RICK’S Official guide to getting good at Traitors in Salem.

 
 
Referrals are appreciated! I’m Rick in game.
 
 

The Basics

Alpha 1 2 and 3?

 
They’re your number keys! Rebind them to something else, the default binding sucks.
 
 

How do I kick a griefer?

 
Griefers can only be kicked in the lobby VIA the host. Press the P key to open the players menu and click the boot! Doing this permanently bans them from your lobby.
 
 

TP? How do I get more?

 
Town Points, the freemium currency in this game. You get 5-20 depending on win/loss and being alive/dead once the game ends.
 
(Dead Losses = 5, Alive Losses = 10, Dead Wins = 10, Alive Wins = 20?)
 
 

How do I win?

 
The players are divided between two factions, Town and Traitors. There are no more neutral roles, and the Mafia went back to Italy, so they’re out. Compared to TOS, you don’t need to keep a physical will, but you’ll still have to keep track of claims regardless.
 
 
Townies can win by:
 
Eliminating all Traitors through voting or killing with vig/vet/prosecutor.
 
Banishing the Necronomicon, by finishing all their quests.
 
 
Traitors can win by:
 
Eliminating all Townies through voting or killing.
 
Dwindling it down to a 3v3, 2v2, or 1v1 in terms of votes, then taking care to avoid town with killing abilities and killing town with more voting power than you.
 
 
There are no kingmakers/neutrals anymore, only two distinct factions. This makes it significantly easier to scum read when people back each other. Since Traitor’s can only have a max of 3 members in standard gameplay, a lot of TOS skill will transfer over on picking up on people soft/hard backing teammates.
 
 

Quests?

 
New quests can be received at the quest board, and all Townies/Traitors spawn with two. Only Townies can actually progress the Quest Bar in the top left, while Traitors can still complete them, only it does nothing. Some quests can offer up Boons & other rewards such as revealing your role (as a Townie) or giving you a permanent speed boost! For more information on that, check this guide:
 
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2798873656 – [steamcommunity.com] 
 

How do I fake claim?

 
Generally you shouldn’t claim until pushed, unless you plan on faking your role from day 1 forward. Don’t push people who counterclaim you, as hanging/killing them will confirm you as an evil. Try and claim something in the random slots of your role list, know the ins and outs of the role you’re claiming. Some roles lean towards claiming something specific, such as a Wildling claiming Lookout, but picking the most obvious claim isn’t going to be your best bet, even if the role is just a Traitor with Lookout abilities. If Wildling is confirmed, such as the Classic role list below or once you get a kill as it, people will immediately throw suspicion on a lookout claim. In short, just sound legit and try and sheep town members the best you can.
 
 
Fake claiming is also a completely valid strategy as something easily confirmable as Town, such as a Mayor/Vigilante/King, since all you need to do is press reveal, shoot someone, or knight someone to confirm yourself. Claiming the same thing as an evil also could net you another kill before hanging.
 
 

Help, I’m getting Lynched!

 
Don’t try to be too pushy if you always end up getting lynched as town, just try and prove your role logically or emotionally depending on the lobby. Sometimes all you have to do to avoid getting lynched is back up another Townie, or back up another Traitor to save them from hanging. Don’t feel like you always have to tell the truth on either side, deceiving others is the name of the game. (It is a social deception game after all!) Push for claims on suspicious/innocent players, misquote or bring up dead townies, and win by any means necessary. /s But seriously, if you find yourself lynched frequently as Town or Traitor alike, just try and change the way you claim or play.
 
 
If you’re fake claiming, it’s not usually a good idea to claim one of the confirmed roles in your role list, as the real one proving themselves will generally see you lynched if it’s a late claim.
 
 

Day/Night Cycle

 
The game has a day/night cycle instead of the set time change present in TOS. Days last 60 seconds, and nights last 45 seconds. Vision is reduced for all players during night.
 
