Oath

Oath was a common spell used by shugenja in Kara-Tur. The spell was very rare outside Kara-Tur.

Effects
When cast, a shugenja forced an oath between them and an unwilling creature. A shugenja demanded a deed be fulfilled in return for consideration from the shugenja. The creature was required to speak the same language as the shugenja, and the oath had to be within the natural abilities of the creature. The shugenja was also unable to use this spell to demand a task of a creature that would harm it. A common example was a shugenja forcing a bandit to never rob travellers again, in exchange the shugenja spared their life. Both parties had free will to abide by the agreed conditions. If the shugenja broke their agreement, the spell was broken and the shugenja suffered a loss in honor. However if the target creature attempted to break their oath, the spell inflicted painful spasms. The reverse of this spell, unbend, freed the creature from their oath. Atonement was also able to free a creature from it's obligations, but dispel magic did not.

Components
In addition to verbal and somatic components, the spell and its reverse required the same material component, the shugenja's holy symbol.