Tempestfury
2014-03-08, 12:21 PM
Vow of Poverty. One of the most renown feats in all of D&D I would say. Appearing in the Book of Exalted Deeds, it allows people to give up expensive items in exchange for numerous benefits in replace of these items.
Unfortunately, it's plagued with problems. The benefits you got are simply not as good as what you can get from spending cash, meaning that you were exchanging power for what was basically flavour, which was a no go. Secondly, it required the ‘Sacred Vow’ feat in the first place, which is very annoying, and stops you from getting VoP at first level without flaws or being human, as well as limiting your alignment to good.
Of course. This is where homebrew comes in. Drolyt’s Vow of Poverty fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140428) is a very strong and well used upgrade in that it not just upgrades the current bonuses of the original Vow of Poverty, but gives important abilities like Flight, Freedom of Movement and True-Seeing which are pretty much essential at higher levels of play.
Vaynor (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8708645&postcount=68) took it further, by giving it a level 21-30 progression and included abilities like Domains, Teleportation and even turning you into a Quasidiety at level 30. This was then taken even further by BelGareth’s 31-40 progression (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232885), ending with you transforming into a Demigod. Overall, these fixes allow your character to remain strong throughout the levels, and have a good flavour to your character.
Recently, I’ve come across another Vow of Poverty fix that I rather like the mechanics of, because its quite different to the norm. qwertyu63’s fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=289593#top) doesn’t just give you a load of benefits, but instead gives you a set amount of points according to your ECL, and these points can then be spent to get different abilities. Points & abilities that can be changed on a day to day basis.
I like this fix, as it allows you to prioritize what is important to your character, or just leave out abilities you don’t need. For example, if your an Warforged, you already have greater sustenance, that ability is pointless to you. Or if you're a Dragonfire Disciple with the Endure Exposure invocation (Which is probably like Natural Spell and the Druid), why would you need the Endure Elements ability?
However, the fix does have some flaws. Like the original Vow of Poverty, it limits you to the good alignment. Secondly, some of the cost of abilities are a bit off. Its more of an opinion, but 3 points for the ability to communicate to animals, and +4 to Survival and Handle Animal? There’s a 1 point ability that gives you a +15 to Diplomacy and Bluff, as well as a Lantern Archon companion at the same level. Thirdly, there is simply no Epic progression. Yes you get more points per ECL, but the abilities don’t scale past ECL 18.
I think most people should figure out what’s going on here. I’m going to attempt to create a fix that takes the both of best worlds. The upgrades, ability worth and epic progression of Drolyt’s fix, and the mechanics of qwertyu63’s fix. It will add more work/maths through.
Feedback would be greatly appreciated to help balance the abilities, as well as ideas for other abilities. After all, there is quite a large of variety of playstyles out there, so having a large variety of abilities allows people to get the best of of this feat for their playstyles, and make it worth the cost of having no magical items.
Vow of Poverty [General]
You have given up the pursuit of worldly goods, for personal, ascetic, or charitable reasons. In exchange you gain insight about the multiverse and access to your inner power.
Prerequisites:
You must give away all worldly goods save what is necessary for your survival and your trade.
Benefits:
Each day, you can meditate (which takes 1 minute), gaining a number of vow points equal to your ECL (any points left over from the previous day are lost). These points can be spent to obtain a number of effects, which are listed below. Buying an effect is a swift action. All effects bought are lost when you meditate to gain your vow points. (Each benefit can only be selected once per day.)
Additionally, at the first level you take this feat, and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain an additional bonus feat. You must meet all prerequisites for the feat. If your ECL is higher than 20, you can take Epic Feats with your bonus feats.
An extra bonus feat at first level might be a bit too much, but it seems fair play to me. You're giving up a feat in order to not to have items. A feat that those spending money will put to good use. The other bonus feats are a staple of the fixes, and have a nice even spread throughout the levels
Special: Due to the selective way this feat works. A DM should not hesitate to remove any abilities they dislike. With the point system, it is also possible for them to adjust the cost of points if they feel like they are over or under costed.
Effects:
Force Armour
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +4 armour bonus to your AC. If your ECL is 6 or more. This armour gains an enchantment bonus equal to (ECL-2)/4. This enchantment bonus is only to be used armour enchantments. If your ECL is 10 or higher, your armour bonus becomes equal to your ECL/2.
Taken from the latest post of Belgrath's thread. This Force Armour sacrifices AC - bringing it in line with Drolyt’s fix, though a bit weaker between levels 3-7 - in order to gain enchantment bonuses, similar to how Empowered strike gives an enchantment bonus to both A&D, and special abilities.
Deflection (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +2 Deflection bonus to your AC. If your ECL is 6 or higher, you instead gain a Deflection bonus to your AC equal to your ECL/3
Same strength of both fixes from levels 1-7, but the smoother progression makes it stronger otherwise. Making it equal to (ECL/2)-1 at ECL 12 will give it the same strength as qwertyu63’s fix through
Resistance (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +2 Resistance bonus to your saving throws. If your ECL is 6 or higher, you instead gain a Resistance bonus to your saving throws equal to your ECL/3
Pretty much the same as Deflection, the smoother progression makes it stronger at higher levels, but I can balance it out if need to be.
