General FAQ

[Marioguy1]

This is a general FAQ for mafia games played on these forums. It includes the basics of how to play mafia, as well as specific rules for this forum. If your question is not answered here, feel free to ask in the general discussion thread. But make sure it isn't answered here before asking it.


How to play

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What is mafia?

Mafia is a party game revolving around various factions, called "parties", (who do not know eachother's identities) trying to reach their goals. It always involves at least two parties - innocents and mafia (usually about four or five times as many innocents as mafia) - who are trying to kill eachother. All players receive a role PM at the start of the game, telling them what alignment (party) they are and telling them any special powers they might have. There are two phases; day phases and night phases. During day phases, all players vote for other players. The player with the most votes at the end of the day is killed (lynched). During night phases, players send PMs to the host, requesting that their special powers be used and the mafia, using ulterior methods of communication, pick one player who they then kill.

This continues until either the mafia or the innocents are eliminated. Once the mafia or the innocents have eliminated the other faction, the game ends and the remaining faction wins (as well as any other players who had special goals).

How do you become "good" at mafia?

Mafia is a game about lying and deceit. Being able to see through the lies is an important part of being good at the game. The best way to do this is practice. After playing several games, both from the view of the innocents and the mafia, you should have a good idea of what would be a good move for the mafia and what wouldn't.

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What is a "third party"?

A third party is another party, separate from the innocents and the mafia, that has a different goal than the other parties. Their goal is usually to be the only remaining party - meaning they have to kill everyone else - however it can be anything.

What is a "neutral player"?

A neutral player, or independent player, is a player with no allies. They are the only member of their party and they have a special goal. Examples of neutral/independent players are fools and inspired innocents (see below).

What are "masons"?

Masons are innocents who know eachothers' identities. They communicate in a similar fashion to the mafia and can work as a team to take down the mafia.

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1. Every day, players vote. Vote by typing Vote: <player> (you must bold it). If you wish to change or remove your vote, first type Unvote (bolded) and then place a new vote using the original method.
2. No quoting your role PM, or any message sent to you by the host.
3. Send all messages between players to the host.
4. When you die, stop posting in the game thread and move to the lounge. Depending on the game, you may be granted a certain number of after-death posts.
5. The host may add other rules that he/she feel necessary or important. You must obey all rules set out by the host.

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• Bandwagon - A group of people all voting for the same person.
• Flip - Die (i.e. he flips scum = he dies as mafia).
• Godfather - The leader of the mafia. Has different powers depending on the game.
• Host - The person in charge of hosting the mafia game.
• Independent - A player with no teammates who has a solo goal. They are usually overpowered.
• Innocents - The good faction of the game. The majority of the players are innocent and use their roles to try to kill off all the mafia before they are killed off. They do not know eachother, and must vote to kill mafia.
• Lynch - Voting someone off is referred to as "lynching" them.
• Mafia - The villainous faction of the game. They seek to kill all the innocents and can kill one innocent per night. They know the identities of eachother and talk to eachother either through other websites or through Personal Messages.
• Masons - Two or more innocents that know eachothers' identities and can work together to vote off mafia.
• Role - A special power granted to every player. See section below for more details.
• Roleclaim - Announcing your role publicly; can either be a false roleclaim (lying about your role) or a true roleclaim (telling the truth).
• Scum - A term used to refer to the Mafia.
• Sheeping - Voting for someone without believing in the cause. Voting just for the sake of voting.
• Third Party - a third faction, similar to the mafia that is unknown to the rest of the players until one of their members dies. Their goal is usually to kill all the innocents and mafia.
• Town - A term used to refer to the Innnocents.

Role List

Note: Hosts may make any role they can think of. This list is just a list of past roles.

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Common -
Cop - Allows player to check someone's role.
Doctor/Medic - Allows player to protect someone.
Necromancer/Reviver - Allows player to revive someone.
Roleblocker - Allows player to stop someone from using their role.
Vigilante - Allows player to instantly kill another player.
Granny - Allows player to kill someone if that someone checks on them.
Bomber - Allows player to kill someone when they are killed.
Godfather - Leader of the mafia; makes player appear innocent under cop checks.
Normal/Vanilla - Player has no powers to be used.

