Skip to main content

Blood on the Clocktower characters explained: Every Townsfolk, Outsider, Minion, Traveller, Fabled and Demon

Learn how to use your character’s unique ability in the social deduction game.

Image credit: The Pandemonium Institute

Blood on the Clocktower is a social deduction game built around its characters. Like other modern successors to basic rules of genre granddaddy Werewolf, the heart of Blood on the Clocktower lies in seeing how its many different roles interact and influence the efforts of players to identify the hidden traitors among them. As such, you'll want to know the rules for all the possible Blood on the Clocktower characters you might encounter.

Blood on the Clocktower characters explained

With dozens of different Blood on the Clocktower characters in the game’s box, you’ll want to make sure that everyone in your group knows how to play Blood on the Clocktower before they close their eyes for the first night. While you won’t need to know the rules for every character for every game, knowing who might turn up - especially as some characters not in play might join later on - is definitely recommended.

Blood on the Clocktower divides its different characters into sets inside the box called ‘editions’, which provide characters themed around different ways of play - from beginner-friendly roles to those likely to cause more chaos and confusion as players try to keep track of who’s on what team and where the Demon might be lurking.

Blood on the Clocktower’s basic characters fall into Townsfolk and Outsiders on the good team, who must search for the evil Demon and their Minions. While basic games will see players stay aligned with their starting team, more advanced Blood on the Clocktower characters might see players swap teams or even characters - so it’s important to know who has what ability as you deduce who you can trust.

See Blood on the Clocktower in actionWatch on YouTube

Other characters - known as Travellers - can provide ways for players to jump in and join either team partway through a game, or leave early without disrupting things, while Fabled characters are a way for the Storyteller running the game to cater the experience to the needs of their players with increased accessibility options and ways to balance the fairness of games.

To help you decide which characters are best for your group and help everyone know what to expect - so they can focus on having fun searching for the villains among them - we’ve listed every Blood on the Clocktower character from the game’s Trouble Brewing, Sects & Violets, Bad Moon Rising and Travellers & Fabled editions below. We’ve broken them down into lists of Townsfolk, Outsiders, Minions, Demons, Travellers and Fabled to help you have everything you need to learn every Blood on the Clocktower role in the standard box before you play.


Blood on the Clocktower Townsfolk characters

Artist (Sects & Violets): Once per game, the Artist can ask the Storyteller a question in private during the Day phase. The Storyteller must answer honestly by saying “Yes”, “No” or “I don’t know”. The Artist can ask any one question, and the Storyteller may ask them to rephrase the question if they cannot answer honestly using those three options.

Chef (Trouble Brewing): The Chef begins the game knowing if two evil players are sat next to each other. During the first Night phase, the Storyteller shows the Chef a number of fingers that indicates how many pairs of evil players are sat next to each other. This can be zero if no evil players are neighbours. The number relates specifically to pairs - for example, three neighbouring players is two pairs, just as two separate pairs would be, while four neighbouring players is three pairs.

Chambermaid (Bad Moon Rising): Every night, the Chambermaid can pick two living players. The Storyteller shows a number of fingers to indicate how many of those players (zero, one or two) woke that Night in order to use their ability. The Chambermaid can’t pick themself, and is only told how many of the players woke - not why or when.

Clockmaker (Sects & Violets): During the first Night only, the Clockmaker is told how many seats are between the Demon and its closest Minion. The Storyteller indicates the number of seats (starting with the person next to the Demon, not counting the Demon themself) using a number of fingers, but doesn’t indicate which direction - clockwise or anticlockwise - they have counted in.

Courtier (Bad Moon Rising): Once per game, the Courtier may choose a character (not a player) during the Night. Starting immediately, the selected character becomes Drunk for three Nights and three Days. The Courier chooses a character from the character sheet, so cannot guarantee that the character is in play. If the Courtier becomes Drunk or poisoned themself during the three nights and three days, their ability temporarily stops applying while they are poisoned/Drunk, before taking effect again if there is still time left on the Courtier’s effect.

Dreamer (Sects & Violets): During each Night phase, the Dreamer can choose a player to learn the possible identity of. They cannot choose themself or a Traveller. After they have picked a player, the Storyteller shows the Dreamer two character tokens - one good and one evil. One of the character tokens is the character of the chosen player. The other is false, so the Dreamer doesn’t know which of the two applies to the player. If the player chosen is a Townsfolk or Outsider, the other token shown is a Minion or Demon - and vice versa.

Empath (Trouble Brewing): During each Night phase, the Empath is told how many of their living neighbours are evil. The Storyteller shows them a number of fingers - zero, one or two - to indicate how many of their closest living neighbours are evil. The Empath should not know which of their neighbours is evil. If neighbouring players are dead, it is their next closest living neighbour who is counted.

Exorcist (Bad Moon Rising): Every Night except the first night, the Exorcist chooses a player. The same person can’t be picked two nights in a row. If the Exorcist chooses the Demon, the Demon does not wake and cannot attack that night. However, if the Demon is chosen, the Demon is shown which player is the Exorcist after the Exorcist has gone back to sleep. Other Demon abilities remain in effect.

