OATHS (part 1)

The following (optional) rules introduce a simple game mechanic for the Age of Shadow RPG that will allow GMs to add meaningful oaths (with in-game advantages and drawbacks) into their adventures and campaigns. However, before any character is allowed to take an oath, the GM will usually insist that their be an actual in-game (role-playing) reason for a character to do so.

For example, if we assume that a character has witnessed several atrocities performed by the servants of the enemy, then that character might well decide to swear an oath to hunt down and slay beastlings wherever he/she finds them.

Taking an Oath

When a character takes an oath he/she gains the option of trading improvement points and/or fate points for oath points (note that this may be done when the oath is actually sworn, or any time thereafter - assuming that the oath has not been fulfilled). Each improvement/fate point is traded on a one for one basis (so trading 2 improvement points and 1 fate point gives the player a pool of 3 oath points), though no character may accumulate more than 3 oath points for a particular oath at any one time.

Note that in most cases improvement/fate points should be converted into oath points well in advance of them being used as such (usually at the beginning of a game session), and that a character with a store of fate points, for example, cannot spontaneously convert them into oath points at a moments notice.

next up ... Using Oath Points

Copyright © Kristian Richards 2012