Leadership Cohort - Star Monarch


Advice


Star Monarch CR 9:
Source Inner Sea Bestiary pg. 50
XP 6,400
CG Huge magical beast
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +16
Aura dreamwarden (30 ft.)
Defense
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural, –2 size)
hp 114 (12d10+48)
Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +9
DR 5/silver; Immune cold; SR 20
Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); starflight
Melee 2 claws +14 (1d8+4 plus grab), tail +14 (2d6+4 nonlethal)
Space 15 ft., Reach 5 ft. (15 ft. with tail)
Special Attacks glowsap, rake (4 claws +10, 1d6+3)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +16)
Constant—entropic shield
At will—dancing lights, restful sleepAPG
3/day—deep slumber (DC 17), dream, wandering star motesAPG (DC 18)
1/day—cloak of dreamsAPG (DC 20)
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 23, Con 18, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 18
Base Atk +12; CMB +18 (+22 grapple); CMD 35 (43 vs. trip)
Feats Alertness, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Initiative, Iron Will
Skills Fly +14, Perception +16, Sense Motive +12
Languages Common (can’t speak); telepathy touch
SQ navigational awareness, no breath, toxic flesh
Ecology
Environment any (Varisia)
Organization solitary, pair, or rabble (3–6)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Dreamwarden (Su) Any sleeping creature within 30 feet of a star monarch is protected by protection from evil and sanctuary (Will DC 15 negates). The save DC is Constitution-based.

Glowsap (Ex) As a standard action, a star monarch can spray a target within 30 feet with an adhesive spittle as a ranged touch attack. A creature struck is affected as a tanglefoot bag (Reflex DC 20 partial; see Core Rulebook 160). In addition, this adhesive glows under starlight or moonlight, limning the target as faerie fire if used outdoors at night. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Navigational Awareness (Ex) Star monarchs never become lost and are immune to maze spells or any effect that would cause them to lose their sense of direction.

Starflight (Su) A star monarch can survive in the void of outer space. It flies through space at an incredible speed. Although exact travel times vary, a trip within a single solar system should take 3d20 hours, while a trip beyond should take 3d20 days (or more, at the GM’s discretion).

Toxic Flesh (Ex) A star monarch’s flesh is poisonous. A creature biting it or ingesting any part of its body becomes sickened for 1d4 rounds (Fortitude DC 20 negates) and is affected as if it had consumed a dose of arsenic (Core Rulebook 558).

Long story short, I have a cleric of Desna who befriended one of the above creatures, and was able to gain her as cohort through leadership. My cleric is 15th level, and is a reach evangelist, so I already have that bit squared away. I'm just not quite sure what would be some fun ideas for Miss Butterfly up there.

My leadership score is currently 27, so I've got 7 levels to work with.


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Not sure what you mean by ‘7 levels to work with’. If you are saying the Star Monarch can add a number of levels based on your leadership score, I don’t think that’s correct.

At level 15, your maximum cohort level is 13 no matter what your leadership score is, unless there’s some other feature I’m not aware of. Looking at the Monstrous Cohorts table, the level 13 Monstrous Cohorts range from CR 7 to CR 9. So the Star Monarch is already on the strong side of what might be claimed allowable at 15th level with a 27 leadership score with no class levels.

Second, cohorts are supposed to gain levels the old fashioned way. So even if you did befriend a CR 2 Sasquatch, after saving his family or whatever, and the table allows an additional 7 class levels for a CR 2 Sasquatch for 15th level character with a good leadership score, he’d need to get those levels through adventuring. I mean, maybe you are incredibly popular in the Star Monarch community and it’s not a situation of one particular NPC you befriended, you can have your pick by recruiting from among the many Star Monarch adventurers at their local tavern. But in that case, I still don’t see any room for extra class levels at your level.


I do believe you're correct that I did my math wrong. The CR of the Star Monarch is 9. Comparing that to the Dragonnes, that would require a leadership score of 14. I currently have a 27, which means the highest it can go without limitations is 17th level. However, I am 15, so my Cohort level is 13.

Which still leaves three levels to plan for as Madame Butterfly progresses. Anything fun come to mind?


Adaptive shifter could be useful. Evasive form for compression and resistant form for a bit of energy resistance perhaps, or aquatic form for a swim speed. At L2 add Wis to AC.

Mostly though this critter is transport for you. Its attack bonus is far far too low to be useful at this level and its save DCs aren't really useful either. You aren't going to get a meaningful attack out of it with 1-3 levels in any class.


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Blue_Sky wrote:

I do believe you're correct that I did my math wrong. The CR of the Star Monarch is 9. Comparing that to the Dragonnes, that would require a leadership score of 14. I currently have a 27, which means the highest it can go without limitations is 17th level. However, I am 15, so my Cohort level is 13.

Which still leaves three levels to plan for as Madame Butterfly progresses. Anything fun come to mind?

dragonnes are CR 7; they are charted with a Cohort level of 10, so that would allow for leveling with experience. But Star Monarchs are CR 9; the chart doesn’t have a direct translation of CR to cohort level, but the lowest level CR 9 on the chart is Nependis at Cohort level 13. The other CR 9s range from cohort level 14 to 17 with the only cohort level 18 creature at CR 8. I don’t see justification for arguing Monarch lower than a minimum of cohort level 13.


I'm thinking Star Monarch might not be the best idea for a cohort. The dm has ruled it wouldn't make for a good PC if I was to run it, so I'm just going to stick with a regular pc cohort or some such.

Thank you for your help, by the way, and sorry for taking from your time.


Blue_Sky wrote:

I'm thinking Star Monarch might not be the best idea for a cohort. The dm has ruled it wouldn't make for a good PC if I was to run it, so I'm just going to stick with a regular pc cohort or some such.

Thank you for your help, by the way, and sorry for taking from your time.

yeah, my posts above aren’t a pure endorsement of the RAW here; in general the rules content for monstrous cohorts is pretty underpowered compared to conventional Leadership, so you are better off with PC levels for your cohort.

I would say ‘talk to your gm about allowing a little extra to bring your cohort in line with the standard’, but it sounds like he’s not a huge fan of the idea to start with so maybe not.


I have a thread on new cohorts: New cohorts for Leadership.

It lists the 131 monstrous cohorts. Only 5 have a cohort level less than the monster's HD: Satyr, Fossegrim, Svartalfar, Adlet, and Viper vine. The first four are at -1, and the last at -3.

The Star Monarch is a 12HD creature. I would normally place it as a level 18 to 20 cohort. Only possible with Epic Leadership or GM intervention.

Lelomenia wrote:
Second, cohorts are supposed to gain levels the old fashioned way. So even if you did befriend a CR 2 Sasquatch, after saving his family or whatever, and the table allows an additional 7 class levels for a CR 2 Sasquatch for 15th level character with a good leadership score, he’d need to get those levels through adventuring.

The Sasquatch is listed as a level 6 cohort even though it has 2 HD. He can be gained as a plain Sasquatch or as a classed Sasquatch. As long as his cohort level is 13 or less, he can be gained. Class levels gained after being gained must happen through adventuring.

/cevah

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