Cohort Questions

[Gunn]

I plan to take the leadership feat and have some questions about cohort statistics etc. I have read some old thread and gathered that a lot of this is up to the gm. What I don't see addressed anywhere is feats, traits, and racial bonuses. Do cohorts get these? Also can cohorts multiclass?

[The Crusader]

Cohorts are essentially NPC's that travel with you. They get everything a NPC gets, i.e. racial bonuses, feats, skills, NPC/PC class levels, level-based attribute bonuses, equipment, etc... They may have traits, I suppose, if your DM allows it.

[Quatar]

They get feats and race bonuses etc like normal characters, but remember they're always at least 2 levels below the PC's level.
I don't see why they can't multiclass. And I figure traits are ok too, but on that you should check with your GM, he might not wanna give those to npcs.
Ability scores is also up to the GM I guess, either you take the NPC arrays from the Creating NPCs section, or maybe the GM gives out a certain point buy for them.

Also check with your GM if you are to make those stats yourself or if he will. Some GMs allow you to say "I want a human barbarian with a greatsword" but what feats etc he has, the GM decides.

[cmastah]

Quatar wrote:

Also check with your GM if you are to make those stats yourself or if he will. Some GMs allow you to say "I want a human barbarian with a greatsword" but what feats etc he has, the GM decides.

Heheh, nothing like a cohort who has leadership....whose cohort also has leadership.....whose cohort also has leadership, so on and so forth. A nice little army for when the nearby towns stop paying rent....and the 'being allowed to live' tax.

Although I'd make the player run his own cohorts and followers, who STILL need a roof over their heads and something to eat. If they're undead however.....I'll let him have a cursed weapon that doesn't allow him to drop it that makes him share his body with an orc wizard, specialized in necromancy.

[Theconiel]

cmastah wrote:

...
Heheh, nothing like a cohort who has leadership....

Well, now, my PC is 9th level. His cohort is 7th level. If his cohort had a cohort, he would be 5th level. How long would a 5th level character last against monsters that challenge a 9th level party? Would my cohort stay if his cohort died?

Take care in trying to build an army this way. It may backfire.

[8 Red Wizards]

I'm all for the leadership feat, but if one of my player's tried to give leadership to there cohort I would say "no". Although in my group we allow the player to run his own cohort. In my case I have enough to do than to pay extra attention to a random character that has no story (I don't give cohorts story unless the player is willing to sacrifice his storytime for his cohort), DM #2 likes to kill off all of his NPCs or make them use there big abilities on very very small encounters and save there weaker abilities for huge encounters, and DM#3 likes to ignore the NPC since he doesn't matter. So to fix this issue the player can play his own cohort, and all the broken cohort stuff I see pop up on these boards really isn't broken it's just people going crazy of what they are afraid of.

[CommandoDude]

Theconiel wrote:

cmastah wrote:

...
Heheh, nothing like a cohort who has leadership....

Well, now, my PC is 9th level. His cohort is 7th level. If his cohort had a cohort, he would be 5th level. How long would a 5th level character last against monsters that challenge a 9th level party? Would my cohort stay if his cohort died?

Take care in trying to build an army this way. It may backfire.

Get an army of wizards. Hit dice are irrelevant if you never get shot at :)

[Cheapy]

Remember that you choose everything about the cohort. According to devs, at least.

[CommandoDude]

Cheapy wrote:

Remember that you choose everything about the cohort. According to devs, at least.

Really? Where have they said that?

[Quantum Steve]

Cheapy wrote:

Remember that you choose everything about the cohort. According to devs, at least.

Also remember that the GM has final veto power over your cohort. So, really, the GM gets to choose everything about your cohort.