Day 9 of my Adventure Calendar. For 24 days, up until Christmas, I plan to release a lil bit of RPG content. Want to join as well? Join the jam!
Image: Honor by Dominik Mayer
The following is by no means unique or never seen before; it’s an adaption of rules I’ve seen floating around a lot. I think it’d work well with the Duel Challenge rules from yesterday, too!
Vibe Check
First up: this system is a bit meta. To use honor like this, implies that there’s some form of universal karma – not everyone knows exactly what you did, but you just radiate certain vibes that people can pick up on. Saving that trapped deer in the wilderness was selfless and honorable, but there’s no logical reason the local innkeeper would know about it. If a hireling screams on the way down after being kicked down a cliff by you and no one is around to hear it, did it really happen?
Yes. With this system, there’s a universal vibe check that people pick up on.
The Honor Roll
The core rule is simply this:
Honor
You can invoke your honor.
When vowing to keep your word, act selflessly, minimize collateral damage, and treat people fairly, roll below your current Honor score.
When vowing to salt the earth, threaten, and unleash your wrath, roll above your current Honor score.
Your character vows to share any treasure they find in the sunken ship, if the local fisherman shares its location. They have to roll below their current Honor score to succeed.
Your character vows to hunt down and kill anyone who dares touch as much as a hair on the head of their companion. They have to roll above their current Honor score to convince the bandits that they are sincere.
In a oneshot I ran a while back, Honor was a score between 1-20, and the roll was made with a D20. Certain actions taken within the game world would lower or raise the score by 1, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8 etc. These stakes were always made clear to the player before an action was taken.
In a larger campaign setting, I would consider making it a 1-100 score with a d100 roll, for more granularity.
The Survey
When I used Honor in that oneshot, it was to flavor the character that was being played. At the beginning of the session, our main character sat down in meditation, reflecting on his life. I basically gave the player a survey, a choose-your-own-backstory kind of deal that defined the character as we went:
Meditation
You sit down for your morning meditation. You recall your life, as you’ve often done. You go back to your childhood.
Your parents…
- Were low class, scraping to get by (7 honor)
- Were hard-working, simple farmers (10 honor)
- Were respected and well-liked, playing a central role in the small community you came (13 honor)
Your childhood…
- Was filled with minor crimes and misdemeanors (-1 honor)
- Was playful and fun, but sometimes lonely (no modifier)
- Was filled with friends and brotherhood (+1 honor)
You set out to wander the land as soon as you came of age, with only your blade at your side. Your motivation was to…
- To find easy money and a carefree life (-2 honor)
- To survive and hone your skills (no modifier)
- To protect those who couldn’t protect themselves (+2 honor)
During your travels, you faced bandits threatening a helpless village, you…
- Took advantage of the situation, negotiating a cut of the bandit’s loot for yourself (-3 honor)
- Fought the bandit only when you realized you couldn’t avoid conflict (no modifier)
- Stepped in without hesitation, protecting the village at your own risk (+3 honor)
Upon receiving news of your parents’ passing, you…
- Didn’t bother to return, continuing your wandering lifestyle (-2 honor)
- Took time to mourn but stayed on your path (no modifier)
- Returned home, taking care of their rites and belongings, and honoring their memory (+2 honor)
When you were offered a position by an infamous warlord who promised wealth and comfort, you…
- Accepted his offer without a second thought (-3 honor)
- Considered the offer but ultimately chose your freedom (no modifier)
- Outright refused, unwilling to serve a dishonorable leader (+3 honor)
In your later years, you’ve gained some reputation. When young, aspiring swordsmen seek your guidance, you…
- Exploit their admiration for personal gain (-2 honor)
- Accept their admiration but offer little guidance (no modifier)
- Take time to teach them, passing on your wisdom and skills (+2 honor)
You are not necessarily famous, but those who know you…
- Whisper about the corpses you’ve left in your wake to get where you are today (-3 honor)
- Speak of you as somewhat of a force of nature, unpredictable, coming and going as you see fit
- Carry a certain admiration for your sense of right and wrong (+3 honor)
