dreast
2020-11-23, 06:40 PM
***TLDR: This post goes over specific sidekick rules, and also the AD&D 2e module Night Below (Night Below spoilers below). If you're interested in either of those things, read away!***
Hello, fellow forum-goers! For reasons that make sense only to me, I'm going to be pondering the application of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything to the classic AD&D 2e module Night Below. (The reasons are: The box set was gifted to me years ago, I'm running one of my groups through it <online at the moment> and converting it to 5e as I do, and it's easily available as a pdf online, although obtaining it that way probably breaks a torrent of copyright laws. For reference, even though TSR, the copyright holder, is out of business, TSR was bought out by WotC, who I believe hold the current copyright. You can buy old copies of it legally online for a fairly inflated price, but remember that not one dime of that goes to either the original authors or WotC.) I know someone at the DM's guild was working on a conversion, if you want it converted for you, but I see that as unnecessary; peek under the hood, and while it has a bunch of neat stuff grafted onto it, the core engine of D&D5e IS AD&D2e.
Also, I feel compelled to point out that Rock Elves failed the test of time. Just make them renegade drow, even though that's exactly what Night Below's writers were hoping to NOT have in their underdark adventure (the only drow in the original campaign is a banshee, butthurt both that she's not the prettiest anymore, and is dead. They weren't subtle.) If you make the Darklake into the Sunless Sea, this can even serve as a decent sequel to Out of the Abyss.
It's important to note, when discussing sidekicks in older adventures, that AD&D 2e simply gave player classes to NPCs who might fill the role of sidekicks, and let them advance in the standard way. As such, we're not so much designing sidekicks out of whole cloth as adapting them from the source. I'll be discussing these original sidekicks and assigning an NPC class to each one, and reviewing sidekick potential, in the order their stat blocks (or names, in the case of characters with assigned class levels but no stat blocks) appear in the campaign. This also serves as a general guide to the application of sidekick rules. I'll note that, as NPCs, I believe DMs should always level sidekicks and make the discretionary choices involved, even if they decide to let players play them in combat.
NPC's suitable as sidekicks, and their associated classes:
Kuiper (p. 1-20): This 6th level Ranger is the first character the party meets suitable for sidekick status, both in the original campaign and by Tasha's standards (Oleanne's wolves' early potential cameo notwithstanding). In AD&D2e, rangers didn't get spellcasting until 8th level, so the NPC class that most fits Kuiper is the scout. Unfortunately, a scout is underleveled for the big orc fight that is the first nonrandom encounter had with Kuiper, but fortunately, sidekick levels work perfectly to bump power! It's worth noting that the party is almost certainly still first level when they meet Kuiper, so he will be, too.
As a scout, either the warrior or expert sidekick classes work to meet the "ranger" standard of the original, but it should be pointed out that the party seeks out Kuiper for his local knowledge and tracking expertise, not for an extra sword arm, so the expert class would work best thematically. (It also takes brutal advantage of the scout's multiattack, as that would be redundant at level 6 on a warrior.) Scouts also, importantly, are CR 1/2, meeting the requirement for sidekicking.
So, Kuiper starts as a level 1 Human Scout Expert. The "Scout" part is important, as sidekicks add sidekick levels, including the first one, to their existing stat blocks. Kuiper's stats are thus [11 14 12 11 13 11], and he starts with Keen Hearing and Sight (increasing his passive perception by 5 as well as giving him advantage on rolls, so long as it's sight or hearing related), multiattack with any melee or ranged attacks (!!!), and 16 base hit points with 3d8 hit dice, along with proficiencies in Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. Adding a level of expert gives him 1d8 +1 more hit points (sidekicks ALWAYS ROLL on hit point advancement), an additional 1d8 hit die, proficiency in one save (Dexterity is the strongest and best thematically), and proficiency in five skills of the DM's choice, all simple weapons, light armor, and two tools of the DM's choice. In addition, since the shortsword and longbow appear in his stat block, Kuiper is also proficient with those two martial weapons. Finally, a first level expert can use Help as a bonus action, which actually fits Kuiper's role perfectly in the first two scripted fights (especially the fight with Maxim).
