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View Full Version : Vow of Asceticism: Vow of Poverty addendum, now with more incarnum! [3.5, feat]



Mephibosheth
2013-04-13, 09:30 AM
I've said it before and I'll say it again; I love Vow of Poverty. I know that it's mechanically underpowered compared to the equipment you could buy at WBL. I know that it has all sorts of problems in terms of inadequate bonuses, lack of access to flight and alternative movement modes, the fact that exalted feats are too few in number and too uninspiring in effect, and all sorts of other shortcomings.

But I can't help it. I love it. I love that it provides some accommodation, even an inadequate one, for characters who renounce material possessions; an archetype that we see in interesting ways all across real-world and fantasy cultures.

Much of my love is inspired by the ascetic traditions of South Asia, where renunciation of material possessions is, in many ways, only the beginning of the vows of asceticism that practitioners swear. I don't pretend to have great expertise concerning sadhus, shramanas, tirthankaras, and the myriad other traditions of asceticism, nor is this an attempt to adapt these traditions per seto D&D.

And nor are traditions of extreme asceticism unique to South Asia. Cultures across the world include beliefs about the link between extreme self-denial and spiritual power or salvation. Vow of Poverty attempts to accommodate this type of character in D&D, but it doesn't go far enough. It doesn't reflect the supernatural nature of the powers ascribed to ascetics, nor does it require the level of sacrifice that ascetic vows often include.

So this is my Vow of Poverty addendum; another feat that complements Vow of Poverty and attempts to make up for some of its shortcomings. I won't pretend to be a Vow of Poverty build expert, so if there are any glaring omissions, please let me know. I welcome any and all comments and suggestions!


Vow of Asceticism (Psionic) [Exalted, Psionic]
Your discipline and austerity grant you supernatural spiritual powers. But this is more than simple poverty; you sacrifice your comfort, health, and well-being in your devotion and diligence.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty

Benefit: You gain the ability to manifest a number of psi-like abilities. You gain your first psi-like ability at character level 3, gaining additional psi-like abilities based on your character level as shown on Table 1: Psionic Vow of Asceticism. You can use these psi-like abilities a total number of times per day equal to half your character level + your manifesting modifier. Using each psi-like ability, regardless of level, counts as one daily use from this pool.

You choose one mental ability to be your manifesting modifier when you select this feat and cannot change it thereafter. Your manifester level for adjudicating the effects of your psi-like abilities is equal to half your character level. The DC for all saves associated with your psi-like abilities is equal to 10 + half your character level + your manifesting modifier

You choose your psi-like abilities from the ascetic power list (below). When you gain a new psi-like ability, you can choose any power from the ascetic powers list, limited only by the maximum power level that corresponds to your character level on Table 1. You can choose to take the Expanded Knowledge and Epic Expanded Knowledge feats, which give you an extra psi-like ability known and allow you to choose that ability from other psionic classes' power lists.

In addition to these psi-like abilities, you also gain a number of augmentation points based on your character level, as shown on Table 1. Augmentation points function exactly like conventional power points, save that they can only be used to augment your psi-like abilities and cannot be used to actually manifest any psionic powers. Augmenting a psi-like ability in this way conforms to all the limitations normally imposed on augmenting psionic powers.


Table 1: Psionic Vow of Asceticism
{table=head]Character[br]Level|Augmentation[br]Points|Psi-Like[br]Abilities[br]Known|Maximum[br]Power[br]Level[br]Known
1|--|--|--
2|--|--|--
3|0|1|1
4|1|2|1
5|3|3|1
6|5|3|1
7|7|4|1
8|9|4|2
9|11|5|2
10|13|5|2
11|15|6|2
12|17|6|2
13|19|7|3
14|21|7|3
15|23|8|3
16|25|8|3
17|27|9|4
18|29|9|4
19|31|10|4
20|33|11|4[/table]

Special: To fulfill your vow (and therefore gain the benefits of this feat) you must abide by the requirements of the Vow of Poverty feat. In addition, you only gain the benefits of this feat during days in which you have undertaken (or are currently undertaking) an act of austerity. Acts of austerity that fulfill this requirement include:
Causing self-inflicted hit point damage equal to your character level. You cannot accept magical healing to remove this self-inflicted damage, though you can receive magical healing for non-self-inflicted damage.
Intentionally suffering non-lethal damage from hunger or thirst.
Suffering fatigue as a result of sleep deprivation.
Other feats as agreed upon by the player and DM. Possible examples include eating nothing but grass, not sitting or lying down, traveling long distances by rolling on the ground instead of walking, or similar feats of austerity.
You do not gain the benefits of this feat during days you have not undertaken a act of austerity. You do not, however, permanently lose the benefits of this feat. When you begin a new act of austerity, you regain the benefits of the feat.

