Feats

Book of Exalted Deeds Feats

¹ A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

² You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new favored enemy.

ANCESTRAL RELIC [GENERAL]

You own an ancestral heirloom and can invest it with increasing power.

Prerequisites: Any good alignment, character level 3rd.

Benefit: Choose an item you own. The item must be of masterwork quality, and it must be an item that once belonged to a member of your family. Alternatively, the item may have belonged to another person to whom you are somehow connected, such as another member of your religious order.

At any time, you may retreat to a consecrated or hallowed location and spend time in prayer in order to awaken the spirits in your ancestral relic. This requires a sacrifice of valuable items worth the difference between the market price of the magic item your relic will become and the market price of your current relic. This sacrifice does not have to be gold—you can sacrifice magic items or other goods worth the required amount, rather than selling your goods (at half value) to pay for the sacrifice.

You must spend 1 day per 1,000 gp value you sacrifice. During this time, you must spend at least 8 hours each day in prayer or meditation, not stopping to eat or rest.

For example, a 4th-level paladin has a masterwork bastard sword she inherited from her grandfather. She makes sacrifices worth 2,000 gp and spends two days in prayer and fasting in the temple of Heironeous. When she emerges, her devotion has awakened the magic inherent in the blade, making it a +1 bastard sword.

When she reaches 7th level, she once again retreats to the temple for 6 days, sacrificing items worth an additional 6,000 gp to make her weapon a +2 bastard sword (market price 8,000 gp). When she reaches 11th level, she can make it a +2 holy bastard sword by making sacrifices worth 24,000 gp (the difference between 32,000 and 8,000 gp) and spending 24 days in prayer.

A character’s level dictates the maximum value of his or her ancestral relic, as shown in Table 4–2.

No character may have more than one ancestral relic.

ANIMAL FRIEND [EXALTED]

Animals respond favorably to the aura of goodness that exudes from you.

Prerequisites: Cha 15, wild empathy class feature.

Benefit: You receive a +4 exalted bonus on wild empathy checks to sway the attitudes of animals and good-aligned magical beasts (including, but not limited to, blink dogs, unicorns, pegasi, and animals with the celestial template). In the case of good magical beasts, this bonus simply eliminates the penalty you normally take when trying to deal with magical beasts rather than animals.

CELESTIAL FAMILIAR [EXALTED]

As long as you are able to acquire a new familiar, you may receive a celestial as a familiar.

Prerequisites: Able to acquire a new familiar, minimum level requirement (see below).

Benefit:When choosing a familiar, the following creatures are also available to you. You must choose a familiar whose alignment is the same as yours. The celestial familiar is magically linked to its master like a normal familiar.

The familiar uses the basic statistics for a creature of its kind, as given in the Monster Manual or this volume, except as noted below.

Hit Dice: For effects related to Hit Dice, use the master’s level or the familiar’s normal total, whichever is higher.

Hit Points: One-half the master’s total or the familiar’s normal total, whichever is higher.

Attacks:Use the master’s base attack bonus or the familiar’s, whichever is better.

Saving Throws: Use the master’s base save bonuses if they are better than the familiar’s.

Familiar Special Abilities: Use the Familiars Table to determine additional abilities as you would for a normal familiar.

With the exception of celestial animals, celestial familiars do not grant their masters any of the benefits that appear in that table.

CELESTIAL MOUNT [EXALTED]

Your special mount is a true creature of the heavens.

Prerequisites: Paladin level 4th.

Benefit: Your special mount gains the celestial creature template. It gains the ability to smite evil once per day, darkvision out to 60 feet, resistances (acid, cold, and electricity) based on its total Hit Dice, and damage reduction and spell resistance that increase as its Hit Dice increase. See the celestial creature template in the Monster Manual for details.

CONSECRATE SPELL [METAMAGIC]

You can imbue your spells with the raw energy of good, by the grace of a celestial power.

Prerequisites: Any good alignment.

Benefit: A spell you modify with this feat gains the good descriptor. Furthermore, if the spell deals damage, half that damage (rounded down) results from divine power and can’t be reduced by resistance or immunity to energy-based attacks.

For example, if a consecrated lightning bolt cast by a 7th- level wizard deals 24 points of damage, 12 points of that is electricity damage and the other 12 points is not. Thus, a nongood creature immune to electricity still takes 12 points of damage if it fails its Reflex save. A consecrated spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.

