How Do You Use Cohorts?

[Nonlethal Force]

Second, the cohort is not run by the player that has the feat. Another player who agrees to take up the duty runs the cohort. Your cohort is a seperate person from the PC. They are an individual unto themselves that one has to deal and interact with as normal. Their loyalty is to you, but the two do not share a single mind. Having someone else run the cohort ensures that any One-Person-In-Two-Bodies issues are avoided.

As a DM, I would find this option very much acceptable so long as the 2nd character could handle RPing 2 characters well. It doesn't fit too well into the poll, though. I am glad you voiced this position here.


As to the Occult Slayer thing - remember, I wasn't accusing, just checking the ingame rationale! I thought it sounded like a good in-game idea provided there was more thinking behind it besides "player wants a thug." Sure not all Occult Slayers hate all Arcanists. But I'm sure there would have been some initial "faith-bonding" excerises that would have been fun to RP out ...

 

[Nifft]

The players take turns playing the cohorts, pets, and various underlings. (The PCs also have a couple of wyrmling dragons that occasionally accompany them, and one of the PCs is an officer in the army, so for some missions he gets a squad of special ops guys.)

Basically, whoever has the least to do takes on some extra "little dudes".

One casual gamer has been playing that particular cohort on the occasions that he's around.

-- N