“Legal option” might be a better description than “valid”. You’ll be slow as dirt and have difficulty entering a lot of places. I’m sure the ability wasn’t meant to give you one of those, but I also doubt it’d be overpowering to let a player have one. Indeed, I’d more worry the character would be nearly unplayable.
A player in one of my games approached me with this for his cohort from leadership.
I'm trying to figure out what to think about it
Firmly say "no" and slap him across the face to assert your authority.
A player in one of my games approached me with this for his cohort from leadership.
I'm trying to figure out what to think about it
By level 7 a masterwork siege engine isn’t incredibly expensive. And that cohort is going to be way less useful than the standard magic item crafter cohort.
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By level 7 a masterwork siege engine isn’t incredibly expensive. And that cohort is going to be way less useful than the standard magic item crafter cohort.A player in one of my games approached me with this for his cohort from leadership.
I'm trying to figure out what to think about it
it is incredibly expensive for a 5th level npc with npc wealth by level, and a 1 level dip to get the free weapon.
they have plans of using overwatch style (vortex eventually) + vital strike chain+ siege weapon shenanigan's
it is incredibly expensive for a 5th level npc with npc wealth by level, and a 1 level dip to get the free weapon.
So, is full plate, but it doesn't really matter as it's about what a party of 7+ should be expected to have access to.
they have plans of using overwatch style (vortex eventually) + vital strike chain+ siege weapon shenanigan's
Loading a siege engine takes a long time and often a lot of people. Getting off more than one shot per round is probably not possible. What siege engine are they planning to do this with? The ammunition is also quite heavy and expensive. How are they transporting any of this stuff to anywhere that matters in the campaign?
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it is incredibly expensive for a 5th level npc with npc wealth by level, and a 1 level dip to get the free weapon.So, is full plate, but it doesn't really matter as it's about what a party of 7+ should be expected to have access to.
they have plans of using overwatch style (vortex eventually) + vital strike chain+ siege weapon shenanigan'sLoading a siege engine takes a long time and often a lot of people. Getting off more than one shot per round is probably not possible. What siege engine are they planning to do this with? The ammunition is also quite heavy and expensive. How are they transporting any of this stuff to anywhere that matters in the campaign?
as far as i know they plan to use the followers from leadership. use master siege engineer feat and a series of readied actions and the spell abundant ammunition to keep ammo stocked
idk about transport, but theres a lot of down time in this 3rd party AP, and honestly thats probably the easiest part to do out of combat.
Master siege engineer takes 10 ranks in engineering. Is the party level 10+? You could just have all of those followers using light crossbows and it'd probably add up to the same damage. But regardless, those guys aren't meant to be in combat really. One fireball and they are gone.
It's not just transport to an area. It's transport into the typical adventuring places. You're not taking that down into a dungeon. Maybe this is some weird all outdoors AP, but I've never played in an AP where a siege engine would be relevant very often. And if the party happens to breeze through some outdoor encounters, then those probably weren't meant to be big deal fights anyway.
And how safe is your siege crew going to be while you leave them behind to enter a dungeon? How many times is the party going to come out just to discover that monsters have eaten their hirelings?
don't fall for the leadership trap.
if you do allow the feat point to the words in it that say :
"..A cohort is generally an NPC with class levels, while followers are typically lower level NPCs..."
in plain words the player has no say in ether what class their followers\cohort are (or race and be lucky if you allow them to get alignment matching their own to not get that -1 penalty) and more importantly they have no say on what they do. they don't play the cohort or followers as they are non-player characters. this is also why if they miss treat them, unlike most familiars and animal companions they might bail on them.
it's also why they start with their own gear, remind the players the npc's gear belong to the npc, it's not a feat to get extra loot or slaves!
so get a list of cohorts \ followers that approach the famed leader to follow and let them decide who they hire, but not any other direct control over their action nor their build.
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don't fall for the leadership trap.
if you do allow the feat point to the words in it that say :
"..A cohort is generally an NPC with class levels, while followers are typically lower level NPCs..."in plain words the player has no say in ether what class their followers\cohort are (or race and be lucky if you allow them to get alignment matching their own to not get that -1 penalty) and more importantly they have no say on what they do. they don't play the cohort or followers as they are non-player characters. this is also why if they miss treat them, unlike most familiars and animal companions they might bail on them.
it's also why they start with their own gear, remind the players the npc's gear belong to the npc, it's not a feat to get extra loot or slaves!so get a list of cohorts \ followers that approach the famed leader to follow and let them decide who they hire, but not any other direct control over their action nor their build.
A cohort generally would be one of the following:
1) someone that admire the PC, so generally, someone taken by the local pool of NPC that have been affected by the player actions or someone that come to the PC as a reaction to his/her most famous actions, so generally someone close to the PC alignment (or at least the apparent PC alignment);2) someone that is chosen by the PC from a pool of applicant after the PC advertises that he is searching for a cohort;
3) someone with background ties to the PC.
With 1) e 2) the PC will be the one choosing to accept the specific cohort, so, while he doesn't get to dictate everything, he can get to select most features and he can reject people with different alignments without problems.
You aren't forced to accept the first option available. Nor the GM is forced to offer you exactly the option you want.
of course i didn't say the DM should disregard the player's opinion.
it's just that he shouldn't be telling the gm the build specific. only the general rule he's looking to hire. 'a paladin\wizard\cleric etc' is acceptable, but going as far as to exactly specific feats such as toughness or improved familiar should be ether limited or take a long long time to find
- as in any headhunting for a job, getting a cleaner to mop the floor is easier then finding a web designer who is a biotech engineer and also fluent in Mandarin and Klingon.
and more impotently he shouldn't be the one controlling the npc directly or spending his income as he see fit.
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and more impotently he shouldn't be the one controlling the npc directly or spending his income as he see fit.
True. The leadership feat was written to cover a large spread of possible followers, from a pirate crew and a vice commandant of a ship to the staff and guards of a castle to the faithful worshipers of a deity that want to help in the management of a church or monastery.
Some of them will be paid with a share of the loot, others will receive a wage, others will work for free. Sometimes it seems that the players will have the followers and cohort work for free and use the PCs old gear.
But the followers and cohort need to eat, sleep, need to be dressed, and they will want some money to spend for themselves and their family.
If they work for free probably they will be available for a small percentage of the time. Sure, most APs are so fast-paced that is credible that someone will follow the PCs for a couple of months for free to save the world. But if the pace is a bit slower a more credible approach for a long-term collaboration is necessary.
In every instance, the masterwork siege artillery or masterwork plate mail is a property of the NPCs, not of the players. The NPCs could use it to help the players, but it will never be a property of the players. And it is a class feature in this instance, so even less a property of the players.
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Which AP and what do you think of it, if you don't mind me asking. Will a seige weapon break any encounters so far?
Personally, I wouldn't allow it because it strikes me as infinitely cheesy, but I doubt it will break the game more than spell casters will in a few levels.
Way of the wicked
allowing leadership is your first folly
The AP pretty much expects people to grab leadership
Technically it's the feat Vile Leadership