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To get caught, or not to get caught. That is the question.
Scandal and shadows don't always stay hidden from the Ton. In fact, characters might make it their mission to discover the secrets of others, this is a game of gossip after all. While secrets and actions, illicit liaisons or other intriguing things might come out through organic play (sharing through letter correspondence), sometimes things just don't say a secret for long, or a character gets caught by chance, if they're not being careful.
Writing in letters does not necessarily make something public, so how then, does an action become public?
We love some shady dealings and scandal, but having a plan to keep those Scandalous activities a secret will help keep one’s Reputation intact. There are, of course, circumstances where that is impossible, or luck might run out and characters find themselves in a situation of ‘wrong place at the wrong time.’
When creating a character, players opt-in to the level of GM involvement they want for story guidance and interaction. High GM Involvement characters, and those attempting to conceal their activities at public events, are subject to a dice mechanic to determine if the activity remains secret. (All players, regardless of GM involvement should spin a believable tale with their important event submissions...).
GMs roll a d20 and add modifiers based on a character’s Reputation and Aspects, where applicable to the situation. The severity of the scandal and the believability of the player's plan will aid the GMs in determining the difficulty that the roll and modifiers must beat.
Modifiers:
Prosperous & Opulent Income characters add 1d4 for bribery (optional)
Esteemed Characters add 1d6 for sterling reputation - who would believe such a thing?
Notorious add 1d6 for the prospect of intimidation
Players may choose one of the following to add 1d4, depending on their plan:
Alluring Characters might turn the situation to their advantage
Charming Characters might make a compelling argument, lie, or story
Clever Characters might use misdirection or hide just in the nick of time
For Example:
Lord Muffin sneaks away to the hedge maze to meet Lady Scone. Despite arriving unobserved, the gardener rounds the corner and catches them in an embrace! Lord Muffin is known to be a very wealthy member of the Ton, and rumour has it he has quite the temper. The character's player outlines that Lord Muffin will bribe the gardener while giving them a proper dressing down for dereliction of duty.
[The GMs roll a 12 for Lord Muffin, but with his +2 roll for being wealthy and +1 roll for being notorious, he passed with a total of 15 to get away with his illicit Scone encounter]
The gardener, somewhat chastened by his Lordship and eager to enjoy his bribe of bagels, makes haste to leave the pair alone.
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Find the full Scandal & Reputation Guide here:
Have Questions? Email hello@letterinklarp.com or open a help ticket on the discord.
Yours, Etc.,
The Letter Ink Team