Whew! I'm not going to bother assigning all those skill proficiencies, as the DM can decide what best fits their Kuiper on the fly, but I will say that if the party lacks a thiefy type, thieves' tools and some artisan tools that relate to his current job of "farmer" (like Smith's, Weaver's, or Leatherworker's tools) are probably the best fit for the tool proficiencies. The bonus hit points are also a huge boon in the orc fight, assuming you roll anything higher than a 1 or a 2. (Bloodskull orcs are just standard orcs with their greataxe swapped out for a battleaxe and shield; unfortunately, this change of equipment changes their CR from 1/2 to 1, and makes them significantly sturdier. And there are eleven of them!)
Equipment-wise, Kuiper keeps his silvered short sword and his healing potion, because those are adventure-relevant; the rest of his equipment is what is listed in the scout stat block. All in all, Kuiper is a solid addition to any team that will have him, well worth the loss of XP that comes from increasing the party size. Especially useful is his multiattack option, which makes him more likely to hit with Coordinated Strike at 6th level and just generally increases his damage options. Expertise is recommended for Survival (Tracking) and Perception thematically (which boosts him to insane passive perception heights with his Keen senses).
Belshar and Arlin (p. 1-21): These two wolves, Oleanne's sidekicks, need to be buff to survive the orc attack, the only fight they're scripted to be part of. While Oleanne will never let them accompany the adventurers, a level of Warrior or two may be just what they both need to not fall over by round two. The adventure specifically states they don't get a share of the XP, so I would advise making them second level warriors (and thus getting the essential Second Wind and even more hit points) just to give the PCs a reasonable buffer. Make 'em savage! (Sure, you could just give them an arbitrarily large number of hit points and leave it at that, but why not follow some rules while we have 'em? Circumstances may always turn out that one or both of these wolves join the party anyway.) It's worth noting that Oleanne, being a druid with a reworked spell list that bumps her CR even higher (moonbeam and healing word are must-haves), is not eligible for sidekick status.
Lyntern Parlfray (p. 1-28): The son of Count Parlfray, a potential patron, is specifically listed as a viable sidekick in the original campaign. And this introduces a dilemma, because Lyntern is supposed to be underleveled. The dilemma for the players is this: If they accept Lyntern on their adventures, they sour their relationship with the Count somewhat; if he dies, the Count becomes their mortal enemy. Instead, they can let him accompany him on one small sidequest, and satisfy him enough to get the information they need from him that way without risking much, and keep their benevolent new patron. That sidequest is supposed to reveal, however, that Lyntern is an exceptional companion, and will quickly become a real benefit to the party if they keep him... making the Count even angrier. Hence, dilemma!
So what is Lyntern? Well, in the original source he's a first level fighter with 17 Strength and 17 Constitution (even more insane in AD&D2e than it is in D&D5e, although the Con bonus of +3 is actually identical). Here, the NPC class that obviously fits him best is noble, with warrior sidekick levels.
A noble is normally CR 1/8, but with 17 Strength and Constitution, Lyntern jumps up to a CR 1. Technically, this would disqualify him as a potential sidekick, but he's supposed to be overpowered on paper, but underleveled (thus imposing a stark initial risk). So, to compensate, we'll give Lyntern the special disadvantage of not taking the party average level... he starts at level one and he levels by XP gain, same as the party members. This means that not only does the party face the Count's wrath by using him, but to keep him useful, they have to keep doing it! They'll have to weigh the downsides of losing a patron AND splitting XP to decide if Lyntern is worth it. What's more, his utility will gradually decrease anyway as the party gains levels, as his d8 hit dice and warrior levels make him somewhat less than a full party member, although never bad. It's a tradeoff... and a good one for the party to face.
