RECRUITMENT for The Cult of Banjulhu: Mafia-esque Game

[The Neoclassic]

Having a great love of the game Mafia and looking to try out a new set of roles than I am used to playing with, I am recruiting for a fun variant of mafia I’ve entitled “Cult of Banjulhu.” On your frontier settlement at the edge of civilization, some of the townsfolk have discovered a great and evil power, the mighty Banjulhu. These cultists believe that their dark, puppety god wishes them to take over the town for themselves: A task which only may be accomplished by slaying all others.

This game is the Innocents vs. the Cultists. The ratio of Innocent vs. Cultists will be approximately 4:1. In other words, if 20 people sign up, there will be 5 chosen to be Cultists and 15 chosen to be Innocents. Days last 48 hours. Nights last 24 hours. During the day, each live player may vote for one person to be executed. The person with the majority of votes (or determined by a coin flip in the case of a tie) dies. At night, many of the secret roles act, and the Cultists determine one person to kill for the night. Unless otherwise specified, those with secret roles use their role powers via private messaging with me (to keep their identities secret!). The game continues until all the Cultists are dead or until there are less Innocents alive than there are Cultists. People's roles are not revealed upon their death.

Innocents

All members of the innocents win if all of the Cultists are eliminated. The Innocents do not know who the other Innocents are, nor do they know the special roles of anyone.
Commoner (Default Role): You have no special powers.
Detective: Each night, you may investigate one person to determine whether he/she are a Cultist or not.
Healer: Each night, you may select one person (yourself or someone else). The selected person is impervious to Cultist attacks for that night and so if the Cultists choose to kill them, he/she do not die.
Vigilante: Each day, you may kill one individual.
Bodyguard: Each day, you may select one person to be immune to a vigilante attack during that day. This does not protect that person against a general vote consensus execution, however.
Witch Doctor: Each night, you may specify one dead person and learn his/her role.
Martyr: Once during the game, you may sacrifice yourself to revive another player from the dead.


Cultists

All members of the Cultists win if the Cultists outnumber the Innocents. The Cultists know who the other Cultists are, but they do not know which of them is the Prophet or the Mastermind.
Initiate (Default): You have no special powers.
Prophet: Once during the game, at night, you may recruit an Innocent to join the Cultists.
Mastermind: If investigated by the detective, you appear as innocent. The Witch Doctor can still discover your true identity upon your death.


Lovers

The lovers are chosen randomly from amongst the commoners and the initiates; they may both be commoners, both be thugs, or one of each.. If one is killed, the other also dies immediately. They win if they survive the game.


So, please post if you'd like to play! I am hoping for at least fifteen to twenty people, and the more, the merrier. Questions about the rules are also welcome! Recruitment ends January 26th and the game begins the next day.

Players Thus Far:
Dr. Bath
Istari
Lex-kat
Evnafets
Aemoh
Neek
Murska
The Bushranger
deathslayer7

[Dr. Bath]

Well, I'm in. Although 4:1 may be a bit high when you take into account villagers not paying attention and forgetting to vote, but I dunno, see how it goes.

[Istari]

In with a question, do the lovers know each other and if so do they know each others role?

[banjo1985]

Hi, you might want to check here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97525) for scheduling WW games. There is a spare spot going at the end of this week, so I'm sure there won't be an issue, it's just useful to have all the information on upcoming games in one place.

[The Neoclassic]

In with a question, do the lovers know each other and if so do they know each others role?

Ah, good question. The lovers do know each other, but they do not know each other's roles (though usually it is in their best interests to tell each other their roles).


Hi, you might want to check here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97525) for scheduling WW games. There is a spare spot going at the end of this week, so I'm sure there won't be an issue, it's just useful to have all the information on upcoming games in one place.

Thanks very much! I posted on that thread as it instructed that I should if I'm running again. Glad you pointed that out.

[Lex-Kat]

In. :smallsmile:

[Jontom Xire]

Umm, confused. How is this a Mafia game? It only has one set of bad guys! Isn't one of the key points of a Mafia game that it has two sets of bad guys rather than the one set usually associated with Werewolf games.

Trixie was talking about playing Mafia on other internet sites so is there another game called Mafia which just happens to be similar to Werewolf?



