For those unfamiliar with the game of Mafia (known to some as "Werewolf"), here's a brief description:
Mafia is a game of intrigue, deduction, and deception. There are two basic teams: the "town" and the "mafia." The town is always the larger of the two groups (typically three times the size of the mafia). The town's objective is to root out the members of the mafia hidden amongst them, before the mafia destroy them and seize control of the town.
The game is divided into day and night phases. During the day, the town investigates amongst itself, and each town player can cast votes against the players who they believe are mafia members. Meanwhile, the mafia will also control their own votes, and will be trying to blend in and do their best to pretend to be participating in the hunt for the mafia. A majority vote results in that player being eliminated from the game, and their alignment as mafia or town revealed. Then, the game will proceed to the night phase. During the night phase, the mafia will secretly select a target of their own to kill, and players on both teams will use any other special abilities they possess. The game ends when either all of the mafia have been rooted out, or there are so few townies left alive that they can no longer achieve a majority vote to eliminate the mafia.
Any number of other abilities may also be used, though these are specific to each game. One of the more common roles with abilities include Cops, which can investigate the alignment of a player each night by sending that name to the mod. The mod will then respond to that player with a result of Innocent or Guilty – an indicator of whether or not a player is a member of the mafia. Another common role is the Doctor, who can send in the name of a player at night with the hope of defending them. If that player would have been killed that night, the Doctor's ability prevents the kill.
Many Mafia games have storyline and themes that make them very interesting to play in. Game mods often go to great lengths to make games saturated with flavor, which often bleeds into game mechanics. Thus, every game is different, and some of them are very complex. Strategies and counter-strategies have been developed for hundreds of situations, and yet, the thrill of uncertainty that made the original game so exciting to play is still present. Go sign up for a game, and see what the craze is all about!
For more information on how to play, see the MafiaScum wiki. A flash tutorial has also been made by one of the MafiaScum users.
Around 2 games of various types are run concurrently in the Mafia subforum. Whenever one game finishes, a new one will be posting signups within a few days, so check back often if you're waiting to get into a game. If you want to sign up for a new game, just wait until new signups are posted, then post there.
I want to play a game of Mafia! How do I sign up?
Game signups are often open. Just pop in to the most recent signup thread and type "/in". The game moderator will contact you when the game is ready to begin, and and answer any questions you may have. If there are no open sigups, you can indicate your preference in the contact list thread, and you will be PM'd when signsups for a game type you are interested in get posted. Smaller games with 12 players or less tend to be the best for new players to start with.
If you have any questions before signing up, you can also private message Azrael, Bur, Silvercrys3467 or shadowlancerx who help keep the forum running smoothly, and they would be happy to help you. They can also find you a player mentor to offer advice and assistance, and keep an eye open for games that are friendly to new players and let you know when those are open.
There are currently four types of games: Micro games, Mini games, Normal games and FTQ games. FTQ games can be more complicated, so if you're just starting out, you may not want to try them unless you're feeling spunky or adventurous.
The Mafia Subforum
This forum is for playing and discussing the game of Mafia. All of the MTGS Forum Rules apply here, though keep in mind the following notes:
- In Mafia games, a short post that looks like spam may not necessarily be spam, depending on the relevancy to the game. Still, true spam will be infracted, and borderline spam may be warned.
- Even though Mafia involves attacking other players, flaming is still not allowed. Please refrain from personal insults, especially personal insults coupled with profanity. Attacking another user's play (e.g. "That was an incredibly stupid vote") is acceptable.
- Due to the nature of Mafia, double-posting is allowed *if* the second post contains actual content. Examples of double posts that are not discouraged include spam and correcting a minor typo that does not affect the essential meaning of your post. Posting more than 3 times consecutively as a player in a game may result in Moderator action; please be sensible and try to ensure that your posts, if spanning across multiple consecutive posts, do contain substantial content, short of correcting typos.
- Mod text (bold + red) is permitted in the Mafia subforum only, for in-game purposes such as scum lists. Do not use bold red in your signature or any other areas of the site.
Common Game Rules
Each game will have its own set of rules, but almost all games will start with the following:
- Follow MTGS rules (see above)
- The spirit of the rules is as important as the letter: if you think you have found a mistake or loophole, talk to the mod about it before you post.
- Do not edit or delete your posts
- Do not post after you are dead
- Do not post in the thread while the game is in Night
- Do not directly quote or screenshot your role PM, or any other communication from the mod or from any other private communication. You may paraphrase this information. If you have the slightest doubt, check with the mod before posting.
- As long as the game is ongoing, do not talk to anyone about the game outside of the game unless your role PM explicitly allows you to. That means anyone.
I'm new to the game. What should I do?
First thing, let us know in the contact list thread that you're new and that you'd like to play a game. You can also go to a sign-up thread and post "/in" to signal you want to join that game. When enough players sign up, the game will start and you will be notified by PM (so keep and eye out!).
When it comes to actually playing the game, there are many different styles. Some players focus on small details, such as other players' choice of words. Others try to put themselves in the other player's shoes, and think if their actions make more sense from town or mafia. Some try to see if a player's emotions and convictions appear to be sincere and genuine. Others look for players who seem to be hurting the town. Meanwhile, the mafia can either do their best to seem perfectly ordinary, and simulate how they would act if they were town - and/or they can manipulate the town into destroying themselves from within.
Copied below are a number of helpful articles which explore many of these ideas in greater depth.
MafiaScum's guide on "How to be a Good Townie".
Article Index:
Strategy:
Behavioral Analysis, Chapter 1 – Causal Analysis
Behavioral Analysis, Chapter 2 – Evaluating the Strength of Evidence
In Defense of Pace
The Pinocchio Problem: When Should a Townie Lie?
Three Games Within the Game
Setup design:
Mafia Pointing Theory
Balancing a Mafia Setup
Meta-Meta
Devilry on Stage: MTGS (Specialty) Game Design
Advanced Setup Design
Reviewing Mafia Games
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TOWN ROLES
Vanilla Townie: normal player without any special abilities, aside from the ability to vote. Every single basic (and most nonbasics) will have a least a few of these roles.
Town Doctor: a protective role that may be used once a night to protect someone from a killing action, such as a nightkill or vig' shot. In most variations, the doctor cannot protect himself (with very rare exceptions).
Town Cop: an investigative role that may be used once at night to determine if a player is mafia or town. Considered the strongest investigative role by most users. (occasionally unreliable, see Variation--Questionable Cops)
Town Vigilante: often referred to as a vig, the vigilante is a killing role that may be used at night to kill any target player. In basics, sometimes the Vigilante is given a limit of 1-2 shots, meaning they can only use the ability a limited number of times. Full vigs do not have a shot limit.
Town Tracker: an investigative role that can target a player at night and will be told by the mod that player targeted anyone else, but not know what they did. (Because the tracker has to specifically target the player doing something, this is considered one of the weaker investigative roles.)
