LOST 2 - Smoke and Mirrors: Game Over: Evil Triumphs!

[Grundbegriff]

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LOST 2 - Smoke and Mirrors is a boardgame simulation taking place in a fictional world much like the one featured on the hit TV series LOST.

This game pits 3 teams against one another in a competition to achieve goals and negate competitors. Gameplay unfolds on two maps, a dark map representing the Past and a light map representing the Present. Each turn, players make a move on each map and exploit the resources they uncover.

The Past:_________________________The Present:______________________


Three Teams with conflicting goals:

The Castaways ("Team Lostie")

The team of Castaways crashed on the Island in the recent past. In the early days after their crash, they were preoccupied with finding a way home. Since then, they have learned of another inhabitant of the Island whose desire to leave is even greater than their own. Now it is their mission to stop him.

Among the 7 Castaways, 4 are also Candidates. However, they do not know this and can only discover their special status as events on the Island unfold. The benefit is that Candidates are immune to the direct attacks of the Man in Black. The bane is that everyone other than the Castaways would like to see them dead.

• Members: 7 members: 4 Candidates and 3 decoys. The Candidates do not know that they are Candidates. The members of Team Lostie do not know one another -- they have trust issues after all they've been through -- and must scan to discover and confirm their allies.
• Team Goals:
  (a) To perform the following steps in sequence: (1) unstop The Bottle, (2) kill the Man in Black, (3) restop The Bottle. (Thwart the Man in Black)
  (b) to disable or destroy the Beechcraft. (Thwart the Widmore Group)
• Victory condition: achieve the goals (a) and (b) with at least 1 team member surviving.
• Special Skills:
  * Two of the Losties, Kate and Sawyer, have the one-time power to kill a player. This takes place by night and the target is specified (to the Moderator by PM!) by player name, not role name. The shot is not public, and the death is indistinguishable from any other deaths. The target must be someone who was in the same hex as the shooter on that day. The shot may take place either in the Past or in the Present.
  * Jack can restore one dead player to life by carrying that player to The Temple.
  * Candidates (but not decoys) are immune to the Man in Black's hex-kill. The fact that they were attacked in a hex-kill will not be announced. Non-candidates in the hex, if any, will die.

The Widmore Group ("Team Widmore")

Charles Widmore knows the Island well, knows the power it conceals, and knows just how he would exploit that power on the mainland ... if only he could gain monopolistic control of the Island and its incomparable resources! Only two things stand in his way: the Man in Black and that posse of meddling kids, the Castaways.

• Members: 6 members: Charles Widmore and 5 hirelings.
• Team Goals:
  (a) to eliminate all the Candidates (thwart the Losties)
  (b) to contain or eliminate the Man in Black (thwart the Man in Black)
• Victory condition: achieve the goals with
  (a) at least 1 team member surviving AND
  (b) with the Beechcraft intact AND
  (c) with the Beechcraft refueled AND
  (c) with all living team members gathered on the hex containing the Beechcraft (so they can venture forth!)
• Special Skills:
  * Deployment and removal of Sonic Barriers (up to 6 raised and up to 3 removed per day out of a total fixed inventory of 9 barriers) on the sides that connect hexagons on the Present map. At the start of each night, the Widmore Group must report where their people have raised or lowered barriers. The night's movement will be resolved in terms of that information.
  * Laying explosive traps. Any member of this team who leaves behind dynamite or C-4 has the option of setting it as a trap for the next person who enters the trapped hex alone. (Entry in a group, or in multiple parties, will not set off the trap since people will be paying attention to one another rather than exploring deeply enough to set off the trap.)
  * Chatting in a private forum.
  * Two members of Team Widmore, Zoe and Naomi, have the one-time power to kill a player. This takes place by night and the target is specified (to the Moderator by PM!) by player name, not role name. The shot is not public, and the death is indistinguishable from any other deaths. The target must be someone who was in the same hex as the shooter on that day. The shot may take place either in the Past or in the Present.
  * Martin Keamy has the power to repair the airplane if he is in its hex and the airplane is damaged. However, he cannot repair the Beechcraft if it has been destroyed. (To destroy the plane, it must suffer damage from at least 3 explosions, the last 2 of them without an intervening repair. (Destruction on 2 in a row, minimum of 3 total))
  * Two members of Team Widmore, Daniel and Charlotte, are able to reverse the deadly effects of sabotage at the TEMPEST station. If someone has toggled the gas emission from Stun to Kill, either of these players can toggle it back.

The Man in Black Team ("Team Evil")

Nobody but Jacob has been on the Island as long as the Man in Black, and nobody wants to leave more than he. His intentions are sinister, and his powers are considerable. Only the Jacob and Jacob's Candidates stand in his way, but an ancient covenant prevents him from attacking them directly. So he'll have to attack them indirectly, turn them against one another, undermine their plans, and create a loophole through which he can finally leave this place. Charles Widmore is a troublemaker, too, but he has at least one redeeming trait: ownership of an airplane that the Man in Black can use to make his escape!

• Members: The Man in Black and 2 collaborators, but this team may expand to as many as 5 members. If the Man in Black converts someone, neither Ben nor Claire will be notified by the Moderator. The Man in Black knows the identities of Ben and Claire. Claire knows the identities of the Man in Black and Ben. Ben, whose alignment risks wavering a bit, is confused about the identity of the Man in Black and Claire.
• Team Goal: For the Man in Black to leave the Island, which can only occur by
  (a) eliminating Jacob (whom he cannot directly kill) (thwart Jacob)
  (b) eliminating all the Candidates (whom he cannot directly kill) (thwart the Losties)
  (c) escaping in Widmore's fueled Beechcraft (thwart the Widmore Group)
• Team Skills:
  * The Man in Black may kill everyone in a single hex. This takes place as the first event of the night, and the target hex is specified by map and number. Candidates are immune to this attack.
  * The Man in Black can restore one dead player to life by carrying that player to the Temple.
  * Up to 2 times, the Man in Black may force the conversion of another player (by name). The convert then joins this team. The conversion and hex-kill are mutually exclusive.
  * Because he has been on the Island for so long and knows his way around, the Man in Black may move one extra hex per turn on each map. He may move up to 3 hexes on the Present map and up to two on the Past map.

