The Hippocratic Oath (and the various versions and translations thereof) is one of the most well-known and widely-sworn oaths in the modern world. Everybody knows that the first clause of the Oath is "First do no harm". Would a changeling who has taken the Hippocratic Oath be bound by that oath in a literal sense, finding him- or herself unable to inflict any kind of damage on enemy combatants without punishment from the Wyrd? Would a fae doctor (or for that matter, an ensorcelled mortal) be required by their Oath to care for combatants on both sides in every violent conflict? Does the Hippocratic Oath apply to fetches, hobgoblins, Huntsmen, and True Fae? What about undead supernaturals like vampires and Prometheans?
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Oneirophysics, Chirurgeons, and the Hippocratic Oath
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Oneirophysics, Chirurgeons, and the Hippocratic Oath
Last edited by Super_Dave; 11-16-2020, 12:06 PM.
Author of Motor City Breakdown, [New Seeming] Mechanicals, and [Entitlement] Divers of the Cerulean Pearl
Co-Author & Accuracy Consultant for Ashes of the Motor City
Major Contributor to Tenebrous SeasTags: None
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Not unless they meant it, mystically speaking. Just swearing an oath isn't the same thing as Swearing An Oath, and pledgecraft only compels behavior through incentive and disincentive. A specific changeling might develop frailties that further push them to follow the tenets of the Hippocratic Oath, as seen by some examples in 1e, and it would probably constitute a minor Clarity breaking point to violate the Oath, but unless you've invested a statement with faerie word-binding of some degree, just being fae and making a promise doesn't substantially affect you when you break it.
Resident Lore-Hound
Currently Consuming: Hunter: the Vigil 1e
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Perhaps worth noting that "I will do no harm" shows up in neither version of the Oath in your link. It is also worth noting that there are many versions of the Oath, and that Physicians are not actually required to swear it. There are far more complete and regularly-updated ethical codes they follow these days, which are generally legally binding.
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Originally posted by Satchel View PostJust swearing an oath isn't the same thing as Swearing An Oath, and pledgecraft only compels behavior through incentive and disincentive.
Originally posted by Satchel View PostA specific changeling might develop frailties that further push them to follow the tenets of the Hippocratic Oath
Originally posted by Satchel View Postit would probably constitute a minor Clarity breaking point to violate the Oath,
Originally posted by Maina View PostPerhaps worth noting that "I will do no harm" shows up in neither version of the Oath in your link.
Originally posted by Maina View PostIt is also worth noting that there are many versions of the Oath, and that Physicians are not actually required to swear it. There are far more complete and regularly-updated ethical codes they follow these days, which are generally legally binding.
Author of Motor City Breakdown, [New Seeming] Mechanicals, and [Entitlement] Divers of the Cerulean Pearl
Co-Author & Accuracy Consultant for Ashes of the Motor City
Major Contributor to Tenebrous Seas
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Originally posted by Super_Dave View PostIsn't there something in the rules (in 1e at least) about high-Wyrd changelings being unintentionally bound into their own promises? Like, if you say "I won't sleep until I find his killer", the Wyrd will make you unable to sleep until you do so? I feel pretty sure I remember reading that somewhere...
Second Edition introduces sealings, a type of pledge which is used to force someone who has stated a promise to be bound by it, but this requires the deliberate intervention of another fae, and sealed fae can just spend a single point of Glamour to shrug the sealing off.
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