Leadership - DM's how do you handle Cohorts and Followers?

[Bagpuss]

How do I handle cohort and followers? Easy. I removed the Leadership feat from my game. All NPC henchmen are under my control, but on the plus side, players don't need to spend resources on them (just money and role-playing).

...and XP, the main advantage of followers and cohorts is they don't suck XP.

And what's money if it isn't a resource, considering how important money is in 3rd Ed for equipping magic items that's a pretty precious resource.

If anything you spend more resources on henchmen than you do on followers and cohorts, since they need a set wage, equipping and they take XP.

 

[Dragon Snack]

Out of curiosity, how do you most of you DM's handle stats for non-humanoid cohorts? Do you take the stats as listed in the MM, or do you 'roll' as normal and then adjust from the standard racial norm?

Normally (point buy in our case) then adjust, just as if the monster was a PC.

 

[Mallus]

...and XP, the main advantage of followers and cohorts is they don't suck XP.

Followers and cohorts don't "cost XP" in my game. I tailor virtually every major encounter based on the number of characters (including NPC's) present, so the XP remains fixed.

Besides, I don't calculate XP, I just dole it out from time to time.

And what's money if it isn't a resource, considering how important money is in 3rd Ed for equipping magic items that's a pretty precious resource.

I should have said 'metagame resource'. PC's always have more gold than Feats. Besides, I've never seen a game where the character's didn't get filthy rich, quick.

If anything you spend more resources on henchmen than you do on followers and cohorts, since they need a set wage, equipping and they take XP.

Depends how you run the game. For instance, my game's "cohorts" are more like "friends" and "allies", rather than purchased military assets. That means they usually pay their own way...

 

[beepeearr]

Funny, I have one player that almost always takes leadership, and neither of us realized that they changed what classes followers could take in 3.5. They used to be restricted to NPC classes only in 3.0.

 

[Agamon]

If a) the DM creates the cohort and b) the DM controls the cohort, how is Leadership a feat? As a player, I know I wouldn't take a feat that just lets the DM have a PC....

I have no problem with DMs making up rules for Leadership, it is in the DMG and needs to be allowed by the DM before the player can take it. But if the DM completely controls the cohort, what's the point?

No ones ever had it in my games (a couple players have asked, but my groups are far too large for cohorts), but if they did, I'd let the player design it (though I'd have final say on the build, as I do for PCs) and I'd let the player run the cohort in combat and I'd speak for him as an NPC.

I'm planning on taking a cohort in the game I play (and the DM has already approved) and I hope he wants to do it this way. Guess I'd better ask.

 

[Tonguez]

Funny, I have one player that almost always takes leadership, and neither of us realized that they changed what classes followers could take in 3.5. They used to be restricted to NPC classes only in 3.0.

heh I didn't realise either and Leadership is one of my favourite feats. personally I like the 3.0 rule

 

[DonTadow]

I have a few of questions so I thought I'd organise them formally.

Section One - Cohorts

1. Do you let the player design them fully, partly or do you do them completely yourself?

2. How do you assign attributes, random rolls (what system), elite array, standard array, other?

3. What classes can they have PC classes, or only NPC classes or even Prestige Classes?

4. In play who controls them, you or the player, or some combination?

Section Two - Followers

Same questions but now about followers.

I allow my pcs to have them without the feat using the influence system from Second world.
1. They are designed b yme
2. Most are built through npc designer software
3. depends on what they are looking for and how well they've looked
4. they can order the npc around, but they can't control them,

 

[Sigdel]

My 13th lvl warlock has a 10th lvl cohort created by me. When I took the leadership feat I asked my DM if it's ok if I create him and I was told it's ok. So I made a swashbuckler 5/war shaper 5 changeling as my cohort. With a str and con of 18, fast healing 2, and 5 attacks a round I think my DM regrets it at times. A quick rundown of his attacks:
claw +11/claw +11/bite +9/gore+9 /tail +9.
damage: 1d4+7/1d4+7/1d4+5/1d6+5/1d6+5.

I use the followers to fill out the ranks of my order.

 

[DonTadow]

My 13th lvl warlock has a 10th lvl cohort created by me. When I took the leadership feat I asked my DM if it's ok if I create him and I was told it's ok. So I made a swashbuckler 5/war shaper 5 changeling as my cohort. With a str and con of 18, fast healing 2, and 5 attacks a round I think my DM regrets it at times. A quick rundown of his attacks:
claw +11/claw +11/bite +9/gore+9 /tail +9.
damage: 1d4+7/1d4+7/1d4+5/1d6+5/1d6+5.

I use the followers to fill out the ranks of my order.

Reason why pcs should not design their own cohorts

 

[Sigdel]

Reason why pcs should not design their own cohorts

I did warn him. The idea for this guy was rattleing around in my head for the better part of a year as a possible PC. See, ever since I DM'ed X-crawl I got ussed to the thought of looking to your next PC incase this one dies. And since session one of this campaign I have been thinking just that. Leadership allowed me to test run this guy incase soemthing happens to my main PC. And he went under 6 overhauls before I thought he was finished. He made an excelent showing his first day out.