Nightwatchman and Slayer: Difference between pages

Revision as of 14:34, 2 April 2023

Information

Type	Townsfolk
Artist	Aidan Roberts

"Die."

Appears in

Cult of the Clocktower Episode by Andrew Nathenson

You need to enable JavaScript to play this audio

Summary

"Once per game, during the day, publicly choose a player: if they are the Demon, they die."

The Slayer can kill the Demon by guessing who they are.

The Slayer can choose to use their ability at any time during the day, and must declare to everyone when they're using it. If the Slayer chooses the Demon, the Demon dies immediately. Otherwise, nothing happens.
The players do not learn the identity of the dead player. After all, it may have been the Recluse!
A Slayer that uses their ability while poisoned or drunk may not use it again.
The Slayer will want to choose an alive player. Even if the Slayer chooses a dead Imp, nothing happens, because a dead player can't die again.
Players may say whatever they want at any time, so a player who's pretending to be the Slayer may pretend to use the Slayer ability.

How to Run

During the day, the Slayer can declare that they wish to use their ability. If so, the Slayer points at any player. If the chosen player is an alive Demon, declare that the chosen player dies—put a shroud on their character token in the Grimoire. If the chosen player is not an alive Demon, say "Nothing happens." Either way, the Slayer loses their ability—put the Slayer's NO ABILITY reminder token by the Slayer token.

If a player is bluffing as the Slayer and declares they wish to use their ability, act as if they were indeed the Slayer—allow time for discussion, let them make the decision, and act like you're fiddling with tokens in your Grimoire, then say "Nothing happens."

When the Slayer declares that they wish to use their ability, give the group a minute or two to discuss who the Slayer should choose. This allows the group to feel responsible for the win (or the loss!), but the Slayer always makes the final choice.

Examples

The Slayer chooses the Imp. The Imp dies, and good wins!

The Slayer chooses the Recluse. The Storyteller decides that the Recluse registers as the Imp, so the Recluse dies, but the game continues.

The Imp is bluffing as the Slayer. They declare that they use their Slayer ability on the Scarlet Woman. Nothing happens.

Tips & Tricks

Using your ability late in the game is far more effective than using it early in the game. When fewer people are alive, there is a greater chance that you will select the Demon and win the game. Also, if fewer than five players are alive, then the Scarlet Woman cannot become the Demon after you kill it.

However, using your ability early in the game is better than not using your ability at all because you're dead. Most players will die before the final day arrives, so the odds that you'll also be dead by then are high. Make sure you use your ability before you die. The Demon will want to kill you as soon as possible, so it is usually best to wait, then claim to be the Slayer only on the day that you intend to use your ability.

Coordinate with the other good players to help you select which player to choose. When you tell the group that you are the Slayer, you may find that many players reveal who they are and what information they have, so that you can make the best decision about who to slay. You can make particular use of a Fortune Teller's info to find people who might be the Demon.

Most of the time, the player that you choose to slay will not be the Demon. This is still useful to do, since you now know a player that is definitely NOT the Demon. Knowing who the Demon isn't is almost as useful as knowing who the Demon is.

Sometimes, it can be useful to choose to slay a player, not because you think that they are the Demon, but because you just want to make sure that they are not. For example, if a player is claiming to be the Saint, and is about to be executed, you can prove that they are not the Demon by using your ability on them - if they don't die, you will probably want to execute somebody else instead!

An advanced strategy can be to try to influence the Demon's kills with your shot. If someone claims to be the Ravenkeeper, try to slay them. If they aren't the Imp, the real Demon will be forced to make a difficult choice: to kill them, and give them information, or to leave them alive late into the game with everyone knowing they aren't the Demon?

When you choose to use your ability, the Storyteller should allow a minute or so for the group to discuss who they think you should choose. They may give you advice, but it is always your decision. This period can be a good time to pretend to be "about to choose" a particular player... just so you can watch to see how much they sweat under pressure. If, for example, you really want to slay the player claiming to be the Mayor, you can tell the group that you are really keen to choose the player claiming Soldier, but secretly you want to see how the Soldier player reacts before making your final choice.

