Butcher

Information

Type	Outsider
Artist	Aidan Roberts

"I am not a freak! I am a human being! Have mercy!"

Appears in

Cult of the Clocktower Episode by Andrew Nathenson

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Summary

"If you are "mad" about being an Outsider, you might be executed."

The Mutant is killed if they try to reveal who they are.

• “Madness” is a term that means “you are trying to convince the group of something.” So, if the Mutant player is mad about being the Mutant, this means they are trying to convince people that they are the Mutant. If they are mad about being an Outsider, this means they are trying to convince people that they are an Outsider.
• This can be by verbally hinting who they are, or by their silence when questioned. It is always up to the Storyteller to decide what the Mutant is doing. If you think they are trying to convince the group they are an Outsider in any way, you can execute them—even outside the nomination phase, or at night. If you do, no other executions may happen today by normal means, since there is only one execution per day.
• If the Mutant hints that they are the Mutant at night, you may execute them that night, even if an execution happened today. Declare they have died, and continue the night phase as normal. An execution may still happen the next day.

How to Run

At any time (even at night), if you believe that the Mutant is mad about being an Outsider, then you can decide to execute the Mutant. Declare this to the group. They die - mark them with a shroud.

If you execute them during the day before the normal execution happens, go to the night phase. (There is a maximum of one execution per day.)

Examples

Ten seconds into the first day, the Mutant says to the group that they’re the Mutant. The Storyteller declares that the Mutant is executed immediately. There is no nomination for an execution today, since there can be a maximum of one execution per day.

A Witch privately talks to the Storyteller and says that Evin, who is playing the Mutant, told them they are the Klutz. The Storyteller chooses to execute the Mutant immediately.

The Mutant tells the group that they are a Townsfolk, but does not say which one. When questioned if they are the Mutant, they stay silent. After a minute or so of silence, the Storyteller executes the Mutant.

The Mutant says they are the Oracle, gives some bogus Oracle information, then says "By the way, I am definitely not the Mutant" while giving a subtle wink. The Storyteller chooses to execute the Mutant immediately.

Tips & Tricks

• Never admit to being the Mutant. Never even admit to being an Outsider. "Admitting", of course, is a tricky thing to define. In Blood On The Clocktower, the term "mad" is used instead. What this means, is that if you try to convince anybody that you are the Mutant, the Storyteller can (and should) execute you immediately. Or, if you try to convince the group that you are an Outsider, the Storyteller can (and should) execute you immediately. This is the judgement call of the Storyteller, and the Storyteller will make their decision based on what they think you are trying to do, not just the words you use. For example, if you tell the group that "you might be the Mutant, but might not be", then the Storyteller may judge that you are trying to convince the group that you are the Mutant, and execute you. Or, if the whole group is asking what your character is, and you stay silent, refusing to say who you are, then the Storyteller may judge that your silence is a way that you are trying to convince the group that you are the Mutant, and execute you.

• Be proactive. Don't stay silent. As discussed above, Mutant players that stay silent the whole game tend to get executed by the Storyteller. If you talk, pick a Townsfolk to claim to be, and do your best to convince the group that you are a character other than the Mutant, then you almost certainly won't get executed. For example, if you spend the game convincing people that you are the Oracle, and give the best, most sensible sounding information that you can, you won't be executed. And, if the Demon kills you because they think you are a threat, then that's fine too! After all, if you die at night, it means that another good player (which, statistically speaking, would have been a Townsfolk character) doesn't die instead.

• Deliberately coming out as the Mutant has some benefits and some drawbacks. On the one hand, if your execution goes off, you will be confirmed as a good player, and everyone will believe you. On the other hand, that's an execution that the good team don't get to dictate themselves, and if you go off too early in the day, you can block characters like the Savant. Artist and Juggler from using their abilities. Finally, the storyteller may simply choose not to execute you, which will leave you in an ambiguous state of unconfirmed despite not satisfying the madness of your ability... which will make you look especially evil.

• Come out secretly to one or two players you trust. You're going to be bluffing as a townsfolk, which can look suspicious and cause problems for you down the line (especially if your information isn't adding up with what the other players are getting). Admitting the truth early on means that the people you trust will know to discount your information and protect you from accusations. (Additionally, knowing about your presence can be particularly important for determining if there is a Fang Gu around!)

• Beware the Storyteller! They will be on the watch for you fulfilling your madness, and it won't take too much for them to execute you, thus denying the good team a chance at killing the Demon! Avoid mentioning your true identity within earshot of the Storyteller, but also be wary about revealing to suspected evil players - they can tell the Storyteller what you've said, and get you killed that way!

Bluffing as the Mutant

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

• The Mutant is an excellent fallback bluff if your more difficult/risky claim is falling apart under you. As a Mutant, it would make sense that your Oracle information doesn't add up, since you're lying to cover for yourself!

• If you reveal your "identity", the Storyteller can't execute you, since you aren't actually the Mutant. Blame this on the Mutant's "might" condition - the storyteller only executes you at their discretion, and might spare a Mutant to make them look more suspicious/avoid confirming information for the town. Claim this is what is happening when you are not executed.

• "Reveal" secretly to a couple of players to gain their trust. This is a good move as a regular Mutant, and if they believe you, they'll cover for you when other players become suspicious of your haphazard or confusing information claims. Because your death is an execution that takes control away from the good team, players will be compelled to protect you and your identity. This will also serve to keep them preoccupied in the meantime, which is a nice bonus for you!

• The Mutant doesn't have a lot of information, and is a hard bluff to pull off logically. Try to play the 'emotional' side of the character instead. Appealing to people to help safeguard your true identity, acting nervous around the Storyteller and players suspected of evil, and trying your best to be helpful are all hallmarks of a real Mutant player!

• One huge advantage of bluffing Mutant is the ability to confuse the Outsider count. Urgently whispering to good players that "that Sweetheart is lying, because I'm the real Outsider!" introduces the danger of a Fang Gu being the demon in play. At the very least, it casts doubt on existing Outsiders when they come out, since you've added yourself to their number. The secretive nature of the Mutant makes this an especially potent tactic since you can (and should) convince other players to argue about your existence for you, meaning the poor real Outsiders will have a harder time confronting you directly and tracing your terrible lies back to your evil team!