Bahamut's Budies...Platinum Knight vs Vassal of Bahamut

[Galahad_Knight]

Well, seeing as how two of the most recent WOTC sourcebook (the book of exalted deeds and the draconomicon) bith have babamut-knight PrCs, why not compare them?

Comparing just the PrC levels, which class do you think stacks up better?
I think the Vassal does. A host of special abilities, free armor and free money. Of course, the prerequisites are a lot harder to meet.

[Maj]

Galahad - I did a total breakdown of the two classes last night...

...and then my computer blue screened.



I'll try again later.

[Galahad_Knight]

I hate when that happens
Hope you get it going again, I;d be interesting to see how they stack up

[Maj]

(Did this one in Notepad before I posted... )

Warning: Cynicism ahead. The more I look at these two classes, the more I'm concerned about the mental health of the writers.

All right. Let's start with the basics of these two classes:

Hit Die

Vassal - d10
Knight - d8

Skills

Vassal - 2+Int
Knight - 2+Int

Base Attack Bonus

Vassal - Good
Knight - Good

Saves

Vassal - Fort high
Knight - Fort and Will high

Not too bad thus far...

Spells

Vassal - 1st-4th level progression
Knight - +5 caster levels

The class that would benefit the most from the caster levels (cleric), wouldn't take either of these classes because the benefit isn't. For a paladin, you're going to lose half your casting with either class, and if you're a fighter (which for some reason Platinum Knights supposedly are), you can't use caster levels at all.

Level 1

Vassal - +class level to Charisma-based skills when dealing with dragons; "Platinum Armor" (armor that you can make easier if you're low level than high level , comes from killing a red dragon , and is like full plate with the armor check penalty and max Dex of a chain shirt
Knight - Smite evil dragon 1/day, Immune to Frightful Presence

Meh. Wish that was just immunity to fear...

Level 2

Vassal - Low-Light vision (4x as good as human); Dark vision 120; 2000 gp (200 pp)
Knight - caster level

Um... You get money for leveling up. Trying to call it a class benefit doesn't work. And for some reason, a caster level is a nifty perk for a class? <shrug> I'm all about the improved senses... those are nice.

Level 3

Vassal - Bonus feat
Knight - Natural Armor +1

Well, if you're a Vassal, you'd better have been a fighter. You now have [crap] spells, better senses, and better armor, while having only lost out on one bonus feat.

Level 4

Vassal - Dragonwrack +2d6/1d6
Knight - Smite evil dragon 2/day, caster level

Dragonwrack is kinda cool. Kinda. It's like having an evil-dragonbane sword that does half of its damage in permanent HP drain. Should that evil dragon attack you with a natural weapon or a melee weapon, it automatically takes 1d6 additional damage - again, permanent HP drain... The permanent drain thing is pointless if you just want to kill the damned thing, but whatever. The extra damage is pretty and it's the thought that counts, right?

Knights right now should be wishing that they were able to just continue smiting anything evil instead of getting better at smiting only evil dragons. I mean... be useful in another situation, guys! Sheesh.

Level 5

Vassal - 5000 gp (500 pp)
Knight - +Cha to saves versus most effects from evil dragons

The only redeeming thing about the Knight's ability is that it specifically states that this bonus stacks with Divine Grace. For the Vassal, money should not be a class feature...

Level 6

Vassal - Bonus Feat
Knight - caster level

I'm not commenting on all of these levels...

Level 7

Vassal - Dragonwrack +3d6/1d6
Knight - Smite evil dragon 3/day, Natural Armor +2*

*Note - This is not an additional bonus, this is the total you now have.

Level 8

Vassal - 8000 gp (800 pp)
Knight - caster level



Level 9

Vassal - Bonus feat
Knight - +2 to Charisma

All right! Something sweet! Your Charisma randomly going up by 2 points is always good. Because I'm so disenchanted by ability soft caps, I'm all for unnamed stat bonuses.

Level 10

Vassal - Dragonwrack +4d6/2d6
Knight - Smite evil dragon 4/day, caster level, True Seeing 1/day (1 hour duration)

YAY! This totally makes me want to stay in either of these prestige classes for all 10 levels!

Or not...

Vassal of Bahamut, I think, would be the best for a Fighter to take. Gaining the ability to cast spells, some nice armor, some nice senses, and some nice extra damage to evil dragons might be worth a couple of feats... Maybe not.

