Munchkin Mini Mafia

The Game Room
181

My first reaction to the suggestion that I take the Helm of Empathy was “Why should I deprive the Town of my capability to act?”

Then I remembered that my powers hamper actions taken against me, and the once-per-Game power basically hampers everyone because they’re so distracted by my performance.

I’m willing to take the Helm. After all, all it does is amplify my natural charm and wit, which I can’t turn off anyway. However, please note that I’ll be spending my spare time applying a paint job to it, so it matches my performing attire.

A quick read of the Illusionist power means TDP might be the better choice though.

182

Am I correct that the score was 76-68?
I did a quick Google, so I think I have the right score, but I don’t pay attention to these things. The article was dated 2009, so I think I’m correct.

Our Seed is 144.
Further processing of Chuara’s and my list later.

183

That’s why I included you with tdpatriots as possible Helm receivers; but I don’t know what item you have (though almost all items are bad for Town).
My intention is to have one of you take it this Turn, and the other take it on Turn Two.
Comments?

184

As I’ve said at least once, I’m in the middle of moving into a new place. I may be new to Mafia relative to other players, but even I know that temporary drops in participation due to RL are going to happen. The Turn doesn’t end until Friday and there is plenty of time left to discuss what to do with story’s item. So on that note, I’ll accept the item if the town thinks it is wise for me to do so. My powers are solo by their nature so the town wouldn’t be losing any particularly important team abilities if I have to use Accept Item tonight. The questions is what will we do with it after it’s gone from me to MHaye? Are we going to have another conversation on Turn Two regarding what tdpats and MHaye should do with the helm?

Basically, what’s the plan, assuming I take it? Hope I’m town?

What I’m thinking is it just sets me (or anyone else expecting to end up with the item on the following turn) up to be Cursed. I’m trying to find it in the rules, but if the items of Cursed/otherwise dead players end up in the hoard, what’s stopping scum from cursing me tonight, waiting for me to die, then just grabbing the Helm from the pile the next turn? Seems just as much of a danger then as story putting it in the hoard now. Or doing the same to Mhaye on his possession? I won’t be able to use my defensive power to protect myself from this during those two turns. I have no issues going down for the cause, I’d just like to raise that point while I go look in the thread to see if this has been answered yet. It seems somewhat unnecessary to expose so many town players for the sake of one item, however bloody annoying it can make things.

Further, the item doesn’t grant abilities that mirror my own at all. MHaye yes. Illusionist is more like a doctor/busdriver.

All these hangups aside, I do see the logic of having it moved around, I’m just not sure how long it will work practically before the scum just kill one of us off and take it. And then we’re back to where we started, right? Also, I think if we seriously consider this, knowledge of my item would potentially be useful - but in that event I’d prefer a mass claim of items (despite the high probability some folk would be lying).

185

Well, they kind of do. It reflects any magical action that fails back on the originator. Just had to go check the rules printout again to see that Investigating was a magical action.

186

Seed is 144, range 1-12
3
6
7
10
2
9
5
12
1
11
4
8

Chucara
03. Human Thief Darth Sensitive
06. Dwarf Paladin Zsofia
07. Half-Elf Fighter storyteller0910
10. Elf Monk sinjin
02. Half-Orc Illusionist tdpatriots12
09. Halfling or Gnome Magic-User ShadowFacts
plus 14. Half-Elf Cleric sachertorte

sachertorte
05. Human Bard MHaye
12 (sub 13) 13. Dwarf Thief Hockey Monkey

  1. Elf Magic-User Hawkeyeop
  2. Halfling or Gnome Ranger zuma
  3. Human Druid ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies
  4. Halfling or Gnome Paladin Blaster Master
    plus 12. Elf Cleric Chucara
    plus 15. Half-Elf Assassin Boozahol Squid, P.I.

Chucara, please confirm that you are using this list and not the one created a few days ago.

Squid, please verify that I used the correct seed and list-making process.

187

tdpatriots,
Evil is going to kill someone. If they plan on killing the Helm Holder, there is nothing we can do about that. Passing the Helm addresses the “Is storyteller telling the truth?” question as well as the “Where is the Helm now?” question (Not entirely, but for the most part if two semi-random players agree on the whereabouts of the Helm, then we have decent confidence that the Helm is where they say it is). I can understand that you might not want the Helm hot potato, but I don’t agree that the potential cursing of the helm holder is a good reason not to pass the Helm. An acceptable objection is the fact that you will be tied up for two Turns passing around the Helm. I pointed out you and MHaye because I think your powers are less helpful to the Town. If you disagree, you are welcome to say so because, yes, at this point, my idea is to have whoever takes the Helm this Turn, burn another Turn passing the Helm to someone else.

188

Looks straight to me.

189

So, the day is going to end Friday, right? Shouldn’t we be avoiding last minute voting?

190

But I’m not straight.

191

I’m not sure this is remotely the right play, but given how unique this game is, and considering how I’d play if this were D&D with a Mafia flavor instead of the other way around…

You’re right sach that Curses can’t really be avoided. So I did some pondering. I don’t see the need to include MHaye in this, tying up powers (of debatable use). Here’s my reason, and it’s going to include a full claim - because why not, if basically the only way I’m gonna get killed is lynching (ie, town doesn’t trust me) or Cursing (which I cannot prevent) or an unlikely combination of item abilities. How?

I am a Half Orc (hardy) Illusionist (defense versus magic) which you already know, and Lawful Good. My item is the Shield of Adamantium which I am told is a passive power that I exercise just be possessing it. What does that mean?

