Sidekicks and Cohorts

Perhaps you have a low number of players and they need sidekicks, perhaps your player needs a cohort, perhaps the team needs someone to do jobs best left for NPCs. Enter the sidekick/cohort system.

Definitions:

Sidekick: A less powerful runner who accompanies the PC on missions and is generally controlled by a PC.

Example Sidekicks: Any less powerful character, like in D&D's leadership system.

Cohort: The ultimate contact, another runner who is happy to accomplish the "NPC tasks", and while they may be "controlled" by the PC sometimes, their rolls and stats are left more up to the GM.

Example Cohorts: A rigger who drives the getaway vehicle, a decker/info gatherer who does the background work on a mission, a face who introduces you to Johnsons.

Both sidekicks and cohorts are generally considered part of the shadowrunning team and probably will want some income for their work. Cohorts are basically NPC teammates who expect full shares, while sidekicks may split part of the controlling PC's shares.

Sidekick Rules
A sidekick should generally be made with 10-20 less build points than the PC, should not be allowed more than 2-3 edges/flaws, and gains only 2 points of good karma for every 3 the PC gains. He does not gain karma pool, he must share the PC's karma pool reserve.

To gain a sidekick, you should pay 10 points of good karma for the "sidekick" benefit, and use negotiation or etiquette to find them. (Maybe they find you). They are people you've taken under your wing as a mentor, family member, or for some other reason want to help train. The GM may want to limit the sidekick's active skills to be no higher than the PC's ranks in leadership.

Once the sidekick is gained they stick around like a lesser PC. If he dies it costs another 10 karma points to replace him, and any rolls suffer a cumulative +1 penalty to locate replacement sidekicks for each one that died (as you gain a rep for killing your help!).

Cohorts:

Cohorts are easier- they're built with the same BP as the PCs and have the same karma. They are considered an official part of the shadowrunning team. As such they will expect an equal cut of mission pay, for this mission and for future missions. (Which makes it not cost effective to hire them for just that one mission). Generally they're run by the GM as party support.

Parties that frequently "hire" then "fire" cohorts may soon find themselves unable to hire long term support.