Characters have secrets that can chose to reveal later in a campaign. Players choose to give the player to the DM during play. The card has no direct effect until they do that, thought it might affect their decisions. For many, it is best to play the card discreetly with the DM outside of normal play so that the DM can prepare.
Options for Determining a Secret
You can use the 22 major arcana cards of most tarot decks (just add 1 to the tarot card value if it is a deck that begins with 0).
- Party Option: when the players are first present together, randomly choose a player to draw two cards from the deck, keeping one and passing the other to the left. That next player will draw an additional card from the deck, choose one to keep and pass the other. When the last player has chosen, they reveal their discard to the first player. In this way, every player knows the discard option of the player to their right.
- Single Option: At character generation, the player draws two cards and discards one. The DM should make sure that to remove previously selected secret cards from the deck to avoid duplication.
- Blind Choice: Player has the option to take the secret “blind”, revealing the secret to the DM.
- Dice Rolling Option:
Roll 3d8-2 for each choice. 1d6 for high or low numbers, then 1d12 (on a 12, choose the secret).
- Just Choose One: let the player choose their secret.
- DM's Secret: player draws a card but does not look at it, showing it only to the DM who makes a note and chooses to reveal the secret to the player when appropriate. (This version could have continuity problems explaining the character's behavior after the reveal).
The Secrets
1)
The Heir (The Princeling, The Scion)
2)
The Bastard
3)
The Changeling/Hybrid
4)
The Weapon / The Nemesis / The Avenger / The Adversary
5)
The Finder / Discoverer / Pioneer / Trailblazer
6)
The Turncoat / The Traitor OR The Possessed / Doppelganger
7)
The Spy / The Infiltrator
8)
The Unexpectedly Qualified / The Secret Ingredient / The Catalyst
9)
The Lovechild
10)
The Inventor / The Creator
11)
The Outlaw / The Rebel / The Fugitive
12)
The Club Member
13)
The Cursed / Afflicted
14)
The Tycoon
15)
The Seer.
16)
The Twin / The Clone.
17)
The Lycanthrope
18)
The Greatly Exaggerated
19)
Secret Spouse.
20)
Secret Parent.
21)
“I Am Not Left-Handed.”
22)
The Debtor/The Obligated
1) The Heir (The Princeling, The Scion)
You are the heir to an important title with right to lands and fealty. Might be recognized by some. May have a false name/identity.
2) The Bastard
Illegitimate offspring of an important member of your culture’s leadership. Might be recognized by a few some. May have a limited type of claim to title or inheritance, for instance, if all other heirs have died, or if parent formally legitimizes bastard, which will have a social cost..
3) The Changeling / Hybrid
Swapped at birth. You are different from the others. You are descended from a different race (Elves, Giants, Trolls, etc. Example “the Trollborn”) and may gain the racial benefits and drawbacks of that race. Or you are from a different culture, normally hostile to the culture of your main origin - enough that you know a language if relevant, and recall some rights and rituals or stories or prominent people.
4) The Weapon / The Nemesis / The Avenger / The Adversary
Your life is fated, indeed guided, to make you into a living weapon against some prominent threat. Your purpose is to defeat that threat and you will receive benefits against it. (The threat could be another player!)
5) The Finder / Discoverer / Pioneer / Trailblazer
You almost never get lost and are destined to find new places and pathways. You know the way to a unique place of great interest. You may have inherited a map, or have returned from that place as a child, or been given directions. If you have already discovered this place and formed an alliance with the residents there, you might even be able to call on them for aid.
6) The Turncoat / The Traitor OR The Possessed / Doppelganger
Your goals are antithetical to the group or an individual within it. You seek to betray them. The playing of this card should be discussed with the DM prior to revealing it to the group.
(This has great potential for conflict between the players.)
Possessed / Doppelganger
Character has been possessed by someone who uses the character’s body and role as a tool to accomplish their own goals, which may conflict with the party. Character may have no awareness of possessor’s actions. Others might gain clues that character is not acting normally. The character might have been replaced by a doppelganger type of creature and their actual self secured somewhere. Player reveals this to finally inform allies the truth of the situation through a slip of the possessor, momentary control of the body, or whatever method is appropriate. Character is dependent on others to have the possessor exorcised, be discovered, etc. to regain control.
