A question of Leadership.

[Li Shenron]

I'd be inclined to disallow this chain for practical problems, having a player dragging around two or more cohorts is going to make me a headache. Particularly because as a DM it's me who run the cohorts

It might be possible to allow it under certain assumptions. Usually I imagine cohorts as lower-charisma people strongly attracted by higher-charisma personalities. It's hard to think that they would exercise their own charisma upon someone else, but not impossible.

 

[green slime]

I allow both chaining of Leadership and multiple Leadership feats. I like the idea of heroes leading and influencing large masses of people.

 

[Li Shenron]

I allow both chaining of Leadership and multiple Leadership feats. I like the idea of heroes leading and influencing large masses of people.

I actually allow multiple Leadership too, each of which gets you an additional cohort. But not chained Leaderships.

 

[Paraxis]

The point of my above post was to point out that the rules support multiple cohorts. Not once in the DMG does it say you can have only one or even hint at it, it does mention the term cohorts alot though. I think people seem to think of cohorts like equipment or tools, thats not what it is for. It is to be used to enhance the role part of the game not the roll part. You need to interact with all npc characters in the game including your cohorts or they become equipment, the feat just means you have followers and some npcs are very loyal to you(cohorts). As far as having a ton of followers I would allow an epic level feat to cover a just crazy number of followers.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Best way to raise an army is with a huge sack of $$$. The backing of nation and looting a city or two can help cover the cost.

 

[Kieperr]

You can have multiple cohorts during you caree, but only one at a time.

I have yet to find this stated anywhere within the rules.

 

[Dross]

I have yet to find this stated anywhere within the rules.

One of the modifiers when attracting a cohort is causing the death of a cohort (and is culmative per cohert killed). So while not stated in the description, it is there.

The SRD version I have indicates (but does not say) only a single cohort at a time. The table headings say "Cohort Level" and "Number of Followers per Level".

Of course some say might say that is drawing a long bow

 

[Jacen]

The point of my above post was to point out that the rules support multiple cohorts.

Yes it does and so it does support multipe familiars too.

Not once in the DMG does it say you can have only one or even hint at it, it does mention the term cohorts alot though.

FROM PHB 3.5
"You DM has information on what sort of COHORT and how many followers you can recruit."
I don't own 3.5 DMG so can't say about the contents of it.

I think people seem to think of cohorts like equipment or tools, thats not what it is for. It is to be used to enhance the role part of the game not the roll part. You need to interact with all npc characters in the game including your cohorts or they become equipment, the feat just means you have followers and some npcs are very loyal to you(cohorts).

Follwers are NPCs who are loyal to PC. I would so like to go for the roll vs role part, but it is not the topic here so I'll stay with feat Leadership.

From SRD 3.5 under the feat Leadership

Cohort Level: The character can attract a cohort of up to this level.
8<...8<
Followers don’t earn experience and thus don’t gain levels. However, when a character with Leadership attains a new level, the player consults the table above to determine if she has acquired more followers, some of which may be higher level than the existing followers. (You don’t consult the table to see if your cohort gains levels, however, because cohorts earn experience on their own.)

So when you gain a level you dont look from table if you COHORT gains a level...

There are so many places where it is said in singular.

But if you use multiple and DM is OK with it and it doesn't spoil your game.. go for it. The meaning of the game is not to fight over rules. For players there is only one rule. DM is the rule.

 

[Storyteller01]

I would actually allow it, though I would be up front about one thing:

The Cohort's loyal companions and devoted followers serve the Cohort and not the PC. They may follow the chain of command, but if they believe their leader’s best interests are put at risk, they will take whatever actions they deem necessary within their alignments to rectify the situation.

We had a rogue go this route (making a guild or crime organization). We never got the chance to play it out, but he knew that if cohorts couldn't control their own cohorts (high Cha and all) powerplays were inevitable.

 

[TheYeti1775]

Here is a thought.
Round about way to support the theory of chained Leadership.

Forgotten Realms
I think we could all agree to the sipulation without refering to a stat block that King Azoun had Leadership right. By the theory that a good majority of his loyal knight followeres could have leadership themselves.

Just a simple theory to it, that's all.

Maybe this is how one could explain large far-reaching cults. One very charismatic leader who has attracted other leaders to his banner.

King Arther and his Knights.
D&D terms could consider King Arther having Leadership and each of the Knights as 'cohorts', yet each of his knights had their own followings as well.

Just my 2 coppers worth.

Yeti