Flowergirl (Sects & Violets): Each Night, the Flowergirl is told whether a Demon voted during the previous Day’s nomination phase. The Demon’s vote doesn’t need to have resulted in an execution; it is just whether they voted at all. Votes to exile Travellers do not count; only votes towards execution nominations. If there is more than one Demon, the Flowergirl only learns that at least one Demon voted. The Storyteller nods or shakes their head as appropriate to indicate whether a Demon voted.

Fool (Bad Moon Rising): The first time the Foot would die for any reason - including Demon attack, execution or assassination - they survive. They aren’t told why they survived. If the Fool is Drunk or poisoned, their ability no longer applies and they can die the first time around. If they’re protected by another effect, it doesn’t use up their extra life.

Fortune Teller (Trouble Brewing): During each Night phase, the Fortune Teller can choose two players and discovers if at least one is a Demon. When woken, the Fortune Teller points at two players (living or dead). The Storyteller nods or shakes their head to indicate whether at least one of the players indicated is a Demon. If there is more than one Demon chosen, the Fortune Teller is only told that at least one is a Demon, not the exact number. During setup, the Storyteller places the Red Herring marker by a random good character token - this player is also counted as a Demon when selected by the Fortune Teller. The Fortune Teller can be the Red Herring and can select themself when picking players.

Gambler (Bad Moon Rising): Every Night except the first night, the Gambler must guess the character identity of a player. The Gambler points at a player (alive or dead) and then a character on the character sheet. If they guess correctly, nothing happens - the Storyteller doesn’t confirm if they guessed correctly. If they guessed wrong, the Gambler is killed during the Night (they learn at dawn). They can choose to guess themself, providing a way of avoiding too much risk.

Gossip (Bad Moon Rising): During each Day phase, the Gossip may choose to make a public statement. If the statement is true, the Storyteller chooses a player to die during the next Night. If the statement is false, nothing happens. The statement must be made publicly - loud and clear enough for all players to hear - and must be something that the Storyteller knows to be true or false. If the Gossip is Drunk or poisoned during the day when they make a true statement but sobers up by the next Night, the Storyteller kills a player. (As their ability is active again.)

Grandmother (Bad Moon Rising): The Grandmother begins the game knowing another good player and their character - Townsfolk or Outsider - selected as their Grandchild by the Storyteller during setup. If the Grandchild is killed by the Demon, the Grandmother also dies. This only occurs if the Grandchild is killed by a Demon attack; if they die via execution or another effect, they Grandmother survives.

Innkeeper (Bad Moon Rising): Every Night except the first night, the Innkeeper chooses two players to protect. Neither player chosen can die for the rest of that night - for example, after being attacked by the Demon. One of the players - chosen by the Storyteller - becomes Drunk for the rest of that Night and the following Day, until the next dawn. The Innkeeper can pick themself, but if they become Drunk their protection no longer applies to either player chosen that Night. The protection only lasts for the Night; chosen players can still be killed or executed the following Day.

Investigator (Trouble Brewing): The Investigator begins the game knowing that one of two players is a Minion. During the first Night phase, the Storyteller points to two players, before showing the Investigator a Minion token. The Investigator should not know which of the two players the token relates to.

Juggler (Sects & Violets): On the first Day of the game, the Juggler can choose to use their ability. They must declare they are using their power publicly to the group. Then, they guess up to five players’ characters. During the following Night, the Storyteller indicates how many of their guesses were correct by holding up a number of fingers. The Juggler doesn’t learn which specific guesses were correct, just the number. The Juggler can choose to guess multiple times about the same person or character, as long as the exact guess isn’t the same.

Librarian (Trouble Brewing): The Librarian begins the game knowing that one of two players is a specific Outsider character. During the first Night phase, the Storyteller points to two players, before showing the Librarian an Outsider character token for one of the players. The Librarian should not know which of the two players the token relates to. If there are no Outsider characters, the Storyteller shows the Librarian a zero to indicate this. If the Outsider is a Drunk, the Librarian does not learn which character the Drunk player thinks they are.

Mathematician (Sects & Violets): During the Night, the Mathematician finds out how many players’ abilities were interfered with by other players’ powers. For example, if players were given false information or abilities were stopped from happening. The Storyteller indicates the number of characters who used ‘abnormal’ abilities using a number of fingers. The Mathematician doesn’t know how many or which specific abilities were affected - only the number of players who were affected. This also counts abilities used by drunk or poisoned players, but only if they resulted in an incorrect outcome - so the Drunk being told correct information wouldn’t count.

Mayor (Trouble Brewing): The Mayor introduces a new way for their team to win. If there are only three living players remaining and no execution occurs during the Day phase, the Mayor’s team wins. In addition, if the Mayor would be killed during the Night, the Storyteller can choose whether another player is killed instead. The players do not learn that the swap took place or how the player was killed. If the substitute target is the Soldier or a player protected by the Monk - both of whom can’t be killed by the Demon - nobody dies.