Vow of Asceticism can only be taken once. No character can make multiple vows and select multiple versions of this feat.

Ascetic Powers List
1st Level – astral traveler, attraction, biofeedback, burst, call to mind, catfall, chameleon, charm (psionic), compression, conceal thoughts, déjà vu, detect psionics, empathy, empty mind, expansion, far hand, float, force screen, inertial armor, mental disruption, missive, my light, precognition (defensive), precognition (offensive), prescience (offensive), sense link, synesthete, vigor
2nd Level – animal affinity, aversion, body adjustment, body equilibrium, body purification, cloud mind, detect hostile intent, dimension swap, ego whip, energy adaptation (specified), fly (psionic), hustle, id insinuation, levitate (psionic), recall agony, sense link (forced), strength of my enemy, suggestion (psionic), thought shield, tongues (psionic)
3rd Level – astral caravan, control body, crisis of breath, dimension slide, dispel psionics, ectoplasmic form, empathic transfer (hostile), escape detection, mental barrier, telekinetic force, telekinetic thrust, ubiquitous vision
4th Level – adapt body, aura sight, dimension door (psionic), divination (psionic), energy adaptation, freedom of movement (psionic), immovability, metamorphosis, mindwipe, psychofeedback, steadfast perception, suspend life, true seeing (psionic)

Adaptation
Vow of Poverty, and therefore Vow of Asceticism, operate within the context of exalted feats, a series of feats that requires characters who take them to maintain a Good alignment and uphold the highest moral standards. However, many gamers have commented that many exalted feats, Vow of Poverty included, can be refluffed for just about any alignment. If you make this change, simply remove the exalted tag from the feats and their prerequisites. The bonus feats granted by Vow of Poverty can be any bonus feats for which the character meets the prerequisites, rather than exalted bonus feats. All exalted or perfection bonuses granted can be re-typed and alignment-based damage reduction altered.

Palanan
2013-04-13, 03:14 PM
Well...very interesting. Hmm.

I was eagerly with you throughout your entire introduction, looking forward to another exalted feat (one that's useful, whoo hoo!)...until the word "psionic."

Alas, it is not for me. That said, this feat really does a good job of representing heightened supernatural qualities which are brought about by intense spiritual devotion. This is a far better exalted feat, in both spirit and substance, than the great majority of the ones in the Book of Exalted Deeds.

One caution about wording: you use the term "feat of austerity" to describe several acts of self-abnegation. However, given the almost heliocentric importance of the term "feat" to 3.5, I would suggest another term for the extreme self-denial you're invoking. I very much regret the suggestion, since you're actually using the word feat in its original sense--tinged with amazement and awe--as opposed to the term's purely mechanical nature in the rules of the game. But, alas, it may throw people off a little.

Also, to address your very last comments: if this were in a campaign of mine, I'd much prefer to keep the Vow of Asceticism separate from the Vow of Poverty, since it builds on it both mechanically and thematically--and, if I'm not mistaken, the Vow of Asceticism can be taken as one of the bonus exalted feats granted by Vow of Poverty. This provides a genuinely useful feat which becomes another step along a logical progression, rather than simply granting a random and very minor ability.

And I like the fact that it doesn't have the harsh penalties built into VoP itself; if you're not able to self-abnegate, for whatever reason, you simply move along for a day. This is perfectly reasonable, and prevents difficult choices that might arise from fringe situations, such as having to inflict damage when you're already badly injured just to keep the feat.

Overall I think this is excellent, and demonstrates a much better understanding of dedicated spiritual striving than the lukewarm approach presented in BoED. If this is the first in a continuing series, I'll definitely be looking forward to the next.

