Avarice. Money-lust. Cupidity. Longing. Jealousy. Greed. Whatever you call it, it is what’s been luring people to the grand ball each time the three moons align: on the Ides of Insanity. Everyone knows that when the moons align, the mystical ballroom’s doors open once more for anyone daring or desperate enough to don a mask and dance.
The prize: wealth beyond your wildest dreams. The wager: why, your very life.
The rules are simple…be the last one standing.
The Trinity of Insanity leer at you behind masks of their own as you slowly approach the gilded door: a Hummingbird with ever-shifting eyes and a deranged grin, a kindly Kitsune with a starry aura, and a soft-voiced and sharp-fanged Lynx. Their mouths move in sync to ask you the chilling question :
“Do you have what it takes to survive the deadly masquerade?”
Welcome to Behind the Masks: Ides of Insanity
Hosted by @Trochilidae, @Mistyx, and @Marshal
Rules
-Players may PM other players during the game for alliances as long as hosts are included.
-Dead players cannot post
-Actions, gifts, and guesses are sent to the hosts
-No quoting/fake quoting host messages
-All forum rules apply
-There is no Joycat mask permitted
-No excessive AtE, don’t be that guy
-I can’t stress enough how important it is that you read the full OP and get any questions answered beforehand
Gameplay
General Basics
-The last player standing is the victor. There can only be 1 winner.
-A player’s role is not revealed when they die (of course, if their role was guessed you will know it).
-Each player will have a different role.
Phases
The game runs on a 4-phase cycle: (Challenge Phase, Action Phase, Voting Phase, Dinner Phase, repeat)
Challenge Phase
The Challenge Phase lasts 48 hours, or until all players have challenged or nochallenged and all pending challenges are resolved.
-The game begins on this phase.
-Players may “/challenge” other players to dances or duels in the first 36 hours of the phase.
-Once issued, the challenged player must choose whether to “/accept” the challenge or use a “/deny” (all players begin the game with a deny).
-Players must specify whom they are accepting or denying, a bare accept or deny will blanket cover all challenges against you whether you know of them or not.
-If the challenged player does not respond by the end of the Challenge Phase, the challenge is automatically accepted.
-Each player may only challenge once per Challenge Phase (even if the challenge is denied), but can be challenged multiple times.
-If a player does not wish to challenge, they may instead “/nochallenge”. This allows the phase to end earlier. Players must still choose whether to accept or deny challenges.
-The results of the challenges will be posted at the end of the Action Phase (see Action Phase).
-The victors of duels and dances are determined by which player’s roles are higher on the respective list (see below), plus any interfering abilities.
Action Phase
-The Action Phase lasts 24 hours, or until all actions have been received.
-Roles with abilities that are used during the Action Phase can PM the moderator to use them. Currently, this is the Blacksmith and Musician.
-At the moderator’s discretion, players may begin selected gifts (see Voting Phase).
-The results for duels and dances will be posted at the end of the Action Phase.
Voting Phase
-The Voting Phase lasts 48 hours, or until a 90% majority has been reached or until all players have voted.
-The Voting Phase will still occur during the first round, but no players will be voted and no execution will occur.
-Any player who lost a duel or dance during the past Challenge Phase is a valid vote target.
-The player with the most votes at the end of the phase will be executed.
-Ties are settled by the hosts’ discretion
-The Man-at-arms, Royal, and Poisoner act during this phase. The Royal may also PM an extra vote.
-Players may also select gifts during this phase (see below).
-For each challenge participated in (no matter if won or lost) the player earns one gift. Gifts are revealed at the end of the Voting Phase.
Dinner Phase
-The Dinner Phase ends after 24 hours, or after all players have switched or noswitched.
-Each player is given a plate of food.
-You may “/switch” your plate of food with the plate of another player, consuming a plate switch (each player begins with one plate switch).
-At the end of the phase, each player eats the food in front of them.
-Players who eat poison food will die (excluding the Soldier).
-The Barbarian and Blackmailer act during this phase. The Thief may secretly switch plates during this phase.
-In addition, if you received a free guess as a gift, you must use it during the Dinner Phase. If you are correct, that player will be executed at the end of the Dinner Phase. All attempted guesses are revealed at the end of the Dinner Phase.
-If you do not have a free guess, you may still make a guess as to another player’s role as normal. However, if you are incorrect, you will be executed.
