Leadership
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The General's Handbook
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Leadership Sphere

Practitioners of the Leadership sphere learn how to gather, organize, and command others. When you gain the Leadership sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the Diplomacy skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Leadership sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Diplomacy skill you may immediately retrain them. Both base packages of the Leadership sphere require significant time investment and thus are unsuitable for being granted as a temporary talent. Likewise, no (follower) talents may be granted as temporary talents. (Cohort) talents that do not affect the type or number of creatures you can recruit may be gained as temporary talents if you have the (cohort) package.

If you possess multiple spheres that grant ranks in Diplomacy, you gain a competence bonus on Diplomacy checks equal to half your base attack bonus instead of retraining the ranks multiple times. This is only applied once.

Special: Animal companions, Conjuration sphere companions, drake companions, eidolons, familiars, independent inventions, Leadership cohorts, and any other controlled characters gained by class features, talents or feats cannot gain this sphere or talents from this sphere. When you first take the Leadership sphere, choose one of the following packages: Cohort or Follower. Associated Feat: Leadership.

Leadership Sphere and Wealth

Hiring NPCs to accompany you on adventures normally costs wealth. Likewise, having a group of commoners working for you would normally be expected to generate wealth. The Leadership sphere is intended neither to force players to pay gold to use abilities they paid character-building resources (talents) for, nor to significantly skew expected wealth. The costs and profits from cohorts and followers from the Leadership sphere are abstracted. Cohorts are paid in the experience they gain, in the miscellaneous items that they recover and sell that the PCs don't bother with, and from surplus income of followers (if the (followers) package is also possessed). Likewise, wealth generated by followers is assumed to go into providing the mechanical benefits they provide, into establishing businesses and homes, into bribes, and towards supporting their leader and his associates.

Note: General Profits: Some Leadership talents state that you can make earnings checks, and that these stack with capital gains from other talents. This means that you can make a check for each such talent when calculating earnings.

Cohort Package

Specialized NPCs called cohorts are willing to follow you on adventures. A cohort always acts on your initiative. You gain the following ability:

Recruit

You may recruit adventurers, mercenaries, and sellswords to actively assist you. Recruiting requires spending 8 hours in a settlement and making a Diplomacy check. You may select the profession and martial tradition you are looking for, and may also specify a particular race from those available. Not all races, professions, and traditions will be available in all locations; the available pool is determined by the GM. The base DC of this check is 10 + the Hit Dice of the person you are looking to recruit, modified per Settlement Size Modifier and Miscellaneous Modifier tables. Modifiers are cumulative. You may take 10 on this check.

You may not recruit a creature with more Hit Dice than the maximum shown on Table: Cohort. The exact feats and talents the cohort possesses are up to the GM, though you may reject a given cohort and attempt to recruit another with the normal action. Recruits are usually humanoids with no racial Hit Dice, and are of races available in the region you are recruiting. Creatures with racial Hit Dice, templates, or abilities unsuitable to player races are not suitable to be cohorts.

You may have multiple recruited creatures under your control, but their total Hit Dice cannot exceed your ranks in Diplomacy. If you attempt to recruit a creature that would exceed your Hit Dice cap, you must choose which other creatures to release from your service.

A cohort serves you loyally and will follow you into and aid you during combat, but will not obey obviously suicidal orders nor subject itself to harm for no obvious purpose. Cohorts are usually within 1 alignment step of you, though some exceptions may occur at the GM’s discretion.

Wiki Note: Effects that increase effective BAB or skill ranks in a sphere do not accelerate the strength of leadership cohorts or similar partners, just as increasing your caster level does not accelerate the hit dice of Conjuration sphere companions. Only effects that actually raise your effective level, such as the Spherebound mythic quality or a Conscript sphere specialization, can increase the hit dice of cohorts and similar companions.

Table: Settlement Size Modifiers
Population Settlement Size DC Modifier
Fewer than 21 Thorp +8
21–60 Hamlet +6
61–200 Village +4
201–2,000 Small town +2
2,001–5,000 Large town +1
5,001–10,000 Small city +0
10,001–25,000 Large city -1
More than 25,000 Metropolis -2
Table: Miscellaneous Modifiers
Factor Modifier
Settlement is predominantly of a different alignment to you. +1 per step (cumulative)
Population of settlement is at least 50% of a particular race you are seeking. -2
5% to 25% of the population of the settlement is of a particular race you are seeking. +1
Less than 5% of the population is of a particular race you are seeking. +2
You are looking for your own race. -2
You do not specify the profession. -2
You do not specify tradition. -2
You are attempting to recruit a contact. -5, ignore DC modifications for alignment, race, profession, and tradition.
A cohort has been killed and not resurrected. +5 (cumulative for each death, reduced by 1 for each month since the cohort’s death)
Signing bonus of 10 gp per Hit Die. -1 (cumulative, may be applied up to 5 times)
Supplying magical equipment. Reduces DC equal to half the cumulative enhancement bonus of weapons and armor, (minimum reduction of -1).
Settlement is particularly insular, isolated, or opposed to you. Varies, GM decision

Building A Cohort

Cohorts gain abilities based on their Hit Dice and race. The listed statistics are modified by the cohort’s race as normal. Cohorts are considered to have a CR equal to their Hit Dice - 2 for purposes that require it. Cohorts have class skills according to their creature type (Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Profession, Ride, and Survival for humanoids), plus the ones listed in their profession. Select from the following professions to determine the cohort’s base statistics:

Student
Hit Dice d6; Saves Fort (bad), Ref (good), Will (good); Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 9, Cha 10; Practitioner Modifier Int; Skill Points per Hit Die 2; Class Skills Appraise, Knowledge (all), Use Magic Device; Magic Scholar: Students gain the Alchemy sphere as a bonus talent at 1 Hit Die. Students add half their level (minimum 1) to all Use Magic Device checks and may use their Intelligence in place of their Charisma for such checks.; Budding Academic: Students gain an additional 4 skill points per Hit Die that must be spent on Intelligence-based skills. Starting Equipment: Alchemy kit, simple melee or ranged weapon with 20 pieces ammunition

Thief
Hit Dice d8; Saves Fort (bad), Ref (good), Will (good); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 10; Practitioner Modifier Int; Skill Points per Hit Die 4; Class Skills Appraise, Disguise, Disable Device, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth; Rogue Training: Thieves may take rogue talents in place of feats and gain the following ability: Trapfinding: A thief cohort adds 1/2 her level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). A thief cohort can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps. Starting Equipment: Studded leather armor, thieves tools, One of: 1. Simple or martial melee weapon and simple or martial ranged weapon with 20 pieces ammunition, or 2. Simple or martial melee weapon and shield.

Warrior
Hit Dice d10; Saves Fort (good), Ref (bad), Will (good); Ability Scores Str 16, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 11; Practitioner Modifier Con; Skill Points per Hit Die 4; Class Skills Intimidate, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), Perception, Swim; Athlete: Warrior cohorts gain a bonus equal to half their Hit Dice on all Climb and Swim skill checks as well as on Constitution-based ability checks. Starting Equipment: scale mail or studded leather armor, One of: 1. Simple or martial melee weapon and simple or martial ranged weapon with 20 pieces ammunition 2. Simple or martial melee weapon and shield

Woodsman
Hit Dice d10; Saves Fort (good), Ref (good), Will (bad); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 10; Practitioner Modifier Wis; Skill Points per Hit Die 4; Class Skills Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Swim; Survivalist: Woodsman cohorts gain a bonus equal to half their Hit Dice on all Survival skill checks. Starting Equipment Studded leather armor, a simple or martial melee weapon and simple or martial ranged weapon with 20 pieces ammunition

When a cohort gains variable starting equipment (for example, a choice of weapons or shields) the total cost of the combined weapons, ammunition, and/or shield cannot exceed 100 gp.