Mephibosheth
2013-04-15, 06:57 AM
Thanks for the comments!


I was eagerly with you throughout your entire introduction, looking forward to another exalted feat (one that's useful, whoo hoo!)...until the word "psionic."

Alas, it is not for me. That said, this feat really does a good job of representing heightened supernatural qualities which are brought about by intense spiritual devotion. This is a far better exalted feat, in both spirit and substance, than the great majority of the ones in the Book of Exalted Deeds.

Sorry to hear you're not a psionics fan. You actually got me thinking of making Vow of Asceticism variants that use divine spellcasting and incarnum. But I haven't got around to it yet. I'll be posting them here if I do!


One caution about wording: you use the term "feat of austerity" to describe several acts of self-abnegation. However, given the almost heliocentric importance of the term "feat" to 3.5, I would suggest another term for the extreme self-denial you're invoking. I very much regret the suggestion, since you're actually using the word feat in its original sense--tinged with amazement and awe--as opposed to the term's purely mechanical nature in the rules of the game. But, alas, it may throw people off a little.

Good call. Change'd!


Also, to address your very last comments: if this were in a campaign of mine, I'd much prefer to keep the Vow of Asceticism separate from the Vow of Poverty, since it builds on it both mechanically and thematically--and, if I'm not mistaken, the Vow of Asceticism can be taken as one of the bonus exalted feats granted by Vow of Poverty. This provides a genuinely useful feat which becomes another step along a logical progression, rather than simply granting a random and very minor ability.

I would do the same, were I using it in one of my games. I think there's a place for both, just like there are traditions of voluntary poverty that include all different levels of self-deprivation. Exalted feats are not a problem for a Vow of Poverty character and you're right that Vow of Asceticism is an exalted feat. But I wanted to include a note about the possibility of combining them for DMs that might want to do so! We're all about options here at Mephibosheth's HomebrewTM! :smallwink:


And I like the fact that it doesn't have the harsh penalties built into VoP itself; if you're not able to self-abnegate, for whatever reason, you simply move along for a day. This is perfectly reasonable, and prevents difficult choices that might arise from fringe situations, such as having to inflict damage when you're already badly injured just to keep the feat.

Overall I think this is excellent, and demonstrates a much better understanding of dedicated spiritual striving than the lukewarm approach presented in BoED. If this is the first in a continuing series, I'll definitely be looking forward to the next.

Glad you like it! I hope that you'll enjoy the variants if I ever get around to crafting them!

Palanan
2013-04-15, 12:19 PM
Originally Posted by Mephibosheth
Sorry to hear you're not a psionics fan. You actually got me thinking of making Vow of Asceticism variants that use divine spellcasting and incarnum.

In fact, I was about to ask if you had any ideas for a version that would use divine spellcasting...since for me, that seems to flow naturally from the concept of spiritually focused asceticism.

Not sure the best way to implement it, since I'm not nearly as familiar with the underlying traditions as you are. Maybe something like the spellcasting from favored soul?



EDIT: Just another thought...maybe instead of standard spellcasting progression, the Vow would provide a certain number of 1/day SLAs, perhaps keyed to ascetic level? (Meaning the number of levels the character has after having taken the Vow of Asceticism...if that makes any sense.)

Just something to think about. I leave the actual brewing to people who are far more competent than I...which is pretty much everyone here.

:smalltongue:

Mephibosheth
2013-04-19, 08:27 AM
Sorry, I've neglected this for the last several days while focusing on my entry for the current PrC contest. But, I'm finally coming up for air on that front and am revisiting Vow of Asceticism. Here's the magic version! The spell list could probably use some tweaking; there are a lot of spells to go through, even in Core.

Vow of Asceticism (Magic) [Exalted]
Your discipline and austerity grant you supernatural spiritual powers. But this is more than simple poverty; you sacrifice your comfort, health, and well-being in your devotion and diligence.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty

Benefit: You gain the ability to manifest a number of spell-like abilities. You gain your first spell-like ability at character level 3, gaining additional spell-like abilities based on your character level as shown on Table 2: Magic Vow of Asceticism. You can use these spell-like abilities a total number of times per day equal to half your character level + your spellcasting modifier. Using each spell-like ability, regardless of level, counts as one daily use from this pool.