Town Watcher: an investigative role that targets a player at night. The watcher will then be told by the mod if anyone else targets the player the watcher chooses, although will be unaware of what actions are attempted on the target. (The watcher is a good role for catching a scum on an obvious nightkill target.)
Town Roleblocker: This is a town disabler role. The target of this role will be unable to use any of their abilities the night targeted. In most cases, this will also stop the mafia night kill. A town role blocker is uncommon, but not heard of, as the role blocker in a game in typically a scum role blocker. (This is considered a weaker role, due to having the tracker weakness of having to target the correct player, as well as the ability to backfire by disabling another town player.)
Bulletproof Townie: This is a town passive role. This townie cannot be killed by abilities, although can still be lynched normally. (This is considered powerful, as without claiming, this role can usually soak up at least 1 mafia nightkill. In basics, this will usually take the place of a protective role.)
Town Jailer: a combination of disabler and protective. The target of the jailer will be protected (see Doc), but cannot use abilities either (see Roleblocker). Jailers can never target themselves as this creates a paradox. (Typically protects the doctor in a basic.)
[Town] Mason(s): a group of players with a separate chat that they can communicate with each other. The largest advantage of the masons are that they can confirm themselves as town, and coordinate behind the scenes. [This assumes "confirmed masons." In some variations in larger games, three (or more?) masons may have a scum mason in the group with the remaining players being uninformed of this fact; known as "unconfirmed masons."]
Town Hider: a protective role. At night, this player may hide themselves behind another player, and will only be killed if the player they are hiding behinds dies. Some variations will kill the hider if they hide behind a non-town player, while others have restrictions (e.g. you can only hide every other day).
Town Back-up Role: a role that activates on the death of another power role and takes their place. Until the original power dies, a back up is vanilla for all intents and purposes. Upon the death of the character, the back-up "activates" and is told by the mod what they are. Common back-ups include a cop (deputy), doctor (nurse), or vigilante (side kick?).
Town Jack of All Trades: a role with usually have 2-3 different examples of common abilities (such as doctor, cop, or vig), but will only have a shot or two of each. (How to make the most of those abilities is the key to using this role.)
Town Role Cop: an investigative role similar to the typical "alignment cop," the role cop will receive from the mod the ability(ies) of whoever is targeted at night, but not the alignment. (While useful for gathering information and clearing claims, this is weaker/less reliable than an actual cop.)
[INDENT]Variation--Day Abilities (Cop/vig)
Although rare, day cops or vigs are the same as their standard counterparts, but their abilities can be used during the day. In this situation, typically the choice to cop or vig will be announced publicly in bold, with some sort of mod confirmation.
MAFIA ROLES:
Mafia Goon: the equivalent of a Vanilla Townie, a Goon has no special powers other than the vote, the mafia night chat, and the fact that he knows who his teammates are.
Mafia Roleblocker: this is a disable ability that prevents the target from using their night action. Typically, you will receive flavor text from the moderator, even if you did not attempt an action or don’t have an ability, although it will not be confirmed you’re were roleblocked. (By far, the most common type of scum PR in a basic.)
Mafia Rolecop: similar to the town rolecop, this is a scum power used to help determine town roles. At night, that player is targeted and their role (in any) is revealed. This can help determine who to use the mafia’s night kill on.
Mafia Tracker: a weaker version of the rolecop, the scum tracker works as a town tracker does with the same purpose as the Scum Role Cop: To find town power roles.
Mafia Tough Guy: the mafia’s version of the vig. This role is considered powerful, because unlike a town vig, the scum tough guy knows who NOT to shoot.
Mafia Godfather: this is considered one of the stronger mafia roles. The Godfather’s most relevant power is that he/she will return a non-guilty verdict from a cop investigation. In some versions, the Godfather is also immune to night kill shots, and can also make the final decisions for the scum nightkill.
NEUTRAL ROLES:
Survivor: a role where the players goal is simply to survive to the end game. They don't care if Mafia or Town get lynched, just as long as they don't. They can either play as town and take the chance of getting nightkilled, or play scummy and take the chance of getting lynched.
Serial Killer: Independent player who has a nightkill ability and a goal to kill everyone else in the game. This player wins if they are the last player standing.
Vanilla Townie: normal player without any special abilities, aside from the ability to vote. Every single basic (and most nonbasics) will have a least a few of these roles.
Town Doctor: a protective role that may be used once a night to protect someone from a killing action, such as a nightkill or vig' shot. In most variations, the doctor cannot protect himself (with very rare exceptions).
Town Cop: an investigative role that may be used once at night to determine if a player is mafia or town. Considered the strongest investigative role by most users. (occasionally unreliable, see Variation--Questionable Cops)
Town Vigilante: often referred to as a vig, the vigilante is a killing role that may be used at night to kill any target player. In basics, sometimes the Vigilante is given a limit of 1-2 shots, meaning they can only use the ability a limited number of times. Full vigs do not have a shot limit.
Town Tracker: an investigative role that can target a player at night and will be told by the mod that player targeted anyone else, but not know what they did. (Because the tracker has to specifically target the player doing something, this is considered one of the weaker investigative roles.)
Town Watcher: an investigative role that targets a player at night. The watcher will then be told by the mod if anyone else targets the player the watcher chooses, although will be unaware of what actions are attempted on the target. (The watcher is a good role for catching a scum on an obvious nightkill target.)
Town Roleblocker: This is a town disabler role. The target of this role will be unable to use any of their abilities the night targeted. In most cases, this will also stop the mafia night kill. A town role blocker is uncommon, but not heard of, as the role blocker in a game in typically a scum role blocker. (This is considered a weaker role, due to having the tracker weakness of having to target the correct player, as well as the ability to backfire by disabling another town player.)
Bulletproof Townie: This is a town passive role. This townie cannot be killed by abilities, although can still be lynched normally. (This is considered powerful, as without claiming, this role can usually soak up at least 1 mafia nightkill. In basics, this will usually take the place of a protective role.)
Town Jailer: a combination of disabler and protective. The target of the jailer will be protected (see Doc), but cannot use abilities either (see Roleblocker). Jailers can never target themselves as this creates a paradox. (Typically protects the doctor in a basic.)
[Town] Mason(s): a group of players with a separate chat that they can communicate with each other. The largest advantage of the masons are that they can confirm themselves as town, and coordinate behind the scenes. [This assumes "confirmed masons." In some variations in larger games, three (or more?) masons may have a scum mason in the group with the remaining players being uninformed of this fact; known as "unconfirmed masons."]
Town Hider: a protective role. At night, this player may hide themselves behind another player, and will only be killed if the player they are hiding behinds dies. Some variations will kill the hider if they hide behind a non-town player, while others have restrictions (e.g. you can only hide every other day).
Town Back-up Role: a role that activates on the death of another power role and takes their place. Until the original power dies, a back up is vanilla for all intents and purposes. Upon the death of the character, the back-up "activates" and is told by the mod what they are. Common back-ups include a cop (deputy), doctor (nurse), or vigilante (side kick?).
