Need help designing cohort and followers, for my level 6 expert politician

[Melcar]

Hellow Fellow Scriberinos...

So, I'm trying out a long time idea of playing an expert (the UA version). I'm level 6, (Expert 4/ Marshal 2 (going into exemplar when possible)). I have leadership. My Leadership score is 12. I'm a half-elf diplomacer sort, but not as optimized as that original build...

Any-who, I need to figure out what build my cohort and followers should be. I'm going to be playing the character kind of like Frank Underwood from House of Cards. So I basically need a cohort be like Doug Stamper who can aid me best possible in that endeavor of ending up in the very top echelon of what ever society we end up in. I was thinking martial rogue ACF for my cohort, but I don't know. I'm naturally maxing bluff, forgery, diplomacy, gather information, sense motive and profession (politician), as well as knowledge (nobility and Royalty), and knowledge (local)...

I generally want to use my followers to aid in what ever hostile business take over, or aid in political/ psychological warfare options, I'd be getting into as part of my journey to to top... I'm thinking either fighter/thug or rogue here, but again I'm all ears!

Since I've never played anything like this, I'm basically looking for any inspiration and advice concerning how to plan/build/optimize my followers so that they may be the biggest kind of asset in my endeavor... both in terms of mechanically and thematically!

Thanks!

[AvatarVecna]

Hellow Fellow Scriberinos...

So, I'm trying out a long time idea of playing an expert (the UA version). I'm level 6, (Expert 4/ Marshal 2 (going into exemplar when possible)). I have leadership. My Leadership score is 12. I'm a half-elf diplomacer sort, but not as optimized as that original build...

Any-who, I need to figure out what build my cohort and followers should be. I'm going to be playing the character kind of like Frank Underwood from House of Cards. So I basically need a cohort be like Doug Stamper who can aid me best possible in that endeavor of ending up in the very top echelon of what ever society we end up in. I was thinking martial rogue ACF for my cohort, but I don't know. I'm naturally maxing bluff, forgery, diplomacy, gather information, sense motive and profession (politician), as well as knowledge (nobility and Royalty), and knowledge (local)...

I generally want to use my followers to aid in what ever hostile business take over, or aid in political/ psychological warfare options, I'd be getting into as part of my journey to to top... I'm thinking either fighter/thug or rogue here, but again I'm all ears!

Since I've never played anything like this, I'm basically looking for any inspiration and advice concerning how to plan/build/optimize my followers so that they may be the biggest kind of asset in my endeavor... both in terms of mechanically and thematically!

Thanks!

If I was doing something like this for an NPC politician, I'd make most of the followers (if not all of them) into varying levels of "politician wannabe".

Lvl 1s are contacts, plain and simple. They're not your "followers", per se, but rather they are people around the city who owe you a favor, or who you do business with frequently. These are young Aristocrats eager to make a name for themselves beyond just their family name who might appreciate your assistance on a business venture. These are Expert craftsmen, guildsman, unionists, and scholars who might seek your advice or come asking favors for their sector. These are Adepts of various faiths who act as messengers between you and the clergy proper when neither of you has time for a real meeting. These are Warriors who look like they'll be a rising star within the local fighter's guild or guard barracks who you'd like to take under your wing and prepare for the day they'll be leading a small army...and they'll just owe you a favor or two for your generosity. These are Commoners who know the streets like the back of their hand and are down for some dodgy action if there's coin on the line - primarily information-gathering, presumably, but seedier options exist.

Lvl 2-3s are fresh-faced interns and gophers. Where the above are important individuals among the lower-ranks, here are the novices in your own field whose job is to do the busy-work your position entails - partly so it doesn't clutter up your schedule with things like "giving a message to the Duke of whatever" or "putting up flyers getting people riled up for an important cause", but also partly because it gives them experience interacting with the public and gets their name out there (even if for now it's just in that "the guy passing out the flyers for [PC Politician]"). These will be Aristocrats and Experts mainly, although the possibility exists for a skilled Adept or Magewright even.

Lvl 4-5s will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. These are your specialty minions, and they should be as varied as the kinds of jobs you'll be asking them to perform. Big businessmen, burgeoning adventurers, an alchemist in your employ, a bodyguard or two with real training, maybe even a hitman who can be distanced from you if discovered. These are capable minions, and should be assigned more specifically than the above categories.

