Major Roles and Variants

Many of the major roles have variations in how they function that control how powerful they are and are less than obvious in their impact. We will discuss those here, in all cases where possible, the most common form of the role will be considered the ‘Default’. This section also can provide advice and ideas for roles and game balance. The reader should keep in mind that Default only indicates the most common form in use, alternatives are not ‘better’ or ‘worse’ for gameplay, merely different and some of those difference might increase or decrease power, options that are considered ‘Game Breakers’ in other sections does not mean they are literally banned, merely that extreme caution is advised in using them. Interspersed with the major roles are a few ‘common modifiers’ that are less specific roles as regular adaptations applied to various roles, the lines between them, as well as between roles, is often hazy. By and large Mods should inform players if they are not using the default role, unless it is obviously not appropriate such as a miller or insane cop.

It is generally a good idea for a moderator to describe, particularly to new players, the function of a role in the original Role Message. While most players know what a cop or doc is, new players generally won’t and definitely would not know the less common roles or variations. Regardless of whether a mod is using a variant role and plans to inform or keep quiet about that to the receiver of that role, new players should be made aware of the general variations that can be in play for that role.

Back Up
The Deputy or Nurse represent roles which becomes the Cop or Doc should the other die, these are examples of Limited or Conditional Use roles covered below, another example might be a back up ‘Godfather’ role.

Bulletproof
Bulletproof, usually BP, generally describes a character that is immune to most or all Night Kills, as opposed to Lynch Proof, a role which is immune to lynching. One-Shot Bulletproof characters are also fairly common, as are conditional BP characters and it is fairly common for there to be characters who have the ability to override this protection, typically ‘super-killers’ as BP characters protection is normally not subject to roleblocking or other abilities that interfere with ability activation. The BP role is one which must be used cautiously in conjunction with other role abilities, a bulletproof cop for instance is a very powerful role, as would be a bulletproof doublevoter.

Conditional Use
The most normal case for this is the Back Up roles, or powers that can not be used on Consecutive Nights, but something is Conditional Use if something that happens during the game activates the ability. An example might be a character becoming a vigilante if a certain player is killed, or who can perform investigations on whoever voted first or as hammer for a player who is lynched and turns out innocent. Or a conditional restriction, a vigilante might forfeit his ability to perform NKs if he kills a townie, for one or more rounds or permanently.

Cop
This is the single most common role, and unsurprisingly has a large number of variants, from Insane Cops to Flavor Cops. We will cover those variants only loosely.
Default Cop – May target any player on a given night, and receives a return hit of Guilty or Not Guilty if that player is aligned against the town or not.
General Notes: The Default Cop can tell if a player is a townie, and get’s back guilty results for third parties like Serial Killers or Cults, but it can help to balance the game, if the town is considered slightly over-powered, to limit detection where third parties are concerned, and a decision would have to be made whether to inform that player or not, as well as what sort of return response a player will get if they investigate players in a 3+faction game.
Keep in mind that cop variations can include Flavors Cops – people who might detect descriptions or character names, and can include various types of role detectors.

Cult
The cult generally begins with a single Cult Leader who can target someone each night and convert them into a cult member, cults are normally separate factions and by default a Cult Leader dies if he attempts to convert a scummer and converted players lose their other abilities. Cults can be cushioned in larger games by giving the cult leader, or a member, a kill they can use instead of a conversion. Allowing the oldest convert to become the cult leader if the leader dies is also an option to strengthen the cult, and this inheritance can be conditional, such as if the Leader is NK’s but not if they are lynched, etc, the cult can also be exterminated if the Leader dies. A Cult whose Leader passes on leadership if they die is generally a Martyr Cult, one that has fixed membership and then acquires a group kill is Killer Cult. Cults generally have the mason ability, but this is also optional.