If you find a Monk in play, convince them to protect you every night. This way, you can publicly claim to be the Slayer, safe in the knowledge that the Demon can not kill you tonight. Whilst the Monk is alive, you know you will always be alive tomorrow, so are under no pressure to use your ability today. If the Monk dies at night, you are no longer safe, but if you die at night whilst the Monk is still alive, then you know the player is not actually the Monk.

Beware the Poisoner! If you publicly claim to be the Slayer, even if the Monk is protecting you, you are a prime target for poisoning.

Your ability may work on the Recluse, since the Recluse might register as the Demon. If your target dies, and claims to be the Recluse, then they might actually be the Recluse... or they could have been the Demon, but had a Scarlet Woman who is now the Demon.

You can use your ability at any time during the day. There's no need to rush. You can even use it with the day about to end. On the block? Take your shot. Even if you don't have a clue who the Demon is, it's better to have shot someone than to die unspent.

Remember that your ability only works on the Demon. A person surviving your shot does not prove that they are good, merely that they are not the Demon.

Be aware that the Imp may change players throughout the game. If you choose to slay a Minion early in the game, nothing will happen, but that same player may be the Imp by the end of the game.

Bluffing as the Slayer

When bluffing as the Slayer, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

You would never wake in the night as the Slayer. Instead, you should publicly announce that you want to claim to be the Slayer, and the Storyteller will take care of the rest of your bluff for you. There is nothing tricky about this character as a bluff.

Nobody will ever die as a result of you "using your Slayer ability". With this in mind, there are a few ways you can choose to handle it:
- Deliberately slaying a Demon or another evil player to make them look like they are not the Demon, which can be useful for setting up bluffs. This is an especially good tactic when combined with the Scarlet Woman, since the real Demon can die and pass their ability to a player who has already been exonerated.
- Slaying a good player to confirm them as not the Demon; this will enable you to 'trust' them, and will enable them to want to team up with you because of it.
- Alternatively, you can deliberately slay a good player, and then start to appear evil (e.g. Empath, setting yourself up to be read by an Undertaker, etc.) Since you 'protected' a player from suspicion with your ability, they will appear evil as well.

Solicit the opinion of the group on who you should pick. Good players will be keen to help you make the right choice, and working with them will make you look good, also potentially coaxing information characters out from hiding who want to guide you to the right choice.

The Slayer is a good "backup bluff". If you claim to be a character that is already in play, or you are otherwise under suspicion by the group, claiming that you were lying about who you were so that you could survive an extra day or two as the Slayer is believable - after all... that is what a real Slayer might very well do.

Bluffing as a Slayer also works for good players! A Slayer with no ability is not a high priority target for the Demon, enabling you to survive and continue secretly gathering information.

