Honour, decency, valour, chivalry, upholding oaths, fulfilling vows. These are things we sell cheaply in modern society. Swearing an oath and behaving honourably used to mean something. Today we're too cynical to really believe that someone will really keep their word when the chips are down.

A roleplaying game gives us the chance to live lives of honour, and to interact in a world where your word is your bond, and people can really believe it. Playing this up can be a fun and fascinating part of a campaign. It's interesting to play characters who really do behave in this way. To interact with characters who say, "By my troth, it shall be done," and know that it will be done or they'll die trying.

Insert someone like this in your next game, or play someone like this, at least once. It should make a nice change from the more common sort of chaotic greedy PCs.

Transcript

Count Dookû: Well, it looks lahk mah lasair sword skills 'ave not suffered from ze years.
Count Dookû: Whah did Ah bother with diplomacy? Ah should zhust go capture Palpatine and force 'is testimony.
{Yoda arrives}
Yoda: Count Dookû.
Count Dookû: So, Master Yoda. Two down and one to go.
Padmé: {in the desert} Three to go! As soon as R2 picks me up and we get there!
R2-D2: {in droid factory factory} Yeah, working on it...
Yoda: The baddie never wins. Under arrest, you are!
Count Dookû: For what? Self defence? Your Zhedi attacked moi.
Yoda: I don't want to kill you. Settle this with a Force Arm-Wrestle we will!
Count Dookû: A... what?
Yoda: Whoever lifts the biggest thing wins!
Count Dookû: Zis is ridiculous. Raise your sword.
Yoda: But this is how honourable Jedi settle things. Are you honourable?
Count Dookû: Ah begin to regret zat Ah am...