User:Minerva/guide

Minerva's Comprehensive Guide to Werewolf, for Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert Players Alike

Hello, young wolf cub, and welcome to werewolf! Or, if you already know what you're doing, hello, wolf, and welcome to my guide! If you want to suggest or alter something, discuss it via PM or in ##werewolf on Freenode - I am Minerva, or mini, or billion57, or psychiel.

What is Werewolf?
Werewolf is a spinoff of Mafia. Like Mafia, it is a social game in which there are two teams trying to compete against one another in order to win. In Werewolf, these teams are the wolves and the villagers. There are also many neutral roles one can be assigned, each of which has their own method of winning. While Werewolf is most commonly a game played in real life, moderated by a human, Werewolf on IRC - ##werewolf, is moderated by lykos, a bot. lykos will also assign far more roles than are present in real life versions of werewolf.

Backstory
The game follows a village containing a varied amount of people, some of whom have special abilities or identities. One night, some people find that they have been turned into wolves. Meeting together, they plot to take over the village, killing the villagers to satiate their hunger. The villagers, however, are also mobilizing to protect themselves from this new threat. Over the course of several days, many people on both sides will die, and only one team will come out alive.

Structure of the Game
Werewolf is played by anywhere from 4 to 24 players. It follows a night-day cycle, with the game starting off at the beginning of night. The wolves kill each night, and the entire village, including wolves, lynches each day. The village may also choose to abstain once per game. It requires a majority of votes to lynch a player (e.g., 5 players = 3 votes, 11 players = 6 votes). The game ends when all wolves are lynched, the number of wolves is equal to the number of villagers, or a neutral role has met a win condition which ends the game.

Specifications
When the game starts, the first night phase begins. Lykos will assign roles, and PM everyone who has a role. This takes some time, but people with roles will tend to get PMs faster than villagers. This phase ends either when everyone who can act at night has acted, or when two minutes have passed. Lykos will then announce that day has begun, who has died (or been attacked), and who has a totem (if shamans are in play). The entire village will then proceed to communicate and vote. It may also choose to abstain, if enough villagers have voted to abstain to prevent a majority from forming (e.g., a majority to lynch with 12 players would be 7 votes, but 6 votes to abstain will end the day). Day will last until either a lynch or abstain, 8 minutes and 40 seconds have passed, or a team wins by another method. In games with 12 players and up, the day will last 12 minutes.

Commands
These are commands that make lykos, the bot/moderator, do something. All commands are prefixed with an exclamation mark.

Pre-game
Before a game starts, there are many commands you can use.
 * !join, or !j, inserts you into the game. You cannot join if you are not registered, or if you are in stasis (prevented from playing as a punitive measure for past behavior, such as idling out or quitting mid-game).
 * !leave, or !quit, will remove you from the game. You will not get stasis for quitting before a game starts.
 * !pingif will have lykos ping you when the game reaches a certain size.
 * !vote, or !v, will vote for a certain game mode (a specification for roles to be included in a game of werewolf).
 * !votes will show you the current amount of votes for each game mode.
 * !r, or !retract, will retract your vote for a certain game mode.
 * !roles will display the roles in a game mode.
 * !stats will show who is currently joined.
 * !start will vote to start the game. It requires multiple votes to start in order for a game to start.
 * !wait, or !w, will increase the time before lykos will let the game be started by 30 seconds. The wait time is also increased when any player joins.
 * !stasis will show you how many games you are in stasis for, if any.
 * !playerstats, or !p, will show you any player's stats for any role.
 * !time will show the time remaining before lykos cancels the game (to prevent idling). This starts at an hour, when the first person creates a game by joining.

Game
These are commands that have specific functions during a game.

Daytime-Specific

 * !vote, or !v, will vote for a player.
 * !abstain, or !abs, !nolynch, !nl, will vote to abstain.
 * !retract, or !r, will retract your vote either for a player or to abstain.
 * !shoot will, if you have a gun with bullets, shoot a player.
 * !quit, or !leave, will quit you from the game, giving you a warning or stasis.