The Cultists know who the other Cultists are, but they do not know which of them is the Prophet or the Mastermind.


Presumably the Prophet and Mastermind know who they themselves are and will promptly tell the other cultists the moment the game starts? What is the point of this rule?

Also do the cultists get a night kill? The rules do not explicitly state so, and since there are no masons, and no devil, I'm not taking anything for granted.

[Dr. Bath]

Umm, confused. How is this a Mafia game? It only has one set of bad guys! Isn't one of the key points of a Mafia game that it has two sets of bad guys rather than the one set usually associated with Werewolf games.

Trixie was talking about playing Mafia on other internet sites so is there another game called Mafia which just happens to be similar to Werewolf?

Mafia is just another name for Werewolf in certain places. I've only seen Mafia to ONLY mean a game with two sets of wolves here. The two are fairly interchangable, it just depends which you come across first that most people consider 'correct'. When I saw WW games here, I thought 'oh. Like a more complicated version of Mafia, then?' as I'd only played games of 'Mafia' before (one wolf team with a night kill and villagers. that's it).

[The Neoclassic]

Umm, confused. How is this a Mafia game? It only has one set of bad guys! Isn't one of the key points of a Mafia game that it has two sets of bad guys rather than the one set usually associated with Werewolf games.

Trixie was talking about playing Mafia on other internet sites so is there another game called Mafia which just happens to be similar to Werewolf?

According to wikipedia, Werewolves is actually a variation on the original game that was Mafia.


Presumably the Prophet and Mastermind know who they themselves are and will promptly tell the other cultists the moment the game starts? What is the point of this rule?

Yup, they do know at the beginning, and telling the others would be wise. However, these roles are not required by the rules to tell the others of their role.


Also do the cultists get a night kill? The rules do not explicitly state so, and since there are no masons, and no devil, I'm not taking anything for granted.

I've never played mafia with masons or a devil, actually. And yes, cultists get a night kill. I shall go clarify that right now... Coulda sworn I remembered to put that in there. Oh, here:


At night... the Cultists determine one person to kill for the night.


Mafia is just another name for Werewolf in certain places. I've only seen Mafia to ONLY mean a game with two sets of wolves here. The two are fairly interchangable, it just depends which you come across first that most people consider 'correct'. When I saw WW games here, I thought 'oh. Like a more complicated version of Mafia, then?' as I'd only played games of 'Mafia' before (one wolf team with a night kill and villagers. that's it).

Yup, basically. This is the Mafia as I've been familiar with it; I tried to be clear on the rules since I (correctly) presumed that the terms used on the forums are somewhat different than what I'm used to.

[Wreckingrocc]

Oh, really? I thought werewolf was only a name for mafia on this forum alone...

Mafia is much more widely known than werewolf for the title, methinks.

For mafia-filled fun, check out www.epicmafia.com. It's pretty fun, but it might take a few games to get the hang of.

[evnafets]

Sign me up to play please.

A few more inevitable questions

The role of the "Witch-doctor" learning a person's role after their death seems to intimate that the rest of us won't know immediately? So anyone we lynch may or may not be a member of the mafia - and we won't know?

The vigilante role will be killing someone every day? That means we will be losing 3 people every turn to begin with - lynch, vigilante kill, mafia kill?

And just to confirm the victory condition - it is explicitly less than the number of cultists? So given equal numbers of villagers/cultists the game continues? And if the vigilante is still alive?

Can the vigilante/Healer/detective etc roles get recruited by the Prophet?

[The Neoclassic]

Sign me up to play please.

A few more inevitable questions

The role of the "Witch-doctor" learning a person's role after their death seems to intimate that the rest of us won't know immediately? So anyone we lynch may or may not be a member of the mafia - and we won't know?

Very good question! I forgot to specify that, yes, roles are not revealed to the general group upon the death.


The vigilante role will be killing someone every day? That means we will be losing 3 people every turn to begin with - lynch, vigilante kill, mafia kill?

Yes, though the vigilante is not required to shoot a person on the first day, or any day at all. Oftentimes in my experience they wait at least a day to scope out people whom they think to be notably suspicious, so as to be less likely to accidentally kill innocents. Also, if the townsfolk reach a three-way tie (unlikely, but possible), no one will die.


