The Scapegoat (First Night)

In the context of social deduction games, particularly those modeled after or directly derived from the game Mafia (also known as Werewolf), the "Scapegoat (First Night)" refers to a role variant often included to mitigate the impact of an inaccurate or lucky first-night kill. The Scapegoat is a villager-aligned role.

The core function of the Scapegoat is to prevent the death of another player on the first night of the game. Typically, the Mafia (or equivalent evil faction) chooses a player to eliminate on the first night. With the Scapegoat in play, regardless of who the Mafia targets, the Scapegoat will be killed instead. This ensures that no other player is eliminated, thereby allowing the village to gain more information during the day phase and preventing a potentially crucial villager from being removed early.

The Scapegoat typically has no special abilities beyond this forced elimination on the first night. The role exists solely to provide a buffer and add a layer of uncertainty to the first day's discussion. The village knows someone died, but they don't know why that person was targeted, potentially leading to misdirection or suspicion of the Scapegoat themselves before the night action resolves.

Some variations might allow the Scapegoat to know they are targeted, providing a small amount of information. However, revealing this information carries the risk of making the Scapegoat a prime target for subsequent nights if the Mafia is unaware of their role.

The inclusion of a Scapegoat can significantly alter the dynamic of the game, forcing the Mafia to adapt their strategies and potentially delaying the progress of the evil faction while allowing the village to gather crucial information.