Leadership - ECL >1 Followers

[Drowbane]

Yes, but that just doesn't make sense to me. { shrug } Why would a bunch of humans want to go follow me into my swampy, submerged, leech infested lair?

Cause you're a charismatic lizard with teh Leadership feat?

 

[Archade]

Another solution would be to trade in the lower-level guys somehow.

So, instead of 30 1st level, 3 2nd level, 1 3rd, and 1 4th level followers, you could figure out an equitable number of minimum ECL 3 critters.

I'm shooting from the hip here, but I'd say 30 1st level creatures might be the equivalent of 15 2nd level or 7 3rd level critters, so I'd give the lizard man 9 3rd level and 1 4th level followers.

How's that?

 

[Kelleris]

I've been bouncing back and forth on this for several years. Yes, that works fine for a Lizardman, whose CR is only double that of a normal person. But what about Thrym, King of the Frost Giants? Even a maxed out Leadership score gives him like 2 commoners as followers! Less if you use the LA adjustor and their HD.

Giving them commoners/warriors/experts of their species is equally fraught with danger since Thrym would have 135 "common" frost giants, 13 with 1 NPC level, 7 with 2 NPC levels, 4 with 3 NPC levels, and 2 each who have 4 and 5 NPC levels.

I lean towards the latter simply because it is more realistic but am hesitant to see how PCs might abuse it.

You could try not counting his racial ECL as part of his Leadership score in exchange for also not counting his followers' equal or lesser racial ECL as part of their effective level for leadership purposes. That sounds reasonably balanced to me.