feat question for psionic characters [Archive] - Wizards Community

feat question for psionic characters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
snakebliskan
03-10-07, 05:28 PM this is a messed up idea but would the feat vow of poverty from the book of exalted deeds be great for almost any psion? granted you wouldnt get any items but i think the benifits from the feat might set that off... what do you think?
InkBlot
03-10-07, 05:48 PM Yes, Vow Of Poverty works best with characters who are self-sufficient. Monks, Bards with perform (dirty lymerick), and Psions all benefit well from Vow Of Poverty.

No, Vow Of Poverty is not particularly overpowered. In any campaign that uses the standard wealth-by-level table in the DMG, being able to customize your gear is much better than being handed a set of premade generic bonuses. For example, Vow Of Poverty gives you a big armor bonus, but no Psion would buy armor when Inertial Armor costs 0gp, has a max dex of infinity, and no armor check penalty.
Artector
03-10-07, 08:11 PM You could also make a Psychic Warrior with VoP just fine too. At least I'm pretty sur eyou coud. Take powers like claws of the beast, inertial armor, and so on, and you'd probably be able to keep up ok.

Though as I understand it VoP tends to lag behind in the upper levels.
Tralan
03-10-07, 08:33 PM Actually, the soul knife benefts the most from VoP, as now they don't have to carry any equipment.
kelvinaw273
03-11-07, 12:28 AM I concur - it is the classes least dependent on equipment that benefit the most from this. Monk, sorcorer, psion, wilder. Of these, the monk stands to gain the most ... and probably fits the idiom better too.
skywyze
03-11-07, 03:52 PM I was considering getting VoP for my psion in an ongoing campaign I'm in. Then I realized that my saves would always be worse for it (Cloak of res +5 is cheap, VoP only gives +3), Exalted Armor would be useless because Inertial Armor is better and the two don't stack, and every feature VoP grants short of feats would essentially be nullified by powers. The only advantage I can see would be that by level 20 you'd have +8 int (VoP) instead of +6 (Headband of Int +6), but again the lowered saves, inability to buy Psychich Chirurgery (Transfer knowledge of Power) and such make it an unattractive feature.
InkBlot
03-11-07, 04:27 PM ... every feature VoP grants short of feats would essentially be nullified by powers.
Yes, but you don't have to spend power points to manifest Vow Of Poverty. Neither does Vow Of Poverty count against your very limited number of powers known (only 36 at 20th level).

Vow Of Poverty is still useful, and is still the only good way to play a character who doesn't like to rely on equipment.
SanderJK
03-11-07, 04:47 PM I have a Vow Povery/Vow of Peace Telepath at level 7, and he's pretty nifty. Very high diplomacy check. The only houserule is that there is a mirror psionic feat for Nonlethal Substitution, and with that and Expanded Knowledge: Energy Missiles I knock out my opponents, steal their stuff to give to the poor, and either imprison them to bring to justice, or leave them in their natural enviroment, if there is no reasoning with them.
snakebliskan
03-11-07, 05:09 PM Thanx guys for all the input!
PhaedrusXY
03-11-07, 06:15 PM Hmm... I think VoP might be better for a Wilder. They have fewer powers known, and so could benefit from not having to choose some of those that are redundant with the VoP abilities more.
snakebliskan
03-11-07, 07:07 PM I was considering getting VoP for my psion in an ongoing campaign I'm in. Then I realized that my saves would always be worse for it (Cloak of res +5 is cheap, VoP only gives +3), Exalted Armor would be useless because Inertial Armor is better and the two don't stack, and every feature VoP grants short of feats would essentially be nullified by powers. The only advantage I can see would be that by level 20 you'd have +8 int (VoP) instead of +6 (Headband of Int +6), but again the lowered saves, inability to buy Psychich Chirurgery (Transfer knowledge of Power) and such make it an unattractive feature.

Inertial armor stacks with exalted because they are different types! one is an armor bonus and the other is an exalted bonus to AC... so they stack! and as far as the others i guess your right for most psions they could do better feat selection.
InkBlot
03-11-07, 10:27 PM No, the exalted bonus to AC specifically says it doesn't stack with armor bonuses. It's silly, I know, but it realy is so.
snakebliskan
03-11-07, 11:05 PM I just saw that....I stand corrected!
SlanderPanic
03-12-07, 10:24 AM The problem with Vow of Poverty for a manifester is that, though your key ability score is going to be higher, you're still going to run out of power points faster than a non-Vow manifester. You don't have access to all those little items that help them conserve power points. (Wands, dorjes, power stones, etc.) Even though your base supply is higher, it's not going to be enough to make up that difference.

