summon a second companion while you continue to play! It won’t interrupt the training of the first and is a great way to level two companions at a time.
Companions max levels are tied into their quality. White = 15. Green = 20. Blue = 25. Purple = 30. There will eventually be manuals in game that will allow you to rank up lower quality companions, but they are not yet in.
Anything special about companions?
They will never talk back or complain about how many times you get them killed. And they do love to stand in stuff so their deaths will be quite frequent. Don’t worry though! There is no penalty to the companion for them dying and they will pop back up at the end of a fight or you can take a few seconds during the fight to get them back on their feet.
Companions get their own special rune slots and can wear some kinds of regular player gear. Each companion has 3 rune slots that will unlock as they level. You can put runes in here that will just add to each companions basic stats. Also, each companion has 3 equipment slots. These can be anything from rings to belts to other items and will also add to a companions stats. It doesn’t matter what level the gear is that you put into these slots. If the gear is too high then it will be scaled down to the companions level. Each companion has their own equipment slots and no two are the same. Clerics might have ring, implement, belt while boars will have neck, belt, neck.
Their appearance advances with their level. Each companion has four skins and you unlock their second skin at level 10. Other unlock levels are still unknown, but my guess is they get skin 3 at 20 and skin 4 at 30.
Companions come in different rarities just like gear. White companions can only hit level 15, green companions level 20, blue level 25 and purple level 30. (need confirmation on blue and purple as I only was able to acquire green and white companions. Soon you will be able to level up the rarity of your companion from the in game vendors located at the emporium in protectors enclave. This means if you really like your white quality cleric you can make her just as strong as the higher quality companions by purchasing her rank ups in game. The currently have no prices.
The Companion idle/active system
Each character can only have 3 active companions(unless you buy more active pet slots). Companions purchased or obtained will only appear on that character. If you have more companions than you have active slots, you may make a companion idle for free. You can then reactivate that companion should you have an active slot open up – either by buying a new one or making another companion idle. Each character starts with 6 idle companion slots.
Once you initially make a companion active that companion becomes bound to you. Here’s the fun part. For a fee of astral diamonds you can make a companion unbound to you and then trade/sell that companion with other players! Want a new companion but don’t to level a companion all over again? Someone might be selling one that they have already leveled! Have a companion you don’t want anymore? Unbind and sell them! This could create some really interesting markets I think.
Sex of companion
No this isn’t the bioware making sexytime with your companion – they thankfully aren’t built for that in this game what with a bunch of them being animals. The human ones however always come as the same gender, which can make setting their original name just guesswork unless you already know which is which. You can rename your companions, but that will cost astral diamonds, so knowing ahead of time will save you some money.
Have any other questions?
Please ask! Sorry for a huge post, but this includes everything I could think of to help people get started with companions and explain some of the little parts of the system that I have picked up. Current prices for things are subject to change and they may add in new charges at any time.
List of all currently known companions and some info on each(please feel free to add to or correct anything from my list)
Founders pack companions!!!
This has been getting asked quite a bit and the info for them is out there, at least for the most part. Since I spent way too much money and will be getting both of them I will update this post this weekend with more of their information along with everything else I can about companions. Your founders companions should be there for every character that you make and will be bound to that character.
Both companions are of epic quality, meaning they go up to level 30 and will have 3 skills.
Panther: Level 1
Claw: 1s cooldown.
32-39 Physical Damage. Damage is increased if Panther has combat advantage.
Pounce: 5s cooldown. 20′ range.
51-62 Physical Damage. Grants Combat advantage for a short duration.
Charging Pounce (Level 30):
Does 50% increased damage. Also knocks target prone.
Panthers currently attack really slowly. Often they will prepare for their pounce attack for so long that their target will already be dead. Only useful for longer fights and you have to hope the panther will chose a tougher mob to attack and not waste their attacks on a weak minion. Panther could use some love.
Vicious Dire Wolf: Level 1
Tear: 5s cooldown.
126-154 Physical Damage. Causes bleed effect.
Vicious Bites:
48-58 Physical Damage in 3 quick bites. Staggers the target.
Dire Fury:
When the Vicious Dire Wolf has combat advantage. It knocks the target prone.
Currently better than the panther. The staggers the target ability is great at interrupting powerful enemy attacks.
Part 1 – Quest Companions – Acquired from the level 16 companion quest
Currently all are white quality and the manuals are not yet in game to upgrade them.
Cleric Companion – Always female – probably human but her hair covers her ears – as shown above – Casts a heal for 20% of your max health every 30 seconds. Also has a ranged attack. This is my favorite companion that I’ve used on my GWF, Guardian fighter, and trickster rogue classes.
Cleric companion Tier 1
Cleric Companion Tier 2
Cleric Companion Tier 3
Man at Arms -Defender- Always a male human. He has two attacks that both generate additional threat.
