Goblin Quest - A Role-Playing Game (Sorta Like Mafia)
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 9:09 pm
So... after playing Mafia last week, I realized (or rather remembered) two things:
1. I'm pretty bad at role-playing games, largely because I can't read anyone and I can't keep a straight face
2. I really enjoy designing games
Hence, I present to you a new role-playing game: Goblin Quest. I've thought about implementing this as a board game for quite some time, but I also feel it works well as an RP.
You are a goblin - green, short, stinky, mean, generally in a foul mood, etc. Your clan has just won a major battle against an enemy clan, and nearly wiped them out completely. As such, you have just begun a wild celebration - complete with awful-smelling goblin ale and even worse sounding goblin music. However, in the midst of this celebration, an assassin from the defeated enemy clan has snuck into your cave and killed your chieftain. Panic has ensued. Drunken, frightened goblins run about wildly. In this moment, three goblin leaders must rise up and try to take the throne. For the good of the clan, of course. Not for personal reasons or anything like that.
The Roles
The Army Commander
The Chieftain's Heir
The Shaman
The Assassin
Everybody Else (all the "ordinary goblins")
The players who are the three goblin leaders (The Army Commander, The Chieftain's Heir, and The Shaman) are all publicly known. All other roles are secret - this means that one of the "ordinary goblins" is actually The Assassin!
The three leaders are all vying to become the new goblin chieftain. As well, there must also be a second-in-command: the new chieftain will select a second-in-command after ascending to the throne. The different leaders are looking for different goblins to become their second-in-command.
Finally, it is important to note that each "ordinary goblin" will be secretly assigned one leader that they hate. Ordinary goblins cannot allow the leader they hate to take the throne, or they lose.
The End
The game ends under one of two conditions:
1. A new chieftain ascends to the throne, holds the throne for one full turn, and selects a valid second-in-command
2. There cannot be a new chieftain (this usually happens because all three leaders have died)
The Goals
Each player has win, draw, and lose conditions. Obviously, players should be trying to achieve their win conditions - however, only one or two goblins will be able to win the game. Most goblins will either end up getting a draw or losing. If a goblin is put into a situation where their only option is to lose, they should do their best to make everyone else lose, too.
The Army Commander
Win: Become the new chieftain, and select one of the other leaders as the second-in-command
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Chieftain's Heir
Win: Become the new chieftain, and select one of the "ordinary goblins" as the second-in-command
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Shaman
Win: Become the new chieftain after at least one other goblin leader has died (there must be a blood sacrifice!), and select any other goblin as second-in-command
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Assassin
Win: Ensure that there cannot be a new chieftain (either by having all three goblin leaders dead, or having only the army commander alive, since the army commander then has no valid second-in-command)
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Other Goblins
Win: Become second-in-command (even if the leader you hate is the new chieftain)
Draw: Have a new chieftain other than the leader that you hate - it is ok if the leader you hate becomes the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Gameplay
Each turn consists of two phases - diplomacy and action (these phases are very similar to the day/night phases in Mafia).
The diplomacy phase starts with each surviving leader making a 30 second statement. Next, the entire clan has 10 minutes to talk. Finally, the diplomacy phase ends with each leader making another 30 second statement. No other goblins are allowed to speak while the leaders make their statements.
During the action phase, each goblin secretly selects one action.
Attack: All goblins can attack any other goblin during the action phase.
Protect: All goblins can protect any goblin (including themselves) during the action phase.
Claim the Throne: Only leaders can attempt to claim the throne. A leader successfully claims the throne during the action phase if no other leader has already claimed the throne, and if no other leader attempts to claim the throne on the same turn.
Assassinate: Only The Assassin can assassinate. If a leader is targeted for assassination during the same turn they are trying to claim the throne, the leader dies, regardless of how many goblins were protecting them.
Select Second-In-Command: Only leaders can select a second-in-command, and only if they had already previously claimed the throne. If the second-in-command selected by the leader is a valid player who is alive at the end of the action phase, the leader wins and becomes the new chieftain.
At the end of the action phase, all actions are resolved at once. If a goblin has more attacks against them then protections for them, they die, and are out of the game. If the number of attacks and protections are equal, the goblin stays alive.
The moderator will inform players of every goblin that was attacked, and whether they survived or not. Players will not find out how many goblins were attacking or protecting. As well, players will be informed if there is an assassination attempt, regardless of whether or not it was successful (assassination attempts are only successful if the target attempted to claim the throne during the same action phase, otherwise, the assassination attempt is unsuccessful).
Additionally, players will also find out if any of the leaders attempted to claim the throne, and if any of the leaders attempted to appoint a second-in-command. Obviously, if one of the leaders successfully appoints a second-in-command, they win the game.
Finally, if two or more leaders try to claim the throne during the same action phase, none of the claims are successful, regardless of whether or not all the other leaders die.
So yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I would love to get a bunch of people together on Zoom and IRC sometime to play test this game... no guarantees it is actually any good, but I figure it is maybe worth a shot. Let me know if you might be interested, and if we get enough people, we can set up a time.
