The Basic ‘Night of the Werewolf’ Game
Night of the Werewolf is Mafia style Game. The basic premise of the game is a struggle within a community when a small number of them mysteriously become werewolves and start killing people nightly. The main aim of the game for the innocent players is generally to kill all the werewolves, while the werewolves are trying to overpower the innocents. Exactly how this works varies from game to game.
NOTE: Sometimes the enemies aren’t werewolves, the general idea is the same though.
Each player plays a character. Every character belongs in one of two categories, 'Innocents' and ‘werewolves’. Werewolves are few in number, but they usually know who the other Werewolf players are. By process of elimination, they know everyone else is Innocent. Innocents are numerous, but they have no idea which player’s are Wolves and which are Innocent. Each Innocent player knows only that they are innocent. The object of the game is to eliminate all characters from the other category. Innocent players win when all Werewolf characters are eliminated, and vice-versa. Sometimes the idea of character strength is added to the game, where the wolves are usually stronger then the innocents. In this case, the wolves usually only have to kill enough innocents so that their total strength s higher than theirs.
Characters are eliminated through a two-stage process. Each game turn is broken up into two parts, 'night' and 'day'. During the night, a werewolf is selected by the GM, who decides who to kill this night. In game terms, that character is 'murdered by the Werewolves. That player is then eliminated from the game. Everyone learns that person was an Innocent (because only Innocents are murdered in the basic game.)
The town then attempts to catch a wolf. Unfortunately, the wolves’ identities are hidden, so an election is held. All the remaining players, Innocent and werewolves both, debate their suspicions of guilt. Each casts a vote and condemns one character to the gallows. The character who receives the most votes by the end of the day is 'hung'. That player is immediately eliminated from the game. Everyone is then informed if that character was an Innocent or a Werewolf.
Many characters are assigned special roles. The most common special role is that of tie-breaker. This role is traditionally referred to as the Mayor.
The game alternates between night and day phases until all the Innocents are eliminated (Wolf victory) or all the Wolf characters are eliminated (Innocents victory).
What sounds like a rather mundane simple game turns out to be a very challenging game of strategy, misdirection, paranoia, and guile. The knowledge advantage possessed by the werewolves allows them to disrupt and mislead the voting process. In this way the wolves has a chance to overcome their drastic numerical inferiority. But only if luck and skill is on their side. One slip-up, and the Innocents will pounce on the accidental clue. Tensions and paranoia mounts as players fall by the wayside. Players who survive to the end know they've been in a game.
NOTW Games on the Forum
One person acts as Game Master. This person knows all the game secrets and posts the official results of all elections and werewolf murders. This person creates a "game thread". All discussion on or about the game occurs within the game thread. The GM keeps an updated list of the remaining active players, announces special events, wolf murders, and hanging results. The GM does not participate in the thread other than posting these episodic updates. The bulk of the thread consists of players casting votes to hang, accusations of guilt, protestations of innocence, and attempts to clarify or confuse the issues.
The game thread does not contain any werewolf discussions regarding murders, because those are handled by Private Message. All players are allowed to communicate their suspicions or other information by PM with each other, but forwarding PM’s from other players or the GM to a third party is strictly forbidden.
To start play, the GM creates the game thread. The game usually begins with a GM post describing the murder of a non-player character. This murder tips off the community that something is amiss. The GM posts an announcement that the game thread is open, and the game begins.
Forum games need some different rules than the original game. One of these differences is the "tie-breaker". One character is chosen to have the special ability to break any tie votes which may occur. This character is traditionally called 'The Mayor'. The Mayor is not chosen by the GM. All players elect one character to be Mayor in a special election at the start of the game.
Once the game thread is declared open, it is considered 'daytime' in game terms. All players are allowed to post comments on the game thread. All players can try to sway opinion and to register votes. At the end of the 'Daytime' phase, the GM declares the thread closed and counts all the votes.
At this point no players may post on the thread. The GM determines the results of any elections. The GM then posts an announcement on the game thread informing players of elections results (if any) and the outcome of that day's hanging. From this point on it is the 'Night-time phase' in game terms.
During Night-time, the wolf player chosen to perform the night’s murder send a PM to the GM with their choice for the next victim. Other players may also have actions they can take at night. In all cases, the game thread is left alone. All Night actions are handled via PM. No player is allowed to post on the game thread during Night-time.
When the PM activity is over, the GM writes up a new post. The latest werewolf murder victim is announced, along with other pertinent news if needed. Game time turns into 'Daytime', the game thread is declared open, and players once again are allowed to post to address the latest crime. The cycle continues until one side wins.
The result is a game somewhat like of the popular poker game, Texas Hold-'em. Every player knows a little bit of private information on their own. And every player knows a lot of information that is available to everyone. And just like in poker, bluffs, misdirections, tells, and risk often play as big a part as the hands dealt.
