TWG CXVII Host Spook-Ups

[BlackDragonSlayer]

It's once again time for host sign-ups!!! As before, 6-10 player games are ideal, with larger games having more flexibility for downsizing if absolutely necessary. Bonus points if your game is spooky season themed.

Hosts:
1. BlackDragonSlayer
2. ThatHiddenCharacter
3. davy
4. TheZeldaPianist275
...

[BlackDragonSlayer]

Thoughts? Should I change one of the Townsfolk to a second seer that's vulnerable to conversion and have both seers be told they're the vulnerable seer? Also, it is a deliberate choice that only the Skeleton Lord knows the identity of all the other Skeletons (as a handicap to the Skeleton team, given the nature of conversion games); should I change it so that all Skeletons are informed of the others' identities every time a new Skeleton is converted?

TWG: There's a Skeleton Inside You Right Now

FOR SEVEN LONG YEARS, THE SKELETON WAR HAS RAGED ON. WE APPROACH A CRITICAL MOMENT, WHEN THE BALANCE OF FATE HANGS HEAVY. THE SKELETON ARMY HAS BEEN DEVASTATED BY THE FORCES OF GOOD, BUT THE SKELETON LORD REMAINS STANDING.

Skeletons:
1. Skeleton Lord: Every night, as long as there isn't currently a living Skeleton, the Skeleton Lord may pick a player; that player is converted into a Skeleton, who is allied with the skeletons. It is publicly announced when a new Skeleton has risen, and the player who is converted is informed of their new status privately. At any point in the game, the Skeleton Lord may permanently forfeit their ability to convert new skeletons in exchange for being seered as Green for the rest of the game. In addition, once per game, the Skeleton Lord may pick a player at night; their vote counts as 0 for the next day phase.

If there is only one member of the Skeleton team remaining and no more Skeleton conversion is possible, then the remaining Skeleton gains a wolfing which functions as normal.

Not Skeletons:
2. Slime Wizard: Every night, the Slime Wizard may pick a player; at the end of the night, the Slime Wizard is told that player's color as of the end of the phase (after conversion). The Slime Wizard is immune to the Skeleton Lord's conversion, as the Slime Wizard does not possess a skeleton.
3. Brave Knight: If the Brave Knight is converted to a Skeleton, their seering color remains Green. Is told they're a normal Townsfolk.
4. Townsfolk
5. Townsfolk
6. Townsfolk
7. Townsfolk Who Owns a Mill: Is told they're a normal Townsfolk.

Skeletons win when # of Skeletons = # of Not Skeletons. Not Skeletons win when all Skeletons have been eliminated.

Host Clarifications:
(any mechanics clarifications will be added here if necessary. Feel free to ask questions!)
- PMs are off for the game.
- No lynch is not an option. Instas work as normal.
- Night start with the first night phase being 48 hours.
- If a player with a night actions does not submit their night action, no night action goes through.
- Color cardflips are on.

[ThatHiddenCharacter]

"What could be scarier than alcoholism?" - TheZeldaPianist275, 2023

TWG: Drunk With Power

DMs are not allowed in this game. No lynch is a voting option. Since wolves do not know each other, wolfings are determined by a vote. A tie is solved with a randomizer, just like with lynch ties. No votes results in a random killing (with the wolves included in the pool, make sure to vote!). This game does not have cardflips.

Roles:

1. Big Alcohol Rep: Once per night can DM the host a player's name. If the player is an Alcoholic, they become a Severe Alcoholic. The player becomes an Alcoholic if they are a Designated Driver.
2-?. Drunk Werewolf: Vanilla werewolf, but drunk. Drunk Wolves (and the BAR) do not know who each other are.
3. Bar Brawler: Once during a day phase can challenge another player. Both the player and the Bar Brawler will die and no lynch will happen during that phase.
4. Bartender: Once per night, can DM a player's name to the host, cutting that player off. In the morning, the player becomes a Designated Driver if they are an Alcoholic. The player becomes an Alcoholic if they are a Severe Alcoholic.
5. Designated Driver: Is sober. Their vote counts as two votes. Is told they are an Alcoholic.
6. Severe Alcoholic: Is so drunk that their vote doesn't count. Is told they are an Alcoholic.
7-?. Alcoholic: Vanilla role, except more drunk.