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 		<div id='character-details'>
-			[[File:icon_nightwatchman.png|250px]]
+			[[File:icon_slayer.png|250px]]
 			<span style="display: block; color: black; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; margin-top: 10px;">Information</span>
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 					<td>Type</td>
 					<td>[[Character Types#Townsfolk|Townsfolk]]</td>
+				</tr>
+				<tr>
+					<td>Artist</td>
+					<td>Aidan Roberts</td>
 				</tr>
 			</table>
-			<p class='flavour' style="font-size: 15px">"The night is cold and lonely, but I have the moon, the stars, the crisp wind and the soft thud of leather boots on cobbled stone for company. Yonder, candlelight flickers behind a murky window..."</p>
+			<p class='flavour'>"Die."</p>
+			<span style="display: block; color: black; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">Appears in</span>
+			[[File:logo_trouble_brewing.png|100px]]
-			<span style="display: block; color: black; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; margin-top: 20px;">Character Showcase</span>
+			<span style="display: block; color: black; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; margin-top: 20px;">Cult of the Clocktower Episode</span>
-			<youtube>4eXQlJG_8Nc</youtube>
+			<span style="display: block; color: black; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">by Andrew Nathenson</span>
+			<div style='padding-bottom: 10px' class="html5audio" data-file="https://anchor.fm/s/daf1f9c/podcast/play/4340831/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F2019-7-24%2F21609314-44100-2-94d8d2e8d0bf8.mp3">You need to enable JavaScript to play this audio</div>
 		</div>
@@ Line 31: / Line 39: @@
 		<div class="small-12 large-6 columns">
 == Summary ==
-"Once per game, at night, choose a player: they learn who you are."
+"Once per game, during the day, publicly choose a player: if they are the Demon, they die."
-The Nightwatchman is known by one player.
+The Slayer can kill the Demon by guessing who they are.
-*
+* The Slayer can choose to use their ability at any time during the day, and must declare to everyone when they're using it. If the Slayer chooses the Demon, the Demon dies immediately. Otherwise, nothing happens.
-*
+* The players do not learn the identity of the dead player. After all, it may have been the Recluse!
+* A Slayer that uses their ability while poisoned or drunk may not use it again.
+* The Slayer will want to choose an alive player. Even if the Slayer chooses a dead Imp, nothing happens, because a dead player can't die again.
+* Players may say whatever they want at any time, so a player who's pretending to be the Slayer may pretend to use the Slayer ability.
 		</div>
 		<div class="small-12 large-6 columns" style="padding-right: 0;">
 == How to Run ==
-Each night, wake the Nightwatchman. If they shake their head, put them back to sleep. If they point at a player, put the Nightwatchman to sleep, wake the chosen player and show them the “This character selected you” info token and the Nightwatchman token, then point to the Nightwatchman player before putting them back to sleep. Mark the Nightwatchman with the “No ability” reminder token.
+During the day, the Slayer can declare that they wish to use their ability. If so, the Slayer points at any player. If the chosen player is an alive Demon, declare that the chosen player dies—put a shroud on their character token in the Grimoire. If the chosen player is not an alive Demon, say "Nothing happens." Either way, the Slayer loses their ability—put the Slayer's '''NO ABILITY''' reminder token by the Slayer token.
-If the Nightwatchman is drunk or poisoned when they choose a player, put them back to sleep, do not wake the chosen player and mark that they have used their once per game ability.
+If a player is bluffing as the Slayer and declares they wish to use their ability, act as if they were indeed the Slayer—allow time for discussion, let them make the decision, and act like you're fiddling with tokens in your Grimoire, then say "Nothing happens."
-If there is a Vortox in play, wake the player the Nightwatchman chose, then show that player the relevant tokens and point to any player except the Nightwatchman.
+When the Slayer declares that they wish to use their ability, give the group a minute or two to discuss who the Slayer should choose. This allows the group to feel responsible for the win (or the loss!), but the Slayer always makes the final choice.
 		</div>
@@ Line 56: / Line 67: @@
 			<div class='example'>
-				Lachlan is the Nightwatchman. He chooses Abdallah. Abdallah learns that Lachlan is the Nightwatchman.
+				The Slayer chooses the {{Evil|Imp}}. The {{Evil|Imp}} dies, and good wins!
 			</div>
 			<div class='example'>
-				Marianna is the drunk Nightwatchman. She chooses Amy. Amy does not wake, and does not learn that Marianna is the Nightwatchman, because the Nightwatchman has no ability.
+				The Slayer chooses the {{Good|Recluse}}. The Storyteller decides that the {{Good|Recluse}} registers as the {{Evil|Imp}}, so the {{Good|Recluse}} dies, but the game continues.
 			</div>
 			<div class='example'>
-				Ben is the Nightwatchman and Vortox is in play. Ben chooses Sarah. Sarah learns that Lewis is the Nightwatchman. Even though the Nightwatchman has their ability, the information is false.
+				The {{Evil|Imp}} is bluffing as the Slayer. They declare that they use their Slayer ability on the {{Evil|Scarlet Woman}}. Nothing happens.
 			</div>
@@ Line 76: / Line 87: @@
 == Tips & Tricks ==