CONSECRATE SPELL-LIKE ABILITY[GENERAL]

You can channel holy power into your spell-like abilities.

Prerequisites: Any good alignment.

Benefit: This feat adds the good descriptor to a spell-like ability. Furthermore, if the ability deals damage, half that damage (rounded down) results from divine power and can’t be reduced by resistance or immunity to energy-based attacks. For example, if a consecrated lightning bolt from an avoral deals 31 points of damage, 16 points of that is electricity damage and the other 15 points is not. Thus, a nongood creature immune to electricity still takes 15 points of damage if it fails its Reflex save.

Each of your spell-like abilities can be consecrated three times per day, though this feat does not allow you to exceed your normal usage limit for any ability. Thus, if a tulani eladrin chooses to consecrate its chain lightning ability, it can use a consecrated chain lightning up to three times that day. Thereafter, it could use its chain lightning ability again normally (since it can use chain lightning at will), or it could consecrate another of its spell-like abilities, such as meteor swarm.

CONSECRATE SPELL TRIGGER[EXALTED]

You can channel holy power through a spell trigger item, such as a wand or staff.

Prerequisites: Craft Wand or Craft Staff, ability to turn undead.

Benefit:When you use a spell trigger item, such as a wand or staff, you can use one of your turning attempts for the day to trigger the item. You still expend a charge from the wand or staff. The spell cast by the item is modified as though it had the Consecrate Spell feat applied to it.

EXALTED COMPANION [EXALTED]

Instead of an animal companion, you have a magical beast of good alignment.

Prerequisites: Able to acquire a new animal companion, minimum level requirement (see below).

Benefit:When choosing an animal companion, you may choose a magical beast as shown on the table below.

You must choose a companion whose alignment is the same as yours, so only a ranger can have a blink dog, pegasus, or unicorn as a companion. Even though your companion is a magical beast, you can cast spells on it as though it were an animal.

The exalted companion has all the normal abilities of a typical creature of its kind, as well as the characteristics of an animal companion determined by the druid or ranger’s level.

EXALTED SMITE [EXALTED]

Your smite ability is empowered with holy energy.

Prerequisites: Smite evil class ability.

Benefit:When you use your smite evil ability, your weapon is considered good-aligned for purposes of bypassing damage reduction.5

EXALTED SPELL RESISTANCE[EXALTED]

You are particularly resistant to evil spells.

Prerequisites: Cha 15, spell resistance.

Benefit: Against evil spells (spells with the evil designator) and spell-like abilities used by evil outsiders, your spell resistance increases by +4.

EXALTED TURNING [EXALTED]

You turn undead with such power that affected undead take damage.

Prerequisites: Ability to turn undead.

Benefit: Any undead creature that you turn takes 3d6 points of damage in addition to the normal turning effect.

EXALTED WILD SHAPE [EXALTED, WILD]

You can use your wild shape ability to take the form of a good-aligned magical beast.

Prerequisites:Wild shape class ability, wild shaping class level 8th.

Benefit: You can use your wild shape ability to turn yourself into a blink dog, giant eagle, giant owl, pegasus, or unicorn. You can also turn into a celestial version of any animal you could normally transform into. (At the DM’s discretion, other magical beast forms might be available to you. In general, only creatures of CR 3 or lower are possible). You gain the extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the creature. This ability counts as a use of your wild shape ability and functions the same way.

FAVORED OF THE COMPANIONS[EXALTED]

You swear allegiance to Talisid or one of the Five Companions, the paragons of the guardinals, and in exchange gain power to act on their behalf.

Benefit: Once per day, while performing an act of good, you may call upon your guardinal patron to gain a +1 luck bonus on any one roll or check.

Special: Once you take this feat, you may not take it again, nor can you take either the Servant of the Heavens feat or the Knight of Stars feat. Your allegiance is only yours to give once.

FIST OF THE HEAVENS [EXALTED]

Your stunning attack is empowered by celestial might.

Prerequisites:Wis 15, Sanctify Ki Strike, Stunning Fist.

Benefit: The saving throw DC of your Stunning Fist increases by 2 when you use it against an evil creature. If the stunning attack succeeds, the creature is staggered for 1 round following the round it is stunned.

Special: A fighter may select Fist of the Heavens as one of his fighter bonus feats.

GIFT OF FAITH [EXALTED]

You have an unusual capacity to trust in divine providence working all things for the good.

