How do You as a DM handle sensitive information that is not privy to all characters?

[National Acrobat]

What I want to know is, what is the best way to do it in order to avoid players using knowledge that they have heard but their characters are unaware of? I have had problems with some players who just don't seem to understand things like, "you weren't there, you have no idea that the rogue bought a toxic substance." "Oh yeah, well I don't trust him, he's up to no good." I prefer one on one, via email or by excusing myself and the player in question from the room, but people always act differently when you return. Another option is dm-player interaction via email but one player complained that the story doesn't unfold that way for all to see. AHHHHHHHHHH! I have a headache.

 

[Skarp Hedin]

I've done all four of those from time to time. It really depends on what's appropriate for the specific information and the time.

Example: Rogue Joe buys some poisons in town, then the party heads to Orc Valley for the same-ol, same-ol. I can't very well do the poison purchases over email with Joe, since he wants to use that poison to help a few orcs more easily shuffle off their mortal coils. So that we might do with a note, but more likely, open across the table.

If it's something that's to occur between sessions, email is good for that, though my players aren't big on the whole email thing, really.

 

[Leopold]

i use notes and IM...i have built a few laptops for my players to use and they IM me when they want to privately discuss something.

I see a blinking note and say "Oh the rogue wants to steal the wizards wand..ok roll a 20" <sound of dice rolling> etc.

 

[Umbran]

I use a combination of methods. The middle two run about equally. I only occasionally use e-mail or other media. If the thing can be said out loud for everyone to hear without lousing things up, I wouldn't call it "sensitive"...

 

[Cougar]

I personally, as a player, enjoy hearing everything that goes on in a campaign. I enjoy everyones portrayal of their character and cool side-stories can be better than the main campaign sometimes.

That being said, I as a DM like to do things however the specific player wants. In my current group, everyone wants things to be handled differently. One wants notes to be passed and emails to be sent in the off time during the week. Others don't care what is said at the table.

Sometimes it is a player that likes it a specific way and sometimes it is just a sneaky character. If someone at my table wants to roleplay something quietly and secretly, I allow them to do that. Very rarely do players care about hearing storylines that aren't their own, so as long as you treat each player the way they want, you should be fine.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i voted for 'excusing the player and myself from the table', but any of the four choices can and have happened in my games

-at the table - usually if i want to keep the pace of the game going, but, inevitably, some player will use that info and another player will shout, "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"

-note passing - sometimes this is counter-productive, some players don't like that another player is doing something without the party's knowledge, or some automatically think, 'the rogue's off stealing something, AGAIN'

-e-mail - is usually reserved for PC backgrounds, or when a PC has spent alot of time away from the party


i don't think there is one good way to pass information along to a player - it depends on the pace and flavor of the game...

 

[National Acrobat]

I guess the biggest problem that I have is when a character does something and others hear about it out of character and still want to act on it, or when a player is passing a bunch of notes, everyone gets suspicious of the character immediately, without a reason to be suspicious, because their character isn't there. I understand that there are times when not all characters are going to be involved in the action, and I understand that there are players who want to do more than others when they get some time in a city or what not, what I don't like is players feeling that they can act upon something that their characters are unaware of. Surprises are good I believe, and lets face it, surprises can help spur great gaming sessions. I dunno. I just get tired of reminding people of the difference between 'character knowledge' and 'player knowledge'.

 

[Fenes 2]

I voted open, at the table. I am blessed with players that will not abuse OOC knowledge, and as a DM I prefer it if all information is known, so that problems can be handled before in-character responses come up.

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

I voted for leaving the room, but it's really not that big of an issue in my group.

Actually, a good majority of them take perverse pleasure in firewalling OOC knowledge...

 

[Vocenoctum]

I play online in a chat room, so IM it is.
The flip side being of course that the other players could all be IMing each other with OOC stuff too, but so?