All cohorts are proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and bucklers. Cohorts begin play with leather armor and a dagger in addition to any equipment listed in their descriptions; further equipment must be supplied to them. A cohort’s starting gear may not be used to increase PC wealth; it cannot normally be sold and if extreme circumstances occur where the PCs benefit from its loss, it must be replaced (or wealth sufficient to pay for replacements given) at the earliest possible time. If the cohort is deceased, this payment must be made to their next of kin or other designee (it is assumed that such a person always exists as part of normal recruitment). If a cohort is equipped with additional items, the cohort will not keep them if leaving your service.

Table: Cohort
Ranks in Diplomacy Maximum Hit Dice Base Attack Bonus Feats Good Saves Bad Saves Combat Talents Special
1 1 +1 1 +2 +0 0 Martial tradition
2 2 +2 1 +3 +0 1 -
3 3 +3 2 +3 +1 1 -
4 3 +3 2 +3 +1 1 -
5 4 +4 2 +4 +1 2 Ability score increase
6 5 +5 3 +4 +1 2 +2 enhancement
7 6 +6/+1 3 +5 +2 3 -
8 6 +6/+1 3 +5 +2 3 -
9 7 +7/+2 4 +5 +2 3 -
10 8 +8/+3 4 +6 +2 4 Ability score increase
11 9 +9/+4 5 +6 +3 4 +4/+2 enhancement
12 9 +9/+4 5 +6 +3 4 -
13 10 +10/+5 5 +7 +3 5 -
14 11 +11/+6/+1 6 +7 +3 5 -
15 12 +12/+7/+2 6 +8 +4 6 Ability score increase
16 12 +12/+7/+2 6 +8 +4 6 -
17 13 +13/+8/+3 7 +8 +4 6 +6/+4/+2 enhancement
18 14 +14/+9/+4 7 +9 +4 7 -
19 15 +15/+10/+5 8 +9 +5 7 -
20 15 +15/+10/+5 8 +9 +5 7 -
21 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 8 +10 +5 8 Ability score increase

When you gain a level and your ranks in Diplomacy increase, you may assign an additional Hit Die to current cohorts, up to the maximum they may possess and not causing the total Hit Dice you have recruited to exceed your limit.

Feats: A cohort begins with one feat, and gains another feat at every odd Hit Die. A cohort may gain any PC feat for which it qualifies. Cohorts may not gain magic item crafting feats.

Combat Talents: Cohorts gains talents with the proficient progression.

Martial Tradition: Your cohort gains a martial tradition, using the practitioner modifier given by their profession.

Ability Score Increase: Just like PCs and Monsters, a cohort gains a permanent +1 bonus to an ability score of your choice for every 4 Hit Dice possessed.

Enhancement: At 5 Hit Dice, a cohort gains a +2 enhancement bonus to one ability score. At 9th level, they increase this bonus to +4 and gain a +2 bonus to an additional ability score. At 13th level, the first bonus increases to +6, the second to +4, and they gain a +2 bonus to an additional ability score. These bonuses may be retrained as if they were a single feat.

Talents marked (cohort) grant additional options for your cohorts. Some abilities call out joint actions. These actions require both the user and his cohort to pay the requisite action cost.

Re-Recruiting Cohorts

A cohort that leaves your service on good terms is easier to recruit. You may maintain a network of such former cohorts, called contacts, equal to twice your practitioner ability modifier (minimum 2). Such contacts do not normally travel with you beyond reaching the nearest settlement. Each contact will have a place of residence, usually in a settlement but sometimes a wilderness area, ship, or other abode. You may send messages to a contact by whatever means you have available, requesting that they meet you at a particular time and place, allowing you to recruit them. Talents such a Messenger, and legendary talents such as Air Travel, Planisphere, and Teleportation can facilitate getting messages to the contact and their traveling to meet you. Contacts are able to travel to your caravan at the same rate as your Messengers.

Contacts have lives apart from following you and may on occasion send requests for aid or show up in unexpected places. Unlike a cohort, there is no penalty for the death of a contact. Mindless cohorts may not become contacts.

Roleplaying Cohorts

Cohorts are generally under the player's control regarding their mechanical actions, especially during adventures, but they are not mindless automatons. Cohorts that are abused or mistreated will abandon the player when able to do so. Normally, the GM will speak for cohorts. Another option is to allow other players to control some cohorts, investing them in the cohort's development and well-being. The other players could be allowed a degree of latitude to portray a unique personality for the cohort, emphasizing that it is a unique person rather than simply a class ability. This should obviously only be done after consulting with the other players and may not work in all groups. Be aware that this invites the others players' input on how the cohort is used, which may be unwelcome to some players.

Follower Package

You gain a group of followers. These followers will not accompany you into dangerous locations, but can lend assistance in various ways. Followers can supply unskilled labor for simple tasks, such as clearing a road obstructed by falling rocks. Count the followers as supplying a number of Medium-sized unskilled laborers equal to half the number of followers in the settlement (or caravan). While doing so, the followers cannot provide their other benefits. If attacked, followers will attempt to flee to a safe place to the best of their ability. You normally have about 5 followers per rank in Diplomacy. If statistics are needed for a particular follower, treat them as level 1 commoners.

If you possess the Alchemists, Craftsmen, Entertainers, Healers, Merchants, Rangers, or Scholars talents, then there is a 10% chance per talent that a randomly selected follower will be a level 1 expert. When you gain this package, choose a settlement with which you are well acquainted. Your initial followers are drawn from there. When first gaining this package, it is assumed that you have spent time in the past making contacts, deals, and promises and that you are well known enough in the community to attract a group of followers.

Should the number of followers available be reduced for any reason, the effectiveness of (followers) talents is reduced, treating your ranks in Diplomacy as equal to the number of available followers/4. You normally regain 1 follower per rank in Diplomacy each day you spend in a settlement where your followers are dispersed, but you can double this number with 8 hours of active effort each day. If you have lost all of your followers or do not disperse your followers in the settlement, the recruitment rate is halved (minimum 1 follower per day).

If using the downtime rules found in Ultimate Campaign, having your followers present in a settlement increases the effect of Influence or Labor you spend by 50%, to a maximum of 1 additional Influence or Labor for every 2 followers in the settlement where the downtime activity takes place. Any talents that enable followers to make checks to generate capital receive any benefits from rooms and teams you have access to. If a talent allows followers to generate capital, the entire group of followers makes this check collectively. Any results that are not sufficient to generate capital on a given day may be carried over to the next day; this carrying-over may be continued until the result is sufficient to generate capital or your followers leave the settlement.

If using the kingdom building rules found in Ultimate Campaign, possessing this package grants a +1 bonus to all kingdom attributes you affect.