1. I'm pretty bad at role-playing games, largely because I can't read anyone and I can't keep a straight face
2. I really enjoy designing games
Hence, I present to you a new role-playing game: Goblin Quest. I've thought about implementing this as a board game for quite some time, but I also feel it works well as an RP.
Goblin Quest
The SettingYou are a goblin - green, short, stinky, mean, generally in a foul mood, etc. Your clan has just won a major battle against an enemy clan, and nearly wiped them out completely. As such, you have just begun a wild celebration - complete with awful-smelling goblin ale and even worse sounding goblin music. However, in the midst of this celebration, an assassin from the defeated enemy clan has snuck into your cave and killed your chieftain. Panic has ensued. Drunken, frightened goblins run about wildly. In this moment, three goblin leaders must rise up and try to take the throne. For the good of the clan, of course. Not for personal reasons or anything like that.
The Roles
The Army Commander
The Chieftain's Heir
The Shaman
The Assassin
Everybody Else (all the "ordinary goblins")
The players who are the three goblin leaders (The Army Commander, The Chieftain's Heir, and The Shaman) are all publicly known. All other roles are secret - this means that one of the "ordinary goblins" is actually The Assassin!
The three leaders are all vying to become the new goblin chieftain. As well, there must also be a second-in-command: the new chieftain will select a second-in-command after ascending to the throne. The different leaders are looking for different goblins to become their second-in-command.
Finally, it is important to note that each "ordinary goblin" will be secretly assigned one leader that they hate. Ordinary goblins cannot allow the leader they hate to take the throne, or they lose.
The End
The game ends under one of two conditions:
1. A new chieftain ascends to the throne, holds the throne for one full turn, and selects a valid second-in-command
2. There cannot be a new chieftain (this usually happens because all three leaders have died)
The Goals
Each player has win, draw, and lose conditions. Obviously, players should be trying to achieve their win conditions - however, only one or two goblins will be able to win the game. Most goblins will either end up getting a draw or losing. If a goblin is put into a situation where their only option is to lose, they should do their best to make everyone else lose, too.
The Army Commander
Win: Become the new chieftain, and select one of the other leaders as the second-in-command
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Chieftain's Heir
Win: Become the new chieftain, and select one of the "ordinary goblins" as the second-in-command
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Shaman
Win: Become the new chieftain after at least one other goblin leader has died (there must be a blood sacrifice!), and select any other goblin as second-in-command
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Assassin
Win: Ensure that there cannot be a new chieftain (either by having all three goblin leaders dead, or having only the army commander alive, since the army commander then has no valid second-in-command)
Draw: Become the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Other Goblins
Win: Become second-in-command (even if the leader you hate is the new chieftain)
Draw: Have a new chieftain other than the leader that you hate - it is ok if the leader you hate becomes the second-in-command
Lose: Any other outcome
The Gameplay
Each turn consists of two phases - diplomacy and action (these phases are very similar to the day/night phases in Mafia).
The diplomacy phase starts with each surviving leader making a 30 second statement. Next, the entire clan has 10 minutes to talk. Finally, the diplomacy phase ends with each leader making another 30 second statement. No other goblins are allowed to speak while the leaders make their statements.
During the action phase, each goblin secretly selects one action.
Attack: All goblins can attack any other goblin during the action phase.
Protect: All goblins can protect any goblin (including themselves) during the action phase.
Claim the Throne: Only leaders can attempt to claim the throne. A leader successfully claims the throne during the action phase if no other leader has already claimed the throne, and if no other leader attempts to claim the throne on the same turn.
Assassinate: Only The Assassin can assassinate. If a leader is targeted for assassination during the same turn they are trying to claim the throne, the leader dies, regardless of how many goblins were protecting them.
Select Second-In-Command: Only leaders can select a second-in-command, and only if they had already previously claimed the throne. If the second-in-command selected by the leader is a valid player who is alive at the end of the action phase, the leader wins and becomes the new chieftain.
At the end of the action phase, all actions are resolved at once. If a goblin has more attacks against them then protections for them, they die, and are out of the game. If the number of attacks and protections are equal, the goblin stays alive.
The moderator will inform players of every goblin that was attacked, and whether they survived or not. Players will not find out how many goblins were attacking or protecting. As well, players will be informed if there is an assassination attempt, regardless of whether or not it was successful (assassination attempts are only successful if the target attempted to claim the throne during the same action phase, otherwise, the assassination attempt is unsuccessful).
Additionally, players will also find out if any of the leaders attempted to claim the throne, and if any of the leaders attempted to appoint a second-in-command. Obviously, if one of the leaders successfully appoints a second-in-command, they win the game.
Finally, if two or more leaders try to claim the throne during the same action phase, none of the claims are successful, regardless of whether or not all the other leaders die.
So yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I would love to get a bunch of people together on Zoom and IRC sometime to play test this game... no guarantees it is actually any good, but I figure it is maybe worth a shot. Let me know if you might be interested, and if we get enough people, we can set up a time.