Manual — Tragedy Looper: Midnight Circle

MIDNIGHT CIRCLE PLAYER’S
HANDBOOK
In this book you will find two new Tragedy Sets.
Beware and prepare.

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This world is full of lies and intrigue.
Look, even the city is sneering at you.
Midnight Zone is an expansion designed to be tried after having played
the Basic Tragedy Set a few times. Those familiar with Basic Tragedy will
recognize many of the roles and plots, and will learn this new set quite
quickly.
But the atmosphere is rather different. The concept of this set is “lies” and
“deception” which makes the gathering of even more information very
important.
For example, up until now, revealed roles were the final truth.
And the incidents on the summary sheet were the real truth.
In this set, that won’t be so. The truth is hidden behind a veil of lies, leading
you to suspect the information you have found.
What can you trust in this maze of deception? Which information is fake, and
which is not?
There are new plots, new roles, and new incidents. Welcome, to the stage where
lies are truths and truths are lies. This is a whole new type of Tragedy Looper.
MAJOR RULE CHANGES
This set contains characters where you need to setup the Extra Gauge. So to this, we add the rules of the Extra cards.
REMOVING AND PLACING EXTRA CARDS
When you remove all counters from cards and board in the “removal and placement of counters” step during Loop start, also remove all Extra cards that have been set on other cards. Then, if the plot rules states that Extra cards should be placed anywhere, place them.
RULE CLARIFICATION
Here are a few details regarding the priority of resolution of the Mastermind abilities : Some abilities are Mandatory and others are Optional. If several
abilities that should happen at the same time conflict, in this case, the
Mandatory abilities happen before Optional abilities. If several Optional
abilities that should happen at the same time conflict, the Mastermind
chooses freely in which order to apply them.

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MAIN PLOTS
Main plots are the core of the script, normally containing
the loss conditions.

THE SEALED ITEM
Roles to add:
Brain, Cultist
Plot rule:
[Loss conditions: Loop end]
If there are at least 2 Intrigue
counters on the Shrine, the
Protagonists lose.

SECRET RECORD
Roles to add:
Key Person, Brain,
Conspiracy Theorist
Plot rule:
[Loss condition: Loop end]
If the Brain, Factor, or Magician
were revealed during this loop,
the protagonists lose.

MALE CONFRONTATION
Roles to add:
Ninja (for this plot, the Ninja
must be a man (not a boy))
Plot rule:
[Loss condition: Loop end]
If the Ninja (or its corpse) has
at least 2 Intrigue counters, the
protagonists lose.

THE DEVIL’S HAND
Roles to add:
Key Person, Cultist, Ninja
Plot rule:
none

FATED CONNECTIONS
Roles to add:
Friend, Serial Killer,
Conspiracy Theorist
Plot rule:
[Loop start] Choose one
character that died during the
previous loop. Place any Extra
card on that character (this does
not stack with the “Dice of the
Gods” plot effect).
Character(s) with an Extra card
has their role changed into a Key
Person.

M
M
M
M
M P

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SUBPLOTS
Plots that work in the script’s background. They might add other loss
conditions or rules. The subplots are comparatively easy to find out.
LOVE-HATE SPIRAL
WITCHES TEA TIME
UNANSWERED HEART
Roles to add:
Friend, Obstinate
Plot rule: none
Roles to add:
Friend, Conspiracy Theorist,
2 Witches
Plot rule: none
Roles to add:
Conspiracy Theorist, Magician
Plot rule:
“Forbid Goodwill” also has the
effect of “Forbid Movement”.
DICE OF THE GODS
Roles to add: Serial Killer, Obstinate
Plot rule:
[Loop start]: Choose one
character that died during the
previous loop, and place any
Extra card on that character (this
does not stack with the “Fated
Connections” plot effect).
SHOWTIME OF DEATH
Roles to add: Magician, Immortal
Plot rule:
[Loss condition: Loop end]
If there are 6 or less characters
alive, the Protagonists lose.
WORSHIPPERS OF
THE APOCALYPSE
Roles to add:
Prophet
Plot rule:
[Script creation] There must be
at least one Suicide Incident.
[Incident step] When determining
whether an Incident triggers,
and the culprit is a Person, if the
Prophet is alive, the culprit is
regarded as having 1 less than its
printed Paranoia limit.
UNSAFE TRIGGER
Roles to add: Factor
Plot rule:
[Optional] [Mastermind
ability]
You may place 1 Intrigue
counter on the (living) Factor’s
location (only once per loop).
S
S
S
S
S
S
S P

