intimate...or just friends?

[Three_Haligonians]

In the book of Exalted Deeds, the description of the feat "Nymph's Kiss" states:

"by maintaining an intimate relationship with a good-aligned fey (such as a nymph or dryad), you gain some of the characteristics of fey."

It then goes on to list the benefits of the feat. So, our question is: what does intimate mean? Does it have to be a sexual relationship? Normally, we would assume that D&D was skitting around the word sexual, however, because this feat appears in the Book of Exalted Deeds (which is given a mature rating) we aren't sure.

For instance, in the Book of Vile Darkness (which also carries a mature rating) the feat lichloved uses the term "sex act", so it didn't skit around the word in that book.

Do you think that this feat indended to use the wide interpretation of intimate? For instance, if someone was very close friends with a fey and confided in them often, could your character qualify for "Nymph's Kiss"?

Thanks in advance for your help,

J, T and R from Three Haligonians

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I'd rule, apart from any other influences, that it must be intimate but need not be sexual.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I think the feat meant sexual. I might be willing to allow "romantic" without sexual (perhaps there's a Vow of Chastity involved, etc.) But I wouldn't grant it with "just friends."

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I think the feat meant sexual. I might be willing to allow "romantic" without sexual (perhaps there's a Vow of Chastity involved, etc.) But I wouldn't grant it with "just friends."

A much better explanation of what I meant to say!

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Hi again,

If it helps, dictionary.com defines "intimate" as:

1. Marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity.
2. Relating to or indicative of one's deepest nature: intimate prayers.
3. Essential; innermost: the intimate structure of matter.
4. Marked by informality and privacy: an intimate nightclub.
5. Very personal; private: an intimate letter.
6. Of or involved in a sexual relationship.

Please give us your opinions! One of the characters in our game wants to take this feat, but we're not sure she qualifies.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I interpriet it to mean sexual. While both books carried an M rating, they had different authors, and Monte was seemingly more blunt in the BoVD, which detailed many "vile" things. I would, personally, allow it in a relationship obviously headed in that direction as well, before actual consumation took place, but the character would run the risk of losing benefits if the character started getting commitment issues.

 

[the Jester]

Iirc, the Nymph's Kiss or whatever feat is basically the 'exalted' equivalent of the Lichloved feat, so I would rule that it requires romantic or sexual intimacy.

 

[Henry]

Since "intimate relations" has been a euphemism for sex for about twenty years now, I'd garner that this is the author's intent. However, it's loose enough to play it any way the DM sees fit.

 

[Alzrius]

From what I understand, nymphs (at least as seen in D&D) are supposed to be extremely sexual creatures; not so much in being promiscuous, but in deeply unearthly beautiful in a very sexual manner, so much so that if a male character gets "intimate" with them, he won't want to leave or do anything else.

Hence, the feat seems to be talking about a sexual relationship to me.

 

[Thanee]

And furthermore it needs to be ongoing. Having this Nymph friend over there, just isn't enough to keep the benefits. You must visit her regularily, etc.

Bye
Thanee