The Assassins' Guild: Michaelmas 2007 Rules

 Triads

Introduction:

The third game of this term is called Triads. The object of the Triads game is to work in a team of three to track down and eliminate the other triads using a variety of harmless methods in accordance with the rules, whilst trying to avoid elimination yourself. Details of the structure of the game are given in the rest of this page.

It is important for the safety and fun of all participants that you have read and understood the rules. If you have any questions about these once you have read them please ask for clarification from the Umpire, who will be only too happy to provide it.

Triads is a variation on the "Elimination" game played earlier this term. The bulk of the meta-rules and weapons rules are the same as for the previous two games, although even if you played previously, you should read them again! There, with the following differences:

Who can play?

The game is open to people who live and spend a large proportion of their time within 5 miles of Great St. Mary's Church and in an environment compatible with the nature of the game. Students at the University are almost certainly eligible to play; those who are unsure whether they live and work closely enough to participate are invited to contact the Umpire.

Be aware, however, that the Game is not limited to Cambridge. If a Player intends to leave Cambridge for a protracted period of time during the Game, they should inform the Umpire and should be aware that they may not be immune from attack while out of the city.

How do I play?

The game, in brief:

• Sign up for the game, individually or as a team, giving the details listed at the end of the rules.
• Each triad is assigned another triad as their target. When the game starts, the members of your triad will be sent an e-mail with the details of the triad you are targetting, including the names and addresses of its three members. Try to kill them using any permitted means at your disposal. There will also be a triad of assassins targeting your triad.
• Whenever you make an attempt on another player's life, whether or not you succeed, e-mail the Umpire with a report. If someone tries to kill you, report that to the Umpire as well.
• If you kill two-thirds of your target triad, you will inherit their target triad as an additional target.
• If you die, send a report of this to the Umpire. You are now a Dead Player.
• At the end of the week, the team with the most points wins (see Scoring below).

The weapons rules describe the various weaponry you may use to eliminate other assassins, although you may email the Umpire to request that other weapons be licensed.

Forming a triad:

If you'd like to play, you will be wanting a triad.

Ideally, triads should be formed to work effectively as a team. This may mean teaming up with people who live near you, for more effective defense, or with people doing your subject, so you can more easily arrange to go hunting at the same time, or just whoever you happen to be friendly with. If you need assistance with finding assassins in your college, try looking at the Police list from the Elimination game, or ask on IRC, or as a last resort, ask the Umpire.

NB: The Umpire reserves the right to veto any submitted triads deemed game-breakingly powerful, and to suggest, where possible, that the relevant assassins find other team members. If this is not possible, the Umpire further reserves the right to do last-minute team balancing. Therefore, if you are an experienced assassin, consider teaming up with people from your college rather than other hardened killers. If you are an inexperienced assassin, be assured that teamwork and co-ordination may count for more than individual skill. The objectives of the game are to have fun, to get to know some other assassins, and to experience some team assassining.

• If you would like to sign up as a triad - that is, a three person team, then each player must email the Umpire, and should include in that email the names of the other players in the triad and the triad name.
• If you are one of a pair of players who would like an additional player to make a triad, then both players should email the Umpire, and should include in that email the name of the other player and the triad name.
• If you would like to play, but do not have any other team members to sign up with, email the Umpire anyway, and he will match you to people in a similar situation. (Email early to avoid disappointment)

If the number of people who sign up does not divide evenly by three, then a team of four or a team of two may have to be formed. The Umpire will attempt to do this in a manner which does not unbalance the game.

Once you have a team, or have given up looking for one, email the Umpire, as directed by the Signing Up section below.

Whom can I kill?

You may legally try to kill either of the following types of person:

• Anyone listed on the website as playing in the game.
• Anyone who is clearly holding a weapon. (You cannot legally attack someone who was holding a weapon a few seconds ago but has now hidden it again.)

