How can I play the game Werewolf (mafia) in D&D

[Ivor_The_Mad]

So I have a Halloween Special coming up and my plan is to conduct it like a game of mafia or werewolf. If you don't know how the game works I added a link at the end.
What I'm trying to do is create a game of this in the game. I am going to make a bunch of NPCs in a town and it is the PCs job to find and eliminate the werewolf. They will have 10 days to find the werewolf. each night they can watch 1 person to see if they are the werewolf and every day the townspeople execute 1 random person. there are 18 townspeople and one is the wolf. How can I make this better and more interesting?
Thanks for the input.


this explains the rules decently well: https://www.brenbarn.net/werewolf/rules.html

[Millstone85]

I love this game, especially in its Miller's Hollow (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TabletopGame/TheWerewolvesOfMillersHollow) form.

You could model each villager after one of the special cards.

[JackPhoenix]

Problem with that setup: the players will find ways to watch over more than one person at a time, and finding out werewolf isn't that hard in D&D... poke them with a (normal, non-silvered) weapon and watch out which one isn't hurt. You'd have to change how werewolves work, and you'd need to come up with some pretty contrived ways to keep the party from dividing to watch over multiple people, or just gathering the townspeople in one place and checking all of them.

It works in a card game with limited rules, it's much harder in more freeform RPG.

[Wildarm]

Problem with that setup: the players will find ways to watch over more than one person at a time, and finding out werewolf isn't that hard in D&D... poke them with a (normal, non-silvered) weapon and watch out which one isn't hurt. You'd have to change how werewolves work, and you'd need to come up with some pretty contrived ways to keep the party from dividing to watch over multiple people, or just gathering the townspeople in one place and checking all of them.

It works in a card game with limited rules, it's much harder in more freeform RPG.

I'd say have the town priest have a revelation of from his god of impending doom of the party doesn't stay together at all times. If they try and split up despite these warnings, have them jumped by the werewolf or lynched by a mob.

As for the silvered weapon thing, I'd just have the town elder say something along the lines of "Of course we tried that, this monster is particularly clever and has foiled our efforts to uncover it by traditional methods." That's why they are going to extremes of lynching each other.

I think it would be possible to work this game concept into an adventure. Maybe explain to players beforehand what you're trying to do? Players can be unpredictable but if they know a bit about what kind of story you're trying to tell it may go smoother. Still, be prepared for it to go off the rails.

Are you planning on using insight/deception checks by the townspeople/werewolves to give the players some assistance in their choices of who to watch at night? The players can vouch for someone sort of acting as the seer. I'd have the werewolf attack the players and flee periodically if they reveal that they are staking out peoples homes at night to prove they are not the werewolf. In the game the seer is the biggest threat to the werewolves and they really want to kill them off.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

I'd say have the town priest have a revelation of from his god of impending doom of the party doesn't stay together at all times. If they try and split up despite these warnings, have them jumped by the werewolf or lynched by a mob.

As for the silvered weapon thing, I'd just have the town elder say something along the lines of "Of course we tried that, this monster is particularly clever and has foiled our efforts to uncover it by traditional methods." That's why they are going to extremes of lynching each other.

I think it would be possible to work this game concept into an adventure. Maybe explain to players beforehand what you're trying to do? Players can be unpredictable but if they know a bit about what kind of story you're trying to tell it may go smoother. Still, be prepared for it to go off the rails.

Are you planning on using insight/deception checks by the townspeople/werewolves to give the players some assistance in their choices of who to watch at night? The players can vouch for someone sort of acting as the seer. I'd have the werewolf attack the players and flee periodically if they reveal that they are staking out peoples homes at night to prove they are not the werewolf. In the game the seer is the biggest threat to the werewolves and they really want to kill them off.

I was going to have the players and town folk do a system of checks to determine who the players will watch as for the finer details about the seer I have not worked that out yet. Thanks for all the suggestions and the Millers hallow version looks awesome. I also need to make some special NPCs and figure out what the actions of the people are.

[GlenSmash!]

Problem with that setup: the players will find ways to watch over more than one person at a time, and finding out werewolf isn't that hard in D&D... poke them with a (normal, non-silvered) weapon and watch out which one isn't hurt. You'd have to change how werewolves work, and you'd need to come up with some pretty contrived ways to keep the party from dividing to watch over multiple people, or just gathering the townspeople in one place and checking all of them.

It works in a card game with limited rules, it's much harder in more freeform RPG.

I'd embrace this. I'd use Werewolf/Mafia as a starting point, but I wouldn't limit the players to it too closely. For example if they find a clever way to keep somebody from being killed one night, that's awesome!

However, I can see a clever antagonist avoiding the old silvered weapon poke strategy.

So I guess my advice is don't overthink it. If the players do something cool, roll with it. If your antagonist can some up with clever strategies, roll with that too.

[Dysz]

A big part of the game of werewolf is the discussion phase during the 'day' which leads to the lynch.
Part of that balance is the see is in danger if they come out with information too early.

I would try to have some 'tendencies' of who each villager is willing to lynch, so they you'd have an idea of how the days would play out if not for the party's intervention. I would also encourage you to 'attack' the party at night with escalating difficulties whenever they provide evidence for who the wolves might be. (making sure they they can overpower the party enough so the wolf or party can run away)

I'd also recommend having 2 wolves, so that you have the option to show them defending each other without merit to give the party clues to who the werewolves might be if you need to and to give them a 'win' before the session is over.