-* As the Nightwatchman, the two most important questions for you to ask yourself are "When should I use my ability?" and "On whom should I use my ability?" (Using the word "whom" instead of "who" makes you sound waaaay smarter ;)
+* Using your ability late in the game is far more effective than using it early in the game. When fewer people are alive, there is a greater chance that you will select the Demon and win the game. Also, if fewer than five players are alive, then the {{Evil|Scarlet Woman}} cannot become the Demon after you kill it.
-* Using your ability early in the game makes sure that you get to use your ability. Like the {{Good|Seamstress}} or the {{Good|Slayer}}, it would be a shame to die on the first few days or nights of the game and never get to use your ability at all. using your ability early, even on a less-than-ideal player, means you get some benefit. And will often be more than enough. If someone, anyone, knows that you are the Nightwatchman, then they won't vote for you to be executed and will probably convince others that you are the Nightwatchman too.
+* However, using your ability early in the game is better than not using your ability at all because you're dead. Most players will die before the final day arrives, so the odds that you'll also be dead by then are high. Make sure you use your ability before you die. The Demon will want to kill you as soon as possible, so it is usually best to wait, then claim to be the Slayer only on the day that you intend to use your ability.
-* You can even use your ability on the first night if you want. This guarantees that you will gain some benefit, since no deaths can occur until the first day or the second night.
+* Coordinate with the other good players to help you select which player to choose. When you tell the group that you are the Slayer, you may find that many players reveal who they are and what information they have, so that you can make the best decision about who to slay. You can make particular use of a {{Good|Fortune Teller}}'s info to find people who might be the Demon.
-* Using your ability late in the game is riskier, because you will need both skill and luck to stay alive to get to that point, but much more useful. In extreme cases, it can win the game. For example, if just three players are alive and you choose one of them to learn that you are the Nightwatchman (and they reveal this to the group), then the possible Demon candidates has been reduced from one in three to one in two, or this may even reveal who the Demon is specifically, if the player you chose can be confirmed as good.
+* Most of the time, the player that you choose to slay will not be the Demon. This is still useful to do, since you now know a player that is definitely NOT the Demon. Knowing who the Demon isn't is almost as useful as knowing who the Demon is.
-* When deciding which player to choose, you almost always want to choose someone who is good and who can be confirmed as good. If you choose a good player, they will later claim that you are indeed the Nightwatchman, but you claiming that they are also good may fall flat. If they have already been confirmed good, via characters such as the {{Good|Empath}} or the {{Good|Dreamer}}, then their claim that you are good has much more weight. When two players claim that each other are good, the good team will want to know that these two players are not Minion and Demon. Before choosing, pay attention to which players are the most trustworthy, and consider them to be the player you choose at night.
+* Sometimes, it can be useful to choose to slay a player, not because you think that they are the Demon, but because you just want to make sure that they are not. For example, if a player is claiming to be the {{Good|Saint}}, and is about to be executed, you can prove that they are not the Demon by using your ability on them - if they don't die, you will probably want to execute somebody else instead!
-* If you do choose an evil player, this is still useful. If the evil player later claims that you are indeed the Nightwatchman, then you have confirmed your own identity to the group. You may die quickly thereafter by the Demon, but knowing which team you are on this is still helpful information for the good team generally. However, if the player you chose refuses to admit to the group that they were chosen by the Nightwatchman, you can be fairly certain that they are evil, since good players have little incentive to stay silent about this, at least for the entire game.
+* An advanced strategy can be to try to influence the Demon's kills with your shot. If someone claims to be the {{Good|Ravenkeeper}}, try to slay them. If they aren't the {{Evil|Imp}}, the real Demon will be forced to make a difficult choice: to kill them, and give them information, or to leave them alive late into the game with everyone knowing they aren't the Demon?
-* If you are a good player that knows who the Nightwatchman is, you can reveal this information immediately the next dawn, or wait until the late game to do so. Revealing immediately means that there is one less player to consider for execution each day, which increases your odds of finding and executing the Demon. Revealing later on can be a fantastic help for the good team, even revealing after you are dead but the Nightwatchman is still alive. Waiting until there are just three, four, or five players left alive before telling the group what you know drastically increases your odds of winning.
