Post by Veliaer on Jun 22, 2014 1:40:06 GMT
If you're reading this, then I'm assuming you know something about companions, those guys who help you skill up and make the finest armor/clothes/hunt/etc.
So there's T1, T2, T3, and T4 companions that people talk about. T1 are the ones you can first get in Hawkoria, they have a 10 basic skill in many different things and 3 defiance, for example the laborer or the forester. These you can recruit all over the place. Next are T2 companions, who have 20 basic skill in only one special field, and 6 defiance. You need to build a shelter in your own concession to recruit them, and they have the best presence in any Lanfar location. Moreover, they are the first companions to require wings, specifically copper wings, which require you to pass a skill test of 26 and to pay 5 gold to the Hawkorian officials. After these come T3 companions, who specialize in entire trades, having a base of 30 in each of the trade's three skills, as well as some strength bonuses (mechanical strength, for example). To recruit them, you not only need an inn in Lanfar, but you need that inn in the correct place for each different trade, and you need gold wings (skill test of 40 and 20 gold). Finally, there are T4 companions. These are NOT the den companions, but are those you get on Crystal Island in exchange for foggy pearls. Your first one costs 1000, the next 1500, and so forth (up until 2500 pearls). They are the best available at the moment in most trades, and require eliandel wings (skill tests of 50 in multiple skills).
Now, with that out of the way, let me say that these are not all the companions. Unfortunately, I do not know everything yet, but I hope to collect information from my own play through of the game and any other advanced players who would like to share their knowledge. Here's what I know about humanoid companions that do not fit into the above categories (i.e., not T1 but require no wings).
Yraen: he is the first companion you get, and considered as the T2 hunting/taming companion (since none else exists), but he requires no wings to get, only completing a quest as outlined in the getting to Lanfar article. His stats are completely fixed at 5/25/35 offenses, 20/20/25 defenses, 20 each of taming, hunting, and leadership, and 3 defiance. He will stay with you most of the game, as one of the best slashers who takes up so little defiance that you might as well always use him. And that hunting is nice too--if you aren't doing combat, get Yraen out farming whatever you need (wolves for rigid leather, bears for their meat to trade at Offikimon's, Lanfar Sharks to tan and sell their leather/meat, etc.).
Wojtek: he is a boar that you can get. Never got him though, so someone else should supply the info. I hear he is quite useful early game.
Cerrydwen: as soon as you get to Lanfar, explore for the Moccasin Inn and you can get the first version of Cerrydwen, who doesn't use up a companion slot or defiance, and has a nice exploration bonus and archeology bonus. Note that you need a minimum archeology to recruit her in the first place (15 I think). Her quest, however, is quite long and daunting if you haven't done much combat. It requires you to face many creatures with 30-38 piercing offense and 25/40/40 defenses, and a boss with much higher stats (who is fortunately weak to Yraen's slashing. See here for the creatures and their stats. Once you get her, she has fantastic 40/0/30 offenses and 30/20/20 defenses, 2 defiance, and an increased 25 exploration, 30 archeology, 15 carpentry, and 30 forest (as well as some other skills I don't think have been implemented: stealth, vigilance, strategy).
So far, the companions have all been unique. But there are others as well that are not.
Borzem Negotiator: this guy is really useful as a mishmash of T2s, but he requires a questline to get. To unlock him at the Borzem camp, you need to do the quest Business Connections, which makes you find ratkins nearby at offsite locations and do small tasks for them. Not too difficult. However, to even understand the ratkins, I think you need to first find Sor Choubard at the Torten Camp and get the dictionary (I don't quite remember all the requirements for this). His stats are random, like most companions, but the base stats are 15 hunting, commerce, prospection and extraction, 20 woodworking and jewelry, 25 mountain, and 6 defiance. Pretty decent for a guy with 50% presence and no wing requirement.
Den companions: as I am close, but not quite in the den, I am unsure as to whether or not they have a wing requirement. Their stats, however, are listed in the leadership page of the guide. To build the inn with enough comfort requires a nuertesilico bed with mohair bedding, or so I've been told. I am unsure of the best statue for the prestige.