The Blood on the Clocktower characters in Trouble Brewing are among the best to play with beginners. | Image credit: The Pandemonium Institute

Minstrel (Bad Moon Rising): If a Minion is killed via execution, all players except the Minion become Drunk until the end of the following Day. The exception to this rule is Travellers. The effect only triggers if the Minion is executed, not if they are killed during the Night. They must die for the power to take effect, and it is ignored if they are Drunk or poisoned when they die.

Monk (Trouble Brewing): During each Night phase - except the first night - the Monk player can protect another player from the Demon. If the Demon attacks the chosen player during the Night, they do not die. (The Demon doesn’t get to pick another target.) The Monk cannot protect themself, and their protection only lasts during the Night - it doesn’t stop death via execution in the Day. The protection also safeguards against other Demon effects, such as poison and turning a player evil.

Oracle (Sects & Violets): Each Night, the Oracle discovers how many dead players are on the evil team. The total includes any players killed that Night, as the Oracle takes their turn after the Demon has attacked. The total includes all evil players, including Demons, Minions and any Travellers, Townsfolk or Outsiders on the evil team. The Storyteller indicates the number by showing a number of fingers.

Pacifist (Bad Moon Rising): While the Pacifist is alive, good players cannot die from execution. However, the Storyteller may choose whether the executed player is killed or not, even while the Pacifist is alive. The execution still counts as the single execution for the day, and the players aren’t told why the player wasn’t killed - only that they weren’t killed.

Philosopher (Sects & Violets): Once per game, the Philosopher can choose to copy the ability of another good character. They can use that power for the rest of the game, following its rules. If another player is that character (or becomes that character), they are Drunk and unable to use their ability (without being aware this is the case) while the Philosopher remains in play; if the Philosopher dies or becomes drunk or poisoned, the other player sobers up and can use their power again. The Philosopher can choose any good Townfolk or Outsider character, not just those currently in play; they can point at the icon on the character sheet to indicate which. If the character’s ability would normally be used only on the first night, the Philosopher uses it on the night they transform.

Professor (Bad Moon Rising): Once per game, the Professor can choose a dead player. If they are a Townsfolk character, they are resurrected and become living again. If they choose an Outsider, Minion or Demon, nothing happens and they can’t use their ability again. The resurrected player can re-use their ability, even if it was a once-per-game power they had already used. The player is resurrected immediately, meaning they may be able to act that Night; if they have a first-night-only power, they use it immediately once brought back.

Ravenkeeper (Trouble Brewing): If the Ravenkeeper is killed during the Night, they get to learn a player’s character. During the Night that the Ravenkeeper is killed, they are woken by the Storyteller. The Ravenkeeper points at a player (living or dead). The Storyteller then shows them the character token relating to the chosen player. The Ravenkeeper is only woken on the Night they are killed.

Sage (Sects & Violets): If the Sage is killed by the Demon, they are woken that same Night after the Demon has been put back to sleep. The Storyteller points at two players, one of whom is the Demon that killed the Sage. The Sage doesn’t know which of the two players is the Demon. The Sage only finds out who the Demon is when attacked by the Demon - not if they are executed or killed via other means.

Sailor (Bad Moon Rising): During each Night, the Sailor chooses a living player. That player may become Drunk until the beginning of the next Night phase - meaning their ability isn’t effective (but they may not be aware of this). The Sailor can’t die while sober - including via Demon attack or execution (their survival is not explained to the group) - but can choose to pick themself at Night, which gets rid of their immortality until the following dusk. While the Sailor indicates a player they wish to make Drunk, the Storyteller chooses which player actually becomes Drunk - whether that’s the Sailor or the person they chose.

Savant (Sects & Violets): During the Day phase, the Savant may ask to speak with the Storyteller in private. The Storyteller must then tell them two pieces of information: one that is true, and one that is false. (If the Savant is the Drunk or poisoned, the two pieces of information may both be true or false; otherwise there must be one of each type.)

Seamstress (Sects & Violets): Once per game, the Seamstress may choose two players and learn if they have the same alignment (good or evil). The chosen players can be alive or dead, and may be Traveller characters. The Storyteller nods or shakes their head to indicate whether the players share an alignment. The Seamstress does not learn which alignment the players share - good or evil - only that they do or do not have the same alignment.

Slayer (Trouble Brewing): Once per game, during the Day phase, the Slayer player can guess which player is the Demon. If they guess correctly, the Demon is killed. The Slayer must make their guess publicly, and can choose to make their guess at any time during the day - but they can only guess once during the entire game. If the chosen player isn’t a Demon, nobody dies - the Storyteller confirms that nothing happens. If the chosen player is a Demon, the Demon instantly dies.

