Realm of Shadows

The Witch’s Gambit

The Medieval Mafia Game Where Even the Peasants Are Suspicious (and the Witches Are Judging You)

Plot Twist: The Dark Ages Just Got Much Darker.
Imagine Mafia, but with more backstabbing nobles, shady spellcasters, and at least one player who will curse you for talking too much. By day, accuse your friends like it’s a peasant revolt. By night, witches hex, assassins stab, and the Knight probably forgot to use their ability.

Will You:
✔Expose the Shadow Council before they murder everyone? (Doubtful.)

Objective

The Peasants, Knight, and Sage must work together to uncover and eliminate the Shadow Council (the evil faction) before they take over the realm.
Meanwhile, the Witches play a neutral game—they have their own mysterious goals and can sway the game in unexpected ways.

The Shadow Council wins by outnumbering the innocent.
The Innocents win by eliminating all threats.
The Witches? They thrive in chaos.

Setup

• Players: 4-24 (adjust roles based on group size)
  For every three innocent villagers, add one Council member card (red).
  Roles are secretly dealt. No one knows who's who at first!
  If there are 7 or more players, start adding witches and other characters as desired. Create an exciting experience for yourself—every game is different!
• Phases: The game alternates between Day (accusations, voting, executions) and Night (secret actions, killings, and magic).

Key Notes:

• Scaling Evil: The "3:1 ratio" ensures balanced gameplay (3 innocents → 1 Council member).
• Flexible Roles: Beyond 7 players, customize with witches or special roles for deeper strategy.
• Dynamic Phases: Days fuel suspicion, nights enable covert schemes.
• Secret Identities: No initial reveals—deception begins immediately.

Example Setup (12 players):

• 9 Innocents → 3 Council members
• Optional: Add 2 witches and 1 neutral rogue for chaos.

EVERY GAME must include at least: Peasant, Knight, Sage, Assassin.

Roles & Powers

Innocent Faction

• Peasants: No powers—just sharp tongues and survival instincts.
• Knight: Once per night, save a player from assassination.
• Sage: Each night, investigate a player to learn if they’re evil or not (but not their exact role).

Witches (Neutral) - Play Their Own Game)

• Coven Leader: Each night, curse a player, silencing them the next day (no talking or voting).
• Potion Master: Once per game, revive a dead player or poison a living one. The revived player can only accuse one member of the Shadow Council, even if they know them all. This player can vote, but can not name any names from this point on till the end of the game. (Muted player).
  Once Potion Master uses their power, the Moderator no longer needs to address them at night.
  
  

Shadow Council (Evil Faction)

• Assassins: Each night, they pick a player to eliminate.
• Usurper: Appears innocent when investigated by the Sage.
• Spy: Eavesdrop on one player each night to learn their exact role.

Moderator (Non-Player)

• The Crown’s Sentinel: Oversees the game, reveals deaths, and ensures balance.
  

How to Play

To keep the game immersive and fair, all nighttime actions must be communicated silently to the moderator (The Crown’s Sentinel). Players should use hand signals, written notes, or pointing - no whispering, farting or other accidental hints!

Night Phase (Whispers in the Dark)

Shadow Council Assassins WAKE UP. (Also The Usurper if in-game)

They silently choose one player to sacrifice/murder/assasinate.

Spy eavesdrops on one player to learn their role each night. (The Moderator silently informs the Spy.) Spy does NOT wake up with the Assassins. Nor does the spy get a vote for nightly sacrifices. But the Spy still works for the Shadow Council and only wins if they win. This player is deep, deep undercover!

The Usurper awakens with the Council and participates in nightly sacrifices, provided they remain undetected by the village Sage.

• The Crown's Sentinel must always remember: This player appears as an innocent citizen to all investigations.

Witches (Neutral) Act Next.

Coven Leader curses a player (silences them next day).

Potion Master chooses to revive or poison (once per game).

Innocent Role Act Last

Knight protects one player (blocking the Assassins’ kill).

Sage investigates a player (learns if they’re evil).

Day Phase.

The villagers and all other players open their eyes. The night has ended. The Crown's Sentinel speaks aloud, summarizing the night's events while adding a touch of in-game humor.

Now, the villagers, unaware of who is truly among them, must collectively decide which member of the community to banish and send to the pyre.

The majority decides!

Winning Conditions

1. Innocents (Peasants, Knight, Sage, and Witches) Win

If all members of the Shadow Council (Assassins, Usurper, Spy) are eliminated.

The surviving innocents reclaim the realm from darkness!

2. Shadow Council (Evil) Wins

If their numbers equal or exceed the innocents (e.g., 3 evil vs. 3 innocents left).

The realm falls to corruption and deceit!

Special Cases

If the Potion Master revives the last eliminated innocent, the game continues.

If the Usurper is the last evil player alive, they win with the Shadow Council.

Moderator’s Call

The Crown’s Sentinel declares the winners once conditions are met—no bargaining!

Will the light prevail, or will shadows conquer?🔥⚔️