Support Links
Taking cues from Persona, X-COM, and Fire Emblem, you can bond with characters and benefit from it.
If your PC spends time with NPCs or PCs, they can gain relationship-related features.
Spending downtime with a character while they are teaching you something adds to support days too.
In combat, NPCs will tend to prioritize the safety and survival of their linked PCs.
It is also possible to drop down in rank, or break a link depending on the PC's action. They lose access to abilities of that rank.
Rank 1
Cost: Downtime Days - 30 days of downtime with NPCs. 1 RP session with a fellow PC between game sessions
- Body-Swap: Linked Characters next to or adjacent to each other can use one of their reactions to swap positions, becoming the chosen target of an attack or single-target ability.
- Belief: Once per long rest, both of you receive a 1d6 Inspiration Die, which you can spend on an Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw.
Rank 2
Cost: Downtime Days - 60 days of downtime with NPCs or RP sequence. 3 RP sessions with a fellow PC between game sessions
- On My Six: Linked Characters can give up an Action so their parter can use a reaction to attack, dash, disengage, or cast a spell that is a cantrip.
- Got Your Six: As an action, a linked character can grant their partner 1d10 Temporary HP, if they are within 30 feet of each other. Additionally, once per long rest, linked characters can use an action to stabilize their partner while within 5 feet of the other.
Rank 3
Cost: Downtime Days - 90 days of downtime with NPCs or RP sequence. 5 RP sessions with a fellow PC between game sessions
- Stay Strong: Linked Characters have advantage on Sanity saving throws while within 5 feet of each other.
- Bolstering Presence: Linked Characters have advantage on Skills they are both proficient with, while within 5 feet of each other.
- Private Cant: Linked Characters can stealthily communicate using somatic gestures and in-jokes only they know. They also have advantage on Insight and Perception checks when telling if there is something wrong with their partner.
Rank 4
Cost: Downtime Days - 120 days of downtime with NPCs or RP sequence. 7 RP sessions with a fellow PC between game sessions
- Not On My Watch: When Linked Characters both make saving throws vs. an AoE effect they are both in, a Linked Character can choose to fail in order to cause their partner to succeed against the effect. This can be decided before or after the Saving Throw rolls are made.
- Army Of Two: When one Linked Character is in front of the other, the other Linked Character behind them is considered to have three-quarters cover, as they are actively defending each other. Additionally, when a Linked Character is prone and their partner is within 5-feet, getting up from prone costs no movement.
- It Cannot Be: When one Linked Character is reduced to 0 HP, their partner can choose to go into a Vengeance State similar to Reckless Attack. Their partner can only attack the target that reduced the Linked Character to 0 HP and they have advantage on attack rolls against it, however attack rolls against the partner have advantage against them. This Vengeance State lasts until the target is killed/reduced to 0 hp or until the Vengeful PC is knocked unconscious or killed.
- Believe In Yourself (Replaces Belief): Thrice per long rest, both of you receive a 1d6 Inspiration Die, which you can spend on an Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw.
Rank 5
Cost: Downtime Days - 150 days of downtime with NPCs or RP sequence. 9 RP sessions with a fellow PC between game sessions
- Stay Strong 2 (Replaces Stay Strong): Linked Characters have advantage on Sanity saving throws, as well as Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws while within 20 feet of each other.
- Power of Friendship: Once per long rest, when a Linked Character is reduced to 0 HP and their partner is within 30 feet of each other, they remain conscious and get reduced to 1 HP instead.
- Follow-Up Attack: Once per short rest, when a Linked Character makes an Attack action against a target, their partner can make a single attack roll (or cast a spell that is a cantrip) as a free action right after the Linked Character's Attack action on the same target.
- Nooo!: When one Linked Character dies, their partner can choose to fall into a grieving Rage for 1 minute. They have advantage on all Attack Rolls, as well as Athletics and Intimidation checks. They gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. However, their Honor and Sanity scores drop to 1 (which return with intensive Therapy or the use of a Greater Restoration or similar magic), and they cannot move away from creatures they consider enemies. Other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against them as well.