And yeah, an ascetic soulknife would be pretty hardcore. I might have to try that one.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
snakebliskan 03-10-07, 05:28 PM	this is a messed up idea but would the feat vow of poverty from the book of exalted deeds be great for almost any psion? granted you wouldnt get any items but i think the benifits from the feat might set that off... what do you think?
InkBlot 03-10-07, 05:48 PM	Yes, Vow Of Poverty works best with characters who are self-sufficient. Monks, Bards with perform (dirty lymerick), and Psions all benefit well from Vow Of Poverty. No, Vow Of Poverty is not particularly overpowered. In any campaign that uses the standard wealth-by-level table in the DMG, being able to customize your gear is much better than being handed a set of premade generic bonuses. For example, Vow Of Poverty gives you a big armor bonus, but no Psion would buy armor when Inertial Armor costs 0gp, has a max dex of infinity, and no armor check penalty.
Artector 03-10-07, 08:11 PM	You could also make a Psychic Warrior with VoP just fine too. At least I'm pretty sur eyou coud. Take powers like claws of the beast, inertial armor, and so on, and you'd probably be able to keep up ok. Though as I understand it VoP tends to lag behind in the upper levels.
Tralan 03-10-07, 08:33 PM	Actually, the soul knife benefts the most from VoP, as now they don't have to carry any equipment.
kelvinaw273 03-11-07, 12:28 AM	I concur - it is the classes least dependent on equipment that benefit the most from this. Monk, sorcorer, psion, wilder. Of these, the monk stands to gain the most ... and probably fits the idiom better too.
skywyze 03-11-07, 03:52 PM	I was considering getting VoP for my psion in an ongoing campaign I'm in. Then I realized that my saves would always be worse for it (Cloak of res +5 is cheap, VoP only gives +3), Exalted Armor would be useless because Inertial Armor is better and the two don't stack, and every feature VoP grants short of feats would essentially be nullified by powers. The only advantage I can see would be that by level 20 you'd have +8 int (VoP) instead of +6 (Headband of Int +6), but again the lowered saves, inability to buy Psychich Chirurgery (Transfer knowledge of Power) and such make it an unattractive feature.
InkBlot 03-11-07, 04:27 PM	... every feature VoP grants short of feats would essentially be nullified by powers. Yes, but you don't have to spend power points to manifest Vow Of Poverty. Neither does Vow Of Poverty count against your very limited number of powers known (only 36 at 20th level). Vow Of Poverty is still useful, and is still the only good way to play a character who doesn't like to rely on equipment.
SanderJK 03-11-07, 04:47 PM	I have a Vow Povery/Vow of Peace Telepath at level 7, and he's pretty nifty. Very high diplomacy check. The only houserule is that there is a mirror psionic feat for Nonlethal Substitution, and with that and Expanded Knowledge: Energy Missiles I knock out my opponents, steal their stuff to give to the poor, and either imprison them to bring to justice, or leave them in their natural enviroment, if there is no reasoning with them.
snakebliskan 03-11-07, 05:09 PM	Thanx guys for all the input!
PhaedrusXY 03-11-07, 06:15 PM	Hmm... I think VoP might be better for a Wilder. They have fewer powers known, and so could benefit from not having to choose some of those that are redundant with the VoP abilities more.
snakebliskan 03-11-07, 07:07 PM	I was considering getting VoP for my psion in an ongoing campaign I'm in. Then I realized that my saves would always be worse for it (Cloak of res +5 is cheap, VoP only gives +3), Exalted Armor would be useless because Inertial Armor is better and the two don't stack, and every feature VoP grants short of feats would essentially be nullified by powers. The only advantage I can see would be that by level 20 you'd have +8 int (VoP) instead of +6 (Headband of Int +6), but again the lowered saves, inability to buy Psychich Chirurgery (Transfer knowledge of Power) and such make it an unattractive feature. Inertial armor stacks with exalted because they are different types! one is an armor bonus and the other is an exalted bonus to AC... so they stack! and as far as the others i guess your right for most psions they could do better feat selection.
InkBlot 03-11-07, 10:27 PM	No, the exalted bonus to AC specifically says it doesn't stack with armor bonuses. It's silly, I know, but it realy is so.
snakebliskan 03-11-07, 11:05 PM	I just saw that....I stand corrected!
SlanderPanic 03-12-07, 10:24 AM	The problem with Vow of Poverty for a manifester is that, though your key ability score is going to be higher, you're still going to run out of power points faster than a non-Vow manifester. You don't have access to all those little items that help them conserve power points. (Wands, dorjes, power stones, etc.) Even though your base supply is higher, it's not going to be enough to make up that difference. And yeah, an ascetic soulknife would be pretty hardcore. I might have to try that one.