Secret is a unique Merit in that its value is set by the Storyteller and it costs nothing. It can be taken in conjunction with the Flaw of the same name, and it is designed to represent secrets with somewhat higher stakes, like shadowy patronage or an illicit background. It’s appropriate to the sort of secret that includes benefits that last only as long as the secret stays hidden.

The benefit of this Merit is that it allows the character to take two free dots of Merits for each dot of secrets. These merits cannot be intrinsic things (like Quick Draw or Striking Looks), rather they must be Merits that could potentially be lost, like most Social Merits. So long as the character’s secret remains hidden, these Merits remain; if the secret ever goes public, they are immediately lost.

When taking this Merit, the player describes the secret, and the Storyteller assigns its value. Practically speaking, this allows the Storyteller to set the maximum value of Secrets in his game. Secrets above •• are very powerful, and are best suited to games with a heavy emphasis on intrigue and politics. In such games, allowing a high threshold of secrets is a quick and dirty way to allow characters to be movers and shakers without also making them combat monsters.

(You’ll also find information on secrets earlier in this book, on p. 132.)