Leadership Question

[BloodyAx]

When a character has the Leadership feat, their leadership score goes down when they cause the death of a follower or cohort. Does this mean that whenever a follower or cohort dies, their score goes down, even if it was the follower/cohort that chose to come on the adventure and fight? Or is it only if the PC sends the follower/cohort to do something particularly dangerous which causes the death that lowers the score?

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Much of that is the DMs call, really.

The DMG p. 106 specifically says that the leaders "Caused the death of a cohort." So, if the leader orders the cohort to stay behind and block the path of the red dragon, then yeppers, leadership score goes down. But IMO, if the cohort is just adventuring along with the rest of the party and all of a sudden is hit with a poison trap or something like that and dies, the leader is not at fault. There are certain risks assumed when following a leader who habitually puts his/her life in danger. Death is one of those risks. I always rule that even deaths in combat that were not caused by a specific action/command of the leader does not count. Deaths during situations where the leader specifically places the cohort in harms way definately hurts the score.

 

[Psionicist]

I think you answered your own question.

their leadership score goes down when they cause the death of a follower or

That is, if the follower died because of your fault (Hey follower come here; Isn't that dangerous?; Nah; *splat*) the score goes down. But if it dies because of his own actions, say he fell down a hole in a dungeon because he was not careful enough, the score is not changed.

I would however adjust it temporarly, even if a follower died by accident the other followers will know what they do can be dangerous.