 

Map Objects

 
There are various objects around the map to be interacted with, all providing useful information you can use to scum read out evils and fake claims.
 
Interactable
 
The Bell: Ring it to start a discussion and cast a vote, every player gets 1 ring aside from the lengthy John Jr. animal collecting boon.
 
Drawbridge: Traitor only. Drop this and nobody can cross over to graveyard until it’s raised through a puzzle.
 
 
Informational
 
Ghost Lady: She spawns every night in the graveyard. She shows the names of any players that have died that day/night cycle.
 
Watchtower: It’s cams! Enter it through the door in the top left of the town square. The right points at the clearing, the bottom at the left side of the hedge maze, and the left points at the entrance to the cave. It’s a separate area entirely & you will be blind & deaf while using any cameras, only seeing though said looking glass. They only work during the day cycle as well, kicking you back out during the night and disabling themselves. Lookouts & Wildlings using their Eagle eye ability atop it will be able to see a MASSIVE amount of the map at once, including people entering the watchtower below. Don’t kill right on top of the staircase, as the button to get back down is the same button to report.
 
Marble Table: It’s security room from sussy impostor game. The marbles show you what rooms are filled, so if one marble hasn’t moved in a long while, there could be a dead body hidden in there. You could sit on this then ask people for their locations/routes, scumming out anything that doesn’t match up with what you were just watching.
 
 

Classic

 
Fifteen players can fill a lobby, and this is the current classic role list:
 
Confirmed Traitors: Wilding, Traitor, Serial Killer
 
Confirmed Townies: Lookout, Sheriff, Townie, Townie, Investigator
 
Random Townies: 2 Investigative Town, 2 Utility Town, 2 Power Town, Random Town
 
 
In classic, the most important claims the two Townies. There are likely only 2 in a match, so they can be confirmed by simply asking: “Who’s Townie? CC my Townie claim or I’m confirmed.” Only the single random town at 15 players could possibly be a third Townie, and that’s very unlikely. Any Lobby under 15 players won’t even have random town, so any Townie claims above the second one is completely fake and an easy hang.
 
 
Aside from that as Town, you want to claim your role if you are one of the hard confirmed ones, and keep track of other claims, make sure there is enough space for claims by pressing R and G, reading through your game’s Role List and Graveyard respectively. Anything in the graveyard is 100% true, so you can fill slots with dead roles until you or another player is directly counterclaiming another alive player.
 
 
Further strategy for each Town/Traitor role will be listed below in their respective dropdowns. Remember to always use boons to your advantage!
 
 
 

Spells

Blood Moon
 
10 second duration. Available at Night. Massively decreases Townie vision.
 
 
Displace
 
Places every player in a random map location (1 second duration, 120 second cooldown).
 
 
Confuse
 
Reverses the controls of every player (10 second duration).
 
 
Summon Brambles
 
Summons a barrier that blocks off part of the map (10 second duration). Can be used to block vision or for quick getaways.
 
 
Ice Storm
 
Will slow down all players to 50% movement speed (~10 second duration)
 
 
Curse
 
Causes Traitors to win after timer of 30 seconds expires. The hex totem can be found at the graveyard (in the north-east corner).
 
 
Seeing Double
 
All players will have their double (works like Illusionist’s illusion) appear where they stand and it will run randomly around the map (~10 seconds duration)
 
 
 

Advanced Techniques

Scum Reading

 
Check roles and claims you get from people against the role list for your gamemode. It can be easier/harder to do this coming from TOS, given 90% of your lobbies will be over voice chat. If someone sounds like they’re lying or is completely frantic you can suss them out. The more you play in one lobby the easier it’d be to get a read on someone, given the random anonymous nature of TOS is completely thrown out the window.
 
 
In general, you can check votes in the chatlog to see who voted or didn’t vote up other evils, or see who voted innocent on close votes against their Traitor buddies. There’s a lot more to work with compared to TOS scum reading, given we aren’t just forced into typing the best wills. My biggest scum read is just asking someone for a will, and if they don’t reply quickly or sound a little shaky, it’s scum.
 
