[Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Vow

[johndallman]

Vow [-5, -10 or -15] is a mundane self-imposed mental disadvantage. You have sworn to do, or not do, something and you take it seriously, in spite of the inconvenience it imposes on you. This disadvantage appeared at GURPS 3e.

Vows have to be lasting to be a significant disadvantage. This means they must last at least a year, or have some other terminal condition unlikely to be encountered soon. If a Vow terminates, you need to pay it off, make a new one, or take on some new disadvantage to pay for it. If a Vow could be represented with another disadvantage, such as a Vow of poverty, and reduced Wealth, you only get points for one of the disadvantages, but you do get to chose which one. The Vow may well be easier to rationalise paying off. Vows can also be legitimate disadvantages for Pact limitations on abilities.

Minor vows [-5] are things like chastity, the Hippocratic oath, obedience, poverty, or vegetarianism: things that are fairly normal signs of commitment to an order, profession or religion. Major vows [‑10] are life-defining: the full vows of cloistered monks or nuns, always sleeping outdoors, or relying entirely on charity. Great vows [‑15] may well get you killed: aid everyone who asks for help, challenge every knight you meet, or never wear head armour. Trivial vows, such as never drinking alcohol, or tithing 10% of your income, are quirks. Compulsive Vowing is a Compulsive Behaviour disadvantage where any commitment become a Vow, even if it is trivial. Monster Hunters 1 has advice on Vows that are harder for enemies to exploit.

Vow is a common disadvantage option on published character templates. Examples include:

Minor: “Defend the downtrodden”, “Never back down from a formal duel”, “Only fight with guns”, “Never use black magic”, “Marry a specific person”, “Ninja secrecy”, “Restore my royal position”, “Stop people using puns”, “Always publish the truth”, “Never sleep in the same place for more than a week”, “Never refuse a request for training”, “Always tell the truth”, and “Vegan”.

Major: “Be worthy of one’s ancestors”, “Never refuse a challenge to combat”, “Avoid harm to sentient creatures”, “Use force only to defend”, “Place the will of my deity above my own needs”, “Never fight with guns”, “Hunt at least once every two days, don’t return without a kill”, “Never kill a human”, “Never obstruct the course of love or fertility”, “Refrain from using magic”, “Never use magic items”, “Always wear a mask, never give your name”, “Refuse no request for medical aid”, “Always complete the mission”, “Use only muscle-powered attacks”, “Own no more than my horse can carry”, “Never give up a trail”, and “Never use edged weapons”.

Great: “Never wear armour”, “Always fight unarmed”, “Do only good”, “Keep to the letter of my promises”, and “Live in woodlands for at least six months a year”.

The only Vow I remember using in GURPS is on a current Monster Hunters character: “Never kill a human.” This caused a certain amount of agonising before a confrontation with a semi-rogue witch, but she was prepared to be reasonable, and we suggested tactics for her objective of “Attract the MIBs” that didn’t involve so much risk of killing people. How have Vows played in your games?

[WingedKagouti]

It is worth noting that the value of a vow should always be in relation to the setting.

"Never wear armor" is probably not a Great Vow in a Supers campaign and "Only fight with guns" might be a Major Vow in a Fantasy campaign where guns and bullets/gunpowder are rare.

[RogerBW]

In an ideal world I'd like to see this built as a modifier to a full-on disadvantage. So Vow (never used edged weapons) would be based on "cannot use edged weapons", but not quite as valuable because you can break the vow, you just don't want to. But that's probably more complicated than it really deserves; like John I haven't seen this come up much.

I've seen Vows of "avenge father's death", poverty, and "look after the troops" (which should probably be a Sense of Duty (Subordinates)).

[Anders]

Vows are a great way to flesh out a character or an organization. I also use them for racial beliefs - for instance, the elves of Athas refuse to ride animals, which is a -5 point vow.

[Michael Cule]

In settings where Divine Intervention is real, I've used Vows as inducements for the god to pay attention.

"I'll sacrifice a bull to you!"

"I'll go on pilgrammage!"

"I'll become a nun!"

It's easy to get people to volunteer for stuff when they're dangling by their fingernails over a volcano....

[Phil Masters]

I’m feeling that Vow is a fully disadvantageous disad just now, because my Monster Hunters techie (in Roger’s game) has just walked into a neighbourhood full of brainwashed killers controlled by a powerful witch, armed only with a squirt gun, three Gizmos, and his shaky confidence in his teammates (who, to be fair, went in first).

He promised his grandmother that he’d never kill a human being. His grandmother was not a lady he ever wanted to break a promise to, even after her death. But right now, well, he kind of wishes we were still fighting vampires or velociraptors.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Minor vows [-5] are things like [ . . . ] vegetarianism [ . . . ].

