Saibamen, Cell Jrs, an army of Frieza Force Soldiers… Dragon Ball has plenty of minion examples. Minions allow for you to deal with problems without getting your own hands dirty, to gain support against superior numbers, or simply attempt to tire out an opponent while you are given the space to recover energy.

Minion Rules. Minions are classified as characters that are controlled by another character, known as that Minion’s Master. Minions have a few rules that differentiate them from normal characters:

• Follower: Minions skip the Act Phase of their Turn (see — Combat Encounters), unless they have been targeted by the Command Maneuver by their Master (see — Actions & Maneuvers). Additionally, Minions only gain 2 Actions and 0 Counter Actions at the start of the Combat Round.
• Weakness: A Minion is usually significantly weaker than their Master. This is represented by all Minions having their base Tier of Power reduced by 1 (if their base Tier of Power is already 1, reduce their Saving Throws and Combat Rolls by 2).
• Single Attack: Minions cannot use more than one Attacking Maneuver during each Combat Round.
• Thresholds: Minions only possess the Healthy and Injured Health Thresholds.
• Initiative: Minions must still roll Initiative when they enter a Combat Encounter. Their place in Initiative is directly after their Master, in the order among Initiative, of their Initiative Value.
• Life Points: After you calculate the Life Points of a Minion, set their Maximum Life Points to 1/4 (rounded up) of what it would usually be.
• Ki Points & Capacity: Minions have the typical Capacity Rate for their Power Level but set their Maximum Ki Points to 1/2 of what it would usually be.
• Empower: Minions cannot transfer more than 1/5 of their Ki Points through the Empower Maneuver.
• Ultimates: Minions cannot use Ultimate Signature Techniques.
• Karma: Minions do not possess Karma Points.
• Readied Minions: Minions cannot enter the Spectator Special State through any means.
• Minions: Minions cannot create a Minion or be the Master of a Minion themselves.

Minion Defeat. Minions are killed if their Life Points reach 0, unless their Master spends a Karma Point to keep them alive.

Limited Control. While the Command Maneuver lets you command a Minion, it can only be used once per Combat Round on each Minion. You can only possess a single Minion during a Combat Encounter (Minion Talents increase this number).

Your maximum number of Minions you can possess outside of a Combat Encounter is equal to the number you can possess inside of a Combat Encounter plus your base Tier of Power.

Recovery Periods. If you did not give your Minions orders with the Command Maneuver this Combat Round, at the end of this Combat Round, all of your Minions regain 1d8(T) Life and Ki Points (roll once – all of your Minions that qualify regain those Life and Ki Points).

Special Minions. Some Minions are classified as Special Minions. Special Minions are immune to some effects that would directly influence typical Minions. Special Minions ignore the Weakness, Single Attack, Thresholds, and Ki Points & Capacity rules for Minions.

Duplicates. Some Minions are exact (or nearly exact) copies of their creator. These Minions are known as Duplicates and are Special Minions. Duplicates possess the same Attribute Scores, Apparel, Accessories, Weapons, Talents, Racial Traits, Signature Techniques, Auras, Unique Abilities, and Transformations as their Master (they must also select all the same Option effects and anything chosen through a Passive effect). If their Master was in a Transformation when they were created, they are in that Transformation at the time of creation (as long as they still meet the prerequisites of that Transformation).

While Minions are usually treated as Allies, a Duplicate is not considered their Master’s Ally.

Follow the usual rules for Minions for Duplicates. Additionally, Duplicates cannot gain Minion Traits unless specifically specified.

Duplicated Items. Any Apparel, Accessories or Weapons created along with a Duplicate are destroyed when that Duplicate is Defeated or otherwise ceases to be.

Creating Minions. An ARC may let you create a Minion or even give you a fully-statted out Minion (which may have more Transformations or otherwise be stronger than a typical Minion) as a reward for your actions during your campaign.

There are also various effects that can create Minions and Maneuvers that may grant Minions while Adventuring.

Minion Creation

Either through magic, racial abilities, super advanced technology, or good old army conscription, creating a Minion is an easy process, akin to Character Creation.