[Grundbegriff]

The Island map includes 19 hexagons, each containing a special site. Among these sites, 7 are Dharma stations and 12 other sites. Each site exists both in the Present and in the Past. Each site offers the player special capabilities, and these may differ according to whether the player arrives at the site in the Present or in the Past.

Places:

7 Dharma Stations

The ARROW
A storage depot and defense research facility. In the Present, a single indestructible unit of jet fuel may be found. In the Past, the finder may not keep the fuel, but may move it to another hex. In the Past, the finder may set a trap at the ARROW so that any solo person (other than the MiB) who enters it in the Present will die. (Must leave and re-enter to re-trap. No limit.)

The FLAME

A telecommunications center. In the Present, a player may broadcast a message to his teammates if no other team is represented at the station. In the Past, 5 packs of C-4 may be found here but may only be taken away one pack at a time per person per visit. These may be carried, hidden in another hex, or set as traps by members of the Widmore Group. No player may carry more than one charge at a time. Traps set in the Past will explode in the Present, not in the Past. A payload may be transferred from Past to Present by meeting oneself in a hex (i.e., you leave it for yourself in the Treehouse Past and find it in the Treehouse Present on the same turn). (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

The ORCHID

A time/space distortion research facility. In the Present, a visitor may teleport to any other hex by number. In the Past, a visitor may turn the wheel that moves the Island. This results in a random reassignment of everyone's position in the Present. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

The PEARL

A surveillance station. A visitor here may scan for the population roster of another Dharma station. If applicable, the visitor may then scan for the team alignment of any single person in that station. In the Present, this applies to the Present population; in the Past, this applies to the Past population. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

The STAFF

A medical research and treatment facility. In the Present, any person other than Jack or the Man in Black who enters this station solo will die. In the Past, any person who enters this station solo will learn how to revive the dead at the Temple. (Must leave and re-enter to re-die. No limit.)

The SWAN

An electromagnetic containment facility. In the Present, any person entering this station solo may trigger a massive EMP blast that will disable all sonic barriers and disrupt the use of any other facilities in the Present on that night. This destroys the station and renders its hex unnavigable. In the Past, any person entering this station may sabotage the station so that triggering the EMP blast in the Present will no longer be possible. In that case, the station in the Present will allow its user to remotely disable all sonic barriers touching any single hex. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse after sabotage. No limit.)

The TEMPEST

A chemical armament research facility. In the Present, anyone who enters this station solo may gas another hex by name or number. Anyone trying to operate in the targeted hex will be thwarted by sleepiness for that night. In the Past, anyone who enters this station solo may flip a channeling switch so that use of the station in the Present results in death instead of sleep. Daniel or Charlotte has the ability, in the Past, to flip the switch back from death to sleep. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

12 other sites

Barracks

In the Present, a message left here for one's teammates will be found by them if they enter this site. In the Past, if the Man in Black is alive, then anyone who visits here alone causes the smoke monster to randomly attack a hex in the Present and kill every non-Candidate in it. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

Beechcraft Wreckage

In the Present, a single indestructible unit of jet fuel may be found. In the Past, the finder may not keep the fuel, but may move it to another hex.

Black Rock

In the Present, three bundles of dynamite may be found here but may only be taken away one pack at a time per person per visit. The finder may not keep the dynamite on his person since it is extremely unstable. Instead, a bundle of dynamite may be carried for only one turn and must then be left in the next destination hex. Another person may take it from there for a turn, or the person who left it there may depart, return to that hex, and transport it again. In the Past, this works the same way. A payload may be transferred from Past to Present by meeting oneself in a hex (i.e., you leave it for yourself in the Treehouse Past and find it in the Treehouse Present on the same turn). No player may carry more than one charge at a time. Traps set in the Past will explode in the Present, not in the Past. (Must leave and re-enter to take another bundle. Limited only by the number of bundles available and the maximum personal capacity of 1 item.)

Colossal Statue

In the Present, anyone who visits this site solo will encounter Jacob, and he will (one time only per visitor) reveal the team alignment of any single player. If the Man in Black arrives here with a minion, he may induce that minion to kill Jacob; the cost of this operation is that the Man in Black may neither kill nor convert on the following night. In the Past, Jacob is not here and the site is inert. (Limit of 1 use per player)

Heart of the Island

The identity of this hex can only be discovered by the Man in Black or a Candidate. Everyone else will find a well (type randomly determined upon each visit). If a Candidate tells someone where the Heart of the Island is (either openly or by leaving or broadcasting a message), then the recipient(s) of that information will be able to find it instead of a random well. In the Present, any two Losties or Desmond on his own can remove the stone stopper from its hole. This results in death for the one(s) performing the action. If the stopper has already been removed, any single Lostie or Desmond can replug the hole. Replacing the stopper does not result in death. In the Past, everyone will find a well (type randomly determined).

Hidden Runway

Somewhere on the Island is a hidden runway containing Charles Widmore's fully functional Beechcraft airplane. It's out of fuel. Everyone on Widmore's team knows where it is. In the Past, the runway is empty.

Jacob's Cave

In the Present or Past, anyone who goes alone into this cave on the face of the cliff may learn the team alignment of a single dead player. May be repeated only by leaving and returning. If and only if he has no minions, the Man in Black may, in the Past, use this site to involuntarily corrupt any other player. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

Lighthouse

In the Present, any Lostie can scan himself to find out whether he's a Candidate and the MiB can scan any other player to find out whether the target is a Candidate. In the Past, anyone can scan another player to find out that player's team alignment. (Limit of 1 user per player in the Past. No limit in the Present).