Vow is a common disadvantage option on published character templates. Examples include:

Minor: [ . . . ] and “Vegan”.

Is the veganism a canonical Vow example from somewhere? Because it seems so much more of a hassle, seemingly deserving a bump to the Major category.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Vow [-5, -10 or -15] is a mundane self-imposed mental disadvantage. You have sworn to do, or not do, something and you take it seriously, in spite of the inconvenience it imposes on you. This disadvantage appeared at GURPS 3e.

Vows have to be lasting to be a significant disadvantage. This means they must last at least a year, or have some other terminal condition unlikely to be encountered soon. If a Vow terminates, you need to pay it off, make a new one, or take on some new disadvantage to pay for it. If a Vow could be represented with another disadvantage, such as a Vow of poverty, and reduced Wealth, you only get points for one of the disadvantages, but you do get to chose which one. The Vow may well be easier to rationalise paying off. Vows can also be legitimate disadvantages for Pact limitations on abilities.

Minor vows [-5] are things like chastity, the Hippocratic oath, obedience, poverty, or vegetarianism: things that are fairly normal signs of commitment to an order, profession or religion. Major vows [‑10] are life-defining: the full vows of cloistered monks or nuns, always sleeping outdoors, or relying entirely on charity. Great vows [‑15] may well get you killed: aid everyone who asks for help, challenge every knight you meet, or never wear head armour. Trivial vows, such as never drinking alcohol, or tithing 10% of your income, are quirks. Compulsive Vowing is a Compulsive Behaviour disadvantage where any commitment become a Vow, even if it is trivial. Monster Hunters 1 has advice on Vows that are harder for enemies to exploit.

Vow is a common disadvantage option on published character templates. Examples include:

Minor: “Defend the downtrodden”, “Never back down from a formal duel”, “Only fight with guns”, “Never use black magic”, “Marry a specific person”, “Ninja secrecy”, “Restore my royal position”, “Stop people using puns”, “Always publish the truth”, “Never sleep in the same place for more than a week”, “Never refuse a request for training”, “Always tell the truth”, and “Vegan”.

Major: “Be worthy of one’s ancestors”, “Never refuse a challenge to combat”, “Avoid harm to sentient creatures”, “Use force only to defend”, “Place the will of my deity above my own needs”, “Never fight with guns”, “Hunt at least once every two days, don’t return without a kill”, “Never kill a human”, “Never obstruct the course of love or fertility”, “Refrain from using magic”, “Never use magic items”, “Always wear a mask, never give your name”, “Refuse no request for medical aid”, “Always complete the mission”, “Use only muscle-powered attacks”, “Own no more than my horse can carry”, “Never give up a trail”, and “Never use edged weapons”.

Great: “Never wear armour”, “Always fight unarmed”, “Do only good”, “Keep to the letter of my promises”, and “Live in woodlands for at least six months a year”.

The only Vow I remember using in GURPS is on a current Monster Hunters character: “Never kill a human.” This caused a certain amount of agonising before a confrontation with a semi-rogue witch, but she was prepared to be reasonable, and we suggested tactics for her objective of “Attract the MIBs” that didn’t involve so much risk of killing people. How have Vows played in your games?

Marry a specific person is impertinent. They might not be willing and rape is a greater crime than being foresworn. But keep marriage vows is legitimate. As is court a specific person and try to convince them to marry you.

Restore my royal position is highly strenuous one both for yourself and your followers. But if you are Haile Selassie you might succeed.

Avoid harm to sentient creatures is just being a decent person. A Vow would be never do harm to sentient creatures.

Hunt every one or two days is interesting. It would be good with a cultural tie-in.

Never refuse a request for medical aid is interesting. Remember when Simon stopped to rescue that patient. That was not a specific request but kind of like that (in retrospect it kept his cover up).

[Anders]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Marry a specific person is impertinent. They might not be willing and rape is a greater crime than being foresworn.

Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?
Was ever woman in this humour won?
I'll have her; but I will not keep her long.

[ericthered]

I GM's a Monster Hunters Crusader with "Never Use a Gun". Given that he was built around using a sword, the disadvantage wasn't crippling, but it did mean he was fond of closing to melee range, which was just fine.


I've built an Android Template with "Never Turn against my Masters", for an android who was "Liberated" from his creators by the good guys but still has some safeguards attached.



Iotha from Iconic Characters has "Keeps Word Once Given" [-10]


The Vampire from Iconic Characters has "Never let vampirism cloud judgement" [-1]