Non-Specific

 * !stats will show you all players, and all roles (except in the maelstrom and random game modes).
 * !roles will show you all roles, except in the maelstrom and random game modes.
 * !time will show you the time until the end of the day or night.

General
These are commands that can be used any time.
 * !cat will toss a cat into the air.
 * !coin will toss a coin into the air.
 * !pony will toss a pony into the air.
 * !swap will swap you with another username in the channel, should you want or need to change (e.g., in the case of a disconnection).
 * !gstats, or !gamestats, or !g, will show you the amount of games played for a certain mode, or the victory rates of teams for a certain mode and player size.
 * !ops will give a list of all operators who are not marked as away. If done in channel, it will ping them all. Do this in PM, preferably, and only if something happens that requires an op's attention, such as a bug with lykos or an uncontrollable spammer.

An Overview of Play
The goal of the game is to win. For the wolf team, this means overpowering the village team by having as many or more uninjured members than them. For the village team, this means killing all members of the wolf team. After the first village team player is killed on night 1, and day arrives, the safes will attempt to coordinate with one another while hiding their identity- this is done via a single safe claiming publicly. After coordination, the safes will attempt to lynch a player who they think is a member of the wolf team. This night-day pattern continues until a victory is achieved. Many different roles, however, can subvert these patterns.

Concepts
Components of play have here been chunked into individual concepts, which have been sorted by their associated level of play.

Modes
There are 18 game modes. Each one provides a different experience, balance, and strategy, and some change basic assumptions of the game. They will be listed roughly from most to least common.

Default
The default mode. Pretty vanilla.

Roles
[4] wolf, seer [6] cursed villager [7] cultist, shaman [8] traitor, -cultist, harlot [9] crazed shaman [10] wolf cub, gunner, sharpshooter [11] matchmaker [12] werecrow, detective [13] assassin [15] wolf(2), hunter [16] monster [18] bodyguard [20] sorcerer, augur, cursed villager(2) [21] wolf(3), gunner(2) [23] amnesiac, mayor [24] hag

Stats

 * Starting size: 4 players
 * Peak fun: 7 players
 * Stress: Low

Foolish
A bit sillier than default. Named after the fool it always includes.

Roles
[8] wolf, traitor, oracle, harlot, fool, cursed villager [9] hunter [10] wolf(2) [11] shaman, clone [12] wolf cub, gunner, sharpshooter [15] sorcerer, augur, mayor [17] wolf(3), harlot(2) [20] bodyguard [21] traitor(2) [22] gunner(2) [24] wolf(4)

Stats

 * Starting size: 8 players
 * Peak fun: 8-9 players
 * Stress: Low

Charming
Unorthodox at higher player counts, it is named after the piper it always includes.

Roles
[5] wolf, seer, piper [6] cursed villager [8] traitor, harlot [10] werekitten, shaman, gunner, sharpshooter [11] vengeful ghost [12] warlock, detective [14] bodyguard, mayor [16] wolf(2), assassin [18] bodyguard(2) [19] sorcerer [22] wolf(3), shaman(2) [24] gunner(2), sharpshooter(2)

Stats

 * Starting size: 5 players
 * Peak fun: 6 players
 * Stress: Medium-low

Sleepy
A strategically deep game mode which includes a dullahan and priest, who not only speed the game up but make it more complex.

Roles
[8] wolf, traitor, seer, dullahan, cursed villager [10] werecrow, cultist, prophet, priest, blessed villager [12] wolf(2), vigilante [15] wolf(3), detective, vengeful ghost [18] wolf(4), harlot, monster [21] wolf(5), village drunk, monster(2), gunner

Stats

 * Starting size: 8 players
 * Peak fun: 10 players
 * Stress: High

Noreveal
A player's role is not revealed when they die. Accordingly, tough for the safes, who cannot coordinate as easily as wolfteam.

