Epic Vow of Poverty (3.5e Feat)

Author: WizO_Negathael Contributors: Ghostwheel Date Created: March 21, 2005 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Epic Vow of Poverty [Epic, Exalted] Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of PovertyBenefit: You continue to gain bonuses to your Armour Class, attacks, ability scores and saving throws, as well as bonus feats, all depending on your character level. See the table below for details. Special: To fulfil your vow, you must not own or use any material possessions, with the following exceptions: You may carry and use an ordinary (neither magic nor masterwork) quarterstaff. You may wear simple clothes (usually just a homespun robe, possibly also including a hat and sandals). You may carry and use a spell component pouch. You may not use any magic item of any sort, though you can benefit from magic items used on your behalf you can drink a potion of cure serious wounds a friend gives you, receive a spell cast from a wand, scroll or staff, or ride on your companion’s ebon fly. You may not, however, “borrow” a cloak of resistance or any other magic item from a companion for even a single round, nor may you yourself cast a spell from a scroll, wand or staff.

If you break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it.

Epic Vow of Poverty Benefits

Epic Vow of Poverty Table

Character Level	Benefit
21	AC Bonus +11, Resistance +4
22	Bonus Feat, Holy Wake
23	Ability Score Enhancement +10/+8/+6/+4/+2, Exalted Strike +6 (Epic)
24	AC Bonus +12, Bonus Feat, Damage Reduction 10/Epic and Evil, Deflection +4, Inherent Ability Bonus +1, Natural Armor +3
25	Holy Aura, Resistance +5
26	Bonus Feat, Exalted Strike +7 (Silver or Cold Iron), Inherent Ability Bonus +2
27	Ability Score Enhancement +12/+10/+8/+6/+4/+2, AC Bonus +13
28	Bonus Feat, Energy Resistance 30, Inherent Ability Bonus +3
29	Exalted Strike +8, Resistance +6, Timeless Body
30	AC Bonus +14, Bonus Feat, Deflection +5, Inherent Ability Bonus +4
31	Ability Score Enhancement +14/+12/+10/+8/+6/+4
32	Bonus Feat, Exalted Strike +9 (Holy), Fast Healing 5, Inherent Ability Bonus +5, Natural Armor +4
33	AC Bonus +15, Resistance +7
34	Bonus Feat, Damage Reduction 15/Epic and Evil
35	Ability Score Enhancement +16/+14/+12/+10/+8/+6, Energy Resistance (One Immunity), Exalted Strike +10, Fast Healing 6
36	AC Bonus +16, Bonus Feat, Deflection +6, Swiftness
37	Resistance +8
38	Bonus Feat, Exalted Strike +11
39	Ability Score Enhancement +18/+16/+14/+12/+10/+8, AC Bonus +17, Tongues
40	Bonus Feat, Divine Ascension, Energy Resistance (Two Immunities), Fast Healing 7, Natural Armor +5
41	Resistance +9, Exalted Strike +12 (Holy Power)
42	AC Bonus +18, Bonus Feat, Deflection +7
43	Ability Score Enhancement +20/+18/+16/+14/+12/+10, Aura of Menace
44	Bonus Feat, Damage Reduction 20/Epic and Evil, Exalted Strike +13
45	AC Bonus +19, Energy Resistance (Three Immunities), Fast Healing 8, Resistance +10, Special Ability
46	Bonus Feat
47	Ability Score Enhancement +22/+20/+18/+16/+14/+12, Exalted Strike +14
48	AC Bonus +20, Bonus Feat, Deflection +8, Natural Armor +6
49	Resistance +11
50	Bonus Feat, Energy Resistance (Four Immunities), Exalted Strike +15, Fast Healing 9, Special Ability

AC Bonus (Su): An epic ascetic's exalted bonus to AC continues to increase by +1 for every 3 character levels beyond 18th (+11 at 21st level, +12 at 24th level, +13 at 27th level, and so forth).