Prerequisites:Wis 13.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws to resist any fear effect, despair effect (such as the crushing despair spell), or similar mind-affecting condition, but not charms or compulsions (such as the charm person and dominate person spells).

GIFT OF GRACE [EXALTED]

You can improve the saving throws of your allies by sharing some of your divine grace.

Prerequisites: Divine grace class ability.

Benefit: You can give up some of your saving throw bonus granted by divine grace and share it with one or more other characters. You can sacrifice any amount of your own divine grace, up to your full Charisma bonus. You can divide that bonus among allies that you touch, to a maximum of one ally per character level you possess.

For example, if you are a 5th-level paladin with a +3 Charisma bonus, you can give three characters each a +1 bonus on their saving throws, one character a +3 bonus, two characters a +1 bonus (keeping a +1 bonus for yourself ), or any similar division of your +3 bonus.

This shared divine grace lasts for one day or until you revoke it (as a free action).

HANDS OF A HEALER [EXALTED]

You can heal more damage than normal by laying on hands.

Benefit:When determining how many hit points you can cure, treat your Charisma score as if it were 2 points higher. For example, a 7th-level paladin with a 16 Charisma could cure up to 28 points of damage per day with this feat.

HOLY KI STRIKE [EXALTED]

Your unarmed attacks deal extra damage to evil creatures.

Prerequisites: Cha 15, Improved Unarmed Strike, Ki strike (holy), Sanctify Ki Strike.

Benefit: Your unarmed strike deals 2d6 points of extra holy damage to evil creatures. In addition, it is considered holy, which means that it can bypass the damage reduction of some evil outsiders. This does not stack with the extra damage from the Sanctify Ki Strike feat.

HOLY RADIANCE [EXALTED]

You can increase the intensity of the light surrounding you to damage undead creatures.

Prerequisites: Cha 15, Nimbus of Light.

Benefit: At will, as a free action, you can empower the radiance surrounding you into a blazing glow that sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius (and shadowy illumination out to 20 feet). Undead within 10 feet of you take 1d4 points of damage per round they remain within your halo.6

HOLY SUBDUAL [EXALTED]

You can turn bonus damage into nonlethal damage.

Prerequisites: Subduing Strike.

Benefit:When you use your weapon to deal nonlethal damage, you can also transform bonus damage from a holy weapon, your smite evil class ability, or your smite granted power into nonlethal damage.

Special: A fighter may select Holy Subdual as one of his fighter bonus feats.

INTUITIVE ATTACK [EXALTED]

You fight by faith more than brute strength.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1.

Benefit:With a simple weapon of your size or a natural weapon, you may use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls.

Special: A fighter may select Intuitive Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.

KNIGHT OF STARS [EXALTED]

You swear allegiance to the Court of Stars, the paragons of the eladrin, and in exchange gain power to act on their behalf.

Benefit: Once per day, while performing an act of good, you may call upon your eladrin patron to gain a +1 luck bonus on any one roll or check.

Special: Once you take this feat, you may not take it again, nor can you take either the Servant of the Heavens feat or the Favored of the Companions feat. Your allegiance is only yours to give once.

NEMESIS [EXALTED]

You are the holy bane of creatures of a particular type.

Prerequisites: Favored enemy class ability.

Benefit: Choose one of your favored enemies. You can sense the presence of creatures of this type within 60 feet, as well as pinpoint their exact location (distance and direction) relative to you.

Normal barriers and obstructions do not block this supernatural ability, allowing you to sense the presence and location of creatures behind doors or walls, for example. This feat does not allow you to see an invisible or hidden creature (although you can still discern its location).

In addition to sensing the presence of your favored enemy, you deal +1d6 points of damage on weapon attack rolls made against evil representatives of the favored enemy creature type.

Special: You can choose this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you select this feat, it applies to a different favored enemy.

NIMBUS OF LIGHT [EXALTED]

You are cloaked in a radiant light that marks you as a servant of the purest ideals. All who look upon you know without a doubt that you are a champion of good and are favored by the powers of the Upper Planes. The nimbus may take the form of a cloud surrounding your entire body, or it may appear as beams of light around your head.

Benefit: Good creatures automatically recognize the radiance surrounding you as a sign of your purity and devotion to the powers of good. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on all Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks made when interacting with good creatures. Your radiance sheds light as a common lamp: bright light to a radius of 5 feet and shadowy illumination to 10 feet. You can extinguish this radiance at will and reactivate it again as a free action.

