Vows as Social Standing and Social Structure
May RPG Blog Carnival:
https://tabletopcuriositycabinet.blogspot.com/2025/05/on-my-word-making-and-breaking-promises.html
As I said
As I said in this post https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/spaceship-debt-in-dragon-barony I want adventurers to be a part of the world and social structure. And since my current Sword of Don setting is inspired by Ironsworn your reputation and relations with factions are basically your social class. And in such premodern world there are no documents, no institutions that spread on large areas.
I don't use 'charisma' or 'presence' or any stat to mark ones influence, it is based on reaction roll and relationships with factions. There is a social standing though. Sometimes. It is the thing you mark, a bond, where you identify your relationship with local power structures. Usually in a form of a vow to serve, protect or work for someone. Are you connected in a way to the local ruler (and by extension you are a part of local 'nobility')? Or are you vow to serve the town as a whole? Maybe you are the local ruler and your vow is to protect and govern a community or land? If you are a group of traveling adventurers do your social vows allow it or are you in fact a group of oathbreakers, outcasts, people without a home? Basically outlaws.
This is the way of premodern time. Vows you make to powerful people make you powerful. If you are a subject of a powerful queen your enemies would probably prefer to kidnap you and ask queen for ransom than kill you outright. But at the same time you owe said queen your service. Do you fight enemies under her banner? Do you travel and praise her reign wherever you go? Or do you simply pay her tax regularly and wear her insignia?
Death Taxes and Estates
As is said in this post https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/2017/06/osr-death-taxes-and-death-taxes.html in medieval Europe there were three (four) Estates. First is the Church. We don't do that here. My idea for Sword of Don is that old religions and gods fell and turned evil and alien. There is no organised religion. At best you have several mystical traditions and factions, like Herbal Witches, Scarlet Sages, Bronze Mages and Ash Knights but neither has the power and influence even remotely similar to Catholic Church in Middle Ages. Powerful local mystic traditions might have enough influence to position themselves as alternative noble hierarchy but they don't get separate 'Estate'.
Second Estate is Nobility. Considering local power structure is not necessarily based on singular King/Queen figure it is less strict which is why Vows and Oaths are important. In general, if you are a noble (even if you are, are you really?) figure you need to have a vow to a person higher in hierarchy and another one to your subjects. In general one to your liege is probably that you'd protect the land and them and offer military service in need. Maybe also fixed amount of money and produce instead. I think I'd need some templates. And the vow to your subjects is also one of protection and rulership, sometimes may be also of being judge. If you are at the top of the hierarchy you do not have a vow to your liege. In more democratic community your vow to the subjects becomes also the vow to the sovereign. You follow the law and make the law.
Third Estate are Commoners. It is not that different. You swear a vow to your liege. Maybe it is the town council, specific noble, knight or the community as a whole. You promise to provide the services of your craft - whether it is military service, specific profession, mystical guidance. If you are about to abandon your station you either need to break your vow, negotiate exemption for a time or even change of the vow. It probably depends on a suficient gift, status of relationship, history between vower and vowee XD You don't have these social vows with any subjects. If you have subjects these probably won't vow in the same social standing manner. And if they do maybe you are in the gray area where you somewhat advanced to Nobility? You pay your taxes to your liege and are obligated to follow the law.
Unmarked Estate are Outlaws. Thieves, outcasts, prisoners, brigands, mercenaries, vagabonds. Travelers who don't have proper backing in or out of town. If you are an oathbreaker in your local town and migrate to the other you are an outlaw. If the authority takes interest in you they might want to expel you to avoid conflict with the other community. If you have a solid craft they might want to make you the Commoner. If you are wealthy and travel with servants and soldiers and offer your services to them you might even become a Noble if they trust you enough after some time. In general outlaws don't pay taxes and don't have rights. Even murdering such a person is not going to be punished too heavily, more in terms of ethics than practical reality. Harsh life. No vows no laws.
Where is the magic?
The magic died when the gods fell. When humans broke them. You can make oaths to minor gods and demons and creatures. It will be binding as a spell but the sole judge of such vow will be the entity. If a fickle wilderness deity decides you broke your promise even if you didn't there is no higher instance that will honour this oath.
The only thing magical about a vow is a specific mystic ceremony. When a mystic is present they may bless Forging the Vow with subtle magic that makes both parties remember it. Even after a lifetime away they'll recall it as it was said. Opportunity for being tormented by old promise or other dramatic character stuff.
Oathbreakers and Vowquitters
Since there is no magic in oaths what happens when you break one? Well, in case of magical ones just hope the entity didn't realise it. In case of social ones you are considered oathbreaker even if no one knows. You know why? Because you have honour, because felt or just perceived honour is kind of the thing that keeps such society together. Unless you don't have it but then your oaths are worth nothing and I guess people can feel it? There has to be something.
If you break your vow and people realise it you become a pariah. Even if you keep your Noble or Commoner status you cannot be trusted by these people. Is it perfect time to bail out and skip town? Yea, but there is this outlaw stuff from earlier, you see. Yet every oathbreaker can quest to get their honour back. To repent for their sins, slay the dragon or protect the liege or sacrifice something to the community. I guess it depends on the vow and how it was broken.