Need More Cohorts!

[Acanous]

So I've got this wizard character who'se entire premise is that he wants to run a mage guild.
I'm running him as a Master Specialist [Illusion] with his first cohort being [Conjuration].

I'm looking for a way to get more cohorts to serve as "Teachers" as Master Specialists of other schools. Anyone know if there's a feat for this, or some way it could be done?

[WinWin]

DMG 2 has mentor and apprentice feats.

Undead leadership could attract a necromancer/necropolitan cohort.

Draconic leadership? Not sure which book. Could attract a half dragon or dragonborn sorcerer.

Followers could be low level arcanists.

Utilize Planar Binding in order to call in Guest Instructors, either a specific type of outsider or a Half Fiend/Celestial with class levels.

See if you can establish an organisation or guild (I mean according to the DMG 2 rules), better yet, join an existing one. It will give your followers something to do when your main character is on an adventure. It may also attract some NPC's and give your DM ideas for plot hooks.

Great way to fill up your spellbook. lol.

[Zaakar]

Have your cohorts have cohorts? That's maybe a lil' help.

[JBento]

According to the rules, the different leadership/cohort feats do not stack on matters of cohorts, though the two leadership feats WILL give you a load of followers.

Best option for you might be the aforementioned DMG2 guild/organization rules.

Or, y'know, just hire people 8)

[EvilJoe15]

If you want a set up for leadership cascade(That's what it's called) Leadership is sub-optimal. I recommend starting with Thrallherd.

If your starting point needs to be a wizard then dip Psion 1 for a psicrystal. Take Leadership, have the psicrystal take leadership.

Have each cohort take leadership.

Have each follower at or above level 6 take leadership.

There you go.

[Crow]

As I understood it, the DMG mentioned something about cohorts not being able to take Leadership. Something like "If they were a leader, they wouldn't be your cohort."

Maybe I am thinking of the 3.0 DMG?

[Acanous]

yeah, cohorts can't take leadership. I did grab Dragon Familiar, and hopefully IT can take Leadership >.>
also talking with the DM, "Dragon Cohort"'s RAW basically states you get a Dragon Cohort tacked on, not replacing your other cohort. [compared it to Demon Familiar, which states it DOES replace.]

I know leadership is sub optimal. So is specialist Illusion, really. If I wanted to be superwizard, I'd have gone Conjuration, Transmutation, or Abjuration.
It's really more for story purposes than anything else.

Will have to look into the psicrystal thing. Diddn't think they got feats.

[Morph Bark]

I know leadership is sub optimal. So is specialist Illusion, really. If I wanted to be superwizard, I'd have gone Conjuration, Transmutation, or Abjuration.
It's really more for story purposes than anything else.

Will have to look into the psicrystal thing. Diddn't think they got feats.

Are you kidding? You essentially get a whole extra turn to use with a different character, adding extra powers to the party, even though it's weaker. It's one reason why cohorts not being allowed Leadership is one of the small smart things WotC did with the less smart things.

[Boci]

If you want a set up for leadership cascade(That's what it's called) Leadership is sub-optimal. I recommend starting with Thrallherd.

If your starting point needs to be a wizard then dip Psion 1 for a psicrystal. Take Leadership, have the psicrystal take leadership.

Thrallherd class features invalidates leadership, and as for your psichrystal...not sure a DM would be okay with that. What is your DM's stance on the idea?

[Marnath]

Plus one to the hiring people thing. Also, something to think about is if this organization you set up becomes prestigious enough, trained people will start lining up for the honor of being made "master of (spell school)" all on their own.

[balistafreak]

Are you kidding? You essentially get a whole extra turn to use with a different character, adding extra powers to the party, even though it's weaker. It's one reason why cohorts not being allowed Leadership is one of the small smart things WotC did with the less smart things.

I believe he meant "Leadership is a suboptimal way to get cohorts and followers because there is a better way to do it (Thrallherd)".

Nitpick: I don't believe WotC ever said in so many rules that Cohorts can't have Leadership. True, even I, the great Leadership lover, would draw the line there, but I don't recall ever seeing a ruling that says "Cohorts cannot take Leadership".

Thrallherd class features invalidates leadership, and as for your psichrystal...not sure a DM would be okay with that. What is your DM's stance on the idea?

To be fair, Thrallherd class features invalidate Leadership because they're better than Leadership (TWO COHORTS BWHAHA), and at least Wizards was smart enough to say "no, they can't have both".