  1. Illusionist enchantments (default class effect) means that any magical action that fails on me will instead target the user.
  2. Illusionist displacement (my Turn action) means that any action taken against me or my target (which can be me) is more likely to fail.
  3. Shield of Adamantium, unlimited uses, means that any physical attack that fails on me will instead target the user.

All this essentially means; target me at your peril. I also assume that Displacement has some effect at hindering Curses, and if not, there’s nothing I can do about those anyway. So here’s what I suggest:

Give me the Helm, since it’s unlikely an investigation of me is going to be terribly beneficial anyway. I will then spend the rest of the game using my Displacement power and turtle-up. From what I’m able to figure out, that will at least keep the Helm in a known location and make the ways of getting it out of my hands easier to predict (bussing to a lynch, using Curse, etc) and make Chaotic characters less likely to interfere (is the Helm worth the risk of going through my stacked protections?) Also, I’d be a nice target to absorb the actions of whatever other malicious items are out there since I’m in a good position to protect myself (as there are a bunch of items out there that can lower or diminish abilities, I at least start out with a strong defensive advantage)

The only thing I should mention is that anyone who has the Orb of Healing could choose to use it on me for this (one) turn because I would have to use “Accept Item.” If a town player does have this item and we aren’t claiming - I wouldn’t recommend telling anyone that you are using it or doing so for obvious reasons. If I’m gonna be using “Accept Item” it’s going to be public knowledge anyway, so protect me or not - it’s up to you - no need to bring it up in the thread. But if I were to take the item, I’d be using my class action from that point on.

The short version is that, I know I’m potentially a much safer place to stow dangerous items than the Hoard (especially if I’m protected this turn from Curse), albeit much more temporary. Whether the town chooses to believe me is up to them. At worst, I die anyway (ie, if a scum has the Orb of Healing), which wouldn’t be a terribly big deal given what powers I have. And I could go work on my BSG game since no-one is biting so far at my comod requests lol :stuck_out_tongue:

192

sach: Duely noted… Second list it is.

193

Just a clarification as to what I mean by this. Essentially, I’m suggesting that I be the team tank.

194

Uh, I think we need clarification on the Orb of Healing. It doesn’t prevent someone from being Cursed, it reduces the chance that someone dies from a Curse. In other words, you use it on someone who is already Cursed, right?

BUT! Curse takes effect just prior to disintegration, and Turn actions occur just after disintegration.
I guess I’m assuming that the Orb is an exception and it acts before the Curse takes effect (otherwise it doesn’t make sense), but I’ll PM Pleonast and ask for clarification.

195

Yeah, I had to go re-read that too. It looks like it just prolongs the inevitable. And given that no one but scum know who the target is, it seems pretty useless actually. I misread the second sentence to mean the opposite of what it said, lol. Ie, that it was preventative and not a semi-cure.

So all that means is that if we go with what I stated in my post, it basically begs the scum to Curse me immediately because after that who knows what my Displacement will do to that particular method of dealing with me - the others (items, abilities) already being risky. But like I said, it doesn’t really matter if I die by scum, they’re gonna kill some Good character anyway, might as well be me.

If the owner of the Orb does want to use it, and I finally have the interpretation of what it does correctly, I suppose as good a time to use it as any in the game would be on me on the next turn presumably after I’ve been Cursed. Granted, that is a big can of WIFOM and relies on how much, if at all, the scum are deterred by my Displacement skill.

196

Pleonast said the Orb of Healing is functions prior to the Curse kill (thus prior to disintegration). No need to use the Orb on Turn One (a waste really).

197

Fine. Your randomization checks out. And you’re allowed to date my daughters.

198

Yes, we can. :wink: Following is my post count as of post 197.

01. Elf Magic-User Hawkeyeop  2
02. Half-Orc Illusionist tdpatriots12 7
03. Human Thief Darth Sensitive 1
04. Human Druid ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies  4
05. Human Bard MHaye  7
06. Dwarf Paladin Zsofia 7
07. Half-Elf Fighter storyteller0910 6
08. Halfling or Gnome Paladin Blaster Master  0
09. Halfling or Gnome Magic-User ShadowFacts 8
10. Elf Monk sinjin  4
11. Halfling or Gnome Ranger zuma  0
12. Elf Cleric Chucara  5
13. Dwarf Thief Hockey Monkey  11
14. Half-Elf Cleric sachertorte 36
15. Half-Elf Assassin Boozahol Squid, P.I.  13

Note that I began the count after Pleo posted the official list, and does not include what I considered to be fluff or non-game-related posts. I also sometimes combined two short posts on the same topic into one count (e.g. NETA posts).

It’s obvious that one player is dominating discussion so far, which is a bad thing. Not that we all need to keep up with sach (I know I can’t) but he is setting the agenda so far, and we have no clue as to his alignment. Equally obvious is that we have 3 players who are either not or barely playing so far. So, as promised:

Vote Blaster Master
Vote zuma
Vote Darth Sensitive

I encourage others to join me in voting for lurkers. There is nothing to lose - you can also vote for anyone you find suspicious. Let’s try to spur some more varied discussion.

199

As to the plan of passing around the Helm of Empathy, it seems like a lot of turns and actions for not a lot of reward. It’s pegging my KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) meter. What is the benefit of passing it to two different people over two Days? Why not jsut one pass? Does the benefit justify using all the actions that could have been taken instead?

I don’t think so, although I admit I haven’t really given it my complete focused attention.

200

I support this message and would like to subscribe to your newsletter:

Vote Blaster Master
Vote zuma
Vote Darth Sensitive

And also:

Vote Sachertorte
A) For his “Good” slip
B) Because he is just ringing my bell with all of his posts and admonitions to players about what they should and should not do with their powers and their items.
C) For mischaracterizing my calling him out for the above. And then using that as a basis to continue to smudge me.