When you first gain the follower package, you gain the following ability:

Caravan

Your followers can follow you as you travel, providing cartage. This caravan has an overland movement speed of 3 miles per hour and can travel 32 miles a day. The caravan has wagons and draft animals necessary to carry 100 pounds of objects per rank in Diplomacy in addition to sufficient provisions to sustain themselves in normal conditions. A caravan is assumed to be capable of making Survival checks with a DC of 10 + your ranks in Diplomacy to feed itself and 1 additional Medium creature per 5 followers (Medium creatures count as two Small creatures, Large creatures count as two Medium ones) while moving without affecting speed. In harsher environments, the caravan has supplies for 1 week plus 1 day per rank in Diplomacy that you possess. If their Survival check is not more than 5 below the environment DC, they count as only spending half a day’s supplies.

The caravan can make camp, setting up tents, cooking, and performing other camp tasks. Doing so increases the progress a PC can make when crafting while adventuring by 2 hours per day (normally going from 2 hours to 4 hours a day).

When you enter a settlement, you can disperse your caravan there, allowing you to gain the benefits of your followers while in that settlement. Gathering a caravan after it has been dispersed requires 1 hour.

Note: Your caravan doesn’t have to rest at the same time as you do. If the caravan rests while you adventure, they can travel while you rest, carrying a number of Medium creatures equal to your practitioner modifier plus your ranks in Diplomacy. Two Small creatures counts as one Medium creature, two Medium creatures count as one Large creature, etc.

A caravan that is attacked in your absence will disperse. A dispersed caravan will reform, regaining 25% of its members every hour after threats are removed. If statistics are required for the caravan, treat it as a 1 Hit Die troop per the Squad talent, but it takes no action except to attempt to flee to safety. The number of troops increases by +1 for every 5 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, with your total number of followers divided equally between them. If such a troop is destroyed, treat half the followers in it as lost.

Dividing Followers

You may divide your followers into multiple groups (minimum size of 5), treating your ranks in Diplomacy as equal to the number of available followers/4 (round down as usual). You may have multiple caravans, but any caravan not accompanied by a PC or cohort is at risk from the various hazards of travel and may not reach its destination, based on the conditions in the region it travels. The GM should roll random encounters, treating combat encounters as dispersing the caravan. Combat encounters with a CR of less than half your ranks in Diplomacy disperse the caravan but cause no permanent losses. Encounters with a CR of at least half your ranks in Diplomacy but not greater than your ranks disperses the caravan and causes 25% losses. A combat encounter with a CR of greater than your ranks in Diplomacy disperses the caravan and causes 50% losses. A caravan reduced below 4 followers is lost entirely.

Talents marked (follower) grant additional options for your followers.

Roleplaying Followers

While naming and developing personalities and tracking the abilities and developments of each individual in a large group of followers would be unnecessarily onerous, players and groups are encouraged to develop at least a few key followers to act as the focal points for interactions with followers. While on the move, a caravan will usually have a boss, directing others to execute the PC's directions. Likewise, talents that grant additional skills to your followers each lend themselves to having one higher ranking follower direct activities (scouting, trade, crafting) of the group of followers. As with cohorts, the GM will normally voice these NPCs, but in some groups allowing other players to speak and develop personalities for some of them could make the interactions more interesting.

Followers And Statistics

Followers are normally intended to be governed by the abilities listed in the followers package and relevant talents. Using the statistics for commoners, experts, and troops are intended for use primarily when interactions cannot be easily handled narratively. Followers are not intended to be expendable operatives, skilled infiltrators, or massed alchemical bombers. If a PC's actions cause the unnecessary death of followers, follower recruitment may be slowed. Losses in the normal course of events should not have an effect; ambushes and unforeseen events occur, but repeated and extended abuse will discourage others from joining you.


Leadership Talents

Expanded Leadership

Choose a Leadership package you do not possess. You gain that package.

Military Training

You gain 5 ranks in the Profession (soldier) skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Leadership sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Profession (soldier) skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.


Cohort Talents

Additional Contacts (cohort)

The number of contacts you may maintain at one time increases by +5. You may take this talent more than once; the effects stack.

Allied Cover (cohort)

When you are within your cohort’s threatened area, you gain a 20% miss chance against attacks the cohort is aware of. The benefits from multiple cohorts do not stack.

When you are targeted by an attack or single-target effect and are within the threatened area of a cohort, you may expend martial focus to redirect the attack or effect to the cohort as a joint immediate action.

Cohort Attack (cohort)

When you use the attack action to attack, one of your cohorts may also attack your target with a single weapon it possesses as a joint swift action. If both you and the cohort successfully deal damage with these attacks, the cohort may immediately move 5 feet as a free action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Defensive Cover (cohort)

While within the threatened area of a cohort, when you or the cohort is targeted by an attack, the other may make an aid another check (making an attack roll against a DC of 10) to boost AC as an immediate action. This does not stack with other applications of the aid another action to boost AC.

Drill Sergeant (cohort)

You may increase the power of a cohort through intense training. You may grant a cohort creature 1 bonus Hit Die for every hour you spend training it with a Diplomacy check with a DC of 10 + the creature’s new Hit Dice total.

These additional Hit Dice count against your Hit Dice cap for the recruit ability as normal and cannot cause the creature’s Hit Dice to exceed the maximum shown on Table: Cohort. If a cohort is released, these bonus Hit Dice are lost at a rate of 1 per week. Additional feats and skill points from these Hit Dice are assigned by you.

You may retrain feats and skill ranks possessed by cohort. You may retrain one feat, talent, or a number of skill ranks equal to your ranks in Diplomacy with 4 hours of training. The new feats and skills must be appropriate for the cohort; cohorts may not gain casting abilities. The GM is the final arbiter of what feats and skills are suitable. With 8 hours of training, you may instead retrain a number of feats equal to half your ranks in Diplomacy (minimum 2 feats).

You may recruit 1 Hit Die cohorts from your followers. You may recruit a number of cohorts not exceeding your practitioner ability modifier (minimum 1) this way each week.

Greater Recruitment (cohort)

Increase the total Hit Dice of creatures you may have recruited at once by an additional 1 per rank of Diplomacy you possess. This has no effect on the maximum Hit Dice of a given cohort. You may select this talent up to 3 times.

Master’s Instruction (cohort, stance) [Youxia HB]

While in this stance, whenever you damage a creature with an attack action or attack of opportunity, you may expend an attack of opportunity to use the aid another action targeting a cohort with close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 ranks in Diplomacy) as a free action that can be taken even outside of your turn. The aid another action increases the attack roll of their next attack directed at the creature damaged by you as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn.

Opening Maneuver (cohort)

Once per round, when one of your cohorts succeeds on a combat maneuver, the target provokes an attack of opportunity from you.

Opportunistic Teamwork (cohort)

While within the threatened area of a cohort, when you or the cohort performs a combat maneuver, the other may make an aid another check to boost the combat maneuver check as an immediate action.

Pack Tactics (cohort)

Whenever one or more of your cohorts within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 ranks in Diplomacy) of you flanks an enemy with you or another of your cohorts, you may increase the bonus from flanking by +2. This bonus increases by +1 for each additional cohort that threatens the enemy, to a maximum of +1 per 4 ranks in Diplomacy. Associated Feat: Outflank.

