Conan-the-Librarian
Mongoose
In most people's games, to you see Codes of Honor being adopted pretty frequently by the PCs? Do you often have encounters with NPCs (or even "villains") who have Codes of Honor?
How difficult (or not) is it to form a group/party where there is a mix of people; some of whom have Barbaric Codes, some of whom have Civilized Codes and some of whom don't have any Code?
Do you ever run into issues when a PCs who follows a Code does something (or refrains from doing something) "by the code" but then one of his/her comrades ends up acting in such a way that "violates" the code (because the comrade either doesn't have a code or follows another code)?
Are there "restrictions" regarding whom one may adventure with based on Codes of Honor (perhaps not quite as strict as say the D&D's Paladin who can't knowingly travel with Evil characters)?
Example: Uthgard the Aesir Barbarian (with the Barbaric Code of Honor) is fighting a Hyrkanian Nomad Chief (who has behaved honorably up to this point) in single combat. Uthgard gets the upper hand and the Chief acknowledges that he is beaten and (as per the wording in the Code): "throws himself on the character's mercy". By his Code, Uthgard is not supposed to slay the Chief.
However, Antonio the Zingaran Pirate (who follows no Code of Honor) feels no such restriction to his actions and he feels the group will be better off with the Chief dead. Thus as soon as Uthgard grants clemency to the Chief and backs off... Antonio strikes from behind and Coup de Graces the Chief (or Sneak Attacks or whatever).
Now the question is... how should Uthgard react/respond? Can Uthgard shrug this off since Antonio is a "comrade-in-arms" (albeit a potentially dishonorable one... though perhaps Antonio has always acted honorably towards Uthgard)?
How difficult (or not) is it to form a group/party where there is a mix of people; some of whom have Barbaric Codes, some of whom have Civilized Codes and some of whom don't have any Code?
Do you ever run into issues when a PCs who follows a Code does something (or refrains from doing something) "by the code" but then one of his/her comrades ends up acting in such a way that "violates" the code (because the comrade either doesn't have a code or follows another code)?
Are there "restrictions" regarding whom one may adventure with based on Codes of Honor (perhaps not quite as strict as say the D&D's Paladin who can't knowingly travel with Evil characters)?
Example: Uthgard the Aesir Barbarian (with the Barbaric Code of Honor) is fighting a Hyrkanian Nomad Chief (who has behaved honorably up to this point) in single combat. Uthgard gets the upper hand and the Chief acknowledges that he is beaten and (as per the wording in the Code): "throws himself on the character's mercy". By his Code, Uthgard is not supposed to slay the Chief.
However, Antonio the Zingaran Pirate (who follows no Code of Honor) feels no such restriction to his actions and he feels the group will be better off with the Chief dead. Thus as soon as Uthgard grants clemency to the Chief and backs off... Antonio strikes from behind and Coup de Graces the Chief (or Sneak Attacks or whatever).
Now the question is... how should Uthgard react/respond? Can Uthgard shrug this off since Antonio is a "comrade-in-arms" (albeit a potentially dishonorable one... though perhaps Antonio has always acted honorably towards Uthgard)?