The Book of Exalted Deeds - It's Here! (merged - full ToC posted)

[The Little Raven]

The ToC of the Book of Exalted Deeds

Here's the gist of it... I didn't see a post for this anywhere, so I decided to post it... any questions, feel free.

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Nature of Good
Exalted Deeds
The Straight and Narrow
Law, Chaos, and Good
Playing a Hero
Exalted Characters
Sin and Atonement
Exalted Adventures

Chapter 2: Variant Rules
Channeling
Exalted Cohorts
Exalted Gods
Exorcism
Heroes of the Heavens
Heroic Sacrifice and Martyrdom
Mercy, Prisoners, and Redemption
Sainthood
Tithes and Offerings
Voluntary Poverty
Waging Peace
Words of Creation

Chapter 3: Exalted Equipment
Sanctified Weapons
Nonlethal Weapons
Ravages and Afflictions
Relics
Optional Material Components
Special Materials

Chapter 4: Feats
Exalted Feats
Feat Descriptions

Chapter 5: Prestige Classes
Anointed Knight
Apostle of Peace
Beloved of Valarian
Celestial Mystic
Champion of Gwynharwyf
Defender of Sealtiel
Emissary of Barachiel
Exalted Arcanist
Fist of Raziel
Initiate of Pistis Sophia
Lion of Talisid
Prophet of Erathaol
Risen Martyr
Sentinel of Bharrai
Skylord
Slayer of Domiel
Stalker of Kharash
Swanmay
Sword of Righteousness
Troubadour of Stars
Vassal of Bahamut
Wonderworker

Chapter 6: Magic
Good Spells
Spell Lists
Cleric Domains
Spell Descriptions
Magic Items
Redeeming Evil Magic Items
Irredeemable Evil Items

Chapter 6: Celestial Paragons
Celestial Paragons on Your Game
Celestial Paragons and Clerics
The Upper Planes
Law and Chaos in the Heavens
The Celestial Hebdomad
Talisid and the Five Companions
The Court of Stars
Celestial Planar Allies

Chapter 8: Monsters
The Deathless Type
Aleax
Archon

Owl Archon​

Sword Archon​

Throne Archon​

Warden Archon​

Asura
Bariaur
Crypt Warden
Eladrin

Coure​

Firre​

Shiradi​

Tulani​

Guardinal

Equinal​

Musteval​

Ursinal​

Hollyphant
Leskylor
Moon Dog
Quesar
Rhek
Sacred Watcher
Saint
Sanctified Creature
Swarm, Divine Wrath

Apocalypse Frog Swarm​

Bronze Locust Swarm​

Deathraven Swarm​

Sunfly Swarm​

Appendix: Index of Celestials
Celestial Creatures
Celestial-Related Templates
Celestials by Challenge Rating

Sidebars
Exalted Deeds and Vile Darkness
Exalted Versus Epic
Celestial Monster Classes
Skylord's Mounts
Sample Skylord's Mounts
Expanded Summoning Tables

 

[Gez]

An example of reprinted spell: Bolt of Glory is also in Defenders of the Faith and in Deities & Demigods.

(By the way, there's a layout error in the excerpt because the axiomatic creature and bolt of glory tables got switched. I hope it's a goof from the webteam, not a layout error from the printed book itself.)

There is a Celestial domain for shaman in Oriental Adventures, but I suppose the one in this book is not the same (and themed on celestials rather than on spirits).

The community and glory domains are definitely reprints, though.

 

[William Ronald]

Baraendur,

In the 1st edition DMG, E. Gary Gygax stated that it is possible for two lawful good nations to be at war with each other. Does the Book of Exalted Deeds explore how good aligned characters may come into conflict? For example, members of two rival faiths may work at cross purposes. Or two good kingdoms may go to war over any number of issues.

Are there any rules discussing experience point awards for non-violent tasks? Such awards seem appropriate for characters that rely on diplomacy and cunning, or follow deities of peace. There have been a few people on these boards and elsewhere who claim that D&D is based on combat alone. (I would argue that role playing has been around since the game's origins, and that most players I know have more than one way to have their characters approach a problem.) Is there any reward, besides saving a soul from evil, of converting a creature from an evil alignment to good. (In the case of Sepulchrave II's story hour, the redemption of a succubus has wrought many changes in a campaign world.) Is there any discussion of what a redeemed devil or demon might mean to a society or a faith?

Also, does the book have any suggestions on how DMs and players can resolve moral dilemmas for characters? I don't expect the book to have all the answers, but does it have advice for how DMs can go beyond the book.

 

[Psion]

I forgot to look when checking it out in the FLGS today: how do the "vow" feats herein compare to Monte's in BoHM? Or for those who own both books, how do they compare in general?

 

[Gez]

Are there any rules discussing experience point awards for non-violent tasks? Such awards seem appropriate for characters that rely on diplomacy and cunning, or follow deities of peace.

Wouldn't a restatement that XPs are awarded for overcoming challenges, and that overcoming a challenge is not necessarily bashing people upside the head, be sufficient?