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ROLES
What the characters are hiding.
CULTIST
Max limit: none
BRAIN
Max limit: none
NINJA
Max limit: none
Mandatory Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Optional] [Card resolve]
You may ignore all “Forbid Intrigue”
effects on this location and on all
characters in this location.
Appears in plots:
The Sealed Item (main plot),
The Devil’s Hand (main plot)
Optional Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Optional] [Mastermind ability]
You may place 1 Intrigue counter on
this location or on any character in
this location.
Appears in plots:
The Sealed Item (main plot),
Secret Record (main plot)
Optional Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Optional] [When this role is to
be revealed] You may, instead of
saying the truth, state any other non-
Person role that is in this script.
[Optional] [Day end] If there is
any character with at least 2 Intrigue
counters in this location, you may kill
that character.
Appears in plots:
Male Confrontation (main plot),
The Devil’s Hand (main plot)
MAGICIAN
Max limit: none
Ability: [Optional] [Mastermind ability] You may move one character with at least one Paranoia counter from this location to an adjacent location (not diagonal). (Only once per loop, for all magicians combined.)
[Mandatory] [On character
death] When this character dies,
remove all paranoia counters from its
corpse.
Appears in plots:
Showtime of Death (subplot),
Unanswered Heart (subplot)

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FRIEND
Max limit: 2
CONSPIRACY THEORIST

Max limit: 1
SERIAL KILLER
Max limit: none
OBSTINATE
Max limit: none
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Loop end] If this
character is dead, reveal its role, and
the Protagonists have lost.
[Mandatory] [Loop start] If this
character’s role has been revealed, it
gets one Goodwill counter.
Appears in plots:
Fated Connections (main plot),
Love-Hate Spiral (subplot),
Witches Tea Time (subplot)
Ability:
[Optional] [Mastermind ability]
You may place 1 Paranoia counter on
a character in this location.
Appears in plots:
Secret Record (main plot),
Fated Connections (main plot),
Witches Tea Time (subplot),
Unanswered Heart (subplot)
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Day end]
If there is exactly 1 other character
in this location, that character dies.
(Remember that corpses are not
counted as characters.)
Appears in plots:
Fated Connections (main plot),
Dice of the Gods (subplot)
Mandatory Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Script Creation]
This character must be the culprit of
at least 1 Incident.
[Mandatory] [Incident step]
This character always triggers its
Incidents, regardless of the amount of
paranoia counters on it.
Appears in plots:
Love-Hate spiral (subplot),
Dice of the Gods (subplot)

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WITCH
Max limit: none
IMMORTAL
Max limit: none
FACTOR
Max limit: none
PROPHET
Max limit: none
Mandatory Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
none
Appears in plots:
Witches Tea Time (sub, 2 witches)
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Always]
This character cannot die.
Appears in plots:
Showtime of Death (subplot)
Optional Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Always]
If the School has at least 2 Intrigue,
this character gets the abilities of the
Conspiracy Theorist.
[Mandatory] [Always]
If the City has at least 2 Intrigue, this
character gets the abilities of the Key
Person.
Appears in plots:
Unsafe Trigger (subplot)
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Mastermind Action
step] The Mastermind cannot place
cards on this character.
[Mandatory] [Incident step]
When determining whether an
Incident triggers, and the culprit is
another character in this location, that
Incident does not trigger, regardless
of the number of Paranoia counters
on the culprit.
Appears in plots:
Worshippers of the Apocalypse
(subplot)
KEY PERSON
Max limit: none
Ability: [Mandatory] [Always] When this character dies, the Protagonists immediately lose and the loop ends.
Appears in plots:
Secret Record (main plot),
The Devil’s Hand (main plot),
Fated Connections (main, sometimes)

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INCIDENTS
Accidents and horrors during the script. Are they intentional or fated to be?

