Cohort Suggestions

[Squirrel_Dude]

I've been given permission by my DM to take the leadership feat. I'll probably be taking it at level 6 or 9.

I don't want to make an already overpowered feat more overpowered even more overpowered, just want something to balance the party. We will be in a mostly urban campaign, by the looks of it

Party as it stands, all Level 5.

1. LN Human Factotum (Prestiging into Chameleon)
2. LN Dragonwraught Kobold Wizard, specializing in Divination
3. CN Half-Orc Fighter (Prestiging into Blessed of Gruumsh)
4. CE Elf Ranger (2)/Spirit Shaman(3)
5. N Gnome Druid & Bear Animal Companion

More Specific Party Role and Character Information1. Factotum: Skiller, Knowledge Supplement, and Party Face
- Plan on Running a Thieves Guild, Member of Dragonblade Ninja Clan
- From Far East, plan on being able to contact there & transport from there.

2. Wizard: Control Caster, Knowledges Alchemy Crafting
- Also from Far East, part of Dragonblade Ninja Clan

3. Fighter: Tank, and actually some casting
- Plans on being warboss of all da orks (Waaaaaagh!)
- Alcoholic

4. Ranger: Scout, and doing the evil work (torture, death by fire)
- An elf that worships lolth, and all that entails
- The Fighters best friend

5. Druid: Healing, Tank, Control, Some Party Face
- A derp that worships his derp whale god, with a bear
- Has a rich daddy There may be some changes to the party composition if the druid does not show up next semester. Something along the following lines:

- Fighter to Warblade to maintain inter-party balance
- The Elf Ranger to a Cleric or Druid to fill in for the loss of a Divine Caster and 1/2 tank
- If the Druid stays, the Elf is going to be an urban scout (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) to take over the striker role and not step on the Druid's toes

What would be a good type of cohort to recruit, that would add something to the party, without totally unbalancing it?

[gbprime]

How about a heal bot with brew potion? That doesn't replace anyone on the battlefield, frees up the existing divine caster to bash heads more often, and means the elf would not have to be reworked with the loss of one player.

[docnessuno]

Human artificer
Feats:
1: Mercantile background
1: Legendary artisan
3: Extraordinary artisan

- Sell your party items for 75% of market value (give 60% to the owner and split the remainign 15% between you and your cohort)
- Craft anything with a 25% gp and XP discount

Further develop as you see fit, buffbot works great.

[Coidzor]

So you're, what, the Factotum?

Getting an artificer for crafting and buffing purposes is pretty nice, since even at level-2, he's still capable of making things appropriate to the party's level.

And, with the advanced aid another rules and the homunculi that share skills with him, can provide a pretty good aid to a fair number of skill checks, if I'm recalling homunculi correctly, otherwise he's a great source of boosts to your skills in and of himself between his skills and his infusions/crafting.

[Aegis013]

Going to third Artificer. Build gear for party. Have him activate buffing wands and etch schemas etc on you or allies for bonus support.

[gbprime]

Except that proper care and feeding of an Artificer unbalances things by its very definition. Tread carefully if you choose that path.

[Coidzor]

Except that proper care and feeding of an Artificer unbalances things by its very definition. Tread carefully if you choose that path.

The best part about that is that it can be scaled rather easily. And if the entire party is getting boosted it's a lot easier to account for than a cohort that only boosts one individual party member.

[Aegis013]

Except that proper care and feeding of an Artificer unbalances things by its very definition. Tread carefully if you choose that path.

Make it a warforged. Remove need for care/feeding (it can repair itself with craft checks), unless you mean Retain Essence and letting it eat magic gear. As long as you dedicate it purely to crafting, and if the Wizard and the maybe to-be Cleric are ok with it also helping in some buffing, nobody becomes redundant. You can have it hide in the back with invisibility or cover and let it use Reach Spell to buff you.

Though it is a Tier 1 class, the cautionary warning is probably a reasonable idea.

[Squirrel_Dude]

I'm going to hold off on the artificer it because it's based on the Eberron Campaign setting. To date, we have no used any class based on the Eberron or Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings. There is an interesting way I could role-play bringing him into this setting, but I'll hold off on that, and let the rest of the party have some say in the matter as well.


I do love the idea of an artificer, though. It:
- Makes the party money by selling goods
- Saves the party money by making goods
- Doesn't step on many toes.

[Chilingsworth]

I'd suggest a bard with the mercantile background (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-1927-mercantile-background.html) and song of the heart (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-2675-song-of-the-heart.html) feats, and the spells Inspirational Boost, Sonorous Hum, and Harmonic Chorus.

[Greenish]

I'd say a beguiler beguiler would be excellent. But then, it always is.

[Tvtyrant]

A Warlock looking to become a Craftlock would also work. It makes little pew-pew beams for a while, and then later makes your party lots of useful equipment.

[Coidzor]

I'd suggest a bard with the mercantile background (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-1927-mercantile-background.html) and song of the heart (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-2675-song-of-the-heart.html) feats, and the spells Inspirational Boost, Sonorous Hum, and Harmonic Chorus.

There are 5 characters plus possible summoning that'd benefit from a fun bit of inspire courage, so that can be pretty nice. Especially if they go with dragonfire inspiration and sonic damage and use the spell that makes enemies vulnerable to sonic damage. A bardblade or bardsader could also be nice because it could use WRT on the party and help reposition peeps.

[Gwendol]

I second the bard focusing on IC and lore, and pick up healing spells (or buying wands) to act as second line healer/ability restorer.

[Squirrel_Dude]

Also, would it be too much to ask, that those who are making suggestions provide locations of the feats or spells you recommend. Character classes are easy to find, but there are... oh... too many D&D books that I would need to look through.