Pneumatic tube dump

In the Present, a message left here for one's teammates will be found by them if they enter this site. In the Past, the site is inert. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

Temple

In the Present, anyone who knows how to use the Temple (i.e., Jack, the MiB, and anyone who has learned at the Staff) can bring a body here and revive it. In the Past, if the Man in Black is alive, then anyone who visits here alone causes the smoke monster to randomly attack a hex in the Present and kill every non-Candidate in it. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit.)

Well

Wells come in two types. For this one, in the Present, anyone who enters the well will be teleported to the Orchid station with an option to use it. In the Past, anyone who enters the well will be trapped there until another person enters the hex and chooses to liberate the captive. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit in the Present.)

Well

For this type of well, in the Present, anyone who enters the well will be trapped there until another person enters the hex and chooses to liberate the captive. In the Past, anyone who enters the well will be teleported to the Orchid station with an option to use it. (Must leave and re-enter to reuse. No limit in the Past.)

The Widmore team has the power to set up as many as six hex-wall barriers per turn and to remove as many as three per turn by day. Sonic barriers block all crossing in either direction for everyone except Sayid. These stack (i.e., there only cap on the total number of barriers across both maps is the total number of non-beach hex sides).

[Grundbegriff]

Team Lostie

Jack
Jack is a brilliant surgeon who has tapped into his intuitive side. He can take any dead body to the Temple and bring it back to life.

Desmond
Desmond is a failsafe, which means that he has a special relationship with time, space, electromagnetism. As a result, he almost always knows where every player is located on the Past map. In addition, he is able to remove the stopper at the Heart of the Island without assistance, although the deed will kill him.

Hurley
Hurley used to think he was jinxed, but he's actually just awash in the wake of forces larger than himself. (No special powers).

Kate
Kate has a gun and she knows how to use it. However, she only has one bullet and she hates being chased, so she'll only shoot at night, under cover of darkness. She may only target someone who was in her hex at nightfall, but may shoot on either map.

Miles
Originally a member of the Widmore Group, Miles has long since thrown in his lot with the Castaways. Because of his special sensitivity to the recent thoughts of the freshly dead, Miles can scan for the team alignment of one dead body in his current hex. He may exercise this power once per turn in either his Present hex or his Past hex.

Sawyer
Sawyer is in for the long con, and always looks out for himself. But life on the Island has also taught him to take care of his friends. He has a gun, one bullet, and an aversion to being caged, so he'll only shoot at night, under cover of darkness. He may only target someone who was in her hex at nightfall, but may shoot on either map.

Sayid
Sayid is a man of many talents: electronics wizard, torturer, demolitions expert. He is able to penetrate sonic barriers, which never impede his movement.

Team Evil

The Man in Black
He has been here far too long, in his estimation, and wants nothing more than to leave the Island. Because of his peculiar relationship with matters of life and death, he can take any dead body to the Temple and bring it back to life. In addition, he can move an extra hex on each map per turn. He can also attack any hex at nightfall, which will kill everyone in that hex who isn't immune to his attack. Up to twice, in lieu of attacking, he can convert another player to his cause. Neither the attack nor the conversion is mandatory.

Ben
Conflicted and confused, he serves the Man in Black. However, he has a private agenda: to execute Charles Widmore. Every morning, Ben may scan any player to determine whether that person is Widmore. Ben has a gun with a single bullet that he will only use on Widmore, and he will only shoot it at night. If Ben achieves his goal of finding and killing Widmore, Ben will convert away from Team Evil and join the Losties as a non-Candidate. Because of his comprehensive awareness of events on the Island, he will learn the identities of any living Losties if he converts to their team.

Ben also has a sacred knife capable of killing Jacob or any Candidate. If he and the Man in Black find themselves alone in the Present at the Colossal Statue, Ben will use this knife to kill Jacob. As long as Ben is on Team Evil, Ben may use his knife on any other player with whom he shares a hex at nightfall, as long as there are no witnesses. If the other player is a Candidate, the Candidate will die. Any non-Candidate stabbing victim will survive the assault and will learn Ben's identity.

Claire
A truly borderline personality, she serves the Man in Black. However, she has a private agenda: to execute Kate for "stealing her baby". Every morning, Claire may scan any player to determine whether that person is Kate. Claire has an axe with a fearsome edge, and she may use it on the discovered Kate if they share a Present hex at nightfall. (She may not axe Kate in the Past.)

Team Widmore

Charles Widmore
Wants to exploit the Island's unique features, and will eliminate anyone who stands in the way of that goal, whether it be the Man in Black or the Candidates.

Martin Keamy
Can repair his boss's airplane as long as it's merely damaged and not destroyed.

Daniel
Knows how to disable the death mix at the Tempest if it has been enabled.

Charlotte
Knows how to disable the death mix at the Tempest if it has been enabled.

Naomi
A loyal mercenary, as long as the pay is right. Naomi has been itching to try a real gun ever since that Airsoft party. Her gun is real but she has only one bullet. She's on a secret mission, so she'll only shoot at night, under cover of darkness. She may only target someone who was in her hex at nightfall, but may shoot on either map.

Zoe
How did a geologist get mixed up with such a violent crowd? In any event, she has a nasty shotgun and a single shell. Her academic reputation would lie in tatters if anyone found out that she was handling firearms, so she'll only shoot at night, under cover of darkness. She may only target someone who was in her hex at nightfall, but may shoot on either map.

[Grundbegriff]

At the start of the game, Random.org will assign each player a location on the Present map and the Past map. At the start of the game, these match. As a player moves around the Past and Present maps, it is not necessary for his positions to correspond, although they may.

