Cohort Butler


Advice


I have an vague idea about using the Cohort from Leadership as a Jeeves-esque butler. But that's about as far as the idea's progressed.

I'm not looking for someone who has much/any offensive combat potential (Our DM doesn't like it if cohorts clutter up our combat since we have a 6 player group as it is), or indeed a heal/buff bot (though that might still happen a bit). Survivability will be nice (though readying 'Move away from danger' every round should help) but I'm mostly looking for 'useful to have around'.

Class wise I'm leaning towards cleric but I'm not settled. I have no ideas for feats and am open to suggestions for ideas about spell selection and equipment.

(If you don't know who Jeeves is then this will help a little... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYf5YPNnfRY )


Rogue for the skill points + sorcerer for a touch of spellcasting. Focus on utility spells and always have prestidigitation and mending handy.

Of course you could always just make your familiar/chort a brownie.


ninja, sneaking around, materializing 5ft behind you when called, making your bed even though you locked the bedroom and have the only key.
Play him like a skill monkey with supernatural tricks (invisibility), having an assortment of wands of cure light wounds perhaps with the necessary use magic device.


Bard with the halfling only feat Well Prepared, either halfling or human with racial heritage. Flavour of bard is up to you, geisha oddly fits if you don't mention the class name to anyone.


Wouldn't it be simpler to hire a manservant? For a few coins per day, you save yourself a feat!


Name him a Monk and name him Kato!

Finally we have found the Monks Party Role!

Tank - Fighter
DPS - Barbarian
CC - Wizard
Healer - Cleric

Cohort Butler - Monk

Perfect!


In general I'm with Richard and Coffee Golem; A rogue (ninja better stat-wise) who appears/disappears due to his creepy manservant powers, has tons of skills for advising or informing you and preparing your gear and equipment like Alfred (batman) or Jeeves. A few wizard levels mixed in to capitalize on his high intelligence and be able to do things like, say, clean up a filth-stained bedroll when out in the sticks with no ready access to soap or fresh water.

In the vein of my continuing obsession with robotsrobotsrobots I think he should be a golem, specifically a Shield Guardian Sentient or lifespark template Wax Golem, aware of what he is but not particularly minding it. Other viable constructs include the wood golem, the rope golem, or an animated object. All are low-power enough to not be front-line warriors, but tought enough to survive the first hit and charmingly weird to fit your character, who has to be weird because only weirdos go adventuring in a terrifying world of monsters and magic.

The Exchange

Dragonamedrake wrote:

Name him a Monk and name him Kato!

Finally we have found the Monks Party Role!

DPS - Fighter
DPS - Barbarian
Butler- Wizard
DPS - Cleric

Cohort Tank - Monk

Perfect!

I fixed that you :)


Sounds like NPC expert levels to me.

Skills:
Stealth (servents should neither be seen nor heard)
Perception
Knowledge, Nobility
Knowledge, Geography ?
Profession, Manservant
Prefession, Tailor
Appraise
Lingusitics (mostly pick local upper crust lang)
Acrobatics (don't want him spilling the tea)
Diplomacy
Sense Motive (has to know what the master really wants as opposed to what he says he wants)

Feats:
Dodge
Mobility

Sczarni RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32

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Alfred is secretly just as much a bada** as Batman. As much as his own offical backstory is ambiguous, he has military, medical, and probably scientific training.

Then we have Sir Samual Vimes' butler, Willikens, who is hilariously violent but calm. He seems to know everything about everything, anticipates everything, and is very good at any job given to him.

Of course, how can we forget Lurch? He is a big softie, and so good with his job that the family falls apart without him.

I like the idea of a ninja butler, but bard seems just a appropriate.


There are some series that have a butler who is the spirit of potential violence.
But my impression was that the OP specifically didn't want that.

Though I'm not sure where he was getting cleric from.


Make him a ninja named Sebastion. Tiefling.


Thanks for the ideas - I'm liking the appearing discreetly ninja butler, though he'll not make much use of SA. Are there any options to sub-out SA?
Considering Shadowdancer as an alternative too.

Cleric was coming from a good 'utility' spell list - "Excuse me Sir but I took the liberty of preparing an Endure Elements spell for you, it is rather brisk out". I'm not at all fixated on cleric though but it would be a class that would get good 'value' from the feat.

Grand Lodge

Aasamir Court Bard.

Sovereign Court

A bard butler could be good for pep talk and gossip yeah. But I really love the Ninja, perhaps with a level of Diviner(Prescience) thrown in for the class skills and anticipating your needs.


We have one of these guys in my Serpent's skull game. Much beloved by the party but never gets involved in combat.


Wow, I hadn't realized that out of over 30 archetypes not one rogue abandons sneak attack.

That's terrible.

Yeah, Shadowdancer is the best bet, and Archaeologist bard gets you there without all that performance-based nonsense or unnecessary combat abilities. And you can stack in some weak healing.

I still like the idea of making him an awakened golem.

Grand Lodge

Seriously, the Court Bard's "performance-based nonsense" includes attacking foes with satire, mockery, and scathing wit.

That's awesome.


Fighting with the biting wit of sarcasm, his name is Sarcastro?

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