So there's T1, T2, T3, and T4 companions that people talk about. T1 are the ones you can first get in Hawkoria, they have a 10 basic skill in many different things and 3 defiance, for example the laborer or the forester. These you can recruit all over the place. Next are T2 companions, who have 20 basic skill in only one special field, and 6 defiance. You need to build a shelter in your own concession to recruit them, and they have the best presence in any Lanfar location. Moreover, they are the first companions to require wings, specifically copper wings, which require you to pass a skill test of 26 and to pay 5 gold to the Hawkorian officials. After these come T3 companions, who specialize in entire trades, having a base of 30 in each of the trade's three skills, as well as some strength bonuses (mechanical strength, for example). To recruit them, you not only need an inn in Lanfar, but you need that inn in the correct place for each different trade, and you need gold wings (skill test of 40 and 20 gold). Finally, there are T4 companions. These are NOT the den companions, but are those you get on Crystal Island in exchange for foggy pearls. Your first one costs 1000, the next 1500, and so forth (up until 2500 pearls). They are the best available at the moment in most trades, and require eliandel wings (skill tests of 50 in multiple skills).
Now, with that out of the way, let me say that these are not all the companions. Unfortunately, I do not know everything yet, but I hope to collect information from my own play through of the game and any other advanced players who would like to share their knowledge. Here's what I know about humanoid companions that do not fit into the above categories (i.e., not T1 but require no wings).
Yraen: he is the first companion you get, and considered as the T2 hunting/taming companion (since none else exists), but he requires no wings to get, only completing a quest as outlined in the getting to Lanfar article. His stats are completely fixed at 5/25/35 offenses, 20/20/25 defenses, 20 each of taming, hunting, and leadership, and 3 defiance. He will stay with you most of the game, as one of the best slashers who takes up so little defiance that you might as well always use him. And that hunting is nice too--if you aren't doing combat, get Yraen out farming whatever you need (wolves for rigid leather, bears for their meat to trade at Offikimon's, Lanfar Sharks to tan and sell their leather/meat, etc.).
Wojtek: he is a boar that you can get. Never got him though, so someone else should supply the info. I hear he is quite useful early game.
Cerrydwen: as soon as you get to Lanfar, explore for the Moccasin Inn and you can get the first version of Cerrydwen, who doesn't use up a companion slot or defiance, and has a nice exploration bonus and archeology bonus. Note that you need a minimum archeology to recruit her in the first place (15 I think). Her quest, however, is quite long and daunting if you haven't done much combat. It requires you to face many creatures with 30-38 piercing offense and 25/40/40 defenses, and a boss with much higher stats (who is fortunately weak to Yraen's slashing. See here for the creatures and their stats. Once you get her, she has fantastic 40/0/30 offenses and 30/20/20 defenses, 2 defiance, and an increased 25 exploration, 30 archeology, 15 carpentry, and 30 forest (as well as some other skills I don't think have been implemented: stealth, vigilance, strategy).
So far, the companions have all been unique. But there are others as well that are not.
Borzem Negotiator: this guy is really useful as a mishmash of T2s, but he requires a questline to get. To unlock him at the Borzem camp, you need to do the quest Business Connections, which makes you find ratkins nearby at offsite locations and do small tasks for them. Not too difficult. However, to even understand the ratkins, I think you need to first find Sor Choubard at the Torten Camp and get the dictionary (I don't quite remember all the requirements for this). His stats are random, like most companions, but the base stats are 15 hunting, commerce, prospection and extraction, 20 woodworking and jewelry, 25 mountain, and 6 defiance. Pretty decent for a guy with 50% presence and no wing requirement.
Den companions: as I am close, but not quite in the den, I am unsure as to whether or not they have a wing requirement. Their stats, however, are listed in the leadership page of the guide. To build the inn with enough comfort requires a nuertesilico bed with mohair bedding, or so I've been told. I am unsure of the best statue for the prestige.