Snake Charmer (Sects & Violets): During each Night phase, the Snake Charmer chooses a living player. If the player chosen is a Demon, the Snake Charmer and Demon players swap alignments - the Snake Charmer becomes the Demon and joins the evil team, while the Demon becomes a good Snake Charmer and is poisoned permanently (stopping them using any abilities). Once the new Demon is put to sleep, the new Snake Charmer (formerly Demon) is woken and told they are now a good Snake Charmer. If the player picked isn’t the Demon, nothing happens. If the player choosing was a Philosopher with the Snake Charmer ability, the Demon becomes a Philosopher. If the Snake Charmer was evil or the Demon was good, their alignments swap.

Soldier (Trouble Brewing): The Soldier can’t be killed by the Demon. This includes being safeguarded from any negative Demon effects, including poison and being turned evil. If the Soldier is targeted for an attack at Night, nothing happens and the Demon cannot choose another target. The Soldier can be killed via execution, even if nominated by a Demon player.

Tea Lady (Bad Moon Rising): If both of the Tea Lady’s neighbours are good, they can’t be killed - by Demon, execution or any other effects. (The only exception being the Assassin, who ignores any protective effects.) The Tea Lady’s neighbours are the next players around the circle in either direction, ignoring any dead players. If either player is evil, the protective effect is lost; however, it can be regained if the evil neighbour is killed or switches side to good.

Town Crier (Sects & Violets): Every Night, the Town Crier discovers whether a Minion nominated another player during the previous Day phase. If there is more than one Minion, the Town Crier only learns that at least one Minion nominated - not how many Minions there are or how many nominations they made. The Storyteller nods or shakes their head as appropriate.

Undertaker (Trouble Brewing): During each Night phase, the Undertaker is told which character was killed by execution. The Storyteller shows the “Died Today” token to the Undertaker before showing the character token for the executed character. On the first night and if the execution didn’t take place or didn’t result in a character’s death, the Undertaker isn’t told anything. If the Drunk was executed, the Undertaker is only shown the Drunk token - not the token for who the Drunk thought they were. The Undertaker only learns of deaths from execution, not other effects (including the exiling of Travellers).

Virgin (Trouble Brewing): The first time that the Virgin is nominated for execution, their nominator is instantly executed if they are a Townsfolk character. This happens when the Virgin is nominated, before any voting occurs. (If they are an Outsider, Minion or Demon, nothing happens - voting happens as normal.) If a character is executed this way, the Day phase ends - there can’t be more than one execution a day. The Virgin’s power only applies the first time they are nominated during a game - once they have been nominated once, regardless of the nominator’s identity and whether they are executed in return, their ability no longer applies.

Washerwoman (Trouble Brewing): The Washerwoman begins the game knowing that one of two players is a specific Townsfolk character. During the first Night phase, the Storyteller points to two players, before showing the Washerwoman a Townsfolk character token for one of the players. The Washerwoman should not know which of the two players the token relates to.

Blood on the Clocktower's standard box includes the Trouble Brewing, Sects & Violets, Bad Moon Rising and Travellers & Fabled, each with a different combination of characters to play. | Image credit: The Pandemonium Institute

Blood on the Clocktower Outsider characters

Barber (Sects & Violets): When the Barber dies, the Demon may choose to swap two players’ characters (not including other Demons). The two players’ alignments - good or evil - stay the same, but they exchange abilities; the Storyteller should wake them and indicate they have changed abilities. If the power can only be used once per game, the character’s new player can use it again. The Demon can choose to swap themself, but can’t choose another Demon to swap. They can also choose not to swap anyone. If there’s more than one Demon in play, only one gets to choose - the Storyteller chooses who.

Butler (Trouble Brewing): During each Night phase, the Butler must choose another player to become their ‘master’. They can only vote during the following Day phase if their master chooses to vote - they may only raise their hand to vote for a nomination if their master has already voted, and must put their hand back down if their master lowers their own hand before being counted as a vote. They can choose not to vote if their master is voting, but can only choose to vote when the other player has voted too. Their selected master can be the same player on multiple nights, and can be living or dead.

Drunk (Trouble Brewing): The Drunk player isn’t aware that they are the Drunk. Instead, the Storyteller secretly chooses a Townsfolk token to be the Drunk for that game. The player that draws the token is the Drunk and cannot use their role’s ability. Otherwise, they are treated like the character they think they are - including waking at the correct time and acting like the character. If the character would gain information using their ability, the Storyteller can choose to give them wrong information instead to avoid them realising they are the Drunk.

Goon (Bad Moon Rising): Each Night, the first player who targets the Goon with their ability is made Drunk until the end of the Day and their ability does not apply (as they are now drunk). The Goon matches that player’s alignment, whether good or evil. This only applies to the first player who picks the Goon; any later players’ abilities successfully take effect as normal and they don’t become drunk. If targeted by the Assassin, the Goon still dies but changes alignment to evil.

Klutz (Sects & Violets): When the Klutz discovers they are dead (for example, when dawn breaks after being killed in the Night or being executed), they must choose a player. If that player is evil, the Klutz’ team loses. If the player is good, nothing happens and the game continues.

