Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook
Embedded Files
Welcome to Feast of Betrayal, a night of mystery, dining, and treachery where you compete with other guests to uncover the secrets of your hosts and escape the dinner with your life! While each game’s story and puzzles may be different, Feast of Betrayal has a set of general rules that it follows. Rules might have a few changes and special changes or additions game to game.
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Players, Character, and Goals
Players, Character, and Goals
Feast of Betrayal is a live action, hidden role play game, which means you get a role and you get to play out that role for an entire evening.
Philosophy of play
Philosophy of play
Our number one rule is to be kind to each other. This is a semi-competitive experience, meaning you may be in conflict with other players that have opposing goals. We are all here to win, but we’re also here to have fun. Support each other, involve other players, have a shared experience that is fun for everyone. Set out to win. Don’t set out to win at another players’ personal expense.
At Feast of Betrayal, you get out what you put in. If you dig into your role and seek out adventure, you will find it! If you sit in the corner and hope some great times will come to you, we can’t promise it will find you. But we can promise it’s not all that far away.
Much of Feast of Betrayal is based on the honor system. Our Hosts can’t be everywhere at once, so players must follow the rules and trust that others will as well.
Your Character
Your Character
Upon arrival, you will be given a Character Sheet. It includes:
Character name/description
Backstory regarding who your character is in context of the night’s story, including motivations and intentions
A set of goals
(optional) Costuming suggestions
The rest (name, accent, mannerisms, quirks, personality) is up to you.
Note: We encourage costumes as a part of your roleplay! You’re not required to wear a costume, but it is fun to get into the game’s theme and your character! If you don’t want a costume, we ask you try to wear generic black or something which will not contrast terribly with the rest of the game (but in the end, you’re here to play Feast of Betrayal, not to play dress up).
Character Goals
Character Goals
Your goals are how you know if you won the game. Unless stated otherwise, your inherent goal of the night is to 1) survive and 2) escape. But you will also receive two additional goals:
Your Search Goal will help guide your actions and decisions during the first part of the game and help set you up for success later on.
Your Betrayal Goal is your number one goal and indicator of winning or losing. It will incorporate a quantifiable, doable task which relates directly to the story or gameplay. If you complete this task, you have won!
Hosts will not monitor whether you have completed your goals. Your goals and your personal win are on you. Complete your goals, and you get the satisfaction of a job well done!
Don’t forget, this is a hidden role game. It might just benefit you if other players don’t know exactly who you are or what your goals are. They might have a goal in opposition to yours or even to make sure your character doesn’t survive.
Hosts
Hosts
The Hosts of the game are the individuals facilitating the event, the characters driving the story, and are easily identifiable. They can answer any questions you might have about the game while they are in character, so feel free to interact!
Game Phases
Game Phases
The game is played in 3 phases: the Search Phase, the Feast Phase, and the Betrayal Phase.
Search Phase
Search Phase
The Search Phase is an introduction to the game, where guests can explore the space, find items, and learn about the game and their Hosts. Players cannot be eliminated during this time. The Search Phase ends when all of the Hosts’ projects have been completed, so go help them out!
During the Search Phase, players cannot be eliminated or stolen from. Characters cannot Negate, Theft, stab, shoot, or otherwise eliminate or interact negatively with other Players (unless, on the rare occasion, otherwise specified).
Feast Phase
Feast Phase
The Feast Phase follows the Search Phase, requiring all guests to return to the top floor to dine until a Host gets everyone’s attention and an inciting event takes place. Players can still not be eliminated during this time.
Note: If you ever must leave the game early, please let one of the Hosts know.
Betrayal Phase
Betrayal Phase
The Betrayal Phase follows the Feast Phase, announced with a dramatic event. When the Betrayal Phase starts, players may now be eliminated and all other manner of player vs player interactions are allowed. In character, players must now try to complete their goals while staying alive. The Betrayal Phase ends when
players have completed the tasks needed to escape
all players have been eliminated, or
10pm when we call the game. The methods of completing the game may vary from event to event.
The Fourth Phase
The Fourth Phase
If you are eliminated, do not fear! There is a fourth phase of the game. Elimination is not the end, and there is more in store for you.
Items
Items
Feast of Betrayal includes many items which you may use for gameplay, collect, and may be required to complete your goal or escape. Each game is different and some special rules may apply, but items in Feast of Betrayal are almost always marked with a tag.
Items may include but are not limited to:
Coins are fake metal coins in denominations of one, five, and ten, which add to that fun money experience.
Chests and Keys are hidden in the game. Chests are stationary objects and cannot be moved and carried with you (you may move inaccessible Chests to a more accessible location to open up). Chests’ locks are color coded and lettered to their matching Key. Once unlocked, Chests must remain open. Keys will be hidden throughout the game area and may be carried with you until you find the Chest they unlock. Keys must remain with Chests once used.