Roles
[4] wolf, seer [6] cursed villager [8] wolf mystic, mystic [10] traitor, hunter [12] wolf(2), guardian angel [15] werecrow, detective, clone [17] amnesiac, lycan, cursed villager(2) [19] wolf(3)

Stats

 * Starting size: 4 players
 * Peak fun: 8 players
 * Stress: High

Aleatoire
French for random, but not at all like the random game mode. Adds a bit of spice to a relatively normal game.

Roles
[8] wolf, traitor, seer, shaman, cursed villager, cursed villager(2) [10] wolf(2), matchmaker, vengeful ghost, gunner, assassin [12] hag, guardian angel, amnesiac [13] assassin(2) [14] turncoat [15] werecrow, augur, mayor [17] wolf(3), hunter [18] vengeful ghost(2) [21] wolf cub, time lord

Stats

 * Starting size: 8 players
 * Peak fun: 12 players
 * Stress: Medium-low

Alpha
A mode where the wolves can recruit more wolves as the game goes on. Pretty scary.

Roles
[7] wolf, oracle, lycan, cursed villager [8] traitor, harlot, village drunk [10] alpha wolf, doctor [11] guardian angel [12] werecrow, cursed villager(2) [14] matchmaker [15] wolf(2) [17] augur, lycan(2) [18] wolf(3), cursed villager(3) [20] clone [21] wolf(4) [24] wolf(5), cursed villager(4)

Stats

 * Starting size: 7 players
 * Peak fun: 10 players
 * Stress: Medium

Mad
A mode named after the mad scientist it includes. Relatively tame otherwise.

Roles
[7] wolf, cultist, seer, mad scientist [8] traitor, -cultist, gunner, sharpshooter [10] werecrow, village drunk, cursed villager [12] cultist, detective [14] wolf(2), vengeful ghost [15] harlot [17] wolf cub, jester, assassin [18] hunter [20] wolf cub(2)

Stats

 * Starting size: 7 players
 * Peak fun: 8 players
 * Stress: Medium

Rapidfire
A game mode with the intention of ending very fast. Lots of roles, lots of pressure.

Roles
[6] wolf, seer, mad scientist, cursed villager [8] wolf cub, hunter, assassin [10] traitor, matchmaker, time lord, gunner, sharpshooter [12] wolf(2), vengeful ghost [15] wolf cub(2), augur, amnesiac, assassin(2) [18] wolf(3), hunter(2), mad scientist(2), time lord(2), cursed villager(2) [22] wolf(4), matchmaker(2), vengeful ghost(2)

Stats

 * Starting size: 6 players
 * Peak fun: 15 players
 * Stress: High if you take it seriously, Very High if the time lord dies early on.

Lycan
A mode named after the lycans it enthusiastically inserts. Safe team must be very careful, and wolf team observant.

Roles
[7] wolf, seer, hunter, lycan, cursed villager [8] traitor [9] clone [10] wolf shaman, hunter(2), lycan(2) [11] bodyguard, mayor [12] lycan(3), cursed villager(2) [15] matchmaker, lycan(4) [17] clone(2), gunner, sharpshooter [19] seer(2) [20] lycan(5)

Stats

 * Starting size: 7 players
 * Peak fun: 10 players
 * Stress: Medium-high

Evilvillage
A radically altered game mode. In evilvillage, being on the wolf's team is the norm - everyone who would normally be a villager is now a cultist, and the safes are the smaller team.

Roles
[6] wolf, hunter [8] seer, cursed villager [10] minion, guardian angel, fool [12] shaman, mayor [15] wolf(2), hunter(2)

Stats

 * Starting size: 6 players
 * Peak fun: 8 players
 * Stress: High

Random
A game mode in which roles are decided randomly. Tends to couple itself with noreveal or team reveal as well.

Roles
N/A

Strategy

 * Does anyone really even like random?

Stats

 * Starting size: 8 players
 * Peak fun: ???
 * Stress: High

Maelstrom
A game mode in which roles are decided randomly. Constantly. Every night, you get a new role.

Roles
N/A

Stats

 * Starting size: 8 players
 * Peak fun: ???
 * Stress: Low to Very High, depending on how seriously you take it.