NONLETHAL SUBSTITUTION[METAMAGIC]

You can modify a spell that uses energy to deal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead.

Prerequisites: Any other metamagic feat, Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks.

Benefit: Choose one type of energy: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. You can modify a spell with the chosen designator to deal nonlethal damage instead of energy damage. The altered spell works normally in all respects except the type of damage dealt. For example, a nonlethal fireball spell works in the usual way except it deals nonlethal damage instead of fire damage. A nonlethal spell uses a spell slot of the spell’s normal level, modified by any other metamagic feats.

NYMPH’S KISS [EXALTED]

By maintaining an intimate relationship with a good- aligned fey (such as a nymph or dryad), you gain some of the characteristics of fey.

Benefit: Fey creatures regard you as though you were fey. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on all Charisma-related checks, and a +1 bonus on all saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities. Starting with the level when you take this feat, you gain 1 extra skill point per level.

PURIFY SPELL [METAMAGIC]

You can charge your damaging spells with celestial energy that leaves good creatures unharmed.

Prerequisites: Any good alignment.

Benefit: A spell you modify with this feat gains the good descriptor. Furthermore, if the spell deals damage, neutral creatures take half damage, or one-quarter with a successful saving throw (if allowed), while good creatures take no damage at all. Evil outsiders affected by the spell take extra damage: The spell’s damage is increased by one die type (each 1d6 becomes 1d8, each 1d8 becomes 2d6, and so on, using the same progression as weapons increasing in size).

For example, a purified lightning bolt cast by a 7th-level wizard deals 7d6 points of electricity damage to evil 7 creatures, half damage to neutral creatures, and no damage at all to good creatures caught in its path. Evil outsiders (except ones immune to electricity) take 7d8 points of damage.

A purified spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.

PURIFY SPELL-LIKE ABILITY[GENERAL]

You can charge your damaging spell-like abilities with celestial energy that leaves good creatures unharmed.

Prerequisites: Any good alignment.

Benefit: This feat adds the good descriptor to a spell-like ability. Furthermore, if the ability deals damage, neutral creatures take half damage, or one-quarter with a successful saving throw (if allowed), while good creatures take no damage at all. Evil outsiders affected by the ability take extra damage: The ability’s damage is increased by one die type (each 1d6 becomes 1d8, each 1d8 becomes 2d6, and so on, using the same progression as weapons increasing in size).

For example purified lightning bolt cast by an avoral deals 8d6 points of electricity damage to evil creatures, half damage to neutral creatures, and no damage at all to good creatures caught in its path. Evil outsiders (except ones immune to electricity) take 8d8 points of damage.

Each of your spell-like abilities can be purified three times per day, though this feat does not allow you to exceed your normal usage limit for any ability. Thus, if a tulani eladrin chooses to purify its chain lightning ability, it can use a purified chain lightning up to three times that day. Thereafter, it could use its chain lightning ability again normally (since it can use chain lightning at will), or it could purify another of its spell-like abilities, such as meteor swarm.

PURIFY SPELL TRIGGER [EXALTED]

You can channel holy power through a spell trigger item, such as a wand or staff.

Prerequisites: Craft Wand or Craft Staff, ability to turn undead.

Benefit:When you use a spell trigger item, such as a wand or staff, you can use one of your turning attempts for the day to trigger the item. You still expend a charge from the wand or staff. The spell cast by the item is modified as though it had the Purify Spell feat applied to it.

QUELL THE PROFANE [EXALTED]

Your mightiest attacks weaken evil foes.

Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, Resounding Blow, base attack bonus +8.

Benefit:Whenever you deal a critical hit to an evil creature using a melee weapon with which you are proficient, your opponent must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier) or take 1d4+1 points of temporary Strength damage.

A monk’s unarmed strike is considered a melee weapon for purposes of this feat.

RANGED SMITE EVIL [EXALTED]

Your smite ability can be channeled through your ranged weapon.

Prerequisites: Smite evil class ability.

Benefit: Your smite evil ability can be channeled through a missile that you fire. This counts as one use of your smite evil ability.

RESOUNDING BLOW [GENERAL]

Your mightiest attacks cause your foes to tremble before you.

Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, Intimidate 7 ranks.

Benefit:Whenever you deal a critical hit using a melee weapon with which you are proficient, your opponent must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier) or cower for 1 round. A monk’s unarmed strike is considered a melee weapon for purposes of this feat.