Every gameday morning, the Moderator will send each player a manifest of which other players (by player name) are in the same hex. In addition, if a player successfully entered a hex of his choice on the previous night, the secret of that hex will be revealed to him (and to anyone else who entered the hex successfully by choice).

Locations discovered on one map are in the same location on the other map.

During the gameday, players may discuss, deceive, and double-deal in this thread. The goal of each gameday turn is to achieve a majority vote either to execute a player or to skip execution. (Fortunately, we have no players named "Skip".)

To vote against a player (to vote for his execution), put the player's name in the UBB forum tag [accuse]Bubba[/accuse]. To vote to skip execution, put "SKIP" in the [accuse]SKIP[/accuse] tag. Nothing else is a vote. A majority, once achieved, is irreversible and will mark the transition from day to night. The Moderator will mark the transition in the thread and request nightly orders:

Charles Widmore: Where have your people placed or removed sonic barriers?
Kate, Sawyer, Naomi, and Zoe: (if applicable) Will you shoot? If so, whom?
Ben: (if applicable) Will you use your blade? If so, on whom?
Claire: (if applicable) Will you use your axe?
Man in Black: Will you attack a hex? Which one on which map?
Everyone: Where do you want to go tonight? Please provide well-formed orders for both the Past and the Present.


Each player may move up to 2 hexes on the Present map and 1 hex on the Past map. A player may re-enter his Present hex by leaving and returning, provided the way is not blocked. The Man in Black may move up to 3 hexes in the Present and 2 in the Past. Orders have the following form:

"I'll move from 16 to 42 in the Past
AND I'll move from 4 through 8 to 15 in the Present."

Once these orders have been placed, the Moderator will resolve movement, notify players of any fresh discoveries if they've managed to enter their desired destination hex, and request additional orders on a per-site or per-character basis as appropriate.

Once site-specific and person-specific orders have been resolved for both maps, the Moderator will mark the transition from night to day in the thread. Each player will receive a population manifest for his current hex, Desmond will (on all mornings except Monday) receive a manifest of players' locations in the Past, and any effects from the previous night (such as death or destruction) will be revealed.

The placement of sonic barriers will not be revealed. Players learn of their location only by bumping into them during the night. Ouch!

The orders will be resolved in the following sequence:

1. Barriers placed during the day will be activated.
2. Any shots fired by Kate, Sawyer, Naomi, or Zoe will be resolved regardless of the map on which the shots were fired. Shooters will be notified. Any blade-related activity from Ben or Claire will be resolved regardless of map, too.
3. If the Man in Black attacks a hex, the damage will be resolved regardless of the map on which the attack occurred. (He will not be notified until the rest of the night is resolved. See step 10.)
4. Movement on the Past map will be resolved.
5. Players will be notified of successful movement in the Past and additional site- or role-specific orders will be requested. Miles will be offered an opportunity to scan the dead, if appropriate. Players who die as a result of movement in the Past will be notified at this time.
6. Effects of secondary orders in the Past will be resolved and (if appropriate) applied to the Present. (Moving the Island from the ORCHID station trumps all movement orders for the Present). Players who die as a result of secondary orders in the Past will be notified at this time.
7. Movement on the Present map will be resolved.
8. Players will be notified of successful movement in the Present and additional site- or role-specific orders will be requested. Miles will be offered an opportunity to scan the dead, if appropriate. Players who die as a result of movement in the Present will be notified at this time.
9. Effects of secondary orders in the Present will be resolved. Players who die as a result of secondary orders in the Present will be notified at this time.
10. The Man in Black will be told the result of his attack, if any. (See step 3.)
11. Each player will receive a manifest of people who share his hex in the Past and in the Present.
12. Desmond will receive a manifest of all players' locations on the Past map.


At dawn, the Moderator will announce any deaths or noteworthy effects from the previous night. Damage to the plane will be announced in the private Widmore forum.

Here's the boilerplate for morning:

Ben, Claire: Whom will you scan?
Everyone: What is your vote?


Bodies will remain in the hexes where they fell, whether in the past or the present, and may be carried to the Temple in the Present for resurrection by anyone who possesses the appropriate skill (Jack, the Man in Black, or a Past-STAFF initiate). To retrieve a body, a player must land on the hex that contains the body. The presence of bodies will be noted in steps 4 and 6 of the nightly resolution.

Temple resurrection can only take place in the Present; visiting the Temple in the Past unleashes the Smoke Monster. To pass a body from the Past to the Present (so that someone who died in the Past may be revived in the Present), the person bearing the body must meet himself in a single hex (i.e., his orders must result in his occupying the same hex in both Past and Present. Explosives may also be transferred this way.)

The game begins on Monday morning with the goal of execution or a skip. No player learns the secret of his starting hex without successfully moving to it by night. Players who are involuntarily relocated when someone "Moves the Island" at ORCHID-Past learn the secret of their random destination and may take appropriate action there, if any.

[Grundbegriff]

Roles are going out now. All role notifications have the following structure:


You are Bubba Sue
You are in hex 79. You are with Henrietta and Samuel. or You are alone.
You are in an alliance with Manfred, Cordelia, and Joe.
You're angry with the government for raising your taxes.


To get my attention in order to have a question answered please use (and close!) the tags.

[Grundbegriff]

Monday Morning: the game is afoot

[Grundbegriff]

-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o
How the heck do I coordinate with my teammates? Everybody's staring at me!

No PMs allowed. All discussion and attempted coordination must take place in one of four ways:

1. In the Widmore Forum for members of the Widmore Group
2. By broadcasting to one's teammates from the FLAME station or by leaving an indelible message behind at the Tube Dump or the Barracks and hoping they find it.
3. By communicating openly in the game thread.
4. Through winks, nods, and psychic emanations.

-----o-----o
Can someone pick up a dead body just to move it?
Yes.