And just to confirm the victory condition - it is explicitly less than the number of cultists? So given equal numbers of villagers/cultists the game continues? And if the vigilante is still alive?

If the vigilante is still alive, then an equal number of innocents and cultists during the day allows the townsfolk a very slim opportunity to still win. I shall give them that chance. If the vigilante is dead though, you are right in suggesting that the townsfolk cannot win with even numbers and so the game shall end there with a cultist victory.


Can the vigilante/Healer/detective etc roles get recruited by the Prophet?

Yes, though they lose their powers when recruited.

[Aemoh]

In, cause I don't know better :smalltongue:

[The Neoclassic]

So far we have five confirmed players. If you posted questions but didn't specify if you actually wanted to play, please do so. :smallbiggrin: I also had to move the date up a bit to fit into the Werewolf Central schedule; hopefully it shall not be a problem for anyone.

[Jontom Xire]

According to wikipedia, Werewolves is actually a variation on the original game that was Mafia.


Trixie said that in another thread. You're not an alt of trixie are you?

Anyway I looked up Mafia and Werewolves on Wikipedia and found nothing at all about this sort of game, so I'm starting to think that this is a myth.

And even if there is a Wikipedia article that says that, we all know how accurate Wiki is. I was under the impression that Werewolves was the original game because I came across it first, so if the article was written by someone such as yourself who came across Mafia first...

[Lex-Kat]

Um, Jontom, does it really matter? The game clue in America is Cluedo in Europe. I don't really care which name came first, it's the same game. :smallsmile:

[Boo]

Trixie said that in another thread. You're not an alt of trixie are you?

Anyway I looked up Mafia and Werewolves on Wikipedia and found nothing at all about this sort of game, so I'm starting to think that this is a myth.

And even if there is a Wikipedia article that says that, we all know how accurate Wiki is. I was under the impression that Werewolves was the original game because I came across it first, so if the article was written by someone such as yourself who came across Mafia first...

And how many scoops did you have, now? Werewolf was the first game to be shown on this forum, but Mafia was the first one overall. I just went along with werewolf since it sounded astoundingly better in my head. And Wikipedia is a lot better now than it was when that joke was made, so you can't pull that out as a defense anymore.

[Jontom Xire]

I don't suppose it much matters, except that I'm a stickler for accuracy. However the fact is that on these forums (which last time I checked was where we were posting and where this thread is), the name Mafia relates to a different game, and thus confusion abounds.

When I'm in England I talk English. When I'm in the US I try to be understanding about the fact that the Yanks all have different names for every day things like the pavement. If go visit a forum where something I know by one name has a different name I try to conform to those standards. It's partly politeness, and it's partly because some people find it a bit arrogant when a newcomer walks in and starts using their own names for things, even though those names conflict with the names and terminology that already existed before they came along.

On this forum it's called "Werewolf", and even if the bad guys aren't called werewolves it's ok to call a game a werewolf game if it fits to the basic same syntax of the game we know and love as "Werewolf". To call a game Mafia, I would expect it to either be heavily rules based on the previous game of the same name, or have shady characters with dodgy Italian accents in it.

Alternatively it could have just been called "The Cult of Banjulhu" and skip any reference to "Werewolf" or "Mafia" at all. Which is what I usually do with my games.

[Selrahc]

Anyway I looked up Mafia and Werewolves on Wikipedia and found nothing at all about this sort of game, so I'm starting to think that this is a myth.

I guess you didn't see my reply when this first came up in Death Note?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_(party_game) There is the article on wiki(It's actually linked in the first posts of werewolf central) , which doesn't look like it was cobbled together by somebody who didn't know what they were talking about. Their reference is here: http://www.eblong.com/zarf/werewolf.html#history

EDIT: Also, I would join this game but hidden role games don't really sit right with me.

[The Neoclassic]

Trixie said that in another thread. You're not an alt of trixie are you?

I am not anyone's alt. And as I've said, this is the version with which I am familiar. If you don't like it, I suggest that you don't play. I'm sorry that you feel that my terminology isn't up to your standards, but I've said plenty of times this is the version of mafia with which I am familiar, not the version which the forum group here deems the "real" one. Thank you for your time.

