Ghostbruisers

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> *Who you gonna call? Ghostbruisers!*
>
>

Semi-open setup where the basic villager roles have the potential to out the players that killed them.

### Town Roles

Bruiser (x1-5), Ghost (x1-5), Party Host, Profiler, Weaver (x2)

## Description

Semi-open setup based off the interaction that Bruiser and Ghost have with Dreamcatchers. If a bruiser or ghost (hereafter called a ghostbruiser) gets killed while they have a dreamcatcher, they learn who killed them and can tell the town (bruiser because they bleed before dying and ghost because they can anonymously message players while dead).

## Algorithm

Direct players to this wiki page and use random.org to generate a number from 1-5. Then, use the setup listed with the number generated.

The total number of bruisers and ghosts adds up to 6. At least 1 and and most 5 of each of the two roles is present in the setup.

## Optimal play

### Town

#### Party Host

It is recommended to throw a party day 1 so that the party happens night 2. This prevents mafia from killing whoever gets a dreamcatcher night 2 on the night they received it, giving them no info as to who the killer is (as dreamcatcher don't give a message on the day they're received) (this is assuming the Weavers give out their dreamcatchers on night 2, which is optimal). Not throwing a party allows the mafia to bypass the dreamcatcher/ghostbruiser interaction.

It may or may not be optimal to claim Party Host immediately on day 1, or during the party. It most likely depends on whether or not you are being scumread, or whether you are being read as as towny non-power role. The first scenario will make you likely to get checked by the Profiler, which wastes a check. The second scenario makes the Weavers likely to give their dreamcatchers to you, which wastes them. If either of these scenarios seem to be happening, it is probably optimal to out as Party Host. Claiming early on also prevents mafia members from counter claiming you later on in the game. However, claiming as Party Host allows mafia to kill you night 3, as the setup has no protective role. This also guarantees them a safe, dreamcatcher-free kill for that night. In short, claim at your own risk.

#### Profiler

Due to the basic villagers of the setup being effectively split in two, Profiler is much weaker here than in other setups. Don't check to see if players are a specific mafia role, as there are one of each so it will take 4 checks to confirm a single player as town. Instead, act as a weakened Vanilla Cop. Check to see if players are Bruisers. If they aren't, check them the next night to see if they're a Ghost. If they turn out to be neither of these, ask them to role reveal. If they don't claim a power role, they are outted mafia.

It may be better to check to see if players are Bruisers first rather than Ghosts as mafia can fake bleeding. Alterantively, say, for example, that 4 Bruisers are dead. The remaining two ghostbruisers are either both Ghosts or one of each, because there is at least one of each present in the setup. In this scenario, it's better to check if players are Ghosts. However, you should use your best judgement in most scenarios.

Try not to out unless absolutely necessary. Soft your checks rather than outting them as much as possible, as the setup has no protective role. Worst case scenario, outting day 1 is the best option, as mafia won't be able to kill you night 2 due to the party.

#### Villager (Bruiser/Ghost)

If you receive a dreamcatcher, try to play aggro town. Try to bait the night kill, as you are now a de facto bait role. Otherwise, play as a normal basic villager.

##### Bruiser

If you get killed and bleed while you have a dreamcatcher, out who the killer is. If you see that multiple players visited you that night, ask them both to role reveal, as one of them is most likely the Profiler. If you don't have a dreamcatcher but get nightkilled, lead town on that day, as a confirmed town member.

##### Ghost

If you get killed while you have a dreamcatcher, send an anonymous message to your biggest townread or an outted power role telling them who killed you. As with Bruiser, if you see that multiple players visited you that night, ask them both to role reveal, as one of them is most likely the Profiler. It may be worth putting your name in your messages so that the receiver knows that it's you speaking. If the player you send the message to doesn't mention it to town, try telling someone else with your next message and mention to them that the first player didn't tell anyone about your message.

Ghost is different from Bruiser in the way that it can still help town while dead. You can continue making reads and participating even if you are no longer alive.

#### Weaver

It is recommended to give out your dreamcatcher night 2, during the party. If possible, try not to out to avoid the Thief. If you are forced to out, don't out who you gave your dreamcatcher to, as the Thief will just steal it from them. Try not to give to scummy players or players you read as power roles, as doing any of these will result in the loss of one dreamcatcher/ghostbruiser interaction. Not giving to players who don't know the setup well is probably optimal as well, as they might not understand that villagers with a dreamcatcher should try to bait the night kill, except this just allows the mafia to safely kill newer players, so it's up to the Weavers themselves to decide whether this is optimal to do.

### Mafia

#### Busboy

Play as a normal mafia member, but know that if you kill a ghostbruiser with a dreamcatcher, you will be the one announced.

#### Mailman

Most of your use happens on night 2. Try to predict who the Weavers will give to during the party so that a ghostbruiser doesn't get the dreamcatcher. After night 2, you can continue visiting random people to fakeclaim Profiler if you want, but you don't have to. Never visit the nightkill as Mailman, or you risk outting 2 mafia if you kill a ghostbruiser with a dreamcatcher.

#### Thief

Prioritize visiting people who have outted that they have a dreamcatcher, or those who an outted Weaver said they gave to. If Weavers out but don't out who they give to, try to guess who they gave to. Otherwise, just visit people at random. Try to soft who you visited to the other mafia so they know who's safe to kill. Unlike Mailman, you can not easily counter claim Profiler as you won't show up on dreamcatcher reports. (You will, but because you stole the dreamcatcher, you will be the one receiving the system message, not the person you stole it from. It's better this way, as you won't be outted as the Thief if a player receives a message from their dreamcatcher saying that you visited one night and finding out that their dreamcatcher has been stolen the next.)

## Trivia

* The overall concept for the setup sparked from the interaction that Weaver has with Ghost.
* An older version of the setup was 11 player, with only 5 bruiserghosts, Guardian instead of Party Host, and only 1 Weaver. The mafia team was Anarchist, Busboy, and Understudy.
* Big thanks to Xinde for suggestion a semi-open setup split between Bruisers and Ghosts as well as generally helping out by giving setup feedback in general.