There has been much discord of late between the law-creating and law-enforcing magistrates and the secretive guild of assassins who oppose what is, in their view, an iron-fisted rule of the populace. The Lord/Lady of the realm has invited all the high society nobles to a masquerade ball. Unbeknownst to the attendees, the guild of assassins plans to use this opportunity to kill the magistrates who will be in attendance.
Players are divided into two teams, and these teams are kept a secret. That is to say, any given player only knows which team they themselves are on; they do not know who else is on their team, or who is on the opposing team.
Composed of assassins, and nobles who (secretly or not so secretly) support the assassins' objectives and philosophies.
See all the magistrates uncovered and killed.
Composed of magistrates and nobles who (secretly or not so secretly) support the magistrates and their rule of law.
See all the assassins uncovered and arrested or killed.
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5 (or more depending on size of the group) packs of playing cards
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Pull out all Jack of hearts (magistrates) and all Ace of spades (assassins).
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Pull out an assortment of 20-30 numeric hearts cards and 20-30 numeric spade cards
The numbers on the cards don't matter, so feel free to select whichever cards you want -- perhaps two of each number; perhaps group 2,3,4,5 with black and 6,7,8,9 with red; whatever you want
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Ballroom/masquerade masks for all players (purchase or have players bring their own)
Masks are important not just for theme, but to obscure players' peripheral vision -- so make sure all masks do indeed achieve that goal of obscuring peripheral vision, especially if players bring their own.
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Feathers or some other object (eg, hats) players can don when they become a guard.
This object should be very obvious to players and conssitent among guards so that there is no ambiguity as to who is and is not a guard.
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Create some central area where you can publicly display the cards of killed/arrested magistrates/assassins so players can look at it to see how close the game is to ending.
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Count out cards equal to the number of players in this fashion:
- There should be roughly 4-6 assassins (ace of spades) and 2-3 magistrates (jack of hearts) for a group of 20-30 people.
Feel free to play with these numbers based on how often each side is winning each game, but be sure there are always more assassins than magistrates.
- The remaining count should be divided equally between red and black nobles (number cards).
Feel free to include yourself in the count so you can play too, the game can run fine without a game master. If you choose not to play -- or want the assurances of a smooth play for your first session -- you will play as the Lord/Lady who is throwing this masquerade ball and everyone should show you deference (ie, listen if you point out rule violations)
- There should be roughly 4-6 assassins (ace of spades) and 2-3 magistrates (jack of hearts) for a group of 20-30 people.
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Inform players of how many assassins and how many magistrates are in play.
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Shuffle the cards and deal them to players or have them choose their own. Players must keep their card a secret. A player should only expose their card if they have been arrested, or, if they have been killed and they are an assassin or magistrate.
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Set a timer (an egg timer, someone's phone, a microwave timer, whatever is handy) for 20-30 minutes to mark the end of the game. This is the clock striking midnight and the masquerade ball being over. If no oen has won the game by the time the timer goes off, the assassins have failed and the red team wins by default. The timer encourages everyone to keep the game moving and sometimes just randonly arresting/killing someone because the time is running down. This is a good thing. Otherwise the game can end up in deadlock situations where everyone is too confused or risk averse to want to make a move.
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[Optional] Sometimes players need a prod to get the game going. For at least your first couple games, I would encourage you to use this rule. Using the game timer, instead of the full time, first put three minutes on the clock. If the assassins haven't made a first kill by the time the timer goes off, they have a twenty second window in which to do so or else the red team wins an immediate forfeit victory. Once the assassins make their first kill, regardless of whether or not the starting timer has gone off, reset the timer to the full game length time. Be sure to inform players that this starting time limit is in effect and of the 20 second window when it goes off and then just count those 20 seconds in your head or out loud if it reaches that point. This encourages players to start deducing each others' roles quickly and puts pressure on the assassins to both make a kill but also not accidentally kill one of their own. With regular play, this rule is usually not necessary and just makes for uneeded maintenence.
Assassins have the ability to kill other players (see Killing).
Magistrates have the ability to arrest other players (see Arresting).
Nobles (both black and red) have no special abilities. If a noble is killed or arrested they return to the game as a guard.
