VoP and temporary wealth

[RandomMissy]

Now, one of the many maaaany problems of VoP is being unable to use spells that have expensive components.

But I was wondering... what happens if you use say... miracle to ask for the expensive material component, stipulating that the component is to disappear X minutes after you get it.

Does it actually count as wealth you have to give away if the item is actually incapable of being useful to anyone other than you to help you cast the spell?

[rockdeworld]

Non-RAW: Ask your DM. Given that that's not one of Miracle's non-XP uses, you're probably better off using Miracle to duplicate the effect of the spell.

RAW: Until it disappears, you own the material component, breaking the vow. The "Other Ramifications of Poverty" that I assume you're referencing aren't listed as exceptions in the feat description, so you can't actually carry expensive material components.

[Grooke]

VoP is an exalted feat, the Book of Exalted Deeds says:


... Only intelligent characters of good alignment and the highest moral standards can acquire exalted feats, and only as a gift from powerful agents of good—deities, celestials, or similar creatures. ...
... A character must have the DM’s permission to take an exalted feat ...
... A character who willingly and willfully commits an evil act loses all benefits from all his exalted feats. ...

The first and most important thing is the DM permission. Since you need to ask anyway, might as well take the opportunity to discuss that with him.v

As for all the details regarding how good a character must be to take and conserve the benefits of the feat, lets take a simple scenario:
Your group of LG heroes undertaking a quest in the name of your god falls in an ambush and a crucial member of your team dies. Being the only person capable of resurrecting him, your companions turn to you and give you the diamonds necessary for the spell.

I see three possible outcomes:

You refuse, dooming the quest for a god and letting a champion of good die for no good reason. This puts your morals into question and could make you loose the benefits
You accept, using material wealth, and loose the benefits
Your DM isn't a tool and you resurrect your friend. Your group looses a little wealth and you all carry on.




VoP is mainly an RP choice, its benefits are only on par/worse than those of standard WBL in terms of magic equipment. Any character taking should do so without the intention of trying to abuse it, and any DM allowing it should do so without the intent of gimping the player at every occasion.

If the casting of a spell with material components is done with the greater good in mind, a VoP character should be able to do it with components given to him from his like-minded party or from the god that granted the powers in the first place (as is the case when using a miracle). As long, of course, as there is no other material motivation behind the casting.

[Hiro Quester]

You can use material components donated by other members of your party. Or use XP instead.



A character who has forsaken material possessions may find himself at a marked disadvantage when it comes to certain necessary expenses, such as expensive material components. One option is for ascetic characters to beg components from other party members, who are probably gaining as much benefit from having the spell cast as the caster is. Alternatively, an ascetic spellcaster can sacrifice experience points in place of expensive components, with 1 XP equivalent to 5 gp value of components.