New Antagonist Role: The Serial Killer

[BaneOfGiygas]

The only issue I foresee with this kind of game mode is that of difficulty. Without the gear of the traitors, the stings of the changelings, the spells of the wizards, or any other kind of fancy power whatsoever, the early game would be absolute HELL for this kind of an antagonist. Even wraiths get three chances before they're out; fleshy meatbags typically can't be counted on to have more than one. Some kind of measure to help a budding serial killer get their mojo going in relatively inconspicuous ways would help alleviate this.

I kind of disagree just because I think the strength of the early game killer is the fact that they already ARE very inconspicuous. Part of this idea is to give sec more reason to use the forensics stuff, remember. There's currently no real need to actually investigate because it's very easy to identify bad guys. I know this guy is a traitor because I found traitor equipment on him. I know this guy is a wizard because he's wearing wizard robes and shooting magic everywhere. I know this guy is a syndie because his name is "Syndie 5". I know this guy is a changeling because while I was explaining this to you he stung me and broke out of his handcuffs and now I'm tripping balls and my brain is leaking out my ears.

For the killer it's "some guy said he tried to kill him". This is a report that sec gets like 20 times every round that, if the guy doesn't have traitor items on him, turns out to be bullshit 99% of the time. "This guy tried to kill me" can mean anything from "This guy shoved me" to "This guy stabbed the shit out of me and now my blood is on the outside". Getting caught as anything else is a probably round-ender, but getting caught as an early game killer leaves sec with no proof. It's a setback, it's bad, once you get going seriously it won't be that difficult for them to pin it on you, but the round isn't over.

The problem is that you seem to underestimate how no-nonsense people can be about accusations of murder, especially if it's directed towards the same person. Some security officers will harmbaton people into oblivion as a sentence for murder and sometimes even as a sentence for possible murder. Shitty as it may be, it's a thing that happens. Serial killers would need to be EXTREMELY careful, moreso than just about any other antagonist type, because they don't have any acid spits or derringers or phee cabuus or anything else to really get them out of sticky situations beyond their cunning and ability.

You know how the wizard is notoriously difficult to play for the first time and has a reputation for dying ten minutes into the round? That's what I'm afraid might happen here, possibly even worse.