Vow of Poverty
for 5th Edition D&D
Vow of Poverty is an optional additional feature that you can apply to any character. When you take a vow of poverty, you must never own more than the following possessions:
- one set of simple clothing (such as a robe or gi, possibly including sandals or shoes and maybe a hat)
- a blanket (which can be rolled or tied and used as a sack or bindle)
- a bowl and a simple utensil (spoon, knife, chopsticks, etc.)
- one day's food and water (and containers to hold them in)
- a writing utensil and a journal, notebook, or other text (such as a prayer book or spellbook)
- one tool or spellcasting focus
- one simple melee weapon
- one simple ranged weapon and up to 10 pieces of simple ammunition
- or up to 10 simple throwing weapons
- any one other item.
This list is the maximum permitted, but you should strive to own as little as possible, within reason.
All but one of your possessions must be of plain and simple make; one item can be of some monetary value, often an heirloom of religious significance or sentimental value. You may not keep, carry, or even handle gold, platinum, or gems, and you may not keep more than 5gp worth of other currency. You may carry items that belong to others, but only briefly and with a specific destination (such as helping to load or unload a cart), and you may not use any such items while carrying them. You may accept charity from others in the form of consumables (food, water, potions, spell components, or other things that become useless once used) so long as you use them immediately when you receive them. You may also accept charity in the form of shelter or transportation, such as a room at an inn or a ride in a carriage. You may not accept charity in the form of wealth or reusable items.
In exchange for upholding this vow, you gain the following features:
Ascetic Defense
Choose an Ability Score other than Strength or Dexterity. When you are not wearing armor or using a shield, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity Modifier + the chosen Ability Modifier.
Ascetic Combat
You can use Dexterity or Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes, clubs, darts, quarterstaves, and slings. You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of any of these weapons and blowguns. This die progresses as the Martial Arts die of a Monk of your character level.
At 6th level, your unarmed strikes and attacks with blowguns, clubs, darts, quarterstaves, and slings count as magical for the purpose of resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Ascetic Sustenance
Your asceticism gradually allows you to sustain yourself on will alone.
You are immune to the negative effects of a harsh environment (such as hot or cold weather or strong winds), and you gain Darkvision 60 feet (if you already have Darkvision, its radius is increased by 30 feet).
At 5th level, you no longer need to eat, and you become immune to disease.
At 10th level, you no longer need to drink, and you become immune to poison.
At 15th level, you can hold your breath indefinitely as long as you are not incapacitated, you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You will still die of old age when your time is up.
Broken Vow
If you ever willingly and intentionally break your vow, you lose all of your Ascetic features until you undergo an atonement ritual.
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