Geoff Watson
First Post
Since you allow MC Rangers, you obviously don't care about balance, so why bother asking?
Geoff.
Geoff.
Aristocrat as PC Core Class
- Thread starter Nifft
- Start date
Spatzimaus
First Post
GuardianLurker said:
Not written up lately, but I DO have a couple of the abilities I found from previous threads:
Contacts (Ex): Aristocrats have vast networks of contacts/connections; this operates as Bardic Knowledge, except instead of gaining knowledge they locate a person offering goods and services they need (same DCs will work, but make the bonus equal to class level + CHA modifier instead of INT).
If you want guidelines for how this works, see the d20 Modern Charismatic Hero ability "Favor"
Natural Leader (Ex): When using the Leadership Feat, add a +1 bonus to your character level for the purpose of determining cohorts and followers. This increases by +1 per 5 class levels (at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th). Since this increases character level, it lets them have more followers, and cohorts above their true level (the king's Champion sort of thing)
If I'm a 12th-level character with a Leadership Score of 17, I normally end up with an 11th-level cohort; the table says 12, but I can't have a cohort of my level or higher. A 12th-level Aristocrat is treated as a 15th-level character, giving a Leadership score of 20, and therefore gets a 14th-level cohort.
I don't have a writeup of the other stuff available, but it basically comes down to:
Alignment: no Chaotic
and then a few Bardic Music-style abilities
Kahuna Burger
First Post
Stalker0 said:
why not before? have a lesser leadership ability that they gain automatically and provides them only with followers. (so they can have their faithful manservant, or lifelong family butler or whatever). Then at 5th level ('cause of the born leader feat) they can start trying to attract a cohort.
kahuna burger
Malin Genie
First Post
Nifft - I like your (original) idea (although I have to agree with Geoff that the MC Ranger is a big mistake....)
I might make the save Reflex rather than Will (thinking of the swashbuckling dandy model of Aristocrat) but the tradeoff of hd and one-third of the Feats (and Weapon Specialisation, don't forget that an Aristocrat, not being a Fighter, can't get that) seems reasonable.
I might make the save Reflex rather than Will (thinking of the swashbuckling dandy model of Aristocrat) but the tradeoff of hd and one-third of the Feats (and Weapon Specialisation, don't forget that an Aristocrat, not being a Fighter, can't get that) seems reasonable.
Gez
First Post
Here's the one I actually use and play (a multiclass aristocrat/sorcerer):
Aristocrats are usually educated, wealthy individuals born into high position. Aristocrats are not only the well-born, but also the wealthy or politically influential people in the world. They are given the freedom to train in the fields of their choice, for the most part, and to travel widely. With access to all the best goods and opportunities, many aristocrats become formidable individuals. Some even go on adventure with fighters, wizards and other classes, although usually such activities are nothing more than a lark.
Adventures: Aristocrats adventure for several reasons, like gathering informations, resources, and supports needed to actually exert rulership, to train themselves in order to be worthy of their future duty, as a passtime, or as a necessity. Aristocrats are exceptionnaly charismatic individuals that have a knack to influence people and are attracted by the rights and duties associated with powers; and those who are not well-born knows that adventuring is their best road to power. Other aristocrats may adventure out of necessity, being condemned to exile by an impostor until they can gather an army for revenge, or something like that. Not all rulers are aristocrats, only those who show the qualities associated to nobility are; and among them, not all are actual nobles.
Characteristics: Aristocrats are natural-born leaders. An aristocrat is a master at all social tasks, and can count for that on a particularly persuading voice, as a good skill selection, as well as vast knowledges. In addition to his negociater aspect, an aristocrat is also a quite decent fighter.
Alignment: Traditions, laws, and social structures are what an aristocrat build his power on. For this reason, the lawful alignment is common among them. However, neutral and even chaotic aristocrats are not that unfrequent. The aristocrat class is not biased toward good or evil, and these alignment are as frequent as anywhere else.