[Lamech]

Umm... the lovers just need to survive, and they can screw their team? Anyone else see how this might cause problems? 'Cause I can see this ending badly...

[The Neoclassic]

Umm... the lovers just need to survive, and they can screw their team? Anyone else see how this might cause problems? 'Cause I can see this ending badly...

Well yes, actually, the lovers CAN screw over their team. However, if they are both cultists or both innocent, there is no reason to do so (if there are others left on their team alive but the lovers are still alive, they still win). If they are on opposite teams, then the only way they can win is by dooming the other two, but chances that they will be able to do that are slim.

I've played with this set of rules (apart from a few minor role changes, namely the Witch Doctor and the Bodyguard) in the past- at least eight games online and several in real life (not to mention I have a large group of friends who've played countless games with these rules without me)- and it has always worked out fairly evenly (about half the games are won by mafia, half by innocents). I've yet to see the lovers be the only two left surviving.

So, I appreciate everyone's input on rules, but honestly, if you aren't planning on playing, why are you attacking how I'd like to run things?

[Neek]

I've never played in a mafia game, but I'm in.

[Murska]

Wait, there's a WW game I've somehow managed to miss joining? In!

[The Bushranger]

*has a compulsion cast upon him by the cute pixie*
Must...join...game!

:smallbiggrin:

[evnafets]

Meh. Call it Werewolf. Call it Mafia. Call it "The little green men from mars" if you wish to.
Its still basically the same game.

Actually I'm interested to see what differences in style Queenfange brings to it, seeing as he hasn't been indoctrinated into the way we play 'werewolf' on this forum. It is always good to get a fresh perspective.

In fact I was trying NOT to impose "our way of playing" onto this game for just that reason, and was merely asking questions to clarify the differences.

[The Neoclassic]

In fact I was trying NOT to impose "our way of playing" onto this game for just that reason, and was merely asking questions to clarify the differences.

The comment I made was not at all directed at you. I am entirely fine with questions and constructive criticism! I apologize if it came across as me getting snippy at you, but that was not the intent, as you've been nothing but polite and I look forward to having you as a part of the game. :smallsmile:

[Deathslayer7]

yeah sure. Lex's pity post made me come here and sign up. :smalltongue:

[Lex-Kat]

:smallsmile: Thanks. I think. :smallconfused:

[The Neoclassic]

yeah sure. Lex's pity post made me come here and sign up. :smalltongue:

Hopefully the game will end up being enjoyable for ya. :smalltongue: Glad to have you with us!

[Deathslayer7]

I always enjoy a good WW game. :smallsmile:

that, and i'm not in any at the moment = spreadsheet! :smallbiggrin:

[Lamech]

Well yes, actually, the lovers CAN screw over their team. However, if they are both cultists or both innocent, there is no reason to do so (if there are others left on their team alive but the lovers are still alive, they still win). If they are on opposite teams, then the only way they can win is by dooming the other two, but chances that they will be able to do that are slim.
So... if one of the lovers is a cultist then do the towns people have to kill the cultist lover? So the cultist lover could only win by having the cultists win? And if a lover is a villager could the lovers win if the cultists win?

[Murska]

So... if one of the lovers is a cultist then do the towns people have to kill the cultist lover? So the cultist lover could only win by having the cultists win? And if a lover is a villager could the lovers win if the cultists win?

If one of the lovers is a villager and the other is a cultist, their goal is to survive. As always. So they can just screw their team, kill off both teams and go off into the sunset. I've been in a game where that happened. :smallbiggrin:

[The Neoclassic]

If one of the lovers is a villager and the other is a cultist, their goal is to survive. As always. So they can just screw their team, kill off both teams and go off into the sunset. I've been in a game where that happened. :smallbiggrin:

Precisely. I mean, technically the lovers could consider themselves as winning if both are alive when the game ends during a cultist win, since the innocent was still techically alive at the end of the game. Never had that arise though; if it happens, sure they can call themselves winners (though it'll probably get listed as a cultist win "officially" though the lovers too "won"). It's really just another little interesting dynamic that can mess with the loyalties and strategizing of players. :smallsmile:

[The Neoclassic]

I've delayed it by just a couple of days to try to get a few more recruits. If this is a scheduling problem for anyone, just let me know. :smallsmile: