A village rests at the base of a mountain, nearly swallowed by the dense woods that surround it. Its inhabitants are a hardy folk, having resisted a clan of bloodthirsty werewolves for generations. Only the brave Lamplighters, who know the arcane secrets to keeping the village's Sun Lamps lit, stand in the way of death. However, a mad scientist, exiled from the village to die on the mountain above, has concocted a new plan for revenge - solar powered automatons. He seeks vengeance by kidnapping villagers and imprisoning their souls in metal bodies, using the mad creations to hunt the village's leaders and turning their precious Sun Lamps against them. Now the village huddles in fear at night, with an impossible choice - light the Sun Lamps and die in a fury of metal? Or go dark and die to fur and fang – or paranoia – instead?
New Rules
Sun Lamps
The Sun Lamps were created by the (now-Mad) Scientist to protect the village from werewolf attacks at night. Now they’ve been weaponized by their creator. If the Village Team has a surviving Lamplighter, they decide at the beginning of the night phase whether to light the Lamps or not. This choice determines which roles may activate during the night. The village can debate what choice to pursue during their discussions in the Day phase, but ultimately the choice belongs to the Lamplighter.
The Sun Lamps may only be lit for at most two nights in a row. After that, they must recharge for as long as they remained on – so if the lights were turned on for two nights in a row, they must be kept off for two nights before they can be turned back on again. Similarly, the lights cannot be left off for more than two nights in a row, before they must be turned back on for at least one night to disperse the charge before the lamps are damaged irrevocably.
The Lamplighter and the Apprentice
If the current Lamplighter dies without an Apprentice, the village may from then on use one of their trials to nominate and elect a new Lamplighter instead of lynching. Doing so does not end the day phase, but otherwise operates exactly like a normal trial. When nominating, it must be specified if the nomination is for lynching or a new Lamplighter. The substitute may be replaced in future day phases even if they aren’t killed.
Unlike the actual Lamplighter role, the substitute Lamplighter does not get to pick an Apprentice. However, they keep their secret role as well (and thus may be someone working against the village!)
Desperation
In the event one of the evil teams is eliminated, the Moderator may declare that Desperation is activated. When this occurs, the remaining evil team may activate no matter what the night phase is.
New Roles
Village Team
Apprentice – You know who the Lamplighter is. If the Lamplighter dies, you take their role.
Bodyguard – If the lamps are lit at night, you may select one player, including yourself. That player may not be killed at night. You may not select the same player two nights in a row.
Crazed Cupid - If the lamps are lit at night, and there are no lovers, you may pick two people to fall in love. If the lamps are off at night, you may kill the lovers.
Gravedigger - As long as you live, the village learns the identity of those who died during the day, as well as those who die during nights when the lamps are lit.
Lamplighter – Decide whether to light the lamps each night. If there is no Apprentice, may select one player each night; if they are a Villager, they become an Apprentice instead.
Minister - If the lamps are lit at night, you may select one player, including yourself. That player may not be lynched the next day. You may not select the same player two nights in a row.
Nyctophobic – You kill anyone who directly targets you with a power. If you are selected by the Werewolves or Werebots you still die, but the one nearest you dies as well.
Orb-bearer - If the lamps are lit at night, select one player to be hidden by the Orb. For the remainder of the night, they act as if the lamps are off. You may not select the same player twice.
Orphan - If the lamps are lit at night, you may choose one player to seek shelter with, making you immune to night kills. If you choose a non-Village player who kills that night, or if the person you shelter with is killed, you die.
Seer - If the lamps are off at night, you may select one player and learn their current exact role.
Stalker - If the lamps are off at night, you may choose one player and learn if they woke that night. If they did, you may kill them.
Torchbearer – If the lamps are off at night, select one player to be illuminated by the Torch. For the remainder of the night, they act as if the lamps are lit. You may not select the same player twice.
Villager - May be turned into an Apprentice or a Werebot.
Watchman - If the lamps are lit at night, you may stand guard over one player, blocking them from utilizing their role that night and blocking all roles used against them. You may not select the same player two nights in a row.
Wendigo - After the first day, if a day passes without a lynching, you join the Werewolf team.
Witch – If the lamps are lit at night, you learn all players targeted to die that night. Once per game, you may choose one of them to save. If the lamps are off at night, once per game you may use a poison to kill one player.
Werewolf Team
Elder Werewolf – If the lamps are off at night, in addition to waking with the other Werewolves, you wake individually after the kill is selected to kill a second victim.
Sycophant - You know who the Werewolves are, but do not wake with them at night. You appear as a Villager to the Seer. Once per game, you may douse the lamps and allow the Werewolves to hunt.
Werewolf - If the lamps are off at night, you may wake with the rest of your pack and select one player to kill.
Scientist Team
Assistant - You know who the Mad Scientist is. If the Mad Scientist dies, you take his role.
Infiltrator – You are known to the Mad Scientist. You appear as a Villager to the Seer. You may become an Apprentice while remaining on the Scientist team. If you become the Apprentice, the Scientist learns who the Lamplighter is.
Mad Scientist - May select one player each night; if they are a Villager, you transform them into a Werebot. You wake with the Werebots, but do not possess a killing ability on your own.
Werebot - If the lamps are lit at night, you may wake with the other Werebots and select one player to kill. If you are selected by the Torchbearer, you may instead choose to launch a fireball, killing two adjacent players. If you are selected by the Orb-bearer, you explode, killing yourself and the adjacent players.
No Team
Craven - At the beginning of the game, choose a team. You are now a member of that team, and win with them, but do not know the other members or wake with them. If the lamps are off at night, you may change your selected team.
Occult Slayer – Each night, wake up and select one player to kill. You win if you kill one Werewolf, one Werebot, and one special role Villager.
Order of Night Activation
Lamps Lit
Lamplighter & Apprentice (Lamp Decision)
Sycophant
Watchman
Lamplighter (Selecting Apprentice)
Mad Scientist
Orb-bearer
Guardian
Orphan
Werebot
Occult Slayer
Witch (Heal)
Crazed Cupid
Minister
Lamps Off
Lamplighter & Apprentice (Lamp Decision)
Lamplighter (Selecting Apprentice)
Mad Scientist
Torchbearer
Seer
Crazed Cupid
Werewolf
Elder Werewolf
Witch (Poison)
Occult Slayer
Huntsman
Craven
Clarifications
Werewolves and Werebots may kill each other.
When a role states that it may not target the same person two nights in a row, it means sequential nights. For example - the lights are on during Night 1, and the Bodyguard protects themselves. On Night 2, the lights are off, and therefore the Bodyguard has no ability. On Night 3, if the lights are on, the Bodyguard can protect themselves again, because they did not do so Night 2, regardless if they could have or not.
The Witch learns who is slated to die each night even after using their healing power.
All characters listed under “Lamps Off” above are eligible to be killed by the Huntsman.
The word “directly” in the Nyctophobic’s ability means they don’t kill a fireball-shooting Werebot. The Watchman shuts the Nyctophobic down before they can kill, but the Orphan is killed before gaining immunity.
The Assistant, Infiltrator, and Sycophant do not count for parity.
The Occult Slayer does not need to be killed for the game to end.
Scott Horn is a freelance RPG writer and editor who has worked in the Forgotten Realms and Arcanis settings. In his spare time, he works a full-time job between computer, console, and tabletop gaming sessions.