Tracker
This design document is currently completely unimplemented in Ephemeral Space.
You should not expect to find anything listed here in-game just yet.
Tracking issue:
Name: Tracker
Troupe: Crew
Description: Place hidden trackers on others using codephrases. Use these to help prevent their deaths.
Objectives: Place trackers on X amount of players for Y amount of time, and make sure at least Z% of them avoid death.
Is it stalkerish? I guess you could see it as stalkerish. That's vaaalid. But I did pull you out of a plasmaflooded room with three Traitors inside.
Concept
The Tracker is a helpful mask with mechanics very similar to the Bomber.
Abilities
The Tracker receives a random list of codewords (similar to upstream traitor codewords) that can be used to place a tracking device. By targeting someone with an action and then speaking one of their codewords in a sentence while in the target's proximity, a tracker will silently be attached to the target. When the target is attacked by someone else, this tracker will ping their location. If the target enters critical condition, it will do the same, with a more urgent tone, and then disable itself.
Three trackers can be placed at a time, and if all are placed one must be removed or disabled in order to place another. Trackers can only be removed by the Tracker, by speaking the codeword again in proximity of the target.
Gameplay
Forensics can be used to detect if a tracker was placed on someone and several candidates for who could have done it, but this of course requires suspicion that one was placed to begin with. If the Tracker dies, their trackers are disabled and drop onto the ground near the targets.
As a guardian-type mask, Trackers provide a strong means of locating someone who has been hurt and ensuring that they get out of the situation safely, creating interesting interactions with many masks. However, placing a tracker isn't trivial. It's hard to tell someone ahead of time that you're doing it, as they may assume you're a Bomber, whose codeword-marking functions identically and is indistinguishable until critical condition is reached. Those who suspect others are using codewords can never be positive whether it's to harm them or help them.
If a Tracker comes to someone's rescue, this could be viewed as suspicious, as they might have learned of the target's location through another means, like a Traitor item.