| 2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Obviously, at the beginning, the better the score, the better the cohort. But the rule is that the cohort gets a portion of your XP depending on the ratio of his level/your level.
Now, since XP requirements increase in a non-linear fashion, if he's a really low level (since your charisma stinks) the XP he receives will enable him to level up like crazy...which would seem to end up with him rapidly becoming only two levels behind you...which is just as good as the Sorcerer's cohort!
A lousy leadership score won't help with the level of your followers, but if you don't care about followers, is there any reason to invest in (for example) a headband of charisma?
I understand that the tricky bit in the beginning is keeping him alive. But come on...if you make sure to keep him at the back, and he's not threatening, then unless you have a jerk DM, there is no reason that intelligent monsters will target this person...and so it shouldn't be THAT hard to keep him all together in one piece while he levels up quick.
It seems as though the cap is when you attract them initially...but then, as the Core rules state,
"[when you gain a new level], don't consult the table to see if your cohort gains levels, however, because cohorts gain experience on their own."
After not that long, a really low-level cohort initially would have caught up substantially, it seems.
Does ANYONE know why someone with a crappy leadership score wouldn't end up with just as good a cohort as someone with a great leadership score (with a little delay)?
First, he is subject to the same leveling rules as everyone else so he can only gain one level at a time. If he somehow were to get enough XP to gain two levels, his XP would drop to 1 below what he needs for the next level.
Second, not all cohorts are going to actually be gaining levels. If your cohort is not an NPC but instead a monster, it may not be gaining levels. I don't know how you would go about advancing it.
Third, your cohort does still need to live. Area of effects could be his undoing as could swarms and mooks.
OK, I agree that a low-level cohort is squishy.
I don't understand what you mean by 'only gain one level at a time.'
Here's an example. 11th level (Main) character with Cha of 7, so leadership score 7, gets cohort level 5. Both go adventuring. Medium rate XP progression.
After first 17600 XP gained by Main, Cohort levels up (got 17600*5/11 = 8000 XP) needed. Cohort is now level 6. After next 22000 XP gained by Main, Cohort advances to level 7. After next 25143 XP gained by Main, Cohort advances to level 8. At the same time, Main gets enough XP to advance to level 12. After next 36000 XP gained by Main, Cohort advances to level 9, and finally, after next 40 000 XP, Cohort advances to 10...
...which is two levels behind, and which is where he stays until he dies.
Which is as good as a Sorcerer can do with his cohort (and his sky-high Charisma).
It doesn't seem like having a good leadership score matters...a level after you take the feat...as long as you can keep the squishy cohort out of the way.
I'm not entirely sure what you're asking, but you seem to forget that your leadership score is DIRECTLY EFFECTED by if you're a good leader or not, based on your reputation, actions and sheer logistics (such as having a stronghold).
I think you're worrying too much. The rules here are an abstraction. Unless you want to be tearing your hair out worrying about XP, just take the score-appropriate cohort. It stands to reason that a sorceror with otherworldy charisma should be able to attract more/more powerful followers even if he's a terrible leader, whether he'll retain them or not is another story.
Hope this helps.
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By my reading of the Leadership rules, I'm not sure that a cohort even needs to be adventuring with you in order to gain experience points.
You could leave him/her in charge of a church/stronghold/business while you go adventuring, and the cohort will level up based on the experience you earn.
Am I misreading the Leadership feat?
By my reading of the Leadership rules, I'm not sure that a cohort even needs to be adventuring with you in order to gain experience points.
You could leave him/her in charge of a church/stronghold/business while you go adventuring, and the cohort will level up based on the experience you earn.
Am I misreading the Leadership feat?
Not at all, this makes perfect sense.
My group tend to only allow leadership if it's written into the background, but you cant expect your cohort and followers to pop to your side at 7th level. We usually have to work for it or have it limited in some way, even after taking the feat. Ferinstance, in the game I'm currently playing in, I'm grouped with a warlock trying to save his lover from the depths of hell, who is listed as a cohort, and a pirate captain sailing the seas of Acheron, whose damned followers are bound to the ship.
... I am really stoked for next session.