Madchemist’s Guide to “Big” Werewolf Games
Unlike the much simpler Lite games, a Big game of Werewolf offers a wide variety of different possible roles, and is in general a substantially more complicated game. There are usually three sides instead of just two, there are players whose allegiance is not fixed, and players can do a lot of things that just aren’t possible in Lite games. Most of the advice given for players in Lite games remains at least somewhat applicable, however.
The setup of a Big is decided by the GM and is unknown to the players at the start, so anything I write here may not be totally applicable to any individual game. There is, however, a general consensus among most GMs here that a Big game should consist of one goodie side and two separate packs of baddie players, usually with one or more unattached baddies as well. To win, the goodies must eliminate all packs of baddies, while the baddies must eliminate the other pack and outnumber the goodies.
It’s impossible to give tips for every possible role and trait, but some of the most common ones are listed below:
Major scanning goodie (Seer, Priest)
The first thing to remember is that unlike in Lite games, a single scan is never enough to clear a player. A player is not a guaranteed goodie unless he has been scanned by both the priest and the seer (and even then, if he’s cursed, he may be hunted and become a wolf later on, but that’s an event you have little to no control over). This makes it so that a Seer or Priest cannot just contact every player he has scanned as a villager and know that they’re OK. Every major goodie’s top priority is to get a full-fledged Justice League up and running, ideally with both scanners coordinating and with protectors guarding. If this happens, seer and priest can combine their scans and get a list of completely safe players who can then be (mostly) trusted.
Over the course of a game, it often happens that a villager may claim a particular role and provide solid evidence that he has said role. If this occurs, it may be worth contacting this player to try to get the JL coordinated. Do be cautious, however: if your name falls into the hands of a wolfpack, you will be their highest priority to be hunted.
Protecting goodie (Guardian Angel, Doctor, Padre)
These roles are vital in helping a JL to survive once formed. These roles either prevent a hunt from occurring altogether (GA), punish a pack that hunts a protected player (Padre), or both (Doctor). In each case, your goal is to find the rest of the JL and get in contact.
Prior to making contact, you should still be trying to protect players, mostly hoping that you get lucky and save someone or get a wolf name. Trying to protect players who get hunted early a lot is often a sound strategy. Once you do get in touch with the rest of the JL, you will usually try to keep watch on a major goodie such as a scanner, or you will try to keep a spokesman who is out in the open alive.
van Helsing
Honestly, this role is kind of unfair, but it’s been a popular one lately, so it’s worth mentioning here. You have a single superscan which reveals the role and traits of anyone you choose, you can shoot a player at any point in the game, and if the wolves attack you then you kill one of them. This role can instantly coordinate the JL by announcing itself, or by scanning a non-cursed goodie and making the goodie announce himself. Being out in the open has a few drawbacks for van Helsing (namely, brutal wolves), but the only way for the wolves to kill him is to lose a wolf, which is never fun for them.
Regular goodie (Villager)
Your job is pretty much the same as in Lite, except that you have two sets of baddies to deal with and not just one. Make cases, be active, try not to get lynched, and don’t just assume that someone is good because they’ve taken out a wolf of one pack.
Unlike in Lite, in a Big game you are often more than just an ordinary powerless villager. You may have some sort of potentially useful trait to play with. Suggestions for the use of a couple common traits may be found below.
Single-use scan (seerish powers, priestly powers, etc.) – Generally best used early. If you’re hunted/lynched before you get to use it, the power goes to waste, and in addition, the more living players in the game, the less likely it is that your scan target will be hunted. If you do get a villager result from your scan, it’s often work making contact with the player. Working with another villager is often nice, or if you contact a baddie you’re a low-priority hunt because you can’t scan again. Win-win, from a survivalist perspective.
Single-use healing (Doctor/Angel/Padre powers) – Best used in a manner opposite that of a single scan. Try to use late, on a likely hunt target, to maximize the probability of a successful protection.