Lunatic (Bad Moon Rising): The Lunatic believes that they are the Demon. On the first night, the Storyteller tells the Lunatic that they are the Demon, in the same way as waking the Demon. When indicating Minions, the Storyteller can point at any players (but must still match the correct number of Minions in play). They show the Lunatic three good character tokens, which can include characters in play. The Demon is shown who the Lunatic is. On later nights, the Lunatic chooses a target to ‘attack’ before the Demon - but their attack won’t kill anyone. When the Demon is woken, the Storyteller indicates who the Lunatic chose as a target; the Demon can choose whether to actually attack that target.

Moonchild (Bad Moon Rising): When the Moonchild discovers they have been killed - whether at dawn or after being executed - they publicly choose a living player to be cursed. If the player is a good character, they are killed during the next Night. (Except if the Moonchild is poisoned or Drunk on the Night that the player would die, stopping their ability.)

Mutant (Sects & Violets): If the Storyteller decides that the Mutant is “mad” about being an Outsider - with “madness” being determined by their attempts to convince the group that they are an Outsider, even if that’s another Outsider that isn’t the Mutant - the Storyteller can choose to execute them at any time. If the Mutant is executed during the Day, there is not another execution that Day, as normal.

Recluse (Trouble Brewing): The Recluse can appear as either good or evil, and potentially as a Minion or Demon, despite being a good character. Whenever another player detects the Recluse’s alignment and/or identity, the Storyteller decides what they appear as. This can change multiple times in one Night depending on the Storyteller’s choice and abilities used. The Recluse doesn’t gain any abilities or actually swap teams; the effect is solely to cause misinformation and confusion among other players.

Saint (Trouble Brewing): If the Saint is killed via execution, their team instantly loses and the other team wins. The Saint can be killed in other ways - such as being killed during the Night - without causing a loss for their team.

Sweetheart (Sects & Violets): When the Sweetheart dies, the Storyteller chooses another player to become Drunk for the rest of the game. This means they can no longer use their ability (without being aware they have lost their power). The Sweetheart retains their power, even when dead.

Tinker (Bad Moon Rising): The Tinker can be killed at any time by the Storyteller. There doesn’t need to be a reason, and it can happen at Night or the Day. If it’s during the Night, the Storyteller announces the death - without explaining why it happened - as usual once dawn breaks. If it’s during the Day, the Storyteller immediately declares that the Tinker has died. If protected by an ability that stops them from dying, such as that of the Monk, the Tinker cannot be killed until the effect wears off.

Love lying to your friends? Here are more fantastic social deduction gamesWatch on YouTube

Blood on the Clocktower Minion characters

Assassin (Bad Moon Rising): Once per game, during the Night, the Assassin can choose a player to kill. The player dies, even if they have a protective effect that would normally protect them from death (such as the Monk’s shield).

Baron (Trouble Brewing): When the Baron is used in a game, the Storyteller adds two Outsider tokens during setup, replacing two Townsfolk tokens. The Baron has no other ability.

Cerenovus (Sects & Violets): Every Night, the Cerenovus must choose a player and a good Townsfolk or Outsider character (by pointing on the character sheet). That player must be “mad” they are that character for the next Day - with “madness” defined as trying to actively convince the group they are the chosen role - or the Storyteller can choose to instantly execute them. The execution counts as the one execution for the day.

Devil’s Advocate (Bad Moon Rising): Every night, the Devil’s Advocate chooses a living player. The player must be different from the night before; the same person can’t be picked twice in a row. If that player is executed during the next Day, they survive and remain alive. The Storyteller does not explain why.

Evil Twin (Sects & Violets): During setup The Evil Twin is paired up with a good character, picked by the Storyteller; this is their Good Twin. The good and evil twins wake on the first night to make eye contact and learn who they are. If the Good Twin is executed, the evil team wins. If the Evil Twin is killed, their power no longer applies if the Good Twin is later afterwards. The good team can’t win if both twins are still alive, even if all the Demons are killed. If one of the twins changes alignment so that they are on the same team, a new twin is chosen so that they are always on opposite sides.

Godfather (Bad Moon Rising): During setup, an Outsider token is either added or removed from the character token bag (the Storyteller decides), with one fewer or one extra Townsfolk token to keep the number of tokens the same. The Godfather begins the game knowing all of the Outsider characters that are used; the Storyteller shows them all of the character tokens on the first night. When an Outsider dies during the Day, the Godfather must choose a player to die during the following Night.

Mastermind (Bad Moon Rising): If the Demon is executed, the game does not immediately end with a victory for the good team as normal. The players aren’t told why the game is continuing. Instead, one more Day is played; if a player is executed during the last Day, their team loses. The Mastermind’s effect applies even if there are only two players left - they still play for one more day.

Pit-Hag (Sects & Violets): Every Night except the first night, the Pit-Hag chooses a player and a character on the character sheet. If the character is already in play, nothing happens. If the character isn’t in play, the chosen player is transformed into the character for the rest of the game, replacing their previous character. Their alignment is not changed. If the Pit-Hag spawns a Demon, the Storyteller decides how many players are killed or saved from death during the Night to ensure a balanced game.

