Leadership feat in Eberron? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Leadership feat in Eberron? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Amaril
06-28-07, 10:17 AM I'm creating a PC for a new campaign using the Investigator core class from Keith's Crime and Punishment (playing a PI or Sharn watch detective), and I'm considering taking the Leadership feat for some cohorts and followers (employees or such) in addition to the informants that an investigator gets, but I'm not sure if I should use NPC classes for the sake of Eberron's low-level NPC feel or if I should allow myself to use regular classes. The classes I'm considering are an adept, magewright, and a few experts for followers with an artificer/magewright cohort.

By the way, if you haven't pruchased a copy of Crime and Punishment, you need to and just don't know it yet.:cool:
DarkWarriorKarg
06-28-07, 10:28 AM With leadership, your cohort is a second PC that you get to play (see feat description), so there should be no NPC class levels. Further, you cohort gains exprerience.

Your followers are generally NPC classes, such as warrior, expert, magewright, aristocrat, commoner & adept. They stay at their base levels.

Depends on your DM, though...

Maybe a couple of aristocrats who owe you for keeping their indiscretions discreet, some commoner beggars, a boromar-aligned "locksmith" or "fence" expert (if in Sharn), a Jorasco medic who owes you a few (adept) and teh artificer cohort's magewright apprentice who owes you for finding him/her a job...

Round it out with a couple of warrior thugs whose lives you saved when you stopped hitting them.
korcheck
06-28-07, 10:47 AM I really like this pc idea. Its to bad I have destroyed all of sharn in my campaign by releasing a horde of demons. but hey it can work in any city.
Amaril
06-28-07, 11:25 AM Thanks for the follower suggestions, DarkWarriorKrag. Those are some great ideas. The only issue I have is that the Leadership feat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#leadership) doesn't say explicitly the cohorts are PC classes.

Hmm... Can NPCs be dragonmarked house members, say a member of House Sivis who might be willing to sell me blank notarized documents (Sharn: City of Towers)?[Edit: Scratch that. I figured it out.]

If a cohort can be a PC class, I think my cohort will definitely be an artificer.
Amaril
06-28-07, 12:32 PM I really like this pc idea. Its to bad I have destroyed all of sharn in my campaign by releasing a horde of demons. but hey it can work in any city.

Yeah, it was a basic premise to play a gumshoe detective in a noir campaign, and the more I work on the character, the more I love it. A friend of mine will be playing alongside with me as a gambler/con artist. I'm not sure what his class and race will be, but it'll be an interesting combination.
FilmGuy77
06-28-07, 12:36 PM Really cool character concept. I am hoping to (one day) run a CSI: Sharn campaign, and I can only hope my players work out a character concept half as cool.

By the way, thanks for the tip on the book - I didn't even realize it existed. I have placed an order for my own copy.

On a tangential note, does anyone know anything about Dynasties and Demagogues also from Penumbra? Looks like it might be useful for a political intrigue campaign.
korcheck
06-28-07, 12:44 PM does anyone have a link to that book? crime and punishment.
Amaril
06-28-07, 12:46 PM Thanks! Here's what I've worked out so far (some ideas taken from this thread).

Race: Human
Class: Investigator 6
Feats:

Human bonus: Educated (all knowledge skills are class skills)
1st-level: Action Boost
3rd-level: Heroic Spirit
4th-level class bonus Feat: Urban Tracking
6th-level class bonus Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike
6th-level: Leadership

Leadership score: 11 (6th-level character + 4 Charisma modifier +1 for fairness and generosity).
Cohort: human artificer 4 (partner)
Followers (NPC classes):

Magewright: apprentice to the artificer cohort; owes me for finding him a job
Barrister (expert): lawyer who keeps me out of jail
Clerk (expert): accountant who manages the finances of my business; might cook the books in my favor, too
House Sivis dragonmarked scribe (expert): sells me notarized blank documents
Young noble scion (aristocrat): owes me for keeping certain indiscretions discreet
House Jorasco medic (adept): owes me a few favors

An addiction to absentia. (Sharn: City of Towers, p. 160) [to be determined]
Amaril
06-28-07, 12:47 PM does anyone have a link to that book? crime and punishment.

From Atlas Games (http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3223.php)
warforgedMonkey
06-28-07, 01:55 PM I really like this pc idea. Its to bad I have destroyed all of sharn in my campaign by releasing a horde of demons. but hey it can work in any city.

that would kind ruin my campaign..
DarkWarriorKarg
06-28-07, 02:39 PM Heck, there's plenty of NPC classes with dragonmarks... look in the sourcebooks.
Amaril
06-28-07, 02:41 PM Yeah, I realized that shortly after I posted the question. I just spaced out on that.