Special: A fighter may select Resounding Blow as one of her fighter bonus feats.

RIGHTEOUS WRATH [EXALTED]

Your rage is empowered with divine fury.

Prerequisites: Rage class ability.

Benefit:When you first deal damage with a melee attack against an evil foe during your rage, that creature must make a successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your raging class level + your Cha modifier) or be shaken. If you fail to affect a creature the first time you hit it, you cannot affect it in that encounter. The shaken effect remains until you withdraw or are killed or incapacitated.

While raging, you maintain clarity of mind unusual among barbarians. You are perfectly able to deal nonlethal damage, stop your attacks to show mercy, and distinguish friend from foe even in the heat of your rage.

SACRED STRIKE [EXALTED]

Your sneak attack is enhanced by your unshakable faith in a good-aligned deity.

Prerequisites: Sneak attack class ability.

Benefit:When you use your sneak attack ability against an evil creature, roll d8s for your sneak attack dice (instead of d6s) and your sneak attack damage is considered good- aligned for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

SACRED VOW [EXALTED]

You have willingly given yourself to the service of a good deity or cause, denying yourself an ordinary life to better serve your highest ideals.

Benefit: You gain a +2 perfection bonus on Diplomacy checks.

Special: This feat serves as the prerequisite for several other feats, including the Vow of Abstinence, Vow of 8 Chastity, Vow of Nonviolence, Vow of Obedience, Vow of Peace, Vow of Poverty, and Vow of Purity.

SANCTIFY KI STRIKE [EXALTED]

Sacred power suffuses your unarmed strikes.

Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Ki strike (lawful), Cha 15.

Benefit: Your unarmed strikes deal 1 extra point of damage to evil creatures, or 1d4 points to evil outsiders and evil undead. In addition, they are considered good-aligned for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

SANCTIFY MARTIAL STRIKE[EXALTED]

Sacred power suffuses your attacks with a certain kind of weapon.

Prerequisites: Cha 15, Weapon Focus with the specified weapon.

Benefit:Whenever you wield a specific kind of weapon, it deals 1 extra point of damage to evil creatures, or 1d4 points to evil outsiders and evil undead. In addition, that weapon is considered good-aligned for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Special: You can take this feat more than once, selecting a different weapon each time.

SANCTIFY NATURAL ATTACK[EXALTED]

You can focus holy power into your natural attacks.

Prerequisites: One or more natural weapon attacks, base attack bonus +5.

Benefit: Each time you deal damage with a natural attack, you deal 1 extra point of damage to evil creatures, or 1d4 points to evil outsiders and evil undead. In addition, your natural attacks are considered good- aligned for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

SANCTIFY WEAPON [EXALTED]

You can focus holy power into your weapon.

Prerequisites: Able to cast align weapon.

Benefit:When you cast align weapon, the affected weapon also becomes sanctified. A sanctified weapon deals 1 extra point of holy damage to evil creatures or 1d4 points of damage to evil outsiders and evil undead. In addition, creatures with the corrupted template (described in the Book of Vile Darkness) cannot recover hit point damage dealt by a sanctified weapon by means of normal healing, including fast healing.

SERVANT OF THE HEAVENS[EXALTED]

You swear allegiance to one of the Tome Archons who rule the Seven Heavens, and in exchange gain power to act on their behalf.

Benefit: Once per day, while performing an act of good, you may call upon your archon patron to gain a +1 luck bonus on any one roll or check.

Special: Once you take this feat, you may not take it again, nor can you take either the Knight of Stars feat or the Favored of the Companions feat. Your allegiance is only yours to give once.

SPELL FOCUS (GOOD) [GENERAL]

Your spells with the good descriptor are more potent than normal due to your relationship with the powers of good.

Prerequisites: Any good alignment.

Benefit: Add +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against your spells with the good descriptor.

Special: The +2 increase also applies to the Difficulty Class for a possessing fiend to Hide from your good spells such as detect evil or magic circle against evil (as detailed in the Book of Vile Darkness).

STIGMATA [EXALTED]

You bear the marks of wounds on your body, as sort of a living martyrdom.

Prerequisite: Nimbus of Light.

Benefit: You can heal the wounds and ailments of others using your own life energy. When you activate this ability, as a free action, you immediately take at least 2 points of temporary Constitution damage. You can take as many points of Constitution damage as you wish, as long as you remain alive and conscious.

