Prestige class idea...

[onthetown]

My boyfriend and I had an idea for a prestige class that works with the BoED. We're tentatively calling it "Vowbreaker". Basically, a character who's broken a sacred vow (or a paladin's code, or something) decides not to repent and pursues power for him or herself.

The problem is, we don't have a clue what sort of class abilities we could base around a "vowbreaker". We were thinking about making the character take and break vows at each level (it's only about 5 levels) to get benefits, but we want something that stands out, too.

Creative input is desperately needed.

[Burnheart]

2 things first, i think if your asking for help making a Prestige class this should be in homebrew and second, it might help to narrow down what vows you want to base the class around, a vow of poverty vowbreaker would i think be different from a vowbreaker who has pledged himself to a specific higher being as the vow of poverty guy might be obssesed with wealth, the guy who swore himself to the specific higher being might start working against his former boss.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

I agree with Burnheart: you may want to think of having certain abilities based around what vow was broken rather than trying to encompass all of the vows. That way, if the character broke multiple vows there would be more power for them but it doesn't become so feat intensive where-by they are are forced to take a multitude of vows, but there is an insensitive for it.
An existing PrC to look at may be Grey Guard. Additionally, for a more concise example of what I mentioned above, you could look at some of the PrC's from Complete Champion. You could also possibly draw some inspiration from Ur-Priest.

[holywhippet]

Your suggestion sounds a lot like a Blackguard : http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeCl...blackguard.htm

Take and break vows? That sounds highly suspect as a class - I don't see how you'd get power from it unless a higher power who likes liers is backing them.

[DaragosKitsune]

One of the PRC competitions on the Homebrew board did this already.

[onthetown]

One of the PRC competitions on the Homebrew board did this already.

Nevermind, then. Thanks.

[Callista]

The grey guard is not a vowbreaker... he's an elite paladin. He's still got the paladin's code; only Atonement is much easier for him. It's kind of an adjustment to the paladin class if you're playing in a dark game where the paladin's likely to face lose-lose scenarios often--this variant lets you pull the switch in the trolley dilemma without having to atone. (It does not, however, let you pull the switch and then murder the folks on the safe track. These are still paladins.)

Yeah, I know, tangent, but I like the grey guard and I get annoyed at people thinking it's some kind of an evil paladin class with carte blanche to do whatever the heck he pleases. It's not; it's a dark paladin trying to do the right thing in a world where nothing's black and white. Totally different concept.

[Thespianus]

The grey guard is not a vowbreaker...

But people were talking about the Blackguard.

The word itself even means "a low, contemptible person; scoundrel."

EDIT: My bad, I missed Tibbaerrohwen's post. I apologize.

[Kuma Kode]

If the base class was a spellcaster, archer, anyone who took a sacred vow or simply doesn't want to burn feats on Sunder and Cleave, then no, Blackguard is a terrible option for replicating the idea.

The class sounds interesting, and provides a "fall" option for exalted rather than "Woops, you lose your feats." You could make it require evil alignment, and they start gaining back macabre versions of their previous feats, with some extra stuff, of course.

Actually, I might fiddle around with something like this if you don't want to homebrew it yourself.

[Telonius]

Another existing one would be Ronin from CWar. Although it mostly assumes levels in (shudder) Samurai, Infamy sounds like something you'd want. (Maybe rename it "Fall from Grace").

One thing you might want to think about is the source of that character's newfound power. If it's something in more of an evil bent, it would make some sense to trade in abilities for evil versions of them, like Blackguard does for trading in Paladin levels. But if the resulting character is more of a Neutral, it's a little bit fuzzier.

[onthetown]

Actually, I might fiddle around with something like this if you don't want to homebrew it yourself.

I do want to homebrew it myself, but you're good to go because I won't be posting it here. I only said "nevermind" because I have a feeling that the PrC competition one will be brought up a lot. The thing is, I never intended to actually post my Vowbreaker here; it was just for my and my boyfriend's amusement. We just need some creative help... I won't be touching the PrC competitions for awhile just so that I don't come across it and get ideas from the existing one.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Well, with my Oathbreaker of Seraphitus, I gave it a class ability called Ne'er Failing Light, which meant the character still got the benefits of their vows and such, but had to keep to them. i.e. A Vow of Nonviolence character would not be bound by being good, but couldn't not deal lethal damage to humanoids and monsterous humanoids.

Not quite what your looking for, but it was how I went about this sort of idea.