What does keeping Lyntern around get them? Well, his modified stat block is [17 12 17 12 14 16], which is... "not bad." As a boosted noble, Lyntern has 15 hp, 2d8 hit die, proficiency in Deception, Insight, and Persuasion, and the Parry reaction, which is quite helpful for a warrior. Because of his commonly used reaction, and Lyntern's general aggressiveness as a wanna-be hero, he should take the "Attacker" martial role, since his entire purpose is to freak out the party by wading out front (or make them make the choice of pushing him out front to get the best use out of him). Strength or Constitution would be the best save proficiencies thematically, with Strength being the strongest of the weak saves, and Con being the weakest of the strong saves (esp. for a non-spellcaster)... so I would argue Strength fits his character better. Skill-wise, Animal Handling (for riding a horse) and Athletics are both perfectly on-theme, and he also gains proficiency with all armor, shields, and all martial and simple weapons. His starting equipment as a noble works fine, although the party will probably want him to swap his rapier for at least a longsword and shield, or a greatsword depending on their inclinations, ASAP. He also picks up 1d8 + 3 hit points. All in all, quite handy to have early, and never awful, with that high hp, high damage output and the Parry reaction... which scales with his proficiency bonus, it should be noted, for both Lyntern and all other parrying sidekicks.
Lyntern has two language proficiencies as well; I would argue Common and Giant, given one of his father's ambitions. His father may well allow the party to take him to talk to the Stone Giants to be their diplomat for his early allowable side-quest.
Heydrus (p. 1-43): From the strongest sidekick to the weakest, Heydrus is a lowly bandit who's desperate from rescue from his abusive masters. If the party wants him to tag along, he will, gaining levels in the Expert sidekick class, but he's barely better than a Commoner, with only a lowly 12 Dex and 12 Con, and a proficiency in scimitars, as well as 12 hp and 2d8 hit dice, to bring to the table before he starts gaining expert levels. Still, he's a nerdy, sardonic abuse victim, and if you want to practice your Woodhouse impression, you could do worse. He can be proficient in literally anything the party needs as an expert, too, so he's at least never completely useless. He's also chaotic neutral, which means he'll work (or not) in just about any party.
Semheis (p. 1-51): In the original adventure, Semheis exists to be kidnapped and disappears from the plot entirely thereafter. However, if the party is in need of a healing spellcaster with a taste for vengeance, the DM could have him be found in the orc caves, a fellow prisoner of Snagger, meant for further transfer at some point after the PCs arrive. He'd be kept unconscious the entire time, though, so he has absolutely no information for the PCs.
As a low-level priest in the original, Semheis is clearly an acolyte, which brings a surprising amount to the table. First, his stats are [10 10 10 10 14 11], almost a commoner but with a reasonable spellcasting stat of Wisdom. Second, he has 9 hit points and 2d8 hit dice before he starts gaining levels. Third, he has proficiency and expertise in Medicine, and proficiency in Religion. Finally, and most notably, he has the spellcasting trait, which is independent from his pending spellcasting trait gained by levels as a spellcaster (healer) sidekick (it's not a multiclass thing for sidekicks).
What does this mean? Well, he gets three cantrips (light, sacred flame, and thaumaturgy) for free, three first level spell slots for free, and he knows three first level spells he can cast from slots for free: bless, cure wounds, and sanctuary, all solid gold. Second, as he develops his spellcasting ability from his sidekick class, he can pick druid or cleric spells to add, and adds the gained spell slots to his own, ultimately resulting in potentially 7 first level slots. Finally, between potent cantrips and empowered spells, he never becomes completely useless. He's a very reasonable font of healing for any party lacking such, and he has some offensive spellcasting chops as well, even if he is ultimately limited to 5th level spells or lower (and even getting there probably requires the party to take on nearly every "bonus boss" in the campaign, including the adult green dragon AND the adult shadow dragon).
In addition, Semheis gets proficiency with light armor and all simple weapons, and Wisdom saving throws (being the obvious choice). His AC in particular will always be execrable, so he's best off standing back and healing hard, but the party shouldn't be disappointed in him if they want him. Semheis is also the only spellcaster sidekick to appear in this adventure (which makes sense, since the plot revolves around spellcasters getting kidnapped and disappearing completely).
Snagger (p. 1-64): A 4th level dwarf fighter in the original, Snagger is meant to be a solid companion for those in need of a stout warrior. Given his original extremely high stats, a thug is probably the best match for our friend (if the name weren't enough to tip that off), especially given how high his hit point total in the original was. His alignment (LN) even meets the thug's requirements!
