Vanilla Bard with a Longspear...
Flagbearer/Banner-O-Ancient Kings,
Devish Sikke,
Grand Master Performer, and
Discordant Voice
So, I was chatting with my GM and we where discussing animal companions and my GM brought up that Cohorts where cool too so we discussed them a bit.. And then we started talking about what kind of classes would work best for cohorts in an adventuring party...
I thought that Cohorts would likely work best as support classes like bards and such, Possibly healers. Then mayhaps full casters, Wizards and sorcerers and such... While full martials would probably be the worst choice for them.
So I decided to come on here and ask, What kind of classes work best for a Cohort, Aspecialy if you want them to be useful in combat as well?
My GM and me both agreed that we dont like the crafter cohorts that you just pump full of crafting feats and leave at base crafting (And Ultimate Campaign specifically calls out that kind of cohort use among the inappropriate advancement choices)
My old group would ban a craft all cohort. They allowed one so I’m right there with ya.
For me the best cohort would be a utility Rogue. Followed by support casters. Followed by a monk skilled in USD (fast movement with cure wands) then martial classes
I’m torn where I would put attack casters as they at best caste scenario are 3 levels behind at level 20 so while they can hit hard it won’t be as often
I like a bard (or skald) to follow the party and chronicle our adventures. Also serving as combat cheerleader and PR hack.
A full martial character is actually a fine choice for a cohort. The biggest disadvantage that a cohort suffers is being two levels behind the rest of the party, and that is a much bigger problem for spellcasters than for martials. Even if you already have good martial PCs in the party, that level difference is enough to put the cohort behind any martial PCs without rendering him useless.
And in case the cohort's class gets something you really want at level 18+, keep in mind that no cohort can ever advance beyond 17th level.
The "best" cohort will depend on two factors: the other classes in the party and the enemies you are going to be fighting.
In general, the "optimal" choice is to take Recruits and switch out which cohort to bring for maximum effect against the expected challenges: buffing bard if the party will be doing a lot of fighting vs. high AC opponents, positive energy cleric (or "double life" oracle) vs. undead, spell warrior skald to counterspell vs. magical enemies, witch vs. low Will save enemies, etc.
Helpful Underfoot Halfling Disciple of the Pike Cavalier 8/Halfling Opportunist 5
20pt buy (w/ racials):
15,14,14,10,12,10
(+1 STR @ 4,8,12 = 18)
At 13:
BAB +11
Base Saves +8/+5/+5
Either take Order of the Dragon, focus on Aid Another with Combat Reflexes/Bodyguard, and pick up Power Attack/Improved Bullrush to play with the Disciple of the Pike Cavalier stuff. Improved Bullrush sets you up for Weapon Trick's Close Sweep (or whatever), as well as readying a charge with the Rhino Charge feat. Hand out Got Your Back or Open Up or Harrying Partners with Tactician to make that fabulous Aid Another bonus last a while.
Or, take Order of the Blossom, focus on Sneak Attack, and pick up Improved/Greater Trip to deliver Sneak Attack via the Great Trip AoO and Opportunity Attacker from Halfling Opportunist. Hand out something like Harder They Fall or Tandem Trip or Topple Foe or Wall of Flesh or whatever to help you with Trip maneuvers... or some other teamwork feat to set up AoO, also capitalizing on delivering Sneak Attack on AoO via Opportunity Attacker.
Shaman with Life Link and a Protector Spirit Animal is also a prime choice for a Cohort. Lol. Can still mess around with Wandering Spirit (Lore)/Wandering Hex (Arcane Enlightenment) shenanigans for added utility.
Obvious answer is a Wizard, it's PF1...
The less obvious answer is Wonderstell's Tiefling "Neckbreak" Wizard of Veil with a wee House Centipede as an Emissary Familiar.
Give this Tiefling a Prehensile Tail and a bite attack, start it with a level of Blood Conduit Bloodrager and the Destined Bloodline. Gets Improved Grapple as a bonus feat from Bloodrager, needs Throat Slicer, Dirty Fighting, and Bushwhack for the rest of its "necessary" feats. Knowledge is Power for your first Discovery/Bonus Feat from Wizard. A belled catsuit, Cloak of Elvenkind, Bracers of the Brawler, and Sandals of Quick Reaction... a nice Light Pick.
Pretty much ready to rock at level 6 (Bloodrager 1/Wizard 5)...
The "best" cohort will depend on two factors: the other classes in the party and the enemies you are going to be fighting.
Absolutely point 1 here. You can come up with an incredibly complex build for your wizard cohort, and then realise he’s a sub-par version of one of the PCs because he’s two levels lower and was built with the NPC rules. So a bodyguard martial for a caster heavy party, a healer for the party with no condition removal, a bard to buff the melee party and so on.
I would also argue that cohorts should have pretty vanilla builds, rather than being uber-optimised, and ban any classes with animal companions/eidolons/mounts. Otherwise you can end up with Bob playing his the wizard having one set of actions in combat and Bill playing an optimised summoner with his optimised hunter cohort having four. Which isn’t much fun for Bob.
Buffers are probably going to work best, yeah. A magus or sorcerer or whatever aiming for big attacks rather than endurance can keep up with PCs above their level for a little while each day. If there's no competition for the role a healbot can be useful. A scout, well, so long as you see your cohort as disposable that works.
A crafter is more excusable when most of their output goes to your other followers - an alchemist who keeps your fortress supplied with alchemists fire and weapon blanches for example.