Followers can now be of any class?

[Kai Lord]

In 3.0, followers attracted by the Leadership feat all had to be NPC classes such as commoners and warriors. So far I haven't seen any such stipulation in 3.5. Are PC classes now eligible as followers? And can they also be LA+ creatures?

 

[Maethras]

In 3.0, followers attracted by the Leadership feat all had to be NPC classes such as commoners and warriors. So far I haven't seen any such stipulation in 3.5. Are PC classes now eligible as followers? And can they also be LA+ creatures?

In 3.0, they were restricted to Experts, Commoners, and Warriors (I've seen a bunch of people try to throw Aristocrats and Adepts in there, but that's not *actually* the rule.. though I wouldn't care if someone allowed it)

As for 3.5...

thesage says, "Followers are 1st level (soemtimes 2nd levelor higher depending on your level). I dojn;t ythink (and I sure can;lt find) anything that suggest folowes have to be form NPC classes. Here's a case, however, where you have to use the NPC's ECL (actaula level plus level adjustment). /ga

Cut/paste from a note I made during a Wizards chat with Skip Williams, in response to my asking of the very same question. I won't bother correcting all of his typos.

Hope that helps.

 

[Celtavian]

re

I was wondering this myself. It seems followers are no longer limited to NPC classse. A nice change IMO.

 

[Felix]

I was reading something about this just last night, although I misremember what I was reading. I think it was the Leadership section of the ELH.

At any rate, if you have a follower of an advanced NPC class (aristo & adept) they count as a follower of one level higher. If you have a follower with PC levels, they count as a follower 3 levels higher. If you have a follower with PrC levels, they count as a follower of 5 levels higher.

So...
3rd level adept --> 4th level follower
3rd level fighter --> 6th level follower
5th level wizard/ 1st level PrC--> 11th level follower

All that is bracketed by IIRC, and sorry bout the lack of page reference.

 

[Spatzimaus]

IIRC, the 3E DMG never said Commoner/Warrior/Expert, it was the ELH (and FAQ?) that added that limitation. 3.5E doesn't really change the DMG wording from 3E, so I'd say if you used the ELH rule before, it'd still apply now.

 

[Kai Lord]

IIRC, the 3E DMG never said Commoner/Warrior/Expert, it was the ELH (and FAQ?) that added that limitation. 3.5E doesn't really change the DMG wording from 3E, so I'd say if you used the ELH rule before, it'd still apply now.

No, the wording is definitely different in the 3.5 DMG. I specifically remember the 3.0 rule being that followers gained through Leadership had to be NPC classes. The question is whether or not they shuffled the stipulation to another part of the book, which it looks like they haven't.

So the limitation is gone. 100 1st level Barbarians is a whole lot different than 100 1st level Commoners...I'm surprised there's been no discussion whatsoever on this topic. Quite the change.

 

[Stalker0]

No, the wording is definitely different in the 3.5 DMG. I specifically remember the 3.0 rule being that followers gained through Leadership had to be NPC classes. The question is whether or not they shuffled the stipulation to another part of the book, which it looks like they haven't.

So the limitation is gone. 100 1st level Barbarians is a whole lot different than 100 1st level Commoners...I'm surprised there's been no discussion whatsoever on this topic. Quite the change.

I agree, heck an army of 1st and 2nd level clerics and wizards... and holy crap you've got yourself a powerful little army there.

"Alright, the tyrannosaurs comes charging at the peasants."

"Alright, my 25 wizard followers all cast magic missile. That's 25d4 + 25, does that kill him?"

"Nope, he's still going"

Okay, they do it again

Obviously an exageration, but damn followers are not just junk anymore.

 

[Kai Lord]

I agree, heck an army of 1st and 2nd level clerics and wizards... and holy crap you've got yourself a powerful little army there.

Totally. Or 50 to 60 1st level rogues and you've got a nice little guild. You can actually use the feat to set up cool organizations now instead of having a nice cohort and a hundred groupies that tend to your mansion while you're away.

 

[Felix]

50 or 60 1st level experts is nothing to laugh at; I would say Enron got pretty far as an Evil Empire with a bunch of experts.

Really, 10 experts for your research team, 10 as your PR corps, 15 as your trouble shooters, 10 to make your masterwork items that you then have enchanted, and the rest to, well yeah, tend your mansion. And when you get higher level followers, you can have the aristocrats help you out in court, and the adepts scribe you scrolls! Bla-DOW!

(not that PC classes wouldn't be more powerful, just saying experts are as cool as the other side of the pillow.)