Obligations

An obligation is something that must be fulfilled in order for the quest to be considered complete (though not necessarily in order for the quest object to be gained). It is a little like a one-time Key, in that it gives XP when discharged, and indeed can be converted into a Key if circumstances are such that it becomes permanent. In this case, it does not give XP but reduces the cost of buying the key by the amount of XP it would give.

Unlike a Key, however, an obligation:

is temporary in its effect, and
can be removed by fulfilling rather than by breaching it.

You receive XP equal to the value of the obligation by discharging/fulfilling the obligation.

For example, a 1-point obligation is likely to involve a minor diversion from your normal routine or course of action; a 7-point obligation is a small quest in itself (and, indeed, may be treated like a mini-quest, with boons earned in order to discharge it).

An Obligation is created by taking harm in Bringing Down the Pain. The highest harm taken (before the harm “shakes down”) is the level of the obligation.

Examples MORE TO DO:

Obligation of Abstinence You are obliged to refrain temporarily from actions which would normally be legitimate for you because of some special circumstance, such as a vow. There is a discharge condition: “I will not drink wine again until I have in my hands the Cup of Delights to drink it from”. If the obligation were permanent it would be the Key of the Vow.

Obligation of Assistance You must help someone with a task. The amount of help you must give them depends on the level of the obligation. As a rule of thumb, once you have taken damage equal to the obligation’s value, or expended pool points to that value, or increased their victory to that value, you have discharged your obligation.

Obligation of Penance A penance has been imposed upon you for some transgression. You must perform the penance in order to discharge the obligation. This may be an act of charity, a pilgrimage, a fast, a vigil (sitting up praying all night), a devotion such as the rosary, etc. Discharging it typically will take time and/or travel and/or cost points from one or more pools.

Obligation of Protection Someone has placed themselves under your temporary care and protection, either intentionally or through circumstances. Normally it is something like “Escort the lady safely to her relative’s castle”. If the obligation were permanent it would be the Key of the Guardian.

Obligation of Reciprocity This is a fancy term for “You owe me one”. You owe a debt (monetary or, more likely, otherwise) to someone; you must repay it when they call upon you to do so, or as soon as you are able. This may involve a mini-quest.

Obligation of Retrieval You must retrieve an object and return with it to a given point (or hand it over to a given person) in order to discharge the obligation.

Obligation of Return You must return to the location in which you recieved the obligation and deal with the situation as it has developed in your absence. The Tenan for the scene in which you return to the location narrates how the situation has developed.

Obligation of Revenge You must avenge a wrong perpetrated upon someone. Death would be a 5-point obligation, a minor insult a 1-point obligation. If the obligation were permanent it would be the Key of Vengeance.

Obligation of Service You are obliged, probably in some feudal sense, to provide some defined form of service to another person when called upon to do so. You are only obliged to perform the service once; if the obligation were permanent it would be the Key of Fealty.

These are notes for a work in progress. Don’t expect everything to be consistent or make sense.