Sidekick/companion

Sidekicks and companions can accompany heroes during their nocturnal exploits.
Before November 27 2014 a hero could only have one sidekick/companions active at a time.
Since the update sidekicks and companions were separated and you can now have one of each type accompany the hero.
The update also removed the sidekick effectiveness bonuses to companions.

Companions

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Accompany the hero for a certain amount of time.
They can be summoned by either using an innate skill, using a summoning item, or acquiring them at a specific location.
If a sidekick is already active, its lifespan can usually be lengthened by repeating the summoning action.
They can be dismissed from the sidekick details page in your Hideout.

Sidekicks

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Only available after a certain step in the level 9 quest.
Each of them needs to be enabled once, and from then on they can be selected from the hideout.
Once selected, a sidekick will follow the hero for as long as necessary, until it is dismissed (from the hideout as well).
Sidekicks' power scales with the hero's level, until some cap is reached.

Sidekick modifiers

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All sidekicks carry some benefit, be it damaging opponent, increasing chips drop etc.
The effectiveness of sidekicks can be improved using effects and equipment.
In addition, judo kid gloves‎ can be equipped, granting the sidekicks additional capabilities.

Sidekick/companion comparison table

Sidekick/companion	Obtained	Duration	Requirement	Ability
Accountant	trilowatt finance system‎	Full-time		+Chips
Arcane scholar	eldritch tome‎	Full-time		Spell damage spell criticals blocking 5% of spell damage returned as XP after a fight
Autolumberjack	autolumberjack	120 min.		Attacks foes
Basic understudy	level 9 quest	Full-time		Attacks foes (Level-1 - Level+1, cap 10)
Bedraggled Squire	two coconut halves	60 min.		Trigger the B-Quest Riding in the Lists
Black robot	black robot	120 min.		Damage absorption
Blues musician	harmonica	45 min.		+Chips (11-12)
Boxing coach	gym membership card	60 min.		Delevels
Byakhee	bone flute	240 min.	Level 15	Damage absorption until destroyed Attacks foes
Clockwork ant	clockwork ant	180 min.		+Chips (50%)
Clockwork armadillo	clockwork armadillo	180 min.		Damage absorption
Clockwork falcon	clockwork falcon	180 min.		Attacks foes
Clockwork kangaroo	clockwork kangaroo	180 min.		+Items (30%)
Clockwork owl	clockwork owl	180 min.		Prevents enemy attacks
Clockwork spider	clockwork spider	180 min.		XP after a fight (Level dependent, up to 8-20)
Computer pharmacist	electropharmacological encyclopedia	Full-time		+XP per turn attacks drops items
Cosmic jester	Rigoletto's Compleat Jester kit	Full-time		Attacks foes boosts spell damage other benefits tuned by combat items
Crow	stale cracker	60 min.		+Items (20%)
Demolition man	Mad Bomber magazine	Full-time		Attacks foes with sonic damage
Documentarian	Firebird College at Philbin	Full-time		XP after a fight (Level/2 - Level/2+2, cap 5)
Dog days dog	dog days of summer	Event		?
Egyptian knife fighter	manual of Egyptian knife fighting	Full-time		Attacks foes (round(0.9*Level)-round(1.2*Level), up to 36-48)
Electrical "engineer"	Bryll Bison's I'm a Danger Here Myself	Full-time		Attacks foes with electric damage
EMT	trilowatt physiology interpreter	Full-time		Restores HP
Eskrima master	Eskrima book	Full-time		Attacks foes
Extortionist	banned book	Full-time		+Chips (30%)
Ferric man	ferric man	120 min.		Damage absorption
Flea market trader	Firebird College at Philbin	Full-time		+Items
Fledgling elemental hero	cryptonase	30 min.		XP after a fight (+1-3)
Free dummy	mismatched earring	60 min.		Damage absorption until destroyed
Freelance teenager	Jax 'Za	60 min.		Prevents enemy attacks
Gingerbread man	gingerbread man, gingerbread man (regifted)	60 min.		Prevents enemy attacks Increases foe toughness (+10)