Valentines
Instead of villagers, you have matchmakers. Expect lots of love, and lots of death.

Roles
[8] wolf, wolf(2), matchmaker, matchmaker(2), matchmaker(3), matchmaker(4), matchmaker(5), matchmaker(6) [9] matchmaker(7) [10] matchmaker(8) [11] matchmaker(9) [12] monster [13] wolf(3) [14] matchmaker(10) [15] matchmaker(11) [16] matchmaker(12) [17] wolf(4) [18] mad scientist [19] matchmaker(13) [20] matchmaker(14) [21] wolf(5) [22] matchmaker(15) [23] matchmaker(16) [24] wolf(6)

Stats

 * Starting size: 8
 * Peak fun: 24
 * Stress: Low

Drunkfire
A game mode with lots of village drunks and lots of guns. Provokes massive shootouts.

Roles
[8] wolf, traitor, seer, village drunk, village drunk(2), cursed villager, gunner, gunner(2), gunner(3), gunner(4), gunner(5), sharpshooter, sharpshooter(2) [10] wolf(2), village drunk(3), gunner(6) [12] hag, village drunk(4), crazed shaman, gunner(7), sharpshooter(3) [14] wolf(3), seer(2), gunner(8), assassin [16] traitor(2), village drunk(5), gunner(9), sharpshooter(4)

Stats

 * Starting size: 8 players
 * Peak fun: 10 players
 * Stress: Medium

Guardian
Named after the guardian angel it includes. Currently balanced heavily in favor of villagers.

Roles
[8] wolf, werekitten, seer, guardian angel, cursed villager [10] werecrow, shaman [12] alpha wolf, guardian angel(2), cursed villager(2) [13] jester, gunner [15] wolf(2), bodyguard

Stats

 * Starting size: 8 players
 * Peak fun: 12 players
 * Stress: Medium

Classic
Classic werewolf! These are the roles you'd likely see should you play in real life.

Roles
[4] wolf, seer [6] cursed villager [8] traitor, harlot, village drunk [10] wolf(2), gunner [12] werecrow, detective [15] wolf(3) [17] bodyguard [18] cursed villager(2) [20] wolf(4)

Stats

 * Starting size: 4 players
 * Peak fun: 12 players
 * Stress: Medium-low

Villagegame
Presents itself as default, but there are no wolves. Lykos chooses who to kill every night, and must be lynched for the village to win. If the village lynches lykos while the game mode really is default, wolves win instantly. Currently disabled, and will likely be disabled for the foreseeable future; lykos cannot be voted.

Roles
Like default, without wolfteam roles.

Stats

 * Starting size: 4 players
 * Peak fun: ???
 * Stress: Medium-low

Villager
You're just a villager.

Playing as:

Standard villager strategy is discussed in the strategy section. Just try to fakehint, pay attention, follow the safes, and not idle.

Playing against:

Not much to see here. Make sure a smart villager doesn't trick you into thinking they're safe (thus wasting a kill).

Seer
You can see people at night to determine their role. You will see the traitor, hag, sorcerer, time lord, cultist, minion, turncoat, amnesiac, lycan, clone, fool, jester, werekitten, warlock, piper, and demoniac as villagers. You will see the monster, mad scientist, cursed villager, and succubus as wolves. Every other role will be seen reliably, save for the effects of certain shaman totems.

Playing as:

See quick. If there are no other safes, try to see as fast as possible (see the strategy section: "The 4p Gambit"). Make sure to hint. Because you've got to be fast, limit this hint. Something like "mv" - this is the format fakehints will generally come in too, so a competent village will cover you. If you can trust yourself to be very fast, you can claim early. In 6p, for example, you can claim on the first day even if you saw a villager, because you will be able to see and hint n2. If you are not that fast, you can still PM the person you saw as a villager and tell them they are safe.

In larger modes with more safe roles, you don't need to see as fast, but you should still hint. Let a safe claim d1, and PM them with your identity and who you saw. Make sure to see unsafes.