Once you have activated your stigmata, you can touch your allies to heal them of 1 point of damage per level they possess for every 2 points of Constitution damage you take. In addition, any character you touch who is suffering from a disease can immediately make a new saving throw against that disease with a sacred bonus equal to the number of points of Constitution damage you took. If the character succeeds on that saving throw, she is freed from the disease.

You can use this touch on one ally per point of Constitution damage you take. As with delivering a touch spell, you can touch up to six allies as a full-round action. A single person can only benefit once from each activation of your stigmata, but each activation lasts for 1 hour.

For example, if you sacrifice 4 points of Constitution, you can grant four allies a number of hit points of healing equal to twice their level. Each ally who was suffering from a disease would make a new saving throw with a +4 sacred bonus.

If only two of your allies were wounded at the time you activated the stigmata, you could “save” the other two uses for up to 1 hour, in case other characters become wounded within that time. Even if the characters you originally healed were injured again, however, they could not benefit from the same activation of your stigmata.

When you use this ability, the wounds on your body bleed in proportion to the Constitution damage you take. The bleeding persists for 1 hour, and the Constitution damage cannot be restored by any means until the bleeding has stopped. Once the bleeding has stopped, you can freely activate the stigmata again, whether or not you have recovered your lost Constitution, as long as you have enough Constitution left to use the ability and survive.

SUBDUING STRIKE [GENERAL]

You are adept at striking to deal nonlethal damage even with normal weapons.

Benefit: You can use any melee weapon to deal nonlethal damage with no penalty on your attack roll. If you are a rogue, you can deal nonlethal damage with your sneak attack even if you are using a normal melee weapon. This feat does not allow you to deal nonlethal damage with ranged weapons.

Normal: If you use a melee weapon designed to deal lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead, you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. Rogues normally can only use saps or unarmed strikes to deal nonlethal damage with their sneak attacks.

Special: A fighter may select Subduing Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats.

TOUCH OF GOLDEN ICE [EXALTED]

Your touch is poisonous to evil creatures.

Prerequisites: Con 13.

Benefit: Any evil creature you touch with your bare hand, fist, or natural weapon is ravaged by golden ice (see Ravages and Afflictions in Chapter 3: Exalted Equipment for effects).

VOW OF ABSTINENCE [EXALTED]

You have taken a sacred vow to abstain from alcoholic beverages, drugs, stimulants such as caffeine, and intoxication.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow.

Benefit: You gain a +4 perfection bonus on Fortitude saving throws against poisons and drugs (as long as you are subjected to a drug unwillingly).

Special: To fulfill your vow, you must not consume intoxicating, stimulating, depressant, or hallucinogenic substances, including alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs. If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it.

If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, or otherwise unintentionally (a drug slipped into your drink, for example), you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.

VOW OF CHASTITY [EXALTED]

You have taken a sacred vow to refrain from marriage and sexual intercourse.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow.

Benefit: You gain a +4 perfection bonus on Will saving throws against charm and phantasm spells and effects.

Special: To fulfill your vow, you must abstain from any sexual contact with any other creature. If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.

VOW OF NONVIOLENCE [EXALTED]

You have taken a sacred vow to avoid violence against humanoids.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow.

Benefit: The saving throw DC for spells you cast or other special abilities you use against humanoid or monstrous humanoid targets is increased by +4 if the spell does not deal damage (including ability damage but not nonlethal damage), bestow negative levels, or cause death.

Spells affected by this feat include most Abjuration, Enchantment, and Illusion spells (though not phantasmal killer, for example), those few Divination spells that have targets and require saving throws (including detect thoughts and discern lies), and even Necromancy spells such as waves of fatigue and ray of exhaustion. It does not affect most Evocation, Conjuration, and Transmutation spells.

The bonus granted by this feat does not stack with the bonus granted by the Spell Focus feat. It affects only saving throw DCs, not caster level checks or other elements of a spell. The benefit of this feat extends to special abilities other than spells that allow a saving throw, but only if the ability does not deal damage and is not dependent on dealing damage.

For example, a character with the Stunning Fist feat can increase the saving throw DC to avoid being stunned by +4 if she deals nonlethal damage, rather than regular damage, with her stunning attack. A couatl’s venom would not become more virulent because of this feat, however, because it deals ability damage and requires the couatl to deal hit point damage in order to deliver it.