Practiced Teamwork (cohort)

Any time you use the aid another action to benefit a cohort or a cohort uses the aid another action to benefit you, the aid another bonus increases by 1 plus 1 per 7 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

Squad (cohort)

You may recruit a troop in place of a single creature. Use the base statistics of a cohort, but apply the troop subtype. Your troop does one die of damage, increasing by one die at 3 ranks in Diplomacy and again every 3 ranks thereafter. This damage becomes magical when you reach 5 ranks in Diplomacy. Once per turn, a single creature that receives this troop damage or the damage from a special ability granted by the squad’s profession may be affected as if the damage was an attack action for the purpose of sphere effects that apply to or modify attack actions. If a Leadership sphere talent would grant a cohort an attack, the squad may inflict its troop damage on all creatures within its reach.

Unlike normal troops, a cohort troop must spend a standard action to inflict its troop damage. Troop damage is normally only inflicted with melee attacks, though some professions give special abilities that have range. Effects that restore hit points to a single creature may target the troop, but have all healing reduced to 1/4 its normal amount (minimum 1); if the effect targets multiple creatures, the healing is instead reduced to 1/2 (minimum 1).

Effects that heal in an area of effect grant 1.5 times their normal healing. A cohort troop may be given improved gear, though any change requires at least 10 pieces of identical equipment.

The squad gains abilities based on profession:

Student: 1d6 troop damage, with the bomb special ability.

Bomb: as a standard action, deal 1d6 + 1d6 per three levels acid or fire (chosen at the time of use) damage to a 10 foot radius + 5 feet per 5 ranks in Diplomacy inside a 30 feet range +5 feet per 5 ranks in Diplomacy, Reflex save against your sphere DC for half.

Thief: 1d8 troop damage, with the low blow special ability.

Low Blow: Creatures that take damage from the troop must succeed on a Reflex save against your sphere DC or be staggered until the end of their next turn.

Warrior: 1d10 troop damage, with the batter special ability.

Batter: Creatures that take damage from the troop are battered until the end of the troop’s next turn.

Woodsman: 1d6 troop damage, with the volley special ability.

Volley: as a standard action, deal 1d6 + 1d6 per three levels piercing damage to a 10 foot radius + 5 feet per 5 ranks in Diplomacy inside a 100 foot range, Reflex save against your sphere DC for half.

If you possess the Healers talent, your troop cohort may restore 1d6 hit points per two Hit Dice it possesses (minimum 1d6) to itself a number of times per day equal to your practitioner ability modifier with 1 minute worth of effort.

If you possess the Messengers talent, you may dispatch up to 2 messengers at a given time from a troop cohort.

Talented (cohort)

Choose one cohort. That cohort gains an additional combat talent. You may take this talent more than once; each time one cohort gains another talent. If the chosen cohort dies or leaves your service, you may retrain the selection made to grant a talent to another cohort at no cost as part of recruiting a new cohort (if applying to a new cohort) or with 1 hour of training per talent (if applying to an existing cohort).

Team Lookout (cohort)

When within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 ranks in Diplomacy) of any cohort, when making a Perception check, you and the cohorts may share the result of the check of the creature with the highest result.


Follower Talents

Alchemists (followers)

When any allied creature is with your followers, the allied creature counts as having access to an alchemy lab. The followers can craft alchemical items with a DC of not greater than 15 + your ranks in Diplomacy, requiring that you pay the normal crafting cost. The followers makes 10 gp of progress per rank in Diplomacy per day and can craft masterwork items.

Additionally, if a PC is crafting formulae from the Alchemy sphere, the followers can assist them, allowing them to craft one additional item per rank in Diplomacy in the 15 minute crafting time. This additional productivity may be divided among present PCs who are crafting at the same time.

Alchemists can identify alchemical items and potions with a Craft (alchemy) check of 15 + your ranks in Diplomacy.

Any Craft (alchemy) checks made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from the alchemists’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

If you possess the Merchants talent, alchemical items purchased from the followers have their cost reduced by half.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Magic capital in place of earning gold, with 50 gp equaling 1 Magic. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

Artificers (followers)

(This talent utilizes the Tech sphere from The Inventor’s Handbook.)

When any allied creature is with your followers, the allied creature counts as having access to an engineering kit.

The followers can craft technological items with a DC of not greater than 15 + your ranks in Diplomacy, requiring that you pay the normal crafting cost. The followers makes 10 gp of progress per rank in Diplomacy per day and can craft masterwork items.

Additionally, if a PC is charging gadgets from the Tech sphere, the followers can assist them, allowing them to add one additional charge per rank in Diplomacy in the 15 minute crafting time. This additional productivity may be divided among present PCs who are crafting at the same time.

Artificers can identify gadgets and technological items with a Craft (mechanical) check of 15 + your ranks in Diplomacy.

Any Craft (mechanical) checks made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from the artificers’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

If you possess the Merchants talent, technological items purchased from the followers have their cost reduced by half.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Goods capital in place of earning gold, with 10 gp equaling 1 Good. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

Base Of Operations (followers)

Choose up to two settlements with which you are familiar when you gain this talent; you have a group of followers permanently based in that settlement that cannot be dispersed unless the settlement is destroyed, in which case they regroup in a nearby settlement of your choice, regaining 10% of their strength per week. This group is in addition to your normal group of followers; you do not gain any additional benefit from having multiple groups of followers in the same location. This permanent group cannot form a caravan, so remains in the chosen settlement.

Moving them to a new settlement requires 1d4 months of selling, buying, traveling, and forming new contacts. Severing ties with existing followers and recruiting new followers in a different settlement requires the same amount of time. You do not benefit from these followers during this time. At 5 ranks in Diplomacy and every 5 ranks thereafter, you may have your followers settled in an additional settlement simultaneously.

Contacts from the (cohort) package will often choose to settle in a settlement where you maintain a presence via this talent. When you release a cohort and maintain them as a contact, unless they are particularly prone to wander or tied to a specific location, they will live in or near one of these locations of your choice.

Craftsmen (followers)

Your followers includes crafters who can repair broken weapons, armor, and other non-magical items while you rest. The followers can remove the broken condition from and restore to full hit points to one non-magic weapon, shield, suit of armor, or other object of no greater than large size during an eight-hour rest. If repairing an object larger than this maximum size, the amount of hit points restored is halved for every size category the object is above the maximum. The followers can repair an additional item for every 3 ranks in Diplomacy you possess. You may choose to count a Huge object as two Large objects, a Gargantuan object as two Huge objects, etc.

At 5 ranks of Diplomacy, the followers can repair magical items with a caster level no greater than your ranks in Diplomacy; each such item counts as two items for determining the number of items that may be repaired at one time. A Huge magic item would count as 4 items, a Gargantuan magic item as 8 items, etc.

In place of repairing an item, the followers can craft a non-magical item, requiring that you pay the normal crafting cost. The caravan makes 10 gp of progress per rank in Diplomacy per day and can craft masterwork items.

If you possess the Merchants talent, non-magical weapons, armor, and ammunition purchased from the followers have their cost reduced by half.

Any Craft checks made to craft non-magical, non-alchemical items (such as, but not limited to weapons, armor, shields, and ammunition) made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from the crafters’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

If you possess the (cohort) package, your cohorts possess masterwork weapons and armor.

If using the downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Goods capital in place of earning gold, with 10 gp equaling 1 Good. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

Crew (followers)

Your followers are experienced at handling various tasks onboard large craft. Your caravan counts as one small crew with a level equal to your ranks in Diplomacy - 2 (minimum 1, but if you have less than 2 ranks in Diplomacy, reduce the crew’s hit points by 20 and damage by 2d6 and if you have exactly 2 ranks in Diplomacy, reduce hit points by 10 and damage by 1d6). For every five ranks of Diplomacy you possess, the caravan may count as an additional small crew. A crew formed from your followers gains a +10 morale bonus on loyalty checks and their loyalty is not reduced by not paying them. Each crew gains one bonus perk, plus one additional perk for every five ranks of Diplomacy you possess. These perks may be changed with 1d4 days of training and recruiting.

