Two characters at reduced level?

[Psionic Dog]

Ok, so I'm a little short on DM experience and one of the prospective players just came up with a brilliant character concept: he'll play 2 characters together!

He's asking for a leadership feat variant that grants a Cohort with an ECL equal to his own -1, but with no followers.

I'm considering allowing him simply 2 characters that each start at 2 levels lower than the party and each take half XP.

Is this a brilliant compromise on my part or a recipe for disaster?

It is an ECL 9 party.

Edit: Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I see now that an XP penalty is unacceptable. My biggest concern has been that leadership-cohort type strategies have been shown to be potentially exploited for cheese, and the... unique circumstances would allow greater player/cohort synergy like benefits than usual. It looks like I'll allow him to have basic leadership with the followers stripped off and allow option of taking the improved version mentioned later once I have a chance to see the duo in live action.

[Mr. Friendly]

....

What level is the party?

Why not just use the normal rules for leadership?

[Telonius]

Just a flat-out half Xp for both characters will (I'm fairly sure) result in them falling further and further behind as play progresses.

In most of my gaming experience, followers are not actually very helpful to the PCs. Removing them would not be removing all that big of a benefit. If the player really wants to ditch the followers, I'd let him do it for a +2 to Diplomacy. If he really wants a bump to his cohort, I'd allow him to take a homebrewed "Improved Cohort" feat.

FEAT: Improved Cohort
Requirements: Leadership feat, Leadership score 15
Benefits: A character with the Improved Cohort feat may recruit a cohort one level higher than normal. The maximum cohort level is equal to the character level -1.
Special: This feat may only be taken once.

[OzymandiasVolt]

Heroes of Battle. Page 98. "Improved Cohort" feat. Raises the maximum level of your cohort to your level -1 instead of -2.

[Severus]

Half Xp would be a disaster, as the characters would fall farther and farther behind. -2 levels is probably pretty gimped.

I'd be more concerned with what's the impact on the rest of the group? Why does he want/need 2 characters? Is it because you need to fill a hole in the group? If so, why penalize?

If it's because of a cool character idea, then I'd want context. Should the GM keep control of one, and just let the player run it most of the time, but with GM ability to take it over at any time?

Context is important here.

[Cuddly]

I don't allow cohorts unless everyone feels like playing two characters, and only if I have three or less players. Otherwise, one player gets two turns, conbat takes even longer, etc. etc.

[ashmanonar]

I don't allow cohorts unless everyone feels like playing two characters, and only if I have three or less players. Otherwise, one player gets two turns, conbat takes even longer, etc. etc.

Yea, I was considering picking up a willing cohort (long story short, the woman my character loves wanted to come with on the adventure, yadda yadda) but...something about dealing with 2 characters sounded ridiculous.

[Telonius]

Heroes of Battle. Page 98. "Improved Cohort" feat. Raises the maximum level of your cohort to your level -1 instead of -2.

Bah! Ninja'd by a Wizard (of the Coast!) :smallbiggrin:

[Feralgeist]

just get them to play a dvati. it's a race that has 2 bodies but one mind flavor it how you want.

[Innis Cabal]

Dvati is not that great a race sadly, interesting but......sub parly made

[Squash Monster]

The CR system says that two characters at -2 levels are equal to a character at full level. In practice they'll be a little bit weak.

If you want two lesser-powered characters, though, it's probably the best way to go. Just work out the xp so they stay at -2 level.