Religion: Aristocrats often revere the most followed deity in their region, however this is not an absolute rule.
Background: Aristocrats usually have one mentor that help them develop their leadership skills. The mentor are as diverse as the aristocrats themselves are: it may be their rich father, the great chamberlain, an ambitious figure that saw the potential of the aristocrat and thought he would make an interesting asset latter, the old advisor fallen from grace when the aristocrat was exiled by a traitor, and so on. Most adventuring aristocrats are "loners" who avoid the company of their peers as long as they aren't restored to their rightful place. Established aristocrats are wary of others, because these other aristocrats could threaten their position. For this reason, aristocrat shun the company of other aristocrats (with actual aristocrat levels), unless they're loyal to each other.
Races: There are aristocrats in every race where words aren't less efficient than blows to be obeyed.
Other Classes: An aristocrat works well with about any other class, provided they aren't denied the position of spokesman. They usually especially like the company of bards, fighters, clerics and wizards.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability of an aristocrat. This is the key ability of most of the aristocrat's class skill, and especially Diplomacy which is used by the leader's voice class feature. Intelligence and Wisdom are important also, as the duty of powers requires you to be smart and wise. Finally, without spellcasting capacity to rely upon, physical abilities (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) are important also. The aristocrat class has no real "dump stat", even if from a powergaming point of view it could be Wisdom.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills: The aristocrat's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str) and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See the Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class feature of the aristocrat.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The aristocrat is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and with all type of armor and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.
Bonus Feats: At first level, the aristocrat gets a bonus feat in addition to the feat that any first-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to humans. The aristocrat gains an additional bonus feat at second level and every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, etc.). These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Alertness, Artist, Cosmopolitan, Education, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Luck of Heroes, Resist Poison, Smooth Talk.
Important: These feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets every three levels (as per Table 3-2: Experience and Level-Dependant Benefits, page 21 in the Player's Handbook).
Leadership: At fifth level, the aristocrat may choose Leadership as his aristocrat bonus feat, even if he is not a 6th-level character yet. This is a special exception to the rules that only sixth-level characters can gain the Leadership feat.
Ruler's Knowledge: Aristocrats receive an extensive education and is always making attentions to every knowledge that may be useful for him. Knowledge is power, after all. An aristocrat may make a special ruler's knowledge check with a bonus equal to his aristocrat level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about politics, geography or history. This is essentially similar to, and stacks with, bardic knowledge; however it is not focused on the exact same fields of knowledge.
Leader's Voice: Once per day per level, an aristocrat can use his knowledge of diplomacy to produce magical effects with bolstering, peremptory, or disheartening speaches. Depending on the ranks he has in the Diplomacy skill, he can inspire courage in allies, counter magical effects that depends on sound, frighten enemies to make them flee or surrender, inspire competence, make a magical suggestion, inspire greatness, make a magical lesser geas or rally creatures to his causes. An (multiclassed) aristocrat can't cast a spell with a verbal (V) component when performing a speach, but he can otherwise perform other actions that do not rely on voice while speaching. Creatures must hear and see the aristocrat to be affected. As with casting a spell with a verbal (V) component, a deaf aristocrat suffers a 20% chance to fail with leader's voice. If he fails, the attept still count against his daily limit.
Unless otherwise stated, all applications of leader's voice are mind-affecting, language-dependant supernatural effects that lasts as long as the aristocrat is speaching; and an aristocrat can make a speach last for up to 1 round per aristocrat level.
Unless otherwise noted, the DC to resist a speach is 10 + half the aristocrat's level + the aristocrat's Charisma modifier.
Inspire Courage: An aristocrat with 3 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his bolstering voice to inspire courage in his allies. To be affected, an ally must hear the aristocrat for a full round. The effect last as long as the aristocrat speach (up to 1 round per aristocrat level), plus one full round thereafter. Affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage roll.