(See Players Guide to Skybourne and Ships of Skybourne for crew rules.)

Entertainers (followers)

Your followers include actors, musicians, and other performers, and they possess props, backdrops, and the other accoutrements required for a dazzling performance.

Any Perform checks made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from being well equipped and +2 circumstance bonus from the performers’ aid. The bonus from the performer’s aid increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess. You may choose to have the DC of Knowledge checks regarding you to have their DC increase or decrease by up to 5. Changing this decision results in the DC increasing or decreasing by 1 per week until the new DC is reached. This DC change increases to 10 at 7 ranks in Diplomacy and 15 at 14 ranks.

While in a settlement, your followers can always gain access to a theater, stage, or hall if one is present. You caravan has a portable stage for performances on the road. Additionally, when in a settlement, your followers collectively make Perform checks using your Diplomacy modifier, earning you the check result in gold pieces each week. This stacks with earnings from other talents.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Influence capital in place of earning gold, with 15 gp equaling 1 Influence. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

If using the reputation and fame rules from Ultimate Campaign, any time your followers are in a settlement for at least 1 day, that settlement is considered to be in your Sphere of Influence. Additionally, your followers can suppress negative talk about you, reducing the total penalties to your reputation by your Diplomacy modifier. Any infamous deeds are still known, but they are viewed in the most sympathetic light. Additionally, you gain +1 prestige point every character level.

Friends In Low Places (followers)

Your followers have many contacts in the criminal underworld. You gain the following abilities in any settlement in which your followers have been in for at least 1 day.

Fence: You may sell stolen goods at their normal sale value without paying any additional fees to a fence.

Grease Palms: In any settlement of at least 5,000 inhabitants, you may locate a corrupt official. If you’re imprisoned or fined for crimes committed in the settlement’s jurisdiction, you may take advantage of this contact.

You pay no fines and escape sentencing if you can make a Diplomacy check (DC 15 for petty crimes, 25 for serious crimes, or 35 for capital crimes). You can use this ability once per settlement per week.

Theft: Choose an item with a cost not greater than 100 gp per rank in Diplomacy. Your followers can obtain that item at half price in 2d6 hours if it is available in a settlement they occupy. If given 2d6 days, this value increases to 1,000 gp per rank. Your followers may only steal one item at a time. Note that items that are unique or readily identifiable to their former owners will attract official attention and possible legal (or extra-legal) repercussions commensurate with the value of the item taken. Unique items may require time in excess of their material value or even be unobtainable according to the GM’s judgement. The key to the county lock-up is more difficult to steal than a generic potion, so could be assigned a value in excess of the cost of a generic key according to the effort and time required to obtain it. The crystal key attuned to open the archmage’s dimensional sanctum is probably beyond the capabilities of your followers to obtain.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers reduce the influence cost of illegal downtime activities, such as alibi, blackmail, coerce, and heist (all found in Pathfinder Player Companion: Black Markets) in a settlement that they are present in by 1, +1 per 4 ranks in Diplomacy.

Ground Team (followers)

Your followers can disperse into a settlement, talking, listening, and influencing. Your followers can perform the following actions:

Gather Crowd: Your followers can spend 1d4 hours gathering a crowd. Make a Diplomacy skill check; the number of intelligent creatures in the crowd is equal to 10 times the result of the check. This multiplier increases by 10 at 5 ranks of Diplomacy and again every 5 ranks after (so times 20 at 5 ranks, times 30 and 10 ranks, etc.).

Gather Information: Your followers spend 1d4 hours making a Gather Information check, using your modifiers. They may make an additional check simultaneously for every 5 ranks in Diplomacy you possess.

Influence Crowd: Your followers encourage a crowd to be swayed by your words. When you make a skill check to influence a crowd, you automatically gain a +2 bonus from your follower’s use of the aid another action. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

Publicity: Your followers may spread good words about you, making a settlement more positively disposed toward you and your allies. The disposition of the average member of the settlement toward you increases by one step, to a maximum of friendly. This requires 1 day for a settlement of village size; double the time required for every size larger than village. For every 5 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess, the number of days required is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1 day.

Whispers: If using the RumorsUI rules, you may have your followers participate in spreading a rumor, reducing the time required to start a rumor by 1 day, plus 1 day per 4 ranks in Diplomacy (to a minimum of 1 day). You automatically gain a +2 bonus from your follower’s use of the aid another action for all checks to start, spread, influence, or squash a rumor in a settlement where they are present.

Additionally, if you possess the (cohort) package, your followers may aid in recruitment, reducing the time required to recruit a cohort to 1d4 hours, -1 hour for every 6 ranks of Diplomacy you possess (minimum 1 hour required).

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers reduce the influence cost of promoting your business or recruiting for an organization in a settlement that they are present in by 1, +1 per 4 ranks in Diplomacy.

Healers (followers)

Your followers include healers. They can supply you with one complete healer’s kit each day, increasing by 1 additional kit for every 5 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess. These healers kits cannot be sold or stockpiled. These healers can treat wounds as you rest, restoring 10 hit points per rank in Diplomacy to a number of creatures equal to your practitioner modifier (minimum 1) over 8 hours of rest.

Any Heal checks made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from the healers’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

If you possess the Messengers talent, your messengers can carry wounded allies to your followers or caravan or can administer limited healing. This limited healing requires 10 minutes and restores up to 2 hit points per rank in Diplomacy. A creature may only benefit from this healing a number of times per day equal to your practitioner modifier.

If you possess the (cohort) package, your cohorts begin each day with a complete healer’s kit. These kits cannot be sold or stockpiled.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Influence or Magic capital in place of earning gold, with 15 gp equalling 1 Influence or 50 gp equaling 1 Magic. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

Laborers (followers)

You can direct your followers to fortify a campsite. Doing so takes 1 hour. Your followers may use your ranks in Diplomacy plus your practitioner ability modifier in place of Perception checks to keep watch over the camp and any intruders must contend with a 5 foot wide by 5 foot deep ditch and 5 foot wide by 5 foot high berm surrounding the camp. At 5 ranks in Diplomacy and every 5 ranks thereafter, the width and depth of the ditch and the width and height of the berm may be increased by 5 feet.

If using the Kingdom Building rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers reduce the cost of constructing one improvement or building or demolishing one building by one build point each kingdom turn. This cannot reduce the cost below 0 build points. At 5 ranks in Diplomacy and every 5 ranks thereafter, they may reduce the cost by another one build point. This reduction may be applied to the same or different buildings and improvements.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may reduce the Labor capital cost of one downtime activity by 1 each day, to a minimum of 0. For every 4 ranks in Diplomacy, this reduction is increased by 1. This reduction may be applied to one activity or spread across several.

Manager (followers)

Your followers can supply a manager for one business you own. This manager requires no additional pay and may make any required skill checks using your Diplomacy bonus in place of the normal check. At 5 ranks in Diplomacy and every 5 ranks thereafter, you can provide a manager for 1 additional business.

If you possess the Messengers talent, the manager can contact you via messengers.