The Platinum Knight... Sucks. I can't think of anyone who'd really benefit from this class. You basically sacrifice half a Paladin's already lousy casting ability for the ability to have a less powerful smite ability. No, the True Seeing isn't worth it, and I don't really think the natural armor or save bonus is, either.

In short, I think that if you are looking for prestige classes with draconic flavor, these are not them.

[Galahad_Knight]

LOL, excellent summary, Maj.
I'd bow to you, if we had anemoticont hat did that

Edit: Wheee! Behold the glory that is Maj!

[Incarnadine]

I'd bow to you, if we had anemoticont hat did that

Your wish is my command.

Well. Not all wishes. Maybe Limited Wish or something.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

Maj, nice summary, but you made a mistake on the plat.

It's not 100 plat x class level, it's 100 plat x CHARACTER level. There's a difference.

And you're forgetting one thing about the Vassal: The armor is +8 armor bonus, but is considered light. Means something for ranger vassals, or rogue/whatever mutliclasses, or even straight rogues. (Heck, I think a rogue might have the easiest time doing the dragon slaying requirement, sneak in, coup de gras, go home.)

But you're right, PK stinks, with a capitol SUCK.

[Username17]

Note also that while Vassal sucks big from level 4 on (Dragon Wrack is like an ability, only smaller), the first three levels aren't bad. The thing where you get 7000 gp in a pile is meaningless, but +120 foot darkvision is a fairly substantive bonus (as is the x4 low light vision).

So you'd abandon the class after three levels. That's not that bad, really. What you get in three levels is:

A +4 stackable bonus to the bonus of your chain shirt.
A +3 bonus on charisma related tests with respect to Dragons (virtually meaningless).
Super Vision
~9000 gp (meaningless)
A bonus feat.

Is that worth 3 levels? Not with the fact that you need to take 2 junk feats to get there. But it is close to being worth 3 levels. If it didn't have prereqs it would be worthwhile.

-Username17

[Maj]

Maj, nice summary, but you made a mistake on the plat.

It's not 100 plat x class level, it's 100 plat x CHARACTER level. There's a difference.

Nice perk! If you weren't supposed to get that money anyway. The total crap-side of it? This money has to go towards some good cause or else the big platinum dragon in the sky sends a representative to get it back. Fortunately, upgrades are considered a worthy cause...

Can I have an "ability" that is just like what I'd normally get - but is more limited?

[Incarnadine]

Not with the fact that you need to take 2 junk feats to get there. ... If it didn't have prereqs it would be worthwhile.

I'm not seeing it above, but I could be missing it. What are the prereqs for Vassal? Playing a fighter I may have already taken those junk feats to get to some less junk feat at the top of the chain.

Curious and bookless.

[Maj]

Requirements

Knight

• Any Good alignment
• BAB +5
• Knowledge: Arcana 4 ranks
• Diplomacy 4 ranks
• Dragonfriend
• Must speak Draconic

Dragonfriend gives you a +4 bonus to diplomacy checks made to adjust the attitude of a dragon, +2 to Ride checks when riding a dragon, and a +4 bonus on saves versus the Frightful Presence of good dragons.

Vassal

• Lawful Good alignment
• BAB +7
• Craft: Armorsmithing 5 ranks
• Diplomacy 5 ranks
• Sacred Vow
• Vow of Obedience
• Must have single-handedly slain a juvenile or older red dragon

Sacred Vow is an "Exalted" feat that gives you a +2 perfection bonus to diplomacy (It's worse than the new Skill Focus ). Vow of Obedience is an "Exalted" feat with Sacred Vow as a prerequisite and the benefit of a +4 perfection bonus to Will saves made versus Compulsion spells and effects. Along with this feat comes the responsibility of never disobeying your superiors for any reason and living according to the rules of whatever organization you belong to (thus implying that you must belong to an organization).

Exalted is not a synonym for suck, and I have no idea why they felt compelled to point out that Exalted and Epic aren't the same while neglecting to mention that Exalted and Suck aren't the same.

[Username17]

The Exalted Feats chew, with the exception of a few crazy ones like Vow of Poverty - which as one of its side effects causes you to get a Bonus Exalted Feat every other level for the rest of your life (thus making a 1st level Ascetic about a gabillion times better than someone who becomes one at 15th level).