Doc
The Doctor role is, like the cop, one that has spawned many variations, including many roles that are basically the Doc but just called something different. In general the Doc targets players and protects them from being NK’d that night, however there are few major variants on this, plus countless minor ones such as the Elite Bodyguard.
Default Doc – This Doc can target any player besides themselves and prevent them from being NK’d that night, the Doc knows the player has been attacked, the player knows they were attacked, and the attacker knows they were attacked.
Super Doc – This player can protect themselves as well, the use of ‘Super’ is primarily derogatory as players with this ability generally protect themselves more than anyone else, and the flavor concept of the doc is that they repair serious wounds after they occur, and thus would have to perform surgery on themselves.
General Notes: One can weaken or strengthen a doc by allowing the victim and/or attacker to know, after an aborted NK, who interrupted the effect, or by not allowing the victim to know they were attacked, or by not letting the doc know if someone they were protecting was attacked, this is absurd if the doc is actually flavored as a medical practitioner, but not if some other flavor is the source of the ability. ‘Guard’ is generally a type of doc who can only protect one (or a few players) and does so passively, dying in the process themselves or not, and in some cases attacking the attacker with a Reactive NK.


Double-Voter
Vote Effecting roles can include everything from stealing votes to raising or lowering the number of votes needed to lynch any player, or one specific player. This is a very wide category beyond just the Double Voter.
Default Double Voter – This players vote always counts as two votes, and the votes needed to lynch is not effected by their extra vote, nor is the extra vote voluntary.
Conditional Voter – This player may have extra votes (or less votes) if certain conditions are in play, or if targeting a specific player or type of player.
Anonymous Vote – This player can send in a Day Action, telling the Mod they wish to use their extra vote. This may or may not be required to be for someone they publicly voted for.
General Notes: Vote effecting roles are a tricky bag. A Mod using them needs to decide if he will let it show, indicating the actual number of votes on a player or merely who has voted, the same applies to all vote effecting roles, from those who have no vote or who have extra or less votes for a given player, to players who may be easier or harder to lynch. If a scummer has a double vote, does the game end earlier? In a normal game with 3 scummers the game ends as soon as the scum reduce the town to 3 players, as they now have the majority, typically a townie Double Voter delays that, as the scum don’t actually control a majority, so the scum would similar gain if they had a double voter, ending things earlier. A One-Shot double voter, while seeming a minor advantage to town or scum, could literally end the game or keep it going simply by having the ability in reserve, in an extreme case, but an example of the sort of ‘easy mistake’ that can break a game, a Mod who gave every scummer a single one use double vote could end the game long before it might be indicated. Additionally vote effectors may have the ability to add or suppress other player’s votes, a consequence of which is that someone could frame another player as a double voter and a liar, resulting in a lynch, certainly a legitimate tactic but one a Mod should keep in mind while trying to guess their game value.

Immunity
This generally refers to any ability that isn’t a major role itself that is immune to one or more types of action. A Bulletproof Character is immune to NKs, for instance, many scummers are immune to Investigations, players might be immune to lynches, and immunity is often conditional or of limited or one shot use. Players may be informed of those conditions, should there be any, or kept in the dark, or informed only that conditions apply but not what they are, or it may be hinted at what those conditions are. The opposite of immunity is something which overrides normal immunities, such as Super Killer, someone whose NK’s override all or most protections.

Limited Use
Also not an actual role, this can be added to any role to weaken it. ‘Every Other Night’ for instance, or 3 uses only, or may not be used two consecutive nights in a row. Care should be taken to consider how much a role is really weakened by being limited use, every other night may not really ‘halve’ the power of some roles like vigilante. One Shot usage a special case of this covered separately. Conditional Use – such as a power not be usable until something has come to pass, such as Back Up roles, or a ‘Revenge’ conditions that turns a player into a vigilante if their Mason Ally or ‘brother’ dies, is one example as well, also covered separately.


