Letting a cohort take the lead....

[Kahuna Burger]

I've been thinking about a possible new character in my STAP game (my character's recklessness is gonna catch up with her eventually) and due to the small size of the group, leadership is looking like a good choice, esp since my current character idea would leave the group without some important functionalities my current character provides... like healing and buffing.

Thinking about it though, I find it hard to think of the character I have in mind as having a faithful companion that follows her into the unknown - on the other hand I find it quite easy to think of her as being a faithful companion that follows someone else into the unknown.

Which got me thinking about how much folks feel the PC - cohort relationship in RP terms needs to follow the mechanical description in the feat. If the PC and cohort would be entering the game as a matched set (thus no need to explain who attracted who as a follower) could you have a cohort who really was the driving force behind the duo? A PC who was the loyal bodyguard of his royal cohort?

Some DMs may handle leadership and cohorts in a way that makes the issue moot. This question assumes cohorts largely designed and played by the player.

 

[Zurai]

A PC who was the loyal bodyguard of his royal cohort?

This is exactly what I'm playing in a game currently. My character is the de-facto protector of a princess in exile; mechanically, the princess is my character's cohort. In gameplay, she more or less calls the shots. Owen won't let Anna'rolla walk all over him - he's twice her age, after all, and considers it his duty to raise her right as well as to protect her - but if push comes to shove, he bows to her authority, not the other way around.

It works mainly because the DM truly treats the two characters seperately. I have to decide how BOTH characters would react to each situation, and then how Owen would react to Anna'rolla's reaction. It's a lot more difficult than having the player character be the royal person and the cohort be the bodyguard, although I'm not sure I can adequately explain how so.

 

[Piratecat]

Mutants & Masterminds does a great job pointing out that it doesn't really matter which is the cohort and which is the PC. If they come as a matched set, the result is largely indistinguishable.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Interesting, the two responses so far have been quite different than the one's I've gotten bringing the idea up in casual conversation....

 

[Nifft]

I find it mildly unintuitive, but mechanically sound.

Only troublesome question is what happens if "cohort" dies?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Drowbane]

I find it mildly unintuitive, but mechanically sound.

Only troublesome question is what happens if "cohort" dies?

Cheers, -- N

Same as if a cohort dies normally. Or perhaps the "master" retires from adventuring. Depends on what the Player and DM are both cool with.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Same as if a cohort dies normally. Or perhaps the "master" retires from adventuring. Depends on what the Player and DM are both cool with.

Hopefully by that time the PC would be sufficiently integrated in the party to want to continue with them. In terms of replacing a cohort, it would probably require some consultation with the DM and make the new cohort introduction more narrative than the PC actually looking for a new one.

 

[Stalker0]

It makes perfect sense ESPECIALLY if the cohort has a high charisma score like a paladin, sorc, or bard.

 

[Remus Lupin]

We've got a Druid/Sorcerer combo in our group, and if you pressed me, I couldn't tell you which was the players PC and which was the Cohort. They came as a matched set, and seem to contribute equally to the group's success.

The first couple of sessions, the player couldn't come up with names for them, and finally as a joke I blurted out, "you should call them Sigfried and Roy." They are now officially Sigfried and Roy. I believe that the Druid is planning to call a White Dire Tiger animal companion.