How do you introduce a Cohort? [Leadership Feat]

[RJSmalls]

I'm curious, my chupacabras, as to how you handle the introduction of a Cohort should one of your players select the Leadership feat.

Specifically:

1) Do you allow the PC to "build" the Cohort? (That is, do you allow him to select his Cohort's class, race, origin, feats, skills, spells, etc.).

2) Do you allow the PC to make up a background for the Cohort?

3) Do you have the PC go hunting for the Cohort, or do you have the Cohort arrive once the feat has been selected and the in-game situation allows it?

4) How loyal is the Cohort? Is the Cohort, in effect, a second character for the same player? Or perhaps might a Cohort be treated as a (fanatically loyal) familiar or animal companion? Or, maybe the Cohort is his own person, but just happens to really respect the PC at the present time.

Question #1 is probably the most important, but I'm interested in any thoughts you cats may have on any of the above.

Thanks!

RJ

 

[HellHound]

We have two characters with Leadership.

One has it via "The Goblin King's Ring" - a magic item that allows him to cast the equivalent of animal friendship on goblins (but he doesn't cast it, it just happens when the goblins see the ring), but usign the Leadership feat table to determine how much of what he can get. Plus goblins just seem to flock to him when he sets up a base (his followers).

But the REAL Goblin Kings want the ring, of course... so they send out assassins. These assassins are too high-level to be affected as followers, but every now and then one fails a save when they first encounter our young halfling, and they become his cohorts.

(more later)

 

[Greatwyrm]

1. I'd let the PC build the Cohort, but the DM still gets veto power. After all, the PC is paying for the Cohort with a feat slot. The player should have a strong say in the Cohort's generation.

2. Sure.

3. Plenty of ways to go with this. The PC may go hunting for the Cohort, having heard of his reputation (I like this one the least, seems backward). Better to have the Cohort seek out the PC, looking for fame and glory or wishing to enlist for his cause. Failing all that, there's always the old "Thanks for rescuing me from that Orcish Sous Chef. Can I follow you around and help kill stuff?"

4. For the most part, a Cohort should be very loyal to the PC. Not necessarily to the point of self-sacrifice in a you-or-me situation, but a Cohort certainly shouldn't abandon a PC during a tough fight.

 

[simmo]

1) Yes, within reason. I'll ask the players to give me some information about the type of cohort that they would like to have and then go away and create something along those lines which will fit well in to the campaign.

2) In general No. I'll ask the characters for ideas about the cohorts' background, but I'll most likely make up most of it. The main reason for this is that the cohort does not end up being a 'second PC' for the player. The background IMO plays a large part in forming the motivation of the cohort and I see the cohort as an NPC with a 'high initial loyalty rating'. Using the players ideas to help to create the background of the cohort can provide a lot of plot hooks for later adventures.

3) Gaining a cohort can be a great role-playing opportunity. But if the player shows no interest in going through this, then I'll probably have the cohort show up and say: "Hi my name is Sir Halvest, Kight of the Green Crescent. I woke up this morning with a vision of you in my mind. So here I am."

4) Initially very loyal. I'm not a fan of familiars, special steeds etc being second PCs for the players or unthinking extensions of the character. Your last line: "maybe the Cohort is his own person, but just happens to really respect the PC at the present time" is the closest to my style of DMing.

Thanks,

Simmo

 

[Sagan Darkside]

1) Do you allow the PC to "build" the Cohort? (That is, do you allow him to select his Cohort's class, race, origin, feats, skills, spells, etc.).

It depends on the player/pc. If they know who they want as a follower, it is reasonable, and the stats are not already written- then I will let them have fun.

If one of those criteria is not met, then I will work with them to find something that works with their character.

3) Do you have the PC go hunting for the Cohort, or do you have the Cohort arrive once the feat has been selected and the in-game situation allows it?

Same as above- if the npc is already known, then they just hang around a lot more.

If not, then they will show up under some pretense/purpose.

4) How loyal is the Cohort? Is the Cohort, in effect, a second character for the same player?

The loyalty depends on the treatment of the pc and whatever cruel story I come up with. The only time the pc controls the conhort is in battles- otherwise, they are a npc. But I, as the dm, have veto on stupic combat actions.

SD

 

[The Sigil]

1) Do you allow the PC to "build" the Cohort? (That is, do you allow him to select his Cohort's class, race, origin, feats, skills, spells, etc.).

I have had one PC take the Leadership Feat. I built the cohort for him. That probably had as much to do with the campaign style (they were itinerant wandering adventurers who hadn't stayed in a single place long enough to make ties and didn't travel with henchmen, so it made no sense for the PC to have someone "familiar" to him suddenly step up into cohort-ship).

They had interacted a few times with the local ferryman and his "pet bear." They had also interacted with a fairly powerful druid who roamed the area. The PC who took the Leadership Feat was a ranger who always wanted to ride a bear instead of a horse. My plot arc called for the death of the ferryman anyway.

