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Apologies if this has been asked and answered already (no hits with the Google search trick), but the question of the Leadership feat's prerequisites came up while discussing a certain tiny creature in our Curse of the Crimson Throne game.
Now that characters do not receive a feat a 6th level, should the prerequisite for the feat be 5th level or 7th level? I imagine the Beta will answer this question in a few weeks, but thought I'd fish for an answer anyways if turns out to not be the case.
This is an interesting question, and hopefully the beta will resolve it.
Personally, since Leadership is marinated in so much DM call as it is, I would say its cool at either feat level. Personally, I like leadership, and since the leadership table's run off of a score that due to other factors besides level can drop below 6, I would put the prerequisite at 5. You could have a level 3 cohort, which could be fun. Personally, I like to watch character growth occur, so having it at lower level allows for more growth. Just me.
As it is writen now, it is effectively char level 7th. (can't take it till 6th, not a fighter feat, thus have to wait till 7th.) What I want to see is better mechanism for a cohort to level with the PC, instead of 1/2 xp. I currently treat the cohort like an NPC that goes up when the leadership table tells him to.
I currently treat the cohort like an NPC that goes up when the leadership table tells him to.
Best way to handle it.
I'd do away with leadership all together. At 6th or 7th level, what's the point of having 1st level followers? There is none. If you're in a battle, they're dead.
In a militairy setup they may be useful as fodder, or ranged attackers. But we're talking rpg. What are mid and high level adventurers gonna do with 1st level underlings? The feat Leadership is pointless for someone in an adventure party.
If I had Leadership, I'd want a cool npc of equal or near level value to my character to have do things for me. Low level characters I'd feel I'd need to 'babysit' or they'd die. Also, what if someone with no leadership or wisdom (in real life) wants Leadership. They get henchmen to boss around and the other players get annoyed. They then turn on the moron with Leadership that is having their henchmen do dumb things.
Anyhow, it's ineffective to be 10th level and boss a handful of npcs that can only take one hit against high level monsters.
Um, I thought it was cohorts get XP equal to their level/your level. So if you're 10, and they're 8, they get 80% as much as you. You get whatever amount and hit 11, they get whatever amount you got * .8, unless they level before then.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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At 6th or 7th level, what's the point of having 1st level followers?
Two words:
Aid Another.
Level 1 mooks can make Aid Another checks to aid your attack rolls and/or AC and they only need to hit a 10+ to add 2 to your attacks or AC for the round. And you can have assistance from up to 5 adjacent allies. Yeah, they're fodder and very likely to die, but that WILL make a difference in a significant battle.
Why, why, why does the party get free phantom xp, for bringing more people to the encounter? I never understood this aspect of Leadership. Your adventures got easier! Or, at least, they should have got easier, assuming you made intelligent choices for your cohorts, to cover the party's weak areas.
In fact, I think it works like this because if a player was taking the Leadership feat to gain a cohort and the gaming group was using the usual xp distribution rules, other players of the group would dislike to see a NPC taking some of their XPs and, well you know, find a way to get their XP back ...
It's not free XP. It's feat and feats do make it easier. You can't say that being able to kill a group of tougher monster easier because you got Great Cleave is free XP. That's exactly what the Cohort does. The fact that they use XP is just something to allow the Cohort to grow as you level up.
The followers are nice too. If you have stronghold it's great to have a follower guarding it's walls. As well followers are fodder and easily replaced as they only have non cumulative -1 penalty. Personally I think that penalty should go away after some time though say after a year of game time with no causing followers to die. Also what is considering causing followers to die?
Follower are useful for aid as someone pointed out too. Followers are also useful in many other duties than purely combat. Imagine information gathering for example. 10+ aid to you in information gathering using diplomacy for example could mean +10 the roll if you had followers. Imagine at level 20 with 163 followers as an information network for rogue running a thieves guild. That's like +80 to gather information. Nothing will go on in that city with out you knowledge. Followers are extremely useful.
I can think of all kind of other uses. Such as aquiring things for you when you don't want to be seen. Say the guards are looking for you and you are hiding out but you need some healing potions. Send out 5 follower to get them for you.
Imagine killing the dragon and getting the hoard of treasure. Having a large group of trusted follower moving it to stronghold for you is extremely useful.
I'd do away with leadership all together. At 6th or 7th level, what's the point of having 1st level followers? There is none. If you're in a battle, they're dead.
See I wouldn't take them into the dungeon...
I have how many first level wizards and clerics with the scribe scroll feat?