Secrets

A house rule from the Lyonesse campaign.

Lyonesse was a post-fall-of-Amber campaign where the surviving Pattern initiates combined to shore up a new bulwark of order against the fall of Shadow. The characters were the next generation.

You may opt in on your character sheet to one or two Secrets (or another if you’re extreme Stuff). You are not obliged to take Secrets.

Secrets are things the character knows that are not general knowledge, offer possible advantage by their knowledge, and would change things if they were revealed.

The GM will describe your character's Secrets, or you can propose their general nature.

A player character starts with two free secrets as part of character construction; one Zero Stuff secret and one secret matching their Stuff balance. At +6 or -6 Stuff, add an additional secret of that type. (None additional beyond +/-6). Or buy a Bad Stuff secret for 1 character point, a Zero Stuff secret for 2, and a Good Stuff secret for 3.

Good Stuff Secrets -- advantageous knowledge. Secret ways in and out of places. People who have an unexpected common interest with the character they may not want revealed. Advantages that might be lost if they become no longer secret.

Zero Stuff Secrets -- ambiguous knowledge. Patterns that don’t fit established behavior. Secret troves, Doors, or hideaways others don’t want you to know. Confidential personal connections or lines of communication. Weird stuff nobody else has noticed. Knowledge that might generate confusion or annoyance if revealed, or might be exploited by rivals, friends, or just whoever might have an angle.

Bad Stuff Secrets -- dangerous knowledge. Secrets that would get you or someone important to you in trouble if they were used or revealed. Back door dealings, dangerous things hidden somewhere, knowledge of threats or blackmail, payoffs, misbehavior or betrayal. Skeletons in the closet. Things that could make you the target of revenge or attack if others discover your knowledge.