Solution: The PC's cohort was the bear, who had been the target of an Awaken spell cast by the druid when the druid (who was also friends with the ferryman) found out the ferryman had been killed by a roving band of goblinoids. The player loved it, because the bear was already an established minor character and because there could be some emotional ties (avenging the ferryman) as they tracked the goblinoids. (FWIW, the ferryman's body had been dumped in the river when he was killed, so a raise dead spell was not a viable option - and the PCs didn't have access to greater resuscitory (sp?) magic.)

On general principles, I think it's better for storyline to "promote" a minor NPC to cohort status than to simply have the cohort "show up unannounced." Better literary convention, you know. ;-)

2) Do you allow the PC to make up a background for the Cohort?

See above. Hopefully the cohort is already somewhat introduced with a background - as a minor NPC - by the time the character takes the Leadership Feat.

For this reason, I usually try to introduce one or two minor NPCs at each geographical location the PCs visit that are relatively free of "in-character" reasons to stay where they're at. That way, when one of the PCs picks the Leadership Feat, he finds a familiar face that is willing and able to leave what he is doing to join the PC. I "flesh out" the cohorts stats to "PC-level" instead of "necessary stuff to run the NPC and nothing else" at that time.

3) Do you have the PC go hunting for the Cohort, or do you have the Cohort arrive once the feat has been selected and the in-game situation allows it?

The cohort arrives once the Feat has been selected and the in-game situation allows it. Again, this is a good argument for using a minor NPC whom the PCs are familiar with as a cohort... it feels a little more natural when the PCs "pick them up."

4) How loyal is the Cohort? Is the Cohort, in effect, a second character for the same player? Or perhaps might a Cohort be treated as a (fanatically loyal) familiar or animal companion? Or, maybe the Cohort is his own person, but just happens to really respect the PC at the present time.

The cohort happens to really respect the PC. I usually allow the cohort to be played as a second character... but I make it clear that if the PC abuses the cohort, it will diminish the cohort's loyalty and as a consequence, I will reclaim control of the cohort. Never had a problem with this though - the PC in question probably treated the cohort better than he treated his own PC.

--The Sigil

 

[Arnwyn]

"Sometimes" to all of the above. It depends on the situation and current campaign circumstances. It's been different every time (and I made that quite clear to the players). Generally, all the normal character generation rules apply (so they're all on even ground), but *how* they are made and who makes 'em is different.

I've had it when a character found the PC because of fame. I've had it that a player made the cohort's background because he wanted to adventure with his sister (part of his original background). I've had them stumble across prisoners and rescue them. Etc.

Loyalty varies as well. Normally, I assume "very loyal" and let the PC run the cohort. Actions may change these circumstances, though. The cohort is *still* his/her own person, and may even get into trouble sometimes (nothing terrible - don't want to penalize a PC who took the Leadership feat - but something that leads to adventure), and won't do anything that could even be considered as possibly suicidal. They're never *that* loyal!

 

[TeeSeeJay]

Wow, all these replies, yet no one has taken offense at being called a goat-sucker.

I'm curious, my chupacabras,

I'm reworkng the leadership feat for my game to include a "mentor" system for cohorts.

I think the cohort should be DM-designed -- or randomly generated -- but the "mentor" system allows the PC to guide the cohort's abilities going forward. A mechanics way for the cohort to gain a level and have the PC say, "I think you should take a level of rogue, now, and assign your skill points thusly..."

 

[Indigo7]

[1) Do you allow the PC to "build" the Cohort? (That is, do you allow him to select his Cohort's class, race, origin, feats, skills, spells, etc.).

No, although the PC will have some natural influence over the direction of the cohort's progression.

2) Do you allow the PC to make up a background for the Cohort?

No. Cohorts are NPCs.

3) Do you have the PC go hunting for the Cohort, or do you have the Cohort arrive once the feat has been selected and the in-game situation allows it?

This depends on circumstances, and the context. Outlaws, pirates, and landed nobility tend to seek specialists.

4) How loyal is the Cohort? Is the Cohort, in effect, a second character for the same player? Or perhaps might a Cohort be treated as a (fanatically loyal) familiar or animal companion? Or, maybe the Cohort is his own person, but just happens to really respect the PC at the present time.

Cohorts (and familars, special mounts and animal companions) are always played by someone other than the PC who has the companion. This fosters role-playing, and gives the sense that the player must put some effort into retaining their followers.

Hope this helps!

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I allow the player to create the Cohort, within the confines of the feat - subject to my approval, although I don't have to worry too much about my players trying to pull fast ones on me. If the player preferred, I'd create the Cohort.

For background, I will ask if they'd prefer I do it, or if they have ideas. It's a give and take. In my campaign, there are two Cohorts - both created by the player, one's background was created by the player, the other was created by me. In both cases that's what the player wanted.

Whether the Cohort shows up right away depends on the background. Again, in my campaign, we've done it both ways. One Cohort was tied into the PC's background as an old friend; the other was met during the course of an adventure.

The Cohort is very loyal to start, and if abused would leave. Of course, Cohorts can be replaced, and I wouldn't penalize the PC for driving them off - at least not to start. Word might get around after a while though.