CMU Killer/Assassin Rules (Alpha)

Xander Veerhoff

Summary:

1. Each player has a balled up sock inside another sock. This is their weapon. Each player has a target. The player's job is to make sure these two things come into contact.
2. A player "kills" someone by whacking him or her with a weapon. Players can only kill permissible targets. Players who whack people other than permissible targets become stunned (unable to kill) for 24 hours.
3. When a player kills their assigned target, their target gives the killer their (the target's) assigned target. The freshly deceased's target is now the player's assigned target. The circle gets smaller.
4. When a player whacks any other permissible target (other than their assigned target), the target is not out of the game. Instead the target are stunned -- they cannot kill any other player for 24 hours from when you hit them. They can flee to avoid being assassinated, but may not defend themselves.
5. The game will run until there is one player left. If there is more than one player left at the end of the game period, whoever has the most kills will win. Ties will be resolved by sock duel. There can only be one.
6. Don't be a jerk. This game is for fun. Be honest about whether you are eliminated or stunned. And apply the reasonable person principle to the rules.
7. Some areas are considered neutral. No kills can occur within these areas. Any hits that do occur in these areas are considered void.
8. The residential areas of dorms are considered neutral territory. The criterion for residential area is "Do people live here and will this disturb them?" The halls of Mudge or Morewood towers would be neutral, but a public lounge or a courtyard would not be. A kill counts if any portion of the player killed was in a non neutral territory. It is not relevant whether the player making the attack was in a neutral territory.
9. Other neutral areas are: The cslounge. Lectures or classes in progress (including finals). Libraries. Churches, synagogues, mosques and other forms of hallowed ground. Also, KGB meetings, KGB Exec meetings, and the KGB Friday Night event are considered neutral.
10. If a player is in communication with an umpire, the player is, by the umpire's discretion, considered temporarily out of the game. Assassination attempts against that player will fail, and that player may not attempt to assassinate anyone.
11. Sudden Death: at midnight on Friday (96 hours after the game starts): IF you have no kills, AND your target has at least one kill, THEN you are considered inactive and killed (removed from the game).
12. All living assassins must be present at the Monday KGB meeting when the Assassin Committee makes its report. Note that areas outside the meeting room are not a safe area, and that the meeting room itself is not a safe area until either (4:30, or when the meeting is called to order, whichever comes first). If more than one living player successfully attends the Assassin Committee report, more information may be provided at that time.
13. When you are eliminated, stunned or assassinate your assigned target, you should notify the umpires by email. This is to establish some sort of record keeping.
14. The management is not responsible for any trouble you might get yourself in. Umpires take no responsibility for your actions.

Definitions:

Weapon - A Balled up sock inside of another sock. No other weapons will be used in this game. Each player can have 2 weapons.

Stockings can be used, if you don't mind probably ruining them. Tube socks are also good. Range is your friend. Weapons may be pulled out of your hand by another weapon during a duel. Weapons may be thrown. You can pick up an opponent's weapon and use it against them, but may not keep them as trophies. Sock-chucks are allowed but probably are a bad idea.

Kill - A player kills someone by whacking them with a weapon. It must be hard enough that they feel the impact. It must actually contact their skin or clothing. Backpacks don't count. NO HITTING PLAYERS IN THE FACE. Any hit to the face is considered void. Hits to the side/back/top of the head are legal.

Player - Someone who is playing the game. They have signed up beforehand and are assigned a target at the beginning of the game. They will continue to be in the game until they are eliminated or the end of the game period.

Players are not required to tell other players if they are in the game. If asked, they may lie about whether they are actually involved in the game. If they are stunned or dead, they may not lie about their condition. Dead players may not tell live players anything about the game (who killed them, who their target was, etc).

Your permissible targets are:

Your assigned target.

Any player who is holding their weapon or has it in plain view.

Any player who is clearly taking hostile action against you. Someone who is charging at you and yelling "Die!" is not safe simply because they haven't pulled their sock out yet.

The player assigned to assassinate you is no longer treated differently. You can stun them if they are holding a sock or "clearly taking hostile action", but not otherwise.

Sock Duel -

If two players come into a situation where they are aware of each other and attempting to kill each other, they may begin dueling. First player to get hit dies. If both players hit each other at the same time, preference is given depending where they are hit. Limb hit < Torso hit < Neck or head hit. If both players hit each other in the same area at the same time, they stand back to back, count off 3 paces together then resume the duel.

Umpires:

There are two umpires in this game: dkb and gwillen.

Umpires may not participate in the game. People who are not umpires may not claim to be umpires.

All rulings of the umpires are final. Any questions, comments, suggests, requests for adjudication, notifications as described below, etc. should be emailed to both umpires with a subject of ASSASSINS to ensure prompt response.

Any event in the game: killing, stunning, etc., requires umpire notification by _both parties_ to the event. If you do not do this, you are at risk of disqualification!

For fun, when you notify the umpire of your death, please give a few details about how your assassin was able to catch you. This will appear in your epitaph at the end-of-game report.

Bibliography:

The Cambridge University Assassins' Guild webpage, http://www.srcf.ucam.org/assassins/.

Killer, a game by Steve Jackson Publishing.

Recollections of members of the Nuclear Proliferation Club.

My neighbor David, who had a sock fight with me at 11pm instead of studying.