There is one last item to understand about NOTW games played on the forum: they work only when the players are honest. They work only when every player sticks to the spirit of the game. It is very easy to cheat or to work around the rules, because there is no way the GM can effectively enforce them. So please don't do it.
Spirit of the Game
A game such as this can succeed only when all the players agree to abide by the spirit in which it is played. There is no way to enforce this. Players have to rely upon the good will of their fellow player. Please do not agree to play unless you are comfortable with all the rules, even those you may not fully agree with or understand.
This game intends to create a competitive gaming atmosphere. Players are encouraged to do everything within the rules to gain an advantage or to confuse an enemy. You can lie, you can ruthlessly turn on an early ally, you can be as tricky as you like. But you must do so within the limits imposed by the rules.
You are allowed to discuss the game with other players on the game thread or via PM or instant messaging. However, it is against the rules to discuss the game with people who are not playing in the game or people who have been killed.
The moment you are eliminated from the game, you must not discuss the game with other players at all. This means no posting on the game thread, or any other thread and no PMs/IM to other players. However, dead characters are allowed to discuss the game with each other via PM or IM.
This rule typically varies game to game, but as a rule of thumb under no circumstances are you allowed to copy any PM's sent to you, especially those sent by the GM. Message forwarding is also against the rules. Paraphrasing is fine, but copying word-for-word is a big no-no. Don't do it.
Remember that NOTW games operate on a mix of secret and public information. These rules exist to protect your secret information and to protect the other players' secret information. If you wish to make use of your special knowledge it will be up to you to persuade your fellow players. You cannot just wave around a secret message to 'prove' you are not running a bluff.
When all the players respect the spirit of the game the simple rules of NOTW come together to deliver a surprisingly rich gaming experience.
Twists & Variations
Leadership Roles
Most NOTW games include a special leadership role, sometimes more than one. This role is traditionally called the Mayor. A special election is held at the start of a new game to elect one character as Mayor. Any character can be elected Mayor, even wolf characters. The Mayor's main function is to cast an extra 0.5 deciding vote whenever an election ends in a tie.
Ending the Game
The game ends when one side reaches its victory condition.
The Innocent team wins when every wolf player has been eliminated.
The wolves do not have to eliminate every single Innocent. The Werewolf team wins when the total strength of the innocents is less than the total strength of the werewolves.
There are many special rules to modify strength. Each Innocent character, has one point of Strength, werewolves sometimes have a higher strength. Sometimes a character is extra tough and worth 2 points of strength. Sometimes a character will own an item that adds a point of Strength. This adds a bit of uncertainty as to when the game will end. But the basic concept remains the same.
Innocents win when Wolf Strength reaches zero.
The wolves wins when wolf Strength equals or exceeds Innocent Strength.
Victory
Your goal is to survive. If you are Innocent, you cannot win unless the Innocent team kills off the Werewolves. If you are a wolf, you cannot win unless the Werewolf team kills off the Innocents. Players who keep their character alive are Winners!
But will they be happy? That's a slightly different kettle of fish.
Character Background and Personal Goal.
Each character is provided with a few paragraphs of back story, this gives a bit of background on the character’s personality and history for Role-Play (RP) purposes. Most characters also have a personal goal other than team survival
Background information will include little snippets of information close neighbors might reasonably know about one another. Villagers know who is a skinflint, who pays bills on time, and who doesn't muck out the latrine often enough. Background information will also include personal information not commonly known. You may have a secret crush on the blacksmith's wife, but no one else does ... or has someone else in town figured it out? Background information provides a little bit of fertile ground for player's to let grow their role-playing imagination. But it also offers subtle clues on plot twists soon to come.
Personal Goals might best be thought of as "alternative, role-play, victory conditions". They have nothing to do with winning or losing the game, but they do grant bragging rights at the end of the game. Players who meet their PG requirements at the end of the game will be given full credit, even if your character died before all the conditions were met. (Exceptions, as always, apply.) Even though PG's have nothing directly to do with Victory, realize that most roads to fulfillment involve staying alive. Players are well advised to keep the basic victory condition - team survival - firmly in mind, and to keep their role-playing information secret.
Special Abilities
Special abilities greatly add to the unpredictability and fun. It just wouldn't be NOTW without special abilities. In some variants the special abilities are rare and straightforward. In others they are widespread, and might be rather complex. In virtually every case they are handled by means of Private Messages exchanged between the player and the GM. Care must be taken using special abilities. Public knowledge of your special ability may very well mark you for death. Other players who might benefit greatly from your ability might not believe you. So think ahead, and always remember you must persuade your fellow players without ever, every copying these very secret Private Messages.
