Oracle Curse: legalistic

[BRC]

So, I'm running a PF game, and we're currently brewing up 7th level characters. One of whom is an Asimaar Oracle (Plumekith varient), all well and good.
However, she wants the "Legalistic" Curse. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle/oracle-curses)

While the other Oracle curses are all fairly serious, stuff like being blind or having withered limbs or speaking in tounges while under stress, this one seems totally avoidable, simply by being careful about giving your word, you can avoid all penalties.
It also dosn't specify what exactly "Giving your Word" means, do you have to make a formal oath, or is it enough to simply say "I will help you" to make you bound forever to help that person.

Basically, the only way I can think to actually make this a curse is to keep a log of every time she agrees to do something in order to watch for her breaking her word. Which is both a bookkeeping nightmare, and rather nasty, as it requires me to assume the maximum obligation from anything she says (For example, saying "I will protect you" dosn't mean their obligation ends after that encounter. The "Protectee" could break their wrist two years later, and the Aassimar would end up sickened)

[Snowbluff]

I would say that something as simple as "I will help you" should activate if it you think it's not bad enough.

It's bad, though. It's so bad. -2 to everything so you can have +4 to one roll? That's bad.

[BRC]

I would say that something as simple as "I will help you" should activate if it you think it's not bad enough.

It's bad, though. It's so bad. -2 to everything so you can have +4 to one roll? That's bad.
Here's the thing. What if the only promises you make are stuff like "I promise to try to hit that orc in the face".

Hey, +4 on an attack roll, and provided you actually make said attack roll, no penalties.
If the only things that count are formal oaths, promises, and contracts, then it's really, really easy to take no penalties at all.

Also, when exactly is an oath Broken. If you promise, say, to kill Baron Von EvilDoom, then you really can't "Break" that oath until it becomes physically impossible for you to kill Baron Von EvilDoom.

[Xervous]

RP SOLUTION

The description suggests a connection to Hell, and therefore devils. Perhaps the devils have extracted promises or oaths from the oracle, long term ones might not come into play often unless the storyline touches heavily upon the topic, or they might be so vague that they affect the character on an hourly basis. Better yet, the devils might ask for certain little favors at times through visions / mental messages / etc, that could throw a situation down a different path.

The whole "service in exchange for power" sorta thing

[Fouredged Sword]

The problem is that people can figure it out. Make her give her word on things she will be hesitant to do. Use it like a lever. She should always consider her wording and speak carefully.

[Eurus]

It seems like the bonuses are fairly tame anyway. I don't necessarily see a problem with it. If you want, add on "if you tell a lie" to the trigger conditions.

[NamelessNPC]

Keep in mind that Legalistic doesn't give much of a benefit: +4 to one roll a day is trivial, +3 to social skills is small (and difficult to pull off if you are a member of a party), reroll saves every minute is only for OOC, and the last one is so useless that writing it down in your sheet is an offense to your character.

[avr]

Aren't most of the 'curses' another form of bonus? Haunted adds spells to your list, and if you're going to be swapping weapons during combat often you'd choose a different curse at character creation. Lame may not actually reduce your speed in many situations.

Legalistic is just another one of these.

[grarrrg]

This is kind of what other people are saying, but to put it (hopefully) more concisely:

Curses with BIG penalties tend to have BIG(ger) bonuses.
Curses with small penalties tend to have small(er) bonuses.

Legalistic is in the "small" category.