Poisoner (Trouble Brewing): During each Night phase, the Poisoner chooses a player to be poisoned for the rest of that Night and the next Day. Poisoned characters loses their ability, but aren’t aware that they’ve been poisoned. The Storyteller treats them as as normal - waking them at the correct time and letting them perform their ability - but ignores the effect of their powers. If the poisoned character would gain information, the Storyteller can choose to give them wrong information instead. If a poisoned character’s ability says it can only be used once per game, it is ignored and cannot be used again. At the beginning of the next Night phase, the poisoned character returns to health and can act as normal again.

Scarlet Woman (Trouble Brewing): If there are more than four living players when the Demon dies, the Scarlet Woman becomes the Demon. The number of living players doesn’t count Travellers. If there are under five players alive when the Demon dies, the good team wins as normal; otherwise, if there are five or more players, the Scarlet Woman becomes the Demon and the game continues. They gain all of the Demon’s powers, including the ability to attack at night, and will appear as the Demon from then on.

Spy (Trouble Brewing): Each Night phase, the Spy is shown the Grimoire, including character tokens and status tokens. The Spy may appear as a good character for the purpose of other players’ abilities, but is on the evil team. The Storyteller decides whether they appear as good (and whether as a Townsfolk or Outsider) or evil. The Spy’s appearance can change multiple times during the same night. The Spy doesn’t gain the abilities of the other characters they appear as.

Witch (Sects & Violets): During each Night phase, the Witch chooses a player to be cursed. If the chosen player nominates a player for execution during the following Day, they are instantly killed by the Witch’s curse. Their nomination still applies and is voted on as normal, and their death doesn’t count as the execution for that day. The curse only lasts for the following Day, but the same player can be cursed multiple times in a row. Once there are three players left alive, the Witch can no longer curse players.

Blood on the Clocktower's characters interact in endless ways, providing new ways to sniff out the Demon among you - or throw your prey off the scent. | Image credit: The Pandemonium Institute

Blood on the Clocktower Demon characters

Fang Gu (Sects & Violets): Add an Outsider character token to the bag during setup. Every Night except the first night, Fang Gu chooses a player to die. If the player killed is an Outsider, the Fang Gu player dies instead and the chosen Outsider becomes an evil Fang Gu. This only happens once per game; any Outsiders attacked by the new Fang Gu simply die. The new Fang Gu is counted as a Demon (but does not know who is a Minion).

Imp (Trouble Brewing): Each Night phase except the first Night, the Imp can choose a player to kill (alive or dead). If they choose themself, one of their Minions becomes the Demon, gaining all of the Imp’s powers. The new Demon does not act again that same Night. The Storyteller chooses which Minion becomes the new Imp.

No Dashii (Sects & Violets): Each Night (except the first), choose a player to die. The two Townsfolk next to the No Dashii - ignoring any Outsiders, Minions or Travellers between the Demon and the Townsfolk - are poisoned. This applies whether they are living or not. If the No Dashii changes player, the poisoned Townsfolk also change accordingly. If the No Dashii dies or loses its ability, the neighbouring Townsfolk are no longer poisoned.

Po (Bad Moon Rising): Every Night except the first night, the Po may choose a player to die. If they choose to kill nobody, they must kill three players on the following Night. This only applies if the Po chose not to kill anybody - so the first night and abilities such as the Exorcist that force them not to attack do not count.

Pukka (Bad Moon Rising): Every Night, including the first night, the Pukka chooses a player to become poisoned. At the same time, the previous player to have been poisoned by the Pukka dies (but becomes healthy). The poison doesn’t take effect if the Pukka is drunk when the poison is administered, but if they are sober when they poison a player, then becomes drunk for the next Night, that player will only die during the next Night that the Pukka is sober again. (Allowing their poison ability to resume.)

Shabaloth (Bad Moon Rising): Every Night except the first night, the Shabaloth can choose two players to die, rather than just one. At the same time, the Storyteller may choose to regurgitate a player killed on the previous night, bringing them back to life. If the regurgitated player had an ability that is used once per game or on the first night only, they are able to use it again.

Vortox (Sects & Violets): Every Night except the first, choose a player to die. Whenever a Townsfolk player would gain information using their ability, the information will always be false. During the Day, at least one player must be executed (exiling a Traveller doesn’t count - it has to be an execution); otherwise, the evil team wins.

Zombuul (Bad Moon Rising): Every Night except the first night, the Zombuul can choose a player to die as long as no players died during the previous Day. The first time that the Zombuul is killed, they secretly remain alive and can continue to attack players during the night, but are treated as dead in every other respect - including flipping their token, being unable to nominate and not counting as alive for any effects that require living players (such as the Tea Lady). If the Zombuul is drunk or poisoned when they are killed, they die and the good team wins.