 
A good Traitor keeps their buddies around & alive, so backing them is nearly essential unless you just bank on town getting sheeped.
 
 

Grouping

 
Sitting in a group of people can have it’s advantages, especially when you or another townie around you is confirmed. That gives town someone to rely on to dictate who did the kill when it eventually happens, effectively forcing a 1:1, sacrificing one of your group for a traitor kill. If you’re a Traitor worried about grouping just displace them or wait for the group to travel to the right side of the map, then curse and/or ice storm. It’s pretty much reactor and they’ll be forced to make a run for it.
 
 

Taskbar Reading

 
Easily combined with grouping. Send out one player to do tasks while everyone else sticks together, and if tasks are completed they’re confirmed. The bar in the top left counts quest completions, so you could fake finishing something by standing at a task until progress is made then leaving. I don’t think anyone will be faking tasks for a while though. Among us rules definitely apply here. (Not that I have any more than like 2 hours in that game.)
 
 
All of this is subjective from my own experiences, feel free to suggest changes/additions in the comments.
 
 
 

Random Role Lists

Town
 
 

Investigative Town Utility Town Power Town
Sheriff Transporter Mayor
Tracker Coroner Vigilante
Seer Saint Veteran
Investigator Lookout Prosecutor
Medium Psychic King

 
Traitor
 
 

Deceptive Traitor Utility Traitor Power Traitor
Arsonist Jester Serial Killer
Poisoner Executioner Hex Master
Disguiser Inquisitor Cultist
Illusionist Wildling Necromancer
Wraith Banshee

 
Townie (role) and Traitor (role) are exceptions, as neither can show up in any of these lists aside from Random Any, Random Town, or Random Traitor.
 
 
 

Town Roles

Investigative Town

 
Sheriff
 
Uses their ability button to investigate the highlighted player to learn if they are good or evil (1 use).
 
Tracker
 
Uses their ability button on a dead body to pick up the scent of the killer, allowing them to track them down (via Spectro Hound, only seen by the Tracker, unlimited uses, ~10 second duration, ~30 second cooldown).
 
Seer
 
Uses their ability button to compare two player’s factions to see if they are the same faction (5 uses, 45 second cooldown).
 
Investigator
 
Uses their ability button to tell if a player has killed someone recently (last 30 seconds, 5 uses, 45 second cooldown).
 
Medium
 
For a short period of time after being killed during the roaming phase they may reveal a player’s role to everyone. They can not reveal the role of their killer.
 
 

Utility Town

 
Transporter
 
Uses their ability button while standing on a teleporter to travel around the map (5 second cooldown).
 
Coroner
 
Uses their ability button on a dead body to perform an autopsy. Uses their second ability button on a living player to see if they were the killer.
 
Saint
 
When they are killed they will double the cooldowns on their killer’s abilities (for the rest of the game). A purple orb will start orbiting the ability of the killer to let them know they killed a Saint. Stacks.
 
Lookout
 
Uses their ability to increase their vision radius for a short time.
 
Psychic
 
They will be told when a player dies anywhere on the map.
 
 

Power Town

 
Mayor
 
Uses their ability button to reveal that they are a Mayor making all their votes count for one more (1 use).
 
Vigilante
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (1 use). If they kill a Town member they will die of guilt (via Doom: after discussion phase). If they shoot an illusion, the illusion will be destroyed.
 
Veteran
 
Uses their ability button to enter a state of high alert and counter attack anyone who tries to attack them for a period of time (3 uses, ~5 second duration, ~20 second cooldown). While on high alert, if attacked by a Necromancer’s minion, they will kill the Necromancer’s minion and not the Necromancer.
 
Prosecutor
 
Uses their ability button to force a player to the stand to die (1 use, 10 second duration). If their target is found innocent they will die.
 
