rpanons | It's just like my japanese yaois

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I've been looking at a few and trying to figure out how to deal with the masked alter-ego/average citizen in a jam jar game where there other characters could figure it out if you're not careful.

the easiest thing i've done with regards to this is make a permissions post. let people know that it shouldn't be easy to figure out that bruce wayne is batman, and that they should plot with you if they want to get there. most people are really cool about things like that and will let you maintain the separation, even if realistically with a smaller jamjar population it'd be easier to figure out.

that being said, icly, establish different personas. don't have vigilante and citizen speak the same way-- or to the same people, exclusively. your alter ego is probably going to be more active in plots and action, while a civilian might chat more on the network. cr can be built in either persona, but it'd probably be different. be careful about building cr between two versions of your character and the same other person-- those are going to be the characters most likely to figure out the secret.

While the Dark knight trilogy mocked that, Batman having a rougher and gruffer voice really did work to fill in that plot hole.

Use this as a lazy man's answer if the person has a lot of distinguishing physical features covered up.

in most cases, don't. there are usually only a handful of characters who could conceivably be the alter-ego in terms of size and build in any given jamjar game, and a lot of them will eliminate themselves from the running by being visible and active at the same time as your character is heroing. unless there is a significant npc population with which your character could blend, it'd be very easy for anyone able to follow a chain of logic to figure out their identity, and they'll either look dumb for trying to hide it, or you'll end up pegged as a godmoder for demanding that no one figure out which of the four tall buff dudes, two of whom have their own public hero identity, is batman.

yeah that's what I'm concerned about and the character I want to play doesn't have as wide of a gap in alter-ego as say Bruce Wayne and Batman. They don't want anyone to find out their masked identity of course but they don't go through such lengths.

So do you think I should just pick one side to play and stick to it. Or have the character try to keep it secret but just give up the ghost eventually.

i'd say decide based on whether they'd have their hero gear in the setting. if so, let them try to keep it a secret when they first arrive, but then realize it just won't work within such a small population (how long it takes can vary by how situationally aware and/or stubborn they are, obviously), and stop actively trying to keep it secret. they don't have to announce it on the network or anything, that would just be silly, but let them just resign themselves to the fact that people will figure it out if they think about it. the superhero gear seems to double as armor in most cases, so they don't have to go "fuck it" and give up the costume or anything.

if they wouldn't have their gear at their pull point, you can sort of play with them trying to hide the full extent of their abilities - like, they want to help, but they don't want to make it glaringly obvious they're a super-ninja/have incredible powers/whatever. that actually makes for a more realistic secret identity style play, since it'd take people a while to figure out just how dangerous the character is, and no one's attention will be drawn by the whole "who is that masked hero?" drama.

If you really want to do the thing, you can app to a game with a large NPC population/city type setting. This means people can't pinpoint just by process of elimination.

There's also the possibility of doing their superhero shit more clandestinely. Sneak up on people, knock them out, try to keep down the number of people who could actually describe them.

And, as always, be willing to let someone figure it out at some point and work out perms for how. It could lead to some cool CR!

If you’re playing a character who needs their secret ID to function or someone who really can’t be played in a fun way without it (ie most batfam or supers), I’d have them jump the gun right when they arrive and take extra IC steps to hide it that work within the setting. I've found it really helpful to leave the option open in a permissions post so that characters who would reasonably be able to work it out can plot with you as that CR develops also. IMO it’s not godmoddy to want to preserve something so intrinsic to who your character is in a game, and it’s definitely fine to reserve those plots for close CR so that it stays mostly a secret in the “public” sphere of the game. Some of my most amazing cross-canon CR has come from leaving open doors for sharp characters to put two and two together on their own.

It's just like my japanese yaois

Characters with Secret Identities

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