Resistance (Ex): An epic ascetic's resistance bonus to saving throws increases by +1 for every 4 character levels beyond 17th (+4 at 21st, +5 at 25th, +6 at 29th, and so forth).

Bonus Feats: An epic ascetic gains a bonus feat every 2 levels over 20th (22nd, 24th, 26th, and so forth). These bonus feats must be selected from the following list, and the character must still meet all pre-requisites for the feats:

Epic Ascetic Bonus Feats: Any exalted feat, plus Armour Skin*, Bonus Domain**, Damage Reduction*, Energy Resistance*, Epic Toughness*, Extended Life Span*, Fast Healing*, Great Charisma*, Great Constitution*, Great Dexterity*, Great Intelligence*, Great Smiting, Great Strength*, Great Wisdom*, Improved Alignment-Based Casting (good), Improved Aura of Courage, Improved Spell Resistance*, Music of the Gods, Penetrate Damage Reduction***, Perfect Health, Planar Turning, Positive Energy Aura, Spontaneous Domain Access**, Widen Aura of Courage.
*This feat can be taken multiple times, its effects stack.
**This feat can be taken multiple times, applying to a new domain each time.
***This feat can be taken multiple times, applying to a different type of special material each time.

Holy Wake (Ex): Once he attains 22nd level, an epic ascetic character does not need to sleep and is immune to all natural and magical sleep effects. An epic ascetic spellcaster still requires eight hours of rest before he can replenish his spells, usually spending the time in a meditative trance.

Exalted Strike (Su): An epic ascetic's exalted strike ability continues to increase as he gains levels. The enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls increases by +1 for every 3 character levels beyond 20th. At 23rd level, any weapon the character wields effectively becomes a +6 weapon, and can overcome the damage reduction of a creature as though it were an epic weapon. At 26th level, the ascetic’s attacks are considered to have been made with a silver or cold iron weapon, whichever would be more beneficial. At 32nd level, any weapon the character wields is considered to have the holy ability, dealing extra damage to evil creatures. At 41st level, any weapon the character wields is considered to have the holy power ability.

Ability Score Enhancement (Ex): An epic ascetic's ability score enhancements continue to increase beyond 20th level. At 23rd level he gains a +2 bonus to a fifth ability score. At 27th level, he gains a +2 bonus to the final ability score. The bonus for each ability score then increases by +2 for every 4 character levels he achieves.

Damage Reduction (Su): At 24th level, the epic ascetic’s damage reduction improves to 10/epic and evil. For every 10 levels the ascetic gains beyond 24th, his damage reduction improves by 5 points (15/epic & evil at 34th, 20/epic & evil at 44th, etc.).

Deflection (Su): An epic ascetic's deflection bonus to AC increases by +1 at 24th level, and every 6 levels thereafter.

Inherent Ability Bonus (Ex): Upon reaching 24th level, an epic ascetic gains a +1 inherent bonus to all of his ability scores. This bonus increases by +1 for every 2 levels the ascetic achieves beyond 24th (+2 at 26th level, +3 at 28th level, +4 at 30th level, to a maximum of +5 at 32nd level).

Natural Armour (Ex): An epic ascetic's natural armour bonus to AC increases by +1 for every 8 character levels beyond 16th (24th, 32nd, 40th, and so forth).

Holy Aura (Su): An epic ascetic of 25th level and above is surrounded at all times by the effects of the holy aura spell. This aura provides all of the usual benefits of the spell to any good creature within 20 feet of the ascetic.

Energy Resistance (Ex): At 28th level, an epic ascetic's energy resistance increases to 30. Beginning at 35th level, an epic ascetic chooses one energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic). The epic ascetic is now immune to that energy type. An epic ascetic chooses another energy type for every 5 levels beyond 35th (40th, 45th, 50th and 55th).

Timeless Body (Ex): Upon attaining 29th level, an epic ascetic no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the ascetic still dies of old age when his time is up.

