I’d like to suggest a third evil faction separate from Cult or Unseen. Using the theme of an oppressive merchant’s guild who use blackmail and murder to gain a monopoly.
At the start of the game, one player is randomly assigned the class of Kingpin and another player is randomly assigned the class of Shylock. These are unique classes, and for now I’d suggest there to be no replacements if either is killed (unlike a Cult Leader or Mastermind).
The Kingpin’s main role is to blackmail other players into becoming Indentured to the faction.
The Shylock’s main role is to manipulate Indentured players. Perhaps converting them if desired.
This faction revolves around a new concept of ‘debt’. Similar to a poison state, but with charges. If a non-Cutpurse-faction player has at least one charge of ‘debt’, he is considered Indentured. An Indentured retains his previous class and abilities, but loses his faction status and becomes Neutral faction instead, and when revealed the game adds ‘Indentured’ to the beginning of his class name (Indentured Knight for example). An Indentured player is not shown who else is Indentured or who else is in the Cutpurses faction.
The Kingpin has a night ability ‘Blackmail’ with a single target and infinite charges. This ability is considered a visit and an attack but does not kill if successful. If successful, the targeted player is given 1 additional charge of ‘debt’.
If an Indentured player uses a night ability, he is given an additional charge of ‘debt’. If instead an Indentured player at night does not use any ability, 1 charge of ‘debt’ is removed. If an Indentured player has all ‘debt’ removed, he is returned to his previous faction. If an indentured player started the night with 2 charges of debt, and then ends the night with 2 or more charges of debt, the player will immediately suicide.
The Shylock has a night ability ‘Call Debts’ with a single target and infinite charges. The target must be an Indentured player. If the target can be converted, and there is no player currently of the Cleaner class, the player is converted into a Cleaner class of the Cutpurses faction. If that conversion would not be possible, the target is attacked instead.
The Cleaner is similar to the Cutpurses version of an assassin. He may attack one player during the night.
The Shylock has a second night ability ‘Set Bounty’ with a single target and infinite charges, and similar to the Sheriff’s Scout ability, the target once set remains set until either the target is dead or the Shylock changes targets. At the beginning of the day phase, each Indentured player is given a message as to which player is targeted with the bounty. If that player is executed, each Indentured player who voted to execute will have one charge of debt removed.
That is the basic framework. If it isn’t too weak it could make for some interesting games where players have to make some difficult judgements about whether being a part of day votes tomorrow is more valuable than using abilities tonight but suiciding from too much debt.
I might also suggest giving the Kingpin two day abilities to help disguise the faction, one to cause poison, and one to cause bleeding. Or these could be given to the Cleaner to help encourage an earlier conversion. There is some room to add some support abilities to the classes.
I’d also suggest the Shylock need some way to cause ‘debt’ status in case the Kingpin dies. Perhaps ‘Call Debts’ can be turned into ‘Blackmail’ during any night where there are currently no Indentured players.
I’m not sure how best to treat the win condition of a player who dies as Indentured. One way may be to return him to his previous faction upon death. But I’d probably lean towards him remaining Neutral and thus unless already something like a Fool or Scorned with a separate win condition, an Indentured player loses when dead. More incentive to find a way to avoid death until the debt can be removed or either BD or Cutpurses win.
I’d prefer if the ‘debt’ state cannot be healed by a Physician etc. In fact, if the Noble class is brought back, perhaps he can be given an ability that can remove 1 charge of debt from a target per night. That seems like a nice fit.