Semi-Common -
Hypnotist/Redirector - Player redirects power of one player to another.
Jinx - Allows a player to "corrupt" other player's roles.
Miller - Makes player appear mafia under cop checks.
Bulletproof - Allows player to survive one attack.
Bodyguard - Has to be killed first in order to kill another person.
Public Speaker - Player has their votes count double.
Martyr - Player sacrifices their lives for someone else.
Watcher - Player finds out a player that had powers used on them.
Tracker - Player finds out who a player used their powers on.
Jailer - Allows player to protect someone but prevents that player from using their power.
Yakuza - Can convert one player for their own life.
Disciplined - Player is unable to vote until certain they clear certain requirements.

Semi-Uncommon -
Silencer/Quieter - Player prevents another player from having their vote count next day.
Copycat - Player can copy someone's role for a (un)limited time.
Medium - Allows player to give dead player ability to vote.
Power Bestower - Gives another player a role of their choice.
Understudy - Allows player to gain a specific player's role after they die.
Drunk - Player's vote don't count.
Insane Cop - Checks someone and will be the opposite of what it really is.
Converter - Enables player to switch alignment of another player.

Uncommon -
Lantern Holder - When killed, sends next day phase to have votes hidden.
Oracle - When killed, will reveal the role of the player that killed them to everyone.
Gallis - Player survives lynch via majority against then, but dies via minority against them.
Salesman - Player is able to sell items to other players.
Shopkeeper - Player is able to buy and sell items to any player.
Wealthy - Player has infinite money to use.
Donor - Gives player money every night.
Lawyer - Player is able to change another player's vote.
Wish Granter - Player is able to perform the actions of a player's desire.
Whisperer - Able to give all innocents a valuable hint.

Rare -
Fairy - Player is able to allow another player to use their power no matter what.
Pyro - Player can turn an entire night phase into a day-esque phase.
Cryo  Player can turn an entire day phase into a night-esque phase.
Hydro - Player is immune to Pyro, Cryo, Terra, and Atmo.
Terra - Player can cause select players to use night actions during the day.
Atmo - Player can cause select players to use day actions during the night.
Tattle Tell - Player reveals a false rumor by the mafia that seems correct for the first phase.
Actor/Actress - Player is able to redirect a player's power onto him/herself.

Overpowering -
Princess - When killed, one phase is skipped in the game.
Time Traveler - Can send the phase back one phase, undoing whatever was done.
Lover - If one player that is a lover dies, the other dies at the same time.
Jester/Fool - Wins the game if they are killed.
Traitor - Ex-mafia player; "mafia spy".
Unlynchable - Player cannot be lynched.
Pitiful - Allows player to be spared from Lynch once.
Jack-of-all-trades - Allows player to have multiple roles.
Auto-reviver - Player is able to revive themself after they die.
Phantom - Player can perform actions in the game while still being considered dead.
Con-artist - Player is able to avoid being lynched and kill someone else instead.

Variated -
Sturdy - Allows player to survive vigilante/Granny.
Double Trouble - Player has two lives; when one life is lost, mafia get to have an extra nightkill.
Countdown Public Speaker - Player's votes count is high, but count less each phase.
Randomizer - Every time the player uses their power, a different outcome will take effect.
Old Coot – Granny that has a high chance of killing the wrong player by accident.

*Please note that the duration and strength of the power depends on the host's decision.
*Please also note that some roles fit into other categories as well.

On these forums

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How do I sign up?

To sign up for a game, find a thread in this board (they will usually be the unlocked, non-sticky ones) and post a bolded message to sign up. The host will add your name to a list at the beginning of the topic. If it has not been added and the host has been active elsewhere on the forums, contacting them through PM is suggested.

How will I get my role?

Hosts will send out roles via PM sometime after sign-ups for their game are closed.

How do I know when the game is starting?

Some hosts use the role PMs to signify that the game is starting, others will send out a message at the beginning of their game. But as a rule of thumb, if you've signed up for a game, you should keep an eye on this board to see when it starts.

Important!

Becoming inactive and not playing a game that you signed up for is strongly discouraged. If you know you will be inactive, tell the host and they can find a replacement for you. Players who go inactive without warning can be modkilled/replaced in any games they are currently playing and removed from games that have not yet begun.

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How do I start a game?

To create a game, simply create a thread for it in this board. Players, if they think it will be fun, will begin signing up for it. The game does not need to be added to the Mafia Schedule, though it can be if you want.