Follow the steps below to create your own Minion! It’s heavily suggested to create them before your actual sessions, so as to not clog a session with the creation process, but since it is a relatively quick and simple process, you should be able to temporarily pause combat and create a Minion if necessary.

Minions created through Minion Creation have the same Power Level as their Master.

Below is a step-by-step process for making Minions in the DBU system:

• Step 1) Choose an Alignment (see — Z-Souls). While Minions cannot possess Karma, they can still be influenced by effects that respond to certain Alignments.
• Step 2) Choose a Race! Each Minion benefits from a Race like any other Character, but they only possess the Primary Racial Traits (ignoring Subrace Traits) for that Race and either two Secondary Racial Traits or one Secondary Racial Trait and one Subrace Trait. Additionally, Minions only receive 1/2 (rounded up) as many Skill Ranks from their Race.
• Step 3) Choose the effects of any Option effects you have for your Racial Traits.
• Step 4) Choose a Size Category (Small, Medium or Large) ~ if your Minion is of a Minion Race, then choose within the range that Minion Race gives.
• Step 5) Apply any Attribute Additions you have access to.
• Step 6) Gain a number of Talents equal to your Talent Additions.
• Step 7) Gain Skill Ranks from your Race and any Skill Improvements you possess.
• Step 8) Convert any Character Perks into Attribute Additions, Talent Additions, or Skill Improvements and then repeat Steps 5~7.
• Step 9) Spend your TP on any Signature Techniques, Auras, and Unique Abilities.
• Step 10) Gain Awakenings and Transformations (see — Transformations and Minions, and Minion Awakening Limit below).
• Step 11) Gain a Minion Trait or increase your Life Points by 2 for every Power Level you reach (this bonus to your Life Points is applied after all calculation).
• Step 12) Create a Gear Kit (see — Gear & Crafting), using your Master’s base Tier of Power. You may forgo gaining a Gear Kit to instead gain an additional Minion Trait.
• Step 13) Calculate your Maximum Life Points, Ki Point Pool, and Max Capacity.

Growing Minions: Minions gain a Power Level each time their Master does.

Minion Races: There exists a set of Races that exist predominantly to serve as easy to use Minions, known as Minion Races (see — Minion Races).

Transformations and Minions. When creating a Minion that isn’t a Duplicate Minion, they gain Awakenings up to the Minion Awakening Limit (shown below). As for Enhancements and Forms, those are to be discussed with your ARC upon creating a Minion, but usually they should have access to an Enhancement if their base Tier of Power is 2+ and, if their base Tier of Power is 3+, they may have access to any one Form that has a lower Tier of Power Requirement than the highest Tier of Power Requirement of their Master. When created, none of the Transformations possessed by a Minion is Mastered.

This does not restrict any Transformations gained through the effects of their Traits.

Minion Awakening Limit. Minions cannot gain Super Awakenings. They can, however, gain normal Awakenings but their Awakening Limit is lesser than that of fully-fledged characters:

Master’s Base Tier of Power	Lesser Awakening Limit	Greater Awakening Limit
1	1	0
2	1	1
3	2	1
4	2	2
5	3	2
6	3	3
7	4	3

Minion PL: Whenever a Minion gains a Power Level, they gain Perks like a normal Character.

• Power Level 1: At Power Level 1, Minions gain 1 Character Perk, 2 Attribute Additions, 2 Talent Additions and a Skill Improvement.
• Power Level 2+: Each Power Level after the first, a Minion gains a Character Perk. If that Power Level would increase their Base Tier of Power (5, 10, 15, etc), they gain a Character Perk and an Attribute Addition.

Minion Traits

Specialized Minion: Trained in a special technique, this Minion is a cut above the rest.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion gains a Signature Technique, Unique Ability, or Aura with a TP Cost of up to 20. If the Unique Ability can gain any Advancements that the Minion meets the Prerequisites for that would still be within 20 TP once applied to the Unique Ability, they can also gain them. This Minion Trait can be chosen multiple times.

