Metashield

What is the ‘Metashield’?

This page is a list of things or information protected by the rules, in conjunction with the Continuity Guideline rule. Something that is “shielded” cannot be known by your character until the “revealing conditions” happen, or unless specified by their job. This also means your character cannot do things based on “shielded” information. Knowing or acting on something that is shielded before the revealing condition is metagaming.

Revealing conditions reveal the shielded information for the round, not for a specific instance. This means that once your character knows something, they know it for the remainder of the round.

As a rule of thumb, if you are capable of purchasing an item or spawn with it, or are yourself the secret, you know of it. For example, Thieves know about Chameleon items, Nukies know they exist, etc.

For the sake of this page, AI is considered part of Command. Anything that the Captain knows, the AI also knows.

Cheat Sheet

Please refer to the full listing for more details, especially of which jobs have information revealed, and what constitutes 'discovery' of information. This cheat sheet exists not to teach, but to remind.

Never Revealed IC	Believed Rumors	Revealed to Certain Jobs	Revealed by Discovery
The current gamemode and possible antagonists	Abductors are probably real, but nobody knows specifics	Changelings are real and how they function	Chameleon items exist
Sensitive information from previous rounds	Vampires are probably real, but nobody knows specifics	Paradox Clones are real	Additional communication channels in headsets
Information from other characters you played	Wizards are probably real, but nobody knows specifics	Which corporations are members of the Syndicate	Secret purpose items like exploding pens
Information about other players rather than their characters		Zombies are real and how they function	Deathsquad's true purpose
Information gained while dead, asleep, critical, observing, or a ghost		Ninjas are real and what their goals and tools are
		Revolutionaries use mind control flashes
		Nuclear Operatives are real
		The Gods are real
		Non-NanoTrasen Implant specifics
		Memetic and Mystical effects

Metashields

Never Revealed IC

Anything listed below can never be known by your characters, and knowledge of any of the below always constitutes metagaming.

• The current game mode and possible antagonists during the current game mode.
• Information that is sensitive or metashielded that happened in previous rounds.
• Events you experienced as a different character.
• All information related to the player of a character rather than the character itself.
• All information gained while critical, dead, sleep, a ghost, unconscious in any way, or observing.

Believed Rumors

Rumors that exist, which are commonly believed. These are often partial-truths that are accepted due to numerous witness testimonies and a lack of any effort to obscure this information, but come with blind spots and misconceptions.

• Abductors are understood to probably be real, but are so rarely encountered that most people have never seen one. This has not prevented their image from seeping into media and iconography. What they actually do and how they function is completely unknown.
• Vampires are understood to be real, but most people believe outlandish versions that more closely resemble movie vampires than actual vampires. Knowledge of the Vampire Elders is completely unknown.
• Wizards are understood to be real, but most people believe them to be an esoteric and outlandish cult mistaking alien artifacts for wizardry. The Wizard Federation is a known faction, but how they operate and what they do is completely unknown.

Revealed to Certain Jobs

Things that are only known to individuals working specific jobs on the station. This covers cases when a certain job should realistically come into contact with these things often, and failure to know them while holding certain positions would be considered incompetence. Unless otherwise stated topics in this category are always revealed to NT-CC employees including BSOs and NTRs, as well as all of Command.

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The fact that Changelings are real. The concept of shapeshifters exists in media in universe, but the fact that they are real, how they function, and how to test for one is unknown to the common crewmember.

• Revealed to:
  • Brigmedics
  • Wardens
  • AIs
• Revealed to others by:
  • Being directly told by somebody who already knows
  • Witnessing someone using any Changeling abilities
  • Discovering a Hollow corpse

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The fact that Paradox Clones are real. The concept of parallel realities exists in media in universe, but the fact that they are real is unknown to the common crew member. No one knows their true goals, even those with knowledge of their existence. Both clones are the "real" clone and all other crew has memories that match the history of both clones, until one is removed from the current reality. Because of this, crew should treat their memory as unreliable and trust that both clones are telling the truth. Additionally, both clones believe they are the original.

• Revealed to:
  • Wardens
  • Science
  • AIs
• Revealed to others by:
  • Being directly told by somebody who already knows
  • Witnessing two clones in the same place at the same time

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The fact that certain corporations such as Donk Co, Cybersun, etc are in league with the Syndicate is kept fairly well concealed. The war between the corporations is an underground cold war in most shifts. This does not shield the fact that the Syndicate exists, just which corporations are a part of the Syndicate.

