Post/Author/DateTime	Post
paigeoliver 02-21-06, 01:36 AM	LGCS says. Step 5: Equipment–You may purchase your cohort's equipment from the list of available items for your character. Cohorts may not spend more than half of their starting gold (see above) on a single item during cohort creation but may buy items normally after that point. You are not required to use the suggested starting NPC items listed in the DMG. Isn't that silly. All that means is that my cohort will walk into his first adventure naked with a sack of 3300 gold and THEN buy that +1 weapon that wasn't allowed at creation because it cost too much. That rule combined with the limit on consumables of 10 percent leaves the lower level spellcasting cohorts without anything to spend their money on at all. I keep bumping into this while trying to build my Dakon cohort before he first gets played this weekend. What can a 4th level wizard who gets 3300 gold for equipment actually spend the money on when he can't spend more than half on one item (no ring of protection for him), and can't spend more than 330 scrolls. I'm just about tempted to just buy a bunch of barded warhorses and lances just so his travelling party is always well equipped, because I can't think of anything else for him to spend it on.
King Kashue 02-21-06, 02:39 AM	Not that silly...It's intended to prevent cohorts from becoming "item banks" for PCs...Creating a brand new cohort means a decent sized chunk of cash that would, if the character were normal, be spent on many items. The circle doesn't want to see cohorts with +2 swords and no pants :D (to indulge in hyperbole).
paigeoliver 02-21-06, 03:00 AM	Yes, it would certainly make sense for higher level characters. But 4th level cohorts start off with 3300 gold, with a maximum of 330 in disposable items. What are they supposed to spend the rest on, since almost every permanent magic item in the game costs 2000 or more. Minimum level for leadership feat is 6, and most 6th level characters with cohorts will have 4th level cohorts. A full plate cohort can certainly spend his cash wisely, but anyone else is left fully equipped for a few hundred gold, and then stuck with 2500 or so that they can't spend wisely due to restrictions. Like really, what is a 4th level wizard cohort supposed to spend his gold on? Ok, great I spent 330 on scrolls and another 100 on a backpack, staff and a horse, now I have 2870 left. Or a 4th level rogue? How about a druid, or any other class that won't be wearing full plate. Right now I literally have my 4th level wizard cohort spending almost all his money on barded warhorses because I can't come up with anything else worthwhile for him to buy. And he can't ride more than one horse at once, which means the anti-item bank rule has turned him into an item bank due to lack of any other options.
King Kashue 02-21-06, 03:32 AM	Since the average PC only has 2 or 3 significant magic items (if that) the moment they hit 4th level, and cohorts are not supposed to be as beefy as PCs, it seems to be working the way it's supposed to... The average 4th level PC has between 6,000-7,000gp, a cohort has half that, they should have half the gear the 4th level PC has, and they do... As for your wizard (or any caster that preps spells), pearls of power...incredibly valuable Cloak of protection +1 or Bracers of Armor +1 are only 1,000g as well.
paigeoliver 02-21-06, 03:35 AM	Since the average PC only has 2 or 3 significant magic items (if that) the moment they hit 4th level, and cohorts are not supposed to be as beefy as PCs, it seems to be working the way it's supposed to... The average 4th level PC has between 6,000-7,000gp, a cohort has half that, they should have half the gear the 4th level PC has, and they do... I totally agree with you there, but that still doesn't answer the question of what a 4th level cohort (especially a wizard) can possibly actually spend that money on?
King Kashue 02-21-06, 03:38 AM	I totally agree with you there, but that still doesn't answer the question of what a 4th level cohort (especially a wizard) can possibly actually spend that money on? Heh...I was editing my post to provide the answer to that... Cloak of Resistance +1 for 1,000gp, Bracers of Armor +1 for 1,000gp, Pearl of Power 1st Level for 1,000gp...A wizard would benefit from any of those...
paigeoliver 02-21-06, 04:19 AM	Heh...I was editing my post to provide the answer to that... Cloak of Resistance +1 for 1,000gp, Bracers of Armor +1 for 1,000gp, Pearl of Power 1st Level for 1,000gp...A wizard would benefit from any of those... Thank you. I'll buy all of those. Makes a lot more sense than owning 5 horses.
Mortepierre 02-21-06, 05:46 AM	Pearl of Power 1st Level for 1,000gp .. except a Pearl of Power isn't available without AR access. That said, not being able to have enchanted items from the start (because of the "half the gold max." problem) isn't that bad. Since that restriction disappears once you get in play, simply buy masterwork armors/weapons and get them to +1 during the first game. Some people seem to think that unless an item is magical, it's not worth their time. They tend to forget that masterwork items are just one step from being enchanted...
King Kashue 02-22-06, 12:54 AM	.. except a Pearl of Power isn't available without AR access. True...but we are talking about a 6th level character taking the leadership feat though, a decent number of characters do have access to pearls...In any case, he's wondering how to spend 2870, and the 2 1,000 items (cloak and bracers) both work well for a wizard or sorcerer...
Mad Monkey 02-22-06, 05:31 AM	You can always scribe more spells in it's spellbook, it's a good way to sink extra money. :)