Transfer secrets/hooks on succession

[VNobility]

This might not be an suggestion, given that I don't know the exact solution, but it is something that has been bugging me for quite some time.

So the situation: I (as a king) have let my spymaster attempt to 'find secrets' in my own kingdom. (S)He found out that one of my vassals is a deviant, and due to it being criminal I can blackmail it and use the strong hook to keep him out of any faction. The king will eventually die, and the new king (his son) is not aware of the deviant secret, and the spymaster how uncovered it has also forgotten it. 9 out of the 10 times the vassal will join a faction and start a civil war.

My problem with this is that the:
- The spymaster how uncovered the secret is no longer aware of the secret
- The previous king used it to blackmail, but has apparently never wrote it down or informed his successor. There has to be some physical prove of the secret
- It is possible that the same spymaster won't find the same secret again for the new king.

I know that simply transferring the all hooks and secrets to the heir will make it to easy, but their should be some mechanism to better cover this.

Some option would be to:
- Allow to 'write down secrets' so it can be transferred on succession (a spy book of some kind). To counter this it would be possible that the secrets can be exposed/stolen/etc.
- Tie secrets to be the ruler and the spymaster. If the king dies the spymaster should still know the secret and be able to transfer it to the new king
- Make secrets found by your predecessor easier to find
- Allow the to be bought back form your spymaster

 

[Blk82]

I think the issue arises because the new king can demand blackmail for a secret that has already been used by the previous king. There is some validity in your argument, but why can't you hire a spymaster who already has secrets, then get hundreds of gold essentially "for free?" If your spymaster is a landed character who does espionage on his own, why shouldn't be bring some secrets to his liege? (from the perspective of realism, not gameplay.)

It doesn't make sense that a secret found once can be used for multiple blackmailings. It's not so much a realism, but a gameplay issue. If you dynasty spam then establish house seniority succession, you could switch rulers quite quickly. So, either the secrets/hooks would follow the office or follow the character. Since this is a game about characters, they should follow the character.

 

[helveticadomes]

i think only secrets that would create a strong hook should be passed.
maybe get them from your spymaster (but he get a strong hook against you, and can not be fired for 10 years)