Wizard companion -Controller/striker- Always a male dark elf. Two spells, one an aoe cold spell that does damage and one that slows nearby enemies.
Dog -Striker- A single target dps companion that can knock down enemies if he gets combat advantage on them.
Part 2 – Companions purchased from the Emporium Vendor in Protectors Enclave
You can purchase any of the four companions from the level 16 quest for 2 gold along with a Sellsword companion. These 5 companions will be listed on the common tab of the merchant.
Great weapon fighter aka Sellsword – Always female human. Has one cleave aoe attack and instead of another attasck, each hit she lands increases her crit chance on every hit.
The Following companions are on the Exotic tab of the Emporium vendor and will cost Astral Diamonds or other special in game currencies.
Ioun Stone of Might – Green quality – Augment – Boosts stats by what is put on the companion. 1000 Taulmarine bars.
Dancing shield – Blue quality – Defender companion – Deals single target damage and can lower an enemies defenses – Currently reported as being generally useless. AI seems to not function properly.
Dancing blade – Blue Quality – Striker – Two single target damage attacks. Currently reported as being generally useless. AI seems to not function properly.
Cat – Blue quality – Augment – Similar to the Ioun Stone. Cat will boost your stats by what is put in it. Gains boosts to crit and recovery as it levels. Great endgame pet as it is very hard if not impossible to have killed in a fight. 980,000 AD on the vendor.
Wererat Thief – Blue Quality – Striker – Aoe attacks. One poisons the other knocks back
Jagged Dancing blade – Blue Quality – Striker – Two single target damage attacks. Reported to have terrible AI that makes it a total waste.
Angel of protection – Purple Quality – Leader – First spell heals for 5% of max health. Next two spells are wards that reduce incoming damage taken. Costs 360 days worth of Ardent coin prayer tokens
Fire Archon – Purple Quality – Striker – One standard fire attack and one that deals damage over time. Third ability will increase the dot’s damage based on your targets remaining hp. Costs 1000 Tarmalune bars from opening nightmare lockboxes.
Part 3 – Companions Purchased for Zen
Ioun stone of Allure – Blue Quality – Augment – This stone will increase your stats 100% by whatever stats it has. 2 offense and 1 defense slot and 3 item slots. Pet cannot die in a fight and is considered by many to be the best end game pet as the others will die in any tough fights. . It is the small blue ball in the picture. It constantly rotates around your head.
Tomb Spider – Blud Quality – Controller – Listed as a controller, but doesn’t have any real control abilities. Currently is just a dps pet with two single target attacks. Bite and rake.
Neverember Guard – Blue Quality – Defender – Two single target attacks. Stab and charge. Charge generates additional threat.
Galeb Dur – Purple Quality – Defender – Taunts and deals damage. Regains 10% of max hitpoints every 8 seconds. Quite a useful tank, hard to kill. Can grab initial aggro on a group of enemies, can maintain aggro pretty well on one. Quite often better than a guardian fighter player.
Acolyte of Kelemvore – Blue quality – Leader – Female Elf – the acolyte will place a ward on you at times that will reduce incoming damage by 10%. She will also give you a life steal buff. Still not worth having over a cleric companion even with the greater quality. Life steal and damage reduction still don’t compete with a clerics healing ability.
Hawk – Green Quality – Striker – Two single target attacks
Wolf – Green Quality – Striker – Two single target attacks. One causes bleeding
Kobold Companion -Striker- One single target attack. One gluepot that will freeze enemies in place.
Honey Badger – Purple quality – Striker – Two attacks, one is an aoe cleave that causes a bleed and the second is a single target bite that causes more damage if the target has been made to bleed by the honey badger. Third ability is an effect on the honey badger that gives him increased damage above 80% hp and he takes less damage when below 35% hp.
Companions from the nightmare lock boxes
Phoera, Striker, (max 30 rank companion) random drop from nightmare boxes.
Fiery Talon: Rake the target and set it on fire for a few seconds
Feathers of Flame: Scatter several flaming feathers in a cone in front of it.
Phoenix Heat (rank 30 ability): deal fire damage to all nearby foes every seconds.
Companion offensive slots x3
Item slots: Ring, Talisman, Icon
Part 4 Companions of unknown origin
Mercenary Changed in BWE 4- Character is now a male dark elf, can teleport behind enemies and has a single target attack. Disappeared from stores.
Old character model, Male and I think he’s a dwarf, but he has no beard, so he’s only half a dwarf
New rogue Character Model
Boar – Striker – My favorite companion from the last two beta weekends to go with my dwarven GWF. He is no longer in the zen store or on the emporium vendor which makes me sad as I bought zen just so I could purchase him right off the bat. If anyone knows if he is still in game please let me know where to get him!
Boar Tier 1
Boar Tier 2
Ghost companion Reported to have been able to possess enemies. Disappeared from vendors/store in BWE4
Spider companion Controller, gone from vendors/store in BWE4