You choose one mental ability to be your spellcasting modifier when you select this feat and cannot change it thereafter. Your caster level for adjudicating the effects of your spell-like abilities is equal to half your character level. The DC for all saves associated with your spell-like abilities is equal to 10 + half your character level + your spellcasting modifier

You choose your spell-like abilities from the ascetic spell list (below). When you gain a new spell-like ability, you can choose any spell from the ascetic spell list, limited only by the maximum spell level that corresponds to your character level on Table 2. You can choose to take the Extra Spell Known feat, which gives you an extra spell-like ability known and allows you to choose that ability from other classes' spell lists.


Table 2: Magic Vow of Asceticism
{table=head]Character[br]Level|Spell-Like[br]Abilities[br]Known|Maximum[br]Spell[br]Level[br]Known
1|--|--
2|--|--
3|1|1
4|2|1
5|3|1
6|3|1
7|4|1
8|4|2
9|5|2
10|5|2
11|6|2
12|6|2
13|7|3
14|7|3
15|8|3
16|8|3
17|9|4
18|9|4
19|10|4
20|11|4[/table]

Special: To fulfill your vow (and therefore gain the benefits of this feat) you must abide by the requirements of the Vow of Poverty feat. In addition, you only gain the benefits of this feat during days in which you have undertaken (or are currently undertaking) an act of austerity. Acts of austerity that fulfill this requirement include:
Causing self-inflicted hit point damage equal to your character level. You cannot accept magical healing to remove this self-inflicted damage, though you can receive magical healing for non-self-inflicted damage.
Intentionally suffering non-lethal damage from hunger or thirst.
Suffering fatigue as a result of sleep deprivation.
Other feats as agreed upon by the player and DM. Possible examples include eating nothing but grass, not sitting or lying down, traveling long distances by rolling on the ground instead of walking, or similar feats of austerity.
You do not gain the benefits of this feat during days you have not undertaken a act of austerity. You do not, however, permanently lose the benefits of this feat. When you begin a new act of austerity, you regain the benefits of the feat.

Vow of Asceticism can only be taken once. No character can make multiple vows and select multiple versions of this feat.

Ascetic Spell List
1st Level – bless, bane, charm animal, charm person, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, detect [alignment], detect magic, disguise self, enlarge person, entangle, feather fall, hypnotism, magic fang, mage armor, mage hand, prestidigitation, produce flame, ray of enfeeblement, read magic, reduce person, resist energy, restoration (lesser), sanctuary, shatter, sleep, speak with animals, touch of fatigue
2nd Level – alter self, barkskin, bear's endurance, blindness/deafness, blur, bull's strength, calm emotions, cat's grace, cure moderate wounds, detect thoughts, eagle's splendor, fly, fox's cunning, hold animal, hold person, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, levitate, mirror image, owl's wisdom, protection from arrows, protection from energy, see invisibility, suggestion, tongues, zone of truth
3rd Level – bestow curse, clairvoyance/clairaudiance, cure serious wounds, discern lies, dispel magic, displacement, haste, prayer, ray of exhaustion, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, restoration, slow, vampiric touch, water breathing
4th Level – break enchantment, cure critical wounds, death ward, dimension door, divine power, enervation, freedom of movement, invisibility (greater), modify memory, rusting grasp, spell immunity, stoneskin

Adaptation
Vow of Poverty, and therefore Vow of Asceticism, operate within the context of exalted feats, a series of feats that requires characters who take them to maintain a Good alignment and uphold the highest moral standards. However, many gamers have commented that many exalted feats, Vow of Poverty included, can be refluffed for just about any alignment. If you make this change, simply remove the exalted tag from the feats and their prerequisites. The bonus feats granted by Vow of Poverty can be any bonus feats for which the character meets the prerequisites, rather than exalted bonus feats. All exalted or perfection bonuses granted can be re-typed and alignment-based damage reduction altered.