Note that it is, of course, possible to attack people who do not fall into either of the categories above. Should you do so, you will be penalised for killing or attempting to kill innocent victims.

Note further that some kills are worth more than others.

• Kills of your targets scores points.
• Kills of other players gets you fewer points (but stops other teams scoring those points).
• Kills of non-players loses you points.
• Kills of your own team members do count, but will lose you even more points.

Scoring:

It seems unlikely that only one triad will be left at the end of the week. If they are, they will be declared winners, but if not, the following system of scoring will be used.

• Triads score 1 point for each non-target assassin they kill.
• Triads score 10 points for each target assassin they kill.
• Triads score 10 bonus points for killing a wanted player.
• Triads score 20 bonus points if they kill all members of a target triad.
• Triads score 25 bonus points if every member makes a kill.

• Triads lose 15 points for each team member that dies.
• Triads lose 10 points for each innocent they kill.
• Triads lose 25 points for each member of their own team that they kill (in addition to the usual -15 for their death).

Note: this is a team game, and there will be a triad declared winners, not an individual. Players are encouraged to bear this in mind while playing.

Reporting:

Whenever a player is involved in any assassins-related incident, such as attempting to kill another player, or another player making an attempt on them, they must inform the Umpire as soon as possible. The Umpire will decide what to publish. You may request that a report not be published, but it may be despite this, or disclosed at the end of the game, for the amusement of all involved with the Game.

If several members of a mafia are present at the incident, you may nominate one person to give a report if you want to.

During the course of the Game, reports of events will be published on the website. Reports are simply required to be short factual summaries of the incident. E-mails with reports must in addition contain the following information for the Umpire, for the sake of clarity, as he likes to know what's actually going on:

• Player(s) involved
• Any kills and whom they were carried out by
• What weapons were used
• The street/college in which the incident took place
• Where possible, a short factual summary of events

Pseudonyms:

Each Assassin starts the game with one pseudonym, which they may use in news reports to disguise their true identity. Reports can be made under an Assassin's pseudonym, or under their real name. If you do not specify a preference, your pseudonym will be used. If you do not specify a pseudonym on sign-up, the Umpire reserves the right to make one up.

Unlike in "Elimination", you cannot create further pseudonyms

Pseudonyms must not cause an undue degree of personal or general offence and the names of recent Players may not be used (unless it's your own name).

The Wanted List:

Assassins who break the rules in minor ways, for instance by accidentally killing an innocent, will be placed on the Wanted List.

Players placed on the Wanted List will only be removed in exceptional circumstances (or upon death).

A Player is considered Wanted from the moment their name appears on the Wanted List webpage, until it is removed due to their death or redemption.

Kills of Wanted players are worth more points.

Competence:

Due to the short nature of this game, there will be no competence conditions.

The Police Force:

There will also be no Police Force

Conduct and Out of Bounds Areas:

These will be the same as they were in previous games, with the addition that:

• Wedding ceremonies, wedding photograph sessions, wedding processions, wedding receptions and so forth are all out-of-bounds. The same goes for the corresponding circumstances at Christenings, Bar Mitzvahs and funerals.

The Umpire:

This Umpire for this Game is Ben Weaver of Pembroke College, and he may be contacted by e-mailing assassins@srcf.ucam.org.

The primary method of contacting the Umpire is through e-mail, though players are welcome to visit. The Umpire's room is AA28 Foundress Court, Pembroke. The room and nearby landing are considered out-of-bounds. However, players are discouraged from running into this area in order to escape an attacker. Should a Player burst into the Umpire's room gibbering about attacking Assassins, he will laugh and may draw attention to their lack of (wo)manly courage.

Any queries about the game can be e-mailed to the Umpire, or players can visit (but you should probably try to arrange the meeting beforehand, since even the Umpire goes to lectures occasionally). Players should try to resolve any queries before they become a matter of life or death.