What do I do after that?

After that, you should wait until you have what you consider to be enough players. While players are signing up, you should be creating the roles. After all roles are created and you have enough players, you can post a message in your game thread or PM Smasher to have your game added to the schedule (PMing is preferred as the messages are not always seen). Once it is added to the schedule it will appear as italicized and will slowly move up to the top.

And when it reaches the top?

When your game reaches the top four spots of the schedule, it will be bolded. Once the game is bolded, that is a green light - allowing you to start the game. If your game does not start within a period of time from the bolding of it on the schedule, it will be put on hold indefinitely.

How can I start a game that was put on hold?

PM Smasher with a request to start your game. After the next game finishes, your game should go after it.

What are some suggested websites to help with hosting?

Most players use two websites:

http://random.org
http://quicktopic.com

Random.org allows for randomization, helping you decide which players get which roles.

Quicktopic.com allows you to create a quicktopic, which is a topic that can only be posted in by those with the link to the topic. It is used to facilitate discussion between mafia members, as well as other parties that discuss.

Both websites are free to use.

Cancellation Policy

If a host is not ready to put their mafia on the schedule before four months after their last post in their mafia's lounge, then a they will receive a reminder. If the host does not confirm whether the mafia is cancelled or not after two weeks, then it will be considered cancelled and will be archived. After the thread is archived, the host may request to have it unlocked if they wish to host it again.

Important!

Players do not like hosts who interfere too much with their games, and will not sign up for games they dislike. Host interference should be kept to a minimum in all cases. Additionally, activity is important for hosts. If games go too long without changing phases, they will be put on hold indefinitely.

Mafia Hosts Guild

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The purpose of this group is to provide Mafia Hosts a place to be able to discuss several ideas for games with each other, to ask for help, and to help enforce several global game policies to promote a good environment for other users' games to take place.

Membership of the Guild is restricted to those who meet the requirements laid out in the application form. Those who do not meet the requirements may not join. Those who do meet the requirements can apply, but as membership is not compulsory, a host doesn't necessarily have to join the Guild. Those hosts that do decide to join must submit an application and be approved by the members of the Guild (a few exceptions being those who were invited to join at the time of the group's creation).

The Guild may collectively decide how to punish a rule-breaker. If a user commits minor offenses in a game or two, then the host(s) of the game(s) may decide to kick the user out of their game(s). If a rule-breaker, however, is constantly breaking the rules of many games or commits major offenses (such as sabotaging a host's game), then the Guild can decide to blacklist that player from all Mafia games and remove their access to the Mafia board.

The members of the Guild will also agree upon and enforce a schedule for Mafia games, and will also review and either accept or deny ideas for Mafia games. This is to ensure that only good Mafia games are scheduled and so that the games scheduled will not all interfere with each other all at once. They can decide whether multiple games will run at once and also determine any changes in the schedule.

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Here is the application form for those hosts who are interested in joining. The form must be filled out completely and be sent to the Mafia Hosts Guild Ambassador, Smasher, who will post your application up in the staff board for the members of the Guild to review.

Please note that even if you meet the requirements mentioned in this application, the Mafia Hosts Guild still has the right to deny your application! When reviewing applications, we also consider your past actions in the community and if you're an overall good member and have the Mafia hosting skills that a Guild member should have. Thank you!

As a member of the Mafia Hosts Guild, one must generally abide by the rules laid out by the host in a game and the rules of the forum in general. Do you promise to uphold these values?

Mafia Host Guild members must be skilled both as a player as a host. Please list all mafia games that you have hosted and the last five games that you have participated in. You are required to have played in at least three different host's games.

OPTIONAL: It is important for a Mafia Host Guild member to have new ideas to offer to the Guild. Please suggest one idea or proposal that you think would benefit Super Mario Boards mafia.

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• Baby Mario Bloops
• Gamefreak75
• Lily
• Marioguy1 (Former Guild Ambassador)
• MrConcreteDonkey
• Nabber
• New Super Mario
• Palkia47
• QuizmoManiac
• Ralphfan
• Rocker64
• Smasher (Guild Ambassador)
• Stooben Rooben (Guild co-founder)
• Super Mario Bros. (Guild co-founder)
• Tucayo
• Xzealia Exdementia (Former Guild Ambassador)
• Yoshiwaker