Is Vow of Poverty broken?

[Dannyalcatraz]

Spellcasting. Druids (for some crazy reason) are full casters, so they can overcome a lot of obstacles that non-casters need to use magic items to overcome. As such they aren't limited as much by the VoP restrictions.

Unless, of course, you are playing with VoP RAW and your druid plans on casting spells that require a DF...which many do: The Summon Nature's Ally spells, Reincarnate, Goodberry, Control Plants, Delay Poison, Animal Shapes, Air Walk, Flaming Sphere, Freedom of Movement, etc.

 

[Legildur]

The poster earlier was not talking about the PrC abilities, I believe, but rather about magical tattoos that are purchased rather than received as a class feature.

Ahaa. I see, I see. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Hawkeye]

The poster earlier was not talking about the PrC abilities, I believe, but rather about magical tattoos that are purchased rather than received as a class feature.

That is exactly what I meant.

Hawkeye

 

[Dimwhit]

Unless, of course, you are playing with VoP RAW and your druid plans on casting spells that require a DF...which many do: The Summon Nature's Ally spells, Reincarnate, Goodberry, Control Plants, Delay Poison, Animal Shapes, Air Walk, Flaming Sphere, Freedom of Movement, etc.

So you're saying that, according to the RAW, a PoV Druid can't have a twig of Mistletoe? By that logic, then, that same Druid can't pick a flower and stick it in his (or hopefully her) hair to be cool? (Or not cool, as the case may be.)

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Unless, of course, you are playing with VoP RAW and your druid plans on casting spells that require a DF...which many do: The Summon Nature's Ally spells, Reincarnate, Goodberry, Control Plants, Delay Poison, Animal Shapes, Air Walk, Flaming Sphere, Freedom of Movement, etc.

Considering that the druid divine focus is an item explicitly defined as being without any gp value, I don't consider such an interpretation RAW, I'd call it punitive. Unless the same dm would de-vop a non druid VoP character who picked a wildflower to wear in her hair, I don't buy it at all.

For clerics and palys, I would never deny them a wooden DF, though it would be a nice touch if they threw a couple of ranks in craft: woodcarving and made it themselves. And once you take the nimbus or stigmata feats, as far as I'm concerned, you are a divine focus.

Remember, the mature audience includes the DMs, and some logic and attention to the spirit of the rules will be needed. If you are allowing a "simple" heavy crossbow and forbidding a sprig of holly, I would rethink if VoP blongs in your game at all.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

So you're saying that, according to the RAW, a PoV Druid can't have a twig of Mistletoe? By that logic, then, that same Druid can't pick a flower and stick it in his (or hopefully her) hair to be cool? (Or not cool, as the case may be.)

I independantly used that same comparison. I knew I shouldn't have stopped to spellcheck!

 

[Dimwhit]

I independantly used that same comparison. I knew I shouldn't have stopped to spellcheck!

Great minds think alike.

 

[lukelightning]

I hate the VoP. I think it is broken and a sure-fire way to cause problems in a party. Plus it is poorly thought out. A Poverty Dude can weild a crossbow but not an axe? That makes no sense.

Plus the whole part about having to donate treasure to charity is a problem. If you don't want to sully your nature by having material goods, fine, just don't take any treasure. I certainly don't want to give up a whole share of loot to someone who professes to be "above material goods." And what are these mystical magical charities you're donating to? Are you sure giving a temple a Rod of Lordly Might is going to make the world a better place? What if the money is embezzled? Handing out piles of money to random "poor folks" is also fraught with problems; how do you decide if they are worthy of the money? Can you be sure they are really deserving? Will throwing money at the poor people's problems solve anything?

If you're in my party and have a VoP, don't expect me to give you anything. You get no share of the money, and if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with your abstract-source-of-exhalted-magic.

 

[Hawkeye]

I hate the VoP. I think it is broken and a sure-fire way to cause problems in a party. Plus it is poorly thought out. A Poverty Dude can weild a crossbow but not an axe? That makes no sense.

Plus the whole part about having to donate treasure to charity is a problem. If you don't want to sully your nature by having material goods, fine, just don't take any treasure. I certainly don't want to give up a whole share of loot to someone who professes to be "above material goods." And what are these mystical magical charities you're donating to? Are you sure giving a temple a Rod of Lordly Might is going to make the world a better place? What if the money is embezzled? Handing out piles of money to random "poor folks" is also fraught with problems; how do you decide if they are worthy of the money? Can you be sure they are really deserving? Will throwing money at the poor people's problems solve anything?

If you're in my party and have a VoP, don't expect me to give you anything. You get no share of the money, and if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with your abstract-source-of-exhalted-magic.

Hmmm. You must play a lot of chaotic neutral characters.

Hawkeye

 

[Dimwhit]

I hate the VoP. I think it is broken and a sure-fire way to cause problems in a party. Plus it is poorly thought out. A Poverty Dude can weild a crossbow but not an axe? That makes no sense.

Plus the whole part about having to donate treasure to charity is a problem. If you don't want to sully your nature by having material goods, fine, just don't take any treasure. I certainly don't want to give up a whole share of loot to someone who professes to be "above material goods." And what are these mystical magical charities you're donating to? Are you sure giving a temple a Rod of Lordly Might is going to make the world a better place? What if the money is embezzled? Handing out piles of money to random "poor folks" is also fraught with problems; how do you decide if they are worthy of the money? Can you be sure they are really deserving? Will throwing money at the poor people's problems solve anything?

If you're in my party and have a VoP, don't expect me to give you anything. You get no share of the money, and if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with your abstract-source-of-exhalted-magic.

I read that part as more optional. I don't think a VoP character MUST take a share of treasure and donate it. But he can if he is so inclined.

As for the axe vs crossbow thing, you do have a point.