Mafia Roles
There are many different roles that can be present in a game of mafia. On this page we list many of the roles we know.
Played. There are many roles we play with on a semi-regular basis.
| On the villager team: |
On the mafia team: |
On other teams: |
| |
|
Not played. There are many roles that we have come across or thought about, but for one reason or another have never played with. Obviously we can't vouch for the enjoyability of these roles. You can read about these roles from a
previous version of this webpage.
| Accident Victim |
| Alternating Power |
| Avenging Siblings |
| Bodyguard |
| Bookie |
| Bulletproof Vest |
| Bus Driver |
| Cherub |
| Cupid and the Lovers |
| Devil |
| Double Agent |
| Forensic Specialist |
| Freelancer |
| Godfather |
|
| Governor |
| Invisible Godfather |
| James Bond |
| Judas and Saulas |
| Jury |
| Kingmaker |
| Magistrate |
| Martyr |
| Mayor |
| Medical Examiner |
| Miller |
| Prostitute |
| Proxy |
|
| Psychologist |
| Rambo |
| Random Vigilante |
| Scharping |
| Sensei |
| Serial Killer |
| Special Prosecutor |
| Stalker |
| Stoiber |
| Thief |
| Tree Stump |
| Undead |
| Walrus and Tooth Fairy |
| Wild Card Joker |
|
Cards. You can of course use any cards you want to represent roles, or even some other method of determining them. However, we've found it useful to keep a consistent set of cards so that players don't get confused. Also remember that all the cards representing the same role are indistinguishable, so, for example, players aren't allowed to say
which villager card they have.
Werewolf. Many people play Mafia under the name of
Werewolf, in which case many of the roles have different names. You can also combine to two games as in our
Mafia and Werewolves variant. In this case all werewolf characters affect only other werewolf characters if possible, and similarly for the mafia. For example, the Mafia character of
Detective may find out only if someone is a member of the mafia, while the equivalent Werewolf variant of
Seer may find out only if someone is a werewolf.
See also. We also have a list of
variants to the game.
Coroner (J♦ or J♥) ↩
The coroner has a night-time power, that he can use once per game, to reveal the identity of all previously dead players. Each night the moderator wakes up the coroner, and asks "Do you want to use your ability?" If the coroner indicates "yes" by nodding, then the moderator announces "The coroner has chosen to use his ability", and the cards of all players who had died
previous to that night are turned face up.
The coroner is particularly useful in large and complex games with multiple teams, and can give the villagers enough information about the state of the game in the final rounds to allow a victory.
Note. Obviously this role makes no sense while using the
known identities variant.
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Detective (K♦ or K♥) ↩
Aliases: Angel, Cop, Informant, Inspector, Policeman, Sheriff.
Werewolf variant: Seer.
The detective is one of the most basic roles in the game of Mafia. Each night he is woken by the moderator (who says "Detective awake") and given an opportunity to investigate another player (the detective silently indicates who he would like to investigate, usually by pointing). The moderator indicates by nodding or shaking their head whether or not that player is a
mafioso. Note that characters working for the mafia that cannot kill at night (such as the
terrorist) appear to be innocent to the detective's investigation.
The detective often wants to keep his identity secret, to protect from mafia reprisals. One useful strategy is for the detective to investigate the people sitting next to him. If they are innocent, he can then reveal his information to them without being in danger (unless, of course, one of them's a terrorist...)
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Doctor (Q♦ or Q♥) ↩
Aliases: Archangel, Doctor, Nurse, Medic.
Werewolf variant: Sorcerer, Healer.
The doctor is a protecting character, who spends his night attempting to save another player from harm. Each night the moderator wakes up the doctor by saying "Doctor awake". The doctor then indicates by pointing which player he would like to try to save. The doctor does not have to try to save anyone; and he may not select himself. If the selected person is chosen to be killed by the mafia during the same night, then that killing is prevented, and the moderator merely announces at daybreak that no-one was killed during the night.
In more complicated games there can be multiple bullets flying around, for instance from
multiple Mafia families or from the
vigilante, for example. In this case the doctor can only treat
one bullet wound. So, if the player saved is only hit by one bullet, they are saved; but if hit by more than one, then they die. In a very large game, with multiple doctors, each doctor can treat an additional bullet wound.
