Leadership, UH, What is it good for?

[HeapThaumaturgist]

So the characters in the AoW game I'm in hit 15th level last night, and we've got a feat selection to make.

And I'm torn ...

At this point, most of the higher-level "interesting" melee feats have long lists of prereqs that my character, not being a Fighter, does not have ... I could pick up Great Cleave, but it seems to be generally of little use ... I'd love to pick up a feat like Knockback, but my character isn't a Goliath, just a very strong angry guy with a club ... sometimes I think some of the feat reqs are a little dumb that way.

And so I took a look at Leadership.

At this point, I'm mostly looking to Leadership to fill a very large gap in our party ... no Arcane casters whatsoever. The whole party is multiclassed Clerics. Two guys with 3 levels of Cleric, one full-caster Cleric/Contemplative, and my Barbarian1/Cleric14.

But that would be the sum total for picking up the feat ... a second PC, basically, to plug a hole that keeps biting us in the butt.

Is that what Leadership is for? There's no in-game role-playing REASON for an arcane caster to follow my character. He's a religious fanatic and follower of St. Cuthbert. In-game, he's in the process of rebuilding two churches ... so the lower-level followers would be great as folks for the church ... but where does this Sorcerer/Wizard/etc come from? It would make a lot more in-game sense for the Cohort to be a Cleric or a Paladin ... but we certainly don't need another CLERIC in the group.

So, the question is:

Is it cheesy to put together a cohort specifically to plug a hole in the party make-up? Any GMs that would get upset if a player took Leadership and, say, built a Cleric cohort even though there's no logical in-game reason for a Cleric to be following that PC around?

Anybody have a great idea for an arcane caster cohort that would follow THIS character around:

Picture "The Tick", as played by Patrick Warburton ... but with all the conceptions of Steven Colbert (if Steven Colbert really thought all the things he says on his show). My usual quote when the GM calls for any kind of Knowledge check is: "Everything I ever needed to know, I learned from St. Cuthbert."

Y'know ... "St. Cuthbert ... Great Deity or GREATEST Deity?"

--fje

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Absolutely nothing.

 

[SteelDraco]

Say it again.

 

[Psion]

Make him an Arcane Disciple or Mystic Theurge if it makes you feel better.

 

[drothgery]

Maybe St. Cuthbert-ify the Silver Pyromancer from Eberron/Five Nations ?

 

[grimwell]

I'd imagine that some arcane casters would follow St. Cuthbert because they actually put their faith in the Deity... you don't have to be a cleric to be 'classed' and in a particular faith. Perhaps this wizard is assigned to your cleric by the church to fill that gap deliberately? The church elders know you would do better with some help, and the results they reap (the two churches) are worth assigning you a wizard 'bodyguard' of sorts. ;p

 

[delericho]

Two reasons:

1) It plugs gaps in the party. This is an extremely useful feat if there are fewer than 4 PCs, or if no-one wants to play the Cleric.

2) It lets you bring in a second 'interesting' character who you otherwise wouldn't ever play. For example, you might be interested in trying out the Jester, but don't want to commit to it for a full campaign. Or perhaps you want to try a Cerebremancer but can't face the pain of the low-levels. Leadership lets you do that, without investing in the characters as your sole PC for the campaign.

Is that what Leadership is for? There's no in-game role-playing REASON for an arcane caster to follow my character. He's a religious fanatic and follower of St. Cuthbert. In-game, he's in the process of rebuilding two churches ... so the lower-level followers would be great as folks for the church ... but where does this Sorcerer/Wizard/etc come from?

He's a Wizard who has recently become convinced of the reality of sin in his life, and embraced the faith of St Cuthbert? As a new convert, he's full of zealotry and fire, and has sought out your character as the most recognisable agent of his deity in the region?

 

[Twowolves]

Say it again. HUNHH!!

Seriously, take the feat, make the arcane caster, and just don't roleplay the character as a "follower" How about "love interest"? Or "comedic foil"? Or your character's geeky younger brother that you have taken under your wing in order to teach him how to be a "real" man? The possibilities are endless, and great fun so long as you don't look at it like a "Pokeman-at-arms".

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Seriously, take the feat, make the arcane caster, and just don't roleplay the character as a "follower" How about "love interest"? Or "comedic foil"? Or your character's geeky younger brother that you have taken under your wing in order to teach him how to be a "real" man? The possibilities are endless, and great fun so long as you don't look at it like a "Pokeman-at-arms".

Coach?

Obsessed critic? I like this one best ... "Hey, spell-leech, I don't believe in St Cuthbert, but I can still throw fireballs! I don't need no steenkeng god to give me power ... I AM the power!"

 

[Stormborn]

How about a celestial blooded sorcerer who serves, or is even directly descended from, Cuthbert?
How about a fiendish blooded sorcerer who has had his alignment changed magically and is given to you to "watch after"?
How about a warmage disciple of Cuthbert who uses magic rather than the sword to punish the wicked?
It wont really make up for your loss of an arcane caster (w/o a PrC that gives better spell progression) but how about a Bard who chooses to compose an epic tale about you for the glory of Cuthbert?

Basically there is almost always an in game reson to do almost anything if you just look hard enough. Leadership has its uses, not neccesarilly just to fill holes in the party. Most often in my games it is taken for "story" reasons, and contrary to some of the above posts I think it can be quite useful in game for a variety of reasons.