Mafia Rules and Roles

[Nykonax 1,564]

GENERAL RULES

 

1.1 What is Mafia?

There are two basic principles to the game:
 

 

1) Two teams, uninformed majority vs informed minority, try to eliminate each other by using two ways of killing off players: lynching and nightkilling.

 

2) The game alternates between two phases: days for lynches and nights for nightkilling.

For the purpose of deciding which team wins the game the roles in each (basic) game can be best divided into 3 main categories: Town, Mafia, and Neutral roles.

 

The standard victory conditions in a game are these:
 

The standard format uses a 24 hour basis for it's day/night cycle, with dusk (the lynch) taking place at the same time every day, and dawn (the night kill) taking place a short amount of time after.

• Town wins when all the Mafia and any Neutral killing are eliminated.
• Mafia wins when all Town and any Neutral killing are eliminated.
• It should also be noted that Players may win even if they are eliminated; if their team wins, all eliminated players on that team also win.

 

1.2 Lynches

 

During the day phase of a game, every player votes on other players. These votes can be changed as often as a player wants during the day. The player that has received the most votes at dusk (which is the name for the deadline for submitting votes and marks the transition from the day phase to the night phase) will be eliminated and cannot post any messages in the game thread after that point.

 

Voting is done by writing out the username of the person you want to eliminate in BOLD RED CAPITAL LETTERS (Example: GOODLEFTUNDONE)

Please also post a running tally of who is voting for what player in your voting post to help the moderator's job.

 

During the day phase players are free (and encouraged) to strategize in the thread and post explanations for their votes.

 

Obviously the Town (uninformed majority) will try to lynch a Mafia during the day, while the Mafia (informed minority) try to prevent this. This will result in a discussion based on truths, half-truths and lies combined with strategically placed votes. The key is to find out who is telling the truth and who is lying.

 

In case the lynch vote ends in a tie, a tiebreaker is used to decide who gets lynched. In most games the tiebreaker is given at the start of the game and will usually be LHLV. LHLV stands for Longest Held Last Vote. This means that if 2 or more people tie in number of votes, all votes will be disregarded except for the last vote cast on each of the players tying. Of those votes the one that was cast first in chronological order is the vote that decides the tie. Voting tallies will be kept during each day phase of a game.

 

In order for a lynching to occur, two or more votes must be present for the same user. This is used to prevent random lynching and is a rule I, myself, have implemented.

 

The deadline for votes will be pre-determined by the host prior to the game starting. When I am running the event you can expect a 6pm EST deadline.

 

1.3 Nightkills

During the night phases of a game, the NMafia decide together which of the players they want to kill. The target will be announced at Dawn (the start of the next day phase) and this player cannot post any messages in the game thread after that point.

This day-night cycle will continue until one of the victory conditions is met.

 

Typically there will not be a nightkill on the first night of the game depending on when the game starts.

 

Mafia will have their own designated Discord chat channel to discuss their nightkill and will use that as their communication to the host/narrator as to who their target is. The last name posted in the Discord at the deadline will automatically be the target.

 

The deadline for selecting a target will typically be at 8am EST but will be at the discretion of the host/narrator prior to the start of the game.

1.4 Communications

In a standard game of Mafia, Town can only communicate in the public thread. Mafia, in addition to the game thread, will have a secret chatroom in which they can discuss their strategy and who they want to kill during the night phase.

 

You can PM the moderator questions (discord or here) that they do not want to ask in the public thread. This chatroom is also used to submit orders for those who have them. The moderator however will NOT disclose any information that would alter the outcome of the game, this is only to be used for clarification and submitting orders if your role entails that.

 

It is strictly forbidden for players to contact other players outside of the public thread or the above mentioned chatroom for Mafia regarding the exchange of information vital to the game in progress.

Exceptions to this rule are possible (in case of mason roles) but will be explicitly explained in the rules post for a specific game.

