New Role Idea: Escape Artist

Escape Artist (Neutral Benign)
Crimes: Identity Theft


This role will have a passive ability like Jester or Executioner. The win condition will be to replace a person who lynched you. Instead of there being an execution sequence, there will be an escape sequence and one of the guilty voters will be switched with the Escape Artist. The role that appears to the town after the lynching will be the role of the person who was replaced. If the Escape Artist is lynched during a group execution, the win condition will not be met because they will be unable to escape.

The Escape Artist will be a unique role, with only 1 allowed per lobby. Like the Disguiser, the Escape Artist will be unable to copy the role of the person that is replaced. The Escape Artist will be able to infiltrate any group with a night chat, but the group will immediately know that you are an impostor because the role will appear as "Escape Artist". If the Escape Artist replaces a GF, a mafioso will be created from one of the remaining members. Mafia/Triad will be able to target and kill the Escape Artist. However, an Escape Artist will kill any disguiser/informant that targets him.

The Escape Artist can be night immune and/or immune to conversion depending on the settings.

I dont understand how the EA wins : does he win when he gets lynched, and then replaces one of the guiltiers ?
That looks like a bad idea IMO, since then you basically have a jester that still lives after winning, ie an even more troll executionner.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Loldebite

I dont understand how the EA wins : does he win when he gets lynched, and then replaces one of the guiltiers ?

---

The Escape Artist wins by replacing someone. So the goal isn't just to get lynched. It's to get lynched in a way that gives you that win condition. Being courted or being part of a group execution will not give you the win condition.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Loldebite

That looks like a bad idea IMO, since then you basically have a jester that still lives after winning, ie an even more troll executionner.

---

What makes this role different from an Executioner is that town will know for certain that they lynched an Escape Artist, so trolling after the fact won't really be an issue. The Escape Artist will need to tread carefully. If he plays the obvious Jester then town won't lynch. If he plays a convincing town role, he might get courted.

Imagine for a moment that a Marshall reveals himself. This is a Jester's dream come true, but it would be an Escape Artist's nightmare. Situations like these should lead to completely different gameplay from those two roles. You don't want to straight up offer fake leads before you know what the gov will be because that will determine how you will proceed. This role requires you to think differently.

I'm always surprised to see an arcade player suggest a role that can potentially know the identities of the mafia without being aligned with the mafia. There is absolutely nothing stopping this role from replacing into mafia and revealing all of their names and roles since the escape artist doesn't have to stay alive.

This forces the mafia to waste a night killing (and cleaning) the artist rather than furthering their own win condition, all because they were randomly punished for lynching someone. To that extent this role is a far more destructive equivalent of the jester.

It's never fun to be outed by a hacker or a thrower. This wouldn't feel any different. In its current state it's not fun.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stealthbomber16

I'm always surprised to see an arcade player suggest a role that can potentially know the identities of the mafia without being aligned with the mafia. There is absolutely nothing stopping this role from replacing into mafia and revealing all of their names and roles since the escape artist doesn't have to stay alive.

This forces the mafia to waste a night killing (and cleaning) the artist rather than furthering their own win condition, all because they were randomly punished for lynching someone. To that extent this role is a far more destructive equivalent of the jester.

It's never fun to be outed by a hacker or a thrower. This wouldn't feel any different. In its current state it's not fun.

---

Yes, it will be more challenging for the Mafia with an Escape Artist in the game and might cause them to adjust their gameplay and think on their feet.

The stars would need to align to be as you say. In a traditional 8-3-3-1, the Escape Artist would need to be lynched during the first couple of nights to do irreparable damage to the Mafia, and that's assuming they can convince town-- all assuming the Escape Artist is a troll who would want to do that to begin with. But lets say that the low chance of that happening would be too much for a person to take. Perhaps then, instead of accommodating the 8-3-3-1 save, a new standard could be explored? Perhaps a save where there are only 2 mafia?

The whole idea with this role is to get people to think differently and play differently. Maybe its time the 8-3-3-1 shared the spotlight with another type of save. Mix things up and make things interesting?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Veliaire

Yes, it will be more challenging for the Mafia with an Escape Artist in the game and might cause them to adjust their gameplay and think on their feet.

The stars would need to align to be as you say. In a traditional 8-3-3-1, the Escape Artist would need to be lynched during the first couple of nights to do irreparable damage to the Mafia, and that's assuming they can convince town-- all assuming the Escape Artist is a troll who would want to do that to begin with. But lets say that the low chance of that happening would be too much for a person to take. Perhaps then, instead of accommodating the 8-3-3-1 save, a new standard could be explored? Perhaps a save where there are only 2 mafia?

The whole idea with this role is to get people to think differently and play differently. Maybe its time the 8-3-3-1 shared the spotlight with another type of save. Mix things up and make things interesting?

---

I don't think it's ever a good idea to include a role that can irreparably ruin the game for mafia on a high roll. You have to consider the best and worst cases when you make a role. At best, this is a jester that can enter a town core or become a kingmaker after completing his objective. At worst, this role wins and then outs the entire mafia team to end the game faster. I don't see the appeal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stealthbomber16

I don't think it's ever a good idea to include a role that can irreparably ruin the game for mafia on a high roll. You have to consider the best and worst cases when you make a role. At best, this is a jester that can enter a town core or become a kingmaker after completing his objective. At worst, this role wins and then outs the entire mafia team to end the game faster. I don't see the appeal.

---

And yet it can't do more damage than a Judge at its worse, who can take out all evils on one -lynch. Should we remove Judge from the game now because of that rare possibility?

You seem to be awfully hung up on what the role would mean for Mafia/Triad in an 8331 setup. I'll say it again, new and interesting roles shouldn't be sacrificed to protect a certain set-up. I for one would love to play something different and not be forced into the same set-up forever.

Playing it safe and sterile always makes for the most boring experiences.

I am awfully hung up on the fact that this role completely breaks the faction the game is named after, yes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stealthbomber16

I am awfully hung up on the fact that this role completely breaks the faction the game is named after, yes.

---

There's nothing more boring than the same old saves day in and day out. The monotony. The predictability. Mixing things up won't break any factions. Think outside the 8331 box. There's nothing that says all saves must have 3 or more mafia/triad especially since there are so many neutral roles.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Veliaire

And yet it can't do more damage than a Judge at its worse, who can take out all evils on one -lynch. Should we remove Judge from the game now because of that rare possibility?

---

Yes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Voss

Yes.

---

Fair enough, but I think that its better to give a role more options to eliminate undesirable results than to eliminate a job out right. Given the strong push back I've been given for the pro 8331 crowd, perhaps an option can be added to the Escape Artist for them not to know the identities of the members of the group he or she infiltrates.