There are a number of feats (such as Squire and Torchbearer) and archetypes (such as Esquire Cavalier) that grant a PC a cohort who is initially prohibited from multiclassing. Would you interpret that restriction as preventing the cohort from variant multiclassing, or as just disallowing the cohort from gaining levels in any class except his original class?
I think it does, or does not, do exactly what it says [or does not say]... on a case by case basis.
Instructor Wizards can start an infinite Wizard creation loop if they have their Apprentice be another Instructor Wizard, with another Instructor Wizard, with another... as long as you all study the same school. You could do the same thing as a Cult Master Mesmerist.
Esquire seems to be the only archetype I have seen with any special rules... and those feats you listed... it says no multiclassing, of which VMC is, well umm, a variant. So that is a no-go at this station.
I like VMC, too, but I don't think it flies for those feats for Esquire...
The loop does end at level 19/20, when you have the 17, 15, 13... 3, and 1st level wizard conga-line that is capped with an adept. That's also assuming no one gets a loss to their leadership score from apprentice death or any other likely side effect of bringing a cohort many many levels below the encounter challenge rating.
The loop does end at level 19/20, when you have the 17, 15, 13... 3, and 1st level wizard conga-line that is capped with an adept.
Yeah, but that's still, like, 10 Necromancers... in a row.
Would you interpret that restriction as preventing the cohort from variant multiclassing, or as just disallowing the cohort from gaining levels in any class except his original class?
The latter. I have always said that despite the name, VMC is not multiclassing. VMC has "multiclassing" in its name, but it doesn't follow the rules for actual multiclassing at all. Considering that the stacking rules that all characters use are in a section headered by "Special Spell Effects", I wouldn't put too much weight on what the rule option is called, and rather look how it mechanically behaves.
Of course, you've pretty much answered the question yourself over a year ago: "since VMC is a set of optional rules from Pathfinder Unchained, the real answer is whatever you or your GM want it to be."
The loop does end at level 19/20, when you have the 17, 15, 13... 3, and 1st level wizard conga-line that is capped with an adept. That's also assuming no one gets a loss to their leadership score from apprentice death or any other likely side effect of bringing a cohort many many levels below the encounter challenge rating.
That is also assuming that you weren’t crazy enough to build into Noble Scion prC on yourself and every single cohort… to then have an infinite number of identical noble scion wizard cohorts… granted you and all of your cohorts would only be able to cast as 10th level Wizard’s…
I wasn't attempting to stack cohorts or determine the general case of whether cohorts can use VMC at all (as my original question assumed that they can).
Between the first paragraph of Derklord's response and the second half of VoodistMonk's response, it looks like we have a split decision so far on my original question -- and that they have staked out both of the possible positions that I considered likely possibilities.
The loop does end at level 19/20, when you have the 17, 15, 13... 3, and 1st level wizard conga-line that is capped with an adept. That's also assuming no one gets a loss to their leadership score from apprentice death or any other likely side effect of bringing a cohort many many levels below the encounter challenge rating.That is also assuming that you weren’t crazy enough to build into Noble Scion prC on yourself and every single cohort… to then have an infinite number of identical noble scion wizard cohorts… granted you and all of your cohorts would only be able to cast as 10th level Wizard’s…
Actually, if we are taking them to level 10 of the PRC, then they could be 12th level wizards with dilettante study being taken twice.
But this also assumes greater leadership overrules the normal cap on cohorts being level 17, otherwise we start a single level decline per extended cohort at 16 and on.
I feel the multiclassing restriction is mostly just flavor. They can't ever turn away from the profession. I don't feel like VMC violates that. But ultimately it's extra up to your GM to decide. VMC is already an incomplete system. It's mostly just guidelines with your GM intended to fill in the missing parts.
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A squire can already be a magus, which is more or less multiclassing. Such a squire is capable of offering enlarge person / shield, scribing scrolls (by spending the 1st-level feat) and using infernal healing wands. I guess that's an oversight, though.