To be clear about what I mean, I'm not talking about what we tend to think of as personal honor, ie, a code of ethics, but rather something more like a reputation based society, one in which one is mostly concerned about not "losing face" as opposed to "being right" or being "good". Societies in which insulting someone is cause for a duel, or where people go to great lengths to have a good name or family name. In Norse epics, people would hunt down and kill enemies for calling them names, and in Japan, Samurai would commit suicide over loss of face. This kind of thing...
APM: Thank you for noting the difference between a code of ethics and a code of honor. Have you read "Honor: A History"? The author describes how the West has entirely lost the concept of honor. To the point where we have to explain what we mean in a way that Achilles or Beowulf never would have
In any event, to address your questions/ideas. Throughout the design of ACKS we kept flirting with the idea of a separate Honor System, similar to that presented by David Cook in Oriental Adventures. Honor would modify henchmen loyalty, number of followers, level at which you get followers, and so on.
Ultimately, we did not include the system, for several reasons. First, we already had several game mechanics affecting those areas: class, level, proficiencies, and Charisma. Second, it would have required hard-coding a certain view of honor that made the game less flexible (e.g. Bushido, Chivalry, Stoic, etc). Third, it seemed to clash with the implicit assumption in the game that your honor improved with your classes.
If you are interested, here are the rules we developed, but did not adopt:
Reputation
Each time an adventurer advances in level, he earns a reputation based on his deeds. To keep track of his adventurer’s reputation, the player should record the following information:
· The adventurer’s most impressive exploit during the preceding level
· The adventurer’s alignment when he gained his level
· The location where the adventurer gained his level (usually the settlement where he returned with treasure and trophies). This is the source of the adventurer’s reputation.
The adventurer will be well-known for his exploits in a local region around the source, and will be somewhat known throughout regions neighboring the local region. The Regional Reputation Table shows the extent to which an adventurer’s reputation will extend. For instance, a 3rd level fighter who saved a village from goblins will be well known as a “goblin-slayer” throughout the village, and somewhat known throughout the neighboring barony.
Regional Reputation Table |
Class Level |
Well Known Throughout |
Somewhat Known Throughout |
1st |
Own household |
- |
2nd |
Local manor or hamlet |
Neighboring small barony or large village |
3rd |
Local tiny barony or village |
Neighboring barony or large village |
4th |
Local small barony or large village |
Neighboring march or town |
5th |
Local barony or large village |
Neighboring county |
6th |
Local march or town |
Neighboring large county |
7th |
Local county |
Neighboring small duchy or big city |
8th |
Local large county |
Neighboring duchy |
9th |
Local small duchy or big city |
Neighboring province or principality |
10th |
Local duchy |
Neighboring small kingdom or large province |
11th |
Local province or principality |
Neighboring kingdom |
12th |
Local small kingdom or large province |
Entire continent |
13th |
Local kingdom |
Entire known world |
14th |
Entire continent |
Neighboring worlds |
When an adventurer reaches 4th level his expanding reputation begins to affect his reaction rolls in regions where he is well known. Well-known lawful adventurers gain a +1 bonus to their reaction rolls with lawful and neutral creatures, but a -1 penalty with chaotic creatures. Well-known chaotic adventurers gain a +1 bonus with chaotic creatures, but a -1 penalty with lawful and neutral creatures. Neutral adventurers gain a +1 bonus to their reaction rolls in non-hostile circumstances (such as approaching under a flag of truce) and a -1 penalty in hostile circumstances (e.g. smashing in a dungeon door).
When an adventurer reaches 9th level, the effect of his reputation increases again. Where he is well-known, he now has a +2/-2 modifier to reaction rolls. NPC allies gain a +1 bonus to morale rolls, while NPC opponents suffer a -1 penalty to morale rolls. In regions where he is only somewhat known, he exerts a +1/-1 modifier to reaction rolls.
At 14th level, the adventurer’s reputation is such that he has a +3/-3 modifier to reaction rolls and +2/-2 modifier to morale rolls where he is well-known. In regions where he is only somewhat known, he exerts a +2/-2 modifier to reaction rolls and a +1/-1 modifier on morale rolls.
These effects are summarized on the Effects of Reputation Table.