Attempting to take items from the Umpire's pigeonhole or break into his computer account is strictly forbidden. Impersonating the Umpire is also forbidden; see Conduct.

Player-Umpire communications may be made public at the end of the game for everyone's enlightenment and amusement. If players do not wish a certain communication to be made public, please tell the Umpire.

The Umpire is immortal, omnipotent and omnipresent. Players attempting to test these propositions may be sanctioned or slain.

Signing up for the game:

In order to play, you must email the Umpire before the game begins, giving the following information:

• Your full name, indicating the name (or nickname) by which you are usually known.
• Your triad name (if you have one) and the names of up to two other people in that prospective triad.
• Your college or department (if you are a member of the University).
• Your e-mail address (full if not @cam.ac.uk, although your @cam.ac.uk address is preferred).
• Your official address (i.e. room number and building/court). In the game this will be given to your assassins, as many colleges will not give out room numbers of students. You should also give details of anywhere else you may be living during the course of the Game or intending to spend a number of nights; the Umpire will employ discretion over whether or not to make these extra details available to your assassins. Any player with a real-life psychopath trying to kill you, explain to the Umpire and you will be excused. Anyone with a real-life psychopath trying to kill them who wants to play Killer as well needs their head looking at. Should you become Wanted (see below), this information will be made publicly available on the website along with your name.
• If you live relatively far from the city centre (more than a 20-minute walk away), brief details of city centre visits that you regularly make. The Umpire will decide which details to pass on to your assassins. The aim is to involve outliers more in the game, since trekking out to Girton to kill a target is usually done only by a few of the keenest players.
• The extent to which water-based weaponry is allowed in your room. The options are no water (no water pistols or other water-based weapon may be used in your room), with care (small water-based weapons may be used if the user is careful) and full water (anything goes). You may also let the Umpire know of anything specific in your room which could be damaged by water; this information will be given to your assassins.
• An initial pseudonym, which will be used in news reports to disguise your true identity.
• Anything else which your assassins should be informed of, such as an allergy to a substance which might be used as a poison, or that you live in a shared set and assassins should be wary of killing your roommate.

Anyone found to have supplied false or misleading details to the Umpire will be disqualified, but I'm sure it's not necessary to say that.

The people you name as team-members must also email the Umpire confirming their details and triad membership. Until this happens, the triad will not be formed. Please don't make the Umpire work to track people down.

If you live in a shared room, you are advised to tell your roommate that you are playing, so that he or she will not think that your assassins are real murderers. It is your duty to ensure that they will not act unreasonably towards any attacking Players.

Note that by signing up to play you are agreeing to report any assassins-related events which you are involved in for the period during which you remain alive, including your death. You are also giving permission for other players to enter or attempt to enter your accommodation should you leave doors unlocked or windows open and to make attempts to 'kill' you, acting in good faith and utilising such methods as described elsewhere in the Rules.

You play the game of Assassins entirely at your own risk. Neither the Umpire nor any other member of the Guild, past or present, can accept any liability for personal injury, loss of, or damage to, property or other loss incurred during the game. Nothing contained in these Rules should be taken as encouragement or permission to break the Law.

Comments:

• The Umpire's ruling is final. There will be no right of appeal against a disqualification.
• Official complaints about a person's behaviour will almost certainly result in disqualification. Involvement of the (real) police will definitely cause you to be disqualified (and may jeopardise future participation).
• By signing up to the Game, you agree that you are responsible for your own actions, and any consequences thereof. The Guild will not take responsibility for the actions of its members. Individual players may not speak for the Guild as a whole, and as such not use our rules as an excuse for their behaviour.
• We have neither the resources nor the inclination to make the rules completely watertight. Hence, although the precision of the wording is often of import, your attention is drawn more to the spirit of the rules than their content. The Umpire will not be bound by the rules if he feels that someone is attempting to exploit a loophole. If in doubt, e-mail the Umpire with your question. Damn you, Montesquieu.

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