On my word - Making and breaking promises, vows and oaths for RPG Blog Carnival

 

I am honored to be hosting this month's RPG blog Carnival. The topic I would like to invite you to explore is that of the making and breaking of promises, vows and oaths in all the ways you can think of. From mundane promises you forgot to keep, to swearing upon g_d that you will save the dragon from the kingdom. From breaking marrital vows of made to a fey you thought it wise to marry, to refusing to uphold your end of the bargain you made with your hirelings. 

Anything you can think of that fits the theme is what I want to read about, but for those who appreciate that kind of thing, here are some questions you can consider answering:

• Is there an inherent power to a promise, oath or vow, like some kind of minor magic? Does it matter if they are made under duress? Does it matter if you unintentionally break one of these? Are they personal or do they get passed down to your kin? Are they part of your inheritance?
  
  
• How do you repair a promise, oath or vow once broken? Is atonement proportionate to the content of the broken promise? Can you still hold a broken promise/oath/vow against someone after they have atoned?
  
  
• What legal status does a promise hold? What if it is made in the presence of a neutral witness? What if it is written down? What if the claimant has a good reputation? When does the party have a sufficiently good reputation to start making (false) claims of broken promises?
  
  
• Do NPCs talk about whether or not the party pays people back wat they owe? Are there any systems you (could) use to track the credit of the party? Is credit NPC bound? location bound? a modifier on a roll? a boolean binary?
  
  
• Are oaths sworn upon dieties especially binding? Do the gods mind when a random mortal starts taking oaths in their name? What kind of punishments do gods bestow upon oathbreakers? Can oathbreakers still benefit from divine magics?
  
  
• Can you break a promise made to the fey? Can a fey break a promise they made to you? How do you get out of a deal made with the fey? And what about demons, do they function the same as the fey?
  
  
• What protections do hirelings have to get what they're promised? Does anyone keep track of that one party who's hirelings never come back alive? Is there a patron saint or minor god for hirelings that they can force you to swear upon?
  
  
• Does any of this affect how people deal with the law? Are testimonies of any importance when it comes to determining guilt? Are demon judges sought after due to the power of their contracts? Are trials only possible on the holydays of the gods to which oaths of truthfullness are sworn to?

I am really looking forward to see what you all come up with.