What's your take on the Leadership feat?

[Nifft]

I would only allow Leadership as written in small games (2-3 PC's).

I should note my everyone-has-Leadership party was indeed 3 PCs.

Cheers, -- N

 

[phindar]

I agree with consensus.

That said, I think there is a place for it in the game, I just don't think it should be a Feat slot. Rather, I think it should be a function of founding a keep, building an organization, captaining a pirate ship and so on, similar to how calling for followers worked in previous editions. If a cleric reaches a certain level of prominence and builds a temple, it seems odd that he should have to chose between staffing said temple and say, getting Extra Turning.

Followers are a campaign consideration, not a feat.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Making Leadership a 'feat' was a mistake of 3.x. As a feat, it is he easiest way to break the game wide open. It is simple to get a new character/cohort of comperable power, and thus is overpowered.

I agree it should be heavily restricted, or given out as a role-playing award.

 

[Will]

I think my first use of Leadership was a ranged rogue who needed, essentially, a pocket wizard to cast Improved Invisibility and other buffs on him.

Why?

Because the party casters didn't want to do it. FINE.

It was stupid and abusive, but fit the rules, so.

And then someone figured out 'you know, I can just PAY someone to come along.' You don't need a feat, just cash; check the DMG. Granted, you have to interpolate a bit for leveled henchmen, but it's fairly straightforward.

 

[Artoomis]

Making Leadership a 'feat' was a mistake of 3.x. As a feat, it is he easiest way to break the game wide open. It is simple to get a new character/cohort of comperable power, and thus is overpowered.

I agree it should be heavily restricted, or given out as a role-playing award.

Actually, it does not "break the game wide open" if run correctly - with heavy DM involvement.

The character can attract a cohort of up to this level. Regardless of a character’s Leadership score, he can only recruit a cohort who is two or more levels lower than himself. The cohort should be equipped with gear appropriate for its level. A character can try to attract a cohort of a particular race, class, and alignment. The cohort’s alignment may not be opposed to the leader’s alignment on either the law-vs-chaos or good-vs-evil axis, and the leader takes a Leadership penalty if he recruits a cohort of an alignment different from his own.

The key word is "try." The character is supposed to try and get what he/she wants, but, in the end, you get what you gete. Where this gets broken is when a DM lets the player roll up whatever he/she wants for a cohort.

 

[roguerouge]

It's THE signature feat for Charisma-based heroes. If your DM forbids it, it's another nerf for the sorcerers and bards.

 

[Infiniti2000]

The single most powerful feat in any book ever.

QFT, and this feat should be banned and never used. It's not just stupidly powerful, it's stupid as a concept. It's frackin' retarded to design it as a feat.

And, that's my not-so-strong opinion about it.

 

[frankthedm]

The key word is "try." The character is supposed to try and get what he/she wants, but, in the end, you get what you gete. Where this gets broken is when a DM lets the player roll up whatever he/she wants for a cohort.

Indeed. The selectable parameters are race, class and alignment, not spells, domains, skills, feats and gear. The NPCs should be competent, but cherry picked splat should not be on the menu.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Even if you get a random character one level lower than you, he/she/it is far more useful and powerful than any other feat.

 

[roguerouge]

You know, people talk about how Charisma is the least useful stat mechanically, how it doesn't affect a save or skill points, and how it doesn't lead to good feats in the core... Then they look at the one feat made more powerful by that stat and ban it.

If you have this much trouble with the feat, house rule it to be more like Dodge and Combat Expertise by having a prereq of Cha 13. Bam! Paladins, Bards, and Sorcerers should get a nice power boost out of it.