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Leadership Sphere

From Titan's Teeth

Main > Combat > Martial Spheres > Leadership Sphere

Practitioners of the Leadership sphere learn how to gather, organize, and command others.

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.

Associated Feat: Leadership.

Leader

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. 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.

Leadership Packages

When you first take the Leadership sphere, choose one of the following packages: Cohort or Follower.

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.

Cohort

Specialized NPCs called cohorts are willing to follow you on adventures. A cohort always acts on your initiative.

See the rules for Cohorts

Follower

You gain a group of followers. These followers will not accompany you into dangerous locations, but can lend assistance in various ways.

See the rules for Followers

Base Talents

Leadership Talents (Cohorts)

Additional Contacts

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

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

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

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

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. Additional feats and skill points from these Hit Dice are assigned by you. If a cohort is released, these bonus Hit Dice are lost at a rate of 1 per week.

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

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.

Opening Maneuver

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

Opportunistic Teamwork

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

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 cohort that threatens the enemy, to a maximum of +1 per 4 ranks in Diplomacy.

Associated Feat: Outflank.

Practiced Teamwork

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

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 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

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

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.

Leadership Talents (Followers)

Alchemists

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.

Base of Operations

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

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

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.

Entertainers

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

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

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 Rumors 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

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

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

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.

Merchants

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 the table below to determine what items can be purchased and sold.

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

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.

Messengers

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

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 Smithy 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

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

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.

Leadership Talents (Other)

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.

Advanced Talents

Leadership Talents (Cohorts)

Advanced Cohorts

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.

Brainwash

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

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

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.

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:

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 feat*): 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

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 DR5/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.

Leadership Talents (Other)

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.

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.

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.

Drawbacks

Sphere-specific drawbacks must be chosen when a practitioner first gains the associated sphere, and grant the practitioner an extra combat talent in the prerequisite sphere.

Drawbacks may be removed in place of gaining a new talent through your class progression or by taking the Extra Combat Talent feat. You cannot gain multiple drawbacks that remove or augment the same ability.

Construct Controller

Requires: Cohort package

You cannot recruit living cohorts. You must choose the Constructor talent with the bonus talent gained from this drawback and may only recruit cohorts with the construct type.

Whenever this sphere uses or grants ranks in Diplomacy or calls for a Diplomacy check, you instead gain ranks in Knowledge (engineering) or make a Knowledge (engineering) check.

You use Knowledge (engineering) ranks in place of Diplomacy ranks for prerequisites for feats and talents that require the Leadership sphere.

If you possess the followers package, your followers are constructs. They require no supplies, but also do not gather supplies for you.

Cult Leader

Whenever this sphere uses or grants ranks in Diplomacy or calls for a Diplomacy check, you instead gain ranks in Bluff or make a Bluff check.

This drawback does not grant a bonus talent; removing this drawback does not require spending a talent, but requires GM permission. You use Bluff ranks in place of Diplomacy ranks for prerequisites for feats and talents that require the Leadership sphere.

If you possess both the Leadership and Fencing spheres, you gain a competence bonus on Bluff checks equal to half your base attack bonus instead of retraining the ranks a second time.

Dread Master

Whenever this sphere uses or grants ranks in Diplomacy or calls for a Diplomacy check, you instead gain ranks in Intimidate or make an Intimidate check.

This drawback does not grant a bonus talent; removing this drawback does not require spending a talent, but requires GM permission. You use Intimidate ranks in place of Diplomacy ranks for prerequisites for feats and talents that require the Leadership sphere.

If you possess both the Leadership and Gladiator spheres, you gain a competence bonus on Intimidate checks equal to half your base attack bonus instead of retraining the ranks a second time.

Mind Bender

Requires: Cohort package

Your recruit ability relies on subconsciously mystical mental manipulation. Your cohorts are considered to be under a magical (charm) effect with a caster level equal to your Hit Dice and a magic skill defense equal to 11 + your ranks in Diplomacy.

Any effect that would suppress or dispel such an effect releases a cohort from your influence. Creatures so released are hostile toward you.

You must choose the Brainwash talent with the bonus talent gained from this drawback and must apply it to all creatures you recruit.

Sedentary

Requires: Followers package

You gain the Base of Operations talent as the bonus talent for this drawback.

You do not gain a group of followers other than via that talent, so your followers cannot form a caravan.

Squad Leader

Requires: Cohort package

You may only recruit troops, not individual cohorts.

You must choose the Squad talent as the bonus talent gained from this drawback.

Undead Servants

Requires: Cohort package

You cannot recruit living cohorts. You must choose the Master of the Dead as the bonus talent gained from this drawback and may only recruit cohorts of the undead type.

Whenever this sphere uses or grants ranks in Diplomacy or calls for a Diplomacy check, you instead gain ranks in Knowledge (religion) or make a Knowledge (religion) check. You use Knowledge (religion) ranks in place of Diplomacy ranks for prerequisites for feats and talents that require the Leadership sphere.

If you possess the followers package, your followers are undead. They require no supplies, but also do not gather supplies for you. Your followers will be unwelcome in many settlements.


COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Gaming License Version 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.

Advanced Player’s Guide © 2010, Paizo Publishing

Inner Sea Intrigue © 2016, Paizo Inc.

Pathfinder Player Companion: Black Markets © 2015, Paizo Inc.

Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide, © 2010, Paizo Publishing

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign. © 2013, Paizo Publishing

Player’s Guide to Skybourne © 2015, Drop Dead Studios

Ships of Skybourne © 2016, Drop Dead Studios

Spheres of Power © 2014, Drop Dead Studios LLC

Spheres of Might © 2017, Drop Dead Studios LLC

Champions of the Spheres © 2017, Drop Dead Studios LLC

The Inventor’s Handbook © 2019, Drop Dead Studios LLC

The Wraith © 2018, Drop Dead Studios LLC.