Town Jack of All Trades: a role with usually have 2-3 different examples of common abilities (such as doctor, cop, or vig), but will only have a shot or two of each. (How to make the most of those abilities is the key to using this role.)
Town Role Cop: an investigative role similar to the typical "alignment cop," the role cop will receive from the mod the ability(ies) of whoever is targeted at night, but not the alignment. (While useful for gathering information and clearing claims, this is weaker/less reliable than an actual cop.)
[INDENT]Variation--Day Abilities (Cop/vig)
Although rare, day cops or vigs are the same as their standard counterparts, but their abilities can be used during the day. In this situation, typically the choice to cop or vig will be announced publicly in bold, with some sort of mod confirmation.
MAFIA ROLES:
Mafia Goon: the equivalent of a Vanilla Townie, a Goon has no special powers other than the vote, the mafia night chat, and the fact that he knows who his teammates are.
Mafia Roleblocker: this is a disable ability that prevents the target from using their night action. Typically, you will receive flavor text from the moderator, even if you did not attempt an action or don’t have an ability, although it will not be confirmed you’re were roleblocked. (By far, the most common type of scum PR in a basic.)
Mafia Rolecop: similar to the town rolecop, this is a scum power used to help determine town roles. At night, that player is targeted and their role (in any) is revealed. This can help determine who to use the mafia’s night kill on.
Mafia Tracker: a weaker version of the rolecop, the scum tracker works as a town tracker does with the same purpose as the Scum Role Cop: To find town power roles.
Mafia Tough Guy: the mafia’s version of the vig. This role is considered powerful, because unlike a town vig, the scum tough guy knows who NOT to shoot.
Mafia Godfather: this is considered one of the stronger mafia roles. The Godfather’s most relevant power is that he/she will return a non-guilty verdict from a cop investigation. In some versions, the Godfather is also immune to night kill shots, and can also make the final decisions for the scum nightkill.
NEUTRAL ROLES:
Survivor: a role where the players goal is simply to survive to the end game. They don't care if Mafia or Town get lynched, just as long as they don't. They can either play as town and take the chance of getting nightkilled, or play scummy and take the chance of getting lynched.
Serial Killer: Independent player who has a nightkill ability and a goal to kill everyone else in the game. This player wins if they are the last player standing.
Some of these entries are internet or site specific acronyms, and not specific to the game. New people still sometimes need them explained. If you find this to be too much "dumbing down" feel free to say so, but also accept that this whole glossary may simply not be meant for you. Thanks!
Basic game: a game of the simplest level of design. Players should expect traditional mafia roles with very little embellishment. [Basic games are an excellent place to work on mastering behavioral analysis techniques. While new players are always welcome to join other game types, basic games provide a simple, uncomplicated introduction to the fundamentals of the Mafia game.]
Bastard Game: A setup in which the moderator inflicts confusing, difficult, suspicious-seeming, or misleading roles and mechanics on the players. Generally disapproved of, in favor of games that put a greater emphasis on analyzing behavior than role analysis.
Bastard Mod: A moderator who designs bastard games.
“barn” (/barn): to agree with it without contributing independent thought; short for barnacle, it is meant to be a metaphor for riding along with someone else’s opinion.
Burnout: a player ability that, when used, removes all other abilities the player has for the rest of the game.
Bus: an action word (often “bussing”) used to describe when a mafia member actively votes or participates in the lynching of one of their teammates in order to gain credibility in the eyes of the town. Sometimes even leads to full lynches of mafia by other mafia in order to win the overall game.
CC: Counter-Claim (See below)
Claim: giving out the information in your role PM in a post during a game. (This must be paraphrased and retyped because copying and pasting, or “quoting”, is against the spirit of uncertainty in the game.) This is called a claim because it cannot be called a certainty until the player is dead (or the game is over in some extreme cases) Types include:
[INDENT]False Claim: a claim where a player lies about his PM information because to tell the truth would cause some sort of game disadvantage. Mafia must typically false claim to keep from getting lynched, but sometimes Town false claim, too. This is generally to keep from exposing power roles.
Full Claim: the type of claim usually required when you are within a few votes of being lynched. Includes all pertinent information from your role PM.
Mass Claim: everyone playing gives their role PM in the game thread to put all the information out there and make it potentially harder for scum to hide.
Soft Claim: a claim where someone has given partial information as to their role PM, such as name, gender, etc.
[/INDENT]Confirmed: a word used to describe a player that has been proven or verified as a town member.
Counter-Claim: an action taken by a player who sees part of their own unique claim used as another player’s defense. Usually used to catch scum in lies. (As in many cases in this game, sometimes the reverse is true as well where a scum false counter-claims when a town player is forced to claim. See False Claim above.)
Crypto-Claim: Crypto-Claims/Acronym Claim - Crypto-claiming is a method of forcing players to put their role claims on record publicly in encrypted form, without revealing their content until a later time. The most common method of crypto-claiming is the acronym claim, in which players encrypt a message describing their role by posting the first letter of every word in the message, together with the number of words and the number of characters in the message. Later, the town can require each player to reveal the encoded message, and verify that the word and character limits match. Generally a banned game maneuver. Attributed to Azrael. Example: TYVM. 4 words, 16 letters. Decoded: Thank you very much.
Day (as opposed to day): game phase where players post in the thread, attempt to make cases, and vote for lynches. When lower-case, indicates “in real life” time.
Deadline: a set time where the remaining players must reach a consensus vote as to who will be lynched or the Mod will be forced to move the game into the next (usually Night) Phase.
Distancing: a scum tactic where two scum argue or post against each other, either by fighting over a third party or about their own loyalties. This makes it harder to tell who the scum are if one player of the pair is lynched. Sometimes results in a Bus (See Above).
EBWODP: Edit By Way Of Double Post. Since editing posts is illegal in this game and sometimes corrections need to be made, by starting a second post with this acronym you may fix errors that make the content of the original post confusing.
EWP: Edit While Previewing(?). Before posting and when previewing a post about to be sent, this is an edit that occurs because someone else has posted since the player performing the edit started their composition.
False Claim: see Claim.
Fearmongering: a baseless argument where a player declares simply that something bad will happen if they are lynched.
Fishing: mafia technique of using statements to elicit information from someone(s) in the game that they would normally keep to themselves. Typically used to determine town power roles.
Flavor: the fictional design elements added to a game of Mafia that give it style and uniqueness. Frequently loosely based off of popular cultural fictional properties, this gives the players something to discuss and characters to portray i.e. roles.
Flavor Gaming: attempting to use the implementation of flavor in the game as a means to deduce facts about the game and thereby change the game state.
[This strategy falls under heavy criticism as it is unreliable since there is no way to know if the Moderator or Setup Creator threw twists into the game that are counter-intuitive to the original flavor (e.g. in a game with historical figures, Benedict Arnold could just as easily be a Neutral character as a Mafia character; in a ret-con of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, perhaps Shredder and Krang are fighting against each other and the turtles are mind controlled on one side of the game creating all sorts of counter intuitive alliances. See Basic #37: Super Sentai Mafia Force, Go! for a perfect example of this.)]
