Pilgrimage of the Five Oaths

[Jonathan Picklesimer]

I have not yet run anything like this, but would be glad to hear what
happens with your stuff.

As fara as the force that binds folks to the oath, I think that it is
mostly a fear of being pursued across the planet and killed like a mangy
mutt that keeps folks in line.

JSP

On Fri, 12 Jun 1998 Keyplate72@aol.com wrote:

>
> Has any one ran a Khansi campain in which a wizard
> undertook the journey to the Temple of Rilni to swear
> the five oaths?
>
> I'm about to run one in the near future and I would
> appriciate advise and suggestions.
>
> I'm especially interested in unique ideas on the
> rituals and customs of the five oaths, including
> the force? that binds the wizards to the oaths.
>
> Brad S.
>
>
> ************************************************** *************************
> > 'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.
>

[Keyplate72@aol.co]

Has any one ran a Khansi campain in which a wizard
undertook the journey to the Temple of Rilni to swear
the five oaths?

I'm about to run one in the near future and I would
appriciate advise and suggestions.

I'm especially interested in unique ideas on the
rituals and customs of the five oaths, including
the force? that binds the wizards to the oaths.

Brad S.

[Gary V. Foss]

Jonathan Picklesimer wrote:

> > Has any one ran a Khansi campain in which a wizard
> > undertook the journey to the Temple of Rilni to swear
> > the five oaths?
> >
> > I'm about to run one in the near future and I would
> > appriciate advise and suggestions.
> >
> > I'm especially interested in unique ideas on the
> > rituals and customs of the five oaths, including
> > the force? that binds the wizards to the oaths.

> I have not yet run anything like this, but would be glad to hear what
> happens with your stuff.
>
> As fara as the force that binds folks to the oath, I think that it is
> mostly a fear of being pursued across the planet and killed like a mangy
> mutt that keeps folks in line.

Well, it's heavily implied that there is some sort of magic item (relic?)
involved in the initiation. Personally, I'd make a bloodstone-like item from
Deismaar. I mean, casting "true" magic is based upon having a bloodline right?
A relic tied to the power of the gods splattered about at Deismaar could be a
pretty effective tool when it came to taking an oath regarding later use of
magic.

There's precedence for this kind of thing. The Geas spell, for instance, can
force a character "to refrain from some action or course of activity" (PHB 225)
with a pretty open ended duration. The oaths taken by Khinasi mages could just
be a Geas spell or the priests of Rilni's version of it.

Geas is, however, a 6th level spell and there aren't that many 12th level mages
running around to cast it whenever a plucky young mage shows up at the Temple of
Rilni. Dizel Lafirz, the priest-regent of the temple, is 3rd level, so even if
there is a priestly version of Geas (Quest has a different feel, doesn't it?)
it's out of his reach as well.

I'd suggest some sort of magic item that can cast a powerful (no saving throw,
permanent duration) Geas 1/day that enforces the Five Oaths. I'd also suggest a
kind of 6th Oath be that a mage who has taken the Oaths cannot talk about the
magic item that cast the spell as that seems the only way that it could have been
kept so secret all these years. Optionally, the same magic item could also cast
a Forget spell to erase the memory of the Geas being cast.

Maybe this magic item (a stone?) could be something incorporated into the altar
at the main temple building, or something hidden in a specialized room where all
potential practitioners of magic are taken.

Since the oath is taken at the Temple of Rilni, the ritual should probably occur
at night, when the moon is visable. The high priest himself would probably
attend. It's part of his job, right?

Here is a possibility: The young mage stands before the altar at the Temple of
Rilni beneath a large crystal. As the moon rises it shines through one of the
nine windows in the temple wall. The light hits the crystal, focusing the light
upon the youth. He is granted a vision of Rilni, who asks him if he will abide
by each of the Five Oaths. If the young mage refuses any of them, he is struck
down by the power of the god (crystal) instantly. If he accepts, he lives and
gains some minor ability/power to compensate him for abiding by the oaths.
Perhaps he gains a +1 to his saving throws vs. spells, or gets a +5% on his
ability to learn new spells. Something relatively minor, but unique that will
appease the player now that he can't cast Speak with Dead now.