Game Details
Gifts
Extra Deny- grants an extra deny to deny a challenge (see Challenge Phase) (each player starts with one deny)
Extra Switch- grants an extra plate switch to swap plates (see Dinner Phase) (each player starts with one switch)
Free Guess- during the upcoming Dinner Phase, you may make a guess as to a player’s role. If you are correct, they will be executed. You may only choose one of this gift per round.
Guess Immunity- you are not a valid guess target during the next Dinner Phase.
Premium Food- you are not a valid Poisoner target during the Voting Phase. Cannot be stolen with a switch.
Gift Reserve - This gift can be redeemed at any point later in the game for a gift of your choosing. You can only hold up to 3 of this gift at a time.
Lottery Ticket - If you are the only one to take this gift, you get 2x the amount of gifts.
Duel Rankings
Nymph - Fire Form
Barbarian
Blacksmith
Soldier
Man At Arms
Blackmailer
Peasant
Poisoner
Mystic
Nymph - Nature Form
Professor
Gardener
Court Jester
Student
Thief
Musician
Royal
Nymph - Water Form
Dance Rankings
Nymph - Water Form
Royal
Musician
Thief
Court Jester
Blackmailer
Gardener
Peasant
Nymph - Nature Form
Mystic
Professor
Poisoner
Soldier
Student
Man at Arms
Blacksmith
Barbarian
Nymph - Fire Form
Roles
Cards
Barbarian
Your appearance is fearsome, and your temper even more so. Those around you cower and tremble in fear, knowing you could squash them all like nothing more than pesky bugs underfoot.
Three times per game, during the Dinner Phase, you may intimidate one player with your strength, preventing them from challenging in the challenge phase.The intimidated player must accept all challenges given to them. PM the Mod to use this power.
Only you will know who is intimidated
Blackmailer
There is no currency more valuable than secrets, in this you are the richest in the land. You use them well to make others dance on your strings.
During the Dinner Phase, you may blackmail one player. PM the Moderator to use this power. You may use this power as many times as you wish.
Blackmailed players must participate in a challenge during the Challenge Phase, or they will die. Only the blackmailed player will know that they are blackmailed.
Blacksmith
The hissing of steel and the hammering of iron are the finest music to your ears. The manipulation of metal is your expertise, be it used for good fortune or ill.
At the beginning of the Action Phase, you will be notified of the intended winners of the accepted duels.
Three times per game, during the Action Phase, you may change the winner of a duel. You may use this ability only once on a duel you are involved in.
Court Jester
Life is nothing but the grandest game of all, and you are it’s shining star. A game’s no use without it’s protagonist, and you’ll stop at nothing to see your show go on.
When a player dies by non-execution your position on the duel/dance list is randomized
Once per game you may choose to entertain your fellow competitors and force a skip of the current voting phase and preventing the MAA Shot, Poisoner’s Poison and the Current execution from taking place.
Gardener
You carefully give out the prettiest flowers in your basket, nothing more and nothing less. But who could wish harm upon the giver of such a beautiful gift?
Every Action Phase, you may choose a target.
This Player will no longer be able to guess anyone as the Gardener for the rest of the game.
Man-At-Arms
Two can keep a secret…if you’ve shot one. Your trusty gun and silencer never leave your side, and you know that the simplest way to get rid of your competition is to silence them permanently.
Once per voting phase, you may shoot one person. They will not survive the shot unless they are the Soldier. If you shoot the Soldier, the Soldier will kill you instead.
You can only shoot losers of duels/dances.
Additionally, you also gain an additional bullet every time you defeat a player in a duel or dance.
You cannot store more than 1 shot at a time.
The shooting is silent, meaning it does not reveal your role.
You start off with one shot.
Musician
Born with perfect pitch and keen ears, you hear the world like no other. And like no other, you know best how to expertly guide the rise and fall of a crescendo into what could be a saving grace or fatal mistake.
At the beginning of the Action Phase, you will be notified of the intended winners of the accepted dances.
Three times per game, during the Action Phase, you may change the winner of a dance. PM the Moderator to use this power. You may only use this ability once on a dance you are involved in.
Mystic
To many, the sheen of a crystal ball reveals nothing, the cards hold little more than suits. You know better, you see where others are blind- especially when it comes to the fate of impending doom.
Once per game, if you are being executed, you may call on the spirits to change your identity - making the host execute the person you’re mimicking.
