Vow of Poverty (plusses and minuses)

[gabrion]

well I played a cleric of Grumbar (earth god) who had taken a vow not to fly or travel on water

hmm...a strange vow to take.

I find that Monk/Cleric is a super way to use VoP. ASAP get into the Sacred Fist PrC, and you are on your way to a super Melee fighter. The following builds are good.

Monk 1/Fighter 1/Cleric 3/Sacred Fist 10/Kensai 5
or
Monk 1/Fighter 1/Cleric 3/Sacred Fist 10/Saint 2/Kensai 3

You can also replace the Kensai levels with a divine caster PrC if you want. I like the Kensai Saint combo though because they are both work well with VoP, you are very dedicated to the casue of good.

If you use these builds, I would put as much energy as possible into the Divine Metamagic+Persistet Spell combo. With a high CHA and a few extra turnings, you can use some all day buffs that will turn you into a great tank. Do this with Divine Power, RIghteous Might, and then Use Extraordinary Spell Aim+AMF, and all your buffs will be immune to dispel. Also, anyone you fight will lose the benefits of their magic items.

Problem with the feat selection I laid out is that it's super cheezy. Even without the whole persistent bit though, the builds are really good for VoP. Max out WIS, since you will be adding it to attacks and damage, and take it to those bad guys.

 

[Tetsubo]

hmm...a strange vow to take.

I find that Monk/Cleric is a super way to use VoP. ASAP get into the Sacred Fist PrC, and you are on your way to a super Melee fighter. The following builds are good.

Monk 1/Fighter 1/Cleric 3/Sacred Fist 10/Kensai 5
or
Monk 1/Fighter 1/Cleric 3/Sacred Fist 10/Saint 2/Kensai 3

You can also replace the Kensai levels with a divine caster PrC if you want. I like the Kensai Saint combo though because they are both work well with VoP, you are very dedicated to the casue of good.

If you use these builds, I would put as much energy as possible into the Divine Metamagic+Persistet Spell combo. With a high CHA and a few extra turnings, you can use some all day buffs that will turn you into a great tank. Do this with Divine Power, RIghteous Might, and then Use Extraordinary Spell Aim+AMF, and all your buffs will be immune to dispel. Also, anyone you fight will lose the benefits of their magic items.

Problem with the feat selection I laid out is that it's super cheezy. Even without the whole persistent bit though, the builds are really good for VoP. Max out WIS, since you will be adding it to attacks and damage, and take it to those bad guys.

I'm blanking here... where are Sacred Fist and Saint from?

 

[Prism]

Could you explain that? In all the years I've gamed (since 1978) terrain has never been any sort of issue, either as a player or a GM. This concept baffles me... to retire a character over it just seems vastly bizarre...

One of the main drawbacks of the VOP monk (or any non caster) is its inability to fly without assistance.

 

[Thanee]

Could you explain that? In all the years I've gamed (since 1978) terrain has never been any sort of issue, either as a player or a GM.

I could be wrong, but I would not take "terrain" literal, there, neither "negotiate".

I read it like "is too static and cannot very well adjust to changing situations, which might need different abilities".

Bye
Thanee

 

[gabrion]

I'm blanking here... where are Sacred Fist and Saint from?

Sacred Fist is CD, Saint is a template from BoED. I think.

 

[shadowthorn]

I'm running a human monk with Vow of Poverty, Vow of Nonviolence and Vow of Peace.

He is fun to play, and will eventually be an unbelievable combatant. I maxed out his Wisdom for Intuitive Attack, gave him a 14 Con and 15 Cha. Wisdom is the primary beneficiary of the increased stats that VoP provides, Con will be secondary and Cha tertiary. I'm taking all of the unarmed exalted combat feats, so his damage vs. evil creatures will be nuts.

It's tricky playing a character who cannot kill, but subdual works against most creatures, and you're allowed to do lethal damage to undead and constructs.

This is one of the most enjoyable characters I've ever run.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

My wife and I briefly played in a game in which all of the PC's started out 15th level, but with the wealth of, like 2nd level, maybe, and with all PC's starting as illiterate. No Wizards. Any and all races allowed, to a max ECL of 15.

I opted to play a 15th level human VoP monk, and I was the party's chief combatant, negotiator, face-man, infiltrator, and problem solver. It was lame. I've never played a VoP character in a real game, but when everybody else is in an involuntary state of poverty but no feat, this combo was game-breaking. The DM should never have let me get away with it.

 

[gabrion]

My wife and I briefly played in a game in which all of the PC's started out 15th level, but with the wealth of, like 2nd level, maybe, and with all PC's starting as illiterate. No Wizards. Any and all races allowed, to a max ECL of 15.

I opted to play a 15th level human VoP monk, and I was the party's chief combatant, negotiator, face-man, infiltrator, and problem solver. It was lame. I've never played a VoP character in a real game, but when everybody else is in an involuntary state of poverty but no feat, this combo was game-breaking. The DM should never have let me get away with it.

LOL...In a game where no one has money? Your character had to be so much better than anyone else that it wasn't even funny. Did the DM realize how bad of an idea this was? I don't know if I should cry or laugh at this point...