The characters in Travellers & Fabled provide options for players to drop in or out of games, along with expanded accessibility options to cater the experience to your group. | Image credit: The Pandemonium Institute

Blood on the Clocktower Traveller characters

Apprentice (Bad Moon Rising): On the first night, the Apprentice gains a Townsfolk ability if they are good, or a Minion ability if they are bad. The Storyteller decides which character’s ability they gain, and informs them during the Night by showing them the respective character token - they can use the matching power immediately. The ability remains the same until the Apprentice dies, but they are still considered the Apprentice for all other purposes.

Barista (Sects & Violets): Every Night, the Storyteller may either choose for a player to become sober and healthy - removing any poison or drunk effects - and receive true information from any abilities they use, or instead choose for the player’s ability to happen twice - for example, letting them select multiple players to affect with their power, identify using an ability or even kill. The selected player learns that they have been affected by the Barista (but not who the Barista is) and which Barista ability is in effect.

Beggar (Trouble Brewing): The Beggar cannot vote for an execution unless a dead player gives them their vote token. When a dead player gives them their token, the Beggar discovers that player’s alignment. The Beggar can still nominate a player for execution (but might not be able to vote for their own nomination), and can vote to exile a player without needing a token. If the Beggar dies, they lose any other vote tokens they had and gain only their own. The Beggar cannot be poisoned or made drunk.

Bishop (Bad Moon Rising): While the Bishop is in play, only the Storyteller may nominate players for execution. The Storyteller may nominate as many players as they like each Day, but at least one player on the opposite team from the Bishop must be nominated every Day. Any player may vote for nominations, as normal. This only applies to execution nominations; players may choose to exile Travellers, including the Bishop, as normal.

Bone Collector (Sects & Violets): Once per game, the Bone Collector can choose a dead player. For the rest of that Night and the following Day, they are able to use their ability again. The chosen player remains dead, but is able to re-use their power even if it is a once-per-game or first-night-only ability. If the Bone Collector dies, their chosen player can no longer use their ability.

Bureaucrat (Trouble Brewing): Every Night, the Bureaucrat chooses a player. During the next Day, that player’s vote for an execution counts as three votes - the other players will learn they were selected as the Storyteller counts the votes out loud. The Bureaucrat can’t choose themself. If the Bureaucrat dies or is exiled before the chosen player votes, their ability no longer applies. The power doesn’t apply to votes for exiles.

Butcher (Sects & Violets): Every Day, after the first execution, the Butcher may nominate another player for execution. The Butcher may nominate a player who was nominated previously and if the Butcher already nominated a player for the previous execution. The Butcher’s power only triggers if an execution takes place, but will still apply if the execution happens and the player doesn’t die for any reason.

Deviant (Sects & Violets): If the Deviant has been funny during a Day, they can’t be exiled that Day. The Storyteller decides whether the Deviant player has been amusing enough, and they must be funny each new Day to avoid exile that Day.

Gunslinger (Trouble Brewing): Every Day, the Gunslinger may choose to kill a player that voted during the first vote of that Day. This occurs immediately after the first round of voting has been tallied. The Gunslinger’s ability can’t be used to kill a player that votes to exile, only an execution.

Harlot (Sects & Violets): Every Night, the Harlot must choose a living player. After putting the Harlot to sleep, the Storyteller then wakes that player and tells them they were selected by the Harlot. They can agree to let the Harlot learn who their character is. However, if the Harlot learns a player’s character, the Storyteller may choose for both players to die that Night.

Judge (Bad Moon Rising): Once per game, the Judge may choose to force an execution nominated by another player to pass or fail. This only applies if the Judge didn’t nominate the player themself. The Judge can use their ability before or after votes are counted, but only before the next player is nominated. If an execution is forced to go ahead, it still counts as the single execution for that day.

Matron (Bad Moon Rising): Every Day, the Matron may choose up to three pairs of players. These players swap seats. The swapped players remain in their new seats for the rest of the game, but can be moved again by the Matron’s power. While the Matron is in play, no play can leave their seats to talk in private during the Day’s discussion phase - but they may still speak privately with their neighbours. All of the Matron’s seat swaps must be made at the same time; they can’t swap pairs at different times during the same Day.

Scapegoat (Trouble Brewing): If a player matching the Scapegoat’s alignment is executed, the Storyteller can choose to execute the Scapegoat instead. The execution still counts as the one execution for the Day, and players do not discover the Scapegoat’s alignment.

Thief (Trouble Brewing): Every Night, the Thief chooses a player. On the following Day, their votes count negatively - taking one away from any execution nominations for which they vote. The power applies for every vote that Day, and the players will learn who has been selected as the Storyteller counts votes out loud. The Thief can’t choose themself. The power doesn’t apply to votes for exiling, and stops applying immediately if the Thief is killed or exiled.