Host Clarifications:
If both the BAR and Bartender target the same player, the actions are negated.
All "vanilla" human roles are told they are an Alcoholic, and are not made aware of when their status changes.
BAR is included in the wolfing vote.
Wolves win when all humans are dead.

Fun fact:
One of the original ideas for this game stemmed from the inclusion of a drunk seer. The idea didn't pan out...

[BlackDragonSlayer]

What? Just pretend everyone's wearing costumes.

TWG: A Punderful Zoo

lololololol

Some questions!

1. If the Scapegoat is roleblocked by the Direwolf, does that negate their special, uh... ability?
2. Are the wolves informed if/when the Scapegoat switches sides?
3. Similarly to question 1, how does the role block interact with Monkey See, Monkey Do? Does it block their ability to gain powers (so they wouldn't gain the roleblock power, or any other powers used on it that night), or does it only block the power they use that night?
4. Is the Baby Panda told they're the Zookeeper, or do they know they're the Baby Panda?

Right now the game seems a bit town-sided with three specials that all have the potential to claim (including the Scapegoat simply revealing they're the Scapegoat, without openly revealing the Direwolf's identity, right off the bat). If all players with a role claim, that only leaves 4 possibilities for lynch targets (and if there's a double claim then it becomes a 50/50 of hitting a wolf). I feel like there needs to be some sort of insurance against the possibility of a mass claim.

[TheZeldaPianist275]

THC what happened to alcoholism game

[A# Minor]

the alcoholics turned into animals and the bartender is now a zookeeper

[ThatHiddenCharacter]

THC what happened to alcoholism game

The sign-ups are spoopy time. I'll bring it back for the next one.

I'll respond to BDS' post shortly.

[ThatHiddenCharacter]

1. If the Scapegoat is roleblocked by the Direwolf, does that negate their special, uh... ability?
2. Are the wolves informed if/when the Scapegoat switches sides?
3. Similarly to question 1, how does the role block interact with Monkey See, Monkey Do? Does it block their ability to gain powers (so they wouldn't gain the roleblock power, or any other powers used on it that night), or does it only block the power they use that night?
4. Is the Baby Panda told they're the Zookeeper, or do they know they're the Baby Panda?

1. Roleblocking only affects active abilities. The scapegoat's "ability" is passive.
2. No, the wolves do not find out who the Scapegoat is or that they switched, and the Scapegoat doesn't find out who the wolves are. (Thoughts on that? I could be swayed.)
3. It only blocks the power they use that night. But, as with the way the role works, they also gain the ability to roleblock.
4. Baby Panda knows they are Baby Panda. (It's like a delayed Known Human.)

Right now the game seems a bit town-sided with three specials that all have the potential to claim (including the Scapegoat simply revealing they're the Scapegoat, without openly revealing the Direwolf's identity, right off the bat). If all players with a role claim, that only leaves 4 possibilities for lynch targets (and if there's a double claim then it becomes a 50/50 of hitting a wolf). I feel like there needs to be some sort of insurance against the possibility of a mass claim.

Not sure how to go about that. Any suggestions?

[BlackDragonSlayer]

1. Roleblocking only affects active abilities. The scapegoat's "ability" is passive.

Makes sense. I figured about as much, cause otherwise that would lead to a lot of potentially lolsy situations

2. No, the wolves do not find out who the Scapegoat is or that they switched, and the Scapegoat doesn't find out who the wolves are. (Thoughts on that? I could be swayed.)

I think it might be a good idea if the wolves knew when the Scapegoat switched, and the wolves can go ahead and invite them into the fold on their own from there if they so choose.

3. It only blocks the power they use that night. But, as with the way the role works, they also gain the ability to roleblock.

Makes sense, but that adds two more questions:
1. Can the night kill be roleblocked, or is considered a passive ability?
2. If one roleblocker blocks another roleblocker, is the roleblocking blocked? Or are roleblockers immune to roleblocking?

