Troptic Stipulation

The part of the Wizard's Oath that deals with the ethics of change (for example, changing a thing or creature into something else).

The Stipulation appears in all versions of the Oath, from the most basic to the most complex. Its simplest version is reflected in the Oath which which Nita and Kit were both presented:

I will change no object or creature unless its growth and life, or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened.

The purpose of the Troptic Stipulation is to remind the wizard both that energy is not to be wasted on unnecessary change, and that when enforcing change on another being, the reasons and the results need to be carefully weighed -- not enacted on a whim, or in a hurry. Even objects or creatures that may seem at first glance to be troubled or damaged may have some vital role to play in their local physical, emotional or spiritual "ecosystem": changing the creature or the thing may throw everything else around it out of whack. Also, the act of changing any living being against its will, or without consultation, is a violation of a basic existential right, and should always be approached cautiously. Thoughtless change has a way of backfiring. (SYWTBAW et al.)