What Code of Honor do you use in your games?

[shadowjack]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Fair Play -15
Fight fair. If your enemy has inferior numbers, reduce your numbers to match. Never bring a gun to a knife fight, a knife to a fistfight, or poison to any fight at all. If you enemy falls, let him stand. If your enemy drops his weapon, let him pick it up. If your enemy loses his right hand, fight him with your left. Etc....

Might even be worth -20, now that I think of it. Thoughts?

It's probably just a -15. The chivalric code includes a requirement for fair fights, including in war—but only between peers. And also adds a bunch of things that help get you into trouble (defend ladies and your liege, accept any challenge to arms, etc.). Since "Fair Play" doesn't have an aspect that pushes you into fights, but affects all your fights dangerously, I'd say it's about equal. Or, to approach it from another direction, Pacifism (Cannot Kill) and (Self-Defense Only) are also -15 points, and this seems to require a similar amount of restraint.

In general, the codes of honor seem to run:
• If it affects your general behavior, but isn't really that more risky than what you'd already be doing (i.e. hospitality, professionalism, team play), it's a -5.
• If it could get you into a fight, or would keep you from leaving a fight, it's a -10.
• A lot of cultural codes of honor seem to be -10, for the usual combination of giving hospitality, keeping your word, honoring the group, displaying proper manly/womanly attitudes, and (maybe) fighting duels in the honorable fashion.
• If you're expected to throw yourself into harm's way, even (or especially) at disadvantage, and to die if necessary for your belief, it's a -15.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by shadowjack

In general, the codes of honor seem to run:
• If it affects your general behavior, but isn't really that more risky than what you'd already be doing (i.e. hospitality, professionalism, team play), it's a -5.
• If it could get you into a fight, or would keep you from leaving a fight, it's a -10.
• A lot of cultural codes of honor seem to be -10, for the usual combination of giving hospitality, keeping your word, honoring the group, displaying proper manly/womanly attitudes, and (maybe) fighting duels in the honorable fashion.
• If you're expected to throw yourself into harm's way, even (or especially) at disadvantage, and to die if necessary for your belief, it's a -15.

Good summary, and I'd also add:

* If the behavior affected is mostly off-camera or applies to an extremely narrow set of situations, and the Code serves mainly to mark you as a "good" member of your profession, the Code of Honor is a quirk at -1. (Example: Legal Ethics from GURPS Mysteries or the Academic Code of Honor included in an earlier post.)

[jason taylor]

[QUOTE=jason taylor;959979]Aaron Grimbow (medic and captains brother): Take these.
Rachel Grimbow(several months pregnant Captains Wife):Painkillers? Nonsense!
Aaron: That is superstitious masochism that has caused unbeliveably needless suffering!
Rachel: I am Rachel Grimbow, Daughter by blood of the clan Ben-zebulon, daughter by marriage of the clan Grimbow. Free Trader officer and Sister of the Pathways**, respected and honored. And I will not shrink from a test that the most pitiful woman back home would scorn. Take away your filthy CHEMICALS!
----------------------------------------------

Captain Johnathan Grimbow: "Yes I do go along to protect Rachel when she shops for speculative cargo in a dangerous bazaar. However sometimes I think she just lets me do so to avoid hurting my feelings."
--------------------------------------------------
Captain Johnathan Grimbow: "It is the part of a sheep to ignore the predator and hope he is satisfied. It is the part of a man to hunt him down."
-------------------------------------------


IMTU

Falarthan CoH

Respect your own dignity and that of others
Never be useless or helpless
Never be thought useless or helpless
Be proud of your people
Stand by your clan and city
Accept hardship as part of life.
Live by wit and courage

[shadowjack]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

Good summary, and I'd also add:

* If the behavior affected is mostly off-camera or applies to an extremely narrow set of situations, and the Code serves mainly to mark you as a "good" member of your profession, the Code of Honor is a quirk at -1. (Example: Legal Ethics from GURPS Mysteries or the Academic Code of Honor included in an earlier post.)

Oh, nice addition.

Though I'd note it depends of course on the game. In a game of academia, I'd rate that academic's code at a full -5; in a peacetime game, the mercenary's code of honor might only rate -1.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by shadowjack

It's probably just a -15. The chivalric code includes a requirement for fair fights, including in war—but only between peers. And also adds a bunch of things that help get you into trouble (defend ladies and your liege, accept any challenge to arms, etc.). Since "Fair Play" doesn't have an aspect that pushes you into fights, but affects all your fights dangerously, I'd say it's about equal. Or, to approach it from another direction, Pacifism (Cannot Kill) and (Self-Defense Only) are also -15 points, and this seems to require a similar amount of restraint.

