Help me find the "best" Cohort for our campaign

[GrayDeath]

As the title says.


Now the story/Wordl and Mechanicwise limitations are:

1.: Can not be any type of full caster, manyfester etc.

2.: Can not be a class that needs copious amounts of downtime to work well (or lots of specific ressources), as we are not likely to get them for at least until Level 14ish.

3.: Must work for a Lawful Evil low Charisma Warforged without problems (^^)

4.: Cannot be a Warlock or other "All day Special things" guy (part of the campaign is harsh ressource management).

and the "would be nice" points: If it had good defenses (our campaign is really hard, last session we ran a CR 16 dungeon with 2 ECL 9 Characters and a semiallied aboleth), can stealth (our groups worst stealther atm has a base of 24 in it, we all have dark vision and 2 of us can either cast invisibility or have a ring for it).

It starts at Level 7 and should be useful from the get go.
Allowed sources: All srd 3.5 content, maybe Dragon mag and stuff, but only if its REALLY necessary and not cheesy (and easy to get access to).


Aside fromthat, I am completely open to suggestions. :)

[sleepyphoenixx]

Assuming you don't already have one i'd suggest a Psychic Rogue. They're decent but not too good, have a bunch of neat options and work fine single-classed, so your DM is unlikely to have a problem with it that a build with tons of different classes may cause.
And the only downtime they need is a full-round action after sleeping to refresh their PP.

The other suggestion would be a Swordsage for much the same reasons.

[MeimuHakurei]

Consider if you can get a decently statted Devil to work for you - monstrous cohorts are very much a thing.

[GrayDeath]

Assuming you don't already have one i'd suggest a Psychic Rogue. They're decent but not too good, have a bunch of neat options and work fine single-classed, so your DM is unlikely to have a problem with it that a build with tons of different classes may cause.
And the only downtime they need is a full-round action after sleeping to refresh their PP.

The other suggestion would be a Swordsage for much the same reasons.

Ah, should have clarified the roles we have filled.

My Character is a Gestalt Warforged Warblade//Rogue/Telflammar Shadowlord, we have a Sorcerer/Favoured Soul/MT/Arcane Hierophant and a part Illithid Psion (Kineticist).
So a psychic Rogue would be kind of redundant, as would a sowrdsage....


Consider if you can get a decently statted Devil to work for you - monstrous cohorts are very much a thing.


Hmmm, decent, usable Devils around our CR? We still have to interact with Society, dont they all either look like ... well, Devils or are out of the range for me?

[Goaty14]

The other suggestion would be a Swordsage for much the same reasons.

Swordsage, along with any other good class that I can think of has recoverable resources, which doesn't fill #4.

I'd grab a bard/marshal/dragon shaman/<passive buff class> because it would be a good 5th wheel.

[GrayDeath]

Ehm, I have no Idea how you equate "Every good class (has recoverable Ressources" with "No Warlocks or other everything all day long".

I would rather say the exact opposite. Every class that has recoverable ressources implies that it SPENDS ressources, and hence does not run afoul of Restrition number 4.....

[PunBlake]

Do you consider Bard to be a "full caster"? It's the best option IMO, and you could always give it some less-than-full-casting PrC to weaken it sufficiently to prevent overshadowing.
Secondarily, you could do something obscure to learn a system you don't use or have in your party. Given your requirements, Incarnate and Totemist seem like they'd work.

EDIT: Oh, wait, you're a Warforged and thus immune to most Bardic Music. I now lean much more toward an artificer.

[GrayDeath]

Why would a Warforged be immune to bardic Music?

Also, Artificer is A: THE Downtime Class (See point 2) and B: Most times equalled to a full Caster (see Point 1).....

[sleepyphoenixx]

It looks like you could use a meatshield. How about a ranger? Possibly with the wildshape ranger ACF.
An Unseen Seer would also be an option if it doesn't fall under the "no full casters" rule since your group lacks an arcanist.
Or, as others have suggested, a bard. You can have him pick up Subsonics (CAdv) to work with your groups stealth focus.

[WhamBamSam]

I like going for things that only have Cohort LA. Blink Dog (or Beguiler Thrall of Juiblex with Assume Supernatural Ability or something) Shadow Pouncer is a favorite of mine.

[Telonius]

Sounds like a good place to plug in a Swift Hunter build. Good attacks, can certainly stealth. If he's that hardcore into resource management, a Survival / Handle Animal specialist could come in handy.

Totemist would be another good option. Solid class, lots of natural attacks, self-sufficient, can stealth.

[Calthropstu]

I advise an erinyes.

[PunBlake]

Why would a Warforged be immune to bardic Music?
I was misremembering something; a friend was running a Warforged Juggernaut with a bard in the party, and it eventually became immune to bardic music.