This talent uses the downtime rules found in Ultimate Campaign.

Merchants (followers)

Your followers includes merchants that can trade with you. Treat your followers as a settlement with a size according to your ranks in Diplomacy per Table: Merchant Equivalent Settlement Size to determine what items can be purchased and sold. Note that if a roll for availability determines that a given item is not available, another roll for that item cannot be attempted until having passed a settlement, traveling merchants, or other potential source of resupply.

Additionally, when in a settlement, your followers collectively make Profession checks using your Diplomacy modifier, earning you the check result in gold pieces each week. This stacks with earnings from other talents.

Any Appraise checks made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from the merchants’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Goods or Influence capital in place of earning gold, with 10 gp equaling 1 Good or 15 gp equaling 1 Influence. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

Table: Merchant Equivalent Settlement Size
Diplomacy Ranks Effective Settlement Size Base Value
1 Hamlet 200 gp
3 Village 500 gp
6 Small town 1,000 gp
9 Large town 2,000 gp
12 Small city 4,000 gp
15 Large city 8,000 gp
18 Metropolis 16,000 gp

Settlement Base Value: The base value of a settlement is used to determine what magic items may be easily purchased there. There is a 75% chance that any item of that value or lower can be found for sale in the settlement with little effort.

Author's Note: The Merchant Equivalent Settlement Size comes from Ultimate Campaign, and does not include a settlement's purchase limit, only their base value (the number determined what price of goods are available). The Settlement Statistics from the GameMastery Guide provide a purchase limit for a settlement as usually being about 5 times the base value; this number determines the total value of goods that can be sold to the Merchants followers. The Merchants followers purchase limit is reset whenever their inventory would be reset (passing a settlement, traveling merchants, or other potential source of resupply).

Messengers (followers)

Your followers can quickly deliver messages via rider, messenger bird, and other means as appropriate to the setting. While with your followers, you may send written messages and items not exceeding 10 lbs. per rank in Diplomacy to any place reachable by normal travel (not requiring the casting of magical effects) at a base overland speed of 60 miles per day, increasing by 10 miles at 4 ranks in Diplomacy and every 4 ranks thereafter.

Messengers can also be used to deliver items to and retrieve them from your followers or caravan while adventuring, though as normal for followers they won’t go anywhere apparently dangerous. A messenger may be summoned by messenger bird, whistle, or, if possessed, magical means.

If you possess the Merchants talent, whenever you fail an item availability roll, you can send messengers to obtain the item in nearby settlements. Roll for the availability of the item in the nearest settlement, rolling again for each successively further settlement until the item is available. You may obtain the item in a number of days based on the overland speed of your messengers and the distance to the settlement.

Mystic Craftsman (followers)

Your followers may craft magic items using your skill ranks, feats, and other abilities, even in your absence, allowing 8 hours of progress to be made each day in addition to any time spent by you or your allies. This does not increase the number of magic items that may be crafted at one time nor in one day. An allied PC may share his skills, feats, and abilities in place of yours, but all checks to craft the item take a -2 penalty.

Any allied PC crafting a magic item automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus to skill checks made as part of the crafting from the crafters’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess. If you possess the Merchant’s talent, treat your followers’ base value as one step higher (if you have 18 ranks or more in Diplomacy, double the base value).

If you possess the (cohort) package, your cohort’s starting weapons count as magic for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. If you also possess the Craftsmen talent, the cohort’s starting weapons and armor become +1 at 7 ranks in Diplomacy and +2 at 14 ranks in Diplomacy. This does not affect any additional weapons and armor you give them.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Magic capital in place of earning gold, with 50 gp equaling 1 Magic. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

Rangers (followers)

You add your practitioner ability modifier to the Survival check your caravan makes to subsist in the wilderness. You may increase your overland travel speed with your caravan to 6 miles per hour and can travel 64 miles a day.

Instead of increasing your speed, you can have your followers map the surrounding area, allowing them to map a 6 mile hex you pass through each day. This improves by one additional hex for every 3 ranks in Diplomacy you possess.

Your followers may find and capture animals as well. Your followers can supply 1 Hit Die of creatures of the animal type per rank in Diplomacy each day, though are limited to animals present in their surroundings. They may assist a PC that attempts to tame (as the Beastmastery sphere) one of these creatures, reducing the time required to 1 hour.

Any Handle Animal and Survival checks made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from the rangers’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Goods capital in place of earning gold, with 10 gp equaling 1 Good. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.

Scholars (followers)

Some of your followers are well-versed in lore and arcane studies. Any allied creature may treat the followers as an extensive library for the purpose of researching knowledge checks (normally requiring 1d4 hours).

Scholars can identify magic items with a Spellcraft check of 15 + your ranks in Diplomacy.

Any Knowledge, Linguistics, Spellcraft, or Use Magic Device checks made while with the followers automatically gain a +2 circumstance bonus from the scholars’ aid. This bonus increases by +1 for every 8 ranks in Diplomacy that you possess.

If you possess the Merchants talent, you gain a 25% discount on scrolls purchased from the caravan.

If using the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign, your followers may generate Magic capital in place of earning gold, with 50 gp equaling 1 Magic. Use your Diplomacy modifier for making the earnings checks. This stacks with capital gains from other talents.


Legendary Talents

Advanced Cohorts (cohort)

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (cohort) package, Diplomacy 5 ranks.

You may recruit intelligent (Int greater than 2) creatures of any type into your service, though creatures of a different type impose a +10 increase to their recruit DC. Creatures so recruited use their normal statistics and equipment.

Unlike normal cohorts, advanced cohorts that are not of normal player races are unlikely to be found in settlements, though may be encountered over the course of the campaign; finding a particular creature may require a seperate adventure to seek out and ally yourself with them. Monstrous creatures often have very different perspectives and goals than common adventurers, so may be even more likely to have the cohort relationship be transitory.

Creatures recruited with this talent cannot have a CR greater than half your ranks in Diplomacy (round down as usual). Use the minimum required Diplomacy ranks to recruit such a creature in place of its Hit Dice for determining the number of Hit Dice required from your Hit Dice pool. Advanced cohorts start with whatever gear is appropriate per their creature entry or situation. As usual, the cohort must be compensated for any equipment that is lost. Equipment you provide to an advanced cohort is not factored into their CR calculation.

Creatures that advance by class levels may advance as a cohort, using cohort professions, whenever a cohort would normally be allowed to gain Hit Dice. Otherwise, they may advance by class, using their new CR to determine equivalent Hit Dice. Treat such a creature’s Hit Dice as equal to its CR x 2 + the number of cohort Hit Dice added to it for the purpose of determining the number of Hit Dice required from your Hit Dice pool.

Creatures that advance by Hit Dice may do so whenever the cohort would normally be allowed to advance, but cannot exceed the normal limits on effective Hit Dice. Intelligent creatures that you create, such as via the Bestow Life advanced talent of the Enhancement sphere or the Greater Undead advanced talent of the Death sphere, are usually willing to serve as advanced cohorts, removing the +10 DC increase for having a different type.

Air Travel (followers)

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (followers) package, Diplomacy 10 ranks.

Your caravan is equipped with flying beasts, airships, arcane levitation, or other means of reliable overland flight. Terrain and ground obstacles do not hinder your caravan’s speed.

Special: The prerequisite ranks in Diplomacy may be reduced based on how common flight is in the setting. In the Skybourne setting, for example, flight is common and airships are ubiquitous, so the Diplomacy prerequisite can be ignored entirely.

