What PC class should a well-designed ruler have?

[Jay R]

Why would anyone follow anyone else when there is a guy in the room who can bring you or your loved ones back from the dead?

He can bring them back from the dead for 5,000 gp worth of diamonds. Even if the cleric were willing to pay for it himself, he doesn't have 5,000 gp of diamonds per person in the province. In fact, Angmar doesn't even have 5,000 gp worth of diamonds.

But apparently the setting already has a bunch of casters to do this.

Speaking as the DM, I have never said this, and it isn't true. Previously, I wrote, "The last couple of hundred years have been times of peace and prosperity, and the empire has expanded a great deal, although the expansion has been slowed or stopped for the last few decades. Among other things, this means that there aren't many high-level characters around; with little or no monsters around, it's hard to get experience points."

At 8th level, Angmar is probably the highest level character in the province. His 6th level cohort is one of the three or so at that level.

I've decided that the cohort will not have plant growth, for all the reasons that people are suggesting having it. If he had it, he'd be wandering all over the province casting it, and people would already know a lot about him (and therefore Angmar). Most of the PCs come from a little village on the very edge of the province, which has had no visitor from the government for decades. But its days of quiet isolation are about to end. [One PC has run away from her arranged marriage, and comes from further in.]

In the opening episode, there will be falling star, which will strike a mountain in the wilderness, about 15-20 miles from the village. The PCs will be asked to investigate, and after they deal with the issue, they will meet some of Angmar's men who have been sent to look into it. They will have no idea who this "Angmar" person is. Only the fleeing PC will even know who he is, and what authority he has, and she will probably assume that they are coming after her.

Therefore the cohort will not be wandering around the province making people happy about Angmar's rule.

But keep the ideas coming, if you like. I'm mining them for further ideas.

In fact, I've decided not to design the cohort until I need him, and then I will give him the abilities I need. Until then, Angmar has Schrödinger's cohort.