Captain: Cohort

Starting at 2nd level, you gain a loyal cohort who carries your banner and follows your lead.

INITIATING A COHORT

Select a companion from the Cohort section; following an 8-hour initiation period, that creature becomes your cohort. You can have only one cohort at a time.

If your cohort is ever slain, you can raise them from the dead by the usual methods, such as the raise dead spell, or you can spend 8 hours initiating a new cohort. If you do so, your previous cohort loses all abilities granted by this ability, even if it is later returned to life

Your cohort obeys your commands as best it can. Your cohort takes its turn immediately before or after your turn each round (your choice), and you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.

COHORT FEATURES

At 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels, your cohort gains new abilities based on its archetype.

HIT POINTS

For each captain level you gain after 2nd, your cohort gains an additional Hit Die and increases its hit points accordingly. ABILITY SCORES Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your cohort’s abilities also improve. Your cohort can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature, unless its description specifies otherwise. When you improve a cohort’s ability scores, remember to also increase other relevant statistics, such as skill bonuses, bonuses to hit and damage, and spell save DCs.

PROFICIENCIES

Your cohort gains proficiency in skills listed in its statistics. It also gains proficiency with simple weapons, martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, or shields if its statistics contain weapons or armor from that category.

Your cohort uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. Because cohort statistics already include a +2 proficiency bonus, you need only adjust the attack bonus and skill proficiency bonus starting at 5th level.

ALIGNMENT

Your cohort’s alignment is within one step of your own, and has a personality trait and flaw determined by the GM. Its bond is always, “I will follow my commander into any fray, and I will gladly fight by their side until my death.”