Special: To fulfill your vow, you must not cause harm or suffering to humanoid or monstrous humanoid foes. You may not deal real damage or ability damage to such foes through spells or weapons, though you may deal nonlethal damage. You may not target them with death effects, disintegrate, pain effects, or other spells that have the immediate potential to cause death, suffering, or great harm.

Your purity is so great that any ally of yours who slays a helpless or defenseless foe within 120 feet of you feels great remorse. Your ally takes a –1 morale penalty on his attack rolls for 1 hour per your character level. For each helpless foe slain, the attack penalty increases by 1, to a maximum equal to your character level. The duration of the increased penalty starts from the latest slaying.

You may ask your allies to give you an oath that a helpless foe will not be slain. If the oath is sworn, an ally who later breaks the oath takes the penalty for doing so as if you were present. If you leave a helpless foe to be killed by your allies, you have broken your vow.

You may ask a defeated creature to give you an oath of surrender or noninterference in exchange for its life. If the creature breaks this oath to you, you can allow your allies to deal with the creature as they see fit without breaking their oaths or your vow of nonviolence.

If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.

VOW OF OBEDIENCE [EXALTED]

You have taken a sacred vow to live according to the dictates of another, generally your superior in a religious order or similar organization.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow.

Benefit: You gain a +4 perfection bonus on Will saving throws against compulsion spells and effects.

Special: To fulfill your vow, you must unquestioningly obey your superior and live according to the rules of your organization. If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.

VOW OF PEACE [EXALTED]

You have taken a sacred vow to abstain from harming any living creature.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow, Vow of Nonviolence.

Benefit: This sacred vow grants significant supernatural benefits, but its cost is high.

First, you are constantly surrounded by a calming aura to a radius of 20 feet. Creatures within the aura must make a successful Will save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Cha modifier) or be affected as by the calm emotions spell. Creatures who leave the aura and reenter it receive new saving throws.

A creature that makes a successful saving throw and remains in the aura is unaffected until it leaves the aura and reenters. The aura is a mind-affecting, supernatural compulsion.

Second, you gain a +2 natural armor bonus to your AC, a +2 deflection bonus to your AC, and a +2 exalted bonus to your AC. This exalted bonus does not apply to touch attacks and does not hinder incorporeal touch attacks. Brilliant energy weapons, however, do not ignore it. It does not stack with an armor bonus.

If you also have the Vow of Poverty feat, the natural armor, deflection, and exalted Armor Class bonuses granted by that feat all increase by +2.

If a creature strikes you with a manufactured weapon, the weapon must immediately make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Con modifier) or shatter against your skin, leaving you unharmed.

Finally, you gain a +4 exalted bonus on all Diplomacy checks.

Special: To fulfill your vow, you must not cause harm to any living creature (constructs and undead are not included in this prohibition). You may not deal real damage or ability damage to such creatures through spells or weapons, though you may deal nonlethal damage. You may not target them with death effects, disintegrate, or other spells that have the immediate potential to cause death or great harm. You also may not use nondamaging spells to incapacitate or weaken living foes so that your allies can kill them—if you incapacitate a foe, you must take him prisoner.

If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion or otherwise unwittingly, you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.

(Characters who have taken a Vow of Peace are known to drink water through a strainer in order to avoid accidentally swallowing, and thereby causing harm to, a small insect).

VOW OF POVERTY [EXALTED]

You have taken a sacred vow to forswear material possessions.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow.

Benefit: You gain bonuses to your Armor Class, ability scores, and saving throws, as well as bonus exalted feats, all depending on your character level.

AC Bonus (Su): A 1st-level ascetic receives a +4 exalted bonus to his Armor Class. The bonus increases to +5 at 3rd level, and thereafter increases by +1 for each 3 character levels. This bonus does not apply to touch attacks and does not hinder incorporeal touch attacks. Brilliant energy weapons, however, do not ignore this bonus. This does not stack with an armor bonus.

Bonus Exalted Feats: At 1st level, an ascetic gets a bonus exalted feat, and another bonus feat at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter. Unlike the other benefits of a vow of poverty, a character does not gain these bonus feats retroactively when he takes the Vow of Poverty feat; he only gains those bonus feats that apply for the levels he gains after swearing his vow. Thus, the bonus feat gained at 1st level is available only to humans who take both Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty at 1st level.

