Leadership vs. Wild Cohort

[Starchild7309]

So I am thinking, for flavor, since I have an exalted druid, would it be better to go with a Leadership or Wild Cohort? Wild Cohort fits better with the flavor, but Leadership seems like a stronger feat.

However I was thinking, and this is where I want your opinions, could you take an awakened animal with Leadership. If so what would you take? (dinos are not an option and how would you make him the best he could be?)

[Snowbluff]

Well, I would take celestial companion.

Leadership wins hands down. Just grab something holy as your new buddy.

[eggynack]

Well, I would take celestial companion.

I think you mean exalted companion, though you could technically be considered correct as the companion would be exalted in nature. Also, yes. You don't really need extra friend based powers on a druid, particularly because bonus friends and druids are both so powerful. Also, tossing VoP on an animal companion is sweet business.

[Starchild7309]

I already have exalted companion. I am trying to decide at 9th level to take leadership or the feat Wild Cohort. Like I said before, for flavor it seems like wild cohort would be best, but with leadership you could in theory take an awakened animal, correct? I would love to see say a 1hd awakened wolf with say 8 levels of fighter or something like that.

[eggynack]

Probably not, as awakened wolf is neither a race, nor a template, so there's no adjustment that would allow you to take it as a cohort. The next exalted feat I'd take is wild shape, cause that thing is frigging amazing.

[Starchild7309]

The DM is ok with it. Actually likes the idea. So how would you best homebrew that idea? Any ideas from you brilliant people?

[Coidzor]

Ask your DM if he'll allow you to take a celestial templated animal for your wild cohort due to your exalted companion feat. If not, take leadership, acquire some variant of holy/celestial/wossname creature.

If Dragon content were potentially on the table, a (refluffed) Gloura Heartfire Fanner would be pretty sweet, especially if you summon much or have a summoner in the party.


The DM is ok with it. Actually likes the idea. So how would you best homebrew that idea? Any ideas from you brilliant people?

What, assign a Level Adjustment to an awakened animal? I'd say that maybe an LA+1 might fit for some, but no more than that except for an extreme corner case. Lots of the weaker animals would just be LA+0 between their RHD and the extra 2 RHD from Awaken.

I created a homebrew template called Magical Creature (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16297690&postcount=3) in order to get around having to deal with any of the existing templates for making an animal intelligent. It's currently a strong LA+1 as far as I understand it, though due to my love of templates that scale their benefits rather than letting it all go at once, it might go into the low LA+2 range. Most of its benefits help replicate gear or minimize gear dependency for a cohort or companion creature. The template started out as basically "Awakened Animal: The Template," which is the only reason I'm self-plugging it. XD If you have any thoughts after taking a gander, I'd love to hear them, as it is still a work in progress.

Fiendish (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/fiendishCreature.htm)and Celestial (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/celestialCreature.htm)are the quick and dirty ones that currently exist for making an animal have Int 3+ for a mimimal level adjustment. Honestly though, Celestial/Fiendish should just be an LA+1... if that... Half-Fey or Phrenic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm)with the elite array or rolled or point buy stats without Int being set to 2 would also work if you couldn't get Celestial to lose any LA, since they are *also* LA+2 and are actually basically worth it, especially for creatures with a fair bit of RHD.

[Ramza00]

It isn't even close Leadership is better than Wild Cohort. For example lets say you want a flying mount (which I ain't so sure you would want since you are a druid with wild shape).

You can have a dire eagle from races of stone as soon as level 7 with Wild Cohort. With Leadership you can have a pegasus as soon as level 8.

Both are flying mounts which get you from point A to point B. With both you can have the mount use 1 of its 2 move actions to move in combat every round. With both mounts you can have the mount ready an action to fly upwards if you or the mount is being attacked. With the dire eagle it requires a "trick" and it takes a move action at the start of combat to get the mount ready to use the trick if necessary, and you are expecting the mount with only 1 or 2 int to make a tactical decision. A pegasus on the other hand has an int about 10, thus a pegasus may ready an action as a free action and may decide on if it was a good idea to ready an action regardless of the rider.

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Furthermore lets assume the pegasus takes psion levels for the levels passed HD4+2 LA (thus pc level of 8), and the 3rd level feat of the pegasus was practiced manifester. He can use the psionic power synchronicity and for 3 pp he can make any standard or move action he can perform effectively an immediate action. Use synchronicity to move away from the threat to the pegasus and the rider, use synchronicity to erect a barrier giving the rider and the pegasus cover, use synchronicity to boost the pegasus saves or ac, use synchronicity to give yourself lots of temp hp with vigor, use synchronicity to manifest an offensive energy power when a spellcaster tries to cast a spell if he doesn't make a concentration check of 10+damage dealt the spellcaster automatically fails to cast the spell, etc. And he can do all this as an immediate action.

If the psion needs more power points, well that is why he took psion with shaper as the discipline you get use psionic device and can do power link shards which are effectively free power points and ml booster. The pegasus can also use cognizance crystals for those 3 pp for synchronicity.

Also the pegasus can use use psionic device to pretend to be a horse and use the horseshoes of flame from savage species to get a +10 to int and appear like a nightmare instead of a pegasus.