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so I've decided i'm going to take leadership for a rogue i play in a home game and using it to establish a thieves guild. the feat is rather vague in terms of what classes your followers can take levels in.
so, to ask directly: do my followers have to only have levels in npc classes? or can they take any class levels? (citing your sources is appreciated)
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CRB says cohorts can be any class, and followers are described as acting like cohorts except for things like being really low level and there is no specific text in the RPG-line that suggests they must have NPC class levels (there might be something in a player companion but I don't own any of them).
Leadership is the ultimate "You need to consult your GM" feat.
Leadership is the ultimate "You need to consult your GM" feat.
^This.
It has the potential to be incredibly powerful for a feat, and to be very complicated to book-keep, and to massively slow down combat. Exactly how this is handled will vary massively from group to group.
First up, check your GM and group are ok with using it at all. If they aren't, I would respect that. It is totally out of line with the power and scope of basically any other feat.
Secondly, nothing in the feat says you get to pick the class levels and other build choices of your cohorts or followers. It says you attract them, and that cohorts 'typically' have class levels. A lot of players work under the assumption that you get to build your cohort, but your GM would be perfectly in their rights to read the feat as meaning that the GM chooses an NPC (either an existing one in the campaign, or a new one the GM has created), and have them appear and offer you their service. Same goes for followers.
Thirdly, nothing in the feat says you get to directly control the cohort and followers. It says they are 'loyal' and will 'assist' you. But that doesn't mean they won't have their own motivations, quirks, and baggage determined by the GM that might make them unable or unwilling to perform certain tasks.
Basically, even if they allow the feat it's vital that you speak with your GM about how exactly they interpret it!
Secondly, nothing in the feat says you get to pick the class levels and other build choices of your cohorts or followers.
Actually ultimate campaign says "A cohort is generally considered a player-controlled companion, and therefore you get to decide how the cohort advances. The GM might step in if you make choices that are inappropriate for the cohort, use the cohort as a mechanism for pushing the boundaries of the game rules, or treat the cohort unfairly." and that while followers generally do not need to be statted because of how weak they are, if it does become important it says to use the same guidelines as cohorts in that area.
Thirdly, nothing in the feat says you get to directly control the cohort and followers.
Ultimate Combat says the following on the subject of whether you control "Sentient Companions: A sentient companion (a creature that can understand language and has an Intelligence score of at least 3) is considered your ally and obeys your suggestions and orders to the best of its ability. It won't necessarily blindly follow a suicidal order, but it has your interests at heart and does what it can to keep you alive. Paladin bonded mounts, familiars, and cohorts fall into this category, and are usually player-controlled companions." It does say that GM's can change this in their games, but the default is specifically that players do directly control cohorts.
Secondly, nothing in the feat says you get to pick the class levels and other build choices of your cohorts or followers.Actually ultimate campaign says "A cohort is generally considered a player-controlled companion, and therefore you get to decide how the cohort advances. The GM might step in if you make choices that are inappropriate for the cohort, use the cohort as a mechanism for pushing the boundaries of the game rules, or treat the cohort unfairly." and that while followers generally do not need to be statted because of how weak they are, if it does become important it says to use the same guidelines as cohorts in that area.
Fair, though the phrases 'generally' and 'The GM might step in' leaves a lot of interpretation here. You're probably right on the default here, but on the other hand it would not be using a house rule for the GM to make choices for you.
Thirdly, nothing in the feat says you get to directly control the cohort and followers.Ultimate Combat says the following on the subject of whether you control "Sentient Companions: A sentient companion (a creature that can understand language and has an Intelligence score of at least 3) is considered your ally and obeys your suggestions and orders to the best of its ability. It won't necessarily blindly follow a suicidal order, but it has your interests at heart and does what it can to keep you alive. Paladin bonded mounts, familiars, and cohorts fall into this category, and are usually player-controlled companions." It does say that GM's can change this in their games, but the default is specifically that players do directly control cohorts.
Fair again, though I would contest that 'direct control' and 'obeys your suggestions and orders to the best of its ability' are not the same thing.
Obeying your orders means you have to give an order, and that the order needs to be heard and interpreted. They may fail their perception to hear the order if they're on the other side of the battle, or they might not follow it in the smartest way if they aren't very intelligent or perceptive.
In most games going through that every combat round would be maddening, so direct control might be given to save the bother.
That all just reinforces my real point in all of this is though: this is a VERY complex feat!
Fair, though the phrases 'generally' and 'The GM might step in' leaves a lot of interpretation here. You're probably right on the default here, but on the other hand it would not be using a house rule for the GM to make choices for you.
I was simply clarifying that there is information on who makes the stat block or who controls the characters, despite the feat itself lacking the information.
Fair again, though I would contest that 'direct control' and 'obeys your suggestions and orders to the best of its ability' are not the same thing.
It says they're usually player controlled. I consider that direct. The player-character might not have direct control, but I interpret ate it as the player having direct control (unless the GM says otherwise).