Countervoice: An aristocrat with 3 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his voice to counter magical effects that depends on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round of the countervoice, the aristocrat makes a Diplomacy check. Any creature within 30 feet of him (including himself) who is affected by sonic or language-dependant attack (such as sound burst or command) may use the aristocrat's Diplomacy check result in place of his saving throw if, after rolling the saving throw, the Diplomacy check proves to be better. The aristocrat may keep up the countervoice for up to 1 round per aristocrat level.
Frighten: An aristocrat with 6 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his voice to dishearten enemies by promising them to their doom if they don't surrender or flee. Every enemy within 90 feet of the aristocrat must succeed at a Will save opposed to the aristocrat's Diplomacy check or become frightened and be forced to flee or to passively wait to be manacled (at the aristocrat's option). Any actual attack against surrendering enemies instantly break the effect. This is a supernatural fear, mind-affecting, language-dependant effect that lasts as long as the aristocrat speach (for up to 1 round per aristocrat level).
Inspire Competence: An aristocrat with 6 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his voice to increase an ally's self-confidence and give him a greater sense of duty. The ally gets a +2 morale bonus on his skill checks with a particular skill as long as he continue to hear the aristocrat's encouragements (thus, for up to 1 round per aristocrat level). The DM may rule that certain uses of that ability are infeasible.
Suggestion: An aristocrat with 9 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his peremptory voice to give an order that can't be disobeyed to a creature within 90 by speaching for three full rounds. A Will saving throw (DC 13 + the aristocrat's Charisma modifier) negate this spell-like, mind-affecting charm effect. If the save is failed, the victim is affected by a suggestion, as the spell. The effect lasts for 1 hour per character level, or until completed.
Inspire Greatness: An aristocrat with 12 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his bolstering voice to inspire greatness to another creature, granting extra fighting capability. For every three levels the aristocrat attains beyond ninth, he can inspire greatness to another creature. This otherwise works like inspire courage. A creature inspired with greatness gains the following boosts (all bonuses are competence bonuses):
+2 Hit Dice (d10 that grant temporary hit points).
+2 competence bonus on attacks.
+1 competence bonus on all Fortitude saves.
Apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to each bonus Hit Dice. These extra Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining effects such as the sleep spell.
Geas: An aristocrat with 15 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his peremptory voice to give a quest that can't be forsaken to a creature within 90 by speaching for five full rounds. This works like suggestion, above, except the aristocrat must speaks for five full rounds, the save DC is 14 + the aristocrat's Charisma modifier, and the effect is similar to a lesser geas instead.
Starting Gear
6d8 × 10 gp worth of equipment.
Aristocrats are usually educated, wealthy individuals born into high position. Aristocrats are not only the well-born, but also the wealthy or politically influential people in the world. They are given the freedom to train in the fields of their choice, for the most part, and to travel widely. With access to all the best goods and opportunities, many aristocrats become formidable individuals. Some even go on adventure with fighters, wizards and other classes, although usually such activities are nothing more than a lark.
Adventures: Aristocrats adventure for several reasons, like gathering informations, resources, and supports needed to actually exert rulership, to train themselves in order to be worthy of their future duty, as a passtime, or as a necessity. Aristocrats are exceptionnaly charismatic individuals that have a knack to influence people and are attracted by the rights and duties associated with powers; and those who are not well-born knows that adventuring is their best road to power. Other aristocrats may adventure out of necessity, being condemned to exile by an impostor until they can gather an army for revenge, or something like that. Not all rulers are aristocrats, only those who show the qualities associated to nobility are; and among them, not all are actual nobles.
Characteristics: Aristocrats are natural-born leaders. An aristocrat is a master at all social tasks, and can count for that on a particularly persuading voice, as a good skill selection, as well as vast knowledges. In addition to his negociater aspect, an aristocrat is also a quite decent fighter.
Alignment: Traditions, laws, and social structures are what an aristocrat build his power on. For this reason, the lawful alignment is common among them. However, neutral and even chaotic aristocrats are not that unfrequent. The aristocrat class is not biased toward good or evil, and these alignment are as frequent as anywhere else.
