Companion
A companion is an NPC who can accompany you and fight on your side during encounters with enemies. Typically, you must first complete a quest for them or involving them before they can join you.
Each companion has their own dialog and unlocks some special results while wandering. You can have only one companion with you at a time. Unlike the Pardner in West of Loathing, you can swap between other companions you've found. Companions not currently travelling with you wait at The Purple Door.
Four companions are available in (almost) any run:
- Gabby is available by default, joining you in the Prologue.
- Obie the Oboe Hobo can join you if you show him some generosity at Goldthwait Park. Missable if you give him just 1 meat or eject him from the park rudely. Unlike most hobos, Obie still talks to you with any level of Shadow Taint.
- Molly Buttons appears outside Murray's Antique Store on day 2 if you tell Don Toblerone you'll assist the Mob. Missable if you refuse Don T.'s offer.
- Alphonse Gator sniffs you out while wandering The Big Moist if you've consumed at least one shadow item.
One more companion is available depending on your choice of major at S.I.T. (Admissions Office):
- Barker joins you as a Botany major if you pacify him rather than fighting him.
- Simone, a fellow Robotechtronics major, can join you if you complete all the extra credits in the class.
- Professor Adams joins you as part of your Chemicals major questline.
Companion Vignettes
Each companion has two companion vignettes, short segments where you control your companion on an errand. Completing both vignettes (and in some cases, an additional challenge) allows the companion to save the world.
You can bail out of any vignette early. You can always come back later to finish it, and your companion will keep bugging you as long as you're in the region.
- Some vignettes require you spend a certain total amount of time with the companion first, as measured in random encounters while traveling or wandering.
- Some require that time passes to a certain day (or later).
- The second vignette always requires finishing the first one.
- When a vignette is ready, the companion is with you, and you're in the appropriate region, your companion will call for your attention.
- See each companion's page for details on their vignettes.
| Companion | First Vignette | Second Vignette | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Requirement | Region | Requirement | |
| Gabby | Crystaldream Lake | Day 2 | Crystaldream Lake | 23 encounters |
| Obie | The Big Moist | Day 4 | S.I.T. Campus, Porkham | — |
| Molly | Gray County | Day 5 | Ocean City | — |
| Barker | Crystaldream Lake | Day 4 | Gray County | Day 5 |
| Simone | Gray County | Day 5 | Ocean City | 37 encounters |
| Adams | S.I.T. Campus, Porkham | 11 encounters | Crystaldream Lake | Day 4 |
| Alphonse | The Big Moist | 11 encounters | The Big Moist | 21 encounters |
Other Allies
While they're not companions, a number of other people and creatures ally with you in fights:
- Your familiar.
- A Tin Lizzie shows up if you blow a tin whistle during combat in Ocean City.
- You can summon a tentacle with a tentacle seed.
- The two Mob guys in the Refrigerator Factory when you fight Shadow Oliver.
- Simone's pet robot Clarence if she is with you.
- A friendly spider if you checked Arachnophilia in the options menu. Note that an enemy spider also appears, which tends to be tougher than your ally spider.
- Three shadow minions if you have the Collusion of Shadow perk from Librum Umbra Malum Ovilla.
Some temporary allies also have a random chance of showing up as a fight begins:
- A tentacle sometimes appears on your side in Ocean City. (Stops appearing after Tentacle House is cleared?)
- A random hobo may help if you have recruited at least 3 hobos and have not reached Shadow taint level 3. Wearing The Grand Token of the Hobo Empire guarantees it, even if you gain Shadow Taint after obtaining the item.
- A random Mob henchman may appear if you have completed all Mob quests. Wearing the mob capo signet guarantees it.
- Rufus may send a random robot to fight alongside you if you have helped him at least once. Increased chance while in S.I.T. Campus, Porkham.
- (needs verification) At least one random ally, if available, seems to show up 100% of the time when you fight a boss.
Gallery
Gabby
Obie
Molly Buttons
Barker
Simone
Professor Adams
Alphonse Gator
The cooler Alphonse
