Nameless

How to Run

During setup, give the Nameless player another character's token in place of the Nameless token. That player believes they are that character. Mark them IS THE NAMELESS in the Grimoire. The Storyteller chooses the character; it may be of any type, even an evil one.

Whenever the believed character would wake, wake the Nameless and treat them as that character in every way the player can see: ask for its choices and give its information. The ability does not actually function: the information may be false, and any effect it would have does not happen.

Whenever a living player publicly mentions the Nameless, mark that player MENTIONED. The Storyteller may cause them to die at any later point that day or night, and may time the death to suggest another cause.

A player publicly mentions the Nameless when they openly make the Nameless player the subject of discussion in a way heard by the group: their identity, alignment, character, claims, actions, or whether they should be trusted, nominated or executed. Private conversations do not count.

A MENTIONED death can occur only while the Nameless has their ability. If the Nameless dies or loses their ability, remove the affected MENTIONED reminders. At dawn, remove any remaining ones.

If the Nameless is executed, nothing further happens: the taboo simply ends with them.

Examples

The Storyteller gives the Nameless the Tailor token. Each night they wake at the Tailor's position, choose a player, and may be shown an alignment, which may be false.

Alice says publicly, “Ben says he is the Tailor, and I believe him.” Ben is the Nameless. Mark Alice MENTIONED. Alice may die immediately, later that day, or during the following night.

Carol says, “I don't trust Ben. We should nominate him.” Carol is marked MENTIONED. Later she nominates another player and dies as the votes are counted, making the death look like the Lordling's.

Emma mentions the Nameless and is marked MENTIONED. The Plague kills the Nameless before Emma dies. Remove MENTIONED from Emma: the pending death is lost.

The Nameless believes they are the Cardinal. The Housekeeper is shown the Cardinal, the Kite and the Friar, exactly one of which is in play. It is the Kite, whatever the Nameless sincerely claims.

The Storyteller gives the Nameless the Kite token. They wake at the Kite's position, choose players who never die, and may be shown a false Demon. They remain a good Outsider throughout.

The Plague chooses the healthy Nameless, who becomes poisoned. The Plague learns Nameless: the evil team now knows Ben's claim is false, and that discussing Ben openly is dangerous.

Alice publicly accuses the Nameless and dies that night. The Corpse Bearer learns Nameless.

Rules & Clarifications

• The Nameless does not know they are the Nameless. They are woken and given information as the character they believe they are, but that ability does not function: its information may be false and its effects do not happen.
• The Storyteller chooses the believed character. It may be of any type, even a Minion or the Demon: the Nameless remains a good Outsider, and everything they receive as that character is false.
• The Nameless is a good Outsider, and is the Nameless for every ability that detects character, type or alignment. Only the player's own belief is wrong.
• The Nameless has normal neighbours.
• Publicly mentions you covers open discussion clearly concerning the Nameless player, whatever words are used. Incidental speech or merely addressing the player need not count. The Storyteller is the final judge.
• The Nameless's own statements about themselves, and private conversations, never trigger the ability. Nominating the Nameless does.
• The Storyteller chooses the timing of a MENTIONED death, but not the victim: only the player who made the mention may die from it. Any, all or none of the marked players may die.
• Delaying a MENTIONED death to obscure its cause is legitimate.
• If the Nameless is drunk or poisoned, the taboo may fail to kill. Their belief is not affected.
• Executing the Nameless has no consequence beyond their death. Pending MENTIONED deaths do not survive the Nameless's death.
• A player who becomes the Nameless during the game is shown another character's token in the same way.
• Taboo deaths are caused by the Nameless for the Corpse Bearer's ability.