Mephibosheth
2013-04-19, 08:31 AM
EDIT: Just another thought...maybe instead of standard spellcasting progression, the Vow would provide a certain number of 1/day SLAs, perhaps keyed to ascetic level? (Meaning the number of levels the character has after having taken the Vow of Asceticism...if that makes any sense.)

Just something to think about. I leave the actual brewing to people who are far more competent than I...which is pretty much everyone here.

:smalltongue:

As you can see, I really like this idea! Or, at least a somewhat more flexible variant of it. I've even reworked the psionic version to function on this model instead of a conventional power points progression. I had been worried about the power of both versions of this feat. But spell-like and psi-like abilities are a lot easier to control than a pool of power points, so this suggestion helps a lot. Thanks!

Palanan
2013-04-19, 10:36 AM
This is very cool, thanks for working it up.

Whether intentionally or otherwise (and I suspect intentionally) you've addressed one of the persistent complaints about VoP, which is that it leaves the character with far fewer ways of gaining flight. --And here's Fly, which--if I'm reading this correctly--an eighth-level ascetic can use a minimum of four times per day.

I agree the spell list could use some tweaking (Black Tentacles and Phantasmal Killer seem a little out of place) but overall this looks great. I'd love to play a character built along these lines.

Mephibosheth
2013-04-30, 08:02 AM
Whether intentionally or otherwise (and I suspect intentionally) you've addressed one of the persistent complaints about VoP, which is that it leaves the character with far fewer ways of gaining flight. --And here's Fly, which--if I'm reading this correctly--an eighth-level ascetic can use a minimum of four times per day.

Yep. That was definitely a part of the plan.


I agree the spell list could use some tweaking (Black Tentacles and Phantasmal Killer seem a little out of place) but overall this looks great. I'd love to play a character built along these lines.

Yeah, those are in there mostly because I like those spells. But you're right; they don't really fit. *Yoink*

Also, here's my attempt at an incarnum variant. I'd love anyone's input on the balance of this version. Or any of the versions, really. I'm still a little bit concerned that they're too powerful for a single feat. Hmm. Maybe I'll split the progression up into multiple feats, with extra feats granting the higher level abilities. Interesting idea to mull over? Not necessary? Thoughts?

That said...

Vow of Asceticism (Incarnum) [Exalted, Incarnum]
Your discipline and austerity grant you supernatural spiritual powers. But this is more than simple poverty; you sacrifice your comfort, health, and well-being in your devotion and diligence.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty

Benefit: You gain the ability to shape a number of soulmelds. You can shape your first soulmeld at 3rd level and gain the ability to shape additional soulmelds based on your character level as shown on Table 3: Incarnum Vow of Asceticism. You can shape soulmelds on any body chakra, though you can only make chakra binds on certain chakras (see below). Your meldshaping level for all purposes related to these soulmelds is equal to half your character level. You also gain essentia as shown on Table 3 and can invest it in your soulmelds within the limits imposed by your meldshaper level.

As you gain experience, you also gain the ability to make a limited number of chakra binds, as shown on Table 3. At 5th level you can bind a soulmeld to your crown chakra. You open other chakras to chakra binds as you progress, as shown on Table 3.

If you have the ability to shape soulmelds from a different source, the two progressions are tracked separately, including maintaining two separate essentia pools. If you can shape the same soulmeld from both progressions, you can only bind them to chakras available on the progression with which you're shaping the soulmeld. You can still only shape or bind one soulmeld to a given chakra, unless you have a special ability that allows you to bind or shape multiple soulmelds to the same chakra.


Table 3: Incarnum Vow of Asceticism{table=head]
Character[br]Level|
Soulmelds|
Essentia|
Chakra[br]Binds

1|--|--|--
2|--|--|--
3|1|1|0
4|1|2|0
5|2|2|1 (crown)
6|2|3|1
7|2|3|1
8|3|4|1
9|3|4|1
10|3|5|2 (feet, hands)
11|4|5|2
12|4|6|2
13|4|6|2
14|4|7|2
15|5|7|3 (arms, brow)
16|5|8|3
17|5|8|3
18|5|9|3
19|6|9|3
20|6|10|3 (shoulders)[/table]

