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*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Is Vow of Poverty broken?
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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 2704966" data-attributes="member: 19675"><p>No, because there is a specific limit listed for how much food a VoP PC can carry- one day's worth.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Absolutely not.</strong> I'm not contending that VoP is a good choice for every PC class. However, I think that it is poorly worded, and that the best evidence thereof is how it affects Paladins and Clerics.</p><p></p><p>My contention is that VoP, alongside the other vows, is meant to help simulate a "saintly" PC by allowing the PC to make certain commitments to his deity. In exchange for these vows, their deity grants them, for lack of a better word, "Holy powers."</p><p></p><p>Thus, VoP should be ideal for PCs who are already intensely devoted to the divine- Clerics, Druids, Monks and Paladins. Yet the VoP RAW <em>guts</em> 2 of those classes.</p><p></p><p>Unlike a RW saint, a VoP PC <em>actually loses</em> powers and abilities normally attributed to saints. Saintly beings could do things like detect evil (they would know if someone was posessed, or were sent by evil persons) and create barriers against it, cast out demons, and alleviate the sorrows of supplicants. VoP PCs cannot do ANY of that- they cannot cast <strong>Detect Evil (or Undead)</strong>, <strong>Protection from Evil</strong> or <strong>Magic Circle against Evil</strong>. They cannot help "sinners" cleanse themselves with <strong>Atonement</strong>. They cannot <strong>Bless</strong> or use <strong>Prayer</strong> to aid their allies.</p><p></p><p>Instead of becoming the best living evidence of a deity's power by acting as his agent on earth, he is weakened.</p><p></p><p>Essentially, were a RW saint converted into a D&D PC with VoP, he could not do many of the things he was supposed to be able to do (as evidence of his divine favor). Despite taking vows of poverty, chastity, and celibacy (like every other priest), Padre Pio didn't lose the ability to absolve sinners of their sins- he was still a priest- yet as a VoP PC, he couldn't perform the rite of absolution.</p><p></p><p>Or look at it this way: Examine the Domains:</p><p></p><p>Assume a cleric with VoP has the <strong>Good</strong> domain- excellent choice? Nope- because of the divine focus requirement, he can only use the 4th, 6-8th level domain spells. <strong>Law</strong> is much the same- only the 4th, 7th and 8th level spells are available. <strong>Death</strong> is a much better choice, with viable Domain spells of 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 9th level being available! <strong>Destruction</strong> is best of all- 1-6th and the 9th level spell are all available.</p><p></p><p>The saintly VoP Cleric should chose <strong>Death & Destruction</strong> over<strong> Good & Law</strong>? Does that sound right to you?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Except raising the dead is a miracle attributed not only to Jesus, but to other holy personages through history (in many different faiths, not just Christianity). Ditto to being beset by devils and demons.</p><p></p><p>And if a regular priest can Turn Undead, why would a deity strip this power from those he most favors? Is he trying to get his saints killed?</p><p></p><p>"You are my blessed one, Father Ted...but you'd better run from those skeletons!"</p><p></p><p>I mean...an average believer in the faith could present a holy symbol and keep a Vampire at bay for a short time, but a VoP Cleric or Paladin is just a big squeezy bottle of blood to Count Dracula! (That 1d4 damage from <strong>Holy Radiance</strong> is just going to make that blood "spicy" like a Bloody Mary with Tabasco.)</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>If he lost control voluntarily, he'd lose his VoP abilities until he Atoned. If he didn't, he'd keep his powers, but he wouldn't go anywhere or do anything before going someplace to have the tattoo removed or at least disenchanted. If he delayed disenchanting that tattoo for anything but the legitimate reason of doing the deity's will, he'd lose his VoP abilities until he Atoned.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Agreed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 2704966, member: 19675"] No, because there is a specific limit listed for how much food a VoP PC can carry- one day's worth. [B] Absolutely not.[/B] I'm not contending that VoP is a good choice for every PC class. However, I think that it is poorly worded, and that the best evidence thereof is how it affects Paladins and Clerics. My contention is that VoP, alongside the other vows, is meant to help simulate a "saintly" PC by allowing the PC to make certain commitments to his deity. In exchange for these vows, their deity grants them, for lack of a better word, "Holy powers." Thus, VoP should be ideal for PCs who are already intensely devoted to the divine- Clerics, Druids, Monks and Paladins. Yet the VoP RAW [I]guts[/I] 2 of those classes. Unlike a RW saint, a VoP PC [I]actually loses[/I] powers and abilities normally attributed to saints. Saintly beings could do things like detect evil (they would know if someone was posessed, or were sent by evil persons) and create barriers against it, cast out demons, and alleviate the sorrows of supplicants. VoP PCs cannot do ANY of that- they cannot cast [B]Detect Evil (or Undead)[/B], [B]Protection from Evil[/B] or [B]Magic Circle against Evil[/B]. They cannot help "sinners" cleanse themselves with [B]Atonement[/B]. They cannot [B]Bless[/B] or use [B]Prayer[/B] to aid their allies. Instead of becoming the best living evidence of a deity's power by acting as his agent on earth, he is weakened. Essentially, were a RW saint converted into a D&D PC with VoP, he could not do many of the things he was supposed to be able to do (as evidence of his divine favor). Despite taking vows of poverty, chastity, and celibacy (like every other priest), Padre Pio didn't lose the ability to absolve sinners of their sins- he was still a priest- yet as a VoP PC, he couldn't perform the rite of absolution. Or look at it this way: Examine the Domains: Assume a cleric with VoP has the [B]Good[/B] domain- excellent choice? Nope- because of the divine focus requirement, he can only use the 4th, 6-8th level domain spells. [B]Law[/B] is much the same- only the 4th, 7th and 8th level spells are available. [B]Death[/B] is a much better choice, with viable Domain spells of 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 9th level being available! [B]Destruction[/B] is best of all- 1-6th and the 9th level spell are all available. The saintly VoP Cleric should chose [B]Death & Destruction[/B] over[B] Good & Law[/B]? Does that sound right to you? Except raising the dead is a miracle attributed not only to Jesus, but to other holy personages through history (in many different faiths, not just Christianity). Ditto to being beset by devils and demons. And if a regular priest can Turn Undead, why would a deity strip this power from those he most favors? Is he trying to get his saints killed? "You are my blessed one, Father Ted...but you'd better run from those skeletons!" I mean...an average believer in the faith could present a holy symbol and keep a Vampire at bay for a short time, but a VoP Cleric or Paladin is just a big squeezy bottle of blood to Count Dracula! (That 1d4 damage from [B]Holy Radiance[/B] is just going to make that blood "spicy" like a Bloody Mary with Tabasco.) If he lost control voluntarily, he'd lose his VoP abilities until he Atoned. If he didn't, he'd keep his powers, but he wouldn't go anywhere or do anything before going someplace to have the tattoo removed or at least disenchanted. If he delayed disenchanting that tattoo for anything but the legitimate reason of doing the deity's will, he'd lose his VoP abilities until he Atoned. Agreed. [/QUOTE]
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