BREAKTHROUGH
Effect: The Protagonist Leader chooses one location or character, and removes 2 Intrigue counters from there.

MISSING PERSON
Effect: Move the culprit to any location. Then place 1 Intrigue on that location.

CONSPIRACIES
Effect: Resolve either a “Serial Murder” or “Missing Person” Incident. When determining whether this Incident triggers, look at the amount of Intrigue counters instead of Paranoia counters.

HOSPITAL INCIDENT
Effect: If the Hospital has at least 1 Intrigue, everyone in the Hospital dies. Also, if the Hospital has at least 2 Intrigue, the Protagonists die.

SERIAL MURDER
Effect: One other character in the culprit’s location dies. The same character may be the culprit of several Serial Murder Incidents in the script.

UPROAR
Effect: If there is at least 1 Intrigue counter on the School, everyone in the School dies. If there is at least 1 Intrigue counter on the City, everyone in the City dies.

SUICIDE
Effect: The culprit dies.

INCREASING UNEASE
Effect: Place 2 Paranoia on any character, then 1 Intrigue on any other character.

FAKE INCIDENT
Effect: If there are at least 2 Intrigue counters on the culprit’s starting location, the Protagonists die. On script creation, on the Open Information card, you may put down the name of a completely different Incident (on the Secret Information card, you must state Fake Incident).

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This world. There is no such thing as miracles or magic.
The sole answer to all riddles, are human.
Mystery Circle is a tragedy set targeted at players who are fairly
experienced with Tragedy Looper. This is a good Tragedy Set to try
once you have grasped most of the contents in Basic Tragedy and
Midnight Zone.
The concept for this set is “Incidents” and “Culprits”.
Up until now, Incidents have been but a spice to add to the scripts,
but now they take a central part in the tragedies. Finding out the
culprits is now more important than ever. Some plots will even force
the Protagonists to find out the culprits, or they will lose.
The game is staged in a detective mystery environment: there are
no evil spirits, no mysterious viruses, no superhuman powers. They
don’t exist. This is a world where only logic and deduction prevails.
MAJOR RULE CHANGES
This set uses the Extra Gauge and the Extra cards. The Extra Gauge
marker is also used.
REMOVING AND PLACING EXTRA CARDS
When you remove all counters from cards and locations
in the “removal and placement of counters” step during
CONFESSION
Effect: Reveal the culprit and the culprit’s role.
FAKED SUICIDE
Effect: Set an Extra card on the culprit. During the remainder of the loop, the Protagonists may not play any cards on character(s) with Extra cards.

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Loop start, also remove all Extra cards that have been set on other
cards. Then, if the plot rules states that Extra cards should be placed
anywhere, place them.
THE EXTRA GAUGE
In this set, the Extra Gauge represents the number of Incidents that
have occurred. During “removal and placement of counters”, set
the Extra Gauge to 0. For each Incident that occurs, increase the Extra
Gauge by 1. This is done regardless of whether the Event itself has any
effect or not.
MAIN PLOTS
Main plots are the core of the script, normally containing the loss
conditions.
MURDER PLAN
A QUILT
OF INCIDENTS
TIGHTROPE PLAN
THE BLACK SCHOOL
A DROP
OF STRYCHNINE
Roles to add:
Key Person, Brain, Killer
Plot rule:
none
Roles to add:
Conspiracy Theorist, Fool
Plot rule:
[Loss condition: Loop end]
If the Extra Gauge is at 3 or
more, the Protagonists lose.
Roles to add:
Brain, Killer
Plot rule:
[Loss condition: Loop end]
If the Extra Gauge is at 1 or
lower, the Protagonists lose.
Roles to add: Brain
Plot rule: [Loss condition: Loop end]
If there are at least X Intrigue counters on the School, the Protagonists lose.
X is 1 less than the current loop number. (Protagonists will always lose the first
loop if there is at least one Intrigue counter on the School.)
Roles to add:
Key Person, Poisoner, Fool
Plot rule:
[Always] When determining
whether “Serial Murder” or
“Suicide” triggers, count
Intrigue counters also as
Paranoia counters.
M
M
M
M
M Th