-----o-----o
Are the people in my starting hex in the Present also with my in my starting hex in the Past?
Each person has been told that his starting hex number applies to both maps. We starting at the very moment that each player's existence splintered into Past and Present. So if Bubba is presently with you in hex 99, he is also pastly with you in hex 99.

-----o-----o
If I know how to use the Temple (because I'm Jack, the Man in Black, or a Past-visitor to the STAFF), how exactly do I use it?
You must retrieve the body, carry it to the temple on the Present map, and activate the Temple.

-----o-----o
Is alignment revealed on death?
No. In the first LOST game, I didn't reveal anything at all when someone died. It was brutal, but strangely enjoyable (said the players, who are all somewhat disturbed). This time, nothing is revealed but the place of death. However, there are ways to find out the alignment of a deader:

• Anyone can scan any corpse by visiting Jacob's Cave in the Present.
• Anyone alone in the PEARL station, whether in the Past or the Present, can scan a corpse that happens to be in the targeted Dharma Station on the Scanner's map.
• Miles can scan a corpse in his present hex.

-----o-----o
How will we know where to find a body when someone dies?
Suppose Bubba is on hex 50 in the Present and on hex 84 in the Past. Suppose further that someone kills Bubba on hex 50 in the Present. The Moderator will announce, the following morning, that Bubba has been slain on hex 50 in the Present. Bubba will also be dead on the other map, but that location will not be announced. However, Bubba's body may be discovered there. This is true also if Bubba dies in the Past; the Past location of his corpse will be announced, but not the present location.

-----o-----o
What if Archibald is carrying Gertrude's corpse in the Present, but Brianna is carrying Gertrude's corpse in the Past?
No harm, no foul. If either of them reaches the Temple and uses it correctly, Gertrude will rise. The doubling increases the chance of a successful resurrection, and makes it harder to truly hide a body.

-----o-----o
You said that a corpse can be alignment scanned from the PEARL if it happens to be in the targeted Dharma Station. Do corpses count toward population and show up on the roster?
Yes and yes. Dead players are not truly out of the game, since reviving them is a reasonable prospect. So the population rosters delivered each morning will note the presence of any corpses. If multiple people try to take a body, the first one to make the request to the Moderator wins. The location of corpses in the Past will not be included in Desmond's daily manifest.

-----o-----o
How can a Lostie die?

• Man in Black attacks Lostie's hex, and Lostie is not a Candidate.
• Someone triggers a Smoke Monster attack (by visiting the Temple or the Barracks in the Past), and the Smoke Monster randomly attacks the Lostie's hex, and the Lostie is not a Candidate.
• A member of Team Widmore lays an explosive trap, and that Lostie walks into it in the Present.
• The people vote to execute that Lostie.
• Someone packing heat shoots that Lostie.
• Someone with a vendetta axes that Lostie. (Only applies to Claire v Kate)
• That Lostie participates in removing the stopper at the Heart of the Island, a fatal undertaking.

-----o-----o
How often can Jack, the Man in Black, or someone trained in the Past at the STAFF raise the dead?
As often as they wish, provided (a) that they retrieve the body or otherwise arrange to get it to the Temple in the Present, (b) that they take it to the Temple in the Present, and (c) that they raise no more than one per turn.

-----o-----o
How do you blow up the hidden Beechcraft airplane?
If someone who has explosives in his inventory lands successfully on the Hidden Runway in the Present, the Moderator will offer him the opportunity to attack the plane.

-----o-----o
How exactly do you move dynamite?
The dynamite is extremely unstable. Therefore, it is illegal for one person to carry it twice in a row. Suppose Bubba finds dynamite. Here's how a legal sequence would go if Bubba has no help:
Tuesday night: Bubba moves to hex 101 and finds dynamite. He takes it.
Wednesday night: Bubba moves to hex 104. He has to leave the dynamite there since he can't carry it twice in a row.
Thursday night: Bubba moves to hex 102.
Friday night: Bubba returns to hex 104 and finds dynamite. He takes it.

-----o-----o
If only Candidates and the Man in Black can find the Heart of the Island, how is it that "any Castaway" can help to remove the stopper?
Any Lostie (Candidate or otherwise) can help remove the stopper. But only a Candidate can find the Heart of the Island in the first place. So I've added this sentence to the description of that site:
"If a Candidate tells someone where the Heart of the Island is (either openly or by leaving or broadcasting a message), then the recipient(s) of that information will be able to find it instead of a random well."
This means that, in theory, a Candidate who knows where the Heart is could reveal that info openly in the thread, and a member of the Widmore group could go there, find the Heart instead of the random Well because of that info, and wait for the arrival of someone to shoot. But that same Widmore group member would be incapable of trying to remove the stopper; only the Candidates can do that.

-----o-----o
How can the Man in Black die? What happens is someone shoots him or the crowd lynches him?
The Man in Black is invulnerable as long as the stopper is in the bottle at the Heart of the Island. If the stopper has been removed, then the Man in Black is completely vulnerable, as long as someone has a way to vulner him. While he is invulnerable, attempts to lynch him will fail and his identity will be exposed to all, and attempts to shoot him will fail and reveal his identity to the shooter.

-----o-----o
Does a player's movement on the Past board have to match his movement on the Present board?
It may, but it does not have to. The player may follow independent paths on the boards, at a rate of 2 hexes per turn in the Present and 1 hex per turn in the Past (except for the Man in Black, who's a Brooks guy.)

-----o-----o
How do the well traps work? What happens if two people go to the same hex where there's a well?
Suppose Alfred enters hex 81 alone. Suppose there's a well trap in that hex. If nobody is in that well trap, then Alfred will fall into it.
Suppose Barbara then enters hex 81 alone. She will hear Alfred's agonized screams and see him, fetal and pathetic, at the well's bottom. She will have the option to rescue him or leave him there; she will not fall in.