When playing with a doctor, the
detective has more leeway in revealing himself, since the doctor can protect him from the mafia. Of course, you can introduce a
terrorist to encourage the detective to keep his peace (or at least work more subtly).
Note. If playing with werewolves one must decide whether either or both of the doctor and healer can save vigilante targets.
Note. We received on 12/27/99 a communication from Ephraim Ross of Pomona College who has informed us that he has played with a similar character called the Sheriff. We refer to a different role by that name.
Variant: Doctor can save self. One common variant is allowing the doctor to save themselves. We generally don't allow this, since it can lead to draw situations where one mafia and the doctor are left alive.
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Framer (K♣ or K♠) ↩
The framer is a special Mafia member. In addition to waking at night with the other mafia and killing someone, he has the ability to frame another member of the village. Each night after the mafia have chosen who to kill the moderator shall ask all but the framer to sleep, and then ask the framer to indicate whom he would like to frame. If this person is investigated by the
detective that night he is found to be guilty.
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Freemasons (3♦ and 3♥, or 2-9♥) ↩
Alias: Masons.
We all know that our small Italian village is filled with Mafia and civilians, as well as the occasional werewolf or heavenly visitor. However, some of the civilians may be more than plain civilians. A select group of these citizens may be freemasons.
Freemasons are just like plain civilians in every respect, except that they know each other from long-standing membership in the Masonic Lodge. They know each other well enough that they are sure their fellow Masons cannot be members of the mafia.
Practically, freemasons wake up the first night for the sole purpose of recognizing each other. After that, they are just plain civilians for the rest of the game.
The existence of freemasons is a strong power for the civilians, because there is a nucleus of civilians in which no member will vote for the lynching of another member. Thus the number of freemasons should be small (almost certainly not outnumbering the mafia).
If one or more freemasons are killed off early, their utility is very low, but freemasons surviving to the end of the game are extremely valuable to the civilians. It is only toward the very end of the game that mafia members may claim to be freemasons in order to convince civilians to kill off the real freemasons. This is a desperate and risky strategy.
Note. This concept originated when Matt Hindman, on December 10, 1998, started asking people, "Are you a member of the Brotherhood?" (meaning the Mafia). Adrian Banner then asked, concerning one person, "What does it matter if he's a Mason? Find out if he's Mafia!"
Note. If there are just two freemasons in the village then they become 'three-masons' represented by the
3♦ and
3♥. Otherwise use the
2-9♥.
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Jekyll and Hyde (Q♥ and Q♠) ↩
Jekyll and Hyde are a third faction of the village, in addition to the civilians and the mafia. Jekyll, of course, has all the powers of the
doctor, while Hyde is a member of the mafia and kills with the other mafia at night. However, Jekyll and Hyde will ultimately betray their teams and try to be the sole survivors of the village. One weakness they have is that if one of them dies, so does the other, instantly.
In practical terms, the moderator wakes both characters in the first night so that they know each other. After this they are woken just as doctor and mafia.
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Mafia (2-10♣ or 2-10♠) ↩
Werewolf variant: Werewolf.
The mafia get to kill people.
See also. Ranked Mafia.
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Saint (10♦ or 10♥) ↩
Alias: Supersaint.
The saint is a special character on the side of the civilians. His power is purely posthumous: when successfully lynched by the villagers, the villagers realise what a terrible mistake they have just made in killing such an innocent person, and turn in anger on the saint's accuser who then dies.
An added rule is that if the saint dies during
mob-rule, since there is no clear accuser,
all players who voted for the saint die. This has led to mass mafia deaths in the past, and can lead to some interesting villager strategies.
Note. We discovered this variant from Michael Shadbolt.
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Stripper (Q♣ or Q♠) ↩
The stripper is a member of a mafia with an extra ability. Each night, after the mafia have killed, the stripper is woken up alone and asked who he would like to 'distract'. Their target is unable to use any special ability that same night (so the vigilante wouldn't get to kill, the detective would not have an investigation). The moderator should indicate to the target that they are prevented from using their ability by holding his hand out indicating stop.
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Terrorist (A♣,A♠) ↩
Aliases: Suicide bomber, Bomber.
