Template:Story Godfather
Mechanics
- You can pick a target to attack each night. Your decision overrides whatever choice is made by the Mafioso (if one exists).
- If you are role-blocked, then the Mafioso will attack his own target.
- If there is a live Mafioso (and they are not role-blocked that night) then they will do the killing for you. This has the following implications; only the person who does the actual killing will:
- Be visible to a Lookout who watches the target.
- Get killed by a Bodyguard, Werewolf or an alerted Veteran at that location.
- Get an immunity message if the target has Night Immunity.
- Leave their Death Note behind for the Town to see in the morning.
- If a Mafioso is alive when you die, the Mafioso will be promoted to a Godfather.
- If there is no Mafioso when you die, whichever Mafia joins the lobby first will be promoted to a Mafioso. They will not be able to become a Godfather.
- You can talk with the other Mafia at night.
- You have Night Immunity, Detection Immunity and Bite Immunity.
| Godfather picks a target | Role blocked]] / Does not pick a target | |
|---|---|---|
| Mafioso picks a target | Mafioso attacks Godfather's target | Mafioso attacks their own target |
| Mafioso does not pick target | Mafioso attacks Godfather's target | No attack |
| No Mafioso / Role blocked |
Godfather attacks their own target | No attack |
Strategy
As the leader of the Mafia, it is important for the Godfather to give orders to the Mafia and to make the most use out of all of their abilities. It is also important to listen to the Mafia and make use of any information that they give you.
- If you are pressed to claim a Town role, the most obvious choice is Bodyguard, since that's the only Town role in your investigative result. However, a lot of people find that claim suspicious for many reasons, so don't be surprised if they do not believe you.
- Be cautious about claiming it unnecessarily; the Town also knows it's your most obvious choice (and it's also the obvious choice for Arsonists.) During late or even early game, a desperate or aggressive Town might lynch you for claiming it if they have no other leads.
- Claiming to be a Bodyguard is also difficult if an important confirmed Town role like the Mayor or Jailor has died at night, since the Town would wonder why you weren't protecting them.
- Of course, if there is only one Town Protective slot, once the real one dies, you will likely be lynched (despite Random Town or Any ) because Bodyguard is such a common claim for both the Godfather and the Arsonist.
- If there is no Spy in the game, it is a good strategy to tell the Mafia who to kill in case you get role blocked or controlled by a Witch. A potential strategy with the Mafia and have one of them claim to be a Sheriff claiming another member of the Mafia came up as a member of the Mafia. This has some benefits. First, the member of the Mafia usually becomes a "confirmed" Townie so said member of the Mafia that claimed to be a Sheriff has a liable defense. However, this can cause more harm than benefit as someone can call them out through information. It can also lead to the member of the Mafia's death from the Neutral Killing role if it's not an Arsonist. This strategy is more liable in All Any; in Ranked it is more risky with fewer members of the Mafia.
- If you are jailed on Night 1, try claiming to be an Executioner and tell the Jailor if he helps you lynch your target, you will side with the Town. That would explain your Night Immunity and keep people off your case for a while. Of course, this could backfire if the Jailor chooses to execute you the next night.
- Tell the Mafia not to say their names if there is a Spy, so that you are not accidentally revealing your names. Deception is your greatest power. Use it to throw an Investigator off your scent.
- If a member of the Mafia is not following your orders or acting dangerously (voting against fellow members of the Mafia, using names in the night chat), claim to be a Sheriff the next day and accuse that person. This might sound like gamethrowing, but it confirms you as a Townie, and the threat can be neutralized. This is called bussing.
- Occasionally, when facing a Vigilante, Vampire, or Serial Killer, it can be useful for you to bait them into attacking you in order to protect other members of the Mafia. This is generally only a viable strategy when you just need one more night or when you already have at least a plurality, since you'll out yourself as a role with Night Immunity in the process. And if you're going to bait by making yourself appear to be evil (generally necessary to bait a Vigilante), make sure the Jailor is already dead!
- Remember, while you are generally considered the leader, do not try and be too bossy. The other members of the Mafia might not listen to you if you act rude. Also, remember that other members of the Mafia may know more than you, such as a Consigliere finding an important Town role.