How's that?

- -Gary

[James Ray]

I dont think it's really necessary to give a player even a minor bonus for
taking the Five Oaths. It ought to be enough for the player to know he
wont be hunted down and killed by Wizards and Paladins of Avani. I'm
tellin ya - it would be enough to appease *me* for losing access to
Necromancy, especially considering the status they hold in Khinasi society.
I think it would be more appropriate to give Khinasi Wizards an NPC
reaction bonus, or some other role-playing advantage, since they *are*
supposed to "hold positions of respect and admiration among their people"
in exchange for taking the Oaths of foregoing Necromancy permanently. Then
again, though, its just my own humble opinion.

James
- ----------
> From: Gary V. Foss
> To: birthright@MPGN.COM
> Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Pilgrimage of the Five Oaths
> Date: Saturday, June 13, 1998 7:30 AM
> Here is a possibility: The young mage stands before the altar at the
Temple of
> Rilni beneath a large crystal. As the moon rises it shines through one
of the
> nine windows in the temple wall. The light hits the crystal, focusing
the light
> upon the youth. He is granted a vision of Rilni, who asks him if he will
abide
> by each of the Five Oaths. If the young mage refuses any of them, he is
struck
> down by the power of the god (crystal) instantly. If he accepts, he
lives and
> gains some minor ability/power to compensate him for abiding by the
oaths.
> Perhaps he gains a +1 to his saving throws vs. spells, or gets a +5% on
his
> ability to learn new spells. Something relatively minor, but unique that
will
> appease the player now that he can't cast Speak with Dead now.
>
> How's that?
>
> -Gary
>

[Gary V. Foss]

James Ray wrote:

> I dont think it's really necessary to give a player even a minor bonus for
> taking the Five Oaths. It ought to be enough for the player to know he
> wont be hunted down and killed by Wizards and Paladins of Avani. I'm
> tellin ya - it would be enough to appease *me* for losing access to
> Necromancy, especially considering the status they hold in Khinasi society.
> I think it would be more appropriate to give Khinasi Wizards an NPC
> reaction bonus, or some other role-playing advantage, since they *are*
> supposed to "hold positions of respect and admiration among their people"
> in exchange for taking the Oaths of foregoing Necromancy permanently. Then
> again, though, its just my own humble opinion.

A favorable bonus to reaction rolls works just fine for me. I just thought
there should be SOMETHING to compensate the player for having a character whose
actions must be dictated once in while. The point is that s/he should have
something that demonstrably shows that taking the Five Oaths isn't necessarily
a bad thing.

- -Gary

[James Ray]

Well, then - I agree completely :-) Taking the Oaths is more than Regents
in any other Cerilian land has to do to be deemed "worthy" of their
position, and definately should be rewarded.
- ----------
> A favorable bonus to reaction rolls works just fine for me. I just
thought
> there should be SOMETHING to compensate the player for having a character
whose
> actions must be dictated once in while. The point is that s/he should
have
> something that demonstrably shows that taking the Five Oaths isn't
necessarily
> a bad thing.
>
> -Gary
>
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[Rasmus Juul Wagner]

Keyplate72@aol.com wrote:
>
> Has any one ran a Khansi campain in which a wizard
> undertook the journey to the Temple of Rilni to swear
> the five oaths?

> I'm about to run one in the near future and I would
> appriciate advise and suggestions.

Anything from Dragonlance about the Test might come in handy.

> I'm especially interested in unique ideas on the
> rituals and customs of the five oaths, including
> the force? that binds the wizards to the oaths.

Lots of good replies...I think the idea about respect is the best.
As for the force that binds them...the Assasin Mountain (IIRD) has the
oathbinder genie.

Al-Quadim (along with spelljammer and possibly planescape) is the only
TSR setting that can compete with the quality of BR.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Preemptive Retribution"

Rasmus Juul Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
c958650@student.dtu.dk
www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Stadium/7859
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~