GM Rednal's Hell's Vengeance (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

The official discussion thread.

Excellent!

Question, how in depth can secret messages be in your games? I have had my various GMs rule only a few words for simple to a full sentence+ for complex as well GMs who allow a short sentence for simple to basically a conversation for complex.

I'd say you can use the Bluff skill to convey about the same amount of information as talking (for complex messages). ^^ A sort of Thieves' Hand Signs language has a long history in fantasy, and it seems silly to exclude the possibilities of that. Of course, if you have longer-term allies, you can learn Sign Language as an actual language and eliminate the need for checks entirely. (Even if you're good, they need to make a Sense Motive to understand it when you're using Bluff, and that's harder to guarantee...) Not a bad bonus for one skill point.

Nope:

Secret Messages: You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages along to another character without others understanding your true meaning by using innuendo to cloak your actual message. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are communicating in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that receive the message can decipher it by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.

It's other people that can intercept the message via Sense Motive.

Ah, right. XD Even so, it removes the need for checks on your part.

I use bluff to pass secret messages a lot in my various games, so I well know the rules, lol.

And yes, Thieves' Cant is definitely worth investing a skill point into eventually, as I would assume it would be rather difficult to interpret via Sense Motive.