Vow of Poverty

[Artoomis]

Group treasure is very much an option ... it's the stuff you get from your fallen enemies ... you drag it to town, sell it, split the money ... and the VoP gives his share to whatever institute/person/group he wants to.

He doesn't have to "own" any of it at any time.

That's not really the concept of "group treasure." That's "undivided treasure." Not the same thing.

Group treasure is some amount of money and/or items held in common to be used for the common good. Some groups place potions of heals in the common treasure pile for example. - no one owns them, they belong to the group and are used when needed by the group. Sometimes a common treasury is kept to pay for healing/raising type of activities.

That's what's meant by "group treasure." I still thinks it's fine for a VoP character, provided he does not vote on how it's used. He can benefit from it if that's what the group decides, but he cannot be an "owner" of it.

It is probably also okay to go with the concept of owning things "in common" with the group. Much like no one actually "owns" the wind, for example, but you can use it to your benefit with a windmill. With that concept, though, the VoP would probably want the common treasure to be used to benefit others besides the adventuring group.

Actually, I am leaning toward the concept of a VoP monk who lives his life as an example to others. He cannot control how others will act, but he can influence their behavior by setting the proper example. I think this would be more playable - the "can't tolerate bad behavior" type of character is not very playable unless all members of the group are that way, too.

I've always loved the monk character, and I love the concept of self-sufficiency that comes with the VoP.

 

[htetickrt]

I'm "playing" (I'm the DM, and he's an NPC that I treat as a character) a VoP Monk in my campaign (shameless plug for the new story hour in the sig). He's a transport from the old 2E monk, so he's highly wisdom-centric. I've found that even with the intuitive attack feat, he's underpowered as far as combat effectiveness goes, but overpowered in terms of avoiding damage. With improved evasion and all the AC improvements in VoP, it takes elder dragons and titans and such to deal real damage, and his only risky save is fortitude. This is at 16th level.

On the other hand, without ranged weapons or spells his ability to impact many battles that aren't of the steel-cage-match variety is minimal. I'd say that the problem with such a build is less that it is overpowered than that it makes the monk a more all-or-nothing kind of character. Facing enemies accessible and vulnerable to his special attacks he can be very effective, but an equal number of times he ends up with little utility.

Changing the subject slightly, has anyone tried a VoP druid, starting from pre-wildshape levels? I like the roleplaying aspects, but worry that it would be unbalancing one way or another.

 

[Gort]

Few feats are balanced between the classes. Certain feats are obviously designed for certain classes.

Yeeeees... but it's not really a feat, is it - it's more of a philosophy made practical through rules. The cleric and paladin are the two classes it makes most sense to me to take this, (RP-wise) and they're hurt by taking it!

 

[slingbld]

Heh, Thanks again fellas.

My player is now an Assamar Monk that took Sacred Vow @ lv 1 & VoP at level 3. (My group is level 9 now so he started out as a 9th level character).
He's suprisingingly not over or under powered.

I'll try to keep a post on this