How do you handle the Leadership feat?

[Numenorean]

I do like your idea on how you use it, as more of a role-playing thing. That has value too. Leadership means the character in question demonstrates leadership qualities, this can have a big influence on interactions with NPCS right?

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Imc

The player in my game who took the Leadership feat gained the service of a pixie cohort (whose been gaining levels normally). It is another NPC of the party, one that I control/roleplay myself. To me, the cohort is a character who for one reason or another believes in the same values as their corresponding PC and looks up to them, is a trusty sidekick, etc.

Her followers, on the other hand, are all basic NPC class characters who all stay behind at her home town (as in, the one she built but it doesn't have to be this way) and generally live normal lives. They all know her, though she doesn't know all of them since we're talking about hundreds of followers, and they all follow her ideology as well.

When ever she is home, we usually just say she can find any NPC service that she needs from at least one of her followers (within reason of course) and let it rest at that.

Works well for us, but YMMV

J from Three Haligonians

 

[RandomPrecision]

I'd just say, if you have a Leadership score of 6, make an ECL 4 character for a cohort. If it's a 4th level dwarf barbarian, a 3rd level tiefling rogue, or anything with four effective levels, that's groovy.

Leadership is actually quite nice for small games. I've been in a campaign occasionally lately, and we three members of the party. If we all attract cohorts, we move up to six, although half of the party are cohorts, of course, but the numbers would really make a difference. We don't have any fighting-types, so if we all get fighter cohorts as soon as possible, we can have quite the meat-shield.

 

[Gez]

I use the given levels for cohort and followers as ECL. If you want goblinoid followers, your 2nd level followers can be goblins with two NPC class levels, or hobgoblins with one.

If your leadership score is 20, you can have 50 goblin warriors (ECL 1), 5 hobgoblin warriors (ECL 2), 3 second-level hobgoblin warriors (ECL 3), two "classless" bugbears (ECL 4), and one bugbear warrior (ECL 5), for example.

 

[Ballard_Alvar]

The only reason a DM ever let me take the Leadership feat was because I was a Warforged Juggernaught with a cha of 6 and could not repair myslef. I have a wargorged scout psion 5 with psionic repair damage. he let me use default array, and allocate class/feats etc. but that is supposed to be DM's job. good thing he was a warforged, i kept forgetting about him- he would have starved.

 

[irdeggman]

It depends on whether or not you are using the 3.0 or 3.5 rules. The original poster seems to be using the 3.0 rules (from subsequent posts). We've really got to start specifiying which ruleset is being used, changes the answers drastically.

In 3.0 followers had to be NPC classes (warriors, experts or commoners) this restriction is not included in the 3.5 rules.

After much discussion (on these boards and via customer serv replies from WotC (neverdid get a reply from Sage Advice (either Skip or Andy ; ( )) a character is limited to one cohort at a time (the text in the DMG leads one to a different interpretation IMO though, but the answers have been consistent (i.e., not just to me bu to other people) on this subject from WotC though).

Appropriate levels are given in the table in the DMG. Using the NPC tables from the DMG it is just as easy to calculate appropriate followers/cohorts as it is for any other NPC(s) in the game.

What I do:

Cohorts - have the players give me a list of "qualities" desired. The more specific the harder it will be to find an exact match. I then give him a choice of 1 to 3 (depends on how long he is waiting) to choose from, if he declines all of these then he has to waiit until some opther "applicants" show up. The longer he waits the closer he gets to his "ideal". I don't tellhim eht specifics until he has made his choice, then I give him the character sheet for his new cohort and he runs it (I role-play the cohort though, I really don't like players have in character conversations with themselves it is just sort of weird and keeps the others players from being part of the game). 3.5 has fairly detailed rules on how to handle ECL and even special cohorts (pg 199+).

Followers - I make each batch received identical in all aspects (they don't recieve exp anyway so they stay pretty much static and mostly expendable).


As far as having difficulty with cohorts/followers - well it is really not much different than the 2nd ed rules for henchmen/followers after all is it? Only a bit more detailed in how to handle it.

Leadership can be a significant aspect of a game. It all depends on the setting being used, in a generic hack and slash game it is merely additional firepower (and IMO this is not the ideal place to use the feat/concept). In a game with rulers (kingdoms) and more nobility it can be an extremely important aspect to the game and could enhance the setting quite a bit.

For example in the Birthright setting (check out the d20 rules at Birthright.net) rulership is extremely important. Hence we inserted a lot more into the leadership score concept to reflect this.

 

[kanithardm]

I like the idea of followers with PC class levels. I mean if a cleric is settling down as the High Priest of his newly built church, then it is inhabited by his followers. So what, is he the only cleric in there or can he have some cleric followers.

 

[lonesoldier]

For followers I usually say the level 1s are NPC classes (Warriors, Adepts, Experts and Commoners) while anyone above that level has PC classes. Realize though, followers are not going to do much in battle. I had a 20th level character, that formed up her followers into two companies and had the cohort lead one, and she led the other. In large scale battles, (it was with a hobgoblin army) they are okay, but if you are trying to attack the lich's tomb, the 400 level 1s don't do much.

 

[Darth Malakh]

I like the idea of followers with PC class levels. I mean if a cleric is settling down as the High Priest of his newly built church, then it is inhabited by his followers. So what, is he the only cleric in there or can he have some cleric followers.

Now that's a fellow-kossuthian's words! Malakh-himself (Favored Soul) is going to do exactly that in a luvly little town known to some as Cauldron. We're playing that "Dungeon"-Campaign (as mostly LE Zhentarim-sent moles plotting to quietly seize control the city) and I'm planning to instill a little faith in the desperate lower-classes of town, while the Temple of Helm believes we're adventurous do-gooders.

I've always wanted to run my own little cult

Malakh

 

[Mistwell]

Actually Monte Cook, who wrote the feat originally, says you can take it more than one time, and gain another cohort each time you take the feat. In fact, in his primary game, he says it's actually quite popular for his players (all game designers themselves I believe) to take the feat more than once.