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Hermit

You have all Outsider abilities. [-0 or -1 Outsider]

In the lost and forgotten places of the earth, the soul’s light beckons.

How to run it (Storyteller)

At setup, decide whether the Hermit is in play as a full Outsider or removed (reducing Outsider count by one); if removed, you may still offer the Hermit as a bluff to the Demon. Whichever Outsider abilities are on the script all apply simultaneously to the Hermit — if multiple Outsiders are in play, the Hermit has every one of their abilities at once, so adjudicate each ability's effects independently and watch for compounding interactions. The nastiest edge case: if the Hermit is removed before the game starts but is given as a Demon bluff, the Demon can safely claim Hermit without fear of contradiction from a real Hermit, giving evil a free, uncounterable cover story. Track carefully which Outsider jinxes exist on the script, since every one of them extends to the Hermit.

How to play

  • Know your full ability suite before the game starts: privately confirm with the Storyteller exactly which Outsider abilities you have, because every Outsider on the script is yours simultaneously — you may be both a liability and an asset depending on the combination.
  • Selective disclosure: reveal only the component abilities that help your team right now; sitting on an ability that harms you (like Saint or Tinker) while loudly claiming a beneficial one (like Recluse) can buy you credibility without exposing your full vulnerability.
  • Recluse upside: if Recluse is on the script, your ability to register as evil or as a Minion/Demon even when dead is a powerful information weapon — feed this deliberately to investigators to create controlled chaos, but coordinate with confirmed good players first so they aren't blindsided.
  • Timing of the removal mechanic: the Hermit can be removed during setup, which means if you are NOT in play, the Demon could be bluffing you — if you are in play, publicly confirming your existence early collapses that bluff and forces evil onto a different cover story.
  • Most common mistake: treating yourself as a single Outsider and bluffing only one ability while forgetting the others exist, which leaves you unable to explain a Storyteller ruling that was driven by a second Outsider ability you nominally also possess.

How to bluff as the Hermit

  • Claim a single benign Outsider ability from the script and lead with that; you do not need to volunteer that you have all Outsider abilities unless directly pressed, which lets you keep your story simple and audit-resistant.
  • If the Hermit was removed during setup and given to the Demon as a bluff, you can claim it with zero risk of a real Hermit contradicting you — use this to occupy a low-threat Outsider slot and absorb nominations without drawing serious suspicion.
  • Pick your claimed ability based on what gives you the most useful misinformation: claiming Recluse lets you explain away any evil registrations against you, while claiming a self-harming Outsider (like Tinker) signals false self-sacrifice and builds unwarranted trust.
  • The tell that exposes a fake Hermit: a real Hermit actually possesses multiple Outsider abilities and may have visible Storyteller interactions tied to them — if you claim Hermit but the Storyteller never seems to adjudicate any Outsider effects in your direction, attentive players may notice the absence.

Key interactions

Recluse

If Recluse is on the script, the Hermit can register as evil or as a Minion/Demon even after death, making any investigative result pointing at the Hermit as evil potentially true by ability rather than by alignment — treat Hermit as a natural misinformation anchor when Recluse is in the mix.

Outsider jinxes (any jinxed Outsider on the script)

Every jinx written for any Outsider on the script automatically extends to the Hermit; before running a Hermit game, audit all Outsider jinx pairs because a jinx that seems irrelevant to other players becomes directly relevant the moment the Hermit is seated.

Demon bluff (Hermit removed at setup)

When the Hermit is removed from play during setup, it can still be handed to the Demon as a bluff, creating a scenario where no real Hermit exists to contradict the Demon's claim — this makes the Hermit one of the safest possible Demon bluffs on a carousel script.