Empowered Strike (Su)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +1 Enhancement bonus on all attack and damage rolls. In effect, any weapon you wield functions as a +1 magic weapon, and can overcome the damage reduction of a creature as though it were a magic weapon.
If your ECL is 7 or higher, you can an enhancement bonus equal to your (ECL-3)/4 that can be used to add weapon enhancements to the weapons you wield. This enhancement bonus may be used for any magical weapon ability, and can be reallocated when you gain a level.
If your ECL is 8 or higher, the enhancement bonus to attack and damage instead becomes equal to your ECL/4. If your ECL is 10 or higher, any weapon you wield is also considered to have your alignment, so for example if you were Lawful Good you would ignore damage reduction x/good and x/lawful.
This effect applies to unarmed strikes and natural weapons in addition to material weapons.
Whew! That was a wordy one... it basically takes Drolyt’s empowered strike, modifies it special ability to allow greater flexibility and to progress smoothly into epic levels, and then lets it apply to unarmed strikes and natural weapons as in qwertyu63’s fix... or at least, specify that it does.
Endure Elements (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
You become immune to the effects of being in a hot or cold environment. You can exist comfortably in conditions between -50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit without having to make Fortitude saves (as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Additionally, you gain a resistance to fire and cold equal to your ECL. This resistance stacks with resistances from other sources of resistant gained from the Vow of Poverty Feat. If your resistance would equal 40 or more, you are instead considered immune.
Endure Elements. An ability that can be pretty damn useful, but at the same time, very easy to get. Not so good at high levels, so the scaling resistance is a little bonus. Of course, when combined with the Energy Resistance, you can easily get immunity to fire and cold... but there’s ways to get around even that at epic levels.
Sustenance (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
You do not need to eat or drink. If you are at least ECL 6, you also do not need to sleep. If you are at least ECL 12, you also don't need to breathe. If you are at least ECL 18, you may, when buying this effect, revert in age to the beginning of the young adult age category. This is an actual drop in age, and removes all aging penalties/bonuses
Fortification (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
When you are affected by a sneak attack or critical hit you have a 25% chance to negate the effect and take normal damage. If you are at least ECL 6 or higher, you instead get a 5% chance to negate the effect per ECL
I’m not sure if having things like 35% will annoy DM’s, but its a best scaling of the ability that I can put in. Its stronger than Drolyt’s except level 19, but quite a bit weaker than qwertyu63’s where you get 50% at level 6. Compared to Drolyt’s 0% and this one’s 30%.
Silver Tongue (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +3 untyped bonus to your Bluff, Diplomacy and Gather Information skill checks. You also get the ability to use Charm Person 1/hour. At ECL 8 or higher, the untyped bonus becomes equal to your ECL-4.
The first off qwertyu63’s unique abilities, trading the lantern archon for an extra skill and better scaling. I feel like I should add some style of scaling to the Charm ability through. Any suggestions?
Inner Light (Su)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You eyes glow, creating a 20ft-cone of light. This light acts like any other natural light source, through it can be suppressed at will. At ECL 5 or higher, the size of the cone of light becomes 5ft per ECL. At ECL 6, you gain low-light vision up to twice your normal vision and dark vision up to 60ft. If you already had low-light vision or dark vision, you may instead double the amount. At ECL 12, you gain Blindsight at 5ft per ECL/2.
And the second of qwertyu63’s unique abilities. You don’t have the darkness dispelling light beam at ECL 18, as the ability was getting quite worldly as it is, but in exchange, your light beam and blindsight scale per level. Plus, the low-light and dark vision stack with current low-light and dark vision you already have.
Shadow Steps (Su)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +3 untyped bonus to your Hide and Move Silently skill checks. At ECL 6, you may exchange your bonus with Hide to use invisibility at will. At ECL 8, this bonus becomes equal to your ECL -4. At ECL 11, you may exchange your bonus with Hide to use Greater Invisibility at will. At ECL 16, you may exchange your bonus with Hide to use Superior Invisibility at will.
Say hello to my first unique ability! The first direct bonus scouts from Vow of Poverty. Granting them Hide and Move Silently, and then the invisibility chain, all the way up to Superior Invisibility. A rogue is meant to me good at sneaking after all, and if they can’t use magical items to boost their sneaking ability, its fair that they have another way to do so, is it not?
Olympian Body (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
You gain a +3 untyped bonus to Balance, Climb, Jump, Swim and Tumble. At ECL 6 you gain immunity to fatigue, At ECL 8 or higher, this bonus becomes equal to your ECL-4. At ECL 12, you gain immunity to exhaustion.
Become the ultimate athlete with the second of my unique abilities! I was originally going to have it split between Balance/Tumble and Climb/Jump/Swim, but didn’t really think the latter was going to be worth that much, and couldn’t think of anything else to add to the Balance/Tumble skills, so I combined them into this.