1.5 Moderation

 

A game of mafia can only function with the help of a moderator. The moderator, otherwise known as the host or narrator, is a non-player who knows all the roles and carries out the orders that players give during the game. The moderator is also in charge of dawn and dusk and will post the results of the lynches and nightkills in the thread. Usually the moderator is also the one who designed the role set and/or the theme for the game. Some of the more basic games are sometimes moderated through a script instead of a human. These games are called auto-mods. It should be noted that since there is no human moderator present in these games, auto-mods are not optimally suited for new players.

1.6 - Mafia Etiquette

 

We do not have a set list of etiquette rules that one should always follow. We expect every player to have a good sense of do's and don'ts and they do not differ from the next available forum. We also assume that most players are of age and able to handle grown discussions.

 

Aside from that, a few things are important. Sportsmanship and believing in fair play are essential. Breaking the letter or spirit of a rule will not be appreciated. If you are in doubt, just ask your moderator.

 

Participation is key. If you are not able to check into a game that you are signed up for then you might want to reconsider joining it. A good minimum rule of thumb is that you should at least be able to post once each day during a game. But more participation makes for a better game. Remember that moderators and players put time and effort into their games and a lack of participation affects everyone involved.
Obviously, real life always trumps online games and if, for any reason, you aren’t able to play anymore, PM the moderator.
 

List of Roles
 

Please note that many of the roles from Werewolf remain the same, however some may have slight altercations and there are added roles in this list not in Werewolf.

 

Night Actions - Unless otherwise specified, all actions are to be done at night and cannot be done if you are dead.

 

Role Reveal - Upon a death or lynch, there will be a role reveal in the form of TOWN, NEUTRAL, MAFIA. You won't know the specific role but you will know whether they are town or not. In some instances a role may not be revealed (ex Janitor cleans the role.

 

Roles that cannot have more than one player assigned:

Jester, Turncoat, Serial Killer, Arsonist, Mayor, Seer, Medium, Godfather, Mafioso, Janitor

 

Neutral Roles

 

Neutral Benign (Non-Killing)

 

 

Jester - The Jester's role is to get himself LYNCHED! If the Jester successfully gets himself lynched, he can kill anyone who voted for him that night!

Players don't want to lynch the Jester because they might be killed.
Jesters ONLY win if/when they are hung. They are not part of the villagers or mafia team. If they survive the game they do not win. A jester win does not end the game as other roles can still win.
 

 

Executioner - The Executioner is a vengeful man. His entire existence revolves around getting his target lynched. An executioner wins if he succeeds in getting his target lynched. His target is random and could be someone of any role!

If the executioner's target is eaten by werewolves, he turns into a regular villager now that his target is dead. If the executioner succeeds in his role he remains in the game as a NEUTRAL party and can sway the game whichever way he chooses.

 

 

Survivor - You are the coward who doesn't want to upset anyone. Crime doesn't bother you but you're also open to justice being served. Your goal is to survive at all costs and you do so by carrying bulletproof vests.  On any given night you are allowed to wear your bulletproof up to a maximum of three nights. You must be careful in your decisions in when you wear your vest. Your immune to all night attacks when you wear your vest with the exception of being doused in gas/lit on fire. Your attacker will see you as immune which could jeopardize your standing with the town and/or with the mafia.

The Survivor is a non-factor in the final outcome and can win with any roles remaining be it neutral, town or mafia.

 

 

Amnesiac - You suffered a terrible accident and can't remember who you are or who's side you are on. You have no role until you decide you have a role. Once per game, during the day phase, you may remember your role by messaging the moderator the name of the dead person you want to assume the role of. You will only know if that town member is town, neutral or mafia unless otherwise discovered in game. As soon as you presume this role it will be known to the town that the amnesiac has claimed a role. They will know the role but not who you are. If you select mafia you will then be invited to their Discord chat. In a late game you have the power to really sway the odds.

The Amnesiac only wins if they claim a role and that role wins the game.

 

 

Witch - The witch likes to dictate things and control people to do as they wish. Once per night you pick two targets; the first one you control, the second one being their target. When you pick someone they will perform their role on your target. The ONLY role that is immune to being controlled is The Assassin who will only listen to his Master. The first target will know they've been controlled if and only if they have a night action they can take, your second target will not. You will also be messaged with the role of the first target you've controlled following the Night phase. As the Witch you cannot be roleblocked BUT your target still can as they are still susceptible to all other night actions. You can be killed at night and have no immunity. A lookout would see you leave your home and would see you visit your first target if they are watching them. A tracker would also see you.

