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6A {{Sidequest}} where a NonPlayerCompanion of the PlayerCharacter acts as their QuestGiver, particularly in [[PlayerParty party-based]] RolePlayingGames. It is a way to introduce {{Character Arc}}s into the interactive VideoGame medium and generally comes in two varieties:
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8* '''Personal mission'''. Either a single big sidequest (on which the quest-giving companion is a RequiredPartyMember) or a series of smaller assignments that the player may or may not have to complete in a specific order (akin to a ScavengerHunt). LoyaltyMission is a specific instance of this subtype.
9* '''Gated interactions'''. Fragments of the character's personal arc, such as conversations or miniquests, may be locked away from the start and only gradually unlocked ("gated"[[note]]In the same sense as "BeefGate", "CashGate", etc.[[/note]]) upon reaching certain {{Character Level}}s, RelationshipValues, or main plot events. RomanceSidequest is usually an instance of this.
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11In a hybrid version, the companion's personal mission may be gated and itself serve as a gate for further dialogue. In a downplayed variation, the "sidequest" may not be even marked as such in the quest log, but certain main plot events (that would have occurred regardless) tie in with a certain companion's story arc who may have [[OptionalCharacterScene unique dialogue to contribute if you bring them along]].
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13[[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible In some cases]], the companion may not be the QuestGiver themselves but merely points you towards the actual one. At other times, the companion doesn't have an entire personal sidequest but a [[OptionalCharacterScene unique personal scene]] in the middle of another major storyline. Such moments tend to be {{Permanently Missable|Content}} if you don't bring the specific companion along for them.
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15Subtrope of {{Sidequest}}, supertrope to LoyaltyMission and RomanceSidequest. Please put examples of those two subtropes directly to their pages.
16----
17!!Examples:
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21[[folder:Real-Time Strategy]]
22* Most missions in ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIWingsOfLiberty'' single-player are issued by a particular ''Hyperion'' crew member: Tychus was officially busted out by the Moebius Foundation to serve as contact between them and Raynor, Dr. Hanson is the leader of her fleet of refugees, and Tosh, the leader of the Spectres. Matt Horner, Raynor's right-hand man and captain of the ''Hyperion'', leads the initiative on discrediting Emperor Mengsk and Zeratul explains his story and an overarching prophecy via a memory crystal. While you only have to complete a portion of them to finish the campaign, each one provides additional characterization for the corresponding companion/quest giver, particularly the final missions in each arc, which generally contain major StoryBranching.
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25[[folder:RPG -- Eastern]]
26* ''VideoGame/AtelierAnnie'': Some of the character-specific quests only come when the adventurers you can get them to join you like you enough. At that point if they are in your party or not, they will end up invariably mooch your bed and someone else will mention the quest.
27* ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'' has several, each of which is required to gain/keep the QuestGiver. If the relevant quest is skipped, the party member will leave the party (or simply will not join, in the case of the Golem).
28** The first one available is Finn's quest, which takes Aurora down into his village well in search of the water of Lethe that will cure all of his village members, who have been turned into crows.
29** With the Golem DLC, upon entering the Tree of Thorns, Aurora will come across the severed head of a golem. Amusingly, his quest explicitly involves finding all of his pieces, upon which he becomes a party member.
30** The next such quest is given inside Magna; Magna itself is a required dungeon, but on approaching the entrance to the Bolmus vault inside Magna, Robert will require that the vault puzzle be solved before he will continue with the party.
31** In the castle where Oengus joins the party, when Aurora approaches the door to the dungeon where the Kategida are imprisoned, Oengus will require that the dungeon be entered and the Kategida freed before he will continue with the party.
32** Gen is an interesting example; her quest will be given whether the player wants it or not, and the bulk of it will be ''completed'' whether the player wants to or not--it's completed by defeating a boss that's required for the plot--but the player must return to inform Gen of the end of the quest before it will actually be marked complete and she will join the party.
33* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' (1995) has one for all party members save Ayla and Crono, which ends up giving them better gear.
34** Marle's involves her crashing her father's trial and revealing the current chancellor is an impostor, a CallBack to the very first arc of the game.
35** Lucca's has you defeat a WalkingWasteland monster in the past, after which Robo volunteers to take TheSlowPath while he helps replant the forest. This allows her to go back in time to prevent her mother from being paralyzed for life.
36** Robo's has him defeat a genocidal AI in the far future.
37** Frog's has you put the spirit of his dead friend Cyrus to rest.
38** [[spoiler:Magus']] has you fight his former Dragon and put him away for good.
39** In the UpdatedRerelease, each of the Vortices has a boss fight against a mute clone of Crono, Lucca, and Marle, with each respective character declaring they need to be present for that fight.