The person you mimic must have voted for you AND lost a challenge.
You will become their role, and assume all attributes/gifts they had. You will keep your own mask name.
Nymph
You are an ever-changing spirit representative of Nature itself, showcasing the serenity and grace of water to the ferocity and aggression of fire. Stagnation is a foreign word to you, as change and adaptation are woven into your being.
Each dinner phase you may choose between 3 forms: The Fire form, the Nature form and the Water form
When you’re in the Water form you are moved to the top of the dance list and bottom of the duel
When you’re in the Fire form, you are moved to the top of the duel list and bottom of the dance
When you’re in the Nature form you take a neutral stance in the middle(Above Mystic on Dance, Below on Duel)
You are immune to the MAA and the Poisoner when in the Nature position only.
You start in the Nature position.
Peasant
You’ve spent your life in the shadows of your “betters”, those destined for bigger and better. Fortunately for you, a life behind the scenes has led to a finely-honed sense of knowing whether anything is awry.
You will be notified whenever the Blacksmith or the Musician interferes in a challenge.
You will be notified of any secret plate switches.
You will be notified of the original target for the poisoner.
Poisoner
Your art is simple- that of the last meal. You almost pity your victims, dying at the dining room table is such a shameful way to go.
You may poison a player’s food during the Voting Phase. If they eat it, they will die during the dinner phase. PM the Moderator to use this power.
Professor
Perception makes reality, and there are none finer than you in perceiving the truth of others around you. Your skill in social analysis is simply unmatched.
Whenever you guess a player’s role, you may also submit a secondary guess to the moderator for the same player. If the secondary guess is correct, it will be displayed as your submitted guess, otherwise, your primary guess, whether correct or incorrect, will be displayed. Whenever you win a challenge, you may submit a third guess the following Dinner Phase.
Royal
As sure as the sun rises in the east, you are the superior of all around you- and these background characters are all subject to your almighty whim. Royalty bows for no man.
You have a second vote in the Voting Phase. PM the moderator to cast your second vote - it will show as the Royal in the vote count. You do not have to use this second vote.
Once per game, during the Voting Phase, you may force a vote - ending the vote prematurely. PM the Moderator to use this power.
Soldier
You have seen terrible things, and been through horrors no soul should witness. You are hardened to all danger, nothing affects you now.
You are immune to poison.
You will kill the MAA if they try to kill you. You will remain anonymous.
Student
Your mind has always been an eager sponge, quickly absorbing all the knowledge you could learn. These deadly contests are simply more things to learn, even if the stakes are much higher than a failing grade.
Each time you lose a duel or dance, you move up two slots on the corresponding list. Dead players count as being on the lists.
Thief
Kleptomania and paranoia run circles around your skull, constantly battling it out. This Russian roulette of poisoned plates is no match for your sticky fingers.
You may switch player’s plates up to 5 times each Dinner Phase secretly - they will be processed as if they are normal switches. The Peasant will be informed of what plates you switch. PM the Moderator to use this power.
If the poisoner dies, you will become the new poisoner.
Players
-
WindwardAway - the Praying MantisKILLED VOTING PHASE 5 - Whysper - the Fox (2 gift reserves/1 swap/1 deny)
- Litten - the Dog (3 gift reserves/2 denies/1 swap)
-
Bellatrix - the OcelotGUESSED AS THE MAA DINNER PHASE 3 -
Italy - the WolfSHOT BY MAA VOTING PHASE 1 -
Jane - the Snowy OwlEXECUTED VOTING PHASE 2 -
Aelin - the Ceryneian HindPOISONED DINNER PHASE 1 -
Kiiruma - the SwanPOISONED DINNER PHASE 3 -
Arctic - the RabbitGUESSED AS SOLDIER DINNER PHASE 1 - Nerbins - the Axolotl (2 gift reserves/2 denies/ 1 swap/guess)
- Drinks - the Squid (2 gift reserves/1 deny/1 swap)
-
Leafia - the SquirrelGUESSED AS THE BARBARIAN DINNER PHASE 2 - Hippopablompoyeetus - the Robin (2 gift reserves/3 denies/1 swap)
-
YouButWorse - the Red PandaEXECUTED VOTING PHASE 3 -
Marluna - the LadybugGUESSED AS MUSICIAN DINNER PHASE 5 - ElizaThePsycho - the Turkey (3 gift reserves/5 denies/1 swap)