King
 
Uses their ability button to knight the highlighted player causing their votes to count for one more.
 
 
 

Traitor Roles

Deceptive Traitor

 
Arsonist
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses, 30 second cooldown). The bodies of players killed by them disappear after a period of time (unlimited uses, 30 second cooldown, ~5 second duration before body disappears).
 
Poisoner
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to poison the highlighted player causing them to die after a period of time.
 
Disguiser
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to sample a player they wish to disguise as (unlimited uses, ~20 second cooldown). Using it again will turn them into that player for a period of time (unlimited uses, ~15 second duration).
 
Illusionist
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses, ~30 second cooldown). Uses their ability button to inspect a player they wish to create an illusion of (unlimited uses, ~15 second cooldown). Using the button again will cause an illusion of that player to spawn and run to the second closest teleporter and use it (unlimited uses, no duration). Illusion is shown as a Traitor to other Traitor roles. If a Vigilante shoots an illusion, the illusion will be destroyed. If the illusion is investigated, it will show the results of the actual player the illusion is based off of.
 
Wraith
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to go invisible for a period of time (after they kill).
 
 

Utility Traitor

 
Jester
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). If they are hanged one player who didn’t vote innocent will die (via Doom: automatically). Once dead they will be able to possess a living player for a short period of time (unlimited uses, 10 second duration, 30 second cooldown), and kill as that player! (unlimited uses, 30 second cooldown).
 
 
Executioner
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to select a target. If their target is hanged, then one player who didn’t vote innocent will die (via Doom: automatically), and they can choose another target. If their target is killed by a player, then they can select a new target.
 
 
Inquisitor
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to discover a player’s role for all Traitors (unlimited uses, no duration).
 
 
Wildling
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to gain the ability to see players through walls (unlimited uses, 10 second duration, 45 second cooldown).
 
 
Banshee
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to lock out all Town members from using their abilities for a period of time.
 
 

Power Traitor

 
Serial Killer
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses, ~30 second cooldown). When they kill a player they can temporarily kill again for a short period of time (unlimited uses, ~10 second duration).
 
 
Hex Master
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to hex a player (unlimited uses). When all living Town members are hexed they will all die.
 
 
Cultist
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to convert another player into a cultist. Most converts will keep their original role’s abilities, while gaining the ability to kill.
 
 
Necromancer
 
Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to summon a minion to kill their target. Their minion will spawn at the graveyard, getting faster the longer it exists until it kills their target. If the minion attacks a Veteran on high alert, the minion will die and the Necromancer won’t.
 
 
 

Sheriff [Town]

Uses their ability button to investigate the highlighted player to learn if they are good or evil (1 use).
 
 
 

Coroner [Town]

Uses their ability button on a dead body to perform an autopsy. Uses their second ability button on a living player to see if they were the killer.
 
 
 

Investigator [Town]

Uses their ability button to tell if a player has killed someone recently (last 30 seconds, 5 uses, 45 second cooldown).
 
 
 

King [Town]

Uses their ability button to knight the highlighted player causing their votes to count for one more.
 
 
 

Lookout [Town]

Uses their ability to increase their vision radius for a short time.
 
 
 

Mayor [Town]

Uses their ability button to reveal that they are a Mayor making all their votes count for one more (1 use).
 
 
 

Medium [Town]

For a short period of time after being killed during the roaming phase they may reveal a player’s role to everyone. They can not reveal the role of their killer.
 
 
 

Prosecutor [Town]

Uses their ability button to force a player to the stand to die (1 use, 10 second duration). If their target is found innocent they will die.
 
 
 

Psychic [Town]

They will be told when a player dies anywhere on the map.
 
 
 

Saint [Town]

When they are killed they will double the cooldowns on their killer’s abilities (for the rest of the game). A purple orb will start orbiting the ability of the killer to let them know they killed a Saint. Stacks.
 