Sentry: Vigilant and alert, this Minion is prepared to stand guard.
(1)-[Triggered/Start of Combat Encounter]: Select a Square within this Minion’s Boosted Speed, the Minion may use the Movement Maneuver to enter that Square as an Out-of-Sequence Maneuver. After this, they cannot use the Movement Maneuver unless it would be to return to the declared Square or move in the direction of the declared Square if they cannot return to it in one Movement Maneuver (they can use other effects that would move them).
(2)-[Triggered/Start of Turn]: This Minion may use a Basic Attack Maneuver as an Out-of-Sequence Maneuver (this does not count towards the Single Attack rule), but they must target an Opponent that is within a Large Sphere AoE (centered on this Minion) with this Attacking Maneuver.

Steed: Capable of carrying your burdens, this Minion is ready to ride out.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion Trait can only be taken by Minions of the Animal, Robot, and Creature Minion Races.
(2)-[1/Round, Ruling]: As an Instant Maneuver, the Master of this Minion may ‘Ride’ this Minion if they are on an adjacent Square and their Size Category is equal to or smaller than that of the Minion. The ridden Minion is known as the ‘Steed’ and the riding Master is known as the ‘Rider’ for all effects.
(3)-[Automatic]: While being ridden, if the Rider’s Size Category exceeds that of the Steed, the Steed fails a Steadfast Check, or either the Steed and/or Rider is Defeated, they stop riding and the former Rider is moved onto an adjacent Square to the former Steed (they pick which Square).
(4)-[1/Round]: While a Steed, this Minion may use either the Basic Attack Maneuver, Signature Technique Maneuver, or Movement Maneuver as an Instant Maneuver during their Rider’s Turn.
(5)-[1/Round]: While a Steed, during the Rider’s Turn, they may stop being ridden as an Instant Maneuver. If so, the former Rider is moved onto an adjacent Square to the former Steed (they pick which Square).
(6)-[Addendum]: Please refer to the ‘Riding a Minion’ text box below.

Riding a Minion

While a Rider is riding a Steed, they occupy the same Square (if the Steed occupies multiple Squares, the Rider may choose which of those Squares they occupy when you begin Riding). Whenever the Rider moves, the Steed moves the same number of Squares in the same direction (or vice versa), maintaining their position relative to one another.

You can only ride a single Character at any time.

A Rider gains various benefits:

• The Normal and Boosted Speeds of the Rider becomes equal to that of the Steed, which are then increased by 1(T) and 2(T) respectively.
• The Rider ignores any Apparel Penalties they were suffering from.
• The Rider’s Attribute Modifier for the highest Attribute Score (except Scholarship) possessed by the Steed is increased by 1(T).

However, the Steed takes the following penalties:

• The Steed cannot be targeted by the Command Maneuver.
• The Steed cannot use Attacking Maneuvers except through the effects of the Steed Minion Trait.

Summonable Minion: This Minion appears when you call for them, and disappears when they are no longer needed or become defeated.
(1)-[Triggered/Defeated]: Instead of dying, this Minion disappears and leaves the Combat Encounter. They cannot join the next Combat Encounter or be summoned by the second effect of Summonable Minion during the next Combat Encounter.
(2)-[Triggered, 1/Encounter]: At the start of their Master’s turn, they may summon this Minion by spending 4(bT) Ki Points. This Minion will appear on a Square adjacent to their Master of their Master’s choice, immediately joining the Combat Encounter regardless of where the Minion was previously.

Master and Friends: For whatever reason, this Minion answers to multiple Masters.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion treats all of their Master’s Allies as Masters for the effects of their Traits.
(2)-[Passive]: All of this Minion’s Masters may treat this Minion as their Minion for the effects of their Traits and Maneuvers. Any bonuses to Combat Rolls from effects that apply to this Minion due to this effect do not stack (take the highest).

Disposable Minion: This Minion exists to die so that their Master might live.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion’s Soak Value is 0 and their Combat Rolls are reduced by 2(bT).
(2)-[Triggered]: The Master of this Minion can spend a Counter Action when hit by an Attacking Maneuver to make this Minion use the Defense Wall option of the Intervene Maneuver against that Attacking Maneuver.
(3)-[Automatic]: At the end of the Combat Encounter, this Minion either stops being your Minion or dies (the ARC decides).

