Magistrate

Good Aligned, Nighttime

The Magistrate is the Villager everyone loves to hate. A pesty busybody of the worst kind, he takes meticulous notes on the behavior of his neighbors. Your house isn't painted an approved color. Your grass is 1/2" too tall. You were out late last night - til 3am. Where were you? The only thing he detests more than minor violations of protocol are Werewolves. The Magistrate can take someone to task and force them to defend themselves in order to save face. At long last can his overbearing, pedantic demeanor is being put to good use.

How to GM

For beginner games, during the Identification Phase, simply have the Magistrate open his eyes so that you can confirm that he knows he is the Magistrate.

During the Night Phase, have the Magistrate wake up and point to someone he thinks is a Werewolf. Confirm his choice, and finish the night.

- "Magistrate, open your eyes, and choose someone to secretly accuse."
- "Magistrate, close your eyes."

At the start of the Day Phase, after identifying the dead bodies and before opening discussion, announce the Magistrate's choice. That person must now defend themselves from the village to prevent being lynched.

- "You have been accused by the Magistrate and must now defend yourself."

Alternate Rules

Mysterious Mystery Game
To add more mystery to a Mystery Game, have the Town Mayor take the role of the Magistrate and other roles that have a visible nightly effect on the game. In this instance, try and roleplay the actions the Magistrate would normally perform, creating chaos in the village. Note that this variant of the Mystery Game rules requires a very experienced GM.

Stronger Magistrate
If you find that your Magistrate is not very effective, you can allow his vote to count twice when he votes for the lynching of the person he accused on the previous night. This double vote only applies for the initial accusation and not any subsequent accusations for the day. This allows the Magistrate to have more influence in the game. If the Shaman and/or Crazed Shaman are in play, the Totem of Influence will only give the Magistrate one extra vote (for a total of three votes on the accused's lynching). [*ms note - this rule is being playtested by Toby, may be edited later or made official depending on how it pans out]

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Magistrate continue to pick the same person over and over?
Yes, he can. Unlike many characters, he is allowed to choose the same person multiple nights in a row without risk of retaliation or suspicion. This can be both annoying and/or humorous depending on the group.

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Strategies and Tips

Make educated guesses when possible, or target someone whom you'd like to hear the defense for. It can be a way to gain information without getting accused immediately afterwards by the suspicious person.

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