Skill Specilization (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
Select one skill. You gain an untyped bonus in that skill eqaul to 2+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 6, this is increased to 4+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 12, the bonus is increased to 6+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 18, the bonus is increased to 8+your ECL. This skill bonus does not stack with any skill bonus grant by Vow of Poverty
Well, with all the abilities that increase skills, I decided that it was best to give you an option to give any skill a nice little boost. So, this guy turns up. Making sure it doesn't get carried away by not having it stack with other bonuses. But still, this should be a nice boost for those that want to speciilize in a skill.
Thick Skin (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points
You gain Damage Reduction 5/Magic. At ECL 6, it becomes 5/magic and silver (if you are lawful), or 5/magic and cold iron (if you are chaotic), or 5/magic and adamantine (if you are neutral). At ECL 12, the Damage Reduction becomes equal to your ECL/2. At ECL 20, the DR/magic and x instead becomes DR/Epic and X
There we go. Gaining the extra material at level 6 is from qwertyu63, but having it based on alignment is from Drolyt. After that, the scaling DR keeps it inline with the power of Drolyt’s DR and keeps it scaling up. Admittedly, it will start to fall behind in epic levels... but I’ve got something special planned for that.
Energy Resistance (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points
You gain resistance 5 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic energy. At ECL 6, this resistance instead becomes equal to your ECL. This resistance stacks with resistances from other sources of resistant gained from the Vow of Poverty Feat. If your resistance would equal 40 or more, you are instead considered immune
Ah, the first skill that comes for Drolyt’s fix. Tweaked so its a smoother progression across the levels. Yes, it does mean that at level 20, both this Endure Elements gives you immunity to fire and cold, but qwertyu63’s does so at level 18.
Spell Guard (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain spell resistance 8+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 6, the SR is increased to 10+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 12, the SR is increased to 12+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 18, the SR is increased to 14+your ECL. The spell resistance gained from Vow of Poverty does not apply to spells with the [harmless] descriptor.
I wish there was a way to smooth out the progression, but ECLx2 gets too high at high levels (SR40 is pretty ridiculous, and that’s before Epic Levels.), and ECLx1.5 simply scales too slowly. Hell, even ECLx1.75 scales too slowly. Suggestions of how to smooth out the SR increases would be great.
Psionic Guard (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain power resistance 8+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 6, the PR is increased to 10+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 12, the PR is increased to 12+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 18, the PR is increased to 14+your ECL. The power resistance gained from Vow of Poverty does not apply to powers with the [harmless] descriptor.
Hey, power resistance is pretty important to. If the game has full magic/psionic transparency, you can ignore this. If they don’t through, well, having a way to gain PR could be pretty useful. It comes across as much rarer than spell resistance through, so maybe I should up it to 3 Points. Thoughts?
Inner Power (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain a +2 bonus to the ability score of your choice. At ECL 6, this bonus becomes equal to your ECL/2. At ECL 8, and every other 4 ECL afterwards, you can chose another ability score. It gains a bonus equal to your ECL/2 -2. Each iteration increases the penalty by another 2
So VoP’s ability enchantments. Now scaling a bit more smoothly so you get odd bonuses as well as even The wording of the iterative ability bonuses should makes sense, as the previous bonuses didn’t work well with the new scaling.
Mind's Peace (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain immunity to detect thoughts, discern lies, and any attempt to discern your alignment. If you are at least ECL 6, you also receive the effect of a Protection from Evil spell, if you are Good, Protection from Good spell, if you are Evil, if you are Neutral, you chose between one of the two. If you are at least ECL 12, you gain the effect of a Nondetection spell. If you are at least ECL 18, you also receive the effect of a Mind Blank spell.
True Sight (Su)
Cost: 2 vow points.
You can, at will, use detect magic, as the spell. If you are at least ECL 6, you also can, at will, use a 'detect alignment', as the spell, you make one choice as to which alignment you can detect. If you are at least ECL 12, you also can, at will, use true seeing, as the spell. If you are at least ECL 18, you can create the effect of the spell Foresight once per day, targeting only you (CL of your ECL)
What can I say about these two? I can’t exactly have a smooth progression for these abilities as there’s nothing to scale, and they give two very important abilities. Mind Blank and True Seeing. Might be a bit powerful through, to compare to Droylt, the Mind Blank is got at level 21 and True Seeing at level 18...
Sky's Call (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain a fly speed of 10 feet per ECL (clumsy maneuverability). At ECL 5, and every other 5 ECL afterwards, your maneuverability increases by one step.
If there was one ability that Droylt’s was MUCH stronger with without a doubt.. it would be flight. Yes, you only get it at level 6, but its already at average maneuverability and equal to your base speed, which got multiplied at each 6 levels. qwertyu63’s in comparison, only gave you 10ft per 6 levels, through at level 12, it does equal its maneuverability.
This is a happy medium. The speed scales linearly, and the maneuverability goes up in even steps. Through the maneuverability scales to good and perfect the slowest of all the fixes (15/20 compared to the others 12/15)
Soul's Voice (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You can make knowledge checks untrained, regardless of the DC. You gain a +2 untyped bonus on all knowledge checks. At ECL 5 and every next 5 ECL, you can speak the basics of another language. At ECL 9 or higher, the bonus to your knowledge checks becomes equal to your ECL/3
Another of qwertyu63’s unique abilities. Basically it allows you to become a miniature loremaster, through I exchanged the augury and Commune for a scaling knowledge bonus and extra languages. Just felt like it has better flavour & synergy this way.
