Prompted by a general discussion elsewhere on the Vow of Poverty, and how it may or may not fulfill its intended design (of covering for a complete lack of "stuff"), I started up this thread.
In and of itself, it's a good thing to have additional Exalted feats to work from, as the list certainly could do with expanding (and is interesting). Some of what I'm presenting here is purely that, just added Exalted feats with no additional intent or purpose. However, to those who are working a Vow of Poverty build, it is of particular note that the number of bonus exalted feats rapidly outstrips the avaialble list of class and concept-applicable exalted feats in the original material.
Finally, the discussion seemed to indicate that, for some, a viable solution to the *problems* of the Vow of Poverty would be to introduce some VoP-prerequisite feats that would shore up some of the most significant holes in the list.
To that end, I'll get the ball rolling with some of my own ideas. I'd love comments on what I've pitched in and would strongly encourage others to participate as well with their own ideas. In particular, a concern was raised that solving the 'holes' in the Vow of Poverty with additional Exalted feats would just lead to every VoP character taking the same set of feats. I'm hoping that with enough good ideas, that's avoidable simply by the variety of options presented.
I would ask that if you want to rejoin the debate about the Vow of Poverty itself (or other such topics), you please take it back to the thread(s) on the subject. If you don't think additional Exalted Feats is the answer, I'd be happy to discuss it with you elsewhere.
Nimbus of Light (addendum)
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The Nimbus of Light is considered a 0-level "light" spell for the purpose of overcomming, and being overcome by, magical darkness. Each additional [light] feat taken by the PC increases the level of the Nimbus of Light by +1. What's more, Holy Radiance and Stigmata are [light] feats.
Commentary: Light and Darkness in D&D interact on the basis of levels...assigning the Nimbus of Light an "effective level" helps determine what darkness overcomes, and can be overcome, by it.
Vow of Poverty (addendum)
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The following feats are non-exalted feats that may be chosen in addition to the bonus Vow of Poverty feats granted (choosing them does not make them into exalted feats):
All Metamagic feats from BoED
Clever Wrestling (CW)
Improved Toughness (CW)
Greater Resiliency (CW)
Any [Divine] feat (CW, CD, other sources)
Enduring Life (LM)
Lasting Life (LM)
Unquenchable Flame of Life (LM)
Aberration Banemagic (LoM)
Darkstalker (LoM)
Commentary: Along the same lines as the new feats introduced here, many of these feats mimic abilities that can be garnered through gear, or help to shore up weaknesses that would potentially be compensated via gear (resisting energy drain, fending off big grapplers). Overall, it's an attempt to help stave off the tendancy for Vow of Poverty characters to have to choose progressively less and less beneficial feats as time goes by.
Vow of Honesty [Exalted]
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You have taken a sacred vow to speak no lies.
Prerequisite: Sacred Vow
Benefit: You gain a +10 perfection bonus to any Sense Motive check that involves determining if someone else is lying or attempting to hide something.
Special: To fulfill your vow, you cannot lie in any way (spoken, written, pantomime, etc.). You are not compelled to speak...remaining silent is a valid choice. If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.
Initiates of Pistis Sophia may select Vow of Honesty as one of their bonus Vow feats.
Vow of Silence [Exalted]
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You have taken a sacred vow not to speak.
Prerequisite: Sacred Vow, Silent Spell (for some benefits)
Benefit: You receive a +4 perfection bonus to Listen and Move Silent checks. If you posess the Silent Spell feat, any spells you cast are affected as if by the Silent Spell metamagic feat, with no increase in level cost or casting time.
Special: To fulfill your vow, you cannot speak, nor make any other intentional vocal noises (involuntarially crying out in pain does not count). If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.
Initiates of Pistis Sophia may select Vow of Silence as one of their bonus Vow feats.
Spells that, by their very nature, cannot be silenced (Bard spells, for instance) do not gain the benefit specified by this feat.
Commentary: Free silent spell is a sizable benefit, but it's also a sizable sacrifice to gain it. What's more, it's paid with the added feat-cost of taking Silent Spell as well.
Light of Truth [Exalted, Light]
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When the Nimbus of light shines from you, all those standing within it are compelled to speak only the truth.
Prerequisites: Cha 17, Nimbus of Light, Sacred Vow, Vow of Honesty.
Benefit: Whenever your Nimbus of Light is active, anyone within it's direct illumination (5', or 10' with Holy Radiance active) is affected as if by a Zone of Truth with a save DC equal to 10 + 1/2 your Character level + your Charisma modifier.
Light of Discernment [Exalted, Light]
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When the Nimbus of light shines from you, all things that would otherwise be invisible are rendered visible.
Prerequisites: Wis 17, Nimbus of Light.
Benefit: Whenever your Nimbus of Light is active, the area of it's direct illumination (5', or 10' with Holy Radiance active) is affected as if by an Invisibility Purge.
Light of Revelation [Exalted, Light]
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When the Nimbus of light shines from you, all things are shown to be as they truly are.
Prerequisites: Wis 19, Nimbus of Light, Holy Radience, Light of Discernment, Sacred Vow, Vow of Honesty.
Benefit: Whenever your Nimbus of Light is active, the area of it's direct illumination (5', or 10' with Holy Radiance active) is visible to any onlookers as if they had True Sight active.
Light of Wrath [Exalted, Light]
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When the Nimbus of light shines from you, the unrighteous cannot bear to look upon you.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, Nimbus of Light.
