Murder at the Academy

[AvatarVecna]

Alright, here's my second attempt at running a game; hopefully this one will be less flawed than the last one.

Spoiler: The Story

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Last night, Archmage Darron Ziz, headmaster of the Ziz Magical Academy, was found dead in his personal chambers...and the only people capable of bypassing the defenses on such a short notice are the various professors that teach there. Until the killer can be found, the professors will attempt to track down the killer (or killers) and bring them to magical justice.

Spoiler: Roles

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Spoiler: Moral Roles

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Professor (Good)

You've always been happy with your position and never really had a problem with working for Archmage Darron Ziz. Unfortunately, with everything going on, you don't know who to trust anymore, so you'll have to use your magic to the best of your ability to try and find those responsible so that everything can go back to normal.

You win if all Evil characters are dead at the end of the game, as long as you yourself are alive.

Your focus on magical education means that you begin play with two specialties, with two journals for each specialty.

Heir Apparent (Good)

You are one of the Archmage's magically inclined children. While you're not sure who exactly the murderer was, you know you can trust your siblings; together, the lot of you might be able to solve this mystery.

You win if all Evil characters are dead at the end of the game, even if you are dead.

Heirs start out in contact with each other (via QuickTopic). Heirs share their journals; an Heir can use the minor power granted by any journal possessed by the group as a whole. In addition, each Heir has the major power "Grave Robber" in addition to their specialty-granted major power.

Investigator (Good)

You've always had a talent for subterfuge and investigation, as well as a fascination with mysteries. You've decided to make it your mission to solve this mystery...hopefully, before you're killed yourself.

You win if you are alive at the end of the game.

The Investigator does not start out in contact with the Heirs. In addition to your specialty-granted powers, you also have the minor power "Visions".

Paranoid Professor (Good)

You've always been quick to jump to conclusions, and your paranoia has gone into overdrive with the murder of the archmage. You have no idea who to trust, and every possible method of magical manipulation is flying through your head as you try to figure out what's going on. Unfortunately, your paranoia clouds your judgement, making you see enemies where their are none...and see friends where you guard yourself.

You win if you are alive at the end of the game.

The Paranoid Professor does not start out in contact with the Heirs. You are informed that you are the Investigator, and that you have the minor power "Visions". In reality, you have the minor power "False Visions".

Ursurper (Neutral)

You've always wanted to run this school yourself, and now's the perfect time to take your place as head of the school...provided you can master all the magical specialties while surviving.

You win if you are alive at the end of the game and have at least one journal for every specialty.

You may use the minor power of any journal you possess. In addition, you have the minor power "Grave Robber" and the major power "Grand Theft Arcana"

Assassins (Evil)

Long ago, the Archmage ran afoul of a corrupt mage's guild and managed to cripple several of its founders. As revenge, a group of powerful mages were selected to infiltrate Darron's magical academy and, when they receive the signal, to murder him and the other professors. Additionally, your sources say that one of the other professors may be possessed by a fiend who has been charged with a similar purpose; their knowledge may prove useful to the Assassins in their quest.

You win if all Good characters are dead at the end of the game, even if you are dead.

Assassins start out in contact with each other (via QuickTopic). Assassins share their journals; an Assassin can use the minor power granted by any journal possessed by the group as a whole. The Assassins as a whole have the minor power "Assassinate" that can only be used once per night (thus, three Assassins can't perform three assassinations in the same night). In addition, each Assassin has the major power "Grave Robber" in addition to their specialty-granted major power.

Fiend (Evil)

A ritual gone wrong resulted in your physical body being possessed by a fiend from beyond the veil of the Material Plane. This fiend was not yet ready to kill the archmage or his professors, and is now scrambling to make sure they have enough knowledge to take down the professors before it is discovered and killed. Hopefully it can locate the killers and join them before they kill the Fiend as well.

You win if all non-Evil characters are dead at the end of the game, as long as you are still alive yourself.

The Fiend does not start out in contact with the Assassins. In addition to your specialty-granted major power, you also have the minor power "Visions" and the major power "Trickery".

Spoiler: Specialty Roles

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Most specialty roles grant you two journals focused on your specialty and a major power. As long as you possess at least one specialty journal, that specialty's minor power is available to you for use.

Abjurer

You have two abjuration journals (which grant the minor power "Antimagic Shield"), and the major power "Ultimate Protection".

Conjurer

You have two conjuration journals (which grant the minor power "Extra Eyes"), and the major power "Otherworldly Judgement".

Diviner

You have two divination journals (which grant the minor power "Always Watching"), and the major power "Visions".

