Cohort's gear - as PC or NPC?

[Joshua Randall]

I'm confused about how much gear (GP value) a cohort is supposed to get. Should this be calculated as if the cohort were a PC, or an NPC?

Leadership has only this to say:

The cohort should be equipped with gear appropriate for its level.

Well, that's dandy advice, but I still don't know if appropriate for its level refers to a PC of equal level, or an NPC. Help!

 

[Shazman]

I would say as an NPC maybe even less than a typical NPC. Cohorts are supposed to be secondary characters (think of sidekick) not the stars of the show. Of course, it's still up to the DM like everything else.

 

[Chronosome]

I've always equipped cohorts as NPCs, since that's what they are.

 

[jgsugden]

Only PCs should get anything close to PC equipment (to begin their adventures). Anybody else: cohort, monster, random NPC, etc ... should have less int he way of equipment than a PC of equal level.

 

[shilsen]

I agree in principle with what everyone else has said, but in practice (situation hasn't arisen yet) I'd probably give the cohort PC-level gear, or at least more than NPC-level. Otherwise the cohort's probably going to bite the dust very quickly when he's adventuring with the party. Makes me feel nice and generous and my players feel richer. And an added advantage is that more equipment means my NPCs are richer when they loot the party's bodies

 

[the Jester]

Well, a cohort isn't a pc. Believe me- most of the group I run has taken Leadership- giving them npc gear won't kill them.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

In principle, it should be NPC gear.

In practice, the math says the cohort will quickly approach PC wealth levels if he get half a share of wealth. He may be getting only half a share but he is two levels behind; measured by his level he does just fine.

 

[jgsugden]

I *STRONGLY* recommend against giving cohorts PC 'levels' of equipment.

A cohort is supposed to be weaker and less important than PCs. He is a minor character in the 'novel' of your game. He isn't supposed to make a difference.

A cohort fighter is supposed to stand by his PC wizard and guard him against attack. He is not supposed to be strong enough to stand on the front lines in every battle.

Sancho Panza was a type of cohort for Don Quixote. Aram is a cohort for Perrin (Wheel of Time).

There are no cohorts in the Star Wars movies: each character is important and plays an important role. There are no cohorts in the Lord of the Rings: each member of the Fellowship plays an important part at one time or another. Hutch was not Starsky's cohort. The Bear was not BJ's cohort. The Fat Man was not Jake's cohort. Vir wasn't even Londo's cohort (Babylon 5) because he was too central of a character.

Cohorts support. They do not lead or stand as equals. The feat is 'leadership', not 'second character'. The PC may actually need to help protect the cohort at times to keep it alive.

Giving the cohort PC levels of gear puts him close to even footing with other PCs. Instead of being a small character in the game, it becomes just another PC. 2 levels of experience is a difference in ability, but not nearly enough if the cohort has PC type equipment.

I've seen many cohorts done many ways. The ones that worked best were background characters that were hard to define without referencing the PC. The ones that worked worst were the heavily armed cohorts that were built to min-max the abilities of the PC instead of being built as fully fleshed out NPCs that happenned to follow the PC.

 

[Crothian]

How about just letting the PC give the cohort what he wants? I' might start the cohort out with NPC value of equipment but from then on it's just about what ever the party finds and decides to give him.

 

[rtricher]

How about just letting the PC give the cohort what he wants? I' might start the cohort out with NPC value of equipment but from then on it's just about what ever the party finds and decides to give him.

This was the way my DM handled things I controlled the cohort and was fully responsible for him I had to pay for his gear out of my share of the loot.. the difference of course was that the cohort got free Xp in the sense that he got half of whatever I got--that way no one else in the party suffered a penalty for having an extra guy around--.

So my philosohpy on this is.. if you're not comfortable with cohorts it is totally in your power to disallow them.. heck you can always get rid of them even if they've had them for a while. (although as a player that might be really frustrating)

IMC I'm not going to let anyone take leadership unless it's required for a PrC and even then I'll take control of the cohort and play him in his support style role.

Just my 2 cents