As a thug, Snagger has a stat block of [15 11 14 10 10 11] and brings a whopping 5d8 hit dice (and 32 bonus hp) to the table, as well as proficiency in Intimidation and the Pack Tactics ability. He gets to multiattack with melee weapons, which will work quite well until his sixth level Extra Attack makes it obsolete. Unlike Lyntern, as a classic mercenary-like dwarf, he'll probably want the Defender option to keep his new employers safe, which works extremely well with his existing Pack Tactics, since he wants to be shoulder-to-shoulder with party members anyway. As a tradeoff for this buff little dwarf, beyond the normal XP penalty, Snagger works for treasure: he'll settle on a half-share, though, given that the party did save his life.
Jelenneth (p. 3-23): This is a tricky one. In the story, Jelenneth the apprentice mage got to third level of wizardry before dual classing to rogue in order to survive alone in the underdark without her spellbook, forever turning her back on wizardry to do so. In other words, she's a classic arcane trickster. There are two options for DMs here. One is to create an arcane trickster stat block by building a standard PC arcane trickster at level 8 or so, filing off the cruft to make it DM friendly, and then just freeze her there if the party takes her on, like any other NPC; the other is to start with a minor magic-using NPC and then give her sidekick class levels in Expert. Since this is a discussion of the sidekick rules, that's what we'll do.
The immediate and obvious choice is the VGtM apprentice wizard, but it's frankly underpowered for what Jelenneth can do (and needs to do plotwise), so I'd make the following changes:
1. Buff her hit dice to three.
2. Give her the third level spellcasting trait. This increases her 1st level slots by one and gives her two second level spell slots. The spells she knows should be (for adventure plot sake) mage hand instead of mending, minor illusion instead of prestidigitation, color spray instead of burning hands, and invisibility and phantasmal force at second level.
3. Buff her Dexterity to 14.
The net effect of all this is a character who still has a 1/2 challenge rating but has significantly more use to the party and can do everything she needs to for the plot of the game when she's discovered. If the party decides to take her on at this late level, her many levels of expert will immediately make her a huge benefit, and her minor spellcasting utility is nothing to sneeze at either (remember that fire bolt levels up with her expert class levels, as well).
So, that's my take on the sidekicks of Night Below. I hope someone out there enjoyed this! I certainly did.
Hello, fellow forum-goers! For reasons that make sense only to me, I'm going to be pondering the application of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything to the classic AD&D 2e module Night Below. (The reasons are: The box set was gifted to me years ago, I'm running one of my groups through it <online at the moment> and converting it to 5e as I do, and it's easily available as a pdf online, although obtaining it that way probably breaks a torrent of copyright laws. For reference, even though TSR, the copyright holder, is out of business, TSR was bought out by WotC, who I believe hold the current copyright. You can buy old copies of it legally online for a fairly inflated price, but remember that not one dime of that goes to either the original authors or WotC.) I know someone at the DM's guild was working on a conversion, if you want it converted for you, but I see that as unnecessary; peek under the hood, and while it has a bunch of neat stuff grafted onto it, the core engine of D&D5e IS AD&D2e.
Also, I feel compelled to point out that Rock Elves failed the test of time. Just make them renegade drow, even though that's exactly what Night Below's writers were hoping to NOT have in their underdark adventure (the only drow in the original campaign is a banshee, butthurt both that she's not the prettiest anymore, and is dead. They weren't subtle.) If you make the Darklake into the Sunless Sea, this can even serve as a decent sequel to Out of the Abyss.
It's important to note, when discussing sidekicks in older adventures, that AD&D 2e simply gave player classes to NPCs who might fill the role of sidekicks, and let them advance in the standard way. As such, we're not so much designing sidekicks out of whole cloth as adapting them from the source. I'll be discussing these original sidekicks and assigning an NPC class to each one, and reviewing sidekick potential, in the order their stat blocks (or names, in the case of characters with assigned class levels but no stat blocks) appear in the campaign. This also serves as a general guide to the application of sidekick rules. I'll note that, as NPCs, I believe DMs should always level sidekicks and make the discretionary choices involved, even if they decide to let players play them in combat.