Enchanter

You have two enchantment journals (which grant the minor power "Misdirection"), and the major power "Trickery".

Evoker

You have two evocation journals (which grant the minor power "Strong-armed Support"), and the major power "Rune Trap".

Illusionist

You have two illusion journals (which grant the minor power "Just A Dream"), and the major power "Bait and Switch".

Necromancer

You have two necromancy journals (which grant the minor power "Speak With Dead"), and the major power "Reanimation".

Transmuter

You have two transmutation journals (which grant the minor power "Polymorph"), and the major power "Blanket Immunity".

Generalist (non-specialty)

You are a non-specialist. You receive no journals, but each night you may select one specialty, and use that specialty's journal-granted minor power. Once per game, you may select one specialty of your choice and use their major power.

Performer (non-specialty)

You are a non-specialist. You receive no journals, but each night, you may select one player and use their specialty's journal-granted minor power. Once per game, you may select one player of your choice and use their specialty's major power.

Spoiler: Powers

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Each night, a player may use a single power available to them. Minor powers can be used any number of times, while major powers can only be used once per game.

Always Watching

Select one player. You learn their specialty, as well as how many journals they currently possess.

Antimagic Shield

Select one player. Any power targeting that player fails; if it was a major power, it is not expended.

Assassinate

Select one player. They die.

Bait and Switch

Select two players. Starting on the night you activate this power, and for the next two nights, any power targeting one player instead targets the other, and vice versa.

Blanket Immunity

Select one player. On the night you activate this power, and the next night as well, that player is immune to all powers.

Extra Eyes

Select one player. You learn the name of each player that uses a power on them tonight.

False Visions

Select one player. You are told they have a moral role chosen at random by the narrator.

Grand Theft Arcana

If a player dies in the night, you gain all of their specialty journals; this overcomes any use of "Grave Robber".

Grave Robber

If a player dies in the night, you receive one random specialty journal they possessed.

Just A Dream

Select one player. Any attempt to use powers on them fails tonight. If it was a major power, it is not expended.

Misdirection

Select two players. During the next day phase, the total number of votes to lynch them counts as two less than normal.

Otherworldly Judgement

Select one player. If their alignment matches yours, they are immune to all other powers tonight and tomorrow night. If their alignment does not match yours, they die.

Polymorph

Select two players. Tonight only, any power targeting one player instead targets the other, and vice versa.

Reanimation

Select one dead player. They return to life (this cannot be used on Archmage Darron Ziz or Benjamin Lloyd).

Rune Trap

Select one player. They die.

Speak With Dead

Select one dead player. You learn who used powers on them the night they died (this cannot be used on Archmage Darron Ziz or Benjamin Lloyd).

Strong-armed Support

Select two players. Their vote during the next day phase count double.

Trickery

Select two players. Starting on the night you activate this power, and for the next two nights, any power targeting one player instead targets the other, and vice versa.

Ultimate Protection

Select one player. On the night you activate this power, and until two more nights go by, that player cannot die; any attempt to kill them fails.

Visions

Select one player. You learn their moral role.

Spoiler: Player List

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Lex-Kat
Ramsus
Thematthew
Queen of Thorns
Murska
Vwulf DeMarcus
Elenna
ThePhantom
Tolomei
Duck999
Xihirli
Nonayer
Luizeu
CarpeGuitarrem

[Lex-Kat]

In.

[Ramsus]

I'll be in.

[Thematthew]

Haven't played here before, but I'm interested.

[Queen of Thorns]

So... it's a team game but everyone has their own goals to meet? If I'm understanding correctly, I am in.

[Murska]

I'll join...

[Vwulf DeMarcus]

I'll play, yeah.

[Elenna]

Well, I expect to be thoroughly confused, but oh well. I'm in.

[ThePhantom]

I'll be in. Not the first time with this theme.

[Tolomei]

This sounds complicated but fun. I'll join!

[Duck999]

I'll be in

[Xihirli]

This will be fun. You can count on a lovable drow to help you through this.

[Elenna]

This will be fun. You can count on a lovable drow to help you through this.

For certain values of "help"...

[Nonayer]

Nothing like a complex game to ease me back into the swing of things. It has been a while.

[Luizeu]

Where can I find the rules for this game?

[Elenna]

AvatarVecna, how many people did you want in this game?

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So... it's a team game but everyone has their own goals to meet? If I'm understanding correctly, I am in.

Looks to be like Shadow Hunters in that regard, yeah: everyone has a unique role with a particular win condition, and some of those win conditions are team-based.

Eh, sure, why not? I'm interested in giving this a whirl.