In general, the codes of honor seem to run:
• If it affects your general behavior, but isn't really that more risky than what you'd already be doing (i.e. hospitality, professionalism, team play), it's a -5.
• If it could get you into a fight, or would keep you from leaving a fight, it's a -10.
• A lot of cultural codes of honor seem to be -10, for the usual combination of giving hospitality, keeping your word, honoring the group, displaying proper manly/womanly attitudes, and (maybe) fighting duels in the honorable fashion.
• If you're expected to throw yourself into harm's way, even (or especially) at disadvantage, and to die if necessary for your belief, it's a -15.

Would the last be that much? Most PCs would go into harms way or the adventure is to boring.

[jason taylor]

Often coh's have accepted loopholes and elaborate gestures of hypocrisy. For instance at a peace conference it might be known for first proposals to be passed on through "gossip" by "servants". Who were of course carefully picked for the purpose in the first place.

[Irioth]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Think of it as a weaker form of Comics Code. The main difference, I feel, is that CoH (Comics Code) prevents killing altogether, while CoH (Hero's) permits the taking of a life when necessary.

Actually, no, CoH (Comics Code) says nothing about killing. IYG it may be different, but the official writeup CoH (CC) is silent about killing. I am well aware of the issue, since there are two aspects of Silver Age morality that I can't stomach RP at gunpoint, life is always sacred and authority must always be respected, so I scrutinized CoH (CC) with a fine comb. I assume that the author of SUpers wrote it so in order not to cause overlapping with Pacifism (Cannot Kill) and Honesty.

As shadojack wrote in his most handy list, it says:

Comics Code: Fight fair (even if they don't); use powers or kung fu instead of guns, etc.; keep word; protect the innocent; keep secret identities secret; don't bully or humiliate.

[shadowjack]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Would the last be that much? Most PCs would go into harms way or the adventure is to boring.

They choose to, or have other character traits that drive them, but they can approach the challenges reasonably (or with the paranoid overwhelming force that so many PCs prefer to wield ;) ), and can always back off if things go sour. But someone following their code of honor hasn't that same freedom.

Bushido includes absolute obedience of orders and suicide over dishonor, and Chivalry and Comics Code both require you to accept certain challenges, and to fight fair in many situations—even if your enemy doesn't.


Just from the core book: The Soldier's Code of Honor (-10) requires you obey orders, and to fight and if necessary die for the honor of your unit, service, and country… but it doesn't say anything against retreating, fighting dirty, or sitting safe in barracks until the balloon goes up.

On the other hand, the Chivalric Code of Honor (-15) requires you to protect any lady or anyone weaker than yourself, accept any challenge to arms from anyone of equal or greater rank (and respond in some fashion to insults to your liege-lord or faith from anyone), and even in open war with noble and chivalrous foes forces must be equal.

So let's say you're safe in cover, out of range, and the bad guys, who outnumber you greatly, are over in their fort, and they've got a lady in distress up there, and they're taunting your side and threatening her, and maybe even issue a challenge to single combat which is probably a trick.

If you have no code of honor, well, hell, you sure as heck may not like the situation, but you can stay safe over here and wait for a better moment — and if you do counterattack, you can use every sneaky trick and scary attack you have access to.

If you have the soldier's code of honor, you can do the same… unless you're ordered to go over the top, in which case you'll go out and do your best. But even then you can fight as dirty as you like (within the codes of war).

If you're chivalrous, you can't wait safe in cover. You've got to go out there and accept the challenge, for the honor of the fair maiden, even if it is a trap. Because that's the code you live by.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by ciaran_skye

In addition to the ones in the books I allow Code of Honor (Boy Scout) [-5] in Modern games which is basically being a good Boy Scout. (It's not as silly as it sounds and it doesn't make you naive, either, because to some extent they're a warrior's code.)

I gave [-10] for a CoH that was essentially the Boy Scout Law with the serial numbers filed off in my most recent game, and it probably would've got him killed if he'd stuck to it instead of completely disgracing himself.

"A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent."

[jason taylor]

The Italian Renaissance CoH was sort of a tension between the primeval "heroic" code, the Christian Disciplines of Faith and the Civic law.

For instance if a daughter went wayward one father would make an honor-killing and in another similar case the father would say "Come back to me my daughter". And both would no doubt do it with an extravagant display of self-righteousness.

This tension and similar conflicts creates great opportunities for roleplaying. It can be simulated by giving a character CoH, Disciplines of Faith, and Honesty and then bringing a situation where they conflict. Presumably a devious and malicious GM can find a way.