Religion: Aristocrats often revere the most followed deity in their region, however this is not an absolute rule.
Background: Aristocrats usually have one mentor that help them develop their leadership skills. The mentor are as diverse as the aristocrats themselves are: it may be their rich father, the great chamberlain, an ambitious figure that saw the potential of the aristocrat and thought he would make an interesting asset latter, the old advisor fallen from grace when the aristocrat was exiled by a traitor, and so on. Most adventuring aristocrats are "loners" who avoid the company of their peers as long as they aren't restored to their rightful place. Established aristocrats are wary of others, because these other aristocrats could threaten their position. For this reason, aristocrat shun the company of other aristocrats (with actual aristocrat levels), unless they're loyal to each other.
Races: There are aristocrats in every race where words aren't less efficient than blows to be obeyed.
Other Classes: An aristocrat works well with about any other class, provided they aren't denied the position of spokesman. They usually especially like the company of bards, fighters, clerics and wizards.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability of an aristocrat. This is the key ability of most of the aristocrat's class skill, and especially Diplomacy which is used by the leader's voice class feature. Intelligence and Wisdom are important also, as the duty of powers requires you to be smart and wise. Finally, without spellcasting capacity to rely upon, physical abilities (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) are important also. The aristocrat class has no real "dump stat", even if from a powergaming point of view it could be Wisdom.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills: The aristocrat's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Read Lips (Int, exclusive skill), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str) and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See the Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Code:
[color=white]
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Bonus feat, leader's voice, ruler's knowledge
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Bonus feat
3 +2 +1 +1 +3
4 +3 +1 +1 +4
5 +3 +1 +1 +4 Bonus feat, leadership
6 +4 +2 +2 +5
7 +5 +2 +2 +5
8 +6/+1 +2 +2 +6 Bonus feat
9 +6/+1 +3 +3 +6
10 +7/+2 +3 +3 +7
11 +8/+3 +3 +3 +7 Bonus feat
12 +9/+4 +4 +4 +8
13 +9/+4 +4 +4 +8
14 +10/+5 +4 +4 +9 Bonus feat
15 +11/+6 +5 +5 +9
16 +12/+7 +5 +5 +10
17 +12/+7 +5 +5 +10 Bonus feat
18 +13/+8 +6 +6 +11
19 +14/+9 +6 +6 +11
20 +15/+10 +6 +6 +12 Bonus feat
[/color]Class Features
All the following are class feature of the aristocrat.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The aristocrat is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and with all type of armor and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.
Bonus Feats: At first level, the aristocrat gets a bonus feat in addition to the feat that any first-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to humans. The aristocrat gains an additional bonus feat at second level and every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, etc.). These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Alertness, Artist, Cosmopolitan, Education, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Luck of Heroes, Resist Poison, Smooth Talk.
Important: These feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets every three levels (as per Table 3-2: Experience and Level-Dependant Benefits, page 21 in the Player's Handbook).
Leadership: At fifth level, the aristocrat may choose Leadership as his aristocrat bonus feat, even if he is not a 6th-level character yet. This is a special exception to the rules that only sixth-level characters can gain the Leadership feat.
Ruler's Knowledge: Aristocrats receive an extensive education and is always making attentions to every knowledge that may be useful for him. Knowledge is power, after all. An aristocrat may make a special ruler's knowledge check with a bonus equal to his aristocrat level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about politics, geography or history. This is essentially similar to, and stacks with, bardic knowledge; however it is not focused on the exact same fields of knowledge.
Leader's Voice: Once per day per level, an aristocrat can use his knowledge of diplomacy to produce magical effects with bolstering, peremptory, or disheartening speaches. Depending on the ranks he has in the Diplomacy skill, he can inspire courage in allies, counter magical effects that depends on sound, frighten enemies to make them flee or surrender, inspire competence, make a magical suggestion, inspire greatness, make a magical lesser geas or rally creatures to his causes. An (multiclassed) aristocrat can't cast a spell with a verbal (V) component when performing a speach, but he can otherwise perform other actions that do not rely on voice while speaching. Creatures must hear and see the aristocrat to be affected. As with casting a spell with a verbal (V) component, a deaf aristocrat suffers a 20% chance to fail with leader's voice. If he fails, the attept still count against his daily limit.
