I just finished the podcast (EP 13) from last night with Aaron and Frosty. If you do the permanent Minon, I will love the ability to rank/evolve them. If there an Minon that has been with me for over a period of time will want to evolve them into a higher subclass or grade (combine same type of Minion into a higher grade or evolution). Here some random suggestions; If we have the ability to mix and match different creatures (Body Parts) together to form our own creature with its own unique abilities. Have your minions form abominations or if there enough dead body on the ground have a ritual to form an abomination from all the corpses. obviously has to be a rune, lvl. blood, quality of the Minion (Boss vs mob vs mini boss) - cost for what tier of abomination that can be created. I will post more on this topic if any more ideas that come into mind.
Just came to mind - Naming the minion after a certain time/rank - like granting it a name which empowers them with a random bonus or effect (your call). maybe the higher the rank the more intelligent which gives the ability to speak. (something like solo leveling).
Hey man, you beat me to it — I’ve been thinking a lot about how a summoner or necro‑style system could actually work within No Rest for the Wicked’s combat and progression. Your first idea about permanent minions evolving over time fits the game’s grounded, deliberate design really well. The second idea is super creative too, and I think there’s a version of it that could fit Wicked’s tone without going too far into full “monster‑builder” territory.
One thing that makes a lot of sense for Wicked is tying minions directly to the enemies you defeat. Different enemy types turning into minions with reduced, balanced versions of their original abilities would keep things from getting overpowered while still giving each minion a unique identity. It also fits the world — you’re literally bending the creatures of Isola Sacra to your will.
A hard limit on how many minions you can have at once would line up with the game’s tactical combat. That limit could scale with certain weapons, runes, or buffs, so players who want to lean fully into a summoner playstyle can build toward it.
A growth or level‑up system for minions would tie everything together. As they gain experience, you could slot gems or modifiers into them to adjust stats, resistances, or behaviors. That keeps progression meaningful without breaking the game’s balance or pacing.
Your evolution idea could fit naturally into this — minions that survive long enough or reach certain thresholds could “rank up,” gaining new traits or visual changes. Naming them at higher ranks is a great touch too, especially if it comes with small bonuses or personality changes. It adds attachment without drifting away from Wicked’s grounded tone.
Overall, I think your concepts blend really well with a more structured minion system like this — something that feels powerful, thematic, and still aligned with the weight and style of Wicked’s combat.
I did and all I heard was leaning towards the normal necro style that other ARPG’s have, but Thomas was looking for something different and unique, which the idea you brought forward does. And it fits the style of the game, more than what they were suggesting.
I would also like to add, just because I love the little details in games, that each summon type you try to get has a different animation when you take it. Especially the named elites, they should try to look like their trying not to become your summons.
And thinking more about it, what summons you can take should be limited to your gear tier as well, or at least your character level or maybe a stat that scales for summons.
that why at the end suggested that it be tied to your level of mastery, blood cost, rune cost and quality of bodies (ranging from bosses, mini bosses, and mobs.) I’m about to make a post for runes - for higher versions of a rune in a few.
Maybe change title of post, in case people don’t see it when they search for it. I think its a great idea and would love it implemented in the game. so hoping it gets more upvotes.