Nature Tuned (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain a +4 bonus on all Survival and Handle Animal checks. If you are at least ECL 6, you can also speak with animals at will. If you are at least ECL 10, the bonus becomes equal to your ECL/2
First of qwertyu63’s abilities to get a point downgrade... an technically a nerf in that you can’t summon animals with it. But seriously. Its ECL 18 ability is to summon a common cat, rat or bat, for one minute? And its not even a familiar or anything... so... excuse me for thinking that its kinda... lame.
Total Control (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain immunity to fear effects, along with attempts to stun you. If you are at least ECL 6, you also are immune to attempts to grapple you. If you are at least ECL 12, you also are immune to attempts to daze you. If you are at least ECL 18, you are considered to under the effects of ‘Freedom of Movement’ at all times.
Second of qwertyu63’s abilities to get a point downgrade, an upgrade tree up to Freedom of Movement at ECL 18. Which you get at ECL 14 for Drolyt’s VoP fix. So I felt that having it a 2 Vow Points instead of 3 Vow Points was fair.
Natural Rejuvenation (Ex)
Cost: 3 Vow Points
You gain Fast Healing 1. At ECL 8 or higher, your fast healing instead becomes equal to your ECL/4. This Fast Healing stacks with one other instance of fast healing or regeneration you might have.
Starting off the three pointers with the last of my unique abilities! Fast Healing, a pretty useful ability that allows you to fight for longer, can pick you up from unconsciousness, and saves healing outside of fights. Yet, its never appeared in Vow of Poverty, even though you get a large array of other fighting abilities. So... here it is. Not much, but its there... and most importantly, it stacks, so you're always getting its benefit! After all, an extra Fast Healing 5 at level 20 won’t hurt.
Hands of Life (Su)
Cost: 3 Vow Points.
You can heal wounds (yours or those of others) by touch. You can heal a total of 10 hit points of damage per day. At ECL 6, this number instead becomes equal to your ECLx(1+ECL/5). Additionally, you can choose to spend 5 points out of this pool to cure a disease or neutralize a poison. If you are at least ECL 12, you can choose to spend 3 points out of this pool to cure a disease or neutralize a poison or to spend 5 to cure blindness/deafness. If you are at least ECL 18, you can choose to spend 1 points out of this pool to cure a disease or neutralize a poison, spend 3 to cure blindness/deafness or spend 5 to restore a missing limb.
Basically, this is Lay On Hands/Touch of Vitality. It shouldn’t be more powerful than those actual features through. At end levels, its got a bigger pool compared to qwertyu63’s quite a bit... honestly, I’m wondering if I was scaling it wrong through, and made it simply too big... would it be better to scale it by say... 5 points of healing per ECL? Bigger healing at early levels, but smaller at higher levels.
Shifting Position (Su)
Cost: 3 Vow Points.
You benefit from a 20% miss chance due to your constant movement. If you are at least ECL 6, you can also dimension door 15' once per hour. If you are at least ECL 12, the miss chance increases to 10% per ECL/3. If you are at least ECL 18, you can create the effect of the spell Wind Walk once per day, targeting only you (CL of your ECL)
A little unsure about this one, as I would like to adjust the dimension door and Wind Walking abilities... the scaling miss chance might seem a little broken, giving you a 60% miss chance at level 18, and a 100% miss chance at level 30... but at those levels, there’s abilities to ignore miss chances that aren’t from total concealment, and through these miss chances are higher, they don’t count as total concealment. If its still too powerful though, I’ll change it to a flat 40%
Special: (Restriction)
You may only own what you can carry, and only what is necessary to your survival (including clothing, food, and shelter), or to your trade. For example, a fighter may own a weapon, a thief thieves' tools, a wizard a spellbook, or a bard an instrument. At any rate you can never own more than 100 GP worth of items, and none of your possessions can be masterwork or magical in nature. If you are good aligned then any surplus wealth must be donated to the poor, if you are evil aligned you must destroy it in a sacrifice to a dark god or archfiend, and if you are neutral you may choose either option. If you gain a reward, such as treasure, while working/adventuring alone or in a party, you must donate/destroy your share of the reward as soon as is reasonable or lose all benefits of this feat until you do. If you use any masterwork or magical items then you lose the benefits of this feat until you make an atonement, though you can have others use magic items to your benefit without losing the benefits of this feat.
Special:(Spellbook)
A member of a class that requires a spellbook, who takes this feat may give up her scribe scroll and summon familiar class abilities or an equivalent according to the DM in order to forgo the use of a spellbook. All her spells are instead stored within her own mind. She must learn spells normally, and may not pay for the privilege of scribing new spells, but now learns a greater number of free spells per level, and all the spells she knew when she takes this feat remain among her spells known. If she takes this feat at first level she knows 6 + Int modifier spells at first level. Moreover the class gains 4 spells at each new class level rather than 2, starting with the level she takes this feat.