Special: To fulfill your vow (and therefore gain the benefits of this feat) you must abide by the requirements of the Vow of Poverty feat. In addition, you only gain the benefits of this feat during days in which you have undertaken (or are currently undertaking) an act of austerity. Acts of austerity that fulfill this requirement include:
Causing self-inflicted hit point damage equal to your character level. You cannot accept magical healing to remove this self-inflicted damage, though you can receive magical healing for non-self-inflicted damage.
Intentionally suffering non-lethal damage from hunger or thirst.
Suffering fatigue as a result of sleep deprivation.
Other feats as agreed upon by the player and DM. Possible examples include eating nothing but grass, not sitting or lying down, traveling long distances by rolling on the ground instead of walking, or similar feats of austerity.
You do not gain the benefits of this feat during days you have not undertaken a act of austerity. You do not, however, permanently lose the benefits of this feat. When you begin a new act of austerity, you regain the benefits of the feat.

Vow of Asceticism can only be taken once. No character can make multiple vows and select multiple versions of this feat.

Ascetic Soulmelds
adamant pauldrons, airstep sandals, apparition ribbon, behir gorget, blink shirt, bluesteel bracers, crystal helm, diadem of purelight, disenchanter mask, displacer mantle, enigma helm, fellmist robe, flame cincture, frost helm, incarnate weapon, keeneye lenses, kraken mantle, kruthik claws, lammasu mantle, landshark boots, lifebond vestments, lightning gauntlets, lucky dice (bonuses granted are exalted bonuses instead of luck bonuses), mantle of flame, pauldrons of health, pegasus cloak, phase cloak, phoenix belt, planar ward, shedu crown, silvertongue mask, spellward shirt, strongheart vest, threefold mask of the chimera, urksan greaves, wind cloak, wormtail belt

Adaptation
Vow of Poverty, and therefore Vow of Asceticism, operate within the context of exalted feats, a series of feats that requires characters who take them to maintain a Good alignment and uphold the highest moral standards. However, many gamers have commented that many exalted feats, Vow of Poverty included, can be refluffed for just about any alignment. If you make this change, simply remove the exalted tag from the feats and their prerequisites. The bonus feats granted by Vow of Poverty can be any bonus feats for which the character meets the prerequisites, rather than exalted bonus feats. All exalted or perfection bonuses granted can be re-typed and alignment-based damage reduction altered.

Amechra
2013-04-30, 02:55 PM
Personally, I would base 'em a bit off what EdroGrimshell did for his Aberration Blood Expanded (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155474) thread, where you base the power of your Vow of Asceticism off how many Exalted feats you have.

Mephibosheth
2013-04-30, 04:37 PM
I'm torn about that method. On the one hand, it would be a good way to rein in the power of the feats; the power of your abilities is related to how much ongoing investment you make. To develop these powers fully you have to sacrifice the ability to choose other options. On the other hand, I've never been too fond of those types of systems. Shifter feats are the one exception, but that's mostly because I like the shifter race more than the feat mechanic itself. But aberrant feats and others of that ilk have never been that attractive to me. Maybe I'll think about and present that as a variant or a way to ramp up the already-established Vow of Asceticism. Do you think that the feats are overpowered as they are and need the limitations of the feat-based system to bring them back in line? Or do you just prefer that style of mechanic?

Amechra
2013-04-30, 05:01 PM
Well, I rather like that mechanic, but besides that...

It isn't that each individual feat is overpowered, it is the fact that you could technically take all of them. I'd say limiting you to one variant of Vow of Asceticism seems fair, and balances it out nicely.

Mephibosheth
2013-04-30, 05:32 PM
It isn't that each individual feat is overpowered, it is the fact that you could technically take all of them. I'd say limiting you to one variant of Vow of Asceticism seems fair, and balances it out nicely.

:smallredface: Yeah, that was definitely my intention. I guess I forgot to add a note in the adaptation section. Thanks for reminding me! I'll definitely give some significant thought to another feat-based variant that works off the shifter feat principle. Like I said before, we're all about options here at Mephibosheth's HomebrewTM! :smallwink: Vow of Poverty is one of my favorite build concepts and more ways to make it successful are never a bad thing, IMO.

Thanks a lot for your help!