Backfiring Characters

• General storytelling priorities take precedence in any decision; this includes madness-related decisions.
  1. Fun
  2. Interesting
  3. Balanced

I developed this by playing Bad Moon Rising, but you can use it on any script with a backfiring ability.

A backfiring character is a character that helps their own team generally, but can occasionally backfire depending what the Storyteller chooses.

Each backfiring character has two types of Storyteller decisions, "preferred" and "un-preferred".

If the Storyteller always choose the "preferred" result, many worlds that can be built are cut-off.

The "preferred" activity should happen most of the time, but sometimes the un-preferred activity must occur as a balancing action...or just to keep the players on their toes.

When a Storyteller needs to make a decision for a backfiring character, there isn't always an important balancing act going on.

This system injects a little chaos while helping the Storyteller make decisions quickly.

This system is not a replacement for general storytelling priorities, you can always ignore a particular result and choose an outcome.

• Sailor
  • Preferred When the Sailor chooses: a good player then the target is drunk; an evil player then the Sailor is drunk.
  • Un-preferred When the Sailor chooses: a good player then the Sailor is drunk; an evil player then the target is drunk.
• Innkeeper
  • Preferred When the Innkeeper chooses two evil players, then the least effective evil player is drunk; otherwise the most effective good player is drunk.
  • Un-preferred When the Innkeeper chooses two evil players, then the most effective evil player is drunk; otherwise the least effective good player is drunk.
• Gossip
  • Preferred When the Gossip kills, if the statement was very important then the Gossip dies, then a player with important information to share, then a player that would refute an evil bluff, then the least effective good player.
  • Un-preferred When the Gossip kills, a living Zombuul dies, then a player that would backup an evil bluff, then a Fool, then a Tea Lady-protected player or sober Sailor or dead player, then the most effective good player.
• Pacifist
  • Preferred When a good player is executed, that player is saved from execution unless it would backup an evil bluff.
  • Un-preferred When a good player is executed, that good player is saved from execution only if it would backup an evil bluff.
• Tinker
  • Preferred Die only if it backs up an evil bluff or obfuscates the evil team's kills (including dying during the day to trigger a Godfather).
  • Un-preferred Die.
• Shabaloth
  • Preferred When a Shabaloth can resurrect a player, resurrect a good player if it would backup an evil bluff, then the most effective evil target, otherwise no player.
  • Un-preferred When a Shabaloth can resurrect a player, resurrect the least effective good target, then the least effective evil target.

• When a backfiring character causes the Storyteller to make a decision, roll a d6 die. You can also pre-roll at night to help decide the next day's outcome, such as with a Pacifist or Tinker.
  • If the player's team (inverted for Outsider) is winning, add +1 to the die (or +2 if they are running away with the game).
  • If the player's team (inverted for Outsider) is losing, add -1 to the die (or -2 if they are running away with the game).
  • On a 1-5, make the preferred decision, then place a -1 penalty on the character.
  • On a 6+, make the un-preferred decision, then remove all penalties on the character.