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Old 01-23-2022, 08:14 AM   #11
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
Default Re: Breaking Oath Causes death

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
Or just "Duty (Hazardous)". Duty doesn't specify the consequences of not doing your duty, but there will be consequences.
I would do it this way as well. You know exactly what effect you want; all that matters is that there is a specific point cost to cover it. If you can settle on a cost, you don't need anything more specific written down on your character sheet to "simulate" the oath-breaking death.
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Old 01-23-2022, 08:35 AM   #12
malloyd
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Default Re: Breaking Oath Causes death

Be careful here. There's a temptation to give out a lot of additional points, but you probably shouldn't. Would you give me extra points if I told you my character really means this oath and will never break it? No?

How about if I told you I wanted you as the GM to veto actions violating it? OK maybe that's worth a few, but not a whole lot, and the you can but you die case is actually a slightly weaker version of that.

It's worth whatever the oath is normally worth, with maybe a modest enhancement. And it needs to be an enhancement that modifies the oath cost, not a freestanding disadvantage, "I swear I'll never voluntarily assassinate the Pope with a Chinese made weapon" doesn't suddenly score you vastly points if you tack on "and I'll fall dead immediately afterward if I do". I might well just call it the standard +50% Cosmic, just for simplicity, which since oaths don't go above -20 never amounts to more than -10 further points. If you've got a build that hands out more than that, you're setting a bad precedent somebody could bring up when they decide to build that guy who swears off killing important Church leaders with the QZB-95.
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Old 01-26-2022, 06:08 AM   #13
Opellulo
 
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Default Re: Breaking Oath Causes death

I understand 4 colors comics mentality and superhero logic BUT to me "Help the innocent in need" is something so vague and arbitrary that I would never link it to something so definitive like instant death.

If the robber is forced to crime by a life of inequality or, in a more golden age fashion, by mind control? If this robber is going to kill someone? If this possible victim only appears as an innocent bystander but he is, in secret, a murderer? And so on and on...

Unless this "good highly powerful spirit" is kind of a jerk that enjoys throwing humans in impossible ethical dilemmas I would stay very much away from such situation.

I can't find it right now but there is a Superman web-comic based on the same principle: he punches various "bad guy types" that defend themselves saying that they are only the mere result of the social-economic environment where they were raised. There he solves the dilemma sticking to punching street thugs because it's simpler...

There is also a moral somewhere in the story.
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Last edited by Opellulo; 01-26-2022 at 06:13 AM.
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Old 01-26-2022, 06:43 AM   #14
Anders
 
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Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Default Re: Breaking Oath Causes death

Vow (Cosmic, +100%) [-30]
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Old 01-26-2022, 09:23 PM   #15
naloth
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Default Re: Breaking Oath Causes death

I'd advise using it as part of a pact that allows him to retain powers including Unkillable. That way he can atone if he needs to break this oath or other conditions imposed. Otherwise, you'll be in the "it never comes up" or "you're dead" dilemma
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