Unless otherwise stated, all applications of leader's voice are mind-affecting, language-dependant supernatural effects that lasts as long as the aristocrat is speaching; and an aristocrat can make a speach last for up to 1 round per aristocrat level.
Unless otherwise noted, the DC to resist a speach is 10 + half the aristocrat's level + the aristocrat's Charisma modifier.
Inspire Courage: An aristocrat with 3 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his bolstering voice to inspire courage in his allies. To be affected, an ally must hear the aristocrat for a full round. The effect last as long as the aristocrat speach (up to 1 round per aristocrat level), plus one full round thereafter. Affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage roll.
Countervoice: An aristocrat with 3 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his voice to counter magical effects that depends on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round of the countervoice, the aristocrat makes a Diplomacy check. Any creature within 30 feet of him (including himself) who is affected by sonic or language-dependant attack (such as sound burst or command) may use the aristocrat's Diplomacy check result in place of his saving throw if, after rolling the saving throw, the Diplomacy check proves to be better. The aristocrat may keep up the countervoice for up to 1 round per aristocrat level.
Frighten: An aristocrat with 6 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his voice to dishearten enemies by promising them to their doom if they don't surrender or flee. Every enemy within 90 feet of the aristocrat must succeed at a Will save opposed to the aristocrat's Diplomacy check or become frightened and be forced to flee or to passively wait to be manacled (at the aristocrat's option). Any actual attack against surrendering enemies instantly break the effect. This is a supernatural fear, mind-affecting, language-dependant effect that lasts as long as the aristocrat speach (for up to 1 round per aristocrat level).
Inspire Competence: An aristocrat with 6 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his voice to increase an ally's self-confidence and give him a greater sense of duty. The ally gets a +2 morale bonus on his skill checks with a particular skill as long as he continue to hear the aristocrat's encouragements (thus, for up to 1 round per aristocrat level). The DM may rule that certain uses of that ability are infeasible.
Suggestion: An aristocrat with 9 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his peremptory voice to give an order that can't be disobeyed to a creature within 90 by speaching for three full rounds. A Will saving throw (DC 13 + the aristocrat's Charisma modifier) negate this spell-like, mind-affecting charm effect. If the save is failed, the victim is affected by a suggestion, as the spell. The effect lasts for 1 hour per character level, or until completed.
Inspire Greatness: An aristocrat with 12 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his bolstering voice to inspire greatness to another creature, granting extra fighting capability. For every three levels the aristocrat attains beyond ninth, he can inspire greatness to another creature. This otherwise works like inspire courage. A creature inspired with greatness gains the following boosts (all bonuses are competence bonuses):
+2 Hit Dice (d10 that grant temporary hit points).
+2 competence bonus on attacks.
+1 competence bonus on all Fortitude saves.
Apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to each bonus Hit Dice. These extra Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining effects such as the sleep spell.
Geas: An aristocrat with 15 or more ranks in Diplomacy can use his peremptory voice to give a quest that can't be forsaken to a creature within 90 by speaching for five full rounds. This works like suggestion, above, except the aristocrat must speaks for five full rounds, the save DC is 14 + the aristocrat's Charisma modifier, and the effect is similar to a lesser geas instead.
Starting Gear
6d8 × 10 gp worth of equipment.
cerberus2112
First Post
What about the Noble class from Star Wars and Wheel of Time? I think that is a fine PCClass for an aristrocratic character.
Spatzimaus
First Post
Kahuna Burger said:
Part of it is that we're a lot more flexible on Leadership than the DMG allows. It's not "I take the Feat... BOOM... hundreds of people are now following me!" It's more of a gradual accumulation of power. And like you said, it only makes sense for an Aristocrat to START with something.