Guards have the ability to arrest other players (see Arresting).
Guards' roles (but not their team) are public to all players as identified by a large feather added to their mask or through some other easily identifiable signifier (eg, switching to a different mask, putting on a hat, etc).
In general, players should be trying to discover what team the other players are on and what role they have through whatever means they choose.
Players are never allowed to voluntarily show their card for any reason -- but there are involuntary reasons they might have to show it.
However, players are allowed to say whatever they like. They can tell someone their role, they can also lie and tell someone their role is something different than it actually is. They can be subtle or coy and hint at their role through vaguaries ("I'm certainly glad our magistrates keep the rule of law in this city") or by asking one another questions ("Have you heard of this guild of assassins? What do you think of their philosophy?").
Encourage players to role-play. Take on silly accents. Act like their own steroptype of a "noble". Perhaps make up a fake persona and play as that person throughout the night. The more players get into characters and acting and role-playing the more fun they will have. The masks help in this regard.
Assassins, and only assassins, have an additional gameplay action they can perform of killing other players.
Since everyone is role-playing and trying to trick the other players, keep in mind that even if a player is lying and telling other players that they are an assassin when they are not, no one can "pretend" to kill another player to keep up that ruse since there is no way for the victim to know whether the person who killed them is actually an assassin or not.
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To kill a player, an assassin squeezes their target on their lower back (as if trying to do a Vulcan nerve pinch on their kidney).
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The victim must then count to 10 in their head and then die. Victims are encouraged to die in as elaborate a fashion as possible or as is befitting any character they may have established.
It is important to emphasize to players this 10-second countdown. Players sometimes get caught up in the excitement when they realize that they have been killed and die immediately instead of counting to 10. This runs the risk of exposing the assassin and imbalancing he game.
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Once the victim has completed their death throes...
- If they are a noble, they should add a feather to their mask (or whatever the accoutrement is in your game). The player now gets a second life as a guard; and they now have the ability to Arrest other players. Their team stays the same.
- If they are a magistrate or an assassin, they must show their card to the other players. They are now removed from the game and their card should be displayed publicly on the tally board.
- If the victim was aready a guard, they are removed from the game. At this point, the player has a choice of whether or not they wish to expose their card to other players or continue to keep it hidden until the end of the game.
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An assassin who has just made a kill cannot kill another target until their previous victim has completed the above and either donned their guard apparel or been removed from the game. (So an assassin can kill roughly once every 10-20 seconds depending on how long their previous victim decides to draw out their death throes.)
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There are no restrictions on who can be killed. Assassins can kill their supporters on the black team or their own brethren assassins if they are careless.
Both guards and magistrates can arrest other players.
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To arrest a player, a guard/magistrate grabs their target by the wrist and raises their arm, shouting "Assassin!"
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The target of an arrest must expose their card to the other players.
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If the target is an assassin, they are removed from the game and their card displayed on the tally board. It doesn't matter if the guard who made the arrest is on the black team, players just have to live with their mistake in that case.
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If the target is a magistrate, noble, or another guard, then this is a wrongful arrest. If the player who made the arrest is a guard they are removed from the game as reprisal for this wrongful accusation; if the player who made the arrest is a magistrate they are not removed from the game, the punishment is merely them having exposed their role.
- Additionally, if the target is a noble, they now become a guard following the same rules as if they had been killed. However, in this case keep in mind that their role has been exposed in the process of the arrest so other players will likely remember which team they are on now.
- Additionally, if the target is also a guard, they are also removed from the game. In this way guards basically cancel each other out. This can be a good way for players on either side to thin out the herd, just be careful you don't arrest a player on your own team.
- Nothing additional happens if the target is a magistrate, however by being exposed they are now in far more danger of assassination.
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Another arrest can be made immediately after resolving the current arrest (ie, after determing the card of the player being arrested and if the arrest was wrongful or not). If a magistrate has made a wrongful arrest, unlike an assassin making a kill, they have no death throes to wait for nor do they have to wait for the prior target to don their guard accoutrement before making another arrest.
Players should keep in mind that intrigue and deception are the name of the game. Anyone is allowed to say anything about their role or the role of others.
