Vow (Action)

Heroic Action Role-Play

This is a Method for using Powers in Action. Methods are a part of Traditions and define how Powers are used in each campaign.

Vow

You have taken an oath, and your power only works while you maintain this oath. Stricter vows are likely to interfere much more with your power, but also to grant many more opportunities to focus.

• Vow against killing
• Vow against violence
• Vow of abstinence (from drugs, eating meat, or similar)
• Vow of celibacy
• Vow of fasting
• Vow of forthrightness (no sneaking, approach problems head on)
• Vow of poverty (entrust your upkeep to others, handle no valuables)
• Vow of silence
• Vow of truth (no lying or deliberate deception; silence is acceptable)

You can stand by and watch others breaking the vow with no consequences for you, but in this case you cannot use your adherence to the vow to focus (see below) unless there was some personal stake or advantage you gave up.

Limitation

You must not have broken your vow recently to practice power. Willfully breaking the vow negates your power for a session, or longer for plot reasons. Breaking it because of coercion or necessity (and this might be frequent in case of such things as fasting) means you cannot use your powers for a scene.

Focus Condition

Focus

When your vow makes you behave in a way that is irrational or causes a loss in the long or short term, you can focus. This applies even if just one of these three conditions are met; taking a short-term disadvantage might well work out to a long-term advantage, but it still allows you to focus.