Alien Connections [Alienist HB]

Prerequisite: Leadership sphere.

You can recruit cohorts from far-off realms. Such cohorts are built like a normal cohort, but are Small or Medium creatures with the aberration type, and benefit from the Conjuration sphere Aberrant Creature (type) talent as if they were a Conjuration companion. As you recruit by calling on creatures from alien realms, you do not actually have to be at a settlement in order to recruit cohorts this way. You treat this as if recruiting from a metropolis and the population is always at least 50% of the particular race you are seeking.

Brainwash (cohort)

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (cohort) package.

You may choose to have the exposure to your latent mind affecting abilities permanently bent your cohorts to your will. When you recruit a cohort, you may choose to affect it with this talent. Affected cohorts will obey harmful and even suicidal orders. Additionally, due to your mental influence, the DC of your recruit ability no longer suffers an increase for cohorts having died when applying this talent. This is a supernatural, mind-affecting ability.

Cohorts (such as those gained from the Advanced Cohorts legendary talent) that are immune to such effects may not be targeted with this talent.

Constructor (cohort)

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (cohort) package.

You may recruit cohorts with the construct type, building and animating them with the scientific application of magic. Such cohorts are built as normal cohort, but are Small or Medium creatures with the construct type and no racial abilities. Small constructs take a -2 penalty to Strength and gain a + 2 racial bonus to Dexterity. Such cohorts are mindless, gaining no skill points, and must have the warrior or woodsman profession. Mindless cohorts still gain skill ranks from spheres that grant them and may use these skills normally. Despite being constructs, these cohorts retain their Constitution score for the purpose of determining hit points and do not gain bonus hit points for size, though are still destroyed at 0 hit points. This effective Constitution may be modified by magic items that grant a continuous bonus, but not by any other effect. They do not gain feats, but may take a combat talent any time they would have gained a feat.

Mindless cohorts of the construct type will obey harmful and even suicidal orders. You take no penalties to your recruit checks for the destruction of construct cohorts. When using this ability you may choose the number of Hit Dice the construct has. No Diplomacy check is required to recruit creatures in this way.

You may take this talent a second time; doing so allows you to create construct cohorts with their normal Intelligence scores, gaining feats and skills normally. These cohorts may be of any profession and gain Craft and Profession as class skills.

Contractors (cohort)

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (cohort) package, Diplomacy 5 ranks.

You can seek out powerful individuals to serve you, for a price. The time required to find and negotiate with a given creature will vary depending on the creature’s location, whether you are looking for a specific individual, and other factors, meaning that the time is determined by the GM. Normal rates are 10 gp per Hit Die per day for traveling or non-hazardous tasks, while dangerous tasks, such as aiding you in combat or accompanying you into hazardous locations, this price can increase to 100 to 1,000 gp per Hit Die per day. Creatures so hired count as cohorts for activating and benefiting from (cohort) talents. Creatures hired with this ability do not count against the number of Hit Dice of cohorts you may have recruited at one time.

Payment can take a variety of forms, from donating gold or magic items to an allied temple, to a gift given directly to the creature, to a quest on your part that matches the creature’s alignment and goals. Regardless, this payment must be made before the creature agrees to perform any services. Creatures with no racial Hit Dice and only NPC class levels usually can be hired for half of the price of others.

Few, if any, creatures will accept a task that seems suicidal. However, at the GM’s discretion, if the task is strongly aligned with the creature’s ethos, it may halve or even waive the payment.

Draft

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, Diplomacy 5 ranks.

You may expend martial focus as a standard action to force a creature which you can recruit within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 base attack bonus) to make a Will save or have its attitude improved to helpful and serve you as a cohort for 1 minute per rank in Diplomacy you possess. Creatures not of the humanoid type gain a +2 bonus on their Will saves. Once a creature saves successfully against your use of this ability, it is immune to further uses of this ability by you for 24 hours. When the duration of the recruit effect ends, the creature returns to its previous disposition, modified by any other effects that would have altered it in the meantime.

Attempting to make the creature perform an obviously suicidal action automatically releases it, even if you possess the Brainwash legendary talent. This is a supernatural, mind-affecting ability.

Form Army

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (follower) package, Diplomacy 5 ranks.

Once per kingdom turn, you may form an army. This army has an ACR equal to your ranks in Diplomacy - 2 and has a racial composition similar to your followers. Forming this army costs 0 build points and it has a consumption of 0. This army gains a +4 bonus on morale checks when your are acting as its commander. This talent may only grant you a single army at a time; using it again causes any previously raised armies to disperse. The army comes equipped with basic melee weapons; other resources may be purchased normally.

Friends In High Places (Cohort) [Apoc]

Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Cohorts & Companions

Prerequisite: Leadership sphere.

You can recruit cohorts from the outer planes themselves. Such cohorts are built like a normal cohort, but are Small or Medium creatures with the outsider (extraplanar) type, and benefits from the Conjuration sphere Planar Creature (type) talent as if it were a Conjuration companion. As you recruit by calling on creatures from other planes, you don’t actually have to be at a settlement in order to recruit cohorts this way. You treat this as if recruiting from a metropolis and the population is always at least 50% of the particular race you are seeking.

Magic Cohort

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (cohort) package.

You may recruit cohorts with the following professions:

Acolyte
Hit Dice d6; Saves Fort (good), Ref (bad), Will (good); Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8; Casting Ability Modifier Wis; Skill Points per Hit Die 4; Class Skills Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (nobility), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (planes), Sense Motive

Mage
Hit Dice d6; Saves Fort (bad), Ref (good), Will (good); Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 10; Casting Ability Modifier Int; Skill Points per Hit Die 2; Class Skills Appraise, Knowledge (all), Spellcraft

Pact-bound
Hit Dice d6; Saves Fort (good), Ref (bad), Will (good); Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16; Casting Ability Modifier Cha; Skill Points per Hit Die 4; Class Skills Bluff, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (planes), Use Magic Device

All professions gain the following starting equipment: Any focus or spell components pouch required by casting tradition, a simple melee or ranged weapon with 20 pieces ammunition (Combined value less than 100 gp total)

These professions gain a casting tradition in place of their martial tradition and have the casting class feature, gaining the 2 bonus talents and caster levels equal to 1/2 of their Hit Dice. They gain a spell pool equal to their Hit Dice plus their casting ability modifier, with additional from their tradition if applicable. They gain magic talents in place of combat talents from their Hit Dice. Their base attack bonus is reduced to be equal to half their Hit Dice.

If you possess the Squad talent, you may form a troop, using 1d4 troop damage and the following abilities based on feats and spheres possessed:

Channel (requires Spell Attack featCotS): May add the effect of one sphere effect the cohort possesses that is compatible with Spell Attack to one creature that takes swarm damage. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Healing (requires cure): May spend a spell point as a swift action to grant itself fast healing equal to its Hit Dice for 1 minute. This reflects a few members of the troop healing others without otherwise interrupting combat activities.

Spell Bombardment (requires destructive blast): May deal troop damage using 1d6 damage dice to a 10 foot radius + 5 feet per 5 ranks in Diplomacy within destructive blast range, modifying the damage die and applying the additional effects of one (blast type) talent the troop possesses.

Master Of The Dead (cohort)

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (cohort) package.

