How can you handle "open secrets"?

[awesomenessofme1]

This is a pretty common scenario. Someone has a "secret" that they'd never admit to, would cause problems if proven, and they're careful to protect. But it's not actually secret as such. Many people know about it and they don't need to worry about people finding out, just about it being proven. What would be the best way to handle it? The default Secret disadvantage? Secret with the price altered? A new disadvantage based on a similar system? Something different entirely?

[ravenfish]

The Secret disadvantage seems fine. It's effects amount to "must sometimes go to considerable lengths to suppress information" and "will take a severe social hit if you fail to do so", so it shouldn't matter that said information is "proof that you did/are something" rather than "the fact that you did/are something".

[Stormcrow]

A Secret comes up again and again with a frequency of appearance. If the evidence of your guilt is supposed to be a Secret, you're going to have to be able to cover up that evidence each time it comes up. If it doesn't make sense for this evidence to come up periodically, don't use Secret for it.

[whswhs]

As you describe the situation, the Secret is not that they did X. It's the specific evidence that would prove that they did X.

On the other hand, if they are under clear suspicion of having done X, then they have problems beyond having to conceal the evidence. They are probably having people investigating their actions. That would be something like the Watched version of Enemy. The watcher(s) might even show up more often than on a 6 or less. In that case I might suggest rolling for appearance, with any roll at or below the threshold meaning that the watchers are on the scene, but a 6 or less meaning that the watchers have a real shot at finding out the Secret.

[JulianLW]

Sounds like a secret with a bad reputation attached.

[awesomenessofme1]

Here's a few possible examples to get my point across. Honestly, given the differences, I can't say for sure all of them would be treated the same.

1) A small-scale drug dealer. They're unlikely to have people specifically targeting them, but if they get police attention through bad luck or someone reporting them, they'd be in trouble.

2) A high-level Capone-style crime lord. In this situation, there absolutely would be investigations, major ones, as a constant threat that need to be dealt with.

3) A noble or other gentlefolk with atypical sexual tastes (gay, patron of prostitutes, etc). In this situation, the main issue would be information being dredged up by social rivals, but in some settings, it could also be criminal.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

1) A small-scale drug dealer. They're unlikely to have people specifically targeting them, but if they get police attention through bad luck or someone reporting them, they'd be in trouble.

I would do this just as a bad Reputation with a low frequency of recognition and among law enforcement. The police react badly to you.

2) A high-level Capone-style crime lord. In this situation, there absolutely would be investigations, major ones, as a constant threat that need to be dealt with.

This sounds like Enemy.

3) A noble or other gentlefolk with atypical sexual tastes (gay, patron of prostitutes, etc). In this situation, the main issue would be information being dredged up by social rivals, but in some settings, it could also be criminal.

This is the only one that seems like a Secret.

[Varyon]

As noted, I think you can get away with just a normal Secret, and it may be appropriate to have some additional traits (bad Reputation, Enemy of some flavor, etc). It may also be appropriate to increase the frequency of appearance to 7- and add [-10] to the worth of Secret, just like for a famous person with a Secret Identity, due to increased monitoring of the character.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

Here's a few possible examples to get my point across. Honestly, given the differences, I can't say for sure all of them would be treated the same.

1) A small-scale drug dealer. They're unlikely to have people specifically targeting them, but if they get police attention through bad luck or someone reporting them, they'd be in trouble.

2) A high-level Capone-style crime lord. In this situation, there absolutely would be investigations, major ones, as a constant threat that need to be dealt with.

3) A noble or other gentlefolk with atypical sexual tastes (gay, patron of prostitutes, etc). In this situation, the main issue would be information being dredged up by social rivals, but in some settings, it could also be criminal.

It was good to give these examples, but one more piece of information is needed to answer -- who is the secret 'open' among?

[awesomenessofme1]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

It was good to give these examples, but one more piece of information is needed to answer -- who is the secret 'open' among?

Everyone, basically, or at least anyone who might want to know. Obviously, the definition of "everyone" depends on scale, but the point is that it's widely known, just hard to prove and sometimes not widely acknowledged.