Lvl 6s are 2s/3s who have graduated into full blown politicians but who are still less experienced than you. They owe you for the leg-up in the biz you gave them, and will still look to you for guidance more often than others - but they are not beholden to you anymore, and so should be treated more seriously. They should be Experts or maybe even Bards/Rogues, and their 6th lvl feat should be Master Manipulator (a fantastic feat for any politician).

[Heavenblade]

A spontaneous divination wizard can be AMAZING for a political campagin - gathering dirt on enemies, giving advice about the way certain policies will work, and the knowledge skills to aid the main character in a world where he has to answed questions like "What is your opinion about the long term effects of wizards hybriding owlbears and magebred griffons and selling them inside bags of holding?"

[Melcar]

If I was doing something like this for an NPC politician, I'd make most of the followers (if not all of them) into varying levels of "politician wannabe".

Lvl 1s are contacts, plain and simple. They're not your "followers", per se, but rather they are people around the city who owe you a favor, or who you do business with frequently. These are young Aristocrats eager to make a name for themselves beyond just their family name who might appreciate your assistance on a business venture. These are Expert craftsmen, guildsman, unionists, and scholars who might seek your advice or come asking favors for their sector. These are Adepts of various faiths who act as messengers between you and the clergy proper when neither of you has time for a real meeting. These are Warriors who look like they'll be a rising star within the local fighter's guild or guard barracks who you'd like to take under your wing and prepare for the day they'll be leading a small army...and they'll just owe you a favor or two for your generosity. These are Commoners who know the streets like the back of their hand and are down for some dodgy action if there's coin on the line - primarily information-gathering, presumably, but seedier options exist.

Lvl 2-3s are fresh-faced interns and gophers. Where the above are important individuals among the lower-ranks, here are the novices in your own field whose job is to do the busy-work your position entails - partly so it doesn't clutter up your schedule with things like "giving a message to the Duke of whatever" or "putting up flyers getting people riled up for an important cause", but also partly because it gives them experience interacting with the public and gets their name out there (even if for now it's just in that "the guy passing out the flyers for [PC Politician]"). These will be Aristocrats and Experts mainly, although the possibility exists for a skilled Adept or Magewright even.

Lvl 4-5s will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. These are your specialty minions, and they should be as varied as the kinds of jobs you'll be asking them to perform. Big businessmen, burgeoning adventurers, an alchemist in your employ, a bodyguard or two with real training, maybe even a hitman who can be distanced from you if discovered. These are capable minions, and should be assigned more specifically than the above categories.

Lvl 6s are 2s/3s who have graduated into full blown politicians but who are still less experienced than you. They owe you for the leg-up in the biz you gave them, and will still look to you for guidance more often than others - but they are not beholden to you anymore, and so should be treated more seriously. They should be Experts or maybe even Bards/Rogues, and their 6th lvl feat should be Master Manipulator (a fantastic feat for any politician).

I was kind of thinking of using them as an entourage which I could boss around and who could like make me look more important, but I do like your thoughts on the matter!

How would I ensure they not just pass and basically become inconsequential... it would seem this it up to my DM, who might just never use them... or are you thinking of something else here?


A spontaneous divination wizard can be AMAZING for a political campagin - gathering dirt on enemies, giving advice about the way certain policies will work, and the knowledge skills to aid the main character in a world where he has to answer questions like "What is your opinion about the long term effects of wizards hybriding owlbears and magebred griffons and selling them inside bags of holding?"

While I agree, my initial thoughts were to go mundane... most of all because of the challenge of making it completely non-magical, but you do bring up some valid points! Gonna probably need to rethink some of my ideas but I'm considering your points for sure...

[Gavinfoxx]

What I do for this kind of thing is make the main character a martial factotum (it's a homebrew variant), and make all of the followers tier 4 and 5, rather than specifically just NPC classes.

[Melcar]

What I do for this kind of thing is make the main character a martial factotum (it's a homebrew variant), and make all of the followers tier 4 and 5, rather than specifically just NPC classes.

Yes, I wanted to build all my followers using PC classes too... Especially my cohort, who will probably function as my spy-master. Kind of like Francis Walsingham (the man who created the first spy-network in Britain in the 16th century... So even though it would fit to have like a political adviser, I think its more profitable for me to have a spy-master (no matter the build)... who can stake out, eavesdrop, lift or plant notes/ letters/ decrees... and assassinate political opponents if needed!