ability scores for followers and cohorts.

[krupintupple]

just like it sounds, how do you calculate ability scores for your PCs followers and cohorts?

i personally plan on giving the cohort the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) and the followers the nonelite array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8) and my PCs seem to be alright with this; while they're not going to be super-powered, they're better than normal i've mentioned it ahead of time so no one feels cheated by my decision, but like i said, i might be persuaded to consider other options.

also, during follower creation, why would anyone chose a commoner, especially considering that the expert could do anything they do better?

also, we use the level-based 'reputation' rules, and i've felt that score should be added to the leadership score of any PC, as it represents how the world views them, not just their own personal persuasiveness and force of personality (Charisma) - any thoughts on that?

 

[Nifft]

IMC, Cohorts got 25 point buy ("elite array"), and followers got "--" (no stats, don't use them in fights).

PCs had 32 point buy, so there was a marked difference.

Cheers, -- N

 

[krupintupple]

ahh, interesting.

sounds like what i'm shooting for, but my PCs - for some reason - seem to hate the point buy situation and would rather opt for 4d6 x6 to determine their scores. however, would it be game-wrecking to allow the followers to use the nonelite array? i only ask because if they ask for blacksmithing or warrior followers to guard their home base, that 13 will do better in some scores than having a -- for every one of their abilities.

 

[Runestar]

What role would the followers play in your game? They probably won't be tagging along and adventuring with your party as they would be too fragile. If they are just staying back in your keep and taking care of everyday mundane tasks, I don't really think it should matter much what their stats are. If mean, are you actually going to play out the crafting attempts or roll for their spot checks against any would-be burglars? I would personally just gloss over it and say "After so many days, the result is...".

 

[Nifft]

i only ask because if they ask for blacksmithing or warrior followers to guard their home base, that 13 will do better in some scores than having a -- for every one of their abilities.

No no no, they don't have "--" for each ability score, they don't have stats at all! They're props, not actors.

Cheers, -- N

 

[krupintupple]

i only concern myself with their stats because if they've ranks in weaponsmithing, or alchemy, they may be able to turn some profit - trust me, my players are keen into this - and i wanted to know what their average scores might be.

as an aside, what does enworld think of adding the reputation to the leadership score as a bonus, when determinining your leadership score itself?

 

[Tonguez]

i only concern myself with their stats because if they've ranks in weaponsmithing, or alchemy, they may be able to turn some profit - trust me, my players are keen into this - and i wanted to know what their average scores might be.

Personally I use followers as labour units which are applied as skill bonuses ie D20+skill + labour
eg The followers group has Alchemy +3 and the PC sets 10 followers to complete a task they get to D20+3+10 on making a check

as an aside, what does enworld think of adding the reputation to the leadership score as a bonus, when determinining your leadership score itself?

Now I use homebrewed reputation rules and I add reputation to the leadership score when it relates to detemining followers and allies* but not cohorts

Allies/Patrons are NPCs of the PCs level or higher who the PC knows and can call on for favours (by spending reputation of labour units) but who are not cohorts

 

[aboyd]

Yes, I got a few followers from the Leadership feat I took, and I was fairly interested in the stats scores, as that dictated what I could accomplish, even outside of battle.

I ended up getting 3 gnome experts with the nonelite array for stats. Through careful arrangement of their stats and skills, I have the 3 of them creating 2 Alchemist's Fire flasks per week (on average). I had to buy a lab to help their craft rolls, but it'll still be cheaper than buying the flasks on the open market.

It's difficult to guess what their output would be with "--" for stats.

Although followers cannot really help much in a battle, writing them off as servants in your fortress is probably too dismissive. With an decent charisma score, they can be diplomats, spies, or maybe even bards, on your behalf. With a decent intelligence and lots of points into the "Knowledge" skills, they can be researchers who take your loot and get back to you with information about (or possibly flat-out identification of) the magical properties.

They can be runners who hang back from battle and then loot the corpses when it's over, taking everything back to your fortress in turns, and leaving you to be lightly encumbered throughout the dungeon.

They can be an array of clerics who spam Cure Light Wounds spells at the end of a battle. Perhaps lame if your PC is level 20, but not so lame if your PC is level 9.

As a cleric of Fharlanghn, the idea of creating roadside shrines or mini-temples that are administered by a network of roving low-level clerics or priests is pretty compelling and probably good use of the Leadership feat. If the DM allows the followers to take feats such as craft scroll, these shrines become good places of healing, or at least profit centers.

If you can get a leadership score of 15 at an early level (+1 bonus for "fairness and generosity," +2 bonus for "has a stronghold" and +3 bonus for charisma would = 15 points at level 9) then you get 2 2nd level followers and 1 3rd level follower. Suddenly they're making scrolls that have all the lovely buffing spells, and those are useful at level 9.

The followers really can help if you don't write them off, and if you put time into what class you want and what their skills/feats might be.

what does enworld think of adding the reputation to the leadership score as a bonus, when determinining your leadership score itself?

That's kinda already there -- page 106 of DMG, "great reknown" = +2 to score.