[Exalted Deeds] Vows and Breeds of Ascetism

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

This thread is put together for two purposes, the first is to provoke a general discussion of how to role-play and model a variety of ascetic characters, and to develop exalted feats for doing so. The second is more specific.

The Challenge: I need to create at least three Exalted feats by Tuesday afternoon.

The Problem: My character is a 3 level Giant 5 level Oathsworn, all stuff from Arcana Evolved. He has the Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty feats at first level and is living in Southern Faerun with a group of fellow escaped slaves.

This means he has five exalted feats to choose from, but since he's not a monk his selection is extremely limited. Nymph's Kiss is the only won I like for the character, also taken at first level.

He doesn't believe in theistic religion per say, though that may change in Faerun, which also makes a difference in what he can take. But I do want to play him as an innately supernatural and good guy. He's super tough but very joyful, pleasant, innocently tricksy, and curious.

The Specifications:

I'm really good at developing limitations for Vow style exalted feats, but not so good at balancing benefits. Here's what I'd love to have advice on:

The Vow of Joy: Inspiration is something between St. Francis of Assisi and Billy of Grim Adventures fame. A character who is utterly without fear or care in a strangely aggressive supernatural sense.

Reqs: A class ability that grants a bonus against fear effects, Sacred Vow

Benefits: Don't know yet, but something along the power level of vow of non-violence save useful for more physical types.

Special: Little iffy on this one as well, something that limits looking for healing or shelter - St. Francis with his wounds and rolling in the snow or Billy filled with thorns and simply saying, "ooo itchy!" - and some sort of stricture against refusing challenges.

The Vow of Understanding: Inspiration is something like the fearless inquisitor who must seek out evil knowledge and cannot simply destroy without attempting to understand.

Reqs: Wisdom 13+, Sacred Vow, and ability to speak either Infernal or Abyssal.

Benefits:

Special: Can never refuse right to parley, must attempt to gain information from helpless foes, and may not intentionally destroy any work of knowledge, though it may be hidden.

The Vow of Openness: I just think it's a neat idea, but I do think of it as being inspired by Diogenes the Cynic.

Benefits:

Special: May not tell a lie, may not refuse to answer a question, may not attack from hiding, and all disguise attempts are made with a -4 penalty.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Bump.

Surely someone out there is still or has in the past put some thought into working out new things with the Book of Exalted Deeds. Please share.

I apologize for the lack of timliness, but Hagiography and classical philosophy have only recently infected me with the desire fo ascetic adventuring.

 

[Sir ThornCrest]

A big strong guy like that, Vow of Peace. You can beat the you know what out of enemies with subdual damage, submission holds etc if they are a living being. You can combat w/ deadly force constructs undead.

Thorncrest

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Vow of Peace would take up two feats, but, to be honest, I don't want to have the aura of calmness solving encounters for the character.

I'm barely ok with turn undead solving encounters in a single roll, having that dynamic in play all the time would be too much for me and the rest of the party.

 

[Anabstercorian]

The Specifications:

I'm really good at developing limitations for Vow style exalted feats, but not so good at balancing benefits. Here's what I'd love to have advice on:

The Vow of Joy: Inspiration is something between St. Francis of Assisi and Billy of Grim Adventures fame. A character who is utterly without fear or care in a strangely aggressive supernatural sense.

Reqs: A class ability that grants a bonus against fear effects, Sacred Vow

Benefits: Don't know yet, but something along the power level of vow of non-violence save useful for more physical types.

Special: Little iffy on this one as well, something that limits looking for healing or shelter - St. Francis with his wounds and rolling in the snow or Billy filled with thorns and simply saying, "ooo itchy!" - and some sort of stricture against refusing challenges.

Benefits: You are immune to pain effects, exhaustion, and so forth. On the downside, you don't track your hit points, someone else does, and you can only determine them by spending a full minute looking yourself over. Honestly, though? I don't think this feat is feasible.

The Vow of Understanding: Inspiration is something like the fearless inquisitor who must seek out evil knowledge and cannot simply destroy without attempting to understand.

Reqs: Wisdom 13+, Sacred Vow, and ability to speak either Infernal or Abyssal.

Benefits:

Special: Can never refuse right to parley, must attempt to gain information from helpless foes, and may not intentionally destroy any work of knowledge, though it may be hidden.