- If you are attacked, act natural. Most Godfathers will not say anything during the day if they were attacked. A few carefully worded lies can keep you from being hanged.
- If attacked by a Vigilante, you can claim that you're a Bodyguard and used your bulletproof vest. Do not claim you were jailed; a real Jailor would know that you're lying and execute you the next night. Claiming to have been healed by a Doctor can sometimes work too, though if the Doctor dies and kept track of who he healed this could backfire. Also, a Doctor heal would not produce an immunity message, so the Vigilante can call you out for that. Claiming to be a Survivor rarely works, since the Town has little reason not to lynch a Survivor who has fallen under suspicion, and may even assume them to be a Werewolf or Arsonist (if there is a possibility of a Neutral Killing role).
- You could try and claim that you are a Vigilante on Day 2 and that you attacked one of the members in your Mafia but they were immune. Keep telling the Town to lynch them. The Town will realize that a Vigilante can't shoot on Night 1 and assume you are an Executioner or Jester and that the person you called out is your target. This strategy helps you in several ways:
- An Executioner has Night Immunity, giving credit to your guise since you have Night Immunity as the Godfather.
- The member of the Mafia you called out will be considered a Townie (Note: if you get outed as Godfather somehow, and people find out your role, then experienced Townies might think your "target" is also a member of the Mafia since this is a common strategy called "Bussing".
- You've also now removed suspicion from yourself and another member of the Mafia, since most people will ignore an Executioner or a Jester once they've been revealed. Of course, this requires the cooperation of the other member of the Mafia. In some cases, however, they'll think you're ratting them out and tell the Town you're the Godfather or that you're a member of the Mafia. You obviously don't want this to happen, since it crumbles the facade you're trying to build. However, it should be noted that this is dangerous to explain to the members of the Mafia during night 1 if you are notified that there's a Spy in game.
- NOTE: In Ranked, this requires the existence of an Executioner, Random Neutral, Neutral Evil, or Any slot, as long as a slot that could possibly be a Townie that is not the Mayor or a Jailor. Otherwise, no one will believe you're the Executioner, as it won't be possible. Also, being a supposed Executioner may draw the attention of the Jailor, who may jail and execute you just for the sake of killing an evil role.
- Try to get a non-member of the Mafia lynched as early as possible. If it works and they are Town, you can claim to be an Executioner and you will work with the Town. If it doesn't work, try to lynch them all game; the Town will say you are a bad Executioner. If the Townie you tried to get lynched dies, the Town will not lynch you out of fear that you have turned into a Jester.
- Although claiming Executioner often works well, it can work out badly as Jailors often execute people who they believe to be an Executioner or who claim/act like one in case they are a Night Immune evil faking. They could also lynch you, although this is less likely as they may suspect you of being a Jester.
- One of the quickest ways to lead to downfall for the Mafia are Death Notes - if the Mafioso is role blocked and you kill someone, leaving a different Death Note, then the Town will know that either the Death Note has been changed or, more likely, the person writing it wasn't the same person as the one writing the other Death Note. The easiest way to avoid this is for the Godfather to copy the Death Note of their Mafioso, so that the Town has no idea when one of them has been role blocked.
Dealing with Townies/Neutrals
Dealing with an Investigator: If you are concerned that you may be visited by an Investigator, claim Bodyguard when pressed to claim a result, since that is the only Town role in your investigative results, and since it is very hard to disprove. You can even claim to have used your bulletproof vest if someone calls you out as being immune. Of course, Bodyguard isn't always the most plausible claim. but if you were investigated it is the only thing you can do. If there is an Arsonist or you are playing All Any, claim you might be doused.
Dealing with a Sheriff: A Sheriff cannot see you as a member of the Mafia, but they will most likely call you to the Town as being, "Not suspicious.". You should claim any Town role or any role with Detection Immunity. After that, and make up a fake Last Will if needed. However, if there is evidence mounting against you, (e.g. if the Lookout saw you at a dead player's house) there is little you can do.
Dealing with the Jailor: Like all evil roles, you should have a claim ready for, if and when you are jailed.
- The most obvious choice is to claim to be a Bodyguard.