Effects of Reputation Table |
Class Level |
If Well Known |
If Somewhat Known |
1st |
- |
- |
2nd |
- |
- |
3rd |
- |
- |
4th |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
- |
5th |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
- |
6th |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
- |
7th |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
- |
8th |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
- |
9th |
+2/-2 reaction roll modifier, +1/-1 morale modifier |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
10th |
+2/-2 reaction roll modifier, +1/-1 morale modifier |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
11th |
+2/-2 reaction roll modifier, +1/-1 morale modifier |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
12th |
+2/-2 reaction roll modifier, +1/-1 morale modifier |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
13th |
+2/-2 reaction roll modifier, +1/-1 morale modifier |
+1/-1 reaction roll modifier |
14th |
+3/-3 reaction roll modifier, +2/-2 morale modifier |
+2/-2 reaction roll modifier, +1/-1 morale modifier |
EXAMPLE: Marcus, a Lawful fighter, earns his 4th level when he returns to a local Jutland baron’s castle with the head of minotaur. Throughout the barony he becomes known as the Bull-slayer. In this region he is well-known, and has a +1 to reaction rolls with Lawful and Neutral NPCs, but -1 to reaction rolls with Chaotic NPCs. When he travels to a neighboring barony he is somewhat known, and not known at all in a distant kingdom. Years later, Marcus earns his 13th level of experience when he slays the great dragon Aisoth and returns with its treasure to the city of Arganos. He is now known throughout the entire kingdom of Southern Argollë, where he has +2 to reaction rolls with Lawful and Neutral NPCs and -2 with Chaotic NPCs. He is so famous that he is somewhat known worldwide, where he gains +1 to reaction rolls with Lawfuls and Neutrals and -1 with Chaotics.
Conflicting Reputations
If an adventurer travels extensively and changes his alignment during his career, it’s possible he might have conflicting reputations in different regions. Whenever conflicting reputations overlap in the same regions, apply the reputation earned at a higher level. But if the conflicting reputations do not overlap, apply the reputation of the region the adventurer is actually in.
EXAMPLE: Myalgar was a Lawful mage when he adventured in his home barony in Southern Argollë. He reached 5th level, so he is known and beloved by the peasants there and feared by the monsters (+1/-1). Thereafter, Myalgar traveled to distant Kemesh, where he became corrupted by its black magic. At 8th level, the now Chaotic Myalgar is well-known in his county of Kemesh as a sinister sorcerer. When he returns to his home region in Southern Argollë, the residents are unaware of his sinister reputation in Kemesh, and still interact with him on the basis of his reputation there, as a Lawful 5th level mage. Had Myalgar reached 12th level in Kemesh, he would be somewhat known throughout the entire continent, so this would override his earlier reputation. The peasants would tremble in fear at the horror their benefactor had become.
Staying Anonymous
Not every character wishes to have a reputation. Assassins or thieves, for instance, may wish to stay out of the limelight, as might chaotic characters who want to be able to move safely in lawful lands. Other times adventurers may wish to develop a reputation, but fail to do so. Whether or not a character develops a reputation or remains an unknown must be determined by the GM based on the total circumstances of the adventurer’s exploits. The following five questions should be asked:
· Does the adventurer have a notable appearance, weapon, banner, or symbol?
· Has the adventurer been seen in the company of other adventurers who do have a reputation?
· Have NPCs witnessed the adventurer performing noteworthy deeds?
· Have other PCs told tales of the adventurer’s deeds?
· Has the adventurer publically deposited, spent, donated, or squandered a significant amount of gold relative to his level?
If no more than two of these questions are answered affirmatively, the adventurer has stayed anonymous. But if at least three of these questions are answered in the affirmative, then the adventurer should gain a reputation.
EXAMPLE: Viktir, a Neutral thief, has just earned his 4th level of experience after raiding the dreaded Death Crypt. He wants to avoid gaining a reputation. He dresses plainly and avoids extravagance and has buried his treasure outside of town. Unfortunately, the NPC mage who hired the party knows they succeeded, so there is a witness. And Viktir has been seen in the company of his party members, who are wandering town letting jewels splash like coppers and bragging about their “unstoppable burglar.” Despite his efforts to lie low, Viktir gains a reputation.