Conflicting Disads - Cannot Harm Innocent's and Honesty

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

The texts say:

Cannot Kill"You must do your best to keep your companions from killing"
I read this to include much more than arguing, but to include anything else besides killing your comrades or permanently harming them, like sabotage, holding them back, or violently incapacitating them (all of the above only in cases where it wouldn't risk them or you dying or being permanently harmed at the hands of enemy combatants).

Self-Defense Only"You must do your best to discourage others from starting fights"
I read this as similar to above, except that violent incapacitation is off the table.

Total Nonviolence"You must do your nonviolent best to discourage violent behavior in others"
Closest to "just arguing", but it could include getting in the way, being really intrusive, blocking blows meant for others, and, in the case of violence meant for non-threats (like tied up people about to be tortured) showing a willingness to take damage yourself to prevent others from committing acts of violence.

All of which sounds like much more than a quirk where you annoyingly argue about it (which does sound like a quirk at best). "Do your best" seems more strong than that to me.

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

It should be noted that for the first two it says "must do your best", and only for Total Nonviolence does it say "must do your nonviolent best". Why the distinction if all are assumed to be nonviolent resistance only to friendlies attempting to kill or harm others when they don't have to do so?

I find it hard to take a "Cannot Kill" Pacifist that wouldn't attempt to defend a wounded and now-helpless enemy's life against a friend with Bloodlust's attempts to go for the kill, even if it meant forcibly restraining them or knocking them out / choker-holding them (or at least trying). It's not Vow: Won't kill others oneself, after all, it's a genuine belief in the value of life.

Your interpretation looks about right to me. As I was trying to demonstrate by comparing the limited form of Cannot Kill with Reluctant Killer, the "proselytizing" aspect of the standard version of CK seems to be worth a fairly large fraction of the disadvantage's cost.