Independent (3.5 feat, PEACH)

[lunar2]

This is a reworked Vow of Poverty (BoED), that removes the relation to alignment, is less restrictive about property, and is more powerful.

Independent (General)
Benefit: You gain many benefits, based on your level. All bonuses are permanent and retroactive (so an increase to Intelligence from this feat does grant you retroactive skill points).

AC Bonus (Su): A t1st-level, you gain +4 armor bonus to Armor Class. The bonus increases to +5 at 3rd level, and thereafter increases by +1 for each 3 character levels. This bonus does not apply to touch attacks, but does hinder incorporeal touch attacks. Brilliant energy weapons do not ignore this bonus. This bonus stacks with an armor bonus, but is reduced by 4 when combined with armor bonuses from another source. It still applies the resistance to brilliant energy weapons and incorporeal attacks to the entire AC bonus.

Bonus Feats (Ex): At 1st level, you gain a bonus feat that you meet the prerequisites for, and another bonus feat at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter.

Endure Elements (Ex): A t 3rd level, 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).

Enhanced Attacks (Su): At 4th level, you gain a +1 enhancement bonus on all attack and damage rolls. In effect, any weapon you wield becomes a +1 magic weapon, and can overcome the damage reduction of a creature as though it were a magic weapon. This enhancement bonus rises to +2 at
7th level, to +3 at 10th level, to +4 at 13th level, and to +5 at 16th level. At 10th level, any weapon damage you deal is also considered to have your alignment for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and regeneration.

Sustenance (Ex): At 5th-level you don’t need to eat or drink.

Deflection (Su): A 6th-level you receive a +1 deflection bonus to your Armor Class. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level, +3 at 14th level, and +4 at 18th level.

Resistance (Ex): At 7th level, a you gain a +1 resistance bonus on all saving throws. This bonus
increases to +2 at 11th level, to +3 at 15th level, and to +4 at 19th level..

Ability Score Enhancement (Ex): At 7th level, you gain a +2 enhancement bonus to one ability score. At 11th level, you gain an extra +2 bonus to that score, and a +2 bonus to another ability score. At 15th
level, you gain an extra +2 bonus to those two scores, and a +2 bonus to a third ability score. At 19th level, you gain an extra +2 bonus to those three scores, and a +2 bonus to a fourth ability
score.

Natural Armor (Ex): At 8th level, you gain a +1 natural armor bonus, or you existing natural armor bonus increases by +1. It increases an extra +1 at 14th level, and an additional +1 at 20th level.

Mind Shielding (Ex): Also at 8th level, you become immune to detect thoughts, discern
lies, and any attempt to discern your alignment. You can suppress this ability as a free action.

Damage Reduction (Su): You gain damage reduction 3/- at 10th level. At 15th level, this improves to 6/-, and at 20th level to 9/-. This damage reduction stacks with permanent damage reduction of the same type, such as that granted by the barbarian class feature.

Greater Sustenance (Ex): Once you attain 12th level, you don’t need to breathe.

Energy Resistance (Ex): At 13th level, you gain resistance 10 to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic energy. At 20th level, this increases to resistance 20.

Freedom of Movement (Ex): At 14th level, you can act as if continually under the effect of a freedom of movement spell.

Regeneration (Ex): At 17th level, you gain regeneration 1, bypassed by acid damage. Any limbs or body parts you lose grow back in 1 hour. You can reattach a lost limb by holding it to the stump for 1 minute.

True Seeing (Su): At 18th level, you gain a continuous true seeing ability, as the spell.

Special: To gain the benefits of this feat, you swear off the use of magic items, preferring to depend on your own abilities. If at any time after you gain this feat, you knowingly and willingly use a magic item, you lose the supernatural benefits of this feat until 24 hours after you stop using the item. You can’t gain any further benefits from this feat until you atone for your action. Although the spiritual contract that gives you access to your abilities is only with yourself, it is still a contract, and carries consequences when you break it.

this feat can be taken as a replacement bonus feat by any feature that grants bonus feat choices from a list.

---

note that the bonus feat line doesn't apply to the ranger's weapon style feature, since you don't choose an individual feat, but a feat chain.

[Deepbluediver]

While I think the bonuses from your new VoP do a decent job of replacing most magic items, this seems like its getting very complicated for a single feat.

Recently I've thought that the concept of VoP might work better as a seperate entire class (or prestige class), which your fix seems to be half-way towards already.
I know VoP was originally intended as a Monk-related feat, but if you had it as a seperate class you could even include some minor spellcasting, so you get a more gish-type class.

[lunar2]

this actually is the original VoP, for the most part. i changed some of the numbers (more energy resistance), gave an extra iteration of some things (1 extra point of deflection, natural armor, and resistance), made the armor bonus somewhat better (because it's effectively ghost touch now, and you can wear medium/heavy armor to get higher AC), and gave it real regeneration instead of the deformed cripple the original feat gave.

other than that, i just removed the restrictions to alignment and bonus feat types, and made it harder to fall (when using this feat, you don't lose 90% of your power because you picked up a -2 cursed sword that you didn't even know was magical).

i do believe that the feat is well over twice as powerful as the original VoP, mainly because it only takes 1 feat instead of 2, but normally you'd still be better off mechanically by just using magic items.

TL;DR it's the same feat as the one in BoED, just better.