Equipping two on the budget of one

[snakeman830]

I've mentioned my character for this game before on these boards, but for those of you who didn't read that thread, here's the basics.

I'm playing in a level 20 gestalt game with a Dread Necromancer 20//Necromancer 3/Master Specialist 2/Pale Master 10/Master Specialist 5 using the SRD Necromancer ACF "Enhanced Undead".  Naturally, I'm going for an ungodly massive army of undead.  Part of Pale Master helps by giving me an undead cohort.

Here's the problem: after I was accepted into the game, the DM says that cohorts will be completely dependant on their leaders for gear and the like.  They have no wealth of their own, which means that any and all equipment for them comes out of my budget.

Ouch.

So, the question becomes this: How would you reccommend doing this? I haven't decided on anything about the cohort yet, but unlike the PC's, cohorts are single-classed.

[Lycanthromancer]

My suggestion, as I said over IM, is get an artificer cohort, give him as many cost-reductions as possible, and have him make everything for both of you.

Just for everyone else's benefit.

[Akalsaris]

A couple of thoughts:

For the massive undead army, you can use Wall of Iron + Fabricate + Craft boosters to make tons of basic metal armor and weapons for them.

You can get away without paying for some items through long-lasting spells - for example, Superior Resistance negates the need for 50k spent on two Cloaks of Resistance +5.

Obviously, a cohort focused on item creation (artificer...) effectively halves the cost of items for you, though it's a bit of a cheesy way out. You could also get a cohort who is largely item-independent or self-buffing, like a bard, cleric or druid (though undead doesn't play well with druids...).

It's not like wizards are that expensive to equip, anyhow. Assuming you don't buy any tomes or staves, you'll probably have everything you need by 400k, with 40k of black opal and another 320k to spend on your cohort and army.

[ninjarabbit]

You can get away without paying for some items through long-lasting spells

This

Greater magic weapon will be a godsend to you and moreso if you chain spell it, so I'd recommend chain spell for your chort and army. I'd look into other mass buffs like mass mage armor and haste.

[Prime32]

Go for a possession-based cohort? Either a ghost or FoP.