Also, don't forget that this is a team game -- even if you are removed from the game, you still win if your team wins -- there are some cases when it is a wise strategy to sacrifice yourself for the greater good.
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You should be trying to uncover roles so that you can tell your assassins who the magistrates are, or at least, who you suspect they are.
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If you are able to find an assassin who trusts you, having them kill you will actually give you more power since you will return to the game as a guard. Be sure you aren't obvious about this though or it might expose your assassin.
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It can be a very effective strategy to lie and say you are an assassin. If you can convince a red guard that you are an assassin and they arrest you, not only will they be removed from the game, but you will become a guard and gain the power to arrest. You'll be exposed in the process, but it's almost always worth it. Even better if you can convince a magistrate as they have to expose themselves in order to make the arrest.
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Be the fall-guy for your assassins. Stand in a very obvious position near a target while your assassin kills them surreptitiously. Ideally they or other gaurds watching suspect that you are the assassin and try to arrest you, which will result in you becoming a guard and them being removed from the game.
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If you suspect someone of being a magistrate, arrest them. You will be removed from the game, but exposing a magistrate for your assassins will be a huge boost to your team.
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Be careful! You absolutely can arrest assassins just like any other guard. That would be a huge self-inflicted blow to your team.
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Keep the number of red guards low. It is often worth it to arrest a guard you suspect of being on the red team. You'll both be removed from the game, but it means one less red guard to potentially expose your assassins; and if there are too many guards, just based on the odds alone you are putting your assassins at risk.
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Be very wary of who you expose your role to. Players on the red team will almost certainly lie and say they are supporting the assassins in order to uncover and expose the assassins.
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On the flip side, if you can find people that you trust are on your side, you can kill them in order to have them come back as guards. Make a mistake and they'll surely arrest you right away, but if you play it right you can turn the entire black team into guards.
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Be sure to assassinate in non-obvious ways. Kill someone facing away from you as you are walking by. Kill someone when you are part of a large group.
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Use your team members to fake out guards who might be watching. Have a black noble stand in a very obvious position when you perform a kill so that in case a guard sees, the noble takes the fall and ends up removing the guard from the game.
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Remember than killing a red noble will see them return to the game as a guard, which does your team no favors (and if you were too obvious in your assassination they will likely try to arrest you right away). Try to ensure you are confident your target is a magistrate before assassinating them.
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Sometimes it can be to your benefit to be brazen. If a magistrate has exposed themselves by making an arrest, it is almost always worth it to kill them as quickly as you can no matter what. There are more assassins than magistrates in the game so even if you're arrested immediately, the numbers almost always work out in your favor.
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Remember that if the masquerade ends before the magistrates die, your team loses. So all other advice aside, when it comes down to it, sometimes you just have to make your best guess and kill someone.
- Your team starts at a slight disadvantage since the assassins can kill but your magistrates should avoid arresting if at all possible since it will expose them. Spend the early part of the game trying to gather as much knowledge about teams and roles as possible and then leverage that when some of you team members have become guards.
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You should be trying to uncover the assassins and magistrates so that you know whom to arrest and whom to protect
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It is actually to your benefit to be killed since you will return as a guard. When you are killed, try to remember who killed you or who you suspect and arrest them. Taking out a clumsy assassin you was too obvious when killing you will be a huge boost to your team.
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Lying and telling people that you are a magistrate is a good way to try to get an assassin to kill you. This will both put tht assassin at risk of exposure and see you return to the game as a guard.
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Be sure you are sharing information with your team and finding out who your magistrates are. You don't want your magistrates making arrests since it exposes them, but if they are sure of an assassin and they don't know which guards to trust they may feel they have no choice.
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Remember you don't have a time limit on arresting like assassins do on killing since you are removed from the game on wrongful arrests. So if you have arrested an assassin, be on the lookout for another assassin to sneak up on you and kill you right away. Sometimes you can get two arrests back-to-back.
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Yours is the waiting game. Try to blend in and stay uncovered for the entire game and you can just run out the clock.
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Remember you can arrest just like guards and, although it will expose you, you are not removed from the game on wrongful arrests. Sometimes taking the brazen route of just arresting a bunch of people will net you an assassin. As long as only one magistrate on your team takes this approach, it can work out very well and force the black team's hand.