Flip: when a player dies in the game, a short term to indicate the result that is revealed, i.e. to “When you flip scum…” or, “When I flip town…”.Flooding: also known as post-flooding, can infrequently be a scum play but is more frequently an overly enthusiastic new player’s misunderstanding of how to maintain a healthy game where everyone can keep up, even if they don’t follow the game every day. Akin to spam in any forum thread on the internet.
FoS: Finger of Suspicion. Weaker than a vote, stronger than simply speaking about concerns that a player’s posts have created, FoS is meant as an attention grabber for the town to notice and also an in-game attack on the player indicated. (Also sometimes HoS, Hand of Suspicion and PoS, Pinkie of Suspicion. These last two are degrees of emphasis for FoS that have been used in Mafia elsewhere.)
FTQ or Fast-Track-Queue game: a process where a game is selected by an experienced commitee of players to skip the usual wait time for start-up. Games vary in their complexity.
Gambit: an active line of play, frequently involving deception, where a player takes a specific series of actions to illicit change in the game to benefit their team. Examples include a false counter claim, bussing, false claiming an investigative role and a known result, Daykill attempts to illicit responses, etc.
Gimmick: An account where an experienced player may disguise who they are to play the game without months or years of previous experience in the thread for others to read up on. Etiquette dictates that the other player in a game with a Gimmick trust the Moderators of not only the game but also the sub-forum that a Gimmick is a player participating within the rules, and that efforts to determine their identity are against the spirit of the game no matter how frustrating this is to the non-gimmick player.
Goon: a basic mafia role without any special powers in the game. This character is more expendable to the mafia than a power role.
Hammer: to cast the last vote that lynches a player. (Has a sort of “Hot Potato” feel to it, meaning the last player to vote on a lynch is left with the hammer the next day, meaning they will be usually the first suspect. Frequently seen as a scum tell when actually is a null tell. The motivation behind the last vote must be determined to be certain if the hammering player is town or not.)
Hydra: a form of gimmick account where two or more players are playing as one. This is sometimes used as a method of mentoring, other times it actually is a game element, and occasional other times it can be used by a pair of experienced players as a shared account to help free them from meta expectations.
IGMEOY: I’ve Got My Eye On You. Another weaker variation of FoS generally regarded as more warning than accusation.
IIRC: If I Recall Correctly.
IMO: In My Opinion. Also IMHO, with H standing for Honest/Humble.
“in” (/in): used in sign up threads to indicate interest in joining the game
ITT: In This Thread, also sometimes I Think That...
Kingmaker: rarely used variant game structure where instead of a majority vote leading to a lynch, during Night one player is made "king" and holds the power of the Day's lynch decision.
L-1: Lynch minus one, meaning one vote away from a the number of votes required to lynch a player. Any other L-# you see indicates (the number required to lynch) - (the number voting lynch on the higest voted player now) = #
LAL: Lynch All Liars. A philosophical viewpoint that basically states, “If you lie, we will lynch you,” based on the idea that town players shouldn’t lie.
Lurking: the practice of posting at a minimum so as to contribute sparingly and thereby raise little confirmable suspicion. Sometimes a tactic used to execute scum strategies and get to more powerful night actions, but then again sometimes used by town power roles to avoid mislynches. ("Lurking in plain sight" would be posting nothing that changes the game state, while appearing to keep a reasonable post count.)
(My)LyLo: (Mis)Lynch or Lose. Late game state where town players must come together and vote correctly or they will be at even numbers with the scum and thereby lose the game. "Mislynch or lose" is a variant where the town can safely no-lynch, but can't mislynch or they will lose.
Lynch: the point in a game when the votes on a single player equal a majority of the players left alive and that player is killed. Types include:
[INDENT]Safe Lynch: A safe lynch is a term coined for lynching either a claimed nuetral role, or a claimed town who has added none or negatively effected the town through WIFOM, distraction, ect. It is called a safe lynch because a lynch on this person will not harm the town, regardless of alignment.
Policy Lynch: Like a safe lynch, a policy lynch does not typically care if the target is scum or not, but to lynch a distraction, or a player who commits a pretty clear cut scum tell. The most common example of policy lynch is the Lynch all Liars clause. However, typically distraction players may also be considered for a policy lynch, however, not everyone agrees policy lynches are best for a game.
[/INDENT]Mass Claim: see Claim.
Mentor: an experienced player that offers some of their time to help a new player by being a “behind the scenes” source to answer questions about the game. Questions can range from vocabulary, to previous examples of when game results occurred, to general strategy advice. Mentors are advised to not give play-by-play instructions or make decisions for the new player, but to tell them (usually between phases) what they have done right and wrong already. Suggestions of what to do next are not allowed, and specific examples about other players in the game at hand are not allowed. (Communications with a Mentor are usually handled in a QT monitored by the Mod.)
Meta: short for metagaming, and used to describe understanding a player’s behavior based on the readable pattern of actions a player uses when they are either town or scum based on the observations of other players. Through research of previous games, can frequently be used on experienced players as a map to their intentions in a current game. (Also can mean having an understanding of the player in question from outside the game, and thereby gaining insight into their playstyle.)
Mini game: a game with 12 or less players that varies in complexity, but usually more complicated than a Basic.
Mislynch: a lynch where the dead player is revealed to be town aligned.
Mod: short for Moderator. The forum member that runs the game and regulates actions taken by the players for fairness with impartiality.
Modkill: a punishment handed out when a player breaks certain hard-and-fast rules in the game, such as quoting role PM material word-for-word or discussing an ongoing game outside of the game itself. Also sometimes a consequence of inactivity.
Neutral: a role or roles that are in the game that are neither town aligned nor mafia aligned. They have an independent agenda and win condition. (Not found in Basic games.)
Night (as opposed to night): phase of the game where players do not post in the main game thread and any actions/powers are relayed to the mod to set up the next day. (Picture this as the stereotypical murder-mystery movie scene where the lights go out, someone screams, and the lights come back on to reveal someone dead in the middle of the room.) When lower-case, indicates “in real life” time.
Nightkill: the mafia’s action, taken during the night phase of the game, of sending the Mod a name of a town player they wish to be dead. Usually sent by one mafia player to the mod, indicating they will be the actually “nightkiller” or assassin. This term is usually meant to define one specific, mafia-sponsored and controlled kill that happens during the night phase, i.e. “the nightkill” as opposed to other deaths that occur during night such as a “vig-shot” (See Vig) or SK kill (See SK).
Normal game: a game expected to have a higher complexity than a Basic, but a lower complexity than a Specialty. Usually contains a high player count as well.
No Lynch: a voting choice outside of the normal decision to name a player for lynching. If majority agrees to the No Lynch option, the game will proceed to the next phase (Night) without a player dying by lynch.
