CoH: discretion?

[jason taylor]

This is an add on to the regular CoH of appropriate occupations. It would include never betraying a customer's secrets. This could be relevant to a courtesan or a more geisha like semi-platonic hired escort. It would also be relevant to a bartender or other entertainers that might come across personal secrets.

It would be relevant to any profession that is likely to involve confidences. This includes familiar ones like cleric, and attorney. It also could be given for Mercenaries, assassins, cat burglar's working on commission. Courtiers, Diplomats, military personal, spies, journalists.

In the more extreme forms the holder would have to be willing to face prison at least for the sake of clients. A spy that carries an L-pill is of course an obvious example.

[Anthony]

It's either a quirk or a 5 pointer, depending on whether you're the type of person who knows the types of secrets where you can go to jail for not revealing them.

[whswhs]

If there be trouble to Herward, and a lie of blackest can clear,
Lie, while thy lips can speak and a man is alive to hear.

(Rudyard Kipling, "Certain Maxims of Hafiz")

I'd call that either an inherent assumption of CoH (Professional or Gentleman) or a one-point quirk that adds an extra specification to how the disadvantage manifests.

[jason taylor]

Thomas Magnum in the reboot once had spend a night in a lockup for contempt when he refused to give his client's secrets away.

The judge that ordered that later hired Magnum because someone was trying to fix a trial by blackmailing the judge. She decided that Magnum's credit was sound (essentially he bought reputation points).

[Anthony]

I would note that some people actually have this as a perk or advantage, in that they have a specific exemption to rules on testifying.

[Ramidel]

It's part of a five-point Professional or Pirate's CoH.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I would note that some people actually have this as a perk or advantage, in that they have a specific exemption to rules on testifying.

Agreed. I think this can vary depending upon the profession. I don't know much international law, so am sticking with American.

If an American attorney, cleric, diplomat, spy (if they work for the government), won't give away their client's/employer's secrets, that's their job. It could actually be a Disadvantage, i.e. they could get in serious trouble, if they did give away secrets!

But if an American journalist won't reveal their source, they can go to jail. So that is a Disadvantage.

Originally Posted by whswhs

I'd call that either an inherent assumption of CoH (Professional or Gentleman) or a one-point quirk that adds an extra specification to how the disadvantage manifests.

I generally agree, but think this can vary. For example, a journalist who doesn't follow a CoH likely wouldn't have it (0 points). One who does reporting, but doesn't willingly enter dangerous situations, may have CoH (Professional) (-5 points). For that, I might go along with adding a one-point Quirk for not betraying a source's secrets.

But then there's the journalist/news photographer who'll walk across a busy freeway to stand on a precarious narrow railing between opposing traffic to get a photo of an overturned car. And will walk into a small clearing of a forest fire to get the best angle for a photo. And will go with a SWAT team where the team has their weapons drawn while crouched under cover. And that's while the journalist is standing behind them holding a reporter's notebook. I think that could include the "not revealing sources" as part of the cost of CoH. (-10 points).

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade

Agreed. I think this can vary depending upon the profession. I don't know much international law, so am sticking with American.

In a historical context, the seal of the confessional was a big deal.

[cmdicely]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I would note that some people actually have this as a perk or advantage, in that they have a specific exemption to rules on testifying.

That’s not really the same kind of thing as the CoH though; its a legal immunity that doesn’t mean you won’t tell, it just means you can’t be forced by the State. You could have that without the CoH, vice versa, or both together. (It might come with a social or legal prohibition tied to the immunity, which I guess is conceptually a kind of Duty accompanying the Legal Immunity, but usually it should be non-Hazardous and low enough frequency of appearance to not be worth points.)

Of course, if you have the legal immunity and it applies to the same set of secrets as the CoH, it should reduce the value of the CoH (probably to no more than a quirk in most circumstances), since it reduces the potential consequences of upholding the CoH.

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by cmdicely

Of course, if you have the legal immunity and it applies to the same set of secrets as the CoH, it should reduce the value of the CoH (probably to no more than a quirk in most circumstances), since it reduces the potential consequences of upholding the CoH.

To expand a bit, CoH is priced for how invonvenient it is to follow and not for the consequences of breaking it. When taking a CoH you're expected to follow it unless it conflicts with another disadvantage and breaking it in other circumstances should fall under Bad Roleplaying™.

Originally Posted by B127

You must do more than pay lip service to a set of principles to get points for a Code of Honor. You must be a true follower of the Code!

If your culture expects discretion/confidentiality from your profession, CoH: Discretion should rarely be more than a perk on its own.