Construct Cohort

[Clistenes]

Let's say that I manage to convince my DM to allow my character to take a construct of his own creation as cohort...(and yes, I know it's cheesy, but not game-breaking; the construct cohort will surely end being weaker than a mere human cohort).

If I wanted to make this cohort a backup spellcaster (since summoned creatures make good enough meatshields), do you know of any construct creature with LA, low HD and that has good mental stats? (any good mental stat will do, I'm not picky).

I have been checking, but none seem good enough. The Nimblewright has amazing Charisma, but has 10 HD and +6 LA; the Soulbond Doll has 3 HD, +4 LA and all mental stats are low...etc.

There are templates for constructs that can reduce the HD or raise the mental stats, but those templates usually don't have a LA.

So, do you know of any obscure construct that could do the trick?

Thank you very much in advance.

[Hazzardevil]

Warforged? Both scout and regular Warforged would probably do what you wanted.

[Clistenes]

Warforged? Both scout and regular Warforged would probably do what you wanted.

Warforged can't be built by players and have free will. I was thinking of something like a robot servant, not a free-willed creature. Something like an Homunculus or Souldbond Doll, but with some high mental stat.

[Yogibear41]

what book are soulbond dolls from?

Maugs from Fiend Folio maybe what you are looking for, they actually get bonus's to int and cha. Although they have free will, anything with intelligence is going to have free will more or less.

[Crake]

Warforged can't be built by players and have free will. I was thinking of something like a robot servant, not a free-willed creature. Something like an Homunculus or Souldbond Doll, but with some high mental stat.

I dont think there's anything that will fit your bill there. Any construct that would be able to meet your requirements would be just as free-willed as a warforged. Basically, you cant have your cake and eat it too. You need to pick one: Mindless slave or intelligent spellcaster. If you're taking leadership though, there's no reason for you to really need totalitarian control over your cohort unless your DM has proven himself to be backstabby with regards to cohorts. If you want a mindless construct under your total control, you dont even need leadership for that, having to take craft construct and spend the money/xp on creating it is cost enough.

[sleepyphoenixx]

You can get intelligent constructs that aren't free willed with the Rudimentary Intelligence trait (Dr327). They still advance by construct HD, not class levels though afaik.
Van Richten's Arsenal has the Alchemical Child which does exactly what you need. Creating one takes 4 feats however and the source is pretty obscure, so it's unlikely to be allowed.

Neither of these options needs you to take Leadership so you might be able to work something out with your DM in exchange for the additional feat tax.

[Clistenes]

what book are soulbond dolls from?

The 3.5 version is from Paizo's Curse of the Crimsom Throne Adventure Path.

The Pathfinder version is in their second Bestiary.


I dont think there's anything that will fit your bill there. Any construct that would be able to meet your requirements would be just as free-willed as a warforged. Basically, you cant have your cake and eat it too. You need to pick one: Mindless slave or intelligent spellcaster.

A Soulbond Doll would fit the bill. They are intelligent, can take class levels, have a LA and are perfectly loyal to you. Their problem is that they have low mental stats.

A Nimblebright too is intelligent, has LA, can take class levels and if you create it, it's under you control. But the base creature has ECL 16.

The PC version (Awakened) of the Homunculus in the Savage Species book is intelligent, has +2 Wis and +0 Int, 2 HD, LA +3, and is under your control, but it's 3rd edition.

Do you know if there is a 3.5 version of the Homunculus PC?



f you're taking leadership though, there's no reason for you to really need totalitarian control over your cohort unless your DM has proven himself to be backstabby with regards to cohorts. If you want a mindless construct under your total control, you dont even need leadership for that, having to take craft construct and spend the money/xp on creating it is cost enough.

I always feel about uncomfortable about cohorts. If your DM allows you to just play two characters who make their own decisions, you are fine. You can even roleplay them to have different opinions.

But some DMs treat them as NPCs under their control whose feelings and beliefs you have to take into account, or they leave you. Other groups treat them as mindless zombie fanboys/fangirls, so infatuated with you that they don't leave you when you tell them to follow you to the Demonweb Pits.

If you are going to treat your Cohort as a obedient zombie, you could just make it BE an obedient zombie.

[Gorfnod]

But some DMs treat them as NPCs under their control whose feelings and beliefs you have to take into account, or they leave you.


I believe that cohorts are NPCs under the DMs control and I certainly feel that there should be some set of feelings or beliefs that should be taken in to account when dealing with them. Cohorts are not slaves and if you treat them badly they should have the free will to leave.

No where does it say or even imply that a cohort is a second character that you get to play. I believe that the pathfinder version may even say outright that they are NPCs.

[Clistenes]

I believe that cohorts are NPCs under the DMs control and I certainly feel that there should be some set of feelings or beliefs that should be taken in to account when dealing with them. Cohorts are not slaves and if you treat them badly they should have the free will to leave.

It's not so much the fact that they go away if you treat them badly, as the fact that they are supposed to be independent, free-willing creatures, but they follow you to places where no sane creature would thread (I don't count the PCs as sane). And there lies my problem. I have trouble accepting them as independent characters when my decisions literally drag them to Hell but my expectation is that they will follow and do their best (and I certainly would whine and complain if they dumped my character, because, hey, I spent a feat in them).

They fill a weird place in between "character's ability/power/feature" and "NPC ally".