THE PHANTOM DETECTIVES

Synopsis: A script in which the spirits of the dead commune with the living to solve their own murder. One of the Garden of Djinn World Cup top 16!

Djinn's special rule: Dead players (not Demons) keep their abilities. Each Townsfolk loses their ability at the start of night 1, then regains it on death.

How to run

• At the beginning of the first night phase, all Townsfolk lose their abilities, and do not wake to make choices or learn information.
• Townsfolk setup effects still happen, as they occurred before the game began.
• When players die for any reason, they lose their ability only if they were a Demon: continue to wake Outsiders & Minions like living players.
• When a Townsfolk dies, they immediately regain their ability, and will have it for the rest of the game, acting at their designated spot in the night order if applicable.
• Townsfolk who act on a certain trigger (e.g. "When you die at night") act immediately if they died the correct way.
• "You start knowing" Townsfolk act after the Demon on the first night that they are dead.

How to run: by character

Cult Leader

What happens to the Cult Leader when only evil players are alive?

If the last good player dies and there is no route to victory for the good team, the game should immediately end without resolving any further player abilities. This means the Cult Leader, if good, does not get to switch alignment one last time and win with the evil team.

Engineer

When should the Engineer wake up?

In the standard night order, the Engineer acts before the Minions & Demons. However, for the Engineer specifically, I recommend waking them as soon as possible after their death. For example…

• If the Engineer dies by execution, wake them before the Minions & Demons as usual that night.
• If the Engineer ability enters play at night, you may choose to wake them the same night, and if they create new Minions, wake the Minion players again to make new choices.

If the Engineer chooses not to use their ability on the same night that they died, wake them at the normal point in the night order in all future nights.

Hatter

Should I use the Hatter's optional rule?

No!

I strongly encourage running the "standard" Hatter when playing this script: i.e. Demons must choose Demon characters and Minions must choose Minion characters. A Demon who is desperate to escape from a tight spot can always choose to become an Imp when the Hatter dies.

Scarlet Woman

Does a dead Scarlet Woman block an Imp from star-passing?

No! On this script, best practice is to turn the dead Scarlet Woman into an Imp from the Scarlet Woman's ability, but also to turn a second Minion into a living Imp at the same time, so that both characters' ability texts are satisfied in a way that the game may still continue.

This is a slight deviation from rules as written, as the Scarlet Woman entry in the Trouble Brewing almanac specifies that the Imp must pass to a Scarlet Woman. However, this was written in the context of Trouble Brewing, and is functionally just there to prevent a cheeky storyteller from creating a second living Demon. Giving it to a living Minion when the Scarlet Woman is dead will almost always be the more fun way to play it.

Boffin

Do Demons get to use the Boffin ability while they’re alive?

Yes! And if you’re playing online, it might be a good idea to remind the Demon of the Djinn’s special rule before they go telling people that they’re the High Priestess and were told to speak to them. The Boffin lets a Demon secretly gather information while they’re alive, or might give them a fun effect on death: Plague Doctor, Hatter and Farmer are all great Boffin abilities for a Demon who might die at night. The Boffin ability can also (and probably should) change when a new Demon is created.

Do Demons get to use the Boffin ability while they’re dead?

Maybe! Exactly 1 Demon may have a Boffin ability at a time. The dead Demon may keep their ability or the living Demon may gain a new one. Here's how I'd rule it...

• As per the almanac, if the Boffin ability is an effect that only persists while the user is dead, the first Demon must keep its Boffin ability and the new Demon may not gain a new one. (Relevant abilities: Banshee, Sweetheart.)
• If the Boffin ability is an effect that is triggered on death but has an effect that does not require the character to remain in play, that ability triggers, and then the new Demon may gain a new ability. (Relevant abilities: Farmer, Plague Doctor, Hatter.)
• For all other Boffin abilities, I would argue that you should do whatever you think will make the game more fun.

If you think the newly-executed Ojo will struggle to keep up their Dreamer bluff, you can leave the Dreamer ability with the dead Ojo and accept that this means the Scarlet Woman-turned-Ojo gets nothing. If you think it's better for the evil team that the new Demon gets a new Boffin ability, you can do that instead. It's up to you.

Watch it played

📺 World cup game 1: The Phantom Detectives vs. One Day More!