- Alternatively, you can simply claim some other role, such as Sheriff or some other role which will be drawn up for easily, and hope that the Jailor hasn't yet cross-referenced your role with the Investigator. You may be in trouble if their Last Will is exposed to the Investigator, but it's preferable to delay the issue and hope you can win before then than to be executed immediately by a suspicious Jailor!
Dealing with the Mayor: Once a Mayor has been revealed, it's a war between you and him in terms of commanding your faction, as both of you are the leader of your respective alignments. As the Godfather, you know the identity of all the fellow members of the Mafia and can easily communicate with them at night. However, the Mayor faces many difficulties related to these two aspects due to his inability to send or receive whispers and the lack of privacy from belligerent roles during the day. These are the Mayor's biggest pitfalls, which you can use to your advantage.
Immediately trying to kill the Mayor is risky, as a Bodyguard could be protecting them. However, Blackmailers are completely unaffected by Bodyguards. A blackmailed Mayor is unable to reason with Neutral roles, instruct other Townies, or reply to them. Thus, the blackmailed Mayor is effectively stripped of all his powers except for the triple vote he has. This tactic has its flaws too. However, as the Mayor could be protected by a Jailor or Transporter, and a Lookout will be able to call out your Blackmailer if they are present.
Dealing with a Survivor: You can whisper and try to convince them that the Mafia has a better chance of winning than the Town. In return, you can promise that you will not attack them. In the best case, the Survivor will help you lynch the Town or Neutral Killing roles in late game; in the worst scenario, they will simply rat you out to the next Townie they see.
Dealing with a Witch: The Mafia can win with Witches and it is very common for them to work together but an ill-informed Witch can cause serious problems for you. If you or a member of the Mafia are repeatedly controlled by the Witch, it may be a good time to identify the Witch as quickly as possible as they could make you kill your fellow Mafia.
Dealing with a Serial Killer: A major obstacle in the way of Mafia victory is the Serial Killer. The Serial Killer is a wildcard that can make or break the Mafia. Using Mafia role strategies listed below can stop a Serial Killer. However, as Godfather there is little you can do, due to the Serial Killer's Night Immunity. One small strategy that can assist your victory against Serial Killers is to pretend that you are Town and to bait the Serial Killer to attack you. When the day comes say that you were attacked but you were healed by a Doctor (Serial Killer's usually can't accuse you of being the Godfather without revealing themselves in the same round as their attack, but they will usually do so in their next Death Note, so make sure to get rid of them as soon as possible after being attacked). Because of the Serial Killer's Night Immunity and the fact that Serial Killers win over Godfathers or any 1 member of the Mafia vs Serial Killer situation, getting a Serial Killer when there is a small group is vital for a win. A more risky strategy can be done once you find out the Serial Killer due to Night Immunity. Claim to be a Witch and you have been controlling the Serial Killer. Proceed to convince the Town on how lynching you would not benefit over lynching the Serial Killer. You could also try saying you will side with Town. It is also possible to claim to be a Sheriff after finding the Serial Killer, then accuse the Serial Killer of being the Serial Killer. If you succeed, the added perk of the Town's trust is gained.
Dealing with a Rogue Neutral: Sometimes Serial Killers, Arsonists and the Werewolf will admit that they are a Neutral Killing role, recognizing they're going to lose, and instead side with the Town, meaning they will only attack players the Town tells them to. Essentially, this is gamethrowing to help the Town win, and they will target you and members of the Mafia first. Although this is challenging to counter, since it deals with fighting someone suicidal, there are several ways to keep your team intact. If you have a Blackmailer, you should obviously continue to blackmail that killer and convince the Town to hang them. If you have a Consort, you can role block an Arsonist constantly. It is also possible to simply remind the Town they are gamethrowing by not hanging an enemy.
In Conjunction with Mafia Roles
While it may be tempting to micromanage the Mafia and give orders to everyone, remember that Spies are a constant danger; even just revealing that you have a Mafia member of a particular type can compromise their ability to claim the Town role on their investigative result if the Spy later reveals this to the Town. However, you and the Mafia will know if there is a Spy or not. If there is a Spy, try to word your instructions to your Mafia as circumspectly as possible (eg. telling them to, "Do their thing." rather than, "Forge that person."), and avoid giving them unnecessary orders if they seem to already know what they're doing. if there is no Spy, you can order your Mafia and ask information. Is also is a fun trick to bait the Spy by saying "Wow look at these mafia!!!" or "8 MAFIA!!!".