You may recruit cohorts with the undead type, finding and reanimating dead bodies with arcane rituals. Such cohorts are built normally, including racial selection, but have the undead type, and gain +1 natural armor and either DR 5/bludgeoning or DR 5/slashing. Such cohorts are mindless, gaining no skill points, and must have the warrior or woodsman profession. Mindless cohorts still gain skill ranks from spheres that grant them and may use these skills normally. They do not gain feats, but may take a combat talent any time they would have gained a feat. As undead, the cohort have no Constitution score (Con (-)) and determine their hit points using their Charisma score. Any creature or a race normally suitable to be a cohort may be recruited when using this ability and you may choose the number of Hit Dice the reanimated creature has. Mindless cohorts of the undead type will obey harmful and even suicidal orders. You take no penalties to your recruit checks for the destruction of undead cohorts. No Diplomacy check is required to recruit creatures in this way.

You may take this talent a second time; doing so allows you to create undead cohorts with their normal Intelligence scores, gaining feats and skills normally. These cohorts may be of any profession.

Planisphere

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (followers) package, Air Travel, Teleportation, Diplomacy 15 ranks.

Your followers are equipped for planar travel. While with your caravan, you and a number of allies equal to your Diplomacy modifier may ignore negative planar traits.

Your caravan can meet you in any location on any plane within 1d4 days. This does not grant the caravan the ability to travel into dangerous places, though the effects of dangerous planes are ignored when determining where they can travel. Once per day, you and your allies can be carried to another plane by your caravan, arriving between 5 and 500 miles from a chosen destination. This requires 1d4 hours.

If you possess the Messengers talent, your messengers can reach any location on any plane and return within 1d4 days. If you possess both Messengers and Merchants, your messengers can be sent to obtain items from anywhere in the planes. You do not need to roll for availability; if it is available for purchase anywhere in the planes it will be bought and brought to you.

Strange Bedfellows (Cohort) [Apoc]

Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Cohorts & Companions

Prerequisite: Leadership sphere.

When recruiting for a cohort you can seek more exotic creatures types which are determined by form instead of race. In place of a race, the cohort is created using the base statistics and body type of a Conjuration sphere companion form of Small or Medium size, and has 1 (form) talent (excluding the Battle Creature, Boon Companion, Lingering Companion, or Staff Wielding Companion/Implement Bearer talent) as if they were a summoned companion. You substitute your rank in Diplomacy for any effect that depends on caster level. These type of cohorts may possess any kind of creature type and subtype appropriate to their concept (although they do not gain the immunities or other qualities of its creature type). When recruiting for the creature, modifiers based on race are instead based upon creature type and subtype. When the GM creates the cohort, they may choose to grant the creature an additional Conjuration sphere (form) talent in place of a feat.

Teleportation

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere, (followers) package, Diplomacy 13 ranks.

Your followers are capable of performing rituals, borrowing spell-casting services, walking fairy-roads, and other methods of rapid, long-distance travel. Your caravan can meet you anywhere on the same plane within 1d4 days, regardless of distance. Once per day, you and your allies can be carried to another location on your current plane by your caravan, arriving 2d20 miles from a chosen destination. This requires 1d4 hours. This does not grant the caravan the ability to travel into dangerous places.

If you possess the Messengers talent, your messengers can reach any location on the same plane and return within 1d4 days. If you possess both Messengers and Merchants, your messengers can be sent to obtain items from anywhere on the plane. You do not need to roll for availability; if it is available for purchase anywhere on the plane it will be bought and brought to you.

Two Day Shipping [Jester's HB]

Prerequisites: Leadership sphere (Messengers (followers)).

Whenever you send a written message or item with your Messengers talent, if it would take more than two days for your messenger to reach its destination, it arrives at the end of that second day, regardless of any remaining distance, as long as the destination is reachable by normal travel.

If you possess the Merchants talent, your messengers can obtain items from anywhere they could deliver a message or item to in no more than two days.

If you possess the Teleportation legendary talent, your messengers can reach any destination on the same plane as you in no more than two days.

If you possess the Planisphere legendary talent, your messengers can reach any destination on any plane in no more than two days.


Toolbox

Alternate Rules

Party Followers

In some games, especially those focused on a traveling group larger than a normal adventuring party, rather than have one player shoulder the burden of spending character resources to have a group of followers and cohorts, the party as a whole could be allowed to gain talents. This could be done in various ways, such as allowing each PC to contribute talents into a group pool. One ‘leader’ would take the base sphere and benefit from the bonus skill ranks, while others could add additional talents, reflecting the cohorts and followers they attract with their skills. Anyone who possesses a (cohort) talent would be able to use it with any of the shared party cohorts.

Alternatively, the base sphere could simply be granted to the group, with bonus skill ranks removed, then additional talents granted at appropriate intervals based on level, achievement, or wealth (either accumulated or spent). This can be used to reflect being part of a mercenary company, trading caravan, or other group.

Appendix

Troop Subtype

The troop subtype represents an organized group of trained soldiers that act as a unit, rather than as individuals. A troop is something of an abstraction, in that the component creatures that make up the troop are mostly irrelevant; only the troop as a whole matters for the purposes of combat. A troop is similar to a swarm, but is normally composed of Small or Medium creatures. Large groups of Tiny or smaller creatures should use the normal swarm rules.

Traits: A troop is not subject to flanking, but it is subject to critical hits and sneak attacks if its component creatures are subject to such attacks. Reducing a troop to 0 hit points or fewer causes it to break up, effectively destroying the troop, though the damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack.

All troops gain the following traits.

Troop Subtype: A troop is a collection of creatures that acts as a single creature, similar to a swarm, but typically as part of a military unit. A troop has the characteristics of its type, except as noted here. A troop has a single pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single armor class. A troop makes saving throws as a single creature. A single troop occupies a 20-foot-by-20-foot square, equal in size to a Gargantuan creature, though the actual size category of the troop is the same as that of the component creatures. The area occupied by a troop is completely shape-able, though the troop must remain in contiguous squares to accurately reflect the teamwork of trained military units. A troop has a reach equal to that of the component creatures based on size or armament. A troop can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the troop provokes an attack of opportunity if it does so. A troop can move through any area large enough for its component creatures. The exact number of a troop’s component creatures varies, but in general, a troop of Small or Medium creatures consists of approximately 12 to 30 creatures. Larger creatures can form troops, but the area occupied by such a troop should increase proportionally according to the size of the component creatures.

A troop is never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage.

Immunity to being Tripped or Bull Rushed: A troop cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, except by area effects that include such effects. A troop can grapple an opponent.

Immunity to Single Target Spells: A troop is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate and multiple target spells such as haste), though it is affected by spells or effects that target an area or a nonspecific number of creatures (such as fireball or mass hold monster).

Vulnerable to Area Effect Spells: A troop takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area. If a troop is rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage, it disperses and does not reform until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.

Troop Attack: Creatures with the troop subtype don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature within reach or whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. A troop’s stat block has “troop” in its Melee entry with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a troop deals is based on its Hit Dice. Unless stated otherwise, a troop’s attacks are non-magical. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a troop attack’s damage to 0 or other special abilities can give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to the troop’s attacks. Some troops also have other special attacks in addition to normal damage. Troops threaten all creatures within their reach or within their area, and attempt attacks of opportunity as normal with their troop attack.

Chaos of Combat: Because of the chaos of combat, spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a troop or within its reach requires a caster level check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a successful DC 20 Will save.


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