Leadership Feat - Cohort Crafter Advice

[Krell44]

I am playing a Cleric in a home game and am strongly considering taking Leadership at 7th level in order to provide crafting opportunities for the group.

From a thematic standpoint I would prefer the cohort to be a Cleric who has been assigned to tutor underneath me.

My Question: Can a Cleric be a solid crafter?

Also, are there feats and/or traits that he can take which shorten his crafting time?

Any tips on what a 5th level Human Cleric crafter would build out? I think I would want him to be able to craft belts/headbands, wands, and staffs. Perhaps a few other items as well. Crafting time will be an issue.

Trait:
Trait:
Human Bonus Feat:
1st Level Feat:
3rd Level Feat:
5th Level Feat:

[Gray Warden]

Make him Forgemaster. If not Dwarf, you'll need Racial Heritage [Dwarf]. The ideal would be going VMC Wizard with the Universalist [Arcane Crafter] subschool to get a Valet familiar and a free crafting feat later on. Otherwise, this trait, Familiar Bond and Improved Familiar Bond will do the trick. In other words, these are the options:

Forgemaster Dwarf (or Human with Racial Heritage [Dwarf] as bonus feat), VMC Universalist [Arcane Crafter] Wizard
Traits: Spark of Creation, Helpful
Feats:
1 Bodyguard*
3 [Familiar], Craft Magic Arms and Armor
5 Craft Wondrous Items

*pick Torag's Divine Fighting Technique (Patient Strikes) instead of your 1st level domain power, and you'll have also a powerful shield.

If VMC is not allowed:

Forgemaster Dwarf (or Human with Racial Heritage [Dwarf] as bonus feat)
Traits: House of Green Mothers Pupil, X
Feats:
1 Familiar Bond
3 Improved Familiar Bond, Craft Magic Arms and Armor
5 Craft Wondrous Items

By adding +5 to the Spellcraft crafting DC you will be able to craft 4000gp/day, or 8000gp/day if the item is made of metal.

EDIT. The cohort should worship Torag even if VMC is not allowed as with this weapon will be able to craft 10000gp/day if the item is a metal weapon or armor (5000gp/day in case of non-metal weapon/armor).

[Krell44]

OK, after a little research I am leaning this way so far:

Trait:
Trait:
1st Level Feat:
3rd Level Feat: Craft Wondrous Item
5th Level Feat: Craft Wand
7th Level Feat: Forge Ring
9th Level Feat:
11th Level Feat: Craft Staff

Since there are no crafting feats needed at level 1 I decided the cohort does not need to be a human. Is there a race that gives crafting bonuses?

[Gray Warden]

Krell44 wrote:

OK, after a little research I am leaning this way so far:

Trait:
Trait:
1st Level Feat:
3rd Level Feat: Craft Wondrous Item
5th Level Feat: Craft Wand
7th Level Feat: Forge Ring
9th Level Feat:
11th Level Feat: Craft Staff

Since there are no crafting feats needed at level 1 I decided the cohort does not need to be a human. Is there a race that gives crafting bonuses?

You should get Craft Rods at 9th level.

Building on my previous examples I'd go:

Forgemaster Dwarf (or Human with Racial Heritage [Dwarf] as bonus feat), VMC Universalist [Arcane Crafter] Wizard
Traits: Spark of Creation, Helpful
Feats:
1 Torag's Patient Strikes, Bodyguard
3 [Familiar], Craft Magic Arms and Armor
5 Craft Wondrous Items
7 [Forge Ring]
9 Craft Rod
11 [Cantrip -_-]
13 Craft Staff

If VMC is not allowed:

Forgemaster Dwarf (or Human with Racial Heritage [Dwarf] as bonus feat)
Traits: House of Green Mothers Pupil, X
Feats:
1 Familiar Bond
3 Improved Familiar Bond, Craft Magic Arms and Armor
5 Craft Wondrous Items
7 Forge Ring
9 Craft Rod
11 Craft Staff
13 X (Craft Construct?)

[Krell44]

I will need to study that one a bit, however I was hoping for a Cleric as opposed to a Wizard. I'm fairly certain what you offered is fairly well optimized, but I guess I'm only looking for an effective Cleric crafter build.

However, I could change my mind after reviewing what you provided.

Thanks!

[Gray Warden]

Krell44 wrote:

I will need to study that one a bit, however I was hoping for a Cleric as opposed to a Wizard. I'm fairly certain what you offered is fairly well optimized, but I guess I'm only looking for an effective Cleric crafter build.

However, I could change my mind after reviewing what you provided.

Thanks!

Ehm, they ARE Cleric builds: the first is Cleric VMC (Variant Multiclass) Wizard, the second plain Cleric. Either case, 100% Cleric.

[Krell44]

OK, Forgemaster is a nice crafter Cleric archetype for a dwarf. This is perfect!

Can you explain why having a familiar is needed?

[Gray Warden]

Krell44 wrote:

OK, Forgemaster is a nice crafter Cleric archetype for a dwarf. This is perfect!

Can you explain why having a familiar is needed?

Familiars can get archetypes, one of which is Valet, which gives them all your item crafting feats, plus Cooperative Crafting, which halves the crafting time. Here's a breakdown of how you can accelerate your crafting:

Base: 1000gp/day
+5 Spellcraft DC: 2000gp/day
Valet familiar: 4000gp/day
Metal item: 8000gp/day
Weapon/Armor [Father's Forgehammer]: 5000gp/day
Metal Weapon/Armor [Father's Forgehammer]: 10000gp/day

if you go VMC, at 15th level you can get the Arcane Builder discovery, which accelerates the crafting by a further 25% for a single item category. Remember that you can still only craft at most 1 magic item per day.

[blahpers]

Depending on the cohort's stats, they may want to swap a spare feat out for Magical Aptitude or Skill Focus (Spellcraft). Other than that, solid stuff.

[Gray Warden]

Forgemaster Clerics lose Channel Energy and get a 3+Int ability, therefore you may want to dump Cha (even more given your Racial modifiers) and have at least +2 Int (better if +3). With 5 ranks and taking 10, your Spellcraft score starts from 20.

Throw in:
- Arcane Family Workbook, +4
- Armillary Amulet, +5
- Aid Another from familiar, +2
- Cooperative Crafting, +2

And your Spellcraft overall score becomes 33.

[Meirril]

I'm going to point out, cohorts are actually created by the GM (usually with input from the player), and once they enter play the player makes all decisions unless they are counter to the cohort's interests.

That doesn't mean the GM won't let the player design it, but it means you have to ask rather than assume.