Storytelling
It does little good for players to role-play if the GM doesn't participate in the fun. Here at Civ fanatics, we like to spiff up GM announcements with a bit of colorful prose. Please understand this is done purely for fun and to encourage a role-playing atmosphere. GM writing is not intended as a source of hidden clues or hints. Once again so it's clear: GM writing should not be examined for hidden clues or hints.
Take the example of a hanging election. The deadline passes. The GM gets to work. The election is closed, the votes tallied, and one unfortunate character is hung. The GM writes up a short story to describe the hanging. "The vote was clear: Bun-Bun was to hang. Bun-Bun made a break for freedom, but Ferpo and Loomis tackled her and wrestled her to the gallows. Brooklyn quickly applied the noose and Mr. Pennybags yanked on the lever. Bun-Bun was Innocent! Bun-Bun's body was examined and an heirloom was found. The village has discovered the Panzerkampfwagon Mark VIb "King Tiger" Main Battle Tank! This Heirloom is worth +1 Strength.
This GM report communicates five facts: Bun-Bun is eliminated. Bun-Bun was an Innocent, not a werewolf. Up to the time of her demise, Bun-Bun owned a special heirloom. This heirloom grants its owner one strength point. Barnum now owns the heirloom.
The rest of the text is included solely to promote a role-playing atmosphere. The other characters mentioned, Ferpo, Loomis, Brooklyn, and Mr. Pennybags, are all arbitrary selections. Their inclusion in the colorful writeup should not be interpreted as a clue or a hint. By game's end, all characters will have had their turns 'in the limelight'.
Always remember it is not the GM's job to supply clues. Those will be supplied by your fellow players through their comments and votes.
Speeches and Secret Voices - virtually extinct now from recent games but still part of NOTW
Why let the GM do all the storytelling without benefit of your considerable talents? NOTW's unique Secret Voices System allows every player to contribute to the GM's 'storytelling' scenes.
For example, your character may want to make a short speech just before the next unfortunate citizen is lynched:
"Ferpo steps forward. 'Mr. Mayor, before you pull the lever, let me remind everyone I was just guessing when I suggested we hang Loomis. If Loomis turns out to be innocent, don't blame me, heh heh heh. Heh. Heh?' The mayor rolls his eyes when Ferpo finishes, then pulls the lever. Ferpo was innocent!"
Will people be more or less likely to forgive Ferpo after his little speech? Who can say? So perhaps your cunning plans would be better served by a little anonymous rumormongering? You have the option of using the system to submit a short unattributed speech to be included in GM 'storytelling' scenes. But be careful! In NOTW games every tactic carries risk. If you choose to use your 'Secret Voice', other players have a chance to deduce or detect who is behind the trickery.
Every character is assigned a unique identifier, known only to that player. Let's continue with the above example. This time Brooklyn will try to spread a rumor using his "raspy" Secret Voice.
"Ferpo steps forward. 'Mr. Mayor, before you pull the lever, let me remind everyone I was just guessing when I suggested we hang Loomis. If Loomis turns out to be innocent, don't blame me, heh heh heh. Heh. Heh?' Ferpo finishes. the mayor rolls his eyes, and someone with a raspy voice mutters 'Pennybags voted to hang Ferpo because he knew Ferpo was a Prophet. He's a Werewolf!' The Mayor calls for silence, then pulls the lever. Ferpo was innocent!"
Your character can speak publicly, or your character can mutter anonymously, but your character cannot do both during the same scene. In our example above, everyone will know that Ferpo was not the character with the 'raspy voice'. Ferpo delivered a public speech, so he could not have been the secret rumormonger.
Comments provided by players will appear italicized, or in a different font, or color, or otherwise clearly differentiate these passages from those composed by the GM.
To participate, send the GM a Private Message in the following format:
Examples:
Public “May you find your fulfillment in the afterlife.”
Secret / Say this if the 'nasal' secret voice is heard. “Spoken like a real werewolf … friend.”
If the character with the ‘nasal’ secret voice mutters something this hanging, you will butt in and mutter something yourself, using your own unique voice. If nasal-voice does not mutter something, you will remain silent as well.
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And that's in a nutshell the basics of a NOTW game. Over time, the game has evolved to the point where there can be multiple 'wolf' sides vying for victory but the premise is still virtually the same. I encourage new players to read over some of our older games to get a feel for how these games play out. I personally would suggest checking out Chandrasekhar's NOTW XXV: Border of Life for an entertaining read into one of the most well-run games and intriguing games this forum has seen. For a more unorthodox game, I suggest reading TheForestAuro's NOTW XXXI: It's a Long Story where there were multiple sides all vying for victory at once. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and we hope to see you in a game shortly!
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