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[ashersky]

The following is a definitive list of definitions for roles and role modifiers used by ashersky in his games.  Any role or modifier in his games will adhere to the matching definition found in this thread.  If the role or modifier is not defined in this thread, you should ask for clarification from the mod.

Glossary:

Active - means a role or modifier does not function unless the player chooses to use it.
Mode - refers to whether a role or modifier is active or passive and night or day.
Modifier - a thing that changes a role.
Non-targeted - means a role or modifier does not target a player to function.
Passive - means a role or modifier automatically functions regardless of player desire.
Role - a given player's part in a mafia game, generally encompassing any actions that player may take.
Targeted - means a role or modifier must target a player to function.

Roles:
Bus Driver

A role that targets two players, causing all other targeted actions to affect the other player.
          Example: A Bus Driver targets Player A and Player B.  All other actions that target Player A now target Player B and vice versa.

--Bus driving requires targeting two players.
--May not self-target.

Mode: This role is active at night.
Cop

A role that targets one player, learning the alignment of that player.
          Example: A Cop targets Player A.  The Cop is told the alignment of Player A.

Mode: This role is active at night.
Godfather

A role that, when investigated by a Cop, returns an innocent result.
          Example: A Cop targets a Mafia Godfather.  The Cop receives a Town result.

Mode: This role is passive at all times.
Townie

--Townies have no powers, night or day.
--Townies are always town.

Mode: This role is passive at all times.
Back-Up

A role that inherits the power of a specific role of the same alignment when that role dies.
          Example: A Town Cop is lynched during the day.  A Back-Up inherits that player's ability to investigate.

--This role is often modified by the "Universal" modifier.
--This role is informed which role it inherits.
--For stylistic purposes, this role may include the inherited role in the name, or use specific flavor names.
         Examples: Back-Up Cop or Deputy, Back-Up Doctor or Nurse, Back-Up Vigilante

Mode: This role is passive at all times.



Role Modifiers:
Bulletproof

--When applied to a role, it stops the first kill attempt on that role.
          Example: A Bulletproof Townie is shot by the mafia at night.  That shot fails and the Townie survives.

--Can only be applied to a role.
--Is non-targeted.
--Does not have a game phase limitation.
--Only works once per game phase.
--The player is not informed when Bulletproof functioned.
--If the first kill attempt is modified by Strongman, Bulletproof will fail to stop it.

Mode: This modifier is passive at all times.

Commonly modified roles: Townie, Goon, Serial Killer
Related Modifiers: Lynchproof, Deathproof
Ninja

--When applied to a role, masks the targeting portion of that role.
          Example: A Ninja Roleblocker targets Player A.  Player A is still affected by the Roleblocking, but the Ninja Roleblocker did not target Player A.

Mode: This modifier is passive at all times.

Commonly modified roles: Goon
Related Modifiers: Strongman, Hidden
Random

--When applied to a role, that role targets at random.
          Example: A Random Vigilante takes her action at night.  That shot's target is randomly decided.

--Random targeting is done with random.org.
--Random actions interact normally with all other actions after the random target has been selected.

Mode: This modifier is passive at all times.

Commonly modified roles: Vigilante, Cop, Doctor
Related Modifiers: Hidden, Triggered
Vanilla

--When applied to a role, removes ability to take any day or night action.
          Example: A Vanilla Roleblocker would be unable to roleblock, or take any action, at night.

--May be applied by another role, such as a Vanillaizer.
          Example: A Vanillaizer targets Player A, who is a Roleblocker.  That player becomes a Vanilla Roleblocker, losing the ability to Roleblock.

--Is often used redundantly with the role "Townie."

Mode: This modifier is passive at all times.

Commonly modified role: Townie
X-Shot

--When applied to a day or night action, limits the number of times that action can be used to X.
          Example: A 1-Shot Cop may attempt to investigate another player only one time per game.
          Example: A 3-Shot Vigilante may attempt to kill another player only three times per game.

--When applied to a role modifier, limits the number of times that modifier can be used to X.
          Example: A 2-Shot Ninja Roleblocker may make his roleblocking undetectable only twice per game.
          Example: A 1-Shot Ninja Factional Kill may make the faction's night kill undetectable only once per game.

Mode: This modifier defaults to the mode of the role it modifies.

Commonly modified actions: bulletproof, kills, doctor
Related Modifiers: Even-Night, Odd-Night

[ashersky]

This is a work in progress.  Questions and comments are welcome.

Our standardization discussion sort of fell off, so I'm working on my own set.  Any and all mods are welcome to use this when it gets to a useful size.

[ashersky]

And before you ask, no this won't help you figure out what Walking Dead RMM is going to be like.

[Roadrunner7671]

Um...so now we all search for Ash's posts and +1 them for doing even more in the Mafia community?

[silverspawn]

Um...so now we all search for Ash's posts and +1 them for doing even more in the Mafia community?

Yes, although this thread is actually resulting out of this one, so you might even upvote a few more people!

