How to Have Fun with Leadership?

[CrazyYanmega]

Hello Giants! I've made a Hobgoblin Warblade 3/Knight 2, and am dead set on taking Leadership at level 6. My DM has already made a Human Rogue/Ninja Spy for my cohort, and with a Charisma bonus of +4 I'll get 5 Lv 1 followers with my Leadership Score of 10, higher if I can get some renown or a base of operations.

My question is this: Aside from having them keep the base tidy, how do I best utilize my followers?

For follower generation, I am thinking of asking my DM to use Mythweaver's NPC Generator (http://www.myth-weavers.com/generate_npc.php?), set to appropriate level and NPC classes only.

[Silva Stormrage]

Note that you aren't required to only have npc followers in 3.5. That was a 3.0 rule that was removed in the transition to 3.5.

Also this might be of use: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232822

And for other uses, supply network + crafting is a decent option. You don't really want to use them in combat though due to their vulnerability.

[MadGreenSon]

The Thrallherd Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9157), while not as "nice" in it's origin as leadership, does have some decent ideas on what to do with low-level followers too.

Best bet is to get them to be specialists in whatever you have them doing, aid another is a good thing, 5 1st level Warlock snipers could be good as a unit, etc.

[Azoth]

Azurin commoner1 max Handle Animal and knowledge nature. Feats shape soulmeld (Riding Bracers) Skill focus (Handle Animal) Minimum of 13 bonus to Handle Animal. He can successfully rear any creature with 1-33 HD. Give him some helpers and he can rear any animal or magic beast with Int 2 or less.

Gnome with Magical Training and max ranks in craft alchemy can make most alchemical substances with helpers.

Half Elf max ranks diplomacy and skill focus (diplomacy) can help your beast tamer raise intelligent magical beasts for some real fun.

Kobolds max ranks craft (trapmaking) and appropriate skill focus can trick out your base with traps.

[CrazyYanmega]

Note that you aren't required to only have npc followers in 3.5. That was a 3.0 rule that was removed in the transition to 3.5.

Also this might be of use: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232822

And for other uses, supply network + crafting is a decent option. You don't really want to use them in combat though due to their vulnerability.

Is the limit on Cohort level still in place?

[Silva Stormrage]

Is the limit on Cohort level still in place?

What do you mean? You still have to have a cohort 2 levels lower than you if thats what you are asking. (You can reduce that to 1 level lower than you with a feat (improved cohort))