For example, my Aristocrat/Psion is from a wealthy merchant family. At low levels he was the rich kid, but his father ran the business. After a while he took Leadership, to represent when he took over the business (Cohort was the guy who ran the business, Followers were the employees).
Then, we have more of an EL-balancing thing. You can trade up/down followers to get ones of different levels (divide by two to get level+2, that sort of thing)
Now, in the simplest sense you can treat this like I said, using the DMG Leadership Feat and then giving a bonus. Really, I'd like to rework the entire Feat like this:
LEADERSHIP (General)
> Requires CHA 13, level 6
> When you take the Leadership Feat, you get a number of Leadership Points equal to your character level plus your permanent CHA minus 10
This is retroactive, so you get an extra point each time you gain a level or increase your permanent CHA. Charisma from temporary sources (spells, items) doesn't give points.
If you take the Feat again, just double the amount it gives.
So, at minimum, you get 9 points (6 level + 13 CHA - 10), enough to get a weak Cohort and a few miscellaneous supporters.
> Followers: With one point you can buy 5 level 1 followers, 3 level 2, 2 level 3, or 1 level 4 follower. 2 points gives a level 6, 3 gets a level 7, 4 gives a level 8, and so on with doubling-for-plus2.
However, no Follower can have ECL higher than half your character level (round down).
> Cohorts: To get a new Cohort (with ECL = L-4) costs 6 points, plus 2 points for each previous Cohort, Mount, or Familiar you had (second costs 8, third costs 10, etc.). For every two points you spend, you can increase one Cohort's ECL by 1, and that's in addition to the increase they all get whenever you level (so 12 points gives a Cohort with ECL one less than your own). No cohort may have an ECL equal to or higher than yours.
Drop all that "great prestige" and "caused the death of followers" stuff. It's just not worth the headaches to argue whether you've gained a reputation of power.
EXAMPLE:
Bob the Prophet is a level 12 Cleric who just gained the Leadership Feat. He has a CHA of 14. He gets 16 points to spend, and buys them like this:
1 Cohort (ECL 9): 6 points + 2 to bump ECL
20 level 1 followers: 4 points
4 level 4 followers: 4 points
He could spend 2 points for level 6 followers, but he can't go higher than that since it'd exceed Level/2.
So, the "Natural Leader" ability of the Aristocrat would be:
> Gain one bonus Leadership Point at each even level (2, 4, 6, 8, 10...), even if you don't take the Leadership Feat. However, you can only use these points for Followers; you can't have a Cohort.
> The Cohort level cap increases by 1 every five levels. So, from levels 6-9 your cohort can have the same ECL as you, from 10-14 they can be ECL L+1, 15-19 L+2, 20 L+3.
And then either:
> The base cost of each Cohort is reduced to 6 plus 1 per Cohort/Mount/Familiar.
OR
> The cost of raising Cohort ECL is reduced to +1 per ECL increase.
I'm going with the first one for now, but we'll see. I was thinking of adding a limit that you can only gain one Cohort each time you take the Feat, but the increasing costs make that unnecessary.
So, Bob the Aristocratic is a level 11 Aristocrat with CHA of 18. He has 5 points, which he had to spend on followers. At level 12, he takes Leadership, so now he has 26 points (6 for Aristocrat, 12 for level, 8 for CHA), no more than 20 of which can be spent on Cohorts.
He takes:
1 Cohort (ECL 12): 6 points, plus 8 for ECL bumps
30 level 1 Followers: 6 points
4 level 4 Followers: 4 points
1 level 6 Follower: 2 points
I'm still tweaking Follower costs; as it is right now it's pretty much impossible to have the 100+ Followers the DMG gives, but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.
I'm also thinking of upping the Aristocrat "Natural Leader" ability to be:
Level 1: gain (CHA mod) Leadership Points
Every even level: gain one point
all of which can only be used for Followers.
This basically gives a half-strength Leadership for free. I don't want to just give the entire Leadership for free, though.
Last edited:
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