Character secrets

[ARandomGod]

In one game I was the main villain and nemesis of the party, in disguise among them of course.

Oh yea...once as a player I was hired by my guild (I was a thief) to infiltrate the party and get an item they'd stolen. It was fun... and while they suspiciously suspected everything, when I did manage to steal it they never suspected me...

 

[ARandomGod]

??? He could demand all he wants, I would not tell him. I would even build some secrets into the character just out of spite.

But of course. Terrible, aweful, amazing, unbelievable secrets! All at once. I mean, come on!

 

[sniffles]

In our last game, it was impossible to have secrets b/c one of the players demanded that everyone be up-front about everything. Essentially, there were *no* secrets.

So - though my Paladin's father was an evil NPC - she had to confess it to everyone under the sun to keep the other player happy.

That totally sucks!! It also sucks if the GM doesn't want the PCs to have secrets. A friend of mine (can't convince him to join this forum) was playing a monk who came into possession of an evil artifact that caused him to turn evil. He took the tattooed monk prestige class (3.0 version) and got the mask tattoo that disguises alignment so the rest of the party wouldn't find out he was evil. Two sessions later the GM had the PC attacked by a monster that took the evil item away from the PC in full view of the rest of the party, so there was no way the PC could disguise what had happened. Completely voided his reason for taking the prestige class, too.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

That totally sucks!!

It didn't really suck - it was just different. Our PCs had been together for some time, were fighting an epic battle to (literally) save the world, and had sworn an Oath to each other. The Oath didn't specifically state that we had to share our life stories with each other - but her PC felt that they should not keep secrets from each other... many PCs had secrets, but I think mine was the only secret she *knew* about, so I was the only one that could be pressured into making in public.

I've always played in games where it was assumed that everyone had some secrets, and that was cool.

Sharing the evil parent secret was not easy for my character, but everyone already knew out of character - and, as is always the case, what's know OOC often makes its way into IC regardless if you actually put it there...

 

[Kae'Yoss]

everyone already knew out of character - and, as is always the case, what's know OOC often makes its way into IC regardless if you actually put it there...

Yes. Secrets like that are only rally funny if the players don't know as well.

I tried that with a character in our current campaign, but another player cheated me into telling him. I think that since he used metagaming considerations, I will do so as well when I get my revenge.

 

[AsEver]

Secrets

I have a character who is the only one in the party with knowledge of where our Paladin's wife and newborn child are in hiding. He asked my PC to help them disappear for their protection, while we go after the BBEG. My Diplomacy-focused rogue came up with 5 or 6 possible places for them to live among people we have befriended or contacts we have made. Then I went and hired duplicate women with babies to pose as his wife and child in all of the sites but one. All of the Hosts believe they have the real couple.

Only the DM an I know exactly where the real pair are hidden!

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Only the DM an I know exactly where the real pair are hidden!

That's a great idea - very cinematic. *writes that one down and saves it for later*

 

[Kage Tenjin]

Back in an old campaign we ran in FR, I'm running a LE fighter/mercenary, we ran into the Mistmaster and had a series of "episodes" with the DM taking us out of the room and giving us visions and soforth. When it gets to my character's turn, he's face-to-face with a Baneare offering him the whole deal (power and suchforth) at a later point. I turn it down, having some loyalty to my employers (the party) at this point.

Cut to later. We run across a dragon. I try to appeal to its greed, talk it off. Party mage M.M.'s the thing. I'm shish-kebabed inside of a round then resurrected as a brown bear. First night, I'm on guard, the Baneare appears to me again. I'm a bit more willing this time. She gives me the ability to transform between human and bear by placing this crystal spider inside me. I stay as a bear until we get back to town, where I make up a story about buying a wish that lets me turn. Nothing else is asked of me until one session when we are confronted with the queen of the Silver Marches. The little spider leaps out, and Soul Traps Aulustriel. Rest of the party looks on in shock at the fact that I had been a traitor for such a long time.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I don't allow evil PCs, so while the PCs have their secrets, none of them are "I am the villain" type things.

My current campaign, though, started out with a doozy of a secret. Independently, two players emailed me their character concepts. The first was for a wizard/rogue whose occupation would be a rat-catcher (my game is a fantasy setting in its renaissance period, so the job was a valid one.)

The other player wanted to play a were-rat.

.... ....

 

[diaglo]

one player in the current OD&D campaign gave up his assassin PC. he felt the direction would cause bad feelings. i told him it was his choice. both the direction and giving up the PC.

he is currently playing a fey ranger... Terry Pratchett style...