40* ''VideoGame/CosmicStarHeroine'' features a few sidequests involving your party members; Finn wants you to investigate a police station that has been mysteriously quiet lately, on Nuluup you can visit a shrine where Chahn can learn her ultimate ability and, once the final dungeon becomes available, Dave wants to visit the arcade where someone has just ''beat his personal record'' ([[SkewedPriorities Priorities!]]).
41* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' doesn't have companions and side-quests per se, but major [=NPCs=] who can be summoned to [[AssistCharacter assist you in multiple boss fights]], such as Solaire of Astora and Lautrec of Carim, have a number of unique interactions and dialogues with the Chosen Undead throughout the game, which constitute their CharacterArc. Siegmeyer of Catarina also gets a storyline like this despite not being summonable at any point.
42* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series could be considered the TropeMaker or TropeCodifier.
43** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' (1994) had companion-specific sidequests for most of the party members.
44** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' (1997) popularized the trope among [=RPGs=] (both Eastern and Western).
45** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', when the player approaches the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth in the Calm Lands, Lulu reveals that she was once the Guardian to a Summoner named Ginnem, who died here; just before the end of the Cavern, the party encounters the [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Unsent]] remains of Lady Ginnem, and Yuna performs the Sending, ultimately allowing Lulu to forgive herself for her previous failure.
46** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'': Some characters have side quests that appear in the Pub, just like all the other quests of the game.
47*** Adelle gets her sidequests after a certain point in the plot... but you have to wander around in each section of the map to get to them (Aldanna Range and then Zedlei Forest).
48*** Frimelda Lotice has all her sidequests in the pub (even before you get her). It is worth doing all the quest chain to get this LadyOfWar and her quests chain with a DuelBoss. Just be warned that some of the fights in this chain are hard due to well [[EscortMission "Guest"]]...
49*** This is how you get and handle Montblanc and Margrace.
50* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series features both types of companion sidequests, particularly in the latest titles:
51** The Support system functions as a personal sidequest of the Gated Interactions variety, with a twist that individual companions have RelationshipValues and interactions not just with your avatar, but among each other, as well. Certain pairs of characters (including the PC x everyone else) have "Support levels" ranging from [[RankInflation C to S]] (though not every pair goes that high), unlocked primarily by fighting next to each other on missions. For each Support level unlocked, a short vignette showing the two characters interact plays out, generally following a short CharacterArc for one or both characters involved, as they gradually come to realize something important about their vis-à-vis or themselves. If the two are romantically interested in each other, highest support level conversations are typically [[RomanceSidequest amorously charged]], with the S-support concerning their marriage, though these highest levels are also often locked until after certain main plot events.
52** The Paralogues (known as "{{gaiden|Game}} chapters" in Japanese), meanwhile, are Personal Missions, first introduced in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening''. They are {{Bonus Stage}}s fought in-between main story missions and focused on a particular recruitable unit: in the earliest implementations, paralogues allowed you to recruit said units after helping them with their respective causes; in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', on the other hand, paralogues concern already-recruited companions (some focus on two at once), who are mandatory units for the duration of the mission and often receive powerful items restricted to them upon completion.
53* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky the 3rd''; As an extended coda to the Liberl Arc, the game allows you to take any number of playable characters across the series to various Sun, Moon, and Star Doors. While there's a handful of general conditions, most require a specific party member or combination to open the equivalent Door. Since these take up a good half of the game's content and the main diversion from one extended trek of DungeonCrawling, these are welcome breaks in the main plot. These range from non-interactive short story sequences that flesh out the main cast, to random asides that catch the player up on what a supporting character's been up to. Occasionally, these include interactive battles, minigames of varying genres, and (particularly in the Star Doors) important character backstory. [[TokenMiniMoe Renne]]'s is particularly infamous for its dark content.
54* ''VideoGame/LuminousArc'': The whole series has this, but it can range between PermanentlyMissableContent and GuideDangIt just for an idea of how it can get lost in games 1 and 2:
55** ''Luminous Arc 1'': Several quests are between getting a character or two to like you and/or backtrack. Some in particular can be lost forever due to positions in the plot, namely Cecille's herb gathering quest which is hinted at but can be lost due to the player needing to backtrack to the first maps of the game. Which can sound easy but with the fixed encounter points.
56** Nikolai's specific quest requires the player not only to backtrack to a particular map that is disconnected from the main path and talking to the [=NPCs=] for clues.
