| Magellan |
Hi,
This is an idea I came up with to replace Leadership. I know it makes Charisma even more of a dump stat, but I wanted to do something like this since I have never seen the leadership feat used when I have played/Gm'd. I also like the idea of people being able to leverage their renown without a feat. It is a little weaker than the Leadership feat in the Cohort and follower limitations, but also has bonuses to skills. Check, it out, let me know what you think, I would also like some good recommendations on other things that would add to Renown.
Renown = 1/2 character level (minimum 1) + your highest ability score mod + misc
Misc things add to renown like
+1/+2 Actions: Accomplishing a great task, defeating a legendary opponent (Cumulative)
+1 fair or corrupt
+1 has a base of operations
+1 Belonging to an organization with power.
-2 A cohort has died (Cumulative)
-1 Followers have died
-1 Does not have a base of operations
etc
You can leverage this Renown in several ways.
1. Renown is like an ability score in that it gains a modifier at the same rate as ability scores. When this modifier is positive, it can affect Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform and Profession skills if it is greater than the ability for that skill.
2. You can acquire a Cohort, who is an NPC with PC class levels, minimum 4 levels lower than you. This cohort can also be a monstrous creature, whose CR is minimum 4 less than yours. Your Renown Score must be a 10 or higher to acquire a cohort.
3. You can acquire followers who are NPCs with NPC class levels. Amount and level of followers is based on your Renown Score Modifier. It is mod *3 in Hit Dice of followers, No follower can have HD higher than 3.
Buying Renown (Bards/Bribes, etc): costs 2000 (+1), 4000 (+2), 8000 (+3), 16000 (+4). Must pay each one, so to get a +3 in Renown, it costs 14,000. Max that can be paid for is +4.
Hiding your Identity/ Alter egos: If a character hides their identity or creates an alter ego, they will have lesser Renown or separate Renown Scores.
Notes:
Cohorts and Followers are designed and built by the player, using the Heroic NPC array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8) and the basic NPC array 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8. They start with basic gear as per NPC wealth. Anything after that must be provided by the character from their wealth. The Cohort increases in level with the character if it travels with them, but only level every 2 character levels if it does not. Followers increase in level but are still limited to max 3HD, so levelling a favoured follower is just fluff instead of having a new follower when your renown increases.
Cohorts are run in combat by the player, but role played by the GM outside combat.
Followers do not generally aid in combat, they either hang back, maintain base camps, or do not travel with the party at all but stay at the base of operations.
Also, thinking of adding this as well:
Renown only applies where your deeds are based out of and grows with your score.
Starts locally (5), Nearest city+ area around(10), Regionally(15), then worldwide (20)
Above is automatic, other events can cause you to be renowned in other areas