Help please - Cohorts: Leadership, Hired, Bought

[Sylrae]

Okay. so we started a campaign
My player is playing an escaped slave. He wanted to have escaped with 2 other slaves, and they stole an elephant from their captors. I had him pay the cost for a specialist slave (lv1 bard) for both of them, and he paid the cost for the elephant (from the Adventurer's armory).
It seemed a bit strange that you can afford an elephant with level 3 wealth per level if the elephant is a CR 7 monster, but I allowed it. He asked how much it would cost to give it the same combat training as a horse. (We looked at the priced things and extrapolated it as 1.5 x cost).
Issue 1. He wants to take leadership later and asked if these things would count against his leadership. I originally said no (he paid for them already, why punish him for it later), but then he pointed out to me that familiars and animal companions count against it (which also doesn't quite sound fair to me). Do purchased animals and slaves and whatnot count against leadership? Why do familiars and animal companions count against it? that seems like youre penalizing that class (from all appearances, unfairly as well)...
Issue 2. Buying other beasts: After the elephant, players are asking about buying other things. Things I don't have prices for. What do I charge a player for a (insert animal not listed in the armory here). what if they want something more exotic (Say, a reefclaw, or a giant eagle, or a griffon). I'm not inclined to say no, my game is a sandbox type game. I wont just drop it in their laps, but if they want to hunt down some eccentric mages to buy exotic mounts, I wouldn't mind working it in, but I've got no idea how I should price them. (though I know to charge 1.5x price for combat training to be included. )
Issue 3. This one is preemptive, but given the other issues popping up, I'm sure it's just a matter of time: what sort of thing should I give for the price if they try to buy exotic slaves (minotaurs, as an example) or try to hire monstrous mercenaries? If they're bought or hired, should they count against leadership?
Looking for input and advice. if someone has formulae to get a ballpark number even better.
tl;dr:
1.1 - Do purchased animals count against leadership?
1.2 - Why do familiars count against leadership?
2 - Advice or a formula to calculate the market price for exotic animals or magical beasts not in the armory?
3.1 - Prices for monstrous slaves?
3.2 - Prices to hire monsters?
3.3 - Should they count against leadership?

 

[jefgorbach]

I dont recall anything specific in RAW.

In my opinion, UNPAID Sentient creatures count vs leadership because you are asking them to VOLUNTARILY follow you. I agree with RAW that familiars and special mounts should count because they are Intelligent (and thus should qualify for Classes with the -2 level cap). However animal companions are not, so should not.

Conversely animals and slaves are REQUIRED to follow you so don’t count.
Likewise Hirelings are paid, not led so don’t count.

Generally base market value is approx 1gp = 1xp; adjust for training/exotic, etc.

 

[Mojo_Rat]

familiars animal companions and bonded mounts count against cohorts. I don't know why. the cost of some exotic mounts is listed in their entry. if itscan intelligent there is usually noncost if its willing to serve.

 

[Kaisoku]

tl;dr:
1.1 - Do purchased animals count against leadership?
1.2 - Why do familiars count against leadership?
2 - Advice or a formula to calculate the market price for exotic animals or magical beasts not in the armory?
3.1 - Prices for monstrous slaves?
3.2 - Prices to hire monsters?
3.3 - Should they count against leadership?

Answer to #1 - Only the things that count against leadership will count. Leadership is about using your Charisma to make people want to be with you and follow your orders. If you are paying them, then you don't need Charisma, so purchased creatures or hired help (of any kind) won't count.
Familiars and Animal Companions need your attention, so if you have to divide your attention towards something else, your attention you can give to your cohort is lessened.
Think of it as Orco and Cringer vying for He-Man's attention.

Answer to #2 - I'd probably start with an animal that's similar in the books that does have a price, and then increase or lower it depending on the effectiveness (CR) and rarity of the creature.
This is literally going to be an "eye-ball it on a case by case basis" situation, so I don't think I have a clear cut answer for you.

Answer to #3 - If you are spending money to get the person, then they are there for the money, not for your Charisma and Leadership, and if the money runs dry they will leave. They also have the potential to be backstabbers, or plants from enemies... so ultimately, no.. they shouldn't count against Leadership.
Regarding the pricing... I think it'd have to be similar to #2, although as a thinking creature, pricing their effectiveness in battle might be hard to do on a straight monetary scale.

As my friend suggested when we talked about this before, anything getting to be that powerful (enough to be as strong as a playable character), and intelligent, will likely work better as having a stake in the shares of any treasure found to keep them there.

 

[Friend of the Dork]

The companion/familar Leadship penalty is a matter of balance rather than any in-game consequence.

I play in a campaign where most of the other PCs have animal companions. These gain HDs and buffs depending on the PC level and thus become comparatively powerful to PCs, in addition to giving the player essentally more actions per round compared to others (well, me).

Now I've gotten Leadship myself party to compensate (the others also got it at the cost of a single feat), so I understand very well that if they also get leadership (gaining essentially ANOTHER action every round) they should have to pay something for it, and that is the -2 penalty. It essentially means they get fewer followers, and can discourage them from taking it in the first place.

We all have animals tho (horses) which are possessions, and since these have no special powers and dies easily, as well as act on out initativem, they don't affect leadership score.