- Mafioso: Make sure your Mafioso is choosing a target every night in case you get role blocked, and listen for feedback on whether they saw an immunity message if their attack was unsuccessful. Also, make sure they leave any important information you want to reveal to the Town in their Death Note, such as immunity.
- Consigliere: If the Consigliere tells you their results each night, use that to determine who to kill; if they just tell you to kill someone, listen to them. If they discover a Neutral Killing role, you can out them in the Death Note, though sometimes it can be more beneficial for the Consigliere to accuse them publicly while claiming Investigator, gaining the Town's trust. Alternatively, a Consigliere will sometimes remain silent to avoid revealing their role and the results they've discovered to a possible Spy; even if they say nothing, you can still glean information from their actions:
- If a competent Consigliere discovered a vital or highly dangerous role (like a Jailor or a Neutral Killing role), they'd usually tell you the next night. Therefore, if the Consigliere investigates someone and says nothing the next night, that person's role is probably not very powerful or alarming. This can be used to draw information from a Consigliere's visits even after they've died, though remember that you can't deduce anything about someone they visited the night they were killed (since they wouldn't have had a chance to say anything.)
- As a general rule, you should keep track of who the Consigliere visits, and avoid killing people the Consigliere has visited and remained silent about. In addition to the fact that their role probably wasn't powerful enough for the Consigliere to mention, this has the added advantage of rapidly reaching a point where the Mafia knows every role.
- For the same reason, when the Consigliere reveals a weak role like Medium, consider passing over them for now and killing targets with unknown roles instead; this will increase your chance of finding more powerful roles like the Jailor or Retributionist early on.
- Conversely, if the Consigliere has investigated most of the other roles and hasn't said anything, any Neutral Killing role you're searching for is probably among the people they haven't visited.
- Blackmailer: Coordinate with a Blackmailer to silence dangerous Townies without revealing their wills; if you suspect someone is a Town Investigative, blackmail them every night instead of killing them. While you can also try to get blackmailed targets lynched, be warned that this is a fairly obvious gambit and will often attract suspicion to you, especially once it becomes clear that the person you accused was blackmailed. If there is a Spy in game, don't ask the Blackmailer for information on whispers - it needlessly lets Spies know that you have a Blackmailer, and any competent Blackmailer would tell you if there was important information without being prompted.
- Consort: Similar to the Escort, use your distraction to stop pesky Town Investigatives from revealing your Mafia's identities and to suppress dangerous roles. As a last resort, tell your Consort to role block the Serial Killer if need be, and put the Serial Killer's name in their Last Will. Be cautious about saying anything in chat that reveals that you have a Consort, since this wwill compromise their ability to claim Escort.
- Framer: Generally speaking, if there is a Spy in the match, interacting with the Framer should not be done so, since it alerts that Spy to the existence oof the Framer and weakens them significantly. If there is no Spy, let the Framer do their thing unless you need someone specifically to be framed to give you a slight advantage.
- Disguiser: As with a Framer, you don't generally want to say anything at all to your Disguiser, since having a known Spy become alerted to the fact that you have one (let alone who they disguised as) will undermine their effectiveness. If you need to tell them to do something, use vague commands like, "Hey, time to do your tthing." or the like.
- Forger: As with Disguisers and Framers, giving obvious orders to Forgers tends to undermine them if you're overheard by a Spy; for the most part, you just have to trust them to write the right thing, and you should limit your commands to a vague "do your thing" as much as possible.
- Janitor: Mafia Killing roles should team up with Janitor for the most efficient usage of their abilities. A cleaned Town member can make it easier to lie about roles and can thwart an Investigator's Last Will logs. Since the Janitor's cleaning is obvious, you can order them around somewhat more directly than most roles; but you might want to be a bit circumspect out of courtesy to them if it's not clear they'll want to clean and they haven't yet outed their presence by cleaning previously.