If you could somehow harness Vow of Poverty into making a character who was any good at anything without being a Sorcerer, Druid, or Wizard - then classes which required various Exalted Feats which advanced any other class would be worth thinking about.

Of course, Vassal Of Bahamut is of no utility to a Sorcerer, Druid, or Wizard and is thus relegated to the circular file.

---

There's over 50 Exalted feats in that book, and they ALL SUCK (for example: Nonlethal Substitution is just like Subdual Substitution except that it only works on a spell with a single energy type - no Subdual Substituted Magic Missiles for you!), except:

* Exalted Wildshape. Bizzarely, this ability grants supernatural abilities. Which means that you can use it for unlimited Dimension Door and even unlimited potion making by becoming a sanctified Myconid Sovereign.

* Intuitive Attack. Allows you to use your Wisdom Mod instead of your strength mod on to-hit rolls. Like Weapon Finesse - only it only works with suck weapons and for Druid attacks.

* Nemesis. Largely suck - except that there is a PrC in this book that gives you Favored Enemy: All Evil Creatures. Then you automatically get to pinpoint all Evil Creatures within 60 feet as a free action, as well as inflicting an extra d6 damage on all evil creatures who are also evil - which would be all of them.

* Nymph's Kiss. The +2 bonus is a circumstance bonus to all your charisma skills - which means that it stacks with everything. You also gain an extra skill point every level for the rest of your life.

* Righteous Wrath. This feat sucks - except for the clause "Distinguish Friend from Foe". That's a special ability which negates the only downside to the otherwise brokenly overpowered "Frenzied Berserker" PrC from Sticks and Stones and the Complete Warrior. If you are allowed to take that class - this feat is a must - and completely negates the only disadvantage you'd have while having the ability to among other things - inflict hundreds of points of damage per attack and ignore fatal wounds.

* Sacred Strike. You get +1 damage per two levels when sneak attacking evil creatures. And your attacks are Good Aligned for the purpose of penetrating DR. That's actually pretty good for a single classed Rogue of high level.

* Sanctify Natural Attack. You do 1 extra point of damage and can bypass DR because you are a Druid. You instead do an extra d4 damage with every attack against Evil Outsiders.

* Spell Focus: Good. There are ways to have all of your spells get the [Good] subtype. It's not even hard. Then you spend one more feat to get +2 to the DC of all your spells. Do I have to draw you a diagram?

* Touch of Golden Ice. Sure it's just a DC 14 save - but that's a lot of Dex damage and it's every single natural weapon attack your druid ever makes against an Evil creature for ever. If you are playing with the auto-fail on a 1 for saves - this feat is "golden" for Druids right through to Epic Levels.

* Vow of Nonviolence. At first, this seems pretty restrictive - until you realize that all of the good Wizard spells don't count against you! In fact, simply blinding all of your opponents without actually making them helpless is good for a laugh or three. And +4 to all your Save DCs is about what you'd expect from that kind of investment in 3e - while 3.5 expects you to be happy with getting literally half that much from the same feats.

* Vow of Peace. Again, the benefits are large, and the restrictions are meaningless. You can't hit people with weapons or use Death Effects, boo-frickin-who! You wouldn't even consider this feat unless you were an Illusionist or Conjurer, and then it's just more power for no reason.

* Vow of Poverty. If you don't need magic items to perform your character function - ie.: you are a Druid, Sorcerer, or Wizard - this feat is the win. You have to give away your money to the poor, but since you are a Spellcaster you were probably doing that anyway unless your DM actually let you save up to buy high-level Pearls of Power. This feat also gives you 10 bonus exalted feats over the course of the next 19 levels - so take it at level 1 and laugh. And laugh and laugh and laugh.

So good feats are running at less than 25% - and none of them are good for a Fighter or a Paladin.

-Username17

[Essence]

Nonlethal Substitution is just like Subdual Substitution except that it only works on a spell with a single energy type - no Subdual Substituted Magic Missiles for you!)

Choose one type of energy: acid, cold, electricty, fire, or sonic. You can modify a spell with the chosen designator to inflict subdual damage instead of energy damage.

Has the feat text changed since my copy of T&B?


Essence

[Username17]

No - I just forgot how lame the original text actually was. Considering that most of the authors seem to as well - and Subdual Substitution is actually used on Force Effects repeatedly in prepackaged stuff - I never gave my "house rule" much thought.

D'oh!