Mason
Mason, at its most basic, is someone who is able to privately communicate with one or more other players. It is not unusual for someone to be in more than one ‘Mason Circle’, and generally Scum are masons to other scum.
Default Mason – Begins the game knowing the names of the player or players he can speak with, and can communicate with them during the Night Phase, he doesn’t know their alignments or roles, he may or may not be aware of character if the game includes that.
Day Mason – A day mason can communicate during the day, typically in addition to the night. Daytime communication is more valuable than night time communication so this should be considered an advantage, it should be noted that normal masons can often prepare code words to be used during the day for limited communication as well.
Trustworthy Mason – Beginning the game with a confirmation of what the others player or players are is a significant advantage. Three players who know with certainty they are all town represent a major advantage to the Town.
Roled Mason – A mason who has an additional rolepower may benefit greatly from it, such as a cop, who can report his results to an ally.
Group Power – Such as the Scum’s NK, a Group Power that targets someone should generally require one of the masons be designated to carry out the action, and in case of dispute, whether or not the person designated has to carry out the action, or can change targets, or if the action requires unanimous agreement, or a majority, or who break ties, are all questions a Moderator should consider in advance.
General Notes: Loosely speaking, a mason circle of two or three players using the Default Mason is not very powerful, worth only a little more than an equal number of Vanillas. At their core, the Scum generally represents a mason circle who know their alignments, have a group ability, and often have role powers. Their combined might from these three things usually makes them the equal of an entire town faction, so when designing mason groups one shouldn’t overlook just how much additional power additions can add.

Miller
The Miller is a role who generally will give results of guilty when copped. Whether or not they know this to be the case, or whether they give opposite results to other types of investigations, plays a big factor in a miller’s effect.
Default Miller - Appears as guilty when investigated by a cop, and does not know they are a miller.
Knowledgeable Miller – This Miller knows they are a Miller, this is a minor advantage, there’s also the Clued Miller, who may be given some hint they are a Miller.
General Notes: The miller, along with scum versions who give false innocents or can’t be tracked, essentially fit into the wide spectrum of people who alter or are immune to investigations. Much like flawed investigator roles, care should be taken to consider what result would be given based on any action in game that effects them, a cop who finds everyone guilty investigating a miller represents no problem, but serves little purpose and the existence of a miller will usually be considered by players as proof the cop is sane. A role which flips the results of any investigation might overlap badly with a Tracker, etc.

One-Shot
This is not an ability itself, but refers to any granted role power that functions only once, or perhaps can be renewed or does not become available until certain conditions are met. The Default for One Shot is simply a normal role power that can be used once at the time of the player’s choosing, or at the first time it could be used. A one Shot Cop could generally pick a night to use their ability, a One Shot Bulletproof Character might have it used the first time they are attacked, a strong power nearly equal to the normal ability, or elect a night on which they are Bulletproof, a weaker one.

Quick Draw
Another modifier to roles, normally to NK roles, this refer to anyone who possesses an ability they can use earlier than normal in a game’s Order of Actions. This could apply to them simply pre-empting other actions of the same type, such as a Serial Killer possessing a Quick Draw NK that allows them to kill someone before others do, and thus if they target someone who also targeted them for NK kills them and survives themselves, or someone who acts before all or most other actions. Slow Draw would simply be the opposite effect.

