Monster Cohorts

The Leadership feat allows a character to gain a loyal cohort. With the GM’s approval, this cohort can be a similarly aligned monster rather than a humanoid with the appropriate number of class levels.

Monsters on the following list all work well as cohorts (be they assassins, bodyguards, mounts, etc.)—their effective cohort “level” corresponds to the level available to the PC as afforded by his Leadership score.

A monster cohort gains experience points as if it were a character of its cohort level, and when it gains enough XP to advance a level, it should generally gain a key class level (fighter is often the best choice for most cohorts). You can use the monsters on the following table as guidelines when determining effective cohort levels for monsters not on this list.

Level Monster
4 Blink dog
5 Azer
5 Ghoul
5 Worg
6 Giant eagle
6 Kech
6 Pegasus
6 Sasquatch
6 Skeletal champion
7 Contemplative
7 Phantom armor, guardian
7 Shriezyx
7 Shulsaga
7 Snallygaster
7 Giant vulture
7 Hell hound
7 Hound archon
7 Howler
7 Satyr
7 Shae
8 Fossegrim
8 Sea cat
8 Shobhad
8 Giant owl
8 Aranea
8 Griffon
8 Pixie
8 Shadow mastiff
8 Tanuki
8 Unicorn
9 Huldra
9 Phantom armor, giant
9 Saguaroi
9 Leucrotta
9 Manticore
9 Sabosan
10 Swan Maiden
10 Derhii
10 Dragonne
10 Redcap
10 Wyvern
11 Owb
11 Ahuizotl
11 Babau (demon)
11 Bralani (azata)
11 Drider
11 Maftet
12 Svartalfar
13 Nependis
13 Vanth (psychopomp)
13 Kirin
13 Nephilim
14 Adlet
14 Axiomite
14 Shedu
15 Avoral
15 Ettin
16 Blood hag
16 Dragon horse
16 Erinyes (devil)
16 Garuda
16 Sleipnir
17 Xanthos
17 Leonal
18 Stone giant
Special* Young dragon
* A young dragon’s effective cohort level equals its CR + 8. Dragon cohorts do not advance via aging as normal dragons do, but by gaining class levels (typically in fighter or sorcerer).
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang

Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.

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