Humakti Oath - 5 Generations

From: Tarry Higgins <taz_at_cix.compulink.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 97 01:08 GMT0

> The PCs are survivors of a devastating raid on their village. On looking for
> other survivors they find the Humakti Weaponsthane who has been hanging on for
> this oportunity. With the characters nearby he demands that they swear that
> they will deal vengence to the perpetrators unto the fifth generation.
>
> He successfully DIs and make this into an Oath that affects all present.

No way would characters in any campaign I've ever been involved in swear an oath like that, it's just far too draconian. It's an oath of massacre of hundreds, it's almost an oath of genocide.

I think that it's _way_ over the top, and if you mean that I would be included in such an oath _against_ my will, then that Humakti is a dead man. The only way that this could be acceptable is if the whole of the referee's campaign is organised around this. Otherwise it's going to be something that is a continual goad to a character.

I also have a problem with Oath as a spell, I think that it's crap as written. Now if Oath would empower you in some way while you were directly acting to follow the oath, then that _would_ be worthwhile. Like you get 10% added onto a skill (all skills? Once a melee round?) while directly following the oath.

Or better still, some function of the Magic Points put into the oath, something like a tenth of the magic points being available as a skill bonus assignable as the player wishes from melee round to melee round. Clearly it's up to the referee to stipulate when this would be available.

 The Taz! ....

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