NPC's suitable as sidekicks, and their associated classes:
Kuiper (p. 1-20): This 6th level Ranger is the first character the party meets suitable for sidekick status, both in the original campaign and by Tasha's standards (Oleanne's wolves' early potential cameo notwithstanding). In AD&D2e, rangers didn't get spellcasting until 8th level, so the NPC class that most fits Kuiper is the scout. Unfortunately, a scout is underleveled for the big orc fight that is the first nonrandom encounter had with Kuiper, but fortunately, sidekick levels work perfectly to bump power! It's worth noting that the party is almost certainly still first level when they meet Kuiper, so he will be, too.
As a scout, either the warrior or expert sidekick classes work to meet the "ranger" standard of the original, but it should be pointed out that the party seeks out Kuiper for his local knowledge and tracking expertise, not for an extra sword arm, so the expert class would work best thematically. (It also takes brutal advantage of the scout's multiattack, as that would be redundant at level 6 on a warrior.) Scouts also, importantly, are CR 1/2, meeting the requirement for sidekicking.
So, Kuiper starts as a level 1 Human Scout Expert. The "Scout" part is important, as sidekicks add sidekick levels, including the first one, to their existing stat blocks. Kuiper's stats are thus [11 14 12 11 13 11], and he starts with Keen Hearing and Sight (increasing his passive perception by 5 as well as giving him advantage on rolls, so long as it's sight or hearing related), multiattack with any melee or ranged attacks (!!!), and 16 base hit points with 3d8 hit dice, along with proficiencies in Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. Adding a level of expert gives him 1d8 +1 more hit points (sidekicks ALWAYS ROLL on hit point advancement), an additional 1d8 hit die, proficiency in one save (Dexterity is the strongest and best thematically), and proficiency in five skills of the DM's choice, all simple weapons, light armor, and two tools of the DM's choice. In addition, since the shortsword and longbow appear in his stat block, Kuiper is also proficient with those two martial weapons. Finally, a first level expert can use Help as a bonus action, which actually fits Kuiper's role perfectly in the first two scripted fights (especially the fight with Maxim).
Whew! I'm not going to bother assigning all those skill proficiencies, as the DM can decide what best fits their Kuiper on the fly, but I will say that if the party lacks a thiefy type, thieves' tools and some artisan tools that relate to his current job of "farmer" (like Smith's, Weaver's, or Leatherworker's tools) are probably the best fit for the tool proficiencies. The bonus hit points are also a huge boon in the orc fight, assuming you roll anything higher than a 1 or a 2. (Bloodskull orcs are just standard orcs with their greataxe swapped out for a battleaxe and shield; unfortunately, this change of equipment changes their CR from 1/2 to 1, and makes them significantly sturdier. And there are eleven of them!)
Equipment-wise, Kuiper keeps his silvered short sword and his healing potion, because those are adventure-relevant; the rest of his equipment is what is listed in the scout stat block. All in all, Kuiper is a solid addition to any team that will have him, well worth the loss of XP that comes from increasing the party size. Especially useful is his multiattack option, which makes him more likely to hit with Coordinated Strike at 6th level and just generally increases his damage options. Expertise is recommended for Survival (Tracking) and Perception thematically (which boosts him to insane passive perception heights with his Keen senses).
Belshar and Arlin (p. 1-21): These two wolves, Oleanne's sidekicks, need to be buff to survive the orc attack, the only fight they're scripted to be part of. While Oleanne will never let them accompany the adventurers, a level of Warrior or two may be just what they both need to not fall over by round two. The adventure specifically states they don't get a share of the XP, so I would advise making them second level warriors (and thus getting the essential Second Wind and even more hit points) just to give the PCs a reasonable buffer. Make 'em savage! (Sure, you could just give them an arbitrarily large number of hit points and leave it at that, but why not follow some rules while we have 'em? Circumstances may always turn out that one or both of these wolves join the party anyway.) It's worth noting that Oleanne, being a druid with a reworked spell list that bumps her CR even higher (moonbeam and healing word are must-haves), is not eligible for sidekick status.