OOC: Out Of Character, meant to delineate a player-to-player statement or detail relayed in-game but not pertaining to the game at hand. Sometimes IC, or In Character, is used to return to the action of the game. Also sometimes /aside is used, or a spoiler, etc. [Etiquette dictates these statements (and all other statements about real life) are to be taken at face value and are not to be questioned in terms of game tells. Etiquette also dictates these be kept to a minimum and all players be truthful when using them.]
Outed: describes a power role or other in-game advantage that was secret information and has been revealed in the game posts, i.e. "I outted myself as the Cop because..."
PBPA: Post By Post Analysis. This occurs when Player 1 quotes or links to all relevant previous substantive posts made by Player 2, and then breaks down why Player 2 is scum according to Player 1’s concerns and observations.
PCQ or Player’s-Choice-Queue game: similar to the FTQ in that it skips the usual wait time for hosting, this is a community based process that results in a game setup being chosen by popular vote.
Phase: indicates a portion of the game such as Day or Night, or Twilight.
PoE: Process of Elimination.
Policy Lynch: see Lynch.
Post Restriction: additional requirement sent in a PM where a players posts must conform to some preset quirk, such as only posting at some preset frequency, misspelling words, making flavor references, speaking as their character, rhyming, or not posting at all.
Power Role: any role in the game that has some sort of ability to affect the game beyond casting a vote (e.g. Doctor, Cop, Godfather, Vigilante, etc.). See the Roles section for more information and examples.
Prod: a PM sent to an inactive player in an attempt to see if they are interested in continuing to play in the game, and to tell them that they are lagging behind.
QT: QuickTopic, indicating a thread on an independent site for the side communications of a game. Everything from scum night chat, to player diaries, to spectator content and mentor threads are handles in the form of a QT.
RVS: Random Vote Section. The very beginning of the game where people make votes and jokes to start discussion since they have nothing much else to go on. In games with experienced players this sometimes simply doesn’t happen. When it ends is arbitrary.
“Replace” (/replace): Used in sign-up threads to indicate an interest in taking over the role of a player that either drops out of the game deliberately or abandons the game for reasons unknown.
Reviewer: an experienced Mafia player whose job it is to read through other people’s setups and make sure they are balanced before play proceeds.
Role: a player’s character and win conditions in the game, supplied by the Moderator before the game begins. Examples include:
[INDENT]Bob (Vanilla Town), You win when all mafia are dead.
Darth Vader, Sith Lord (Mafia Roleblocker), With the power of the Force (strengthened by the Dark Side) at your command, you wield the ability to once per night disable the actions of any player in the game. You win when the forces of the Empire are equal in number to the forces of the Rebellion, as they will be powerless against you and they might of the Death Star you command. [with Emperor Palpatine (Mafia Godfather) in the same game, of course :D]
[/INDENT]Safe Lynch: see Lynch.
Scum: Mafia and other non-town. Basically any player that doesn’t have town interests at heart. Neutrals with independent win conditions such as Serial Killers and Cultist are also scum.
Scum Slip: something said by a player that indicates they are scum by giving away conclusive information. Can be anything from a wording in a post that changes, to a behavioral tell, to a bald-faced lie.
Scummy: having or pertaining to scum, not to be confused with “annoying” or “spammy.”
Setup: the individual game written out as a whole, including Role PM’s and any extra structure. This is submitted to a Reviewer who then checks the game for balance to make it as equally winnable for both teams as possible aka balanced. The Setup Creator is the author of the game and usually the Moderator of the game as well.
Shadow: A system where an experienced player enters a game and has a less experienced player follow along. This is similar to the Mentor system, except instead of the less experienced player being the one in the game, they will be "Shadow"ing the more experienced player and asking them questions about their play and other such things.
Sheeping: voting the same way as another player without contributing an argument to back up your choice. Sometimes a scum tell, sometimes a lazy town tell usually depending on whose vote is being sheeped.
SK: Serial Killer, a Neutral Role. See Role Section for more information.
Soft Claim: see Claim.
Specialty game: the most complex games run on the site, these games are usually designed to push the boundries of what the game is experimentaly. Innovation and and experience are required for a player to run one of these games, and experience is suggested before joining one as well.
“spectate” (/spectate): Used in sign-up threads to indicate an interest in being allowed to read the thread while being supplied all the setup information, similar to “playing along at home” in TV game shows that list the answer on the screen for you, or poker on TV.
Traditional: a game with simpler and expected game mechanics within its named structure, i.e. Normal, Basic, etc. The opposite would be a game with unusual mechanics, such as Burnout or Kingmaker.
Tunneling: hunting only one player as scum while paying no attention to any other player’s mafia behaviors in the thread. Usually caused by being so sure that another player is scum that you (mis)interpret every post they make as scummy, only seeing scum motivations (search the 'net for confirmation bias).
tl;dr: Too Long; Didn’t Read. Used to indicate a post or several posts in an argument were not worth the time to attempt to understand based on some reason, usually a lack of real life time, or something else more pressing on the mind of the player in-game.
Twilight: the phase of the game between when a player has reached the number of votes to indicate they are lynched and when the Moderator posts the scene that takes the game into the night phase.
Vanilla: A basic town role without any special powers in the game. Never to be confused with weakness, powerlessness in Mafia gives a player the opportunity to play with less risk to the town if they are lynched. Also vanilla votes are frequently necessary to lynch mafia.
V/LA: Vacation/Limited Access, used when post frequency will become erratic because of plans outside the game.
Vig: short for Vigilante. A town role with a killing power. See the Roles section for more information.
Wagon: short for bandwagon, is used to indicate the list of votes that accumulate after a player’s name as they are voted closer and closer to a lynch.
WIFOM: “Wine In Front Of Me” from the famous scene in the film The Princess Bride. Used to indicate circular logic applied to an “either/or” statement where no actual concrete conclusion may be reached because both possibilities are equally valid if different motivations and/or facts are taken into account or presumed to be true.
Win-mongering: a term meant to describe when a player states that if another player is lynched, the town wins the game. (Coined by smoke_Killah in Basic #39)
1
So I've been starting to develop the set for real, instead of just throwing random concept designs around, and as such have started with the commons. This is my first real in-depth foray into common design too, and my experience with it so far can pretty much be summed up as: "Hey, can I copy your homework?" "Sure but don't make it too obvious."
Anyways the intent here was to follow Wizard's existing common template as closely as possible while still supporting the archetypes I need and communicating the necessary information about the themes of the set. This is just the first pass though, and it will probably be tweaked some more once playtesting is ready to begin.
Key:
(R) = Reprint
(F) = Functional Reprint
Creature — Human Knight
Flying
Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn’t renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)
2/2
Appoint Apprentice W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has vigilance.
When Appoint Apprentice enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 white Human Soldier creature token named Squire.
“Watching a newbie’s back can be annoying. But it’s invaluable having them watch yours.”
Arrow Volley 1W
Instant
Arrow Volley deals 4 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
At Arms W
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If it’s enchanted or equipped, untap it.
Battleflight Eagle 4W (R)
Creature — Bird
Flying
When Battleflight Eagle enters the battlefield, target creature gets +2/+2 and gains flying until end of turn.