-Username17

[Galahad_Knight]

Actually, the Vassal doesn;t look too bad iuf you come at it as a Ranger instead of a Fighter

And I don;t know why everyone is blowing off the free money abgility. Sure, it's a lot like getting gift certifficates for your borthdaqy, but it's nothing to sneeze at.

I'd imagine that a dragonslayer Ranger/Vassal could happily spend a few thousand gp on some Hunter Arrows fior his bow (Hunter is a +1 ability from MoTC, doubles favored enemy damage) Or spend it to upgrade his Dragonbane Lance and heavy bashing shield.

And unless you;re really into animal companions and a handfull oif druid spells, there's not a whole lot of reason to stick around as a ranger when you can get a class that's more useful for killing off your favored enemy. Especially when you could take a feat tyo boost your favored enemy some more. (Either Extra Favoored Enemy, which according to the Living Greyhawk updatge file not only gives you a new enemy, but gives +2 to any other enemy. Or the slightly more balanced Improved Faqvored Enemy from an issue of Dragon that just gives +2 to any favored enemy you have)

I'm not sayiong the vassal is an ultimate class or anything. I'm just saying it doesn;t suck ass much as some people tend to think.

THough the requirements are awfully steep.

Anyone care to size the vqassal up against anther dragonslaying PrC?

[Maj]

And I don;t know why everyone is blowing off the free money abgility. Sure, it's a lot like getting gift certifficates for your borthdaqy, but it's nothing to sneeze at.

The reason it's nothing to sneeze at is that it's not in addition to the normal guidelines for character wealth. Characters get money for being a higher level than they were before, not because it's a prestige class ability... In other words: You'd get that money anyway.

So basically, replace the money that you'd normally get from existing as an X level character with this class feature - which has strings attached. So you trade in something that you'd get anyway for the same things, but with restrictions. That's called a scam, and it should be illegal.

Anyone care to size the vqassal up against anther dragonslaying PrC?

Care to be more specific? I can't say that all of my attempts at comparisons will be good - this was actually my first one - but I'll give it a shot.

[Galahad_Knight]

I don't remember it ever saying that it wasn't in addition to whatever money you'd normally get.

And you never get money for going up in level. You get money by earning it. The guidelines for character wealth represent the average amount of money that a person has earned up to this point.

You don't go up a level and the DM says "Ok, here's a thousand GP."

I don't have the book in front of me, but where does it say that he's not allowed to ever have any money besides what he's given by bahamut?
I'm not saying it's not there, just that I've never seen it.

<goes off to reread the class>

Edit: Nope...I can't find where it says that the vassal has to donate all the money he earns to anything, or that he's not allowed to accumulate wealth on his own.
All I see is that the free money he earns from bahamut must be spent wisely. He can piss the rest away on beer and pretzels if he wants <chuckles>

Since I still can't find anywhere that it says that the free money he gbets is the only money he's ever allowed to have, I think the class ability is pretty decent.

[Maj]

That's not what I'm saying, Galahad. You hit it right on the head:

You get money by earning it.

And this class feature is precisely how this character earns his normal character wealth.

There is nothing in the description of the class that addresses character wealth guidelines at all... And that's why it's not extra money. It's whatever the DM decides to turn it into. If there is a DM out there (and I've heard from lots) who actually abides by the character wealth guidelines, I can assure you, having one party member get extra money for gear upgrades (if a character takes 8th level of the prestige class at 15th level, that's 15,000 gp more than anyone else gets) isn't gonna go well for the rest of the party, and the DM's efforts towards keeping to the character wealth guidelines.

And you never get money for going up in level.

Yes you do, but the DM finds a reason for your character to have it - be it treasure, a reward, your personal exploitation of the system, whatever. Just because there's a roleplaying reason for your character to acquire money doesn't mean that you don't gain it for leveling. No, it's not a direct correlation, but it is an indirect one.

[Galahad_Knight]

I think you're wrong here, Maj. The fact it's a class ability means that it should be exampt fromwealth by level guidelines anyhow. A paladin;s warhorse is easily worth thousands if he were forced to buy such a mount, Does that mean the DM gets to deducxt from hsi treasure?

The Vassal kills dragons. That's wehat he does.
Dragons have a lot of money.
Since nowhere does it say he has to give up any money, or that he has to pass up any money, that means he gets to keep[ his shgare of the dragon's hoard. THAT is his wealth by level.