Lyntern Parlfray (p. 1-28): The son of Count Parlfray, a potential patron, is specifically listed as a viable sidekick in the original campaign. And this introduces a dilemma, because Lyntern is supposed to be underleveled. The dilemma for the players is this: If they accept Lyntern on their adventures, they sour their relationship with the Count somewhat; if he dies, the Count becomes their mortal enemy. Instead, they can let him accompany him on one small sidequest, and satisfy him enough to get the information they need from him that way without risking much, and keep their benevolent new patron. That sidequest is supposed to reveal, however, that Lyntern is an exceptional companion, and will quickly become a real benefit to the party if they keep him... making the Count even angrier. Hence, dilemma!
So what is Lyntern? Well, in the original source he's a first level fighter with 17 Strength and 17 Constitution (even more insane in AD&D2e than it is in D&D5e, although the Con bonus of +3 is actually identical). Here, the NPC class that obviously fits him best is noble, with warrior sidekick levels.
A noble is normally CR 1/8, but with 17 Strength and Constitution, Lyntern jumps up to a CR 1. Technically, this would disqualify him as a potential sidekick, but he's supposed to be overpowered on paper, but underleveled (thus imposing a stark initial risk). So, to compensate, we'll give Lyntern the special disadvantage of not taking the party average level... he starts at level one and he levels by XP gain, same as the party members. This means that not only does the party face the Count's wrath by using him, but to keep him useful, they have to keep doing it! They'll have to weigh the downsides of losing a patron AND splitting XP to decide if Lyntern is worth it. What's more, his utility will gradually decrease anyway as the party gains levels, as his d8 hit dice and warrior levels make him somewhat less than a full party member, although never bad. It's a tradeoff... and a good one for the party to face.
What does keeping Lyntern around get them? Well, his modified stat block is [17 12 17 12 14 16], which is... "not bad." As a boosted noble, Lyntern has 15 hp, 2d8 hit die, proficiency in Deception, Insight, and Persuasion, and the Parry reaction, which is quite helpful for a warrior. Because of his commonly used reaction, and Lyntern's general aggressiveness as a wanna-be hero, he should take the "Attacker" martial role, since his entire purpose is to freak out the party by wading out front (or make them make the choice of pushing him out front to get the best use out of him). Strength or Constitution would be the best save proficiencies thematically, with Strength being the strongest of the weak saves, and Con being the weakest of the strong saves (esp. for a non-spellcaster)... so I would argue Strength fits his character better. Skill-wise, Animal Handling (for riding a horse) and Athletics are both perfectly on-theme, and he also gains proficiency with all armor, shields, and all martial and simple weapons. His starting equipment as a noble works fine, although the party will probably want him to swap his rapier for at least a longsword and shield, or a greatsword depending on their inclinations, ASAP. He also picks up 1d8 + 3 hit points. All in all, quite handy to have early, and never awful, with that high hp, high damage output and the Parry reaction... which scales with his proficiency bonus, it should be noted, for both Lyntern and all other parrying sidekicks.
Lyntern has two language proficiencies as well; I would argue Common and Giant, given one of his father's ambitions. His father may well allow the party to take him to talk to the Stone Giants to be their diplomat for his early allowable side-quest.
Heydrus (p. 1-43): From the strongest sidekick to the weakest, Heydrus is a lowly bandit who's desperate from rescue from his abusive masters. If the party wants him to tag along, he will, gaining levels in the Expert sidekick class, but he's barely better than a Commoner, with only a lowly 12 Dex and 12 Con, and a proficiency in scimitars, as well as 12 hp and 2d8 hit dice, to bring to the table before he starts gaining expert levels. Still, he's a nerdy, sardonic abuse victim, and if you want to practice your Woodhouse impression, you could do worse. He can be proficient in literally anything the party needs as an expert, too, so he's at least never completely useless. He's also chaotic neutral, which means he'll work (or not) in just about any party.
Semheis (p. 1-51): In the original adventure, Semheis exists to be kidnapped and disappears from the plot entirely thereafter. However, if the party is in need of a healing spellcaster with a taste for vengeance, the DM could have him be found in the orc caves, a fellow prisoner of Snagger, meant for further transfer at some point after the PCs arrive. He'd be kept unconscious the entire time, though, so he has absolutely no information for the PCs.