Voudon (Bad Moon Rising): While the Voudon is in play, only the Voudon and dead players can vote for executions - alive players can still nominate, but they cannot vote. In change from the normal rules, dead players don’t need a vote token to vote and can vote as many times as they like. Dead players still cannot nominate. Execution nominations don’t require a 50% majority to pass - instead, even a single vote is enough and it’s simply whichever nomination gets the most votes. This only applies to executions; anyone can vote to exile a player. If the Voudon is exiled, alive players may vote once again but any previously successful votes that Day remain in place.

Hear what the Dicebreaker team thought of Blood on the ClocktowerWatch on YouTube

Blood on the Clocktower Fabled characters

Angel: The Angel is used to help new Blood on the Clocktower players play alongside experienced players. When the Angel is in play, the Storyteller declares the player(s) under the Angel’s protection at the start of the game (but not those players’ characters or alignments). When a protected player is killed, the Storyteller may choose to penalise the player responsible for their death - the punishment is up to the Storyteller, but may include being poisoned, made drunk, being unable to vote or something else.

Buddhist: The Buddhist is used to help new Blood on the Clocktower players play alongside experienced players. When the Buddhist is used, experienced players are not allowed to talk for the first two minutes of each Day. This includes being unable to whisper in private or talk to each other - they must only listen. The Storyteller should declare which veteran players are Buddhists at the start of the game; this only affects their ability to talk each Day, rather than changing their character, alignment or other abilities.

Djinn: The Djinn is used to add custom rules to games with a custom character list, helping contradictory characters work together in game. The character is used when making custom games using Blood on the Clocktower’s online script tool, and applies to games marked with the Djinn icon. The specific rule is explained by the script tool, and all players are made aware of the rule at the start of the game. The Djinn rules are designed to help characters with conflicting abilities work together.

Doomsayer: The Doomsayer is used to speed up games with large numbers of players. If there are four or more players alive, each living player can choose once per game to kill a player matching their alignment.

Duchess: The Duchess is used to provide true information when playing with a custom character list that makes it hard for good players to receive accurate information. Each Day, exactly three players - decided by the group - may visit the Duchess by telling the Storyteller. That Night, those three players learn how many of the three visitors are evil (only how many, but who is evil) - but one of the visitors is given false information. The players can use their character abilities as normal. If the group can’t decide on three players exactly, the Duchess isn’t visited.

Fibbin: The Fibbin is used to add some possibility for misinformation when playing with a custom character list without any possibility of false information - for example, when playing without characters who cause poison, drunkenness or other confusion. Once per game, the Storyteller may choose for a good character to receive false information when they would usually receive true information.

Fiddler: The Fiddler is used to help end a game early - for example, due to limited time, players dropping out or reaching a stalemate situation. When activated by the Storyteller, once per game, the Demon secretly chooses a player on the good team to have a ‘fiddle contest’ with. The entire group then votes on who wins between the two players, while not knowing the alignment or identity of either player. The player who receives the most votes instantly wins the game for their team. If it’s a tie, the evil team wins. The vote isn’t affected by powers that normally affect votes, and players cannot use their character abilities once the Fiddler is used.

Hell’s Librarian: The Hell’s Librarian is used to help quieter or less assertive Storytellers to be heard. When the Hell’s Librarian is in play, any players who talk once the Storyteller has called for silence - with some leeway for being warned first - may be punished. The punishment is up to the Storyteller, but may include being poisoned, made drunk, being unable to vote or something else.

Revolutionary: The Revolutionary is used to help two players play as a pair, for any reason - whether that’s to help a new player, provide greater accessibility for a player or to allow players who don’t feel comfortable deceiving each other to play together (such as couples) to avoid feeling uncomfortable. When the Revolutionary is used, the Storyteller tells the group which two neighbouring players are revolutionaries. These players are known by everyone to be on the same team, and may be woken together at Night to allow them to assist each other. Once per game, the Storyteller may choose for one of the two players to appear as a different character or alignment when identified by another players’ ability. If one of the players’ alignment would change, the Storyteller decide whether both or neither of the paired players change alignment.

Sentinel: The Sentinel is used to make it harder for players to know the exact number of Outsider characters in play when using a custom character list. When using the Sentinel, the Storyteller may choose to add or remove one Outsider character during setup, without telling the group. They do tell the group that the Sentinel is in play.

Spirit of Ivory: The Spirit of Ivory helps keep the number of evil players balanced when using a custom character list. When using the Spirit of Ivory, there cannot be more than one extra evil player compared to a standard game of Blood on the Clocktower, as defined on the Traveller and setup sheets - limiting character abilities that may change the alignment of good players to evil. If additional players would become evil while the Spirit of Ivory is in play, they remain good.

Toymaker: The Toymaker is used to make games with fewer players - typically five or six players - last longer. When the Toymaker is used, the Demon can choose not to attack at Night. They must choose not to attack at least once per game. (If they have attacked every night and would win by attacking, they must choose not to attack that Night.) Evil players receive their normal starting information, including the Demons and Minions knowing each other and the Demon learning three good characters who aren’t in play to help with bluffing.


Buy Blood on the Clocktower from publisher The Pandemonium Institute or Zatu (UK).

Read this next