Playing against:

Kill them fast, unless another safe takes priority or they will likely be protected.

Oracle
You are like the seer, but your result is limited to "wolf" or "not a wolf", instead of an exact role. You will see as a villager whatever the seer would see as anything other than a wolf.

Village Drunk
You have no powers, but you are a safe nevertheless.

Playing as:

Claim either to the harlot/lead safe, or to the village, as with any other safe role. If you are the gunner as well, you will be given many more bullets than usual, but your chance of missing or dying with it will also be much higher.

Harlot
You provide important "services" to the village.

Playing as:

You'll usually be the first safe to claim to the village; you will be in charge of coordinating communication between the safes, and ordering them to do things. Make sure to visit and hint n1. Do not visit known wolves, and do not visit known safes. If, in subsequent nights, you do not hint, make sure it is known who you are visiting by telling the safes.

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Guardian Angel
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Bodyguard
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Priest
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Detective
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Prophet
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Augur
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Mystic
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Time Lord
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Matchmaker
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Mad Scientist
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Hunter
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Vigilante
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Shaman
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Wolf
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Werecrow
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Wolf Cub
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Werekitten
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Alpha Wolf
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Fallen Angel
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Wolf Mystic
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Wolf Shaman
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Doomsayer
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Traitor
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Hag
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Sorcerer
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Warlock
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Cultist
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Minion
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Lycan
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Turncoat
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Vengeful Ghost
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Amnesiac
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Clone
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Crazed Shaman
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Fool
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Jester
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Monster
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Demoniac
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Piper
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Succubus
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Dullahan
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Wild Child
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Cursed Villager
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Blessed Villager
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Gunner
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Sharpshooter
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Mayor
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Assassin
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Werewolf Terms
Bandwagon: The rapid lynching of a player by many others, often implied to be organized by wolves.

CS: Crazed Shaman.

DT: Death totem.

Failvil: Either a villager who has done something really bad/stupid, either purposely or not, or an entire village that seems incompetent. Also: failvillage, failvillager

Fakeclaim: A person, usually on the wolfteam, who claims to be a role that they are not.

Fakehint: A hint, usually during the game's first night, by someone who is not the seer/oracle/harlot.

Fullsafe: Cannot possibly be wolfteam. E.g., a player is visited by a harlot after the traitor is known to have died, and lives. The player can neither be a wolf or a traitor, and so is fullsafe.

Gamemode: A specification for roles to be included in a game of werewolf. Also: mode, roleset

Halfsafe: Safe to an extent. E.g., a player is visited by a harlot, and the harlot lives: the player is definitely not a wolf, but could still be a traitor, and so is halfsafe.

Headshot: A gunner that manages to shoot and kill a non-wolf.

Hint: A message sent by a safe role to indicate who they saw, visited, etc.

N1, D1: Night 1, day 1, night 2, day 2, and so on. Night 1 is the first night of the game, beginning when the game starts.

Ninjastart: The act of starting while people are away, or while it is not expected.

Randomlynch: The lynching of a randomly chosen player, generally one who is not a safe.

Safe: A person who is definitely not a wolf, either because they have been deemed fullsafe, or because they are a village role.

Safechannel, or Safechan: A channel for the purpose of communication between safes.

Seersafe: A player who has been seen as a villager by the seer (or, as not a wolf by the oracle).

Stasis: Being prevented from playing as a punitive measure for past behavior, such as idling out or quitting mid-game. Automatically set by lykos, but can be given by mods.

++, --: Terms used to express praise or disapproval. Once part of a karma system, now disabled, they are still used often.

IRC Terms
AntiSpamMeta: An anti-spam bot. Rather tame.

Kline: A network ban.

Mode: A setting set on a channel or its users. Users who are +o and +v can talk when the channel is +m, or moderated. Users who are +o can also kick or ban others, and set modes themselves.

Netsplit: A disconnection between servers, causing mass drops of users.

Op, or Operator: A user who has access to +o on a channel, and can kick or ban users.