Benefit: Whenever your Nimbus of Light is active, any evil, sighted opponent who attempts to attack you is dazzled for one round. The dazzled penalty is applied to the attack that triggers this effect as well.
Light of Consecration [Exalted, Light]
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Blessed is the ground you walk upon.
Prerequisites: Nimbus of Light, Holy Radiance, Cha 15
Benefit: The area currently illuminated by your Nimbus of Light (10, or 20' with Holy Radiance active) is affected as if by the Consecreate spell.
Commentary: Of particular use in undead-focused campaigns, or campaigns where vile damage makes regular appearances. It can be quite frustrating to have to cart around a wand of consecration to have to heal up between fights.
Adaptive Exalted Defense [Exalted]
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Your righteousness can manifest itself in different ways to better suit the path you have chosen.
Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty, Vow of Poverty-granted Exalted AC Bonus of +6 or higher.
Benefit: You may convert up to half of your Exalted AC Bonus granted benefit (rounded down) from actual plusses to AC into "equivalent enhancement bonus" armor boosts selected from the Book of Exalted Deeds or the DMG.
Spending a week in solitude and meditation allows you to alter these chosen benefits. You may likewise alter them with only 24 hours of solitude and meditation each time the potential benefit would increase (at +8 and again at +10).
Example: Knowing that he will face a cabal of necromancers, Kiana, a Monk 6/Initiate of Pistis Sophia 8, prays and replaces her +8 Exalted bonus to AC with a +4 Exalted bonus, and the benefit of the Soulfire magic armor enhancement.
Commentary: There is a great deal of flexibility lost in getting only straight-up AC boosts instead of having access to the host of alternative resistances, bonuses, boosts and the like available through magical armor. This provides a means of recapturing some of that benefit, and through it, access to a lot of the lost flexibility in the Vow of Poverty. Restricting it to the BoED and DMG is an attempt to avoid unintended consequences, and is negotiatable (both in the discussion in this thread and individually with DMs). I may drop that limitation entirely if it's felt that it is overly restrictive.
The week-long meditations is to cut down on continuous situational shifting, but avoids the complete dead-ending of a benefit that can't be altered (where magical armor could be sold or traded).
Adaptive Exalted Assault [Exalted]
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Your righteousness can manifest itself in different ways to better suit the path you have chosen.
Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty, Vow of Poverty-granted Exalted Strike bonus of +2 or greater
Benefit: You may convert all but 1 plus of your granted Exalted Strike benefit from actual plusses to hit and damage into "equivalent enhancement bonus" melee weapon boosts selected from the Book of Exalted Deeds or the DMG.
Spending a week in solitude and meditation allows you to alter these chosen benefits. You may likewise alter them with only 24 hours of solitude and meditation each time the potential benefit would increase (at +3, +4 and again at +5).
Commentary: See Adapted Exalted Defense...the same reasoning applies.
On Angel's Wings [Exalted, Light]
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Your purity of faith is made manifest in glowing, angelic wings that literally lift you up in your faith.
Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty, Nimbus of Light, Holy Radiance
Benefit: While your Holy Radiance is active, you gain a flight speed equal to your ground speed (Maneuverability average).
Commentary: One of the most oft-quoted weaknesses of the Vow of Poverty is the inability to fly that can't be shored up by items. While alternative means of flight do exist, they're not avaialble to everyone and in some cases, they're considered vital. On Angel's Wings provides both a compelling visual and an important limitation...it only functions so long as the Nimbus of Light does. With the addendum listed above to how Nimbus of Light interacts with darkness spells, it provides a potential means for countering this ability (and, through taking additinal Light feats, a means of defending against it as well).
Originally, I had thought of tying it to a specific minimum level, as flight is a potent ability, but with the restriction of it being vulnerable to Darkness and the feat pre-requisites, it seems fairly well balanced. The weakness can be shored up in later levels.
Righteous Pursuit [Exalted]
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Evil cannot flee from your presence.
Prerequisites: 2 or more Exalted feats
Benefit: If an evil opponent within your reach takes a 5' step away from you, you may take an immediate action to move to the nearest square that still allows you to threaten this foe.
If you have 4 or more Exalted feats, and an evil opponent within your reach moves away from you, you may take an immediation action to make a single move to the nearest square that still allows you to threaten this foe.
If you have 6 or more Exalted feats, and an evil opponent within your reach uses a [teleportation] ability, you may take an immediation action to teleport to any location within sight that still allows you to threaten this foe.
If you have 10 or more Exalted feats, and an evil opponent within your line of sight uses a [teleportation] ability, you may take an immediation action to teleport to any location on the same plane that allows you to threaten this foe.
If you have 12 or more Exalted feats, and an evil opponent within your line of sight uses a [teleportation] or planar travel ability, you may take an immediation action to teleport to any location that allows you to threaten this foe.
Commentary: Another one of the weaknesses of some Vow of Poverty characters (who don't otherwise have the ability through class features) is tactical teleportation. While limited in the sense that it only allows teleporting after, not teleporting away, Righteous Pursuit does help resolve the problem of a persistantly retreating foe. It runs the risk, however, of leaving the exalted character unsupported, or even stranded, so it would be wise to use this with caution.
By tying it to Exalted Feats, it makes it available to non Vow of Poverty characters, but of much greater benefit to those with VoP. It also makes choosing the non-exalted VoP-granted feats (see the VoP Addendum above) a potential tradeoff.
I'm particularly uncertain as to if the mechanics of this are up to snuff, so this one, more than any, I'd really appreciate other thoughts about.