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SUBPLOTS
Plots that work in the script’s background. They might add other loss
conditions or rules. The subplots are comparatively easy to find out.
THE HIDDEN FREAK
SMELL
OF GUNPOWDER
ISOLATED
INSTITUTION
PSYCHO
I AM A MASTER
DETECTIVE
DANCE OF FOOLS
TRICKY TWINS
AN ABSOLUTE WILL
Roles to add:
Friend, Serial Killer
Plot rule: none
Roles to add:
Serial Killer
Plot rule: [Loss condition:
Loop end] If there are a total
of 12 or more Paranoia counters
on the remaining characters, the
Protagonists lose.
Roles to add:
Paranoiac, Therapist, Conspiracy
Theorist
Plot rule: [Loop start] If the
Extra Gauge was 2 or less at
the end of the previous loop,
increase it by 1.
Roles to add:
Private Investigator, Conspiracy
Theorist, Friend
Plot rule: none
Roles to add:
Fool, Friend
Plot rule: none
Roles to add:
Twin, Paranoiac
Plot rule: none
Roles to add:
Obstinate
Plot rule: none
S
S
S
S
S
S
S PP

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ROLES
What the characters are hiding.

KILLER
Max limit: none
Optional Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Optional] [Day end]
If the Key Person has at least 2 Intrigue and is in this location, you may kill the Key Person.
[Optional] [Day end]
If this character has at least 4 Intrigue, you may kill the Protagonists.
Appears in plots:
Murder Plan (main plot),
Tightrope Plan (main plot)

POISONER
Max limit: none
Optional Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Day end]
If the Extra Gauge is at 2 or more, any one character in this location dies (once per loop).
[Mandatory] [Day end]
If the Extra Gauge is at 4 or more, the Protagonists die.
Appears in plots:
A Drop of Strychnine (main plot)

FOOL
Max limit: 1
Ability: [Mandatory] [Script creation] This character must be the culprit of an Incident.
[Mandatory] [Incident step]
After this character has triggered an Incident, remove all Paranoia counters from its card.
Appears in plots:
A Quilt of Incidents (main plot),
A Drop of Strychnine (main plot),
Dance of Fools (subplot)

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR
Max limit: none
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Script creation]
This character can never be a culprit.
[Mandatory] [Always]
This character cannot die.
[Mandatory] [Incident step]
If the Extra Gauge is 0, and the culprit is in this location, the Incident triggers regardless of the number of Paranoia counters on the culprit.
Appears in plots:
I am a Master Detective (subplot)

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KEY PERSON
Max limit: none
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Always]
When this character dies, the Protagonists immediately lose and the loop ends.
Appears in plots:
Murder Plan (main plot),
A Drop of Strychnine (main plot)

BRAIN
Max limit: none
Optional Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Optional] [Mastermind ability]
You may place 1 Intrigue counter on this location or on any character in this location.
Appears in plots:
Murder Plan (main plot),
The Black School (main plot),
Tightrope Plan (main plot)

FRIEND
Max limit: 2
Ability: [Mandatory] [Loop end] If this character is dead, reveal its role, and the Protagonists lose.
[Mandatory] [Loop start]
If this character’s role has been revealed, it gets one Goodwill counter.
Appears in plots:
The Hidden Freak (subplot),
Dance of Fools (subplot),
I am a Master Detective (subplot)

CONSPIRACY THEORIST
Max limit: 1
Ability:
[Optional] [Mastermind ability]
You may place 1 Paranoia counter on a character in this location.
Appears in plots:
A Quilt of Incidents (main plot),
Isolated Institution Psycho (subplot),
I am a Master Detective (subplot)

