Segev
2013-08-14, 11:29 AM
There are probably other threads on this, and even handbooks that I haven't looked into. I will do so later, but I wanted to share my own ideas first; I have a tendency to get narrow-focused on things when I find what others have done.
The goal here is to come up with builds for 1st and maybe 2nd level Followers who would be worth taking with you on an adventure. The obvious challenge of keeping them alive is not to be overlooked, but part of the purpose of these is that they won't typically be in a fight. Instead, they're supporting the party by filling roles that are otherwise absent or by aiding those with such roles.
The Scouts
This is best done, I think, as a trio. You want one for Spot, one for Listen, and one for Search.
The reason for a trio is that they're ultimately going to be a bit skill-starved, but are mono-focusing on maxing out their detection skill of choice. To achieve this, perhaps ironically, they are going to be Psions. Spot and Listen will be Seers, specifically. They will be elves for the +2 racial bonus to these skills and the ability to find secret doors.
Psion (Seer) 1, Psicrystal Affinity (psion bonus) with +3 to the chosen skill from the Psicrystal, Skill Focus (Search, Spot, or Listen), and the Psicrystal's own Alertness. Aim for at least a 14 int so they have 4 base SP/level. All three pick up Synesthete (+4 to either Spot and Search or to Listen) and Precognition as their psionic powers.
The total bonus to the chosen skill is 4(ranks)+3(crystal)+3(focus)+2(racial)+1(Wisdom)+2 (alertness from psicrystal)+2(psicrystal's Aid Another)+4(Synesthete) = +21.
For Search, they can actually pool their resources and grant, on average, +4 more from the Spot and Listen expert (each and their psicrystals Aiding Another the Search expert should manage to get about two of the four succeeding on any given roll). On one important roll, they can also add +2 to it from Precognition.
Now, as scouts, they will want to take one cross-class rank in Hide and Move Silently, and their Dex mod should give them a +1 to that. This isn't great; you probably honestly need to give them cloaks and boots of elvenkind out of your own gp for at least a +7 to each. They can't hide from each other, sadly, and probably won't hide from enemies with enough reliability to keep them safe without you nearby to help out. Don't send them too far ahead. Their job is to spot incoming danger and search out rooms. Trapfinding would be great on them, but they won't have it by default.
The Sage
This one is human, and also exploits psionics, but isn't going to be a psion. He will not be as good as a Bard, necessarily, but for a first level character, he'll be a font of Knowledge skill successes.
He is a Dragonfire Adept with Hidden Talent (Call to Mind) and (you guessed it) a Psicrystal. His first level Invocation is Draconic Knowledge. This is why he's a DFA to begin with: it gives him +6 to all Knowledge skills and to Spellcraft, and it lets him make them all untrained. Because the psicrystal uses its master's skill ranks and can't share the Invocation, it will only be useful for Aiding Another if you have actual ranks in the skill in question, but that's up to you how you spread your skill points around.
The Hidden Talent-granted power Call to Mind takes a minute to manifest, but allows a re-roll of a Knowledge skill check at +4. If your psicrystal is trained, it shares that +4. Sadly, even with that, a psicrystal has probably only a 50% chance of making the DC 10 Aid Another roll.
Still, the Psicrystal gives you +3 to one of your Knowledge skills. Since he's not going to be hiding or doing anything ancillary, you can buy him a small library of masterwork "tools" for each skill, leaving us with (before skill ranks) at least:
2(int; you did put at least a 14 here, right?)+6(Draconic Knowledge)+2(tools) = +10 base to all Knowledge and Spellcraft checks.
He also gets to re-roll any he fails the first time, at +14.
If he spreads his skill points around to cover as many knowledges as possible, with ranks that's +15. If he concentrates on a few skills, those few are at +18 (and the others at +14).
On his chosen skill for the Psicrystal's help, that's a +17 to a +21. Not at all bad for a first level follower. He also has a 1d6 breath weapon, if you need one, but I'd keep him out of combat if I could.