4. Baby Panda knows they are Baby Panda. (It's like a delayed Known Human.)

I feel like that just adds another potential role to claim right out of the gate. Five people can claim right away, meaning that 2/3 lynches would be viable if those remaining 3 claimed normal human, or 1/2 if one wolf tried to impersonate another special, plus another 1/2 out of the 2 normal human claimers.

Not sure how to go about that. Any suggestions?

In larger games, my way around mass claiming potential is to give the wolves a single-use Sniper kill (basically instant, unblockable kill at any point in the game), but given the small size of the game I don't think that would be a good idea—but the idea can be adapted similarly:
1. At any point in the game the wolves can elect to use an instant sniper kill at the cost of skipping their next night kill.
2. Wolves get a single attempt at matching a player up with their role; if they're correct, that player instantly dies. If they're incorrect, they can't use that ability again at any point in the game. The only downside is that you might have to switch to color cardflips instead of full role because it might give wolves too much advantage in the late game, and especially so after the Baby Panda is revealed (or just disable the ability from Day 2 onward so the wolves don't get a free instakill).

Alternatively, instead of all the sniper-related nonsense (), you could just have the Baby Panda be told they're a normal human and turn one of the specials into another Zookeeper. Alternatively, instead of getting rid of one of the specials, you could turn the Scapegoat into a Traitor instead because they'd be likely to claim normal human (which gives more cover for the wolves), and gives another player fighting for the wolves right out of the gate.

[TheZeldaPianist275]

The sign-ups are spoopy time.

What could be scarier than alcoholism

[A# Minor]

What could be scarier than alcoholism

me rolling wolf 

[davy]

I'm also in for hosting. I have a game in mind that is almost ready, just need to run some numbers to decide on the number of players, day/night start and some other subtle things like that. I'll hopefully be able to post it this evening, otherwise tomorrow morning (so like 24 hours from now).

[ThatHiddenCharacter]

1. Can the night kill be roleblocked, or is considered a passive ability?
2. If one roleblocker blocks another roleblocker, is the roleblocking blocked? Or are roleblockers immune to roleblocking?

1. The night kill can be roleblocked, but only if the normal wolf is targeted. That way the normal wolf is the one that technically has the ability since the direwolf can roleblock. And it doesn't make the roleblock too OP.
2. Roleblocking can be roleblocked.

As for your point on the baby panda, I think you're right. It makes more sense to be unknown to the player at first. And I think I will change the Scapegoat to a traitor, but neither they nor the wolves know each other. What would you think about the Scapegoat being worth two votes, but they can learn the identities of the wolves to be able to join them at the cost of losing the extra vote power?

[BlackDragonSlayer]

1. The night kill can be roleblocked, but only if the normal wolf is targeted. That way the normal wolf is the one that technically has the ability since the direwolf can roleblock. And it doesn't make the roleblock too OP.

But the nightkill is still a faction kill and doesn't go away when the normal wolf dies? I think roleblocking the nightkill is such a niche scenario that the possibility of roleblocking it is ok, but it helps to anticipate such scenarios.

2. Roleblocking can be roleblocked.

Makes sense.

As for your point on the baby panda, I think you're right. It makes more sense to be unknown to the player at first. And I think I will change the Scapegoat to a traitor, but neither they nor the wolves know each other. What would you think about the Scapegoat being worth two votes, but they can learn the identities of the wolves to be able to join them at the cost of losing the extra vote power?

Looking over the game again, with a traitor, the humans basically only get one shot at hitting a wolf before wolves can get a higher number of votes. I think neither party knowing each other is a good call, but I would add the addition that if the Scapegoat reveals they're a Traitor to anyone, their vote counts as 0 for the rest of the game (to try and avoid them knowingly coordinating with the wolves). Giving them 2 votes is a bit risky and I think has the potential to swing the pendulum the other way.

[TheZeldaPianist275]

THC I like the changes you guys are suggesting but I still think that mass claiming is probably going to swing the balance in the humans' favor in a game-breaking way. Can you modify any of the animals' powers to more passive effects and just have them told they're a random animal?