As a low-level priest in the original, Semheis is clearly an acolyte, which brings a surprising amount to the table. First, his stats are [10 10 10 10 14 11], almost a commoner but with a reasonable spellcasting stat of Wisdom. Second, he has 9 hit points and 2d8 hit dice before he starts gaining levels. Third, he has proficiency and expertise in Medicine, and proficiency in Religion. Finally, and most notably, he has the spellcasting trait, which is independent from his pending spellcasting trait gained by levels as a spellcaster (healer) sidekick (it's not a multiclass thing for sidekicks).
What does this mean? Well, he gets three cantrips (light, sacred flame, and thaumaturgy) for free, three first level spell slots for free, and he knows three first level spells he can cast from slots for free: bless, cure wounds, and sanctuary, all solid gold. Second, as he develops his spellcasting ability from his sidekick class, he can pick druid or cleric spells to add, and adds the gained spell slots to his own, ultimately resulting in potentially 7 first level slots. Finally, between potent cantrips and empowered spells, he never becomes completely useless. He's a very reasonable font of healing for any party lacking such, and he has some offensive spellcasting chops as well, even if he is ultimately limited to 5th level spells or lower (and even getting there probably requires the party to take on nearly every "bonus boss" in the campaign, including the adult green dragon AND the adult shadow dragon).
In addition, Semheis gets proficiency with light armor and all simple weapons, and Wisdom saving throws (being the obvious choice). His AC in particular will always be execrable, so he's best off standing back and healing hard, but the party shouldn't be disappointed in him if they want him. Semheis is also the only spellcaster sidekick to appear in this adventure (which makes sense, since the plot revolves around spellcasters getting kidnapped and disappearing completely).
Snagger (p. 1-64): A 4th level dwarf fighter in the original, Snagger is meant to be a solid companion for those in need of a stout warrior. Given his original extremely high stats, a thug is probably the best match for our friend (if the name weren't enough to tip that off), especially given how high his hit point total in the original was. His alignment (LN) even meets the thug's requirements!
As a thug, Snagger has a stat block of [15 11 14 10 10 11] and brings a whopping 5d8 hit dice (and 32 bonus hp) to the table, as well as proficiency in Intimidation and the Pack Tactics ability. He gets to multiattack with melee weapons, which will work quite well until his sixth level Extra Attack makes it obsolete. Unlike Lyntern, as a classic mercenary-like dwarf, he'll probably want the Defender option to keep his new employers safe, which works extremely well with his existing Pack Tactics, since he wants to be shoulder-to-shoulder with party members anyway. As a tradeoff for this buff little dwarf, beyond the normal XP penalty, Snagger works for treasure: he'll settle on a half-share, though, given that the party did save his life.
Jelenneth (p. 3-23): This is a tricky one. In the story, Jelenneth the apprentice mage got to third level of wizardry before dual classing to rogue in order to survive alone in the underdark without her spellbook, forever turning her back on wizardry to do so. In other words, she's a classic arcane trickster. There are two options for DMs here. One is to create an arcane trickster stat block by building a standard PC arcane trickster at level 8 or so, filing off the cruft to make it DM friendly, and then just freeze her there if the party takes her on, like any other NPC; the other is to start with a minor magic-using NPC and then give her sidekick class levels in Expert. Since this is a discussion of the sidekick rules, that's what we'll do.
The immediate and obvious choice is the VGtM apprentice wizard, but it's frankly underpowered for what Jelenneth can do (and needs to do plotwise), so I'd make the following changes:
1. Buff her hit dice to three.
2. Give her the third level spellcasting trait. This increases her 1st level slots by one and gives her two second level spell slots. The spells she knows should be (for adventure plot sake) mage hand instead of mending, minor illusion instead of prestidigitation, color spray instead of burning hands, and invisibility and phantasmal force at second level.
3. Buff her Dexterity to 14.
The net effect of all this is a character who still has a 1/2 challenge rating but has significantly more use to the party and can do everything she needs to for the plot of the game when she's discovered. If the party decides to take her on at this late level, her many levels of expert will immediately make her a huge benefit, and her minor spellcasting utility is nothing to sneeze at either (remember that fire bolt levels up with her expert class levels, as well).
So, that's my take on the sidekicks of Night Below. I hope someone out there enjoyed this! I certainly did.