THE PHANTOM DETECTIVES

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

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

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 the use of “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. The “chaos” Hatter can be unfair to the good team as it means the evil team get to move around like an Imp while simultaneously spreading poison as a Vigormortis.

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 an Imp or a Fang Gu. The Boffin ability can also (and probably should) change when a new Demon is created.

Watch it played

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