Codes of Honor Compilation

Compiled by Michael Martin (mcmartin@s277-7.CS.Berkeley.EDU)

[Note: A while ago, there was a long brainstorm thread on some discussion board on the Net (I don't recall exactly which it was; I think it might have been rec.games.frp.gurps, but I'm not sure) about various Codes of Honor besides those presented in the GURPS Basic Set. The end result of that thread was this compilation, which I decided to put among the general RPG articles rather than in the Rare GURPS Items page, since Codes of Honor are also used in many other systems, under different names. -- Incánus]

Clerical Code of Honor (StevenA201)

• Be true to (whichever) faith
• Courageously represent the faith
• Seal of the Confessional -- maintain confidences
• Offend nobody -- unless this conflicts with the above
• Don't ever touch the money

Politician's Code of Honor (StevenA201)

• Vote your conscience
• Take no dirty money
• Fight for your constituents
• Be true to the party -- unless this conflicts with the above

Noblesse Oblige (Geoffrey Brent)

• Never abandon or mistreat a faithful servant/subject, even if it imperils your own life. (And make provisions for them in sickness and retirement, too.)
• Treat all those below you in station with honesty and the appropriate courtesy - this is more important than how you treat those of your own rank.
• If you get a young lady below your station in a family way, see to it that she has enough money to find a good husband.
• Make sure your servants know their duties, and that they carry them out.

Halfling Code of Hospitality & Duty (Little Fish in a Big Pond)

• Treat a guest as an honored family member, to be respected and well-treated. Do not break your house, but offer the finest you can.
• Those who would harm your guest attack you. Defend your guest as yourself.
• Any man in your house is a guest unless he has rejected your hospitality or broken oath with you. If you can not treat a man as a guest, do not allow him under your roof. Once you have allowed a man in, he is your guest for ten days or until he leaves or breaks oath.
• Your door should be open to all but known enemies and criminals... and an exception can be made even then, if you wish it and your guest can be trusted.
• Greet strangers as old friends, and old friends as if for the first time. Caution may be required, but you need not act like a wary peddler.
• Helping a friend who has need will return its bounty in time. Helping a stranger who has need will return its bounty twice. Share a poor meal now and you may feast later.
• Greet even an enemy with a smile or friendly jest. He may be unable to remain your enemy.

Librarian's Code Of Honor (Xiphias Gladius)

• Fight censorship in all forms, including not allowing children to have "adult materials". (Less restrictive variant -- allow parents to restrict the information their own children recieve)
• Teach everyone the skills to find information.
• Help people find information.
• Protect knowledge.
• Fight to allow all points of view a fair hearing in the marketplace of ideas.

The Evil Librarian's Code of Honour (Geoffrey Brent)

• Knowledge is valuable and costs much to obtain. Therefore, do not hand it out casually to every passer-by.
• Books are the repository of knowledge. They are fragile and easily defiled. Use all your wiles to protect them from circumstances that might damage them, e.g. being opened.
• Fight to allow no points of view any sort of hearing whatsoever, unless it be in the most hushed of whispers.

The Unseen University Librarian's Code of Honour (Phillip Ames)

• Books of Magic are dangerous. Use all your wiles to protect them from circumstances that might allow them to grow extra pages, e. g. being opened.
• Take Banana breaks religiously.
• Express your point of view extensively (even with your limited vocabulary), but if anyone presents the erroneous view of which family of primate you happen to belong to, hammer them into the ground.

Scientist's Code of Honor (StephenA201)

• Whoever does the research, gets the credit
• Report the data honestly, even if it trashes your pet theory
• Treat rivals with due respect, even if they are fools
• Work hard to educate your students, and make sure they pass/graduate/get the degree or grant or whatever
• No sexual harassment of students or other underlings

Mad Scientist's Code of Honor (many people):

• Every slight must be revenged, perferably with an intricate and technical plot that takes years to complete
• Never kill an enemy before toying with him and revealing your fiendish plot
• If at all possible, this plot should reflect the slight in some way (poetic justice in action.)
• When you do kill an enemy, it must be with your latest invention, no matter how inappropriate this is.
• Never kill a henchman, except to make a point
• On the other hand, experimenting on henchmen is not only permitted but encouraged.
• All lab equipment and discoveries must be clearly labelled, with documentation available. Any important data files must be no more than 1.44 megabytes in size. (Thank you, Evil Overlord guide.)
• All lab equipment, even electronic pieces like filters and amplifiers, must be equipped with a self-destruct mechanism. That will be triggered by earthquake, fire, an explosion, the destruction of your most important piece of laboratory equipment, or other suitable means.