 
 

Seer [Town]

Uses their ability button to compare two player’s factions to see if they are the same faction (5 uses, 45 second cooldown).
 
 
 

Townie [Town]

They are an innocent member of the Town!
 
 
 

Tracker [Town]

Uses their ability button on a dead body to pick up the scent of the killer, allowing them to track them down (via Spectro Hound, only seen by the Tracker, unlimited uses, ~10 second duration, ~30 second cooldown).
 
 
 

Transporter [Town]

Uses their ability button while standing on a teleporter to travel around the map (5 second cooldown).
 
 
 

Veteran [Town]

Uses their ability button to enter a state of high alert and counter attack anyone who tries to attack them for a period of time (3 uses, ~5 second duration, ~20 second cooldown). While on high alert, if attacked by a Necromancer’s minion, they will kill the Necromancer’s minion and not the Necromancer.
 
 
 

Vigilante [Town]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (1 use). If they kill a Town member they will die of guilt (via Doom: after discussion phase). If they shoot an illusion, the illusion will be destroyed.
 
 
 

Arsonist [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses, 30 second cooldown). The bodies of players killed by them disappear after a period of time (unlimited uses, 30 second cooldown, ~5 second duration before body disappears).
 
 
 

Banshee [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to lock out all Town members from using their abilities for a period of time.
 
 
 

Cultist [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to convert another player into a cultist. Most converts will keep their original role’s abilities, while gaining the ability to kill.
 
 
 

Disguiser [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to sample a player they wish to disguise as (unlimited uses, ~20 second cooldown). Using it again will turn them into that player for a period of time (unlimited uses, ~15 second duration).
 
 
 

Executioner [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to select a target. If their target is hanged, then one player who didn’t vote innocent will die (via Doom: automatically), and they can choose another target. If their target is killed by a player, then they can select a new target.
 
 
 

Hex Master [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to hex a player (unlimited uses). When all living Town members are hexed they will all die.
 
 
 

Illusionist [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses, ~30 second cooldown). Uses their ability button to inspect a player they wish to create an illusion of (unlimited uses, ~15 second cooldown). Using the button again will cause an illusion of that player to spawn and run to the second closest teleporter and use it (unlimited uses, no duration). Illusion is shown as a Traitor to other Traitor roles. If a Vigilante shoots an illusion, the illusion will be destroyed. If the illusion is investigated, it will show the results of the actual player the illusion is based off of.
 
 
 

Inquisitor [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to discover a player’s role for all Traitors (unlimited uses, no duration).
 
 
 

Jester [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). If they are hanged one player who didn’t vote innocent will die (via Doom: automatically). Once dead they will be able to possess a living player for a short period of time (unlimited uses, 10 second duration, 30 second cooldown), and kill as that player! (unlimited uses, 30 second cooldown).
 
 
 

Necromancer [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to summon a minion to kill their target. Their minion will spawn at the graveyard, getting faster the longer it exists until it kills their target. If the minion attacks a Veteran on high alert, the minion will die and the Necromancer won’t.
 
 
 

Poisoner [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to poison the highlighted player causing them to die after a period of time.
 
 
 

Serial Killer [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses, ~30 second cooldown). When they kill a player they can temporarily kill again for a short period of time (unlimited uses, ~10 second duration).
 
 
 

Traitor [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses, ~10 second cooldown when the game starts, ~20 seconds after a kill).
 
 
 

Wildling [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to gain the ability to see players through walls (unlimited uses, 10 second duration, 45 second cooldown).
 
 
 

Wraith [Traitor]

Uses their kill button to kill the highlighted player (unlimited uses). Uses their ability button to go invisible for a period of time (after they kill).
 
 
 

Addendum

Did I miss anything? Corrections are appreciated in the comments.
 
 

 
 
Hope you enjoy the Guide about Traitors in Salem – Basic Survival Guide, if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!