Gnoph-keh	spiral horn	240 min.	Level 15	Attacks foes with physical + ice damage Prevents enemy attacks
Grey robot	grey robot	120 min.		Prevents enemy attacks
Grumpy old smuggler	highly implausible script	Full-time		+Items (2.5*Level%, max 50%) Prevents enemy attacks
Hero Dash trainer	trainer's whistle	Full-time		Helps you dodge weakens elemental attacks restores PP
Hoarder	Disposophobia and you	Full-time		+Items
Hound of Tindalos	jade hound	240 min.	Level 15	Attacks foes with physical + acid Delevels
Ice sculptor	Fahrenheit 4 - 5.1	Full-time		Attacks foes with ice damage XP after a fight
International agent of intrigue	The Spy who Loved and Let Die at the Royal Casino	Full-time		Attacks restores HP drops useful items
Ion sprite	Summon Ion Sprite	30 min		electric damage Bonus spell damage
Jujitsu expert	Firebird College at Philbin	Full-time		Prevents enemy attacks
Karate expert	Firebird College at Philbin	Full-time		Attacks foes
Knight Writer	knight Quill	120 min.	Level 15	Attracts villains XP after a fight
Last Nostronomian	Nostronomian signal whistle Trapped!	120 min.		Attacks foes XP after a fight
Mafia informer	Twilight Gold card‎	60 min.		+Chips (20%)
Mag-Wai warrior	Tales of the Mag-Wai	Full-time		Attacks foes with fire damage
Majestic noble	August Personage's The Stately Monarch	Full-time		+Chips (100%) restores PP delevels in combat
Massage therapist	Firebird College at Philbin	Full-time		Restores HP and PP (Level - Level+2, cap 10)
Mechanic	owner's manual	Full-time		+1 vehicle range
Mechapinata!!	mechapinata	120 min.		Attacks foes (31-46)
Midi "musician"	trilowatt signaling unit	Full-time		Increases foe toughness
Mimic	Firebird College at Philbin	Full-time		Increases foe toughness
Minstrel	Minstrel's Story hint book	Full-time		Attracts villains deals psychic damage restore HP
Monkey	seal o' canth	60 min.		+Items (20%)
Motivational speaker	motivational DVD	Full-time		Increased sidekick effectiveness
Old friend	phone number	60 min.		XP after a fight
Ponderous dove	ponderous dove	60 min.		XP after a fight
Psychoanalyst	Elijah bot‎	Full-time		XP after a fight
Publicist	League of Self Promoters	120 min.		+Chips
Race car driver	The 'Swift and ...' trilogy‎	Full-time		decreased turn length (1 sec/Level)
Reformed arsonist	Little Charley's firestarting kit	Full-time		Item find inspired by damaging combat items
Red robot	red robot	120 min.		Increases foe toughness (+30)
Robot berserker	robot berserker	120 min.		Attacks foes with fire damage
Robot with a heart of gold	robot with a heart of gold	120 min.		XP after a fight (6-13)
Rules lawyer	employee manual	Full-time		Attacks foes with psychic damage
Scarecrow	scarecrow	60 min.		Damage absorption
Self defense expert	Firebird College at Philbin	Full-time		Attacks foes (Level*2-1 - Level*2+1, cap 20)
Smart-aleck kid	old coin	60 min.		Prevents enemy attacks
Son of Reptauron	Reptauron's egg	120 min.		Attacks foes (45-77)
Steam tank	idling steamtank	120 min.		Attacks foes with physical or fire damage
Strobe drone	inactive strobe drone	30 min.		Prevents enemy attacks
Squawking radio	squawking radio	30 min.		Prevents enemy attacks
Toy soldier	toy soldier, toy soldier (regifted)	60 min.		Attacks foes
Umbrella ghost	umbrella ghost	60 min.		Prevents enemy attacks
Vorpal bunny	vorpal bunny	60 min.		Attacks foes
Water buffalo	Summon Water Buffalo scubby brand buffalo snax	60 min.		Attacks foes
Water sprite	Summon Water Sprite	30 min.		Attacks foes with ice damage Delevels
Wind warrior	Wind Warrior warrior hologram	30 min.		Attacks foes except robots. (Unless character has Electronic Understanding.)
Wolf	Summon Wolf wolf bait	60 min.		Attacks foes
Yith	summoning cone	240 min.	Level 15	Attacks foes with physical + electric damage XP after a fight

Source pages:

• Sidekick/companion (by source)
• Improved Sidekick Effectiveness

Notes

• Sidekicks cannot attack frusion enemies. Instead you get the message:

Your sidekick can't see your opponent, and just tries to stay out of the way.