The Witch wins when the entire town is vanquished, that means they can win with other Neutrals AND Mafia unlike other Neutral roles.

 

 

Neutral Killing

 

 

Serial Killer - The Serial Killer is a sick and twisted man who only wants to kill and works alone. The Serial Killer is immune to being at night with the exception of being set on fire, caught in a trap and/or shot by a Hunter and if targeted by the mafia they will know you're immune to their attack. If someone roleblocks the Serial Killer at night (ex Escort) they will instead be the target of the Serial Killer, however the town will know you visited their home. If someone visits the home of the Serial Killer's target they will also be killed at night - some roles this would not apply.

The Serial Killer is completely Neutral and can only win with other Neutral roles such as Survivor, Jester, Executioner, Arsonist etc. However it is not the Serial Killer's ideals to win with these roles. Essentially they win once all town and mafia members are eliminated.

 

 

Arsonist - Some people just want to watch the world burn; that's the Arsonist. Once per night you can either douse a target in gas or ignite your targets, you cannot however do both. When you ignite all target's doused in gas will be ignited on fire and burned down with their house. Targets will know when they've been doused in private, they will not know who did it. If a lookout is watching the place you visit they will see you. The Arsonist is immune to being killed at night with the exception of being set on fire, caught in a trap and/or shot by a Hunter and if targeted by the mafia they will know you're immune to their attack.

The Arsonist is completely Neutral and can only win with other Neutral roles such as Survivor, Jester, Executioner, Siller Killer etc. However it is not the Arsonist's ideals to win with these roles. Essentially they win once all town and mafia members are eliminated.

 

Assassin - The Assassin is not necessarily good or bad, but does kill. Once per night at random a 'Master' will be chosen which can be any of the players in the game. The 'Master' will not know who the Assassin is. 'The Master' must choose a target for the assassin to kill before the 'Day Phase' ends. If they do not give a name, the Assassin will then kill 'The Master'. If The Master happens to choose the Assassin's name, they will kill the Assassin. The Assassin wins simply by killing three targets and the game continues with them being a non-factor to the rest of the game. This will be announced to the town. An assassin breaks through night immunity, they only way they can be countered is hitting a Knight, or their target being saved by a Doctor. A bodyguard would still kill an assassin taking him down with him. If the Assassin fails his identity will be known to the town. If a Serial Killer visits your target, you will kill the Serial Killer instead of your target who will then be killed by the Serial Killer instead. 

 

There will either be a Serial Killer, Assassin or a Arsonist in each game, while there can be two of them there can never be neither. Additionally there cannot be multiple of the same role. A second Neutral Killing role will only occur with enough players a Random Neutral set.

 

Town Roles

 

 

Town Killing

Trapper - You like to build things and the engineer you are designs a trap to exploit attackers at night. You cannot set a trap for yourself. Setting the trap takes a full night action. SO if you set a trap on Night One it will not activate until Night Two. Adversely it also takes an action at night to remove your trap and set it somewhere else. If someone visits your target, the trap will activate. If they are a non-killing role it will reveal their role to the entire town, otherwise it kills them. If multiple people visit your target, the first person to perform their action will set the trap and no others. If your trap is activated it will malfunction and you will have to spend another night building a new trap.

 

Hunter - Also a villager. Three times per game at night, the hunter may kill someone by PMing the Moderator. They may choose not to kill anyone during a particular night by using pass in PM instead (or take no action). It is generally not recommended for the hunter to use their power on the first night of the game, as they may accidentally kill an important role such as the doctor. By waiting for information during the daytime, they can make a more informed decision on a subsequent night.

The Hunter is the only town player who can win in a 1 vs. 1 situation with another killing role. Should the game come down to 2 players, the Hunter and whoever, the villagers will emerge victorious.

