VoP, Monk, Kensai synergy

[Coredump]

I came upon this by happenstance, I was looking at kensai for my character's PrC, and also looking at my friends Monk options, including VoP; and then it hit me.

Say a monk takes VoP, and gets to be whatever level (I was thinking 11, but whatever) Then goes to the Kensai PrC. The monk could then use his XP to make his hands into 'magical weapons' and not violate the VoP.

In addition, it seems from the VoP, that the pluses to hit/damage from VoP would stack with the 'magic' of the kensai abilities.

What do you people think?

.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

I caught onto this a while ago too. In the Campaign where I am a player ( Monk- VoP) I will be 11th level before I can take my 1st Kensai level (7th now) due to the prereqs, so it will be a while before I have any game play feedback to share.

Certainly seems to be a sneaky way to skirt the "no weapon" issue.

While investigating possible "weapon qualities" to add , I did notice that a good portion of them are simply NOT suitable for unarmed attacks. There are still plenty that will work though. Stacking with bonus exalted feats, you can EASILY get +3d6 of damage to evil creatures per hit

 

[Tatsukun]

Doesn't Kensei require you to 'use' some gold when you upgrade your weapon. If so, this idea is sunk.

If not, cool. Although, making your hands a magical weapon might might be considered 'owning' a magic weapon. You can't give it away or anything, but you DO own your hands.

-Tatsu

 

[James McMurray]

Nope, the Kensai spends XP instead of gold.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

And who payed for the magic weapon, has it a market value, no!
The monk with VoP pays his own XP to gain a benefit, he trades one thing he possesses for another thing he possesses that you can't price with gold, becoming better at fighting for the greater cause of good by sacrifing some of your own experience, is selfless and why should I not let a monk use his XP in this manner because could he have bought anything for poor people with the XP, no, but maybe he can protect them better with his new power.

I would say he can do it!

 

[Pax]

Yes, Kensai and the VoP have a certain synergy.

Note that even a FIGHTER with voew of poverty (silly as he'd be to take that feat, IMO) can take Kensai, and have a signature weapon - as long as it's a simple weapon, like a quarterstaff. And it can be a +5(speed, ghost touch)/+5(speed, ghost touch) quarterstaff, too.

The staff, despite it's abilities, is not a magic weapon of saleable nature - the kensai's signature weapon functions only for the kensai. To anyone else, that staff is just a normal, bought for 0gp, worthless stick. In the hands of our Ascetic Kensai, however, it's a truly dangerous weapon! ^_^

However, the bonusses to hit from Vow of Poverty, and the bonusses to hit form the Kensai's signature weapon enhancement, would NOT stack. Two bonusses of the same name, etc, etc.

So the wily Ascetic Kensai will only put +1 into his hands/stick/whatever, and thenpile on the "special effect" enhancements, like Disruption, Impact, Speed, and so on.

An ascetic Monk(10)/Kensai(10) might want to pay XP to make their unarmed blows be +1(ghost touch, speed, impact, Disruption, merciful) - especially if they add the Vow of Peace to their list of exalted feats.

The effective enhancement bonus of +1 woudl be overlapped by their Vow of Poverty enhancement bonus; in essence, they get to wield the equivalent of +14 weapons, due to the odd synergy between VoP and Kensai.

 

[Coredump]

Except that the Kensai ability requires at least a masterwork weapon to imbue, and the VoP says no masterwork weapons.

But good catch on the stacking. I didn't catch that it names it as enhancement bonus...so no direct stacking.