Roleblocker – While initially seeming straightforward, a roleblocker blocks his target from taking actions, the roleblocker, or RBer actually has several different aspects that combine to produce more variations than any other role covered here with the possible exception of Mason. There are Seven major variations of Roleblocker and no real default, but #1 is probably the most basic.
1 - Blocks active actions, both RBer and target are informed if an action is interrupted. If no action is interrupted, neither is informed.
2 - Blocks active actions, both RBer and target are informed if an action is interrupted. If no action is interrupted targeted is informed they were role blocked, or that some action targeted them. "You drink your tea, and find yourself strangely sleepy, the next morning you realize someone drugged it" or "As you're setting off to investigate X, you end up in a conversation with someone" or "in a conversation with a gleeman" and "Time passes so fast you don't even realize how long you've been at it till the sun crests the horizon"
3 - Blocks active actions, the target is informed, the RBer is not informed of the outcome
4 - Blocks active actions, the target is not informed regardless, the RBer is informed if an action was blocked.
5 - As with any of the others, but the target gains some additional clue (like they were distracted by a woman)
6 - The RBer not only knows if they blocked something, but what they blocked, directly or by clue, "You see X tracking Y through the woods, and mange to trick him into entering a chilly bog, soaking him and forcing him to return to the inn to change clothes" etc
7 - Action is blocked, but neither the RBer or the target knows anything, blocked actions like copping return "Your investigation is inconclusive' or similar.
General Notes: It should be noted that this deals with things strictly as on the Active vs Passive action variety, some actions might be considered both, or be two-part where one is active and the other passive, care should be taken to consider which is which. A RBer may be able to interrupt passive powers as well, but this would represent a stronger RBer, and would also cause problems if for instance they could block mason talk. The core thing is to keep in mind that the RBer, often a scum role, is in many ways a mixture of powers and effects, and the mixture the Mod selects can seriously strengthen or weaken a RBer. Further, the RBer is a role whose power is strongly affected by how many other roles are in the game, as well, when day powers are in play, the Mod should decide if RBer’s block carry over into the day, and if so should the RBer be informed.

Serial Killer
The Default Serial Killer is essentially just a player who can perform a Night Kill and wins when everyone else is dead. Normally a SK is a weak faction, with less than equal odds of victory, a Mod may seek to increase those odds by making them immune to copping or other forms of investigation, and/or given them some immunity to Night Kills or other Actions. An alternative is to simply change their Victory Condition, as with Survivor or Jester type roles, so that they achieve a victory if they kill a certain number of players, with the game continuing anyway or ending at that point.

Survivor
The Default for this is someone whose victory condition is simply being alive when the final lynch for the game occurs. There are a number of roles and variations where this can be added on, but fundamentally any role which has an abnormal victory condition fits into this category, such as someone who must get themselves lynched to win, the Jester role, which is the exact opposite of the Survivor, or a player who’s victory relies on seeing a given player or players survive or die, or the game end by a certain round, or must ‘Hammer’ three players in order to win, etc.

Tracker
The Default Tracker targets a player and sees if they targeted any other player that night and who they targeted. Stronger versions know what the action was, weaker versions merely know that they targeted someone but not who. A Tracker who can also detect the use of passive actions is also possible, though one who can detect them regardless of whether they were used that night would be a Role Detector. The Role Detector itself either is informed only that a player possess a role or can be informed what the role is, a role able to detect only if someone has an active role power would be a grey area in between.

Vanilla
The Default for this role is simply a player who has no special abilities beyond their vote. A Goon is the Mafia equivalent, or sometimes ‘Chocolate’ to refer to goons or non-mafia non-town characters. Vanillas may sometimes possess clues or additional information at the start of the game, if the ice cream reference is to be maintained ‘Premium Vanilla’ or ‘French Vanilla’ might be used to refer to them, though ‘Basically Vanilla’ is more common.

Vigilante
The Default Vigilante, or Vig, simply has a Night Kill, NK, they can use each night, they often have limited, one shot, or conditional use modifications. As with SKs and Scum, they represent a problem only when they target the same person to kill someone else has, or if they are targeted for a kill themselves. When putting them in the game one really only has to be wary of Order of Actions, this is not set, but it is usually felt that all kills happen simultaneously, so that a NK by someone who is themselves being NK’d will still occur, a killer – SK, scum, vig, etc – who goes before others, particularly if they go before other types of actions, is a Quick Draw.

Watcher
The Default Watcher targets a player and can see who acts on them that night, but not what the action was, and sees all actions, not simply the first one, should multiple occur. A stronger Watcher sees what the action was, a weaker Watcher might only see the first action that occurs should multiple happening.

A list of additional roles, from the less common to the bizarre and including alternate names, can be found at The Mafiascum Role Index