The terrorist is one the side of the mafia, but is not himself a mafia member (he does not wake with the mafia or kill at night). During the first night, when the mafia are awake, the moderator asks the terrorist to give a hand signal so that the mafia know his identity. The terrorist does not know the identity of the mafia; however an important part of his role is working this out.
The terrorist has one special ability. At any time during the day (except during the countdown to a vote, or mob-rule) the terrorist can bomb any other player, killing both himself and the victim.
Note. This role was originally created by Florian Wlater, and came to use via Michael Hoffman.
Note. The terrorist shows up as innocent to the
detective.
Variant. You can play that the terrorist cannot be killed by the mafia at night.
Variant. You can also play with the terrorist having the abilities of a standard
mafioso as well as his suicidal power, so that he can wake and kill at night. He should still give a hand signal the first night so that the mafia know which among them is the terrorist. In this case, the terrorist shows up as guilty to the
detective.
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Undead ↩
The undead begins the game as a civilian, but upon being killed, is immediately (but only once) reborn as a member of the mafia.
There are several logistical problems associated with this variant, mainly dealing with the fact that the identity of the undead would be obvious when he came back to life. However, if this were
combined with
a variant in which
resurrections were already going on, it may pass unnoticed.
An alternative that minimizes this problem is to have the undead only change sides upon being killed by the mafia at night (if lynched during the day, he dies normally). In this case the moderator
would simply
announce that no-one was killed during the night.
If combined with the role of a magistrate, then the moderator could simply announce after the undead is lynched, "Your lynching failed." The civilians would not know
whether
the lynchee was an undead or someone under the protection of the magistrate.
Note. This role was originally called the 'vampire'. More recently we use that name to refer to a
different role.
Note. This role obviously makes no sense when playing with the
known identities variant.
Note. This role was originally suggested by Adrian Banner.
Variant. Mr Banner suggested that the undead be able to choose on which turn to return to life, further confusing issues.
Variant. When the undead is reborn at night, due to a mafia killing, the moderator could announce there was an 'undead sighting' to indicate to the villagers what occurred. Of course, the
village
rs wouldn't know who the undead was.
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Vampire (K♠) ↩
The vampire is a player on his own team, and like the other teams wants to be the last team standing. His main advantage is that he can sometimes convert other players into vampires. Each night he chooses a player. Normally that player is killed. However, if the vampire's victim did anything to the vampire that night (shot, investigated, saved, etc.) then that player is instead converted to the vampire's team.
At the end of every night the moderator must walk around the room and tap any converted players, to announce to them that they have been converted. The converted player does not know who the original vampire was.
If the original vampire dies, and there are other vampires in the game, the next highest ranking vampire in terms of age takes over as lead vampire.
Note. Previously we used the name 'vampire' to refer to a different role. We now refer to that role as the
undead.
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Vigilante (A♦ or A♥) ↩
The vigilante is on the side of the villagers, but is woken up each night by the moderator and given an opportunity to kill someone.
Note. Remember that players aren't allowed to signal each other at night (in particular, the detective can't indicate to the vigilante whom to kill).
Note. This character was originally suggested by Steven J Miller.
Variant. One variant of this character is that if the vigilante and the mafia both kill the same person, the vigilante is caught by the mafia and dies as well.
Variant. Another variant is to disallow the vigilante a kill if he is killed by the mafia the same night. While we don't normally play
with this, it does solve the problem of a draw where everyone dies.
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Villager (2-9♦) ↩
Aliases: Innocent Villager, Civilian, Victim, Ordinary Townsperson.
The innocent villagers have no special abilities. They are the pillars of the society and all they can do is discuss, vote and die.
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Warlock (Joker) ↩
The warlock is a team all by himself. On the first night he is woken up, and the roles of all the players are revealed to him by the moderator, who indicates first the mafia, then the detective, and so on. Then, and on each successive night, he is asked to predict who, if anyone, will be lynched the following day. The warlock wins the game if he predicts the outcome correctly three times.
The warlock needs a reasonably sized game to stand a change of winning. Lowering the number of correct predictions needed to win tends to unbalance the game and make it too 'swingy'. The warlock often ends up revealing himself and making bargains with one side or the other with his knowledge of the game; of course, the other players have no idea how many correct predictions the Warlock has so far made.
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The Graduate Mafia Brotherhood of Princeton University