2/2
Campaign’s Toll WW
Instant
Choose one—
• Target player sacrifices an attacking creature.
• Target player sacrifices an artifact or enchantment.
Chateau Sharpshooter 2W
Creature — Human Archer
Whenever you cast an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification spell, you may tap target creature.
2/2
Defensive Maneuver 2W
Instant
Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to any target this turn by a source of your choice.
Draw a card.
Indentured Page W
Creature — Human Knight
Lifelink
Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn’t renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)
1/1
Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road 2W (R)
Creature — Human Knight
Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn’t renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)
3/2
Patrician’s Privilege 2W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2.
Enchanted creature can’t be blocked unless defending player pays 2 for each creature blocking it.
Priests of the Crown 2WW
Creature — Human Cleric
When Priests of the Crown enters the battlefield, you may return target enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/4
Provisions Expert 1W
Creature — Human Cleric
When Provisions Expert enters the battlefield, you gain life equal to your armory. (Each aura, equipment, and fortification you control counts towards your armory.)
2/1
Recruitment Drive 1W
Sorcery
If a creature you control is renowned, Recruitment Drive costs 1 less to cast.
Create two 1/1 white Human Soldier creature tokens named Squire.
Solemn Offering 2W (R)
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. You gain 4 life.
“The pontiffs at the Kaerndal Cathedral thank you for your generous donation. The fact that the donation was mandatory in no way lessens its contribution.”
Trusty Steed 1W (F)
Creature — Horse
Vigilance (Attacking doesn’t cause this creature to tap.)
A knight hasn’t got worth
If his horse hasn’t got girth
—Oakton Nursery Rhyme, probably
2/2
Weigh Down W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block as long as its power is less than or equal to your armory. (Each aura, equipment, and fortification you control counts towards your armory.)
Zealous Cadet 1W (F)
Creature — Human Solider
The kingdom of Candor doesn’t boast to have the sharpest swords nor the sturdiest armor, but it certainly has the most enthusiastic militia.
3/1
Creature — Crab
The jeweled crabs that dwell within the Reach provide a steady source of income for those crusaders who aren’t quite as daring as the others.
2/5
Conjured Wings 1U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has flying.
1U: Return Conjured Wings to your hand.
Curse of Constant Chills 2U
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
Whenever Curse of Constant Chills or another Curse enters the battlefield under your control, tap target creature. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
Curse of Stolen Fortunes 1U
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to enchanted player, put a Hex counter on Curse of Stolen Fortunes.
Remove two Hex counters from Curse of Stolen Fortunes and sacrifice it: Draw two cards.
Dexterous Recruit 1U
Creature — Human Knight
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn’t renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)
1/1
Follow the Wisp U (F)
Instant
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Magical Oubliette 2U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step.
When Magical Oubliette enters the battlefield, tap enchanted creature if its power is less than or equal to your armory. (Each aura, equipment, and fortification you control counts towards your armory.)
Messenger Drake 3UU (R)
Creature — Drake
Flying
When Messenger Drake dies, draw a card.
3/3
Moat Dweller 6UU
Creature — Serpent
Moat Dweller costs X less to cast, where X is your armory. (Each aura, equipment, and fortification you control counts towards your armory.)
5/5
Negate 1U
Instant
Counter target noncreature spell.
“That one wasn’t even worth stealing.” —Dack
Raise the Drawbridge 2U
Instant
Return target creature to its owner’s hand. If you control a Fortification, draw a card.
Rebuff 2UU (F)
Instant
Counter target spell. Draw a card, then discard a card.
Replenish the Supply 3U
Sorcery
Scry X, where X is equal to your armory. (Each aura, equipment, and fortification you control counts towards your armory.)
Draw two cards.
Scrap-Heap Refurbisher 3U
Creature — Human Cleric
When Scrap-Heap Refurbisher enters the battlefield, you may put target artifact or enchantment card from your graveyard on top of your library.
2/2
Seeker of Insight 1U (R)
Creature — Human Rogue
T: Draw a card, then discard a card. Activate this ability only if you’ve cast a noncreature spell this turn.
1/3
Skymage Adept 2U (F)
Creature — Human Wizard
Flying
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
2/1
Spire Owl 1U (R)
Creature — Bird
When Spire Owl enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
1/1
Tower Lookout U (F)
Creature — Human Scout
Tower Lookout can’t be blocked.
1/2
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Intro
Crusaders of Azuria is a large set taking place in a world of knights, castles, weapons, and glory. Although Magic is fundamentally a high-fantasy game, CAZ seeks to integrate low-fantasy and medieval themes in order to create a uniquely flavorful play experience.
This is a set I have been working on little by little for years, and at this time I feel that there’s finally enough to warrant an official post about it (especially to collaborate with my good friend Proph, who still doesn’t have MSE
Characters & Setting
The principal powers of Azuria consists of five major feudal city-states or “kingdoms”, each one lead by it’s own ruler. Each kingdom is primarily run by humans, and any human-like races residing in them live as second-class citizens at best and slaves at worst (although some independent settlements of human-like races do exist, they are not anywhere near the size and influence of the Five Kingdoms). Each Kingdom also has it’s own primary Castle, however they are all constantly building settlements and expanding into new areas. Although the kingdoms are not in direct conflict with one another, there is a perpetually shifting political power-struggle between them dictated by the crusades, a series of campaigns into the Vaderlands.
Kaerndal (WB) - The wealthliest and most religious city-state. Led by a highly corrupt system of pontiffs and oligarchs, the rulers of this kingdom preach the ideals of diligence and faith while pocketing the sums of the masses for themselves. As a result however, they possess the most lavish castles and perhaps the largest influence out of the Five. It’s crusaders tend to be the most well-fed and heavily-geared.
Windpointe (WU) - Located in a mountaintop fortress, the soldiers of this kingdom believe in using their wits to survive. Windpointe’s culture promotes innovation and technology, and this paradigm has been rewarded as they possess the most advanced tools of the trades. Their artisans and enchanters are renowned for the skilled and effective work, and their crusaders are bestowed with the most cutting-edge of armaments.
Candor (RW) - The kingdom located closest to the Vaderlands, they are no stranger to fighting off the various hordes that originate from there. Candor’s crusaders have all been molded by battle, and there is no shortage of tales of their skill and tenacity.
Oakton (GW) - The only one of the Five to embrace the strength of the elves and merfolk, this kingdom is home to only the hardiest of trappers and survivalists. Their crusaders have made quite a pretty penny by providing guide services to others who would seek glory.
Mortleigh (BR) - The most lawless kingdom of Azuria, Mortleigh is renowned for its mercenaries and bounty hunters who get the job done, no matter what. It’s a land of kill-or-be-killed, and those knights who fight under its banner often undertake those dirty and bloody jobs that no one else can stomach.
It’s probably important to stress that these are not going to be factions on the scale of say, the guilds of Ravnica, they are meant to fill out the flavor and lore instead of fulfilling a mechanical purpose.
