With Update 30, the Blackwood chapter, ESO players gained the ability to play with companions. NPCs that follow the player around and support them in combat. These companions start pretty much at zero though, which means they need to be leveled.
Bastian, one of the companions, can have 20 base levels, also called Combat Levels. In order to reach the maximum level and efficiency, Bastian must level through combat. He can not receive experience by fulfilling quests, or receiving rewards otherwise.
Bastian levels almost the same as the player, except for receiving only 15% of the experience that the player gained. This means that players get the full experience and Bastian gets an additional 15% of the experience that the player gained. So there’s no loss for the player. This applies only to experience gained directly from combat. Experience increasing effects such as holiday bonuses and consumable boosters applied to a player’s character will provide an indirect benefit to the companion as well.
In order to level the Fighters Guild, Mages Guild and Undaunted for Bastian, you need to do the Dailies of those guilds. Collecting Mages Guild books for example won’t level his skill line.
Bastian has to be active at all times during these activities, if the player wants to level him up. With the exception of quests and rapport, which collectively represents the relationship between each character and Bastian, all companion progress is account-wide. Meaning that when the player has Level 14 on their companion’s Combat Level, this is account-wide. As Bastian gains combat levels, their health and overall power (which affects weapon and spell damage) increases automatically, additional ability bar slots unlock, and more class abilities become available. This includes an Ultimate slot and ability, which unlock at the combat level 20.