Also, Artificer is A: THE Downtime Class (See point 2) and B: Most times equalled to a full Caster (see Point 1).....
Only if you run him that way. Your cohort listens to you. Prestige out. Dip fighter or something to make it a meatshield, then use Abjurant Champion or similar to progress the infusions without the crafting. Be creative.

Also, you never mentioned how you feel about bard, totemist, or incarnate.

[GrayDeath]

Sounds like a good place to plug in a Swift Hunter build. Good attacks, can certainly stealth. If he's that hardcore into resource management, a Survival / Handle Animal specialist could come in handy.

Totemist would be another good option. Solid class, lots of natural attacks, self-sufficient, can stealth.


Hmmm, well, only one of us has to eat. But for other ressources, true, might be helpful.

Totemnist sounds fun, but I am not sure he wants Incarnum in the mix, I`ll ask him.


I advise an erinyes.

How high would my LD Score need to be for that? THematically it would fit well enough.



@ Warforged: Ah, yes, the Juggernaught. Not going that route (due to an experiment gone wrong actually CANT go that route, as I am a bit more magical and biological than normal Warforged^^).

So far the most likely choice seems a Bard for support or a Mosnter that I can take with my abysmal Charisma (level 9, Charisma 7....^^ rather famous and getting more so, and very true to my word....would make a LD Score of 9, right?).

[Particle_Man]

What about a monk or monk/assassin? They have good saves and are pretty low maintenance.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Absolutely make it something that's already bought off some level adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm). It's starting at 7th, so for example, give it a +1 LA race or inherited template (Goliath), bought off at its 3rd character level, and a +1 LA acquired template (Mineral Warrior (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003e)), bought off at its 6th character level. It's still starting out at 7th level, regardless of how much xp it cost to buy off the level adjustments.

You could make this a Whisper Gnome (RoS), who gradually gained the Half-Fey template (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a), going [Class] 1/ Half-Fey +1/ [Class] 3/ (buy off +1 LA)/ Half-Fey 2nd LA/ [Class] 3/ (buy off +1 LA), and thus start out at 7th level with no remaining level adjustment. Take the feat Magic in the Blood (PGtF) and any 1/day racial spell-like abilities, including those from Half-Fey, are instead usable 3/day.

I would honestly make this an Earth Dwarf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfEarth) who gradually gained Half-Dragon (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030912a) as follows: Half Dragon +1/ [Class] 3/ (buy off +1 LA)/ Half-Dragon 2nd LA/ [Class] 3/ (buy off +1 LA)/ Half-Dragon 3rd LA, starting out at ECL 7 with a +1 LA and six class levels. At ECL 10 he can buy off that last point of LA and possibly jump back up to 10th level immediately, being an NPC and the character being entitled to a 10th level cohort. Take the feats Dragon Breath and Entangling Exhalation in Races of the Dragon so he can use his breath attack every 1d4 rounds and use it to debuff opponents. Probably go Ranger 3/ Warblade 2/ Deepwarden (RoS), using the Strong Arm style for Ranger from Dragon 326 which gives Power Attack at 2nd level. Put the 3rd Ranger level at 5th to catch up on skills. Maybe go into Bloodstorm Blade after Deepwarden 2. Use a reach weapon that can trip such as a Guisarme, he gets +8 versus being tripped back if he fails, and get Stand Still (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#standStill).

[GrayDeath]

OK, wild Level mixing like for PC`s is out following th GM, as are Incarnum and other Different Systems" except ToB and Psionics.

He mgiht be willing to improve Dragon Cohort though, I`ll know tomorrow.
Even if its not optimal, getting a Dragon that grows faster than its Age would suggest has always held a kind of fascination ^^

[Bphill561]

I would go with a fiend of possession. Basically it can possess your weapon or armor and stack on enhancements that you can change as needed. When it is hidden it is pretty much untarget-able, so it is out of sight and adds to your abilities without much management.

Google Fiend of Possession Handbook updated on min max boards for builds. popanas saved my old handbook from the wizards forums.

[GrayDeath]

OK, we played last weekend, and the only reasonably available Cohorts I found interesting were a Bard, some Wyrmling Dragons and a Crusader.

I chose the Dragon, cause why the heck not? (GM uses a modified rule that keeps the Dragon gaining HD to stay in range of the regular Level m-2 HD, with it gaining Age levels ...kind of, when appropiate).

Now, as I dont want my little BLue mDragon to die before I can even ride it (^^), recommendations for magical items to avoid that? To that affect, we are at the moment limited to "Magic marts, one a weapon and armor Smith that can go up to +3, one a Druid that can go up to CL 12 but refuses to do nondruidic-neutral stuff.

THanks ina dvance once again