Locations - The Western Lands
Also known as the holy lands, this region encompass an unknown expanse of wilds uninhabited by humans. The denizens of Azuria believe in the Forefather, a legendary figure who lived thousands of years ago and gave birth to this plane. It is believed that his resting place lies deep in the heart of these lands, however it has never been found for one reason - the vast mass of untamed wild beasts who have made this place their home, and who are willing to do anything to defend it. Only the strongest and most tenacious are able to survive here, however--those who can come back alive do not do so unrewarded, for these lands are bountiful in resources and treasure. And perhaps even the greatest treasure of all, for it is said that the one who finds the Tomb of the Forefather is destined to unite Azuria under one rule, and reign supreme.
In their struggle for power over one another, each of the Five Kingdoms have been launching crusades into the Western Lands. The brave crusaders who undertake these treks are prepared to stake their very lives--if you fail, you die, but if you succeed, you will gain riches and glory beyond your wildest dreams. As such each of the kingdoms have been attempting to establish settlements into the holy lands as well, constructing outposts and fortifications to help support their forces.
The Borderlands - As their name suggests, this is the region of the Western lands closest to civilization and the least vicious out of all of them--but make no mistake, it is still not for the faint of heart. Plenty of wilds beasts and environmental dangers are present here, and even some there are even settlements who's populations are either very experienced, or very foolhardy.
The Reach - Often considered the beginning of the inner levels of the Western lands, this region is full of deadly hordes, natural disasters, and priceless treasures at every turn. This land is thoroughly uninhabitable for humans, and it's denizens make sure to keep it that way. Many ride to these lands searching for glory, and although only few return, those that survive often receive riches beyond their wildest dreams.
Chthonia - Beyond the Reach, deep in the unexplored West, lies Chthonia, where glory goes to die. It is said that the Reach is to a pleasant meadow as Chthonia is to the Reach. Only the bravest are willing to venture into these depths - but bravely alone is never enough in the face of the monstrosities that dwell here.
The Dark Heart - Located in the furthest depths of Chthonia, nothing is known about this place at all--for none who visited were ever able to return.
Characters - Dack Fayden
The storyline follows the greatest thief in the multiverse as he ventures into Azuria on a strange quest. After a normal day of looting, the Dack Attack suddenly receives a vision from his future self, informing him that in order to prevent a multiversal-level disaster, he must travel to Azuria and find the Tomb of the Forefather himself. Dack continued to be plagued by these visions, until our reluctant hero finally decided what had to be done. Now, having planeswalked his way onto Azuria, Dack must assemble and lead a search party, the Final Crusaders, to try to uncover the legendary tomb--before it too late.
Characters - Garruk
In addition to having to traverse the many dangers of Azuria, Dack will also come face to face with the planeswalker hunter himself. You already know Garruk’s story, and now he has his eyes set on the ultimate prey--who better than the so-called greatest thief in the multiverse to be Garruk’s crowning achievement ?
Characters - Hilda
A planeswalker native to Azuria, Hilda is a merfolk witch who uses her magic to disguise herself as a human. She quickly saw Dack for what he was, and decided to use his expedition to find glory of own and guide her people to a better life.
Mechanics
Renown is the returning mechanic of the set, and what a perfect fit it is. When this set was first conceived, there was a similar-but-worse mechanic in this slot instead, but as soon as renown was first previewed for Magic Origins I slam-dunked it into this set and never looked back.
In Azuria, renown represents the crusaders, who journey into hostile lands and who are rewarded with glory for their deeds. It’s important to note that in this set, the Knight creature type and the renown mechanic are mutually inclusive--that is to say, every creature that has renown is a Knight, and every creature that is a Knight has renown. That is because Knights are traditionally those soldiers who serve a royal master (which is why they often have vigilance on other worlds, to represent their duty to protect), but on Azuria, Knights instead represent those glory-seekers who are sent on crusades.
Previously renown is was a mechanic that only showed up in G/W/R, however on Azuria it is present in all five colors. However it is primary in W and B, as these are the colors that have the biggest affinity for Knights.
Armory (Each aura, equipment, and fortification you control counts towards your armory.)
If you’re going to venture into wild lands, you better be prepared. Armory reflects just that, and rewards players who assemble their weapons with even greater boons. This mechanic is essentially “devotion for weapons”, and encourages weapons-heavy deckbuilding while evoking an easy-to-understand flavor.
One concern that I have is that it may be common for players to mistakenly count non-equipment, non-fortification artifacts (or non-aura enchantments) towards their Armory total. We will see if this is an issue when the set gets to its playtesting stage, but a potential solution is to introduce a special marker for all aura, equipment, and fortifications in this set so that they may be counted up easily.
Fortify (As this artifact enters the battlefield, attach it to target land you control.)
That’s right, your eyes didn’t deceive you, that was definitely the word “fortification” you saw in Armory’s reminder text above. Fortifications not only fit in with this set’s central theme, as those who journey on crusades must establish footholds and outposts in order to restock and resupply, but they also work well with the Armory mechanic introduced above.
Now let me quickly get into the biggest design hurdles of this mechanic:
1. There are far less things that interact with lands as there are with creatures, so the ability to move fortifications around like equipments serves little-to-no purpose.
2. Even if there were things that interact with lands, they would make for a very annoying limited environment if they were even a little bit prevalent.
3. Finally, if a fortification is never moved around, it’s essentially just an enchant land aura.
To address these issues, the wording of the Fortify keyword has been changed for this set. In other words, the “useless” ability to shift it around has been removed--now it stays on the land it’s built on, forever ! Note that with this change Darksteel Garrison still works as a card--if fortify is followed by a cost, it works like it does in Darksteel Garrison’s text, but if fortify is just by itself, it possesses the updated reminder text.
Now what about the third issue, how are these new fortifications any different from auras ? Well mechanically they are not, but on Azuria, fortifications fill a flavor niche that auras just aren’t able to represent. When you think “Medieval set” the first thing that comes to mind is probably Knights and Swords, which are already represented, but you can’t have low fantasy without castles ! (And other medieval buildings too, such as:)
All for one (You may cast this aura’s other half to switch it to that half.)
Split cards are one of Magic’s most innovative and popular mechanics, but so far every pair split card have had one thing in common--they have all been instants or sorceries. This is for obvious design reasons, of course, as split-permanents are just begging for memory issues galore. Well actually, there is one type of permanent with an easy, in-built way to solve these issues, and that permanent type is, you guessed it, auras. All you have to do is simply hide the side you aren’t using behind the creature it’s enchanting, and presto--memory issues gone !
As for how All for One plays, it essentially lets you switch between two halves by casting them at sorcery speed. In general the card designs should reflect some kind of reason why you would want to switch between the two at different points of the game.
Although this is a very Mevlin-esque mechanic, the name All for One helps to tie it into the themes of the set as well as inform on how the card names should be read (For example, Lust // Power is read Lust for Power, etc). And being an aura-only mechanic, All for One plays well with Armory and has the potential to play well with renown, too.