 

 

Town Support

Mayor - Also a villager. Once per game the Mayor may veto the people's decision. In this case, no one gets hung. If the mayor protects someone other than himself, his identity will remain a secret. If he protects himself his identity will be revealed. Additionally the Mayor may also reveal himself to the village at any point, when he does this his vote counts as three votes! This however puts a huge target on his head as the town will be forced to try and protect him.

 

 

The Doctor - Also a villager, the Doctor has the ability to heal themselves or another villager when called awake by the Moderator during the night. Should they heal themselves, they will be safe from being killed by any role, or should they want to prove themselves the Doctor or fear the death of a fellow villager, they can opt to heal them instead. Again, the strategy here is up to you. The Doctor can only heal himself once, and cannot protect the same person on consecutive nights (but can protect people more than once per game). The Doctor may not save himself or anyone else from a hanging, only night attacks.
If the Doctor saves someone, the moderator will make it known that a player was protected by the Doctor. The Doctor only wins if the Villagers win.

 

 

Knight - The Knight is a tough son of a bitch, and on the side of the villagers. It takes 2 lynchings, 2 night attacks, or one of each to kill this badass. Players will immediately know who the Knight is if he's attacked or lynched the first time. The Knight is the only player who can survive an attack from the Assassin assuming he hasn't been revealed by lynch.

 

Escort - The Escort is of the night, and lives to... distract people. Once per night, the Escort may choose to distract someone. If that person has a role, they will not be able to perform their job for the evening. Distract the doctor, he doesn't visit his patient. Distract the Mafioso, there is no kill! If you distract a serial killer you will be found dead in their home and will essentially sacrifice yourself as their target in order to disclose who they are. (The seer cannot be distracted as he simply has a vision) The escort may NOT role-block the same person on consecutive nights.

 

 

Retributionist - As if talking to the dead isn't weird enough, you can revive the dead! Once per game you can resurrect someone from the dead back into the game. You want to do this before you die yourself, but you also want to be careful as to who you revive. You are 100% a Villager and it is highly ill-advised to resurrect a non-villager.

 

 

Bodyguard - Similar to Knight but you take a bullet for someone else. If someone attacks your target you will die instead but will also vanquish the attacker resulting in a double death. Your target will stay alive regardless of affiliation. This does not prevent things like roleblocks or being doused. If a doctor happens to save you on the night someone attacks your target you will survive and the attacker will still die. Adversely this can go the other way if a doctor saves the attacker.

 

 

Fisherman - This is a wildcard town role. Each night you can 'fish' for a specific item with various odds of catching it. The item can range from a medicine syringe (doctor power) to a bulletproof vest (survivor) or to a gun (Vigilante/Hunter). You can use that item at any point which allows you to take on a different town role but you can only use it once as long as you're successful in catching the item. This is an important role if you're successful since you can gain various powers without others knowing you have it. An investigator/consigliere would never learn of your caught items, but would associate you as Fishermen/Mafioso/Hunter.

 

 

Gunsmith - As a night action, choose one player to give a gun to. That player will be notified you have given them a gun. They will also be notified that there's a 50/50 chance their role will be revealed upon firing it. They can only use it once during the day phase. If investigated you will appear as a regular town member, the seer will see you as town as well. Only a Consigliere will know your true role. If tracked they will see you visit your target. 

Notify the moderator that you would like to use your gun. While your role might not be revealed, people will know that YOU fired it.

 

 

Town Investigative

Seer - The Seer is a powerful ally to have. Once per NIGHT the seer can target a player and discern their role. However, the Seer has to be careful and not let the mafia find out, or they'll be a sure-fire target! The seer can only discern whether a player is evil or not. If they are neutral benign they will appear as Town. If they use their ability on the Turncoat they will appear as evil. You also cannot detect the Godfather. Essentially only Neutral Killing and Regular Mafia roles appear as Evil. Seers win if the Villagers win.