By the way, I'm still curious about a cohort and/or follower being a PC or NPC class in Eberron.
Revvecor
06-28-07, 03:16 PM Unless it is contradicted in an eberron source book, The leadership feat says that the cohort can be of any class. Thus it can be either a NPC or PC class its all up to you.
Amaril
06-28-07, 03:24 PM If you read the original post, the question wasn't one of game mechanics as much as it was about keeping with the theme of Eberron. In other words, should it be an NPC rather than a PC. I guess I'm looking for the opinion from an Eberron fan's perspective.
DarkWarriorKarg
06-28-07, 03:41 PM Simple... you don't want a cohort that detracts from the "specialness" of your PC.

The Cohort is a second player character that's at most 2 levels beneath you.

That is sufficient to not be a "scene stealer."
It's a watson to your holmes.
Or a Michael to your KITT.
A Robin to your Batman

Not a Jimmy Olsen to your Superman.
Revvecor
06-28-07, 03:49 PM I think that deciding to use a NPC or PC cohort is more about how you plan on using you cohort. If you plan on having the cohort actively participate in the every day actions with your PC it would seem to be more beneficial to have another PC in the party as a supporting element. As a PC, a cohort could be used to fill in any gap you may have in your party.

If your cohort is going to be an intermediary between yourself and/or your party and be more of a passive element, aka as a storyline filler; then you would probity be better off with a NPC.

In terms of Eberrons' overall theme, NPC classes are the main characters throughout the world. I would think that someone following you around would be more likely to be a PC given the chances of advancement and overall rarity of the different PC classes.

