Question: Level Adjustment: +2 (Cohort)

[MuthSera]

Okay. I have a question.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/Bluejaey/scan2.jpg

Down where it says..

Level Adjustment: +2 (cohort)

What does that mean? The Cohort part of it, that is. I know cohorts have +2 to their ECL already, (Since they are 2 levels lower then you.. ect ect.) but is this just a redundency then? Is it an additional +2 only for cohorts, or on top of it, making it +4 total, or is it just restating that cohorts have +2 ECL?

Any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated.:smallamused:

[RandomFellow]

It is just +2 LA. The (cohort) is meaningless for purposes of calculating the ECL of the cohort.

So a LA +2 (cohort) and a LA +2 is the same when calculating ECL.

That Fae would be Class Levels+2 for calculating its ECL (e.g. Fighter 1 would be ECL 3.)

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Just to be clear Cohorts don't have a '+2 to ECL'. They are built just like you would a PC.

[MuthSera]

So it means nothing.. at all?

[Picasso007]

I think WotC uses the (cohort) designation to imply that, while the monster in question isn't suitable as a PC for whatever reason, it would work as a cohort with the appropriate LA. So if your character could have, say, a 5th level cohort, and you wanted to have a Petal as a cohort, then it'd be a 3rd level Petal, for an ECL of 5.

[RandomFellow]

It just means the race is suitable for Cohorts but theoretically not for players. The logic is...flimsy at best. Better to ignore the existence of the (cohort) tag completely if it confuses you.

[MuthSera]

Thats.. kind of awesome..Picasso007..

So.. I could be a 6 fighter petal, with a 6 fighter petal cohort, under that thought?

[Prometheus]

It just means the race is suitable for Cohorts but theoretically not for players. The logic is...flimsy at best. Better to ignore the existence of the (cohort) tag completely if it confuses you.
True. The description implies that Petals are inherently subservient to greater beings, making them unfit for characters save for exception (for example Drizzit for shadow elves), but perfect as a cohort. (cohort) is explaining why the LA is not -, which would imply a non-playable character.

Of course, I don't see why it couldn't be an NPC either...

[martyboy74]

Thats.. kind of awesome..Picasso007..

So.. I could be a 6 fighter petal, with a 6 fighter petal cohort, under that thought?
No. There is a limit on the ECL of cohorts that is based on their leader. However, it isn't an LA.

[MuthSera]

Okay I got it. +2 and that they would be 'best suited' as a cohort. D:
Thanks guys, you're the greatest. ^.^

[Picasso007]

Thats.. kind of awesome..Picasso007..

So.. I could be a 6 fighter petal, with a 6 fighter petal cohort, under that thought?

No. Like I was saying, the (cohort) seems to be WotC's way of saying that they don't think a monster works as a PC. You could be an Elf Fighter 6, with a Petal Fighter 2 cohort. (2 class levels +2 LA = level 4 cohort).

[Mewtarthio]

No. Like I was saying, the (cohort) seems to be WotC's way of saying that they don't think a monster works as a PC. You could be an Elf Fighter 6, with a Petal Fighter 2 cohort. (2 class levels +2 LA = level 4 cohort).

I believe Muthsera's confusion here is about Leadership itself. Your Leadership score and the maximum level of your cohort are both based on your actual character level (HD), not your effective character level (HD + LA).

[The_Snark]

I should note that most of the creatures with a (cohort) designation are things such as nightmares, griffons, unicorns, worgs, blink dogs... in other words, mounts. They can be difficult to use as PCs, owing to a lack of important qualities like opposable thumbs, or the ability to speak. But as faithful companions who won't need to open doors or speak, they can work.

Why the petal has the designation, I have no idea. Seems to work fine as a PC.

[Icewalker]

I should note that most of the creatures with a (cohort) designation are things such as nightmares, griffons, unicorns, worgs, blink dogs... in other words, mounts. They can be difficult to use as PCs, owing to a lack of important qualities like opposable thumbs, or the ability to speak. But as faithful companions who won't need to open doors or speak, they can work.

Phah, in the old first edition campaign world I play in, we have a Shadow Mastiff, a Pegasus, a Rakshasa, all kinds of undead, a Kirin, a Nightmare BBEG, and pretty much every other interesting monster in the books.

Actually, the Rakshasa is my guy. He's pretty awesome.

:smallbiggrin:

[/offtopic]


If you were a level 6 human fighter, you could have a level 2 petal cohort.

As a 6 HD creature, you get a 4 HD cohort (if I understand correctly. It may be something like ECL instead of HD).

[tyckspoon]

Why the petal has the designation, I have no idea. Seems to work fine as a PC.

Because it's Tiny, I think. The normal 'playable' size range is Small to Large; sizes outside of those start attracting a lot of special rules, most of which aren't very beneficial (like the extra cost for getting weirdly-sized equipment or having to squeeze everywhere for things bigger than Large.)

[Laurellien]

Looks like an interesting monster. What book is it in?

[The_Snark]

Because it's Tiny, I think. The normal 'playable' size range is Small to Large; sizes outside of those start attracting a lot of special rules, most of which aren't very beneficial (like the extra cost for getting weirdly-sized equipment or having to squeeze everywhere for things bigger than Large.)

Oh... yes, you're probably right. Tiny creatures, in particular, have to deal with having to move into someone's space in order to attack them (or hit them with touch spells), provoking attacks of opportunity. Not that the Petal makes much of a melee combatant, anyway...