First off, this is really appropriate for either alignment - both good and evil recognizes the value of knowing thy enemy. That said, I'd offer the following:
1) +4 Sacred bonus to saving throws against Unholy Blight and similar effects that affect Good characters especially grievously.
2) Ignore up to -4 circumstance penalty to Charisma based skill checks due to differing alignment along Good/Evil axis.
3) Immune to negative levels inflicted by unholy equipment, or to experience drain caused by books such as Book of Vile Darkness.
I'd say

The Vow of Openness: I just think it's a neat idea, but I do think of it as being inspired by Diogenes the Cynic.

Benefits:

Special: May not tell a lie, may not refuse to answer a question, may not attack from hiding, and all disguise attempts are made with a -4 penalty.

From my perspective, This is the feat of Ultimate Intellectual Honesty. As such, I, personally, would add an Int and Wis 13+ minimum to take it. I would have this feat grant a +6 bonus to Charisma checks and charisma based skill checks for the purpose of convincing people of your sincerity. You just feel very, very honest. Additionally, because of this aura of No-Spin-Zone, people who attempt to bluff you suffer a -6 penalty to their checks.

 

[Sir ThornCrest]

I altered my original post to you I was going to include, our groups debate. Our group is currently debating adding evil outsiders with undead and constructs to the able to kill list however at the cost of the aura of peace and vs the evil outsiders the weapon breaking on skin ability is gone.

Thorncrest

Vow of Peace would take up two feats, but, to be honest, I don't want to have the aura of calmness solving encounters for the character.

I'm barely ok with turn undead solving encounters in a single roll, having that dynamic in play all the time would be too much for me and the rest of the party.

 

[craftyrat]

What about a fairly traditional religious vow - vow of silence? In the interests of playability I would say the character could communicate as much as they wanted out of the game, but nothing in-game. Benefits could include resistance to sonic attacks and/or resistance to bad magic. Neither of these are especially common, but allowing out of game communication makes this not such an onerous feat.

craftyrat

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

There's a bit of a discussion of vow of silence on the Wizard's Boards.

Theoretically it should give you bonuses to listen, sense, motive, and concentration checks. Though you might even allow a straight up bonus to all wisdom checks.

Unfortunately, it's not terribly appropriate to the character in question.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Benefits: You are immune to pain effects, exhaustion, and so forth. On the downside, you don't track your hit points, someone else does, and you can only determine them by spending a full minute looking yourself over. Honestly, though? I don't think this feat is feasible.

I like your take on the other two feats, though I would be tempted to put in some sort of bonus to intimidate, diplomacy, or sense motive checks when interrogating creatures of an opposite alignment to the Vow of Understanding. I just don't know if that would make it terribly overpowered or not.

The Vow of Joy is something I'm pretty committed to with regard to the character, but I agree with you that the above benefit, while cool, is a bit unfeasable. Particularly since the character in question will soon be immune to most of those things via the Oathsworn class features.

Been thinking about two ways to do this feat:

Method I: Character is unable to ask for or administer healing to himself is also unable to ask for shelter or retreat in the face of evil - though a head to head confrontation is not mandated either - in return character recieves immunity to pain effects, damage reduction 2/-, and while sleeping the character may use one healing effect on himself and also heals as many hit points as if he had rested for the day while recieving full medical attention. This stacks with actually resting for a day and recieving full medical attention.

Method II: Character is unable to retreat in the face of evil - though head to head confrontation is not mandated either, may not ask for healing, and must not refuse a gift - though the character is not under any obligation to keep it. In return, character recieves wisdom bonus as a bonus to one saving throw, a +2 bonus to AC versus evil creatures, and a free intimidation check against any creature with that utilizes a fear effect.

Or some combination, thereof, though I really do like the free intimidation check/charisma bonus against creatures that utilize a fear effect. That fits both St. Francis and Billy.

Might do it as two different feats, actually.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Anyone have any ideas for additional Exalted Feats.

I have been contemplating something for the Samsonesque character.

Let's see:

Req: strength 15+, and sunder

Benefit: The character recieves a +4 divine bonus on burst checks and on damage rolls versus inanimate objects.

Special: The character must accept a ban with a physical effect. The classic example would be that the character could not cut his hair or have his hair cut. Should the character violate this ban all bonuses would be lost.