[AvatarVecna]

Where can I find the rules for this game?

Other than the roles, it's basically standard WW.

AvatarVecna, how many people did you want in this game?

I'd prefer to have as many as possible. We can certainly make do with as few as 7...but wouldn't a game of 20+ be much more fun? In any case, I'm gonna continue recruiting until it's time to start; hopefully more people will jump into this game, and we can have a nice long game of WW. And if not, then at least the game will end quickly enough that I can start another one with potentially revised rules.

[AvatarVecna]

Time to play.

Murder at the Academy

The school day began like any other; students bustling to classes, professors busying themselves in preparation, coffee flowing plentifully throughout. But, as was quickly discovered by the teaching staff, this day was the start of a dark period of time for the Ziz Magical Academy...for Archmage Ziz was found murdered in his bed, his defenses bypassed and his traps unsprung. Somehow, someone had managed to end the life of one of the most powerful mages in all the land.

Fearing for their lives, the professors gathered together; they knew that they, the other masters and mistresses of magic, were the only ones powerful and skilled enough to pull off such a task, so the killer...or killers...must be among them. It was equally obvious that the killer couldn't just run off, since so many powerful mages would know exactly who was responsible, so it only made sense that the assassins would try to end the other professors as well. And so, after much debate, it was decided that, until the killers were found and brought to justice, the professors would gather once a day and decide which of the people gathered was the least trustworthy...in order to dispose of them and determine whether they were the murderer responsible.

Night Zero: Archmage Darron Ziz was killed.

Day One has begun. Day One will end at 22:00 CST Friday, July 17th.

[Elenna]

Where is everyone?

Voting Luizeu because RNG.

Also, I'll be away between Friday and Sunday. Shouldn't be long enough to get autolynched, but just in case.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I will likewise be away over the weekend, but that presumably won't be a problem for Day One, since it ends Friday night.

Anyhow. <ahem> Let's kick this pig.

Voting Queen of Thorns for D1.

Elenna and Duck999, who are two people that you trust currently?

[Elenna]

Elenna and Duck999, who are two people that you trust currently?

Um...well, almost nobody has done anything yet, so everyone is pretty much equally untrustworthy.
I can answer this question again Friday morning if you want?

[Murska]

Random point at Nonayer.

"We must consult the Diviners. It must have taken several attackers to defeat the Archmage, and they're probably still among us now."

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Um...well, almost nobody has done anything yet, so everyone is pretty much equally untrustworthy.
I can answer this question again Friday morning if you want?

That'd be awesome, if you like. Don't worry, this is just me poking around. I'm interested in seeing who various people pick.

[Ramsus]

So CarpeGuitarrem, who do you least trust between (*rolls die*) Murska and (*rolls die* pffffft) Murska?

"What!? The Archmage is dead? Well now my short twenty four hour brunchner won't sit well. This won't do at all!"

[Tolomei]

"It is a sad reflection on the state of the justice in the magical world that, after much debate, the best system we can come up with for determining the guilty party is having a daily meeting where we kill off one of colleagues and check their guts for guilt. I wish someone would devise a spell to compel someone to tell the truth while they're alive, or, failing that, some sort of.. court system. But until that, we'll have to do this the traditional way, as barbarically silly as the tradition is."

CarpeGuitarrem, for challenging people about who they trust before there's any information available to judge anyone's trustworthiness. I'm all for promoting discussion to allow information to come to light, but putting people on the spot when there's literally nothing sensible they could possibly say in response seems nonsensical.

(AvatarVecna: could you share the number of each moral role that's in play, given that we have 14 players? Or is that not something we're supposed to know?)

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So CarpeGuitarrem, who do you least trust between (*rolls die*) Murska and (*rolls die* pffffft) Murska?

This seems like a trick question somehow.

Murska seems alright. Standard random vote.

[Thematthew]

Tolomei, for doubting the effectiveness of haruspicy.

[Elenna]

Don't forget, this is still a school. What are we going to tell the students while we're busy killing people and somehow determining their guilt from the dead bodies?

Actually, now that I think about it...how does that work?

[AvatarVecna]

something we're supposed to know?)

How dare you imply that mob justice isn't the best way to solve our problems!

Okay, got a few rules clarifications to make:

1) PMs between players are allowed, but make sure to forward them to me.

2) There is no scry interference.

3) Each player can only use one power per night; minor powers can be used any number of times, but major powers can only be used once per game.

Don't forget, this is still a school. What wre we going to tell the students while we're busy killing people and somehow determining their guilt from the dead bodies?

Actually, now that I think about it...how does that work?

Uh...magic?