+* When you choose to use your ability, the Storyteller should allow a minute or so for the group to discuss who they think you should choose. They may give you advice, but it is always your decision. This period can be a good time to pretend to be "about to choose" a particular player... just so you can watch to see how much they sweat under pressure. If, for example, you really want to slay the player claiming to be the {{Good|Mayor}}, you can tell the group that you are really keen to choose the player claiming {{Good|Soldier}}, but secretly you want to see how the {{Good|Soldier}} player reacts before making your final choice.
+* If you find a {{Good|Monk}} in play, convince them to protect you every night. This way, you can publicly claim to be the Slayer, safe in the knowledge that the Demon can not kill you tonight. Whilst the {{Good|Monk}} is alive, you know you will always be alive tomorrow, so are under no pressure to use your ability today. If the {{Good|Monk}} dies at night, you are no longer safe, but if you die at night whilst the {{Good|Monk}} is still alive, then you know the player is not actually the {{Good|Monk}}.
+* Beware the {{Evil|Poisoner}}! If you publicly claim to be the Slayer, even if the {{Good|Monk}} is protecting you, you are a prime target for poisoning.
+* Your ability may work on the {{Good|Recluse}}, since the {{Good|Recluse}} might register as the Demon. If your target dies, and claims to be the {{Good|Recluse}}, then they might actually be the {{Good|Recluse}}... or they could have been the Demon, but had a {{Evil|Scarlet Woman}} who is now the Demon.
+* You can use your ability at any time during the day. There's no need to rush. You can even use it with the day about to end. On the block? Take your shot. Even if you don't have a clue who the Demon is, it's better to have shot someone than to die unspent.
+* Remember that your ability only works on the Demon. A person surviving your shot does not prove that they are good, merely that they are not the Demon.
+* Be aware that the {{Evil|Imp}} may change players throughout the game. If you choose to slay a Minion early in the game, nothing will happen, but that same player may be the {{Evil|Imp}} by the end of the game.
 		</div>
@@ Line 96: / Line 119: @@
 		<div class="small-12 large-12 columns" style="padding-right: 0;">
-== Bluffing as the Nightwatchman ==
+== Bluffing as the Slayer ==
+When bluffing as the Slayer, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
-When bluffing as the Nightwatchman, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
+* You would never wake in the night as the Slayer. Instead, you should publicly announce that you want to claim to be the Slayer, and the Storyteller will take care of the rest of your bluff for you. There is nothing tricky about this character as a bluff.
-* The Nightwatchman is a difficult character to bluff as, mostly because it needs two evil players to co-ordinate extremely well to do so. Unlike the {{Good|Washerwoman}} or {{Good|Librarian}}, you can't simply claim to be the character, give your information about the character of your fellow evil player, and hope that they play along. The Nightwatchman works in reverse. THEY will need to claim that they know YOUR character. This will usually mean that you both need to plan to do this beforehand, which takes some conniving.
+* Nobody will ever die as a result of you "using your Slayer ability". With this in mind, there are a few ways you can choose to handle it:
+** Deliberately slaying a Demon or another evil player to make them look like they are not the Demon, which can be useful for setting up bluffs. This is an especially good tactic when combined with the {{Evil|Scarlet Woman}}, since the real Demon can die and pass their ability to a player who has already been exonerated.
+** Slaying a good player to confirm them as not the Demon; this will enable you to 'trust' them, and will enable them to want to team up with you because of it.
+** Alternatively, you can deliberately slay a good player, and then start to appear evil (e.g. {{Good|Empath}}, setting yourself up to be read by an {{Good|Undertaker}}, etc.) Since you 'protected' a player from suspicion with your ability, they will appear evil as well.
-* The easiest way to claim to be the Nightwatchman is to play along with a fellow evil player when they claim that you are the Nightwatchman, and not to initiate things. Real Nightwatchmen usually wait until they have used their ability before claiming their character to the group.
+* Solicit the opinion of the group on who you should pick. Good players will be keen to help you make the right choice, and working with them will make you look good, also potentially coaxing information characters out from hiding who want to guide you to the right choice.
-* If you claim to be the Nightwatchman who has chosen a player, and that player is good, they will know that you are evil. Saying "I must have been drunk or poisoned" will probably be understood to be the hasty excuse that it is. Be prepared for a showdown. This player will know that you are evil, but the rest of the group will only know that one of you is evil.
+* The Slayer is a good "backup bluff". If you claim to be a character that is already in play, or you are otherwise under suspicion by the group, claiming that you were lying about who you were so that you could survive an extra day or two as the Slayer is believable - after all... that is what a real Slayer might very well do.
-* Have a ready made reason as to why you used your ability early in the game or late in the game, and why you used your ability on the player that you did.
+* Bluffing as a Slayer also works for good players! A Slayer with no ability is not a high priority target for the Demon, enabling you to survive and continue secretly gathering information.
 		</div>
@@ Line 113: / Line 141: @@
 </div>
-[[Category:Experimental Characters]]
+[[Category:Trouble Brewing]]
 [[Category:Townsfolk]]