Flagbearer

Flagbearer Aliases: Godfather Vengeful-style Godfather Alignment: Mafia Cult Role type: Negative Utility Choice: none

A Flagbearer is a role that causes its faction to automatically lose the game when lynched. Typically, they are used to weaken the power of a scumteam in Open setups, or to clean up Cultists after their leader has died.

Standard version

When a Flagbearer is lynched, every member of its faction dies along with them (typically ending the game, except in a multiball game). This death cannot be blocked or otherwise protected against (the only way for a member of the Flagbearer's faction to survive would be to block the Flagbearer's lynch itself using a role like Governor). This is a passive role, having no powers other than the negative utility effect upon death.

Flagbearers have no special interaction with nightkills; for example, if a Vigilante or vengekill kills a Flagbearer, they will die but the rest of their faction will continue without them.

Variations

Some Flagbearers may lose the game for their faction if they die via any means (including nightkills); this should be clearly explained in their Role PM. This variation is particularly common with Cult Leaders who are also Flagbearers (as a Cultist has little chance to win without their leader's help).

Many setups may want to make a Flagbearer Bulletproof, or otherwise make them immune to their own team's factional kill, in order to prevent a team sacrificing their Flagbearer to avoid the instant-loss condition.

A Town Flagbearer that functioned as described would likely be considered the consequence of bastard modding. However, the setup Lynchpin uses a variation; if a particular Town-aligned player is lynched, all scum die (as opposed to all town dying). Obviously, this only works when the townie in question is not self-aware (but the scum do know who it is).

It is reasonable to use a Flagbearer along with schedule modifiers such as Day Specific, thus changing the priorities of the scum from one day to the next.

If a moderator wants every member of a scumteam to cause the whole team to lose upon death, it would be more common to make them Lovers than Flagbearers (unless the effect needed to be specific to lynches).

This role originated from the Vengeful Mafia setup, where it was known as a "Godfather" (for the lack of an official name at the time); however, Godfather is a well-known role with somewhat different functionality, so this name is discouraged. Sometimes you will see players refer to a Flagbearer as a "Vengeful-style Godfather" to clarify which version of the role is meant.

Use & Balance

Giving a scumteam a Flagbearer makes some of their members much more expendable than others, thus likely creating additional associative tells. The town can more easily understand these if the presence of the Flagbearer is known; thus, it's usual to use a Flagbearer only in setups where town knows or can easily deduce that the scum are trying to protect someone in particular (either because the setup is Open or because the players can make deductions from a Cultist flip). The instant-loss condition is comparable to the White Flag mechanic, in that it makes it easier for town to close out a long game, but its asymmetrical nature will lead to asymmetrical play from the scumteam.

As a scum role with a very large negative utility, the Flagbearer often enables the scumteam to be larger than normal given the size of the setup. However, be aware that the larger the scumteam, the more control they will have over the lynch, so the negative utility effect becomes weaker in setups with large scumteams.

Cult Leaders are frequently made into Flagbearers to avoid situations in which Cultists are still active in the game but have very little chance to win, typically causing undesirable kingmaker situations or erratic play.

Play Advice

If your scumteam has a Flagbearer, you must prevent their lynch at all costs. However, you probably don't want to make it look like you're trying to prevent their lynch, or town will likely figure out what's going on. If your Flagbearer comes under pressure, it may be a good idea to start a distraction by trying to push a lynch on someone unrelated (ideally not one of the players attacking the Flagbearer, as many townies will pick up on that).

If the presence of a Flagbearer is unknown, they will likely benefit from bussing one of their team-mates (as long as this can be done in a natural way); bussing typically helps out one specific member of the scumteam at a cost for the team as a whole, but this trade-off becomes a lot less dubious when it's a Flagbearer you're helping. If there is a known Flagbearer, though, town may well anticipate this strategy.

Sample Role PMs

The standardized Role PM for "Flagbearer" describes the passive ability as follows:

• As an unmodified passive ability: When you are eliminated via the Day vote, all members of your faction will die. (edit)

• As a passive ability with a modifier: When you are eliminated via the Day vote the nth time OR on day n, all members of your faction will die. (edit)

Example (unmodified)

Welcome to game! You are a Mafia Flagbearer.

Your team-mates are names. You may talk to them here during night phases and confirmations only.

When you are eliminated via the Day vote, all members of your faction will die.

You have the following active ability:

• Each Night, if no other member of your faction is performing this action, you may target a player. Assuming no interference with your action, that player will die.

You win if at least one mafia member is alive and all other players are dead (or if nothing can prevent the same).

Confirm by replying to this PM with a summary of your role.

Example (modified)

Welcome to game! You are a Mafia Odd Day Flagbearer.

Your team-mates are names. You may talk to them here during night phases and confirmations only.

When you are eliminated via the Day vote on an odd-numbered day, all members of your faction will die.

You have the following active ability:

• Each Night, if no other member of your faction is performing this action, you may target a player. Assuming no interference with your action, that player will die.

You win if at least one mafia member is alive and all other players are dead (or if nothing can prevent the same).

Confirm by replying to this PM with a summary of your role.