Lookout - The Lookout loves to find out where people are going. Once per night, the lookout can watch a player's home and see who visits them. If their target does not perform a duty or leave their home, they don't go anywhere and no information is gained. But, if they see the doctor visit a patient, or a mafia member go to make a kill, they'll know about it! (The seer cannot be 'spied on' as he simply has a vision and doesn't travel elsewhere)

 

 

Investigator - The investigator is the town detective. Once per night you can pick one player to 'investigate' to learn a clue about their role. In most cases you won't gain 100% clarity/intel on a target's role. You will also not die by visiting a mafia member or serial killer. If your target is framed there role will show as Framer/Hypnotist/Jester. You cannot check a person twice to gain more intel.

 

 

Medium - You can talk to the dead. You will be in the 'Dead Chat' on Discord and can learn clues from those that are dead. Dead players cannot discern any evidence to you that is not 'real'. This means a mafia member can't tell you who other mafia members are to throw the game. A Seer can't tell you so and so is a serial killer when they never checked them. This will be monitored. This role can be extremely useful if someone like a Seer dies before they reveal intel but you risk your own skin by telling the town your role.

 

 

Tracker - Will be similar to Lookout but instead of watching someone's house to see who visits them, you will follow a player to see who they visit. You will still not know what action they take, but if there's a death you will then know.

 

 

Mafia Roles

 

Turncoat - The Turncoat is working for the Mafia! But... the Mafia members don't know who the Turncoat is, while the Turncoat knows who the Mafia are. The Turncoat will NOT be included in the Mafia chat, and the Turncoat cannot communicate in any way with players outside of the public game thread.
Turncoat wins if the Mafia win. If the Mafia lose, so does the Turncoat. If all Mafia members are dead, the Turncoat cannot win as the Turncoat cannot night kill.

 

 

Godfather - You are the Godfather. You cannot be killed at night, with the exception of arson. You don't leave your home so it is hard for players to track your movements. If you are role-blocked, it will serve no purpose since your Mafioso deals out the killings. The Investigator and Seer cannot discover you. The only way you lose is by lynch or by fire. If you die, there will be no replacement Godfather. You can overrule any Mafia decision on who to kill or who to target because YOU'RE THE GODFATHER. If you're the final mafia member you will revert to a normal Mafioso and all rules of a Mafioso will now apply to you as you have to do the killing.

 

 

Mafioso - You are the Godfather's left hand man. You deal out death. When the Godfather tells you to kill someone, it's you that does it. If you die, the next mafia in line will take your place. You can be killed at night, and you can be role-blocked. You have the riskiest but most important job of all Mafia members.

 

 

Consigliere - You are the inside man of the mafia. You are the Mafia's version of Investigator however if your target is framed you will still learn their role. Also you will know your target's exact role and not just a clue. Anyone doused in gas will appear as Arsonist to throw off your trail.

 

 

Consort - You are a woman of distraction. You are the mafia's own escort but your goal is to distract the town. Once per night, the Consort may choose to distract someone. If that person has a role, they will not be able to perform their job for the evening. If you distract a serial killer you will be found dead in their home and will essentially sacrifice yourself as their target in order to disclose who they are. (The seer cannot be distracted as he simply has a vision) The consort may NOT role-block the same person on consecutive nights.

 

 

Framer - You are a master at deception and making people believe someone is evil. Once per night you can pick a target to be 'framed'. If that player is either investigated (they will appear as a possible mafia target) or looked into by a Seer (they will appear as evil) they will become suspicious. Strategy here is to draw suspicion to a member to get someone to check them out and then 'frame' them at night. This can be very useful in turning the tides your way.

 

 

Spy - The Spy is the Mafia's own Tracker and loves to find out where people are going. Once per night, the spy can watch and see where a player goes. If their target does not perform a duty or leave their home, they don't go anywhere and no information in gained. But, if they see the doctor visit a patient, or serial killer go to make a kill, they'll know about it! (The seer cannot be 'spied on' as he simply has a vision and doesn't travel elsewhere). This is a very good role for the Mafia when they have an Assassin or Serial Killer to find and an easy way to deceive the town and say you're a Lookout.

 

 

Janitor - You're the man who cleans up the mess. You have three uses of your night action. By using your night action you completely wipe the role of the Mafia's target. You have to be careful as a Lookout or Tracker would see you visit putting the risk of two mafia members being discovered. The mafia will know the role of the player after you 'clean' however the town will know nothing.