[silverspawn]

Looks pretty clear and distinct so far - at least I don't see any problems. Curious how you'll phrase Strongman.

[ashersky]

I'm attempting to not overdefine within each role or modifier, as theoretically, things will be defined on their own.  We'll see how well it goes, I guess.

I hope to add the more "normal" and "general" roles and modifiers first, followed by the less seen, and also my own creations.

[ashersky]

A reason I decided to do this was WW's questions regarding bus drives during Marvel Heroes.

Mafiascum is unclear, so he couldn't figure out which way I'd go with it.  Now, it's clear that I will always treat bus drivers as targeting two players, therefore making them trackable, watchable, etc. etc.

[faust]

Well, this is a good effort, but I don't quite agree with the use of "role" and "modifier" here. I'm not sure if that is open for discussion or if I should just make my own thread since this will arguably never be exactly how I want it. Then again, having multiple threads might be confusing. So I don't know...

[ashersky]

Well, this is a good effort, but I don't quite agree with the use of "role" and "modifier" here. I'm not sure if that is open for discussion or if I should just make my own thread since this will arguably never be exactly how I want it. Then again, having multiple threads might be confusing. So I don't know...

You can start a thread if you want, if you feel it's needed.  This is solely for my games, plus anyone who might want to use it.

I'm happy to hear where others disagree.  I may or may not make changes to these as I go.  I can promise only that while any of MY games are ongoing, no edits will be made.

[Witherweaver]

We have that other thread.  Didn't you lay out what you think it should be in there, Faust?

[faust]

We have that other thread.  Didn't you lay out what you think it should be in there, Faust?

Yes, pretty much. My main issue is that it remains unclear in this what the difference between a modifier and a role is. Another issue I have is that alignment and roles are not clearly separated. Overall, I am just the kind of person who likes to take a very formal approach, and this list seems more intuition-based. Also this seems to be an a posteriori explanation: The roles and modifiers are there, now we need to define them in a way that makes sense. I want an a priori approach: I want to do this as though I was creating an entirely new game,and if the stuff I build up does not completely match how we think of roles right now, then that is not a problem for me. That's why I feel ash and me would probably not manage to agree on a system that we both like.

There are also minor issues. For example, I don't get the "Vanilla" modifier here. What is it for? Will you ever need a "Vanilla Roleblocker"? I guess not. Of course you want to have Vanillaisers, but all they do can be explained without the need of a "Vanilla" modifier. Not to mention the confusion that arises when you have a "Vanilla Cop", which by this definition is a Cop who does nothing.

[ashersky]

We have that other thread.  Didn't you lay out what you think it should be in there, Faust?

Yes, pretty much. My main issue is that it remains unclear in this what the difference between a modifier and a role is. Another issue I have is that alignment and roles are not clearly separated. Overall, I am just the kind of person who likes to take a very formal approach, and this list seems more intuition-based. Also this seems to be an a posteriori explanation: The roles and modifiers are there, now we need to define them in a way that makes sense. I want an a priori approach: I want to do this as though I was creating an entirely new game,and if the stuff I build up does not completely match how we think of roles right now, then that is not a problem for me. That's why I feel ash and me would probably not manage to agree on a system that we both like.

There are also minor issues. For example, I don't get the "Vanilla" modifier here. What is it for? Will you ever need a "Vanilla Roleblocker"? I guess not. Of course you want to have Vanillaisers, but all they do can be explained without the need of a "Vanilla" modifier. Not to mention the confusion that arises when you have a "Vanilla Cop", which by this definition is a Cop who does nothing.

If you want to create a whole new game that replaces forum mafia, go for it.  Seems like a lot of work for me.

To me, Vanilla Townie has always been modifier + role.  I do need to define "role" at some point; "modifier" is something that modifies a role, so once role is defined, it's clear.

Will I use Vanilla Roleblockers?  Doubt it, but it's design space that I have not closed off.  Vanilla Cop won't exist in my universe, either, unless it's a Cop who's been vanillaized.  The role you mean (a player who determines whether someone has a night action or not) will have a different name.

Mafia Goon and Vanilla Townie have never been equal to me; one has a modifier and one doesn't.  I went back and forth on whether alignments are also modifiers -- I've decided they aren't.  So, what we have are Goons and Townies, and one is Vanilla, and the other isn't modified at all.

Vanilla Goon can be a thing, then.  Or we can just have Goons and Townies.

The best case is to replace "Townie" with something else, like Hero.  And then a Vanilla Hero makes plenty of sense, right?

[Archetype]

I thought mafia scum worked fine.

[chairs]

We have previously had a vanilla cop.  I think it was the name given to the role more commonly known as Neapolitan.

[ashersky]

We have previously had a vanilla cop.  I think it was the name given to the role more commonly known as Neapolitan.

That's right -- the Neapolitan is the flavor name based on the ice cream, I think -- a cop that returns "vanilla" or "not vanilla."  It's a role cop variant more than a cop variant.