Hunter (sometimes called assassin) – Gives the ability to kill one player at night. Generally best used in conjunction with the JL. Taking random shots often ends badly, though if you do have a solid hunch, it may be worth the risk. I still advise against it.
If you are a villager with a useful trait, and you’re about to get lynched, it is often useful to claim said trait in hopes of preventing your death. Don’t expect it to always work, though, as wolves can lie about a trait just as easily, and traits don’t necessarily clear the player who holds them anyway. But remember – your death never helps the village (Tell yourself that even if it isn’t true.
), so you should do everything in your power to prevent it.
Unattached baddie, no scanning ability (Some versions of Cultist)
A challenging role. You need to link up with a pack – preferably both – but have no real means of doing it, which means that you’re someone most of the players want to lynch AND someone the wolves are still likely to hunt. Try to play just like a villager. If an outing is made you may not have much choice but to make contact and hope it’s for real. If/when you do link up with a pack, don’t leave it at that – the chief advantage of being unattached is that both packs find it advantageous to keep you alive. Try to find the other pack and work with them too, as much a possible.
Unattached baddie with scanning ability (Sorceror, some versions of Cultist)
One of the most entertaining roles to have, and incredibly powerful when played well. Your main job is to serve as a sort of coordinator between the baddie packs. Work to get in contact with both packs, and then feed them hunt targets. You usually have the ability to find the priest and seer, and those should be your top priorities once you’re in touch with packs (the priest especially). Don’t forget to keep scanning for apprentices, too, even if you’ve found both packs and all major goodies.
You’ll usually only be in contact with a single baddie from a pack, so you can act like a villager with incomplete information much more easily. Don’t be afraid to seem like you’re working to find wolves. But don’t forget that you’d prefer not to be too successful in doing it, either.
Also, bear in mind that as the sorc, you don’t care which group of baddies wins as long as one of them does. Try to discourage interpack warfare as much as possible until victory – for you, anyway – is guaranteed.
Attached baddie, fixed allegiance (Wolf, Zealot, some versions of Cultist)
You have several major tasks: avoid getting yourself and your packmates lynched, hunt the major goodies, get in contact with unattached baddies, and work to eliminate the other pack. Priority hunts are the scanners, the protectors, and then holders of significant traits (hunter, witness, etc.).
A very good thing about being a wolf in Big games is that it becomes much easier to act like a villager than in a Lite game. You don’t know who all the baddies are, so you can put serious work into finding them – at least the ones not in your pack. And since you need to eliminate them anyway, doing so helps you accomplish two critical goals: become a less good lynch and eliminate an enemy.
Your pack should have some useful traits to help you eliminate the JL (and everyone else). A brutal wolf is critical for eliminating protected goodies or known JLers (and make sure that any brutal packmates have a standing brutal order). If you have a hunter/assassin in your pack, check the rule set – if the hunter’s name is not revealed, fire away once you have a major goodie to target. If it is revealed, it may be worth keeping in reserve as part of a push to parity. Scans can also be of use in finding major goodies or baddies.
Attached baddie, variable allegiance (some versions of Cultist)
You start off knowing one pack and shouldn’t ever be hunted by them, which is nice. Try to find the other pack – they have no incentive to hunt you either, but they may not know that. Being in touch with both packs keeps you safe, gives lots of people reasons to keep you alive, and lets you betray one pack and kill them so you win with whatever side is strongest. Your pack may not trust you because of this, but who cares? You’re still more valuable to them alive rather than dead. Take advantage of this.
This role is very similar to the sorc role, in that you’re more interested in the baddies winning than in a specific pack of baddies winning. The faster goodies of any sort die, the better for you.
Roles/Traits not mentioned above
Due to the wide variety of possible rule sets, making an exhaustive list of what you might be in any given Werewolf game is impossible. For a role or trait not mentioned above, ask yourself three things:
1. What is the goal of my role?
2. How can I use my role/trait’s abilities to accomplish that goal?
3. What other roles stand in the way of achieving that goal, and how do I eliminate them?
If you can answer those questions, you should have a good idea of what you need to do.
