It’s fun to have a secret for your character, but it can be difficult to incorporate gracefully. Revealing the secret to other players can be anticlimactic. Keeping something too secret might prevent other players from asking questions. This exercise will create five ways you consciously and unconsciously communicate that you’ve got a secret.
A physical mark on your body is related to your secret. This should be something in a discoverable place that is not immediately obvious. Mentioning it as something seen rarely communicates that it is significant. It should be something you mention every few sessions or so.
EXAMPLES
• A scar in a place that is normally covered by clothing
• A tattoo in a place that is normally covered by clothing
• A braid in your hair normally hidden by the way you tie it
• A symbol etched into your weapon that is visible when you clean/maintain it
• Something embroidered into your cloak over your heart
The way you speak is somehow related to a secret you carry. This can be an overt aspect of your character that comes up often but only stands out as odd when measured against the other details of your life.
EXAMPLES
• An accent or dialect
• The use of a particular uncommon name for a common thing
• An uncommon language you speak and occasionally borrow from
• A song you sing to yourself unconsciously when doing menial work
• A word or name that you refuse to say
An ability that reflects specialized and uncommon knowledge. You have experience with it due to the secret in your backstory. This should be something you use very rarely, and you are always reluctant to use it.
EXAMPLES
• You carry out an attack not possible for other character classes in your game.
• You recognize enemy techniques in tense situations and provide key insider knowledge.
• You have intimate knowledge of specific esoteric rituals and magical practices.
• You are trained in compensating for a disability you appear not to have.
• You have a reputation or nickname that is not easily explained.
You have a tic or tell that is almost always present when you are lying. This does not have to be related your secret, but it manifests when you try to cover it up.
EXAMPLES
• A twitch in your eye
• Playing with your hair or ear
• A deadly monotone that suggests agitation
• A habit of changing explanations
• An eccentric ceremony for swearing the truth
You process guilt and the weight of secrecy through behaviors that help you justify it. You have a decipherable code of honor when you interact with others, which can be extrapolated to the context of a larger secret.
EXAMPLES
• You accompany each lie you tell with what you claim is an equivalent truth.
• You do what you consider good deeds to counteract bad ones.
• You excuse yourself without explanation from situations that remind you of your secret.
• You discuss things that happened to you as stories that happened to someone else.
• You ask others about their personal histories often.