Seriously. The vassal has killed an old red dragon and is sitting on half a million gold pieces. What does he do with it?
Nowhere in anything on his class does it say that he has to give it to bahamut, or give it to the poor or anything else.
Since every other class in the world that doesn't have a tithing written into it gewts to keep any money they find, so does the vassal.

On top of that (because it never says anything abotu it not being so) he is given a wad of cash.

I think you;re splitting hairs andinterperating things in the worst possible light.
Seriously, take a step back and look at it.

He just killed a dragon. What does he do with the money?

[Galahad_Knight]

Sorry if I'm coing off harsh or something, it's just I really don't understand the problem. It's a class ability. That means it's already facored into your power level, which means it doesn;t make any differenct on anything. And even you say that the class is weak and pointless...well, what if you were considering this money seperately? Wouldn;t thousands of GP to spend on weapons and items make the class a bit better? I rather think that it was the point.

I mean, all it weould take would be one line that says "The vassal must donate all wealth earned from slaying dragons to cherity/bahamut/whatever" and I wouldn't have the slightest proiblem with what you're saying. but it doesn;t say that anywhere so the only logical assumption is that it's a bonus. Otherwise it would just be stupid

[Maj]

I think you're wrong here, Maj.

Wouldn't be the first time.

The fact it's a class ability means that it should be exampt fromwealth by level guidelines anyhow.

No. There is nothing to back up this point of view[/i].

A paladin;s warhorse is easily worth thousands if he were forced to buy such a mount, Does that mean the DM gets to deducxt from hsi treasure?

A warhorse is not a pile of platinum pieces you wake up and find.

The Vassal kills dragons. That's wehat he does.

Yay?

Dragons have a lot of money.

Or they should... unless they've eaten it to stave off twilight or some other such lousy reason. So?

Since nowhere does it say he has to give up any money, or that he has to pass up any money, that means he gets to keep[ his shgare of the dragon's hoard.

That is assuming that there's not any other reason that a DM has for not giving the gold to the PCs. That's assuming it's not all in the form of something the Vassal can't use (like another suit of armor maybe someone else in the party can).

THAT is his wealth by level.

No, actually, it's not. The wealth by level is whatever the DM decides a character gets. How a DM decides to give it is somepletely up to the DM and not any of us as players.

Seriously. The vassal has killed an old red dragon and is sitting on half a million gold pieces. What does he do with it?

If his superiors tell him he has to give it to his organization (because maybe the DM doesn't want the Vassal to have more money than the other PCs), the Vassal is forced to unquestioningly comply by terms of his stupid Vow of Obedience. If he doesn't, he loses access to the feat, and thus access to the class features of the prestige class for which the feat is a prerequisite.

In this scenario, amusingly enough, if you fail to comply with your superiors and keep the money, then you lose access to the class feature that gave you bonus money to begin with - and you're right back with the other PCs splitting treasure and not receiving anything special every few levels.

May I now add that losing access to your exalted feat prereqs would totally suck?

Nowhere in anything on his class does it say that he has to give it to bahamut, or give it to the poor or anything else.

What you do with other money is not important. It's what you do with Bahamut's money that is. And that's why it's ghetto...

Since every other class in the world that doesn't have a tithing written into it gewts to keep any money they find, so does the vassal.

If the DM allows it.

I don't know ANY DM that so heavily favors one player that they will get extra money while everyone else doesn't.

On top of that (because it never says anything abotu it not being so) he is given a wad of cash.

As I said, it doesn't say either way. The lack of the rules is not justification.

I think you;re splitting hairs andinterperating things in the worst possible light.
Seriously, take a step back and look at it.

He just killed a dragon. What does he do with the money?

As I've been saying forever, whatever the DM wants. If the DM is trying to keep the characters roughly equal to each other, then s/he'll find a way to give everyone else extra cash like the Vassal. This leads to two conclusions:

1) Because the Vassal is making money in excess of the character wealth guidelines, the rest of that party now gains an equal amount of money also in excess of the character wealth guidlelines and the guidelines have been shot to hell.

2) The DM is following the character wealth guidelines and this class feature is an excuse for part of that character wealth to exist.

Either way, the "class feature" isn't.

[Maj]

Sorry if I'm coing off harsh or something, it's just I really don't understand the problem.

No, actually, you're not coming off harsh. We obviously have different ideas of how class features ought to work.

