Which is why you shouldn't just know what your character's secrets are, as I mentioned in What Secrets Does Your Character Hide?, and elaborated on in the character concept The Onion of Secrets. You should also know how that secret is going to matter to the story you're all telling, and have some idea of how you're going to start revealing it to the people sitting around the table with you.
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| If they never dive down, how would they know? |
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The Spice Needs To Go Into The Soup
Once you know what your character's secrets are (whether they're a secret vigilante, they were born to a noble family, they were a bandit in a former life, etc.) you can think of them as a little dash of spice. However, if you never actually add that spice into the dish, then it won't make any difference to the overall experience. However, adding in the spice at the wrong time, or in the wrong amount, can also ruin the presentation and flavor when all is said and done.
And this is why it's important for you to consult with the head chef (the Game Master) to make things come out just right!
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| Mmm... this one might be too salty. Let's do a half dose of this, how's that sound? |
First things first, character secrets should be a collaborative effort between you and your Game Master. The reason for that is because the GM is the one who needs to facilitate a good reveal, and to help you set the stage so you can stand in the spotlight for a moment when it comes time to let everyone else in on the secret.
Secondly, once the Game Master agrees your secret will become part of the story, try to work with them to come to that appropriate place so that the collaboration stays strong. As an example, if your character used to be an infamous assassin before they joined the church and took the vows of a cleric, work with the GM to figure out when (and how) you want that information to come out. For example, do they have secretive tattoos or brands they keep hidden until they're revealed when the party is taken prisoner? Do they speak a particular language only known by members of this secretive order, and they have to reveal that to translate critical intelligence? Or do they find people who recognize them from their old life for one reason or another? Because sprinkling in these clues, or just adding in the big reveal at a dramatic moment, can really make the story sing.
Where a lot of players mess this up, though, is they will either keep their secrets extremely close to their vests to the point that they never come up in the game at all, or they will try to spring this surprise on their fellow players and on the Game Master, which is a terrible plan because it can create unnecessary confusion that will undercut the reveal.
Timing and placement is extremely important for maximum story impact. Because say that your character was actually a princess, but she ran away from her royal responsibilities to become an adventurer. Classic twist, very fun. However, if you aren't coordinating this with your Game Master then you don't have any in-world structural support for this character's entire secret backstory... and even if it is allowed to stand, there won't be anything in-place for the plot that this reveal will actually affect. But consider what might happen if you were in communication with your Game Master. Because if you wanted a secret princess reveal, and the Game Master agreed, then at the very least there's likely to be people looking for the missing princess. But it's also possible that the villain for the campaign will be a family member of hers, and that she has a legitimate claim to the throne that could lead the party to commit a coup rather than leaving her evil uncle or sadistic brother sitting on the throne.
Long story short, if you want your character reveal to have a real impact then it's going to require scaffolding and set dressing to really facilitate it. And if you don't work with your Game Master to set the stage, then the reveal is going to fizzle out... so make sure all the setup is in place before you step onto your mark!
Lastly, if you found this week's post of-interest, then take a moment or three to check out my supplements 100 Dark Secrets as well as 100 Questions To Ask About Your Characters.
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