57** ''VideoGame/LuminousArc2'': Even with the whole rotation of characters at points, some quests are quite obscure to find out and can pit the player against some other teammate... namely [[ButtMonkey Kaph]]. The quest involves Dia, Luna, and Sadie finding out that Kaph has heard and plans to publish how much they weigh. This is no easy quest to complete as you only have those 3 characters to fight not only Kaph but also all the staff of the Bewitched magazine... and all of them outside the sugar dependency that they have (they are bribed with free ice cream) is that all the team is TooKinkyToTorture.
58** Backtracking is what is needed to unlock Pip's specific quest. To put a BrokenPedestal of his back onto making good cooking again.
59* In ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 5'', Higsby (one of your recruited teammates) would have a favor to ask you first (specifically, taking an item that Numberman, Higsby's net companion, dropped while on the way to one of Higsby's customers) before he can lend you and your team the warehouse behind his store to be used as a substitute home base for your team.
60* Some potential party members in ''VideoGame/RakenzarnTales'' will only join if you clear a certain quest or help them out. Later, you can talk to them wherever they usually hang out and they'll sometimes give you new Guild Quests to undertake. This is especially important for OriginalCharacter members, who generally acquire their new weapons through these and provides some more backstory on them.
61* ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' as a series has this in spades to a degree, in part for RomanceSidequest (as this game is based on ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' series) and LoyaltyMission for the people you cannot marry.
62** ''VideoGame/RuneFactory2'': Several quests in the first generation that you do for Gordon (the big scary priest, the Hulkstor for some fans) are on things he doesn't do for some vows (he still threatens you to come to his temple). However, these are for the player to get him materials to make the piece of jewelry if the player wants to marry his [[ShrinkingViolet daughter]].
63*** Even if the HospitalHottie has a couple of them, she won't marry you. This is waived as Natalie is the mother of Alice, the actual girl that you can marry. Not that she looks out of the age range and asks the player some of the tease questions that the girls ask.
64** ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'': The mechanics of [[RuleOfThree bulletin board and inbox, and owl]] make sure that the player ends up doing some of them. What makes it interesting is that if some villagers like you enough they can accompany you to the dungeons, which is a great help if you can get Gaius, Hazel or Shino to help.
65*** In fact some of the quests are for character development for Monica, at the request of Shara.
66*** One of Marjorie's specific quests is around bringing pancakes and ketchup.
67*** Even if the player doesn't pursue Marian's route, there are some of the best laughs in the game including the fact that she could mess up with the PC's gender.
68* ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'':
69** ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'': Even for the Loads and Loads of characters (108) you still need to take some characters to unlock others. Be prepared for GuideDangIt for some are false leads of thinking you need one character, but in reality, you need another. A particular example is near the castle and getting the smith you need not only to bring a particular character but also have him with a particular sword from his quest line; be prepared for even the detective guy they give you doesn't get to give you a clue on the blacksmith.
70** ''VideoGame/SuikodenTierkreis'': Some characters are acquired by a companion being in the party. Manaril in particular gets some, while Mubal is important to get Nuzat. At least you get hinted by Moana when she hands out the quests in several of them... in others you had better prepare to return to some spots with several combinations of characters. Several of the characters have a quest or two in the middle (namely Chrodechild and Fredegund have at least 2 quests each and require carrying them around in several towns), and some are just in travelling back and forth.
71* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'': Even with the cut parts, there is a particular sidequest that requires you to carry Emeralda to a hidden dungeon. It is completely optional as the game was cut short. Still it gives Emeralda a PlotRelevantAgeUp.
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75* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' features unique companions for each character class, and each of those has an entire SidequestSidestory gated by story progress. For most companions, this is just a series of dialogues but for the respective first companion of each class, it is supplemented by a series of minor personal miniquests across the galaxy whereupon they are the RequiredPartyMember. Certain companions, (generally one of each gender for each class) also have a RomanceSidequest running in parallel, similarly gated.
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79* ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'': Some NPC companions such as Virgil and Magnus are more involved in some plotlines than others and react accordingly if in the party at the time (Virgil believed the PC to be a prophecied hero and is less than thrilled to discover [[spoiler:they've been worshipping the wrong guy all along]], Magnus is a city-born dwarf and desperately tries to hide it via HaveIMentionedIAmADwarfToday and [[spoiler:turns out to be the descendant of a legendary lost dwarf clan]]).
80* Creator/BioWare has a long history of companion-specific sidequests, going all the way to the original ''VideoGame/BaldursGate''.
81** In the first Baldur's Gate, the trope is actually downplayed. Certain companions will ask you to do a quest upon recruitment, many will leave you if you refuse or take too much time, but all of their quests can be done independently by just... stumbling upon their goal. For instance, Minsc joined your party on the condition that you help him rescue Dynaheir from a fortress full of gnolls and would leave after a while if you didn't keep that promise. But you could reach the stronghold before even meeting him, freeing Dynaheir without the need of the bald ranger. Similarly, Kivan joins you on the condition that you clear the bandit camp in a due time, which is a primary objective of your your main quest anyway.
82** ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'' put a lot of effort in making memorable companions with related side quests. First, Most of those whom you can meet after leaving the initial dungeon are tied to a major side quest for their recruitment, with only a few exceptions who are immediately available. Most of them can be recruited only while doing that specific quest, but some will even be the quest givers (like Nalia or Clara). Second, most of the characters will later trigger a [[LoyaltyMission personal quest]] if they spend enough time with the party or you reach a specific area (e.g. Keldorn will ask you to visit his home if you go to the government district), and their completion is usually mandatory if you want to keep the character. Jaheira has even two personal quests, of both types. Third, romanceable characters will also have a further personal quest (e.g. Anomen) or a tweaked regular one (e.g. Jaheira), and might also later trigger a new special side quest connected to the confrontation with one of the bosses. Fourth, some of the companions might point you to do another unrelated major quest if you didn't already get it (e.g. Aerie will be summoned by Quayle who will send you to the bridge district, Yoshimo will ask you to meet Renal Bloodscalp in the docks, Minsc will be asked by Delon to visit the Umar Hills).
83** The expansion ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal'' in the ''Enhanced Edition'' by Creator/Beamdog introduces further personal quests for the new companions, and only for them.
84** This design paradigm reached its pinnacle in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', which consisted almost exclusively of companion-specific missions.
85* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' has a number of companion [=NPCs=] who accompany V on jobs, but some, like Jackie and Takemura, only do so on primary jobs (main story missions). The four [[RomanceSidequest love interests]] each have a SidequestSidestory[[note]]stealing a Militech hovertank for Panam, staging a coup at the Clouds brothel for Judy, saving River's kidnapped nephew, and dealing with a rival band for Kerry[[/note]], although you typically first meet them on an unrelated primary or side job. Lastly, there is your VirtualSidekick Johnny Silverhand, who occasionally asks you for favors relating to his past life[[note]]most prominently in Act III, when Johnny asks for your help in mending his relationship with Rogue and in tracking down Adam Smasher[[/note]].
86* In ''VideoGame/DiabloIII: The Reaper of Souls'', your three followers give you quests that put various issues from their pasts to rest, Kormac going to face the Templar Order, Lyndon going to find his brother, and Eirena finding out what happened to her sisters.
87* In ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSin'', predefined companions eventually present you with a personal request, such as Madora's vendetta against a certain orc, Bairdotr looking for her mentor, and Wolgraff regaining his voice. Jahan doesn't have a sidequest per se, but if he is with you in a particular late-game boss encounter, his dialogue reveals a lot about his past and lets you affect him in a major way.
88* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'' ups the ante from its predecessor by having six potential companion characters (although you can only recruit up to three of them per playthrough), each with their own storyline that is more-or-less tightly interwoven with the main quest of the game. In a twist, you can actually choose to play as any one of these six instead of making a custom FeaturelessProtagonist, effectively making their personal quest your own.
89* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', every companion has a sidequest specific to them often providing more then just further backstory for the companion concerned.
90* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', each character has unique conversations based on their RelationshipValues where they talk about their backstories as well as how much they like you. [=MacCready=], Curie and Nick have unlockable quests in which you help [=MacCready=] find a cure for his son, help Curie transfer her AI into a Synth and Nick deal with an old Pre-War nemesis. Paladin Danse's quest is part of the Brotherhood of Steel quest, in which [[spoiler:he is revealed to be a Synth and you are given the choice of saving him or killing him]].
91* ''VideoGame/GreedFall'': Each of the companions have their own unique questlines that, when done, can potentially increase their approval of De Sardet as well as potentially open up options in future questlines. [[spoiler:If Kurt's sidequests aren't done, he will betray the Congregation and fight De Sardet during the coup storyline, then you'll have to save either San Matheus or Hikmet, locking the city you didn't save and its related quests for the rest of the game]].
92* ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' has a personal sidequest for each permanent predefined companion. Eder, Kana Rua, Sagani, Hiravias, and Pallegina present their sidequests (almost) immediately after being recruited but completing them requires visiting areas that only become accessible after certain plot events (except Kana Rua's quest, which instead takes you down the BrutalBonusLevel). Durance and Grieving Mother (both written by Creator/ChrisAvellone), meanwhile, both have a set of dialogues gated mainly by their CharacterLevel and plot stages. Aloth has a relatively small side quest pertaining to [[spoiler:his SplitPersonality]], but it's also gated behind certain main plot events.
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