Suppose Carlito and Diana enter hex 112 at the same time. Suppose there's an unoccupied well trap in that hex. Both will fall in.
Suppose Enoch then enters hex 112 alone. He will hear Carlito and Diana, and he will have the option to save them (all or nothing).

Here's the rule: if it's unoccupied, everyone's falling in; if it's occupied, nobody's falling in.

This applies only to the wells that operate as traps. The other kind of well allows (but does not require) teleportation to the ORCHID, which can then be used (if desired).

The one wrinkle in this system is the fact that the appearance of wells at the Heart of the Island is randomized per person. This means...

If Ferdinand and Grace enter hex HotI and neither can see the true site, then a random well type will be determined for each of them. Ferdinand might fall into a trap while Grace receives the option to teleport. This goes for rescues, too: Ferdinand will not necessarily be available for rescue to the next person who enters that hex; he'll be available only to the next person who enters and encounters the "trap" type of well!

Watch your step!

-----o-----o
Is the 'cause of death' by whatever means ever revealed? (smoke monster, stabbed, staff, shot, axed, etc)
The cause of death is not revealed in general. This is to ensure that people cannot easily use their unique power to prove themselves, form a trust block, and dominate the game. There are two exceptions, though. First, if the Smoke Monster attacks a hex, and if a Candidate survives that attack, he'll know what happened. Second, if someone with a gun or blade attacks Bubba, then Bubba will be told as he descends into death. In theory, someone could raise Bubba at the Temple and Bubba could reveal what happened.

-----o-----o
Does team Evil have a forum or some means of secret communication?
Only Team Widmore has a forum, and nobody in the game is ever allowed to PM under any circumstances except to the Moderator (i.e., me). However, several sites on the board can be used for messaging, whether in real time or with latency.

-----o-----o
When a player(s) is/are trapped in a well are they still able to communicate i.e. call for help?
Yes, being in the well does not remove the privilege of speaking in the thread. It only removes the option to move until someone is kind enough to fish you out.

-----o-----o
If the EMP blast is triggered at the Swan destroying all sonic barriers, will the Widmores still be able to place barriers after the blast?
Yes.

-----o-----o
What are the limits on the placement of sonic barriers?

(a) There's never a reason to place one on a beach. (Nobody swims!)
(b) It's not possible to place two on a single hex-side.
(c) The allocation of additions and removals is over both maps, not for each map.
(d) Each day (as reported to the Moderator at nightfall), Team Widmore may place 0-6 barriers. They can go on one map or both. (See (c).)
(e) Each day (as reported to the Moderator at nightfall), Team Widmore may remove 0-3 barriers. Doesn't matter which map. (See (c).)
(f) One of the team members must be in a hex touching the side where the team wishes to place the barrier.
(g) In the Past, borders eligible for barriers depend on the daytime (pre-movement) locations of Widmore Group members in the Past. In the Present, borders eligible for barriers depend on the daytime (pre-movement) locations of Widmore Group members in the Present.
(h) Members of Team Widmore cannot cross their own barriers.

-----o-----o
Is it possible to trap the plane with explosives?
It is permitted, but the explosion will damage the plane. Note: "Traps set in the Past will explode in the Present, not in the Past."

-----o-----o
If we stay in our Hex (no movement order) do we automatically explore the Hex and find what is there or are we forced to leave and then come back?
There's no such thing as "staying in one's hex". On the Present map, everyone must move 1 or 2 hexes if it is possible to do so. Therefore, the only ways to "stay" in the same hex when it's possible to leave are

(a) to leave and then come back, or
(b) to leave in the direction of a barrier that impedes your movement.

Assume that we're talking about an unidentified starting hex. In case (a), the identity of that starting/landing hex would be discovered (because it would've been re-entered from elsewhere). In case (b) the identity of the site would not be discovered.

-----o-----o
Also, if we pass through a Hex with a well or something bad to experience that effect or are we simply moving through with no effects?Passing through a hex has no effect; the only issue there is whether the hex-sides through which a player tries to move are blocked by sonic barriers. To trigger the effects of a hex (i.e., to "explore" an unknown hex or "revisit" a known hex), the player must (a) enter from elsewhere, and (b) stop there.

-----o-----o
How often may a player consult with Jacob in the Present at the Statue? How often may a player scan another in the Past at the Lighthouse?
Once per player for these magic scanning sites.

-----o-----o
If the Man in Black has been killed, can someone resurrect him at the Temple?
Nope. Part of his curse is that once he's really dead, he's really dead.

-----o-----o
If someone is carrying a load (a body, some C-4, some dynamite) in the Present and wishes to dump it (or set a trap with it), where can he do so?
Since it's possible to move up to two hexes in the Present, the load may be dumped (or trap set) in either the destination hex or the traversed hex.

-----o-----o
What are the rules on inventory?

Each player has exactly one slot for a body and exactly one slot for hazmats. So the most a person can carry is one body plus exactly one of {C-4 | dynamite | fuel}. Knives, guns, and other special equipment do not count against inventory; they're more like saintly attributes.

[Newcastle]

FIRST!

-fyi also folks, i am pretty busy with stuff nowadays so my participation will probably be a bit on the low side and dont be surprised if i dont respond for a couple of days. I still very much want to play, and will do so...just pretty busy is all....

oh, i got dibs on kate!

[Chaosraven]

Chaosravens Journal Post and Links to the Pages (space reserved)

[Grundbegriff]

This island has dominated your life, your thoughts, your actions, and your hopes for far too long. It's time to settle all the scores.

The Lore:

Jacob has said that the Island is like a prison, not for you but for the Man in Black. The Man in Black has been imprisoned here for a long time, and for just as long Jacob has been the one who keeps him in check. Jacob has said that someone must always be there to safeguard the Island and to ensure that the Man in Black remains a captive. For he desperately wants to escape, but if he ever reaches the mainland, bad things will happen. Irreversible things. By saving the Island, you save the world.