Unfortunately, it's plagued with problems. The benefits you got are simply not as good as what you can get from spending cash, meaning that you were exchanging power for what was basically flavour, which was a no go. Secondly, it required the ‘Sacred Vow’ feat in the first place, which is very annoying, and stops you from getting VoP at first level without flaws or being human, as well as limiting your alignment to good.
Of course. This is where homebrew comes in. Drolyt’s Vow of Poverty fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140428) is a very strong and well used upgrade in that it not just upgrades the current bonuses of the original Vow of Poverty, but gives important abilities like Flight, Freedom of Movement and True-Seeing which are pretty much essential at higher levels of play.
Vaynor (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8708645&postcount=68) took it further, by giving it a level 21-30 progression and included abilities like Domains, Teleportation and even turning you into a Quasidiety at level 30. This was then taken even further by BelGareth’s 31-40 progression (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232885), ending with you transforming into a Demigod. Overall, these fixes allow your character to remain strong throughout the levels, and have a good flavour to your character.
Recently, I’ve come across another Vow of Poverty fix that I rather like the mechanics of, because its quite different to the norm. qwertyu63’s fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=289593#top) doesn’t just give you a load of benefits, but instead gives you a set amount of points according to your ECL, and these points can then be spent to get different abilities. Points & abilities that can be changed on a day to day basis.
I like this fix, as it allows you to prioritize what is important to your character, or just leave out abilities you don’t need. For example, if your an Warforged, you already have greater sustenance, that ability is pointless to you. Or if you're a Dragonfire Disciple with the Endure Exposure invocation (Which is probably like Natural Spell and the Druid), why would you need the Endure Elements ability?
However, the fix does have some flaws. Like the original Vow of Poverty, it limits you to the good alignment. Secondly, some of the cost of abilities are a bit off. Its more of an opinion, but 3 points for the ability to communicate to animals, and +4 to Survival and Handle Animal? There’s a 1 point ability that gives you a +15 to Diplomacy and Bluff, as well as a Lantern Archon companion at the same level. Thirdly, there is simply no Epic progression. Yes you get more points per ECL, but the abilities don’t scale past ECL 18.
I think most people should figure out what’s going on here. I’m going to attempt to create a fix that takes the both of best worlds. The upgrades, ability worth and epic progression of Drolyt’s fix, and the mechanics of qwertyu63’s fix. It will add more work/maths through.
Feedback would be greatly appreciated to help balance the abilities, as well as ideas for other abilities. After all, there is quite a large of variety of playstyles out there, so having a large variety of abilities allows people to get the best of of this feat for their playstyles, and make it worth the cost of having no magical items.
Vow of Poverty [General]
You have given up the pursuit of worldly goods, for personal, ascetic, or charitable reasons. In exchange you gain insight about the multiverse and access to your inner power.
Prerequisites:
You must give away all worldly goods save what is necessary for your survival and your trade.
Benefits:
Each day, you can meditate (which takes 1 minute), gaining a number of vow points equal to your ECL (any points left over from the previous day are lost). These points can be spent to obtain a number of effects, which are listed below. Buying an effect is a swift action. All effects bought are lost when you meditate to gain your vow points. (Each benefit can only be selected once per day.)
Additionally, at the first level you take this feat, and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain an additional bonus feat. You must meet all prerequisites for the feat. If your ECL is higher than 20, you can take Epic Feats with your bonus feats.
An extra bonus feat at first level might be a bit too much, but it seems fair play to me. You're giving up a feat in order to not to have items. A feat that those spending money will put to good use. The other bonus feats are a staple of the fixes, and have a nice even spread throughout the levels
Special: Due to the selective way this feat works. A DM should not hesitate to remove any abilities they dislike. With the point system, it is also possible for them to adjust the cost of points if they feel like they are over or under costed.
Effects:
Force Armour
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +4 armour bonus to your AC. If your ECL is 6 or more. This armour gains an enchantment bonus equal to (ECL-2)/4. This enchantment bonus is only to be used armour enchantments. If your ECL is 10 or higher, your armour bonus becomes equal to your ECL/2.
Taken from the latest post of Belgrath's thread. This Force Armour sacrifices AC - bringing it in line with Drolyt’s fix, though a bit weaker between levels 3-7 - in order to gain enchantment bonuses, similar to how Empowered strike gives an enchantment bonus to both A&D, and special abilities.
Deflection (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +2 Deflection bonus to your AC. If your ECL is 6 or higher, you instead gain a Deflection bonus to your AC equal to your ECL/3
Same strength of both fixes from levels 1-7, but the smoother progression makes it stronger otherwise. Making it equal to (ECL/2)-1 at ECL 12 will give it the same strength as qwertyu63’s fix through
Resistance (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +2 Resistance bonus to your saving throws. If your ECL is 6 or higher, you instead gain a Resistance bonus to your saving throws equal to your ECL/3
Pretty much the same as Deflection, the smoother progression makes it stronger at higher levels, but I can balance it out if need to be.
