[3.5] Advancing non-Standard (Exalted) Cohorts - and some associated questions.

[Luckmann]

First of all, let me apologize for my utter cluelessness.

Anyway, I have some questions that I was hoping that someone could answer. Dealing with Cohorts using the Leadership Feat.

After going up and around everything in attempts to find a proper fitting Cohort or a way to gain a Familiar as an Aasimar Cloistered Cleric, I finally came across a note on Exalted Cohorts in the Book of Exalted Deeds.

The note mentions that an exalted character may, at the GM:s discretion, acquire some non-standard Cohorts using the Leadership Feat, listing a number of examples and making some suggestions.

However, two questions:

1) What makes someone qualify as "an exalted character"? Is it even a thing? Because skimming over things, I can't find anything on specifically how to *be* an "exalted character". At first I thought it meant having a specific feat or maintaining your alignment or something, but it doesn't seem to say. Maybe I'm just blind.

2) Secondly, the regular Leadership feat and standard Cohorts seem to operate under the assumption that the Cohort always is a standard player race with some form of standard class. However, the list of suggested Cohorts in Book of Exalted Deeds include mostly Monstrous Cohorts, so how would they advance - especially since, apparently, Racial Hit Die can never advance by accumulation of experience.

Assuming a non-standard Cohort with 1 Hit Die, let's use the Lantern Archon as an example (Hit Die 1d8, so 1), could I just slap a Class Level, let's say a Favored Soul (nevermind it being a terrible choice, let's say I just want to simulate Spell-like abilities) onto it the first time it's assumed to advance in level? And if so, when would it be assumed to become Class Level 1 (ECL 2, since it's 1 Racial Hit Die + 1 Class Level)?

Cheers.

[aeauseth]

1) What makes someone qualify as "an exalted character"? Is it even a thing? Because skimming over things, I can't find anything on specifically how to *be* an "exalted character". At first I thought it meant having a specific feat or maintaining your alignment or something, but it doesn't seem to say. Maybe I'm just blind.

Technically anyone of GOOD alignment can take an exalted feat, and you must have one exalted feat to be considered and exalted character. Although the Book of Exalted Deeds suggests that an exalted good character be exceptionally good. This might include always taking prisoners (they can be reformed), never hurting the innocent, or by inaction allowing the innocent to be harmed, etc. There's almost an entire chapter on exalted good. As a DM it can be difficult to work that into the campaign.


Assuming a non-standard Cohort with 1 Hit Die, let's use the Lantern Archon as an example (Hit Die 1d8, so 1), could I just slap a Class Level, let's say a Favored Soul (nevermind it being a terrible choice, let's say I just want to simulate Spell-like abilities) onto it the first time it's assumed to advance in level? And if so, when would it be assumed to become Class Level 1 (ECL 2, since it's 1 Racial Hit Die + 1 Class Level)?

This gets pretty messy. So I will just pointing out a few rules and let others comment. First off a Lantern Archon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm) isn't supposed to have any class levels, it advances by adding hit dice (max 4 HD). Secondly (in general) adding a class to a base race with a CR of 1 or less doesn't increase its ECL (See Improving Monsters (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm)). Instead select a race/monster that advances by character class, you will note that in the Advancement section it outlines the ECL for that particular race/monster.

I was unable to locate a feat called Exalted Cohort. Are you referring to Celestial Familiar (http://dndtools.eu/feats/book-of-exalted-deeds--52/celestial-familiar--299/)?

[Luckmann]

Technically anyone of GOOD alignment can take an exalted feat, and you must have one exalted feat to be considered and exalted character. Although the Book of Exalted Deeds suggests that an exalted good character be exceptionally good. This might include always taking prisoners (they can be reformed), never hurting the innocent, or by inaction allowing the innocent to be harmed, etc. There's almost an entire chapter on exalted good. As a DM it can be difficult to work that into the campaign.Thanks, I was a bit confused. There was lots of information on how an exalted character was supposed to act, but I didn't manage to find anything explaining exactly what was required to be considered one.

The character concept is a Cloistered Cleric pacifist that will (try to) never hurt anyone (or anything) apart from obvious undeads, obvious aberrations and obvious outsiders that are clearly evil devils/demons. I would've taken Sacred Vow->Vow of Nonviolence->Vow of Peace, but that'd be a huge feat investment so that's just not going to happen. I'm still going to take exalted feats, though, at the very least either Purify Spell or Nimbus of Light.


This gets pretty messy. So I will just pointing out a few rules and let others comment. First off a Lantern Archon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm) isn't supposed to have any class levels, it advances by adding hit dice (max 4 HD). Secondly (in general) adding a class to a base race with a CR of 1 or less doesn't increase its ECL (See Improving Monsters (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm)). Instead select a race/monster that advances by character class, you will note that in the Advancement section it outlines the ECL for that particular race/monster.

I was unable to locate a feat called Exalted Cohort. Are you referring to Celestial Familiar (http://dndtools.eu/feats/book-of-exalted-deeds--52/celestial-familiar--299/)?I figured that Lantern Archons aren't supposed to have Class Levels, but seeing as how it's a suggested Cohort (and potential monster Cohorts are mentioned here and there in the books) and Cohorts are clearly meant (or at least assumed to) have Class levels, it's all very messy. Or at least it appears as messy, to me.

The way I read the Monsters and Class Levels (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm) entry, I should take the Lantern Archon stats, remove the attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, skills, and feats granted by it's 1 monster HD (which is.. all?), give it an appropriate class, apply it as I would on any starting character and.. roll out?

Oh, and Exalted Cohort isn't a feat. It's just a note in the beginning of Variant Rules, pg. 24.