Emotional Support Minion: Providing commentary, comfort, or simply being pleasant to cuddle with, this Minion bolsters their Master’s fighting spirit.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion’s Soak Value is 0 and their Combat Rolls are reduced by 2(bT).
(2)-[Triggered/Defeated]: If this Minion is Defeated by the Attacking Maneuver or effect of an Opponent, target this Minion’s Master. They may enter the Surging State until the end of their turn, but they must target the Opponent that defeated this Minion for the effects of the Surging State.
(3)-[Triggered/Start of Combat Encounter]: Enter the Spectator State, ignoring the Readied Minion rule.

Self-Destructive Minion: This Minion is reckless and impulsive, putting themself in harm’s way to aid their Master.
(1)-[Triggered]: If this Minion is on an adjacent Square to their Master’s Opponent who is targeted by their Master’s Attacking Maneuver, this Minion can choose to also be hit by that Attacking Maneuver to reduce the adjacent Opponent’s Combat Rolls and Soak Value by 2(bT) for the duration of that Attacking Maneuver.

Servant: This Minion serves with grace and poise, providing much-needed assistance with inventory needs.
(1)-[Passive]: Select 2 Skills. Gain a Skill Rank in each of your selected Skills.
(2)-[1/Round]: As a Standard Maneuver with an Action Cost of 1 Action, this Minion may target their Master (when on an adjacent Square to them) to use an applicable Basic Item on their Master.
(3)-[1/Round]: As a Standard Maneuver with an Action Cost of 1 Action, this Minion may target their Master (when on an adjacent Square to them) to equip a Weapon they possess to that Master.
(4)-[2/Round]: As a Standard Maneuver with an Action Cost of 1 Action, this Minion may target their Master (when on an adjacent Square to them) to Don or Doff a piece of Apparel for that Master.

Autonomous Minion: This Minion is able to act on their own when not given specific instructions.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion does not have to be targeted by the Command Maneuver to use the Act Phase of their Turn.
(2)-[Automatic/Start of Turn]: If this Minion has not been targeted by the Command Maneuver since the end of their last Turn, they gain the Impediment Combat Condition, have their Saving Throws/Might reduced by 1(bT), and also this Minion cannot target their Master or any Allies with effects until the start of your next turn.

Supportive Minion: By hyping up their Master or analyzing the enemy forces, this Minion provides in-combat support.
(1)-[1/Round]: If this Minion uses the Hype Maneuver or Analysis Maneuver, they may apply the effects to their Master as if their Master had used that Maneuver (this bonus still scales off of this Minion’s relevant Attribute Modifier).

Medical Minion: Bound by the hippocratic oath, this Minion swears to heal others and do no harm.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion cannot make an Attacking Maneuver.
(2)-[Passive]: This Minion gains 2 Skill Ranks in the Medicine Skill and the Battlefield Doctor Talent.

Taunting Minion: Taking the initiative to keep the enemy focused on them, this Minion provokes their foes into attacking.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion has their Morale Saving Throw increased by 1(T).
(2)-[Triggered/Start of Combat Round]: This Minion may target an Opponent who is not at Long Range. Make a Clash (Morale) against that Opponent. If this Minion wins, that Opponent gains the Compelled Combat Condition against this Minion until this Minion is Defeated or until the end of the Combat Round.

Designated Driver: This Minion is a skilled pilot, always ready to take the wheel.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion gains 2 Skill Ranks in the Pilot Skill and the Expert Pilot Talent.

Minion Assassin: This stealthy Minion is prepared to land a single, decisive blow against your enemy at a critical moment.
(1)-[Passive]: This Minion can only use 1 Attacking Maneuver during this Combat Encounter, but this Attacking Maneuver may be an Ultimate Signature Technique.
(2)-[Passive]: This Minion cannot target their Master or any Allies with the effects of Unique Abilities or Special Maneuvers.
(3)-[Triggered/Start of Combat Encounter]: This Minion becomes Hidden to all Opponents.