Foam Knives are foam, painted knives which players may carry around and use for the purpose of intimidation, defense, offense, backstabbing, and killing. Quite literally, knives are used by lightly tapping a player in the back and saying “stab.” A player may only be stabbed in the back, and the attacking player must be standing in the rear 180° side of the victim.
Ability Cards explain the effects of various items or abilities in the game. Some cards are expended when used, others remain attached to an item through the entire event. Each card has clear instructions written on one side to explain their ability, affect, and use. The two most common ability cards are Theft and Negate.
Unique Gadgets are items which have special powers or abilities. Gadgets have a wide variety of looks, uses, and functions. Each unique Gadget will be marked with a tag and instructions on their use and abilities.
Dart Blasters and Darts represent guns in the game. These nerf blasters which can be used to fire Darts, which eliminate a player who is struck directly (not by a ricochet). This can be countered by negate. Once shot, Darts may not be collected and reused.
Resources may take many forms such as fuel, mana, or other items that can be spent for other effects.. This could be mana being spent on spells, fuel powering devices, or anything that fits the theme and story of the event. The way these items are represented varies game to game. Sometimes it’s via cards. Sometimes blue or red balls. Sometimes feathers.
Don't worry about memorizing all these items and how to use them. You will learn about these special rules throughout the game.
Ability Cards
Ability Cards
Theft Cards
Theft Cards
Allow a player to steal all of a named item from another player. The player using the Theft Card calls “Theft” at another player and declares an item, takes out the card, and tears it in half to use it. The player being stolen from then calmly hands the other player all of the named item which they have. The player stealing then takes two steps back. Then play resumes as normal.
Negate Cards
Negate Cards
Allow a player to undo an attack, theft, or other action performed against themselves. This card only protects themselves, not other players. The player using the Negate Card calls “Negate” at the player they are negating, takes out the card, and tears it in half to use it. The player may then take two steps back. Then play resumes as normal.
Note: If you proceed to drop your items as if to die and discover a negate card, please use it! It’s not too late to prevent your death!
Just a note: If the two steps occur on stairs, the player stepping gets an entire flight of stairs. If it occurs with their back against a wall, they get to move to the opposite side of the attacking player and get two steps in the opposite direction of the wall. If it occurs with their back against the elevator, they get a free elevator ride.
Elimination and the Fourth Phase
Elimination and the Fourth Phase
Feast of Betrayal has, well, betrayal. That means that even though sometimes people can and will work together, there will be conflict and players can be eliminated. Don’t worry, because elimination is not the end of the game.
If you are eliminated:
Do not shout (unless you feel the need for a marvelously dramatic death) and do not talk. The dead do not talk.
Calmly drop all the items and cards you have acquired.
Put your hands high into the air.
Go to the Morgue.
Enter the Fourth Phase.
In the Fourth Phase, you are no longer following your former goals and you are no longer trying to survive and escape. You will receive new character instructions and goals, and often your purpose is to challenge the players still in the game and provide pressure on their survival experience. You will have more specific directions and more limited actions, but you will still have fun.
Four Phase Players wear a sash and are no longer their original character.
How exactly the Fourth Phase is played may change from game to game, but common rules for the Fourth Phase include:
Fourth Phase players may eliminate Betrayal Phase players with a simple boffer, so watch out!
Fourth Phase players often cannot be killed by knives.
Remember, as a Fourth Phase player, your purpose is to help the Betrayal Phase players have fun and feel challenged. You are no longer trying to win.
Special Rules
Special Rules
Here are a few other rules that pop up frequently but may not apply to every game.
AOE calls
AOE calls
Some effects can happen in an Area of Effect. This will occur when an NPC or Host calls out “Everyone on this floor, [command or instructions]” or “Everyone with [certain item, feature, etc], [command or instructions].” These effects can normally be negated.
Red Tape
Red Tape
Red tape on doors or other objects means they cannot be opened or used. This may apply to game items or simple doors in the facility which are off limits as a standard.
Purple Planes
Purple Planes
Purple in Feast of Betrayal usually denotes another plane, world, or state of being! This is usually for objects, locations, or players that can only be interacted with by other Purple Players. What this other world is varies from game to game, but the rules often remain the same.
Facility Info
Facility Info
We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to use the Washburn Cultural Center to host Feast of Betrayal. A few ground rules here:
Use of this facility requires respect
Clean up junk and paper
Be careful around exhibits
Don’t steal
Do not go to the 2nd floor Museum
Bathrooms are located on the top floor and in the basement.
Also, some general safety rules:
Do not run on stairs
Do not block doors to stop other players, even in the heat of the moment
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