In my games, it was always the players responsibility to equip their cohort, and then they split their portion of the treasure with the cohort as well. yes, it dilutes the WBL if your group is strict about that, but it also means that your cohort does not impinge on anyone else's money. We tend to get healing batteries and crafter monkeys as cohorts, so it has never really been a big issue.
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Under the leadership feat, it states:
"The cohort should be equipped with gear appropriate for its level (see Creating NPCs)."
Once I aquire the cohort who pays for the cohort's equipment? Me? Or does he receive some magical funds from the DM to maintain level appropriate NPC wealth?
The cohort should be equipped with gear appropriate for its level (see Creating NPCs) refers to the cohort when he/she/it is first "acquired". In other words, if you get an 8th level fighter (just as an example) as your cohort, he does not initially report for duty on his first day naked! He arrives with gear appropriate for his/her/its level (see Creating NPCs). The player does not have to provide this initial gear.
From then on, it's pretty much up to the player (or the entire party, if they choose to do it that way) to make sure the cohort has cool stuff as the cohort and the PCs advance in level.
I agree with marc that is how I have always played it he comes with gear for his level but after that its upto the player/players to decide how he gets better gear. Wether its the players job to pay for his own cohorts gear or the cohort gets a share of the party loot.
In my games, it was always the players responsibility to equip their cohort, and then they split their portion of the treasure with the cohort as well. yes, it dilutes the WBL if your group is strict about that, but it also means that your cohort does not impinge on anyone else's money. We tend to get healing batteries and crafter monkeys as cohorts, so it has never really been a big issue.
Same here.
If a fellow player demanded that we share our treasure with his trollop, I'd murder him in his sleep. Or maybe my character would murder his character - depending on who would go to sleep first ;-)
I could see exceptions: If the cohort is the party's leader and makes use of happy sticks to keep us alive longer, I'll chip in to buy that.
As the Cohort levels up the Cohorts gains wealth as per the NPC chart in my games. The way I see it they magically get a share of non existent experience so why not a share of non existent equipment. If the party want to equip the cohort better I let them but that wealth remain the property of the PCs. If the cohort can afford their own equipment of that type as they level up the PC can sell the equipment the cohort was using. Of course if the PCs loot the cohort that gets added into the PC wealth by level, this of course has never happened in my games.
It kind of makes sense as cohorts in my game tend to be on their own a lot and not just tagging along with the PCs. So I assume they picked up treasure along the way.
I view this as situational - if the group is ahead of WBL , make them equip the cohort. If they are on a tight time line, give them the (crummy) NPC gear allowance for the cohort's level.
Creative Director
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In games I run, the cohort comes complete with NPC level gear, generally picked by me (since I normally stat up cohorts for my games).
After that, though, its up to the cohort's boss to provide with new gear and upgrades. If the party's generous, they sometimes agree to giving the cohort a half share of gold.
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If you're really evil you buy some equipment for them, or you give it to them as you adventure. Then you take the cost out of all their future pay until they've paid you back. While you're gaining in wealth they're falling more and more into debt. Add in interest and soon they'll pretty much jump into a volcano to get out of debt.
Oh wait, that's called indentured servitude. }; )
in the few games we have played where a cohort was present, the cohort started with level appropriate gear then it was left to the PC to supply the cohort with new gear as part of its pay.
In botht hese games if the PC with the cohort had suggested their cohor tget a share it would not have gone well.
Leadership feat is "broken" enough without giving the party free money
inital starting gear for free is fine but after that they def only get through the parties treasure hoarde.
You can either make the player totally responsible for sharing his share with the cohort , and most groups probably won't mind the cohort using the left over +1/+2 gear as they upgrade, although some might sicne that gear has value and could be recycled for high end gear.
Cohorts are a steal already since they don't drain XP from the group , which they probably should since having a cohort in a group changes the CR the group can handle no two ways about it.
even a craft monkey cohort effects the CR of the group since half price gear = twice as much stuff for the same price.
but thats just personal opinion.
Built up by DM funds with first arrival, then funded by the party.
I've got a STR build human Monk who took on a goblin rogue cohort (don't ask but it was played well)
The monk skips weapons (except special materials) and outfits the gobby better than himself.
and the two of them are holy terrors.
Between the goblin tumbling, the monk Imp. tripping and a healthy mix of two teamwork feats, they are the flank kingpins.
Of course, it's one of the best team builds i've seen in a bit.
ABSOFRICKENLUTELY make the PC pay for the upgrades.
Sure his personal gear may be lesser compared to the rest of the party, but he has TWO characters with decent bonuses...by 11th level you can have all you need just at a -1 on bonuses, pretty much across the board.
In my games, it was always the players responsibility to equip their cohort, and then they split their portion of the treasure with the cohort as well. yes, it dilutes the WBL if your group is strict about that, but it also means that your cohort does not impinge on anyone else's money. We tend to get healing batteries and crafter monkeys as cohorts, so it has never really been a big issue.Same here.
If a fellow player demanded that we share our treasure with his trollop, I'd murder him in his sleep. Or maybe my character would murder his character - depending on who would go to sleep first ;-)
I could see exceptions: If the cohort is the party's leader and makes use of happy sticks to keep us alive longer, I'll chip in to buy that.
replace leader with healer, by the way....
What if you're in a small party (n=3), and I'm taking leadership to get the cleric noone else made?
You'd murder that guy?
I would and have! }>
As I said, there can be exceptions, but if a player just uses Leadership for power gaining reasons and then also expects to get two shares because of the feat, without talking things over or anything, there will be violence.
Personally, when there's a small party, I expect
In addition, as a GM, I tend to run a GMPC in those cases. Said GMPC is a full member of the party, gaining a full share of loot and all the perquisites the PCs get. The GMPC is tailored to complement the party's powers (and by that I mean he'll patch the holes the others left in the party make up, not tell them how great their abilities are).
The GMPC doubles as the GM's "herald" if necessary (he might suggest obvious courses of action when the players critically fumble their Spot Obvious Course of Action checks), but will otherwise have a passive role in conversations (he's not there to steal the players' spotlight)
An alternative to that is an extra character the party plays. They can take turns, or make it a joint effort.
The way we play, the cohort is another member of the party. If someone made a new character and joined the group, they would get a full share if they participated... why not another character. Unless the cohort is a hireling or mercenary that has direct ties to the character, it's another member of the group... Roleplaying wise. Example, after my character died, I made another one with the leadership feat and an archer cohort that is his sister. When we divided money the first time, I demanded that my sister got a fair share since she saved their butts and laid down her life just like everyone else.
Now... Game mechanics would dictate giving the cohort a share of the main character's treasure sice it could stretch the money pretty thin unless the DM takes it into account and aards a little more money. I would agree if the character picked up a bard chohort that wanted to follow said main character and write about his exploits. He would help the group, but for his own purposes.
FYI... the cohort doesn't get a share of XP. The cohort granted by the leadership feat takes into account the CR of the main character. That's why they get a value of XP's based on what the main character gets.