Question about the leadership feat and an unsual cohort


Rules Questions


Hello everybody, and apologies by advance for my terrible english (french is my native tongue, and that's my 1st post on this forum).

I'm near the end of my Skull an Shackles campain (we're starting the last book next session). During the course of the campaign, my PCs have recruited lots of unsual allies aboard their ship, including a very special lamia (a CG one, with 3 bard levels -archaeologist archetype).

She's a nice person, very shy and different from your usual lamia (due to the fact that she was abandoned by her kin in early childhood, due to her lack of magic powers - more information below). On the top of that, she grew up alone on a solitary island, and was happy to finally meet people who don't see her as a monster to be put down (since she can't shapechange at all).

The PCs really took a liking to her, and since she want to be a part of the pathfinder society (she's kind of a bookworm), they have done everything they could to help her (mostly by providing her lots of lore and objets from cyclop ruins they explored, so she could pose as an expert on the Gol-Gan civilisation). And I had my PCs meet with Calisro Bennary while they where on Lilywhite, presenting her to the venture captain.

Long story short, i'm planning her to become a member of the pathfinder society once the campaign is finished. And since i'm planning to Gming Jade Regent next, I was thinking to bring her back during book two - it's always fun to have a NPC showing from one campaign to another.

Since my PCs tend to take the leadership feat to adventure with the NPCs they like, I was wondering : what level should a PC be to take a lamia with 3 bard levels as a cohort ? I don't know if that's gonna happened, but I prefer to be prepared.

She's actually à CR6 : her 3 Bard levels should put her CR7, but since she was born without any of the lamia magical abilities (including the capacity to drain Wisow points), I decided to let her stay CR6.
Ho, and she's got a little disadvantage too : she's got glasses, and suffer a -4 to her perception check if she dont wear them (those based on sight, anyway).

Sorry for the long rant, and thank you by advance for your responses !


well actually she is cr 8 (assuming pc wealth otherwise yes she will be cr 7), and once she gets a 4th level she will still be cr 8(or 7) because of the way monsters with class levels work so with normal leadership they will have to be level 10(or 9) to take them as a cohort so long as you ignore the stupidity of things like monstrous cohort and the like as they skew things a bit (they have things that are like cr8 as a level 18 cohort.....)


Lady-J wrote:
well actually she is cr 8 (assuming pc wealth otherwise yes she will be cr 7)

She actually has very little wealth - a +1 dagger (the one every lamia from the bestiary get), a a mwk shortbow, a mwk studded leather armor, a few low-level items (holy water and the like) and that's pretty much it.

In fact, I didn't knew if I was supposed to give her things like a level 3 character (3 bard level) or a level 6 character (her CR). So, I went for the 1st one. But that may be for the best if it means she can be recruited earlier that way, I suppose.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Quote:
A monster with class levels always possesses treasure equal to an NPC of a level equal to the monster's final CR

So definitely modify her treasure to match that rule.

Most monsters that are usable as cohorts are considered to be significantly higher than their CR (about +5, so for example, a CR 3 unicorn is an 8th level cohort). I’d recommend considering a base lamia an 11th level cohort, and this one with 3 bard levels as level 13.

If you want to be adventurous, though, consider modifying the bard creature simple template from the monster codex to suit archaeologist more, and let her earn XP to gain racial HD.

Shadow Lodge

Monsters are also considerably over valued when taken as cohorts...

I love the idea. Personally I'd use total hit dice as her cohort level to start. It doesn't result in a near useless companion like Paizo's rules want you to have.


Dragonborn3 wrote:

Monsters are also considerably over valued when taken as cohorts...

I love the idea. Personally I'd use total hit dice as her cohort level to start. It doesn't result in a near useless companion like Paizo's rules want you to have.

use the cr instead, works out a tad more balanced that way as by the rules a fighter 6 would be the same level as a cr 6 monster both should be the same level for cohorts


Ok, then I gonna go with the "equivalent to a level 6-7 character" angle. That way, my PCs are gonna be able to recruit her when they hit level 9.


in all honesty if you want the npc to become part of the party just let them join the party and not bother with leadership at all


of course, but it can't hurt to be prepared if someone want her as as cohort - that way, I can say "yes, but not until you reach level 9", instead of "er ... I don't know ? maybe ?"

Anyway, thanks for the answers.


meumeujeu wrote:

of course, but it can't hurt to be prepared if someone want her as as cohort - that way, I can say "yes, but not until you reach level 9", instead of "er ... I don't know ? maybe ?"

Anyway, thanks for the answers.

have the party do a quest to gain a party wide leadership maybe? that way the npc can stay on par with the party and can contribute and not fall behind with levels, will also solve any infighting if more then one person wants them as a cohort

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