Author Topic: Oaths & Vows  (Read 1070 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Prime32

  • Administrator
  • Organ Grinder
  • *
  • Posts: 7534
  • Modding since 03/12/10
Oaths & Vows
« on: November 25, 2009, 09:11:45 AM »
I wanted something simpler than the exalted feats, codes of conduct, etc.

I was thinking maybe you gain a +2 bonus on saves against anything which would force you to break a vow (and it counts as something you "wouldn't normally do" for mind-control) and in exchange willfully breaking the vow sickens you (even if you are immune to being sickened). Obviously you can't swear a vow to "not die" or anything similarly general.

For vows which have a particularly large effect on the character (eg. never accept flanking bonuses, never deal lethal damage) you might also gain bonus feats, similar to devoting yourself to an Elder Evil.

Or maybe the benefit could be customised to the vow (eg. a vow of mercy might remove the penalty for nonlethal attacks). Any ideas?
« Last Edit: November 25, 2009, 05:10:35 PM by Prime32 »
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

VennDygrem

  • Member
  • Grape ape
  • *
  • Posts: 1689
    • Email
Re: Oaths & Vows
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2009, 02:41:05 PM »
I'd say it's an unnecessary mechanic, but it certainly has its place. To that end, for any significant vow a character takes, the benefit and repercussion for breaking it need to be proportionate.

A vow of celibacy wouldn't usually impact a D&D character so much in-game, though I've played in some campaigns in which bedding an NPC yields strategic information, etc., or at least trying to seduce them. Of course in this case, another character could do this, but that's not entirely the point. So some vows and oaths are going to be stronger or weaker given a particular campaign. Either vows would have to be something worked out between player and DM, or you'd have to generalize on the impact of each specific vow/oath/etc.

veekie

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 9034
  • WARNING: Homing Miko
Re: Oaths & Vows
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2009, 03:43:19 PM »
Hmm for vows and obligations, you have two sorts, breakable, but not magically enforced ones, and magically enforced ones. The former now, I have a simple idea.

1) Select clause(s), clauses should generally put you in about as much trouble as benefit, in combination)
2) Select intensity(value from 1 to 5)
3) When performing an act directly promoting the clause, gain +intensity morale bonus to the roll
4) When performing an act contrary to the clause, gain -intensity morale penalty to any roll involved(this may reduce an automatically successful action to one you must roll for)
Optional rules:
5) When attempting to perform an act directly counter to the clause(or resist performing one directly promoting the clause), you must roll a Will save(DC 10+1/2 character level+2*Intensity), success means you do as you wish(with the morale penalty), failure mean you must follow the clause despite what good sense might tell you.
6) Subtract the intensity of conflicting obligations from each other when in conflict. Option 5 only applies to obligations with positive intensities, when conflicts exist.

You can use this to handle package deal things like codes of conduct or even religious laws. Option 5 may be a bit stricter than most players would prefer though.
The mind transcends the body.
It's also a little cold because of that.
Please get it a blanket.

I wish I could read your mind,
I can barely read mine.

"Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."

[spoiler]
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill

To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
[/spoiler]

There is no higher price than 'free'.

"I won't die. I've been ordered not to die."