• Revealed to:
  • Security
  • Syndicate
• Revealed to others by:
  • Being directly told by somebody who already knows

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Zombies are believed to be a completely fabricated story to most crew. Zombies are outlandish, and you will be mocked for believing in them. Likewise, any chemicals that can cause or cure Zombification are also considered nonsense to most. Initial Infected are aware they are infected, and are antagonists with the goal of converting the station.

• Revealed to:
  • Medical
  • Security
• Revealed to others by:
  • Being directly told by somebody who already knows
  • Witnessing the dead rising

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The fact that Ninjas are real, how they operate, and what their goals are is kept well concealed. Ninjas typically go unseen, and the aftermath of their work is often mistaken for the DoorLagging Virus’s work. What Ninjas are, what they want, and what they can do is mostly unknown.

• Revealed to:
  • Security
• Revealed to others by:
  • Being directly told by somebody who already knows
  • Witnessing a Ninja
  • Seeing a Ninja’s equipment, such as their suit or katana

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The fact that Revolutionaries use Mind Control, and how that Mind Control is applied, is unknown to the average crewmember. The concept of a revolution, and there being leaders to that revolution, is obviously not shielded. Only specified jobs know about the Mind Control Flashes, or that Mindshields are needed to prevent or undo them.

• Revealed to:
  • Command
  • Security
• Revealed to others by:
  • Being directly told by somebody who already knows
  • Witnessing a conversion directly
  • Being shown a conversion flasher and having its function explained

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The existence of Nuclear Operatives are considered a total fabrication, insane spacer tall tales made up to scare off annoying passengers and only high ranking members within NanoTrasen are aware they exist. It is a fabrication that has gained some traction in media however, with Blood-Reds being incorporated into toy lines across numerous sectors. Despite this, the nuke disk is obviously known to be a potential target for bad actors, and must be protected. Not even other Syndicate Agents know that Nuclear Operatives are real, believing the hardsuits to simply be ordinary Syndicate gear. Those that do know of Nuclear Operatives are expected to keep a tight lid on that knowledge, as revealing they exist can cause mass panic and termination of their contract.

• Revealed to:
  • AIs
• Revealed by:
  • Witnessing Nuclear Operatives (Not every Blood-Red is a Nukie, but if there are multiple they might be)
  • Discovering a Nuclear Operative’s Shuttle
  • Declaration of a War Op
  • Being directly told by somebody who already knows

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The fact that the Gods are real entities with real powers is unknown to almost everybody, including their most devout followers among crew with the exception of the chaplain themselves. You can not claim to have witnessed them prior, and any proof you see must be the first true proof you have ever seen. You may believe something to have been a miracle, but it can not have actually been one. This includes Ratvar, Nar’sei, and the Honkmother.

• Revealed to:
  • Chaplains
• Not Revealed to:
  • Command
  • NT-CC Employees
• Revealed by:
  • Witnessing a miracle
  • Being spoken to by the gods
  • Experiencing a situation where absolutely no other explanation is possible
  • Witnessing the God physically

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The fact that syndicates have an Implant implanted. The fact that implanters and un-implanted implanters exist is known, as well as Syndicate Implant names. However the specifics of non-NanoTrasen Implants are generally unknown even to Command, while the names of the syndicate implants may be known and you may only speculate on their use. Even those who know of their existence do not know for sure if one is currently implanted into a person, unless they witness its use.

• Revealed to:
  • Security
  • Medical
• Revealed by:
  • Discovering a used or unused non-NT implanter or implanter box
  • Witnessing use of a non-NT implant by anyone, such as cuffs being broken, an EMP going off, etc
  • Experiencing a situation where absolutely no other explanation is possible, such as someone who was stripped completely suddenly having an object
  • Discovering an unlocked uplink

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The powers and effects of Memetic or Mystical forces. Examples of Memetic effects are the "Don't you want more" and "Reasons to join the Syndicate" papers being able to turn people into antagonists. Examples of Mystical effects are "The End of Q" paper or the "Summon Ghosts" spell. This lack of knowledge does not prevent you from being afraid of or hostile towards a Memetic or Mystical force.

• Memetic effects are revealed to:
  • Security
  • Wizards
• Mystical effects are revealed to:
  • Chaplains
  • Wizards
• Mystical effects are not revealed to:
  • Command
  • NT-CC Employees
• Revealed by:
  • Witnessing a Memetic or Mystical effect, including having one affect you

Revealed by Discovery

Things that are unknown until specific circumstances reveal them, judged on a case-by-case basis. Knowing any of these things without them being revealed is metagaming.