Empowered Strike (Su)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +1 Enhancement bonus on all attack and damage rolls. In effect, any weapon you wield functions as a +1 magic weapon, and can overcome the damage reduction of a creature as though it were a magic weapon.
If your ECL is 7 or higher, you can an enhancement bonus equal to your (ECL-3)/4 that can be used to add weapon enhancements to the weapons you wield. This enhancement bonus may be used for any magical weapon ability, and can be reallocated when you gain a level.
If your ECL is 8 or higher, the enhancement bonus to attack and damage instead becomes equal to your ECL/4. If your ECL is 10 or higher, any weapon you wield is also considered to have your alignment, so for example if you were Lawful Good you would ignore damage reduction x/good and x/lawful.
This effect applies to unarmed strikes and natural weapons in addition to material weapons.
Whew! That was a wordy one... it basically takes Drolyt’s empowered strike, modifies it special ability to allow greater flexibility and to progress smoothly into epic levels, and then lets it apply to unarmed strikes and natural weapons as in qwertyu63’s fix... or at least, specify that it does.
Endure Elements (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
You become immune to the effects of being in a hot or cold environment. You can exist comfortably in conditions between -50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit without having to make Fortitude saves (as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Additionally, you gain a resistance to fire and cold equal to your ECL. This resistance stacks with resistances from other sources of resistant gained from the Vow of Poverty Feat. If your resistance would equal 40 or more, you are instead considered immune.
Endure Elements. An ability that can be pretty damn useful, but at the same time, very easy to get. Not so good at high levels, so the scaling resistance is a little bonus. Of course, when combined with the Energy Resistance, you can easily get immunity to fire and cold... but there’s ways to get around even that at epic levels.
Sustenance (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
You do not need to eat or drink. If you are at least ECL 6, you also do not need to sleep. If you are at least ECL 12, you also don't need to breathe. If you are at least ECL 18, you may, when buying this effect, revert in age to the beginning of the young adult age category. This is an actual drop in age, and removes all aging penalties/bonuses
Fortification (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
When you are affected by a sneak attack or critical hit you have a 25% chance to negate the effect and take normal damage. If you are at least ECL 6 or higher, you instead get a 5% chance to negate the effect per ECL
I’m not sure if having things like 35% will annoy DM’s, but its a best scaling of the ability that I can put in. Its stronger than Drolyt’s except level 19, but quite a bit weaker than qwertyu63’s where you get 50% at level 6. Compared to Drolyt’s 0% and this one’s 30%.
Silver Tongue (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +3 untyped bonus to your Bluff, Diplomacy and Gather Information skill checks. You also get the ability to use Charm Person 1/hour. At ECL 8 or higher, the untyped bonus becomes equal to your ECL-4.
The first off qwertyu63’s unique abilities, trading the lantern archon for an extra skill and better scaling. I feel like I should add some style of scaling to the Charm ability through. Any suggestions?
Inner Light (Su)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You eyes glow, creating a 20ft-cone of light. This light acts like any other natural light source, through it can be suppressed at will. At ECL 5 or higher, the size of the cone of light becomes 5ft per ECL. At ECL 6, you gain low-light vision up to twice your normal vision and dark vision up to 60ft. If you already had low-light vision or dark vision, you may instead double the amount. At ECL 12, you gain Blindsight at 5ft per ECL/2.
And the second of qwertyu63’s unique abilities. You don’t have the darkness dispelling light beam at ECL 18, as the ability was getting quite worldly as it is, but in exchange, your light beam and blindsight scale per level. Plus, the low-light and dark vision stack with current low-light and dark vision you already have.
Shadow Steps (Su)
Cost: 1 Vow Point
You gain a +3 untyped bonus to your Hide and Move Silently skill checks. At ECL 6, you may exchange your bonus with Hide to use invisibility at will. At ECL 8, this bonus becomes equal to your ECL -4. At ECL 11, you may exchange your bonus with Hide to use Greater Invisibility at will. At ECL 16, you may exchange your bonus with Hide to use Superior Invisibility at will.
Say hello to my first unique ability! The first direct bonus scouts from Vow of Poverty. Granting them Hide and Move Silently, and then the invisibility chain, all the way up to Superior Invisibility. A rogue is meant to me good at sneaking after all, and if they can’t use magical items to boost their sneaking ability, its fair that they have another way to do so, is it not?
Olympian Body (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
You gain a +3 untyped bonus to Balance, Climb, Jump, Swim and Tumble. At ECL 6 you gain immunity to fatigue, At ECL 8 or higher, this bonus becomes equal to your ECL-4. At ECL 12, you gain immunity to exhaustion.
Become the ultimate athlete with the second of my unique abilities! I was originally going to have it split between Balance/Tumble and Climb/Jump/Swim, but didn’t really think the latter was going to be worth that much, and couldn’t think of anything else to add to the Balance/Tumble skills, so I combined them into this.
Skill Specilization (Ex)
Cost: 1 Vow Point.
