Companion levelling tips

Companion levelling tips

A companion can be made to train alongside its druid by setting "companion train on". This command adds the companion to the druid's party. In party, EXP from a foe, which each party member has damaged at least once, is distributed proportionally based on the levels of those party members (eg: a level 5 companion in party with a level 10 druid will give the companion 15 EXP, and the druid 30 EXP, from a 45 EXP monster.)

Companions broadly fall into two categories of levelling difficulty - normal, that can land hits, and difficult, that cannot.

1. Normal

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1.1. Technique

For companions that are able to land hits, a basic approach is to imitate the levelling pattern of a low-level player - killing meadow bees/butterflies and checker pieces until they gain around level 3, then accompany the druid's usual leveling route.

• In order to attack a mob, a companion can be commanded either (a) to one-off kill a single mob, or (b) auto-attack anything that is attacking the druid. See Companion commands. Companions do not attack unless either of these commands is given, or if the mob attacks it.
  • Visible messages while attacking:
    • Misses are not visible.
    • Successful hits are displayed just as per players', eg, "Hirilonde scrapes Butterfly and strikes weakly."
    • No HP notification-per-round is available.
  • Note that level 1 companions generally do not land hits every round, even if they are actually able to land hits.
• A druid may command a companion to leave the room once they damage the foe to avoid having to heal or reincarnate them regularly.
• A druid can set his/her companion's "wimpy" and "wimpydir". See Companion commands.

1.2. Levelling speed

Normal-hitting companions level at a relatively slow pace at first, and then quickly become capable of matching the druid's levelling speed (approximately level 5, but could occur earlier or later depending on type). Despite doing not much damage at level 1, this speed is due to:

• Reduced EXP requirement per level (relative to players)
• No skill training
• No guild levels
• Lack of EXP loss at death

(Theoretically, this would not apply for companions that do extremely little damage despite level gains, or otherwise struggle to level.)

The speed of companion levelling is inconvenient when the companion later outdamages the druid as well, taking a lot of EXP. Very high-damaging companions (eg bobcat, wolf) in this category may take most of the EXP at higher levels.

• In this situation, companion train on may be used to prevent them from taking all the EXP, although due to the calculation of party EXP.
  • This is less effective when the companion is a considerably higher level than the druid.
    • A druid in this situation should assess whether the companion takes more EXP in party or out and decide which is best based on the various factors of their own levelling.
    • If the companion takes "too much EXP" regardless of being in or out of party, and levelling is not significantly faster as a result, it may be best not to use the companion in combat at all.
• Because of this, a druid taking a new companion is generally recommended not to allow their companion to outlevel themselves (the druid), regardless of how slowly their companion levels at first.

2. Difficult

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For companions that are not able to land hits, certain pk toys are available to help them level to the point where they can. As a result, these companions may be slower, more expensive, or more inconvenient to level.

• A list of such toys and how to obtain them (if not QI):
  • magic pouch (room attack guaranteed damage) (You can buy this from Tsukku's Curiosity Shoppe in Ido village, or acquire it from the Goblin Wizard in the nearby-ish caves.)
  • flask of ooze (not a roomattack, but it is guaranteed damage)
• Companion train on is very strongly recommended for this category until it is able to reliably hit mobs by itself, at which point it may no longer be considered "difficult" to level.
• Moonbathe may increase a companion's strength enough to enable it to land hits.
• Some pk toys will result in the companion attacking the druid. This necessitates either staying in a different room from your companion at all times, using one of the methods for ceasing combat, or using a method of being in the same room as your companion that does not trigger combat.

3. Additional levelling information

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3.1. Reentering combat#reentering combat

• In most cases, a companion ceases being in combat with a foe it has previously attacked once it leaves the room.
  • This is good for wimpying as it allows the companion to recover upon re-entering the room.
  • If the companion re-enters the room and it is defending the druid, it will still attack whatever is currently attacking the druid.
• However, if the foe was its own druid, the opposite is true. The companion will remain permanently in combat with the druid until it is stopped.
  • The only exception to this rule is if the companion follows the druid into a room, however this is temporary.
  • Soothing will stop a companion from being in combat with its druid, as will any event that causes the companion to leave the realm (death/reincarnate, character logging out/in).
  • In darkness such as cicadas or cloudy night, a companion cannot attack its druid.
  • NB: An agitated companion who is not following its druid and/or has a wimpy of 100 will leave the room every time the druid attempts to soothe it, which causes the soothe to fail. A possible means of achieving this is as follows:

1. 1. 1. The druid stuns him/herself repeatedly for the next 5 seconds or so - eg unready/ready, drop/get an item, eat.
      2. Immediately summon companion, set companion's wimpy to 0 and soothe.

• • • If the initial stun fails and the companion is set to follow, it will leave and then return in time for the soothe to "succeed". While the current combat will cease, a true soothe has not occurred and is only temporary.

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