Castaways: you're willing to believe The Lore, since it seems to you that Jacob had a hand in bringing you here. However, exposure to too much time travel and too many adventures has addled your mind, and now you're having trouble feeling confident about who's an enemy and who's a friend. Order your thoughts, find your trusted colleagues, and save the Island.

Widmore Group: you've all seen enough of this Island to decide that The Lore is utter rubbish. Who is this Jacob, and why should he govern your thoughts and actions? The Island is a natural resource like no other, and you aim to exploit its special properties for the benefit of humanity... and perhaps to garner a few perqs along the way. Wealth? Immortality? You won't know for sure until you eliminate a few... obstacles.

Team Evil: The truth or falsity of The Lore? What is truth? And "evil" is such a harsh word. Perhaps you're just misunderstood. After all, those who criticize you haven't walked in your shoes, having suffered what you've suffered. Haven't been pushed to the breaking point and beyond.... This Island is a prison, all right, but who is Jacob or anyone else to say that you're the one who has to be confined in it? Break through the barriers! Shatter the constraints! Throw off the manacles and find your way off the Island once and for all!

[Grundbegriff]

Ben, Claire: Whom will you scan?
Everyone: What is your vote?

[theohall]

Theohall's Imitation Place-Marker (which currently serves no known purpose.)

Helloooooooo.......

[Kenetickid]

*poke* *STAB*....................*DEATH*

place marker........................Checked-in!!

[Chaosraven]

Reasons to travel alone: to avoid being shot, to use barracks(past) statue(present) jacobscave temple staff(past) tempest flame(present). Question is regarding whether any of these are something people should be doing.

[theohall]

Reasons to travel alone: to avoid being shot, to use barracks(past) statue(present) jacobscave temple staff(past) tempest flame(present). Question is regarding whether any of these are something people should be doing.

If John Locke were around, he could just do stuff for the sake of doing stuff.

[Grundbegriff]

About half of you have checked mail. I'll post a note here when my outbox is empty.

[Chaosraven]

Reasons to travel together: to avoid dying if entering staff(present), to keep people from using Tempest Flame(present) staff(past), the scans, the smoke monster, to kill Jacob. Once again the question is what should be avoided, what is necessary?

[Chaosraven]

Movement and Location: why should or shouldn't location and movement be announced discussed and coordinated? What information do we need to keep from the others?

[Arcanis]

Checking in. Now going find food.

[Brendan]

I am present and accounted for.

[Newcastle]

WOW simply awesome island! let's party in the temple or rumble in the jungle.

And kate....mhmmm.../drool, where might ya be there ya fine young lass? I need some eye candy!

[Scoop20906]

K. I have absolutely no way to figure out how to play this game. I'm going to print out the rulez and try to devise a strategy. There is so much here the is going to be like Mr. Toads Wild Ride.

[Lassr]

guess I should force myself to read the rules now...well, maybe tomorrow.

[redrun]

Movement and Location: why should or shouldn't location and movement be announced discussed and coordinated? What information do we need to keep from the others?

-- Seems to me the Man in Black (MiB) would love to know where everyone will be tonight. He knows who his buddies are. He knows that anyone who survives his attack is bad news for him. I've got a lot of thinking to do, but you do bring up a good point earlier - what places are activated by only a single person? Taking it one more step - is there any team that would prefer to use these stations, and will therefore try to be alone? Other the MiB attack, who wants to make sure that there are at least 2 others in the same square to ensure there is a witness if anything bad happens? How do we know that both (or all of the others in the same square) aren't on the wrong team. <GULP> <looks left> Right buddy? <looks right> Right buddy? Either of you got a smoke while we think about this?

-- We're all good little losties, right? So, if we know we're about to die are we going to say where we are in hopes that someone will revive us? Which leads to question one of many:

Can someone pick up a dead body just to move it, ie: someone who knows they can't revive it, but doesn't want someone else bringing the dead back to life? From what I can see, the answer is yes.

[Grundbegriff]

Can someone pick up a dead body just to move it, ie: someone who knows they can't revive it, but doesn't want someone else bringing the dead back to life? From what I can see, the answer is yes.

The answer is yes.

Also, in response to a question asked by PM: Each person has been told that his starting hex number applies to both maps. We starting at the very moment that each player's existence splintered into Past and Present. So if Bubba is presently with you in hex 99, he is also pastly with you in hex 99.

[Grundbegriff]

Be sure to check the Q&A section frequently: I offer clarifications there frequently.

[J.D.]

Alright, checking in. I know HOW to play the game, mechanics-wise. Doesn't mean I have a clue what my first move should be.

[tru1cy]

What JD said...

[LordMortis]

I'm here and I'm lost. So I guess I am in the right place. As far as I can tell the best bet is to not vote anyone off the island but I've got some serious digesting to do. It probably has something to do with me breaking down and getting Taco Bell after midnight... Or at all. Yum.

[Arcanis]

Alright, checking in. I know HOW to play the game, mechanics-wise. Doesn't mean I have a clue what my first move should be.

I would suggest the first step as being, don't die. If you do die leave a note for your friends to resurrect you. Beyond that your guess is as good as mine.

[Lagom Lite]

[J.D.]

I'm here and I'm lost. So I guess I am in the right place. As far as I can tell the best bet is to not vote anyone off the island but I've got some serious digesting to do. It probably has something to do with me breaking down and getting Taco Bell after midnight... Or at all. Yum.

I agree. There's so many teams and moving parts that I think it would be foolish to execute someone on the first day. I would like to vote to skip execution so we can all move around the map at least once and get some evidence.

 skip 
 

[Lassr]

I'm here and I'm lost. So I guess I am in the right place. As far as I can tell the best bet is to not vote anyone off the island but I've got some serious digesting to do. It probably has something to do with me breaking down and getting Taco Bell after midnight... Or at all. Yum.