If you talk your way past the guards, you get as much XP as if you slit their throats, or incinerate them from afar with a fireball.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Baraendur,

In the 1st edition DMG, E. Gary Gygax stated that it is possible for two lawful good nations to be at war with each other. Does the Book of Exalted Deeds explore how good aligned characters may come into conflict? For example, members of two rival faiths may work at cross purposes. Or two good kingdoms may go to war over any number of issues.

It gives general guidelines for DMs to follow that basically say that the DM shouldn't throw things at the characters that are too morally ambiguous. My personal take is that there are many situations where good characters may find themselves at odds. A lack of common enemies, rare resources, racial or cultural tensions can all play into this. What the book definitely discusses is how good characters should interract with one another. Politics makes strange bedfellows, and there is no way to anticipate every situation, but one thing that is made abundantly clear is that for an exalted character, the ends do not justify the means. The section on divided loyalties in chapter 1 addresses many of these issues.

Are there any rules discussing experience point awards for non-violent tasks? Such awards seem appropriate for characters that rely on diplomacy and cunning, or follow deities of peace. There have been a few people on these boards and elsewhere who claim that D&D is based on combat alone. (I would argue that role playing has been around since the game's origins, and that most players I know have more than one way to have their characters approach a problem.) Is there any reward, besides saving a soul from evil, of converting a creature from an evil alignment to good. (In the case of Sepulchrave II's story hour, the redemption of a succubus has wrought many changes in a campaign world.) Is there any discussion of what a redeemed devil or demon might mean to a society or a faith?

The section on Waging Peace gives an alternate rewards system that definitely has the potential to de-emphasize combat in a campaign. Personally, in my games, I've always cut the XP rewards for killing mosters by about 1/3 and allowed the characters to gain that 1/3 or more through good roleplaying or peacefully resolving situations.

The sections on redeeming evil and forgiveness talk about how the good character should deal with the wicked (or formerly wicked). I don't think the book goes into how societies as a whole should behave, except to say that they are made up of individuals, and individuals will behave differently regardless of the overall society's alignment,

Also, does the book have any suggestions on how DMs and players can resolve moral dilemmas for characters? I don't expect the book to have all the answers, but does it have advice for how DMs can go beyond the book.

Yes. Chapter 1 is really little more than an in-depth discussion of moral dilemmas.

I forgot to look when checking it out in the FLGS today: how do the "vow" feats herein compare to Monte's in BoHM? Or for those who own both books, how do they compare in general?

I haven't read the BoHM.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Well there's a similar feats in both BoED and BoHM, but the base feats (Swear an Oath and Devout Faith from BoHM vs. Sacred Vow from BoED) quite different mechanically. Monte's base feats reflects his philosophy of giving power back to the DM, as it only kicks in when the DM says it does (usually when promoting the ideals of the faith or fulfilling the vow).

But the Vow feats themselves are comperable. There's a Vow of Poverty in each book, but the one in Monte's book is a great deal less harsh. The one in BoED is a lot harder to follow, but the benefits are greater. I suppose a character taking the one from BoED would be considered "holier than thou." I think the VoP from Monte's book is less about total poverty and more about simply living on the basics of what most adventurers use. The VoP from BoED is for the true ascetic (and the slightly crazy).

But overall I think the feats are compatible and would even work well together (though each has a Vow of Chastity with different game effects).

 

[Psion]

Well there's a similar feats in both BoED and BoHM, but the base feats (Swear an Oath and Devout Faith from BoHM vs. Sacred Vow from BoED) quite different mechanically. Monte's base feats reflects his philosophy of giving power back to the DM, as it only kicks in when the DM says it does (usually when promoting the ideals of the faith or fulfilling the vow).

But the Vow feats themselves are comperable. There's a Vow of Poverty in each book, but the one in Monte's book is a great deal less harsh. The one in BoED is a lot harder to follow, but the benefits are greater. I suppose a character taking the one from BoED would be considered "holier than thou." I think the VoP from Monte's book is less about total poverty and more about simply living on the basics of what most adventurers use. The VoP from BoED is for the true ascetic (and the slightly crazy).

But overall I think the feats are compatible and would even work well together (though each has a Vow of Chastity with different game effects).

Cool... thanks for the detailed response.

 

[mxmarkargent]

Risque? Not really. Most people are properly clothed. However, the aforementioned succubi are not clothed and thus are showing off an unclothed bottom, and a picture of Sathia (a celestial paragon) shows a naked pair of breasts. But I consider most of the art to be tasteful and well-done.

Mmm. Succu-butt.

 

[Olive]

Chapter 6: Celestial Paragons
Celestial Paragons on Your Game
Celestial Paragons and Clerics
The Upper Planes
Law and Chaos in the Heavens
The Celestial Hebdomad
Talisid and the Five Companions
The Court of Stars
Celestial Planar Allies

So, how much detail does it go into here. Stats? Stats for servants of these? Goals/ideologies?