Psicrystals very specifically gain HD in their entry, which means they very specifically like anything that gains HD get bonus feats. Which can be Leadership...

But that's more a Leadership problem, not a Psicrystals-get-feats problem.

@OP: Barring massive cheese, you're going to need some non-feat/character related way to get enough subordinates for all eight schools. +1 to hiring/Planar Binding idea, because as a Master Illusionist Thrallherd is probably right out for you.

[Morph Bark]

I believe he meant "Leadership is a suboptimal way to get cohorts and followers because there is a better way to do it (Thrallherd)".

Nitpick: I don't believe WotC ever said in so many rules that Cohorts can't have Leadership. True, even I, the great Leadership lover, would draw the line there, but I don't recall ever seeing a ruling that says "Cohorts cannot take Leadership".

What would you think of Cohorts having Undead Leadership or Thrallherd levels?

[Beelzebub1111]

What would you think of Cohorts having Undead Leadership or Thrallherd levels?

The DM smacking you upside the head.

[balistafreak]

What would you think of Cohorts having Undead Leadership or Thrallherd levels?

You know what I mean.

To be fair, though, I might allow a leadership chain as a thought exercise. Yes, a chain of command through cohorts and accumulated followers will exist, but you don't get to actively use them. You create a full new organization in the world by taking Leadership/being a Thrallherd, complete with its own politics and problems.

(Actually, that'd be a pretty sweet game to play in. )

[Greenish]

If your starting point needs to be a wizard then dip Psion 1 for a psicrystal. Take Leadership, have the psicrystal take leadership.

Level 1 psion's psicrystal doesn't qualify for Leadership. Psicrystal only counts levels in psionic classes for it's advancement.

[balistafreak]

Level 1 psion's psicrystal doesn't qualify for Leadership. Psicrystal only counts levels in psionic classes for it's advancement.

Does Practiced Manifester work? I don't think it does, but just asking.

Alternatively, you can go Psion1 (taking Practiced Manifester, learning Mindlink) and then Thrallherd1. It's not really a good idea, though; 2 dead levels is ew. Your Thrall is probably going to be better than you, because it'll only have one "dead" (actually non-existent) level.

[Flickerdart]

You could always get a Wight cohort, who goes out to kill arcanists and raise them as Wights. There's a prestige class in Libris Mortis that returns your old powers to you after you've been raised as undead, so have them take those levels, then use them to do whatever.

[Jack_Simth]

Use regular Leadership for the Headmaster (Cohort) and for the assorted servants and low-level instructors (followers). Hire everyone else. The actual staff is on your side, and the headmaster is on your side, the instructors all have their own goals (but still want to avoid getting fired. You are paying them good money, after all).

If your DM wants to incorporate it into the plot, well and good - you have intrigue! If the DM does not, well and good: Your school continues normally, with nothing particularly eventful happening.

[FuryOfMetal]

Totally stolen for the campaign idea box. Specifically a one on one campaign.

[Ozymandias9]

It doesn't bypass the fact that leadership isn't the best way to get this done. But there is a class in the Dragonlance campaign setting that works well for a teacher (though it's fluffed for religious zealotry).

Righteous Zealot
Gets an oration ability that functions similar to a bard's bardic music (usable 1/day*level). A first level, they get Enthralling Discourse, which works as enthrall. At second level, they get Compelling Argument, which works as suggestion. Both of these are fairly easily re-fluffed to academics.

At 3rd level, they get Leadership as a bonus feat (actually a class feature called Gather Followers-- they "effectively granting [the character] the leadership feat.")

It does not, unfortunately, progress spellcasting, which is probably a deal breaker for the character in question.

[Andion Isurand]

The IMPROVED COHORT feat from Heroes of Battle (pg. 98) can improve the maximum level of your cohort by 1... to a level one less than your own level.

The EXTRA FOLLOWERS feat from Heroes of Battle (pg. 97) lets you lead twice as many followers as indicated for your Leadership score.

78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. [...]Where did you start yours?
A street riot in a major city that was getting violent.

When I start campaigns at a level higher than one, I sometimes start off all the PCs as prisoners of some kind, and their captors are suddenly raided by an opposing force and the PCs are freed in the shuffle and get to raid corpses for equipment and valuables (magical items among it) while dashing their way out. That way by the time they finish escaping, they are generally geared for their level.