Select one skill. You gain an untyped bonus in that skill eqaul to 2+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 6, this is increased to 4+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 12, the bonus is increased to 6+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 18, the bonus is increased to 8+your ECL. This skill bonus does not stack with any skill bonus grant by Vow of Poverty
Well, with all the abilities that increase skills, I decided that it was best to give you an option to give any skill a nice little boost. So, this guy turns up. Making sure it doesn't get carried away by not having it stack with other bonuses. But still, this should be a nice boost for those that want to speciilize in a skill.
Thick Skin (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points
You gain Damage Reduction 5/Magic. At ECL 6, it becomes 5/magic and silver (if you are lawful), or 5/magic and cold iron (if you are chaotic), or 5/magic and adamantine (if you are neutral). At ECL 12, the Damage Reduction becomes equal to your ECL/2. At ECL 20, the DR/magic and x instead becomes DR/Epic and X
There we go. Gaining the extra material at level 6 is from qwertyu63, but having it based on alignment is from Drolyt. After that, the scaling DR keeps it inline with the power of Drolyt’s DR and keeps it scaling up. Admittedly, it will start to fall behind in epic levels... but I’ve got something special planned for that.
Energy Resistance (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points
You gain resistance 5 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic energy. At ECL 6, this resistance instead becomes equal to your ECL. This resistance stacks with resistances from other sources of resistant gained from the Vow of Poverty Feat. If your resistance would equal 40 or more, you are instead considered immune
Ah, the first skill that comes for Drolyt’s fix. Tweaked so its a smoother progression across the levels. Yes, it does mean that at level 20, both this Endure Elements gives you immunity to fire and cold, but qwertyu63’s does so at level 18.
Spell Guard (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain spell resistance 8+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 6, the SR is increased to 10+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 12, the SR is increased to 12+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 18, the SR is increased to 14+your ECL. The spell resistance gained from Vow of Poverty does not apply to spells with the [harmless] descriptor.
I wish there was a way to smooth out the progression, but ECLx2 gets too high at high levels (SR40 is pretty ridiculous, and that’s before Epic Levels.), and ECLx1.5 simply scales too slowly. Hell, even ECLx1.75 scales too slowly. Suggestions of how to smooth out the SR increases would be great.
Psionic Guard (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain power resistance 8+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 6, the PR is increased to 10+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 12, the PR is increased to 12+your ECL. If you are at least ECL 18, the PR is increased to 14+your ECL. The power resistance gained from Vow of Poverty does not apply to powers with the [harmless] descriptor.
Hey, power resistance is pretty important to. If the game has full magic/psionic transparency, you can ignore this. If they don’t through, well, having a way to gain PR could be pretty useful. It comes across as much rarer than spell resistance through, so maybe I should up it to 3 Points. Thoughts?
Inner Power (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain a +2 bonus to the ability score of your choice. At ECL 6, this bonus becomes equal to your ECL/2. At ECL 8, and every other 4 ECL afterwards, you can chose another ability score. It gains a bonus equal to your ECL/2 -2. Each iteration increases the penalty by another 2
So VoP’s ability enchantments. Now scaling a bit more smoothly so you get odd bonuses as well as even The wording of the iterative ability bonuses should makes sense, as the previous bonuses didn’t work well with the new scaling.
Mind's Peace (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain immunity to detect thoughts, discern lies, and any attempt to discern your alignment. If you are at least ECL 6, you also receive the effect of a Protection from Evil spell, if you are Good, Protection from Good spell, if you are Evil, if you are Neutral, you chose between one of the two. If you are at least ECL 12, you gain the effect of a Nondetection spell. If you are at least ECL 18, you also receive the effect of a Mind Blank spell.
True Sight (Su)
Cost: 2 vow points.
You can, at will, use detect magic, as the spell. If you are at least ECL 6, you also can, at will, use a 'detect alignment', as the spell, you make one choice as to which alignment you can detect. If you are at least ECL 12, you also can, at will, use true seeing, as the spell. If you are at least ECL 18, you can create the effect of the spell Foresight once per day, targeting only you (CL of your ECL)
What can I say about these two? I can’t exactly have a smooth progression for these abilities as there’s nothing to scale, and they give two very important abilities. Mind Blank and True Seeing. Might be a bit powerful through, to compare to Droylt, the Mind Blank is got at level 21 and True Seeing at level 18...
Sky's Call (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain a fly speed of 10 feet per ECL (clumsy maneuverability). At ECL 5, and every other 5 ECL afterwards, your maneuverability increases by one step.
If there was one ability that Droylt’s was MUCH stronger with without a doubt.. it would be flight. Yes, you only get it at level 6, but its already at average maneuverability and equal to your base speed, which got multiplied at each 6 levels. qwertyu63’s in comparison, only gave you 10ft per 6 levels, through at level 12, it does equal its maneuverability.
This is a happy medium. The speed scales linearly, and the maneuverability goes up in even steps. Through the maneuverability scales to good and perfect the slowest of all the fixes (15/20 compared to the others 12/15)
Soul's Voice (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You can make knowledge checks untrained, regardless of the DC. You gain a +2 untyped bonus on all knowledge checks. At ECL 5 and every next 5 ECL, you can speak the basics of another language. At ECL 9 or higher, the bonus to your knowledge checks becomes equal to your ECL/3
Another of qwertyu63’s unique abilities. Basically it allows you to become a miniature loremaster, through I exchanged the augury and Commune for a scaling knowledge bonus and extra languages. Just felt like it has better flavour & synergy this way.