SERIAL KILLER
Max limit: none
Ability: [Mandatory] [Day end] If there is exactly 1 other character in this location, that character dies. (Remember that corpses are not counted as characters.)
Appears in plots:
The Hidden Freak (subplot),
A Smell of Gunpowder (subplot)

PARANOIAC
Max limit: none
Mandatory Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Optional] [Mastermind ability]
You may place an Intrigue or Paranoia counter on this character.
Appears in plots:
Isolated Institution Psycho (subplot),
Tricky Twins (subplot)

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INCIDENTS
Accidents and horrors during the script. Are they intentional or fated to be?
THERAPIST
Max limit: none
Ability: [Mandatory] [Mastermind ability]
If the Extra Gauge is at 1 or above, remove 1 Paranoia counter from any other character in this location.
Appears in plots:
Isolated Institution Psycho (subplot)
OBSTINATE
Max limit: none
Mandatory Goodwill Refusal
Ability:
[Mandatory] [Script creation]
This character must be the culprit of an Incident.
[Mandatory] [Incident step]
This character always triggers its Incidents (if alive), regardless of the amount of Paranoia counters on it.
Appears in plots:
An Absolute Will (subplot)
TWIN
Max limit: none
Ability: [Mandatory] [Script creation] This character must be the culprit of an Incident.
[Mandatory] [Incident trigger]
When this character triggers an Incident, it is considered as being on the diagonally opposite location.
Appears in plots:
Tricky Twins (subplot)
SERIAL MURDER
Effect: One other character in the culprit’s location dies. The same character may be the culprit of several Serial Murder Incidents in the same script.
HOSPITAL INCIDENT
Effect: If the Hospital has at least 1 Intrigue, everyone in the Hospital dies. Also, if the Hospital has at least 2 Intrigue, the Protagonists die.

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PORTENT
When determining whether this Incident triggers or not, treat the culprit’s Paranoia limit as 1 less than its printed limit.
Effect: Put 1 Paranoia counter on any character in the culprit’s location.

BESTIAL MURDER
When determining whether this Incident triggers or not, treat the culprit’s Paranoia limit as 1 more than its printed limit.
Effect: Resolve “Serial Murder” and “Increasing Unease” in that order. Then increase the Extra Gauge by 1 more step (as a result, this Incident will cause the Extra Gauge to rise 2 steps in total).

SUICIDE
Effect: The culprit dies.

TERRORISM
Effect: If the City has at least 1 Intrigue, everyone in the City dies. Also, if the City has at least 2 Intrigue, the Protagonists die.

INCREASING UNEASE
Effect: Place 2 Paranoia on any character, then 1 Intrigue on any other character.

A SUSPICIOUS LETTER
Effect: Move any character in the culprit’s location to any location. If the character actually changed location, that character cannot be moved the next day.

CLOSED CIRCLE
Effect: Reveal the culprit’s location. For 3 days, including the day the Incident occurred, any movement to or from that location is nullified.

FAKED SUICIDE
Set an Extra card on the culprit. During the remainder of the loop, the Protagonists may not play any cards on character(s) with Extra cards.

THE SILVER BULLET
Effect: The loop ends after this Incident step (resulting in a Protagonist victory unless any loss condition is fulfilled). This Incident does not increase the Extra Gauge.

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PLAYER’ PL Game design: BakaFire
Graphic design (Japanese version): BakaFire
Character design: Rei Konno
Illustrations: Rei Konno
Rulebook text: BakaFire
Test players: BakaFire, Izayoi, Norisuke, Satoshi Sawamura,
Gaijin, Rerasiu, Iriho, Hisa, Taroimo, retlet, re_ne, gleipnil,
Ryudo Suzuki, souma, Mitsubaki, Rokirusu
Special Thanks: Nobuaki Takerube, Simon Lundstrom
Graphic design (English version): Olivier Lamontagne
Rules layout (English version): Karine Tremblay
www.zmangames.com
info@zmangames.com
© 2016 F2Z Entertainment Inc.
All rights reserved.
31 rue de la Coopérative
Rigaud QC J0P 1P0
Canada

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