It's a class ability. That means it's already facored into your power level, which means it doesn;t make any differenct on anything.

If the writers actually understood the concepts of "power level," the Platinum Knight wouldn't have been so crappy.

And even you say that the class is weak and pointless...well, what if you were considering this money seperately? Wouldn;t thousands of GP to spend on weapons and items make the class a bit better? I rather think that it was the point.

If I accept your point of view here for a second, then I'm left not understanding why they didn't give the Vassal a nifty weapon as well as a nifty suit of armor. Why didn't they just bestow those abilities on the equiment of the Vassal in the first place?

If I were roleplaying a good character who woke up only to find a nice pile of money next to my bed every now and again, I'd either give the money to my friends so they had as much as I did, or I'd be willing to forego some of the treasure so they could have as much as I do. I mean, if Bahamut is taking care of my personal needs, and I'm a good person, it would make sense that I'd try to take care of my friends who aren't as blessed by Bahamut.

But that's if I were roleplaying a good character. I know that there are DMs who actually have to deal with other roleplayers who don't think party jealousy is something to avoid.

I mean, all it weould take would be one line that says "The vassal must donate all wealth earned from slaying dragons to cherity/bahamut/whatever" and I wouldn't have the slightest proiblem with what you're saying.

I'm not talking about other money at all. I'm talking about whether or not the DM allows a class feature to control the way s/he runs a game. It would be like giving out a class feature that allows a character to gain bonus XP - that's something a DM decides, not a prestige class.

[Galahad_Knight]

I don't think we're ever going to see eye to eye on this. You seem to be doing everything you can to twist, bend and exploit loopholes to make a mediochre class suck. But if you just took the class exactly how it'sd weitten, bonus money and all then it's suddenly not a bad class.

The class sucks because you are making it suck.
That's not a problem with a class, that's a problem with the DM.

Wat is the point to having a class ability if it was meant to be totally ignored? I doubt the intention of it was to be ignored. It seems blatantly obvious to me that this money is a bonus, a perk of the class, a benefit...which si why it's a *class* ability.

A DM COULD go out of his way to screw you out of it, but that reeks of lousy DMing to me. Why not screw every player out of his class abilities so that they all end up as commoners?

That's like having a class that gives you a +1 to hit, but the DM penalizing you an equal amount because a character with your BAB is supposed to have X bonus to hit. It's petty.

Can you think of any other class where their class ability is deliberately made to be negated?

If the point was to make sure the character spent his money the way bahamut wants it then why on earth would they go through the convoluted metswgaming route of bonus money being deducted from regular money and just sasy that the vassal must always be thrifty and wise with whatever cash he earns.
It has the exact same effect and doesn't require so much math and active player-screwing.

Maybe we should just agree to disagree and move on?
I don't want to get worked up about something silly and say say something stupid. Especially to you.

[Essence]

Might I add that the idea of handing out money as a PrC feature is totally stupid even *if* you go with the "doesn't count against wealth-per-level guidelines" viewpoint?

I mean, say I spend 15,000 gp that I got as a class feature on X gear. Then, I messed up and I accidentally did something that made me lose access to the class features of that PrC.

Suddenly, that bonus 15,000 gp that I got for being a member of that PrC...has to go away? Meaning that, at the minimum, the DM has to come up with some idiotic excuse as to why I'm not getting my share of loot and/or why my gear got sundered/dispelled/just plain don't work no more/etc.

[hurricane]wasupwit'dat?[/hurricane]


Essence

[Galahad_Knight]

As to why not just bestow a weapon...that's because vassals can come from all sorts of backgrounds.

Maybe your vassal is a paladin who needs a magic lance. But mine is an archer-ranger who needs to buy arrowes?

Maybe I want to spend the money trainign and equipping the locals to defend themselves agains trampating dragons.

The class ability is meant to give the class a boost and make it not suck.
It's also meant as a roleplaying exercise. There's alwaysd the question in any psych or philodsophy question of "What would you do with a million dollars"
If the answer is "Ale and whores" then you';re not good enough for bahamut <chuckles>

But if youranswer is "Upgrade my weaposn to better serve my master" or "Donate it to others in more need than I" then you're fine.

The point is choice.
I woul;d much rathe rhave the choice to spend x-amount of money than to be granted a weapon or item or power that I may never use, depending on my play style.