That's four 1st level followers there. I am still concocting a pair of bards to use dragonfire inspiration and inspire courage together for +1 to hit and +1d6 to damage for the whole party. Probably want a party cleric to Sanctuary them for you.
The goal here is to come up with builds for 1st and maybe 2nd level Followers who would be worth taking with you on an adventure. The obvious challenge of keeping them alive is not to be overlooked, but part of the purpose of these is that they won't typically be in a fight. Instead, they're supporting the party by filling roles that are otherwise absent or by aiding those with such roles.
The Scouts
This is best done, I think, as a trio. You want one for Spot, one for Listen, and one for Search.
The reason for a trio is that they're ultimately going to be a bit skill-starved, but are mono-focusing on maxing out their detection skill of choice. To achieve this, perhaps ironically, they are going to be Psions. Spot and Listen will be Seers, specifically. They will be elves for the +2 racial bonus to these skills and the ability to find secret doors.
Psion (Seer) 1, Psicrystal Affinity (psion bonus) with +3 to the chosen skill from the Psicrystal, Skill Focus (Search, Spot, or Listen), and the Psicrystal's own Alertness. Aim for at least a 14 int so they have 4 base SP/level. All three pick up Synesthete (+4 to either Spot and Search or to Listen) and Precognition as their psionic powers.
The total bonus to the chosen skill is 4(ranks)+3(crystal)+3(focus)+2(racial)+1(Wisdom)+2 (alertness from psicrystal)+2(psicrystal's Aid Another)+4(Synesthete) = +21.
For Search, they can actually pool their resources and grant, on average, +4 more from the Spot and Listen expert (each and their psicrystals Aiding Another the Search expert should manage to get about two of the four succeeding on any given roll). On one important roll, they can also add +2 to it from Precognition.
Now, as scouts, they will want to take one cross-class rank in Hide and Move Silently, and their Dex mod should give them a +1 to that. This isn't great; you probably honestly need to give them cloaks and boots of elvenkind out of your own gp for at least a +7 to each. They can't hide from each other, sadly, and probably won't hide from enemies with enough reliability to keep them safe without you nearby to help out. Don't send them too far ahead. Their job is to spot incoming danger and search out rooms. Trapfinding would be great on them, but they won't have it by default.
The Sage
This one is human, and also exploits psionics, but isn't going to be a psion. He will not be as good as a Bard, necessarily, but for a first level character, he'll be a font of Knowledge skill successes.
He is a Dragonfire Adept with Hidden Talent (Call to Mind) and (you guessed it) a Psicrystal. His first level Invocation is Draconic Knowledge. This is why he's a DFA to begin with: it gives him +6 to all Knowledge skills and to Spellcraft, and it lets him make them all untrained. Because the psicrystal uses its master's skill ranks and can't share the Invocation, it will only be useful for Aiding Another if you have actual ranks in the skill in question, but that's up to you how you spread your skill points around.
The Hidden Talent-granted power Call to Mind takes a minute to manifest, but allows a re-roll of a Knowledge skill check at +4. If your psicrystal is trained, it shares that +4. Sadly, even with that, a psicrystal has probably only a 50% chance of making the DC 10 Aid Another roll.
Still, the Psicrystal gives you +3 to one of your Knowledge skills. Since he's not going to be hiding or doing anything ancillary, you can buy him a small library of masterwork "tools" for each skill, leaving us with (before skill ranks) at least:
2(int; you did put at least a 14 here, right?)+6(Draconic Knowledge)+2(tools) = +10 base to all Knowledge and Spellcraft checks.
He also gets to re-roll any he fails the first time, at +14.
If he spreads his skill points around to cover as many knowledges as possible, with ranks that's +15. If he concentrates on a few skills, those few are at +18 (and the others at +14).
On his chosen skill for the Psicrystal's help, that's a +17 to a +21. Not at all bad for a first level follower. He also has a 1d6 breath weapon, if you need one, but I'd keep him out of combat if I could.
That's four 1st level followers there. I am still concocting a pair of bards to use dragonfire inspiration and inspire courage together for +1 to hit and +1d6 to damage for the whole party. Probably want a party cleric to Sanctuary them for you.