Fast Healing (Ex): Upon reaching 32nd level, an epic ascetic’s regeneration ability improves. He gains the fast healing ability, healing an amount of damage per round equal to (ascetic’s level -5)/5, rounded down.

Swiftness (Su): Upon reaching 36th level, the epic ascetic’s speed doubles (this does not stack with any magical or supernatural enhancements to speed) and he gains the evasion ability (as the monk class feature). He also gains a +20 competence bonus on Balance, Climb, Jump and Tumble checks. Three times per day, he can act as though under the effects of a haste spell for 20 rounds.

Tongues (Ex): At 39th level, an epic ascetic can communicate with any creature, as though under the effects of a tongues spell.

Divine Ascension (Ex): Upon reaching 40th level, the ascetic is rewarded with a small measure of divine power for his faith and endurance. He gains a divine rank of 0, which grants him the following benefits:

• His hit points are increased to the maximum possible for his Hit Dice.
• His base land speed increases to 60 feet (50 feet if he is Small)
• His deflection bonus to AC is increased by his Charisma bonus.
• He is rendered immune to polymorph, petrification and any other effect that alters his form (though he may forgo this immunity at his option).
• He is no longer subject to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage or mind-affecting effects.
• He gains spell resistance 32, or his existing spell resistance increases by 5.

Aura of Menace (Su): Beginning at 43rd level, a righteous aura surrounds the epic ascetic when he is in combat or angry. Any hostile creatures within a 20-foot radius of the ascetic must succeed on a Will save to resist its effects. The save DC is equal to 12 + half the ascetic’s character level + the ascetic’s Charisma modifier. Those who fail take a penalty on attacks, AC and saves equal to (ascetic’s level)/5, rounded down. This penalty lasts for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the ascetic. A creature that has successfully resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the ascetic’s aura for 24 hours.

Special Ability: Upon reaching 45th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, the epic ascetic chooses one ability from the following list.

Exalted Banestrike (Su) – Any weapon the ascetic wields (including natural weapons or unarmed strikes) deals grievous damage to undead and evil outsiders. Against such foes, the ascetic’s attacks deal an extra 4d6 points of damage.

Exalted Dodge (Ex) – When struck by an opponent the ascetic has designated as the target of his Dodge feat, he may make a Reflex save (DC 10 + damage dealt) to negate all damage from the attack.

Exalted Druid (Su) – While in wild shape, the ascetic gains all the extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the creature whose form he adopts. In addition, the ascetic can assume the form of magical beasts.

Exalted Evasion (Su) – Any physical attack or individually targeted spell directed at the ascetic has a 20% miss chance. Area effects that include the ascetic have a similar chance to be ineffective. If an attack overcomes the miss chance, the ascetic still gets the benefit of a saving throw (if applicable).

Exalted Monk (Su) – The ascetic’s unarmed strikes are treated as slashing weapons with the keen, lawful and vorpal qualities. The ascetic can choose to deal bludgeoning damage instead of slashing damage, but the vorpal quality does not apply to the attack. In addition, the ascetic’s unarmed damage increases by one die step.

Exalted Paladin (Su) – The ascetic’s aura of courage grants a +8 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects and extends to all allies within 100 feet. In addition, the ascetic can smite evil an additional three times per day, and gets an extra three points of damage per class level on a successful smite.

Exalted Radiance (Su) – The ascetic automatically dispels any darkness effect that comes into contact with his Nimbus of Light. In addition, undead within the brightly lit area of the Nimbus take an additional 2d8 points of holy damage each round with no save.

Exalted Sight (Su) – The ascetic is under the constant effects of a greater arcane sight spell.

Exalted Warrior (Ex) – The ascetic's base attack bonus increases to +20/+15/+10/+5. This increase is applied before Epic modifiers.

Exalted Weapon Mastery (Ex) – When striking with a simple or natural weapon, the ascetic gains the benefits of the Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialisation and Improved Critical feats.

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