Endure Elements (Ex): A 3rd-level ascetic is immune to the effects of being in a hot or cold environment. He can exist com- fortably in conditions between –50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit without having to make Fortitude saves (as described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Exalted Strike (Su): At 4th level, an ascetic gains a +1 enhancement bonus on all his attack and damage rolls. In effect, any weapon the character wields becomes a +1 magic weapon, and can overcome the damage reduction of a creature as though it were a magic weapon. This enhancement bonus rises to +2 at 10th level, to +3 at 14th level, to +4 at 17th level, and to +5 at 20th level. At 10th level, any weapon damage the character deals is also considered to be good-aligned, so that it can bypass the damage reduction of some evil outsiders.

Sustenance (Ex): A 5th-level ascetic doesn’t need to eat or drink.

Deflection (Su): A 6th-level ascetic receives a +1 deflection bonus to his Armor Class. This bonus increases to +2 at 12th level, and to +3 at 18th level.

Resistance (Ex): At 7th level, an ascetic gains a +1 resistance bonus on all saving throws. This bonus increases to +2 at 13th level, and to +3 at 17th level.

Ability Score Enhancement (Ex): At 7th level, an ascetic gains a +2 enhancement bonus to one ability score. At 11th level, he gains an extra +2 bonus to that score, and a +2 bonus to another ability score. At 15th level, he gains an extra +2 bonus to those two scores, and a +2 bonus to a third ability score. At 19th level, he gains an extra +2 bonus to those three scores, and a +2 bonus to a fourth ability score.

Natural Armor (Ex): At 8th level, an ascetic gains a +1 natu- ral armor bonus, or his existing natural armor bonus increases by +1. It increases an extra +1 at 16th level.

Mind Shielding (Ex): Also at 8th level, an ascetic character becomes immune to detect thoughts, discern lies, and any attempt to discern hisalignment.

Damage Reduction (Su): An ascetic gains damage reduction 5/magic at 10th level. At 15th level, this improves to 5/evil, and at 19th level to 10/evil.

Greater Sustenance (Ex): Once he attains 12th level, an ascetic character doesn’t need to breathe.

Energy Resistance (Ex): At 13th level, an ascetic gains resistance 5 to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic energy. At 20th level, this increases to resistance 15.

Freedom of Movement (Ex): At 14th level, an ascetic can act as if continually under the effect of a freedom of movement spell.

Regeneration (Ex): At 17th level, an ascetic heals 1 point of damage per level every hour rather than every day. (This ability cannot be aided by the Heal skill.) Nonlethal damage heals at a rate of 1 point of damage per level every 5 minutes.

True Seeing (Su): At 18th level, an ascetic gains a continu- sous true seeing ability, as the spell.

Special: To fulfill your vow, you must not own or use any material possessions, with the following exceptions: You may carry and use ordinary (neither magic nor masterwork) simple weapons, usually just a quarterstaff that serves as a walking stick. You may wear simple clothes (usually just a homespun robe, possibly also including a hat and sandals) with no magical properties. You may carry enough food to sustain you for one day in a simple (nonmagic) sack or bag. 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 ebony 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.

VOW OF PURITY [EXALTED]

You have taken a sacred vow to avoid contact with dead flesh.

Prerequisites: Sacred Vow.

Benefit: You gain a +4 perfection bonus on Fortitude saving throws to resist disease and death effects.

Special: To fulfill your vow, you must avoid all contact with dead creatures, including meat cooked for food. You may not touch fallen foes. You may fight undead foes, but must purify yourself as soon as possible afterward. You may touch dead characters in order to restore them to life (by way of a raise dead or similar spell that requires you to touch the corpse), but for no other purpose.

If you fight undead creatures or accidentally touch dead flesh, you must purify yourself in a special ritual that requires 1 hour and a flask of holy water.

If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, you lose the benefit of this feat until you perform a suitable penance and receive an atonement spell.

WORDS OF CREATION [EXALTED]

You have learned a few of the words that were spoken to create the world.

Prerequisites: Int 15, Cha 15, base Will save bonus +5.

Benefit: You can use the Words of Creation to enhance bardic music, to help cast good spells and create good magic items, and to enhance the process of creation (see Words of Creation in Chapter 2).

Normal: A nonevil creature that tries to utter the Words of Creation without learning them properly is affected as by a feeblemind spell, while an evil character is struck dead. Fortunately, it is impossible to make someone speak the Words of Creation against his will, because their pronunciation is so exacting.