Nature Tuned (Su)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain a +4 bonus on all Survival and Handle Animal checks. If you are at least ECL 6, you can also speak with animals at will. If you are at least ECL 10, the bonus becomes equal to your ECL/2
First of qwertyu63’s abilities to get a point downgrade... an technically a nerf in that you can’t summon animals with it. But seriously. Its ECL 18 ability is to summon a common cat, rat or bat, for one minute? And its not even a familiar or anything... so... excuse me for thinking that its kinda... lame.
Total Control (Ex)
Cost: 2 Vow Points.
You gain immunity to fear effects, along with attempts to stun you. If you are at least ECL 6, you also are immune to attempts to grapple you. If you are at least ECL 12, you also are immune to attempts to daze you. If you are at least ECL 18, you are considered to under the effects of ‘Freedom of Movement’ at all times.
Second of qwertyu63’s abilities to get a point downgrade, an upgrade tree up to Freedom of Movement at ECL 18. Which you get at ECL 14 for Drolyt’s VoP fix. So I felt that having it a 2 Vow Points instead of 3 Vow Points was fair.
Natural Rejuvenation (Ex)
Cost: 3 Vow Points
You gain Fast Healing 1. At ECL 8 or higher, your fast healing instead becomes equal to your ECL/4. This Fast Healing stacks with one other instance of fast healing or regeneration you might have.
Starting off the three pointers with the last of my unique abilities! Fast Healing, a pretty useful ability that allows you to fight for longer, can pick you up from unconsciousness, and saves healing outside of fights. Yet, its never appeared in Vow of Poverty, even though you get a large array of other fighting abilities. So... here it is. Not much, but its there... and most importantly, it stacks, so you're always getting its benefit! After all, an extra Fast Healing 5 at level 20 won’t hurt.
Hands of Life (Su)
Cost: 3 Vow Points.
You can heal wounds (yours or those of others) by touch. You can heal a total of 10 hit points of damage per day. At ECL 6, this number instead becomes equal to your ECLx(1+ECL/5). Additionally, you can choose to spend 5 points out of this pool to cure a disease or neutralize a poison. If you are at least ECL 12, you can choose to spend 3 points out of this pool to cure a disease or neutralize a poison or to spend 5 to cure blindness/deafness. If you are at least ECL 18, you can choose to spend 1 points out of this pool to cure a disease or neutralize a poison, spend 3 to cure blindness/deafness or spend 5 to restore a missing limb.
Basically, this is Lay On Hands/Touch of Vitality. It shouldn’t be more powerful than those actual features through. At end levels, its got a bigger pool compared to qwertyu63’s quite a bit... honestly, I’m wondering if I was scaling it wrong through, and made it simply too big... would it be better to scale it by say... 5 points of healing per ECL? Bigger healing at early levels, but smaller at higher levels.
Shifting Position (Su)
Cost: 3 Vow Points.
You benefit from a 20% miss chance due to your constant movement. If you are at least ECL 6, you can also dimension door 15' once per hour. If you are at least ECL 12, the miss chance increases to 10% per ECL/3. If you are at least ECL 18, you can create the effect of the spell Wind Walk once per day, targeting only you (CL of your ECL)
A little unsure about this one, as I would like to adjust the dimension door and Wind Walking abilities... the scaling miss chance might seem a little broken, giving you a 60% miss chance at level 18, and a 100% miss chance at level 30... but at those levels, there’s abilities to ignore miss chances that aren’t from total concealment, and through these miss chances are higher, they don’t count as total concealment. If its still too powerful though, I’ll change it to a flat 40%
Special: (Restriction)
You may only own what you can carry, and only what is necessary to your survival (including clothing, food, and shelter), or to your trade. For example, a fighter may own a weapon, a thief thieves' tools, a wizard a spellbook, or a bard an instrument. At any rate you can never own more than 100 GP worth of items, and none of your possessions can be masterwork or magical in nature. If you are good aligned then any surplus wealth must be donated to the poor, if you are evil aligned you must destroy it in a sacrifice to a dark god or archfiend, and if you are neutral you may choose either option. If you gain a reward, such as treasure, while working/adventuring alone or in a party, you must donate/destroy your share of the reward as soon as is reasonable or lose all benefits of this feat until you do. If you use any masterwork or magical items then you lose the benefits of this feat until you make an atonement, though you can have others use magic items to your benefit without losing the benefits of this feat.
Special:(Spellbook)
A member of a class that requires a spellbook, who takes this feat may give up her scribe scroll and summon familiar class abilities or an equivalent according to the DM in order to forgo the use of a spellbook. All her spells are instead stored within her own mind. She must learn spells normally, and may not pay for the privilege of scribing new spells, but now learns a greater number of free spells per level, and all the spells she knew when she takes this feat remain among her spells known. If she takes this feat at first level she knows 6 + Int modifier spells at first level. Moreover the class gains 4 spells at each new class level rather than 2, starting with the level she takes this feat.