Question about Cohorts

[klofft]

After 3 years or so of playing, we finally have our first cohort. In prepping appropriate encounters, is the cohort just considered a "power" of the character with Leadership (kind of like summoned monsters don't count for XP)? Or does the cohort, even though of lower level, need to be considered a party member when trying to determine encounter levels and treasure?

 

[Jhaelen]

Luckily, none of my players was interested in taking the Leadership feat, yet. But here's what the SRD's got to say on the topic (emphasis mine):

Cohorts earn XP as follows:
The cohort does not count as a party member when determining the party’s XP.
Divide the cohort’s level by the level of the PC with whom he or she is associated (the character with the Leadership feat who attracted the cohort).
Multiply this result by the total XP awarded to the PC and add that number of experience points to the cohort’s total.
If a cohort gains enough XP to bring it to a level one lower than the associated PC’s character level, the cohort does not gain the new level—its new XP total is 1 less than the amount needed attain the next level.

It further states:

Followers don’t earn experience and thus don’t gain levels.

 

[klofft]

Well, yeah. I knew all that. But if you are ballparking Encounter Levels, is the cohort another character or just "part of" the guy with the feat?

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

When calculating the appropriate EL for a challenge, the most practical method is to consider the cohort another character (at his level which will usually be at least two behind the PC). That is the way that will yield the most accurate guage of the difficulty of an encounter.

(It will also help if you pay attention to how monsters were CRed. If a monster was CRed too low (like the arrow demon or bone naga) they provide more of a challenge to the party than an EL calculated using erroneous CRs would indicate. Be honest when you calculate the EL and it will be a more accurate tool. If that results in easy encounters (and an encounter of EL=Average party level is supposed to be easy), just use higher EL encounters).

 

[irdeggman]

Also a cohort usually recieves 1/2 share of any treasure (DMG pg 105).

So this supports the concept that they contribute to the EL of the party (which is used to determine appropriate EL and thus treasure awards).

Now when "defeating" a cohort (gained through use of the Leadership feat and not merely one "assigned" as an ally by the DM) there should be no xp awards for defeating them since they are treated like summoned creatures for this part.

Regardless - using the Leadership feat requires a lot of DM oversight, care and fore thought. Which is why there is a warning about using the feat in the DMG (pg 106 under attracting cohorts)

 

[Runestar]

I think that the rules for a cohort is meant for PC use, not npc use.

What is the use of an npc taking the leadership feat and attracting say, an ogre mage cohort, when I could just introduce an ogre mage into the fray? And the usefulness of a cohort definitely outstrips the usefulness a feat should offer. Else, you get funny scenarios like the BBEG's cohorts having leadership/dragon cohort/undead leadership feats of their own, and their cohorts having the same...and all these don't grant you xp?

 

[irdeggman]

I think that the rules for a cohort is meant for PC use, not npc use.

What is the use of an npc taking the leadership feat and attracting say, an ogre mage cohort, when I could just introduce an ogre mage into the fray? And the usefulness of a cohort definitely outstrips the usefulness a feat should offer. Else, you get funny scenarios like the BBEG's cohorts having leadership/dragon cohort/undead leadership feats of their own, and their cohorts having the same...and all these don't grant you xp?

I agree - which is why I included in my statement through the use of the Leadership feat and not assgned by teh DM.

It is also possible to have the equivalent of cohorts assigned as allies by the DM - in which case "technically" they function as additional party members in all aspects - although it is very common to only treat them as 1/2 a character for most purposes (especially treasure and xp awards).