Sorry for the rambling, hopefully some of this was helpful.
Amaril
06-28-07, 03:54 PM Thanks. These are all good points. I think I definitely want the cohort to be a PC artificer. The cohort will definitely play an active role during the day-to-day events. The only other member in the "party" will be my friend's gambler/con man character; it's literally a two-player campaign.
korcheck
06-29-07, 11:06 AM In a game I'm running the PC has a 9th lvl expert cohort that is his majordomo. of his castle (the newly renovated castle that was a castle ruin just west of wroat on the maps.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Amaril 06-28-07, 10:17 AM	I'm creating a PC for a new campaign using the Investigator core class from Keith's Crime and Punishment (playing a PI or Sharn watch detective), and I'm considering taking the Leadership feat for some cohorts and followers (employees or such) in addition to the informants that an investigator gets, but I'm not sure if I should use NPC classes for the sake of Eberron's low-level NPC feel or if I should allow myself to use regular classes. The classes I'm considering are an adept, magewright, and a few experts for followers with an artificer/magewright cohort. By the way, if you haven't pruchased a copy of Crime and Punishment, you need to and just don't know it yet.:cool:
DarkWarriorKarg 06-28-07, 10:28 AM	With leadership, your cohort is a second PC that you get to play (see feat description), so there should be no NPC class levels. Further, you cohort gains exprerience. Your followers are generally NPC classes, such as warrior, expert, magewright, aristocrat, commoner & adept. They stay at their base levels. Depends on your DM, though... Maybe a couple of aristocrats who owe you for keeping their indiscretions discreet, some commoner beggars, a boromar-aligned "locksmith" or "fence" expert (if in Sharn), a Jorasco medic who owes you a few (adept) and teh artificer cohort's magewright apprentice who owes you for finding him/her a job... Round it out with a couple of warrior thugs whose lives you saved when you stopped hitting them.
korcheck 06-28-07, 10:47 AM	I really like this pc idea. Its to bad I have destroyed all of sharn in my campaign by releasing a horde of demons. but hey it can work in any city.
Amaril 06-28-07, 11:25 AM	Thanks for the follower suggestions, DarkWarriorKrag. Those are some great ideas. The only issue I have is that the Leadership feat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#leadership) doesn't say explicitly the cohorts are PC classes. Hmm... Can NPCs be dragonmarked house members, say a member of House Sivis who might be willing to sell me blank notarized documents (Sharn: City of Towers)?[Edit: Scratch that. I figured it out.] If a cohort can be a PC class, I think my cohort will definitely be an artificer.
Amaril 06-28-07, 12:32 PM	I really like this pc idea. Its to bad I have destroyed all of sharn in my campaign by releasing a horde of demons. but hey it can work in any city. Yeah, it was a basic premise to play a gumshoe detective in a noir campaign, and the more I work on the character, the more I love it. A friend of mine will be playing alongside with me as a gambler/con artist. I'm not sure what his class and race will be, but it'll be an interesting combination.
FilmGuy77 06-28-07, 12:36 PM	Really cool character concept. I am hoping to (one day) run a CSI: Sharn campaign, and I can only hope my players work out a character concept half as cool. By the way, thanks for the tip on the book - I didn't even realize it existed. I have placed an order for my own copy. On a tangential note, does anyone know anything about Dynasties and Demagogues also from Penumbra? Looks like it might be useful for a political intrigue campaign.
korcheck 06-28-07, 12:44 PM	does anyone have a link to that book? crime and punishment.
Amaril 06-28-07, 12:46 PM	Thanks! Here's what I've worked out so far (some ideas taken from this thread). Race: Human Class: Investigator 6 Feats: Human bonus: Educated (all knowledge skills are class skills) 1st-level: Action Boost 3rd-level: Heroic Spirit 4th-level class bonus Feat: Urban Tracking 6th-level class bonus Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike 6th-level: Leadership Leadership score: 11 (6th-level character + 4 Charisma modifier +1 for fairness and generosity). Cohort: human artificer 4 (partner) Followers (NPC classes): Magewright: apprentice to the artificer cohort; owes me for finding him a job Barrister (expert): lawyer who keeps me out of jail Clerk (expert): accountant who manages the finances of my business; might cook the books in my favor, too House Sivis dragonmarked scribe (expert): sells me notarized blank documents Young noble scion (aristocrat): owes me for keeping certain indiscretions discreet House Jorasco medic (adept): owes me a few favors An addiction to absentia. (Sharn: City of Towers, p. 160) [to be determined]
Amaril 06-28-07, 12:47 PM	does anyone have a link to that book? crime and punishment. From Atlas Games (http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3223.php)
warforgedMonkey 06-28-07, 01:55 PM	I really like this pc idea. Its to bad I have destroyed all of sharn in my campaign by releasing a horde of demons. but hey it can work in any city. that would kind ruin my campaign..
DarkWarriorKarg 06-28-07, 02:39 PM	Heck, there's plenty of NPC classes with dragonmarks... look in the sourcebooks.
Amaril 06-28-07, 02:41 PM	Yeah, I realized that shortly after I posted the question. I just spaced out on that. By the way, I'm still curious about a cohort and/or follower being a PC or NPC class in Eberron.
Revvecor 06-28-07, 03:16 PM	Unless it is contradicted in an eberron source book, The leadership feat says that the cohort can be of any class. Thus it can be either a NPC or PC class its all up to you.
Amaril 06-28-07, 03:24 PM	If you read the original post, the question wasn't one of game mechanics as much as it was about keeping with the theme of Eberron. In other words, should it be an NPC rather than a PC. I guess I'm looking for the opinion from an Eberron fan's perspective.
DarkWarriorKarg 06-28-07, 03:41 PM	Simple... you don't want a cohort that detracts from the "specialness" of your PC. The Cohort is a second player character that's at most 2 levels beneath you. That is sufficient to not be a "scene stealer." It's a watson to your holmes. Or a Michael to your KITT. A Robin to your Batman Not a Jimmy Olsen to your Superman.
Revvecor 06-28-07, 03:49 PM	I think that deciding to use a NPC or PC cohort is more about how you plan on using you cohort. If you plan on having the cohort actively participate in the every day actions with your PC it would seem to be more beneficial to have another PC in the party as a supporting element. As a PC, a cohort could be used to fill in any gap you may have in your party. If your cohort is going to be an intermediary between yourself and/or your party and be more of a passive element, aka as a storyline filler; then you would probity be better off with a NPC. In terms of Eberrons' overall theme, NPC classes are the main characters throughout the world. I would think that someone following you around would be more likely to be a PC given the chances of advancement and overall rarity of the different PC classes. Sorry for the rambling, hopefully some of this was helpful.
Amaril 06-28-07, 03:54 PM	Thanks. These are all good points. I think I definitely want the cohort to be a PC artificer. The cohort will definitely play an active role during the day-to-day events. The only other member in the "party" will be my friend's gambler/con man character; it's literally a two-player campaign.
korcheck 06-29-07, 11:06 AM	In a game I'm running the PC has a 9th lvl expert cohort that is his majordomo. of his castle (the newly renovated castle that was a castle ruin just west of wroat on the maps.)