DM Help with Exalted Deeds

[Herzog]

In my opinion, you have two options:

1. Stay with your current ruleset. This means you have to:
1.a) Change your playstyle, since combat will take a much smaller part in your campaign than in a 'standard' campaign. You will have to introduce more social challenges, traps, puzzles, and other challenges where the encounter isn't rendered moot by the characters abilities.
1.b) Change your combat, since 'normal' combat will be rendered moot by the characters abilities. Don't drop all normal combat (since the ability should have some benefit), but make sure the majority of combats includes opponents that aren't affected by the ability. Also, introduce encounters where the PC's WANT or NEED to resolve the encounter with combat but the NPC's DONT.

2. Change your ruleset. This means you have to:
2.a) Identify the problem. In this case, the problem might be the entire BoED, but it might also be just the feat, or the ability, or the combination of feat and ability.
2.b) Fix the problem. Discuss the problem with the player and try to find a solution together.
2.c) If you can't identify the exact problem, or can't come to a solution together, you might have to enforce it. In any case, if you change your ruleset in a way that radically changes the PC, always give the player the option to switch to a new PC with the same XP if this means he no longer wants to play the changed PC.

 

[Wyvernhand]

Herzog has some good points. I made the same mistake when I was DMing a couple years ago. Vow of Peace is a really difficult feat to deal with. It can not only make the game unfun for the DM, but it can also make it unfun for the other players. The big Thog smash barbarian who's only concern is how much to Power Attack for is not gonna have fun if you constantly have someone who steps on his main schtick constantly.

BoED specifically states that it is for mature players who want to deal with the subject matter and that everyone should be on board before utilizing i it. If the other players are having issues, that is grounds to make a change to the game.

I think it is less unfair to the player to talk to him out of the game, explain the issue, and come up with a solution than it would be to specifically plan encounters that negate his abilities. After the 10th set of constructs/undead/mindblanked does, the player is going to get a little frustrated, and after the 10th encounter in a row where Thog doesn't get to rage and make foes explode in brilliant red clouds of misty gore, his player is going to be likewise frustrated. BoED, and especially Vow of Peace, is one of those things that everyone needs to use, or at least be ok with, or noone uses.