(Should this one be separate? If so, what should be cut to stay at 22 options?)
7) The Spy / The Infiltrator
You are a secret member of an organization of some authority. It may be the secret police, a thieves’ guild, a rebellion, etc. You may learn the secret of another player without revealing that discovery.
8) The Unexpectedly Qualified / The Secret Ingredient / The Catalyst
Some event may require a special sort of person, such as a virgin, a person of royal blood, the seventh son of a seventh son, perfect pitch, or a clear soprano singing voice. Something that is normally not relevant for game play. You have or are that thing.
9) The Lovechild
You are the child of a major NPC, whether unwitting male or given up for adoption (or some magical/scientific process and both parents/gene-donors are unaware). When revealed, the NPC will know it to be true, though they might initially deny it in public.
10) The Inventor / The Creator
The important powerful thing that people want to own, to use, to destroy? You made that. You know how to use it better than anyone. Maybe it only works for you. Maybe you abandoned it. Maybe everything you’ve been doing has been to regain it.
11) The Outlaw / The Rebel / The Fugitive
You are wanted by the main governing body or are hunted by a bounty hunter. Whether character is actually innocent or guilty is for discussion with DM.
12) The Club Member
You belong to a secret society. The revelation of your membership would result in different treatment by society. You might be able to call on the assistance of other members or the club’s resources from time to time, and likewise be required to help other members.
13) The Cursed / Afflicted
You suffer a long-term hardship that is socially despised or abhorred or puts the character in compromising situations. It may be curable or treatable. For example, an alcoholic might be put into situations where there is pressure to drink, haunting nightmares may prevent restful sleep and draw evil creatures into the world unless certain rituals are performed or sleeping draughts taken. Public knowledge of your situation will result in disdain and mistreatment and by society at large.
14) The Tycoon
You have vast resources in your own right, and can afford pretty much anything. Although you are not part of any official power structures you might have influence.
15) The Seer.
You can discover the secret of another player. If you reveal that, you reveal your own secret and the player knows you have discovered their secret. You may be held responsible for maintaining the secret.
16) The Twin / The Clone.
You are the identical twin to an important NPC that you have not yet met. The NPC may be a wanted criminal, a person of great power, or anything else, etc. The player and the NPC may be actual identical twins, just bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, one might even be artificial. Example, Prisoner of Zenda. Discuss with DM how to implement. Ideal for entering new areas of play. DM should choose when to implement. Character might also be a clone.
17) The Lycanthrope
Character is actually a monster/shapechanger (e.g., werewolf) posing as normal.
18) The Greatly Exaggerated
Character is a well-known person who everyone believes to be dead. Secretly proficient in disguise. Revelation can have multiple good and bad consequences.
19) Secret Spouse.
Character is secretly the spouse of an important NPC. That NPC will recognize her immediately. A few others will have a good chance to.
20) Secret Parent.
Character is secretly the parent of an important NPC or another PC.
21) “I Am Not Left-Handed.”
Character is actually more powerful than known by other players. This can be revealed in a “Save the day” type moment.
22) The Debtor/The Obligated
You are responsible for a debt or other obligation to a major NPC. The debt may be yours or inherited. The benefit the debt was incurred for has already been received. For example, the benefit may have been to avoid death in a crisis, or foreclosure of a business, etc. As a positive, the secret might be used to call on the Creditor to protect their investment. “If you owe your bank a hundred pounds, you have a problem. But if you owe a million, it has.” - John Maynard Keynes
Development Notes
The idea was to have a mechanism for potentially dramatic character reveals in the course of play. My preferred option is the party option where players are choosing secrets at the same time and each player may have some insight into the secret of another. For example, Player 1 draws The Heir and The Turncoat and keeps The Heir. Player 2 receives the Turncoat and draws a new card, The Spy. Player 1 knows that the Turncoat was an option for Player 2, and vice versa. That may affect their interactions. Games like Diplomacy and Illuminati are part of the inspiration for this mechanic.
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