Pets

A companion that stands between you and the blow.

A pet that only adds damage is a damage buff wearing a costume. What makes a companion a companion here is that it takes the hit meant for you: when a blow lands on someone with live pets, one may take a SHARE of it. Not a dodge; the damage is not deleted, it is MOVED, and pets die of it, which is what makes the mechanic honest. Your defence is a finite resource standing in the room, and whoever is hitting you can choose to kill it first.

WHO KEEPS THEM. The DRUID's is a bodyguard: rare to interpose, and total when it does. The RANGER's is a hunting partner: more often, and it eats most of the blow. The NECROMANCER's skeletons are fodder: often, and each soaks only part, scaling with how many are still standing, so the answer to a necromancer is to clear the bodies. A CHARMED thrall is not loyal: cheap, unreliable, soaks little.

Summons come from the classes' own skills and spells (skills druid, spells necromancer and so on); a companion follows you, fights beside you, and falls if you let it. Mounts are not pets: a mount covers distance and puts you down before a fight (help mounts).

See also: help combat, help classes.

Syntax

abilities
spells
skills 

Examples

skills druid
spells necromancer