Grudge <cost> You may cast this card for its grudge cost if a creature you controlled died this turn.
Grudge is a hole-filling mechanic that is meant to represent the hordes of beasts that inhabit the Vaderlands. The idea is that they don't take too kindly to invaders, so one animal dying will cause many more to come flocking in its place. In terms of creativity, this is the mechanic that I'm least attached to as it's kind of similar to Morbid and Revolt from the past, but I believe it fills an important spot by fleshing out the non-human side of this storyline and giving them something to work with.
Limited Archetypes
WU: Armory (auras and equipments)
UB: Curse Control
BR: Goblin aggro
RG: Go-wide
GW: Enchantress
WB: Knights
UR: Prowess
BG: Sacrifice
RW: Weenies
GU: Ramp
1
1
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“May the defendants please rise.” Kind of an antiquated term, since defendant chairs had been abolished for several years before, and there was nothing really left to rise from. Still, Matowar77, Huntzilla, and Gentlemen Johnny shuffled onto the scene, escorted by three accompanying bailiffs.
“This trial has reached it’s conclusion. It is the decision of the jury that the man who will be judged is none other than: Matowar77, better known known as the assassin Shelley De Killer.”
The sound of gasps echoed through the court audience. Most of them had come here for the juicy drama, and their wishes had more than been granted.
“You must be mistaken, my friends.” Spoke Matowar. “I am.... just a simple ice cream salesman. I have never even thought of killing a single soul. My only thoughts are of producing the freshest and sweetest creamy treats.” Matowar's pleas were met by deaf ears.
“This is not the time that you are to speak.” Chided Megiddo. “That time has came and went. The only thing left for you to do — is face justice for your crimes!”
"Indeed.” Interjected the judge. “Your guilt has already been determined by this court. The hammer of justice has fallen, and it has fallen upon you. Members of the jury: it's now time to cast your votes.”
One by one, the Jurors made their decisions.
With this, Matowar’s demeanor began to change. A dark aura of rage surrounded his being.
“You people.. call yourselves lawmen ! This is a disgrace ! You have failed spectacularly at your jobs gentlemen. I suggest you pick up a couple lessons from a simple, hardworking ice cream salesman as myself. You have made a mockery of yourselves, of me, and of the very rules that hold society together. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s people who disregard the rules. This won’t be… the last you’ll see of me.”
And with that, Matowar was taken away to incarceration. He was:
SHELLEY DE KILLER - Matowar77
*********************************************************
Age: ???
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Hidden at all times by a monocle
Occupation: Assassin
Normally, you wouldn't be interested in these sort of cases. You prefer to stay in the shadows, only stepping in if you're personally involved in the client or outcome. This incident concerning the Tarot Killer has interested you, though, since you've met him (her?) a year ago.
You received a private tweet on your publicly available Twitter account (@iAssassinate) for a personal assassination inquiry. You responded back, saying that you would like to meet face-to-face with your client. Clients have been running dry for a couple of months, so it's good to get some interest.
This particular client acted strangely. He (or she?) directed you to an encrypted e-mail service and told you to sign up for it, even though you're totally fine just using a public email client. The client then emailed you a meeting location: Somewhere at one of the benches at a park in
TokyoLos Angeles. The client said to wait there at a designated time, and that he (or she) would meet wearing a donkey mask.The donkey mask thing kind of disturbed you a bit, but seeing as it was a face-to-face meeting, you agreed. You took out one of your knives and a smoke bomb, just in case danger presented itself.
You arrived at the designated time and sat down at the bench. Almost immediately after you sat down, a figure - you don't know who - sat on the opposite side of the bench, and immediately said: "Don't get excited and turn around. You will make headlines tomorrow if you get the tiniest glimpse of my face," the person said. The person was using a voice changer and was wearing a donkey mask, so you couldn't figure out the gender or any identity of this person. And you realized that your were lured into a trap - the park was a clear area, so it would be very difficult to escape using your smoke bomb - in fact, it would be likely to attract more attention.
"If you wish to escape this area, then you must kill [REDACTED]," the voice said. After a pause, the voice added: "Instead of your calling card, put this on the body." A single card then drops onto your lap.
"You will be contacted with further instructions once you have dispatched our target," the voice said. Then - gone. You feel the presence of a person vanish.
You then look back on the bench. No one there. You do know two things, though: One, this person hasn't contacted you in over a year. Second - this person has severely betrayed your trust by blackmailing you and luring you to a public park, while communicating in a way that has made it impossible to detect whom that person is. So, when news surfaced of the Tarot Killer, you believe that there might be some connection..
Welcome to Ace Attorney Mafia, Matowar77! You are a Town Trial One-Shot Strongman Vigilante. You have the following special abilities:
Trial Abilities: (You do not start with these abilities. Trial Abilities are gained permanently when elected to the Jury.)
The Whim of a Murderous Gentleman (one-shot): At Night, you may target a player. You will kill that player. Your kill cannot be prevented by any means.
Win Condition: Eliminate all threats.
12:44 PM
Prisoner Holding Cell
“Man, that was some show.” The guard spoke to Shelley. “Really, I was right on the edge of my seat the whole time! And when the jurors all got up to vote ‘guilty’… I almost fell off!” He grinned from ear to ear. “Although, I don’t know why you stuck to such a ridiculous story. I mean, you’re obviously not a…”
The reason the guard stopped mid sentence was that he had just been stabbed in the gut. He grasped the knife with a look of pure disbelief on his face. How what this even possible?
Shelley retrieved the blade in a single forceful motion. “You will not die from a wound in that area.” He casually explained as he wiped away the blood from his knife. “However, you will bleed out in 45 minutes. I expect help will arrive in 15, so you should be fine in that regard. That’s something you should know about me—I don’t kill people who don’t deserve it.” The guard's eyes widened, and he let out a scream of pain. “The next half hour will be very painful for you. But I guess it’s a small price to pay for your life. Anyways, goodbye.”
Shelley paused as he exited the doorframe, and turned back towards the guard. “Before I depart, there is one more thing you should know about me...
“I’m not just a simple ice cream salesman."
It is now Night 2. Please send in all actions and jury votes within 48 hours. Day 3 will start on Thursday.
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Mechanically evokes the character of Dr. Jones while being in his colors and being freestanding good design on its own as well. Top men/10
Interesting effect - this looks fun to play and seems pretty balanced, although it would probably be way stronger in current standard with landfall and exiling shenanigans.
Great design and looks like a blast to play with. It can probably cost a little more up front since repeatability is quite strong in limited.
Looks funny I but I feel like the challenge (humming something random for 5-10 seconds) is so easy to do that it makes the activity lose all of its tension.
QT + solid limited beater, like a cross between Magby and Machap.
Bandtown Rigger - Far too pushed to ever see print.
Collective Unconscious - Cute effect, you might as well add a clause about changing seats with the next player over as well.
Next: permanent removal
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Creature - Eldrazi (C)
Devoid
2/2
IIW Banding