Feats of Leadership
You may have seen a lot of talk here on NNW this week about leadership, and all of the fun ways that it can influence your PCs during your game. You may also have seen some talk about Leadership (as in, the feat), but generally speaking, besides perhaps some of the unpleasant complications that it can create at the game table, there’s not really a lot to separate Leadership from any other source of followers willing to follow your PCs’ instructions, so, at the end of the day, there’s only really so much to say about Leadership.
This article is designed to make Leadership a little more interesting and versatile, by providing a number of Leadership-related feats, which modify or improve the benefits a character receives from Leadership, allowing a PC to really invest in those under his or her command. So, without further ado… have some feats.
Exceptional Cohort
Prerequisite: Leadership, Charisma 18
Benefit: Your cohort gains a single feat for which he qualifies as a bonus feat.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time, choose a new feat for the cohort to gain.
Expansive Following
Prerequisite: Leadership, leadership score 26
Benefit: You gain a number of new followers, who seek you out to join your cause shortly after taking the feat. These followers include one 7th-level follower, one 6th-level follower, one 5th-level follower, two 4th-level followers, three 3rd-level followers, five 2nd-level followers and ten 1st-level followers.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. Each time you take it, however, the required leadership score increases by +2.
Expert Training
Prerequisite: Leadership, character level 12th
Benefits: Choose a number of followers equal to your leadership score. Each of those followers gains the Skill Focus feat with the skill of your choice (the chosen skills do not all need to be the same).
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time, you must choose new followers to benefit from the feat. No given follower can benefit from this feat twice, even if you choose a different skill the second time.
Extra Cohort
Prerequisite: Leadership, Charisma 25, character level 15
Benefit: You gain a second cohort, whose level cannot exceed your first cohort’s level minus 5. The rules for this cohort are otherwise identical to the rules for your first cohort.
Fervent Following
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefits: Your followers gain the Improved Initiative and Iron Will feats as bonus feats.
Special: You may not take this feat if you have already taken Productive Following, Loyal Following, Tough Following, or Wealthy Following.
Improved Cohort
Prerequisite: Leadership, character level 12
Benefit: You may have a cohort whose level is equal to your level minus 1, rather than your level minus 2. You must still have a leadership score high enough to grant a cohort of that level.
Improved Renown
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefit: Your leadership score increases by +3.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.
Inspiring Leader
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefit: As a standard action which provokes attacks of opportunity, you may give all of your followers who can see and hear you a bonus to attack rolls, AC, initiative rolls, and Will saves equal to 1/2 your Charisma modifier, rounded down (minimum 1). This bonus lasts as long as you continue to spend a standard action each round, and for one additional round after you stop. If you are slain or forced to retreat for any reason, this bonus immediately ends.
You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier (subsequent standard actions to maintain the effect do not count as an additional use).
Loyal Following
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefits: Ignore any penalties to your leadership score for attracting followers, such as those listed under the Leadership feat in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook (this does not apply to a negative Charisma score). Additionally, the DC for Diplomacy or Intimidate checks to convince your followers to betray you is increased by +5.
Special: You may not take this feat if you have already taken Fervent Following, Productive Following, Tough Following, or Wealthy Following.
Productive Following
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefits: Your followers are able to create more wealth through their work than most followers, and generate a small income for you. After paying for their food and other basic necessities, this income is equal to 100 x your leadership score in gp each week.
Special: You may not take this feat if you have already taken Fervent Following, Loyal Following, Tough Following, or Wealthy Following.
Tough Following
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefits: Your followers gain the Great Fortitude and Toughness feats as bonus feats.
Special: You may not take this feat if you have already taken Fervent Following, Loyal Following, Productive Following, or Wealthy Following.
Wealthy Following
Prerequisite: Leadership, character level 12th
Benefits: Your followers (but not your cohort) have gear as though they were player characters of their level, rather than NPCs of their level.
Special: You may not take this feat if you have already taken Fervent Following, Loyal Following, Productive Following, or Tough Following.
Warrior Training
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefits: Choose a number of followers equal to your Leadership score. Each of these followers gains a weapon or armor proficiency feat of your choice. They must still qualify for the feat. The chosen weapon or armor proficiency need not be the same for each follower.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time, you must choose new followers to benefit from the feat. No given follower can benefit from this feat twice, even if you choose a different proficiency the second time.