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The fact that Chameleon items exist is unknown to everyone. Suspicion of an item being fake or stolen is not shielded, but testing items or calling them chameleon is metagaming. This prohibits right-click testing items for chameleon options, as untrained individuals would not know how to activate or use chameleon items.

• Revealed by:
  • Seeing someone else cause any chameleon item to change
  • Finding holographic nanomachine fibers
  • Experiencing a situation where absolutely no other explanation is possible
  • Discovering an unlocked uplink

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The fact that a headset has additional communications channels. This prohibits randomly checking headsets with right-click to see channels, or using a screwdriver to remove encryption keys without probable cause. This also shields the existence of Syndicate Encryption Keys.

• Revealed by:
  • Witnessing someone add an unauthorized encryption key to their headset
  • Witnessing someone use the headset to communicate in a channel that can not be heard, primarily for Captains who have all channels and were unable to hear what was said in any channel
  • Hearing someone speak in a channel they should not have access to, or knowing they have stolen Encryption Keys or headsets during the shift
  • Seeing a Syndicate Encryption Key
  • Seeing a Syndicate Headset
  • Discovering an unlocked uplink
  • Hearing someone speak in the Syndicate channel while wearing a headset

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The fact that an item can be something other than what its visual appearance and examine description indicates. This exists to protect stealth items such as energy pens, explosive pens, etc. This includes the Cybersun pen’s ability to rewrite documents, though Cybersun pens are still contraband regardless. This prohibits using damage values, charge indicators, or any other right-click options to know that it is anything other than what it appears to be.

• Revealed by:
  • Seeing an item behave differently than the expected behavior for the item
  • Seeing the item used for its hidden purpose
  • Experiencing a situation where absolutely no other explanation is possible
  • Discovering an unlocked uplink

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The fact that Deathsquad is used to terminate NanoTrasen stations. Deathsquad is known to exist as an arm of Central Command, but it is believed to be their ‘Navy Seals’. Any illegal or horrific use of Deathsquad is shielded. NT Personnel should never reveal to crew the true purpose of deathsquad, unless forced through duress or code epsilon is declared.

• Revealed by:
  • Code Epsilon being declared
  • Being a NT-CC employee
  • Being a member of Deathsquad
  • Being a Nuclear Operative
  • Witnessing Deathsquad perform crew executions

Metafriending and Metagrudging

Giving a person or character preferential treatment based on something that your character should not know is considered metafriending. Treating a person or character negatively based on something that your character should not know is considered metagrudging.

Friendships between characters may grow and develop and carry over between rounds, so long as they are not based solely on knowing someone out of character and this friendship does not impede or prevent you from fulfilling traitor objectives that harm them.

Metafriending Examples

• Doing any of the following because you are friends with the player who is playing a character or because you have made friends in character in a previous shift or during a previous life:
  • Giving a character additional access or a job beyond what makes sense
  • Trusting a character beyond what makes sense
  • Refusing to fight a character when it would otherwise make sense
  • Ignoring your objective to kill a character

Metagrudging Examples

• Doing any of the following because of out of character reasons or something that happened in a previous round or during a previous life:
  • Not giving a character additional access or a job when it would otherwise make sense
  • Not trusting a character when it would otherwise make sense
  • Starting a fight with a character without in-character reason
  • Targeting or harassing a character without in-character reason

Explicitly Not Shielded

The following is a list of things that are explicitly not shielded. If something is not on this list, it doesn’t mean that it is shielded, but if something is on it then it definitely is not shielded.

• The existence of the nuke disk and the fact that it must be protected and could be used by a bad actor to try to destroy the station.
• The fact that alternative law sets for a Cyborg or AI exist, and could be used to alter the Silicon’s behavior.
• Items that are of high value and are desired by the Syndicate, and are therefore likely targets of theft. Should include all high value items, not just items known to be Traitor objectives OOC.
• The idea that any Syndicate Agent or bad actor has goals or objectives that they are attempting to accomplish. They must have been sent here for a reason.
• The fact that the Syndicate exist and are enemies of NanoTrasen, and that they regularly attempt to send covert agents to spy on, sabotage, or attack NanoTrasen.
• A character’s typical appearance, though you should keep in mind that multiple characters can share the same name or features.
• The fact that the Syndicate have covert items capable of getting items to them, and that these items are known as uplinks.
• The existence of Space Dragons, Space Carps, Pirates, Thieves, and Xenos.