I agree. There's so many teams and moving parts that I think it would be foolish to execute someone on the first day. I would like to vote to skip execution so we can all move around the map at least once and get some evidence.

 skip 
 

I think I agree with this. No info to go on right now so it's just a blind execution...more blind than a normal first day that is.

[Kenetickid]

I'm here and I'm lost. So I guess I am in the right place. As far as I can tell the best bet is to not vote anyone off the island but I've got some serious digesting to do. It probably has something to do with me breaking down and getting Taco Bell after midnight... Or at all. Yum.

I agree. There's so many teams and moving parts that I think it would be foolish to execute someone on the first day. I would like to vote to skip execution so we can all move around the map at least once and get some evidence.

 skip 
 

I think I agree with this. No info to go on right now so it's just a blind execution...more blind than a normal first day that is.

I am inclined to agree with the no killing on this first day due to the fact that we have next to nothing for information.

The next question is are we going to organze and travel together or are we all just breaking out on our own and wander the island looking for what ever we can find?

I am inclined right now to say we should travel together to prevent any nightly "accidents" from killing people off untill we can establish where a few of the inportant places are and stratagies on what to do with them.

I don't think the broadcasting of actual hex numbers is greatly important because the people that are together in hte same hex, know that they are and can communicate openly with general directions from there current hex. (ex. my littel "group" is in hex 69 and I think we should all move Southwest)

[purge]

Yeah. Rules? I'm going to need an hour to re-read and digest- not something I can do here at work. I think I may also need a venn diagram or two.

[LordMortis]

OK so what are the pros and cons of voting someone off on day one? If I've got this right then...

(a) To perform the following steps in sequence: (1) unstop The Bottle, (2) kill the Man in Black, (3) restop The Bottle. (Thwart the Man in Black)
(b) to disable or destroy the Beechcraft. (Thwart the Widmore Group)

Losties only need to kill the MiB, but not before uncorking the bottle. That's the only kill they need, other than to increase their comparative numbers for self preservation.

Team Goals:
(a) to eliminate all the Candidates (thwart the Losties)
(b) to contain or eliminate the Man in Black (thwart the Man in Black)

Widmore want to kill during the day which is the best shot at killing their enemies.

(b) eliminating all the Candidates (whom he cannot directly kill) (thwart the Losties)

Evil want to kill during the day to kill the people they cannot kill at night.

[Kenetickid]

I'm here and I'm lost. So I guess I am in the right place. As far as I can tell the best bet is to not vote anyone off the island but I've got some serious digesting to do. It probably has something to do with me breaking down and getting Taco Bell after midnight... Or at all. Yum.

I agree. There's so many teams and moving parts that I think it would be foolish to execute someone on the first day. I would like to vote to skip execution so we can all move around the map at least once and get some evidence.

 skip 
 

I think I agree with this. No info to go on right now so it's just a blind execution...more blind than a normal first day that is.

I am inclined to agree with the no killing on this first day due to the fact that we have next to nothing for information.

The next question is are we going to organze and travel together or are we all just breaking out on our own and wander the island looking for what ever we can find?

I am inclined right now to say we should travel together to prevent any nightly "accidents" from killing people off untill we can establish where a few of the inportant places are and stratagies on what to do with them.

I don't think the broadcasting of actual hex numbers is greatly important because the people that are together in hte same hex, know that they are and can communicate openly with general directions from there current hex. (ex. my littel "group" is in hex 69 and I think we should all move Southwest)

Looked back at the post and realized that even posting the starting hex number was a bad thing. As I said the "groups" that are together know that they are and can give the 6 general directions (north, northeast, southeast, south, southwest, northwest) to assist them in coordinating there movements. They might have to give a number of hexes for movement or they could just say something like "I think we should move south then northwest presently." The only "hiccup" would be that moving in the "present" and the "past" are at 2 different "speeds". With that in mind I believe that to keep the groups coordinated on there movements both past and present, I think that we should agree on using the former or latter direction as the movement for the past map.
(ex. "our group should presently move south then northwest." Using the former direction this group would in the present follow both directions and end up in the indicated hex, but on the past map they would only use the "south" direction and end up in a seperate hex from the present map.)

The problem that I see with this kind of coordination is that with the different "speeds" of movement the avaliable directions to move will be dictated by the boundries of the different positions on the 2 different maps. To answer to that we could limit the moving on hte present map to only one "hex" to keep in line with the past map. I know that some of the "places" on the map are dangerous with more than one person entering them, but the question is does simply finding a location trigger it's "use" effect?

[Grundbegriff]

does simply finding a location trigger it's "use" effect?

If a destination hex has an automatic effect (e.g., you die, or you trigger the Smoke Monster) then successful arrival at that hex causes that effect without further action on the player's part. If a destination hex has an optional effect (e.g., scan someone's alignment, teleport to Poughkeepsie), then the Moderator will interact with the player to resolve the option.

[Kenetickid]

does simply finding a location trigger it's "use" effect?

If a destination hex has an automatic effect (e.g., you die, or you trigger the Smoke Monster) then successful arrival at that hex causes that effect without further action on the player's part. If a destination hex has an optional effect (e.g., scan someone's alignment, teleport to Poughkeepsie), then the Moderator will interact with the player to resolve the option.

Ok with that in mind and after going over the entire list of locations it looks like NONE of them will trigger a bad effect (past or present) if multiple people enter the same location. So with that said I whole heartedly agree that we should stick together in our little "groups" that we are in right now.

[Chaosraven]

Could someone ask in fuschia about Dead Bodies: will we be told Where someone has died? Upon entering a hex with a dead body, are the entrants told 'bubbas body is in this hex'? We are likely to be eaten by a grue.