D&D 5E 'The Thing' Inspired Rime of the Frostmaiden Has Player Secrets [Updated]

Made popular in boardgames, such as Battlestar Galactica, the idea of players with secrets can increase the tension of games. Rime of the Frostmaiden introduces 'character secrets'.

“I think the most interesting part [of Rime of the Frostmaiden] is the character secrets... characters can play it one of two ways. They can keep their secret close to their chest and not reveal it to the other players, fostering and breeding paranoia, or they can reveal it anytime they want to, and then wrestle with the consequences of it. That’s left entirely up to the players.”

- WotC's Chris Perkins​

It's not clear if it's a full-fledged traitor mechanic like in some other games, or just an extension of the traits/bonds/flaws guidelines.

UPDATE -- this post (below) has some more information from EN Worlder ikj. "It's a card you can draw at character creation. If you like it you keep it. If you don't you can take another. I don't get the impression it's a 'traitor mechanic' so much as a way to add some interesting twists to character interactions and add some tie-ins with the plot."

In other news, the adventure is very inspired by John Carpenter's The Thing.

“The Thing is a story about an isolated group of people dealing with a monster in their midst, and much of the movie takes place at night. If you take that idea and apply it to a D&D campaign, there’s lot of potential there,” he said over email. “When your setting is a cold, dark, isolated place, the horror comes easily. I was struck by the fact that our previous excursions to Icewind Dale didn’t really lean in that direction, so here was a chance to show Icewind Dale in a different light.”

From Venturebeat.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Unless there are restrictions on classes, or maybe just specific spells, I don't see how this stays a secret in the typical adventuring party.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

I hope it doesn't turn out to be like the dark secrets from Avernus, which are basically irrelevant to the module.

 

[darjr]

Maybe you'll wan't to kill each other. While not wanting them to die.

 

[Eltab]

Depends on the "secrets".
If you have a clue / hint about how to defeat a common (in the module) enemy, like "The living cloaks fear the attention of the gods" (Darkmantles are weak vs Radiant attacks), that can be fun to figure out while the group is getting clobbered, and turn the tide of battle with the secret knowledge.
If your secret is along the line of "I am infested by an Intellect Devourer and now BBEG can use me as a spy on the party" that is not fun because the party has to figure it out then decide whether to exclude you, banish you, or murderhobo you.

 

[Eltab]

Maybe you'll wan't to kill each other. While not wanting them to die.

When being chased by Zombies, you don't have to run the fastest, you just have to trip the next guy you pass. (Sorry, buddy.)

 

[darjr]

When being chased by Zombies, you don't have to run the fastest, you just have to trip the next guy you pass. (Sorry, buddy.)

Note to self.....

 

[Hussar]

Well, a more pvp (to borrow the MMO term) style AP would certainly be a change of direction. I'd have to see what they're talking about, but, with the right group, I think it could be a lot of fun.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

Well, a more pvp (to borrow the MMO term) style AP would certainly be a change of direction. I'd have to see what they're talking about, but, with the right group, I think it could be a lot of fun.

One of the authors described it as being about "climate change and the powerful magic of collective action". I'd be really surprised if it ends up with "more pvp" as a defining trait.

 

[cbwjm]

This is sounding less and less like an adventure path I will buy, however, if they put up something like the Waterdeep Enchiridion on DMsGuild for the icewind dale area, I might grab that.

 

[jgsugden]

I think it is going to be things like, "I have an evil spirit inside me", "I'm wanted for a murder I did/did not commit", "I accidentally killed someone", or "A cult thinks I am a chosen being that needs to be sacrificed." They'll be story prompts, which probably could just be a subset of flaws.