Planar Ally spells & Vow of Poverty?

[Wolffenjugend]

The Vow of Poverty feat requires characters to have almost no material possessions. Strangely, although it mentions magic items and equipment, it never mentions coinage/wealth. Obviously, a character is also prohibited from monetary wealth as well.

Does that mean a cleric who takes the Vow of Poverty cannot cast the Planar Ally spells? These require payment, usually in the form of gp value. But if the character can have no material wealth, then how can payment be made? Yes, payment could come in the form of tasks but how do you equate that to gp value and won't that drastically reduce the ability to cast Planar Ally spells (as the cleric will have to spend a lot more time fulfilling tasks to pay the summoned creatures)?

I have an NPC cleric in the P who I would like to offer assistance from time to time in the form of Planar Ally spells but I need to find a way to make her legitimately pay the gp value of the spells while still adhering to her Vow of Poverty.

Thoughts?

 

[The Souljourner]

I have three options:

1.) Don't take Vow of Poverty
2.) Ask a friend for the money
3.) Don't cast Planar Ally

 

[DreamChaser]

I would permit such a priest to take up a "collection" for the wealth needed to contact the planar ally. From the get go this wealth would have to be clearly marked as being for the spell and if the character used it for any other purpose, it would be a violation of his or her vow and once the amount was reached, there would be a limited time (say 1 week) to use the money without violated the vow.

This is how monestaries have always done it with money collected for the poor. The money is not theirs and they cannot use it for anything so there is no violation of their vows.

DC

 

[Sejs]

Service instead of coin.

Suggest they look into the Thaumaturgist PrC. At 1st level they get the ability to use a Diplomacy check to get bargain prices for Planar Ally spells.

 

[Delemental]

Service instead of coin.

Suggest they look into the Thaumaturgist PrC. At 1st level they get the ability to use a Diplomacy check to get bargain prices for Planar Ally spells.

Actually, since the character has taken Vow of Poverty, and would be considered an Exalted character, I'd think that they'd get bargain prices from a Good Planar Ally anyway.

And, if you read the description of voluntary poverty, it does say that such a character is expected to donate most of their wealth to charity. So a VoP character could summon a Planar Ally, and perhaps the price would be a donation of x amount to a particular church, or orphanage, or society with goals in line with the Ally. That way the character could be allowed to accumulate money, with the intent of giving it away. This seems like it would be more in line with what a good outsider would do anyway; what does a deva need with 25,000 gold pieces?

 

[reiella]

Actually, since the character has taken Vow of Poverty, and would be considered an Exalted character, I'd think that they'd get bargain prices from a Good Planar Ally anyway.

And, if you read the description of voluntary poverty, it does say that such a character is expected to donate most of their wealth to charity. So a VoP character could summon a Planar Ally, and perhaps the price would be a donation of x amount to a particular church, or orphanage, or society with goals in line with the Ally. That way the character could be allowed to accumulate money, with the intent of giving it away. This seems like it would be more in line with what a good outsider would do anyway; what does a deva need with 25,000 gold pieces?

Hmm, bit mixed there.

In effect, it's removing the 'cost' of either the spell or the feat.

There's also the point that they may not be necessarily calling for 'Good' Planar Allies, possibly inevitables etc.

In truth, I'd really just lean to performing services as opposed to simple gold cost.

 

[Sejs]

what does a deva need with 25,000 gold pieces?

Shoes, make-up, new dresses, cocaine - you know... the usual.

 

[SteelDraco]

Shoes, make-up, new dresses, cocaine - you know... the usual.

Deva are Seraphim, not Mercurians. You've got your Choirs mixed up. ;-)

 

[jayaint]

Possibly have the Planar Ally able to put a Geas/Quest on the character in question? That would make sure that the character would "repay" the Deva, Solar, etc for their services, and would eliminate the need for any money to change hands at all.

Possible?

 

[Flyspeck23]

In a way, a character with Vow of Poverty is paying these costs ahead of time. He should give his share of the treasure to charity / the church. So I'd rule that, although that character hasn't got the gp on him, the planar ally won't demand anything from him.

Not quite sure if that's quite balanced, though. And it doesn't really matter IMC, because the character with Vow of Poverty is a monk