Three Tiers

The Three Tiers is a ranking of characters in a Battle of Wits measuring their intellectual abilities and capacity to play an active part in the plot. The higher a character's tier is, the more power and control they have over the events of the story.

Top Tier: Masterminds

Masterminds are versatile problem solvers. They are the main players in a Battle of Wits, coming up with and putting in motion the plans that drive the plot. They are usually individuals with higher-than-average analytical skills and a talent for strategical thinking, planning and deception, allowing them to manipulate people and events to suit their purpose. Masterminds are central to every Battle of Wits, as they are the ones who drive the story forward by creating elaborate plans to achieve their goals. As specified in the Second Law, every Battle of Wits has at least one Mastermind, but more often includes multiple Masterminds plotting against each other, or occasionally forming alliances. The following are common roles that a Mastermind can take in the story.

Lead Mastermind

A Lead Mastermind is the protagonist of a Battle of Wits, as mentioned in the Second Law. Because the Lead Mastermind is essential in order for a story to be classified as a Battle of Wits, they are the only character role that must always be filled. The Lead Mastermind's existence is crucial to make a Battle of Wits interesting, as the audience is supposed to take their side and root for their plans to succeed. This does not mean, however, that the Lead Mastermind is always going to be an unambiguously good person, and in fact it is not uncommon for them to be morally grey or possibly even villains.

Rival Mastermind

The Rival Mastermind is the counterpart to the Lead Mastermind. Not every Battle of Wits has a Rival Mastermind, but in those that do they are often the main antagonist or at least one of the main antagonists of the story. They are usually depicted as an intellectual equal to the Lead Mastermind, but standing in opposition to them in ideals. For example, if the Lead Mastermind is heroic, the Rival Mastermind will often be villainous, and vice-versa. It is also very common for the two to be on opposite sides of the law. The rivalry between the Lead and Rival Masterminds is very often acknowledged in-universe, and characters will usually compare the two. It is not uncommon for the Rival Mastermind to be called the "evil version" of the Lead Mastermind, or for one of them to refer to the other as a "worthy opponent" or claim that they "are not so different after all". Sometimes the two will also have contrasting motifs, for example opposite color schemes or angelic and demonic imagery.

Due to being intellectual equals, it is not uncommon for the Lead and Rival Masterminds to develop some sort of mutual respect. Occasionally, the Rival Mastermind may even switch sides and ally themselves with the Lead Mastermind, either temporarily or permanently. In such a case, they end up taking the role of a Backup Mastermind.

Backup Mastermind

While the Rival Mastermind is the Lead Mastermind's greatest opponent, the Backup Mastermind is the Lead Mastermind's greatest ally. Rather than pursuing their own goals, the Backup Mastermind chooses to support the Lead Mastermind in theirs. The nature of the Backup and Lead's bond varies: they might be friends, lovers or simply united by a shared objective. Given the mutual respect that often forms between the Lead and Rival Masterminds, it is not uncommon for a Rival Mastermind to turn into a Backup Mastermind after being defeated.

Because the Lead Mastermind tends to be responsible for planning, the Backup Mastermind usually has less of an opportunity to shine in that respect than other Masterminds, despite often being as smart as or even smarter than the Lead. Because of that, they often tend to have complementary skills that make them useful in the field, such as combat ability. Still, they are most valuable to the Lead Mastermind in the planning room, either by brainstorming ideas, providing a different perspective on a problem, or taking charge in the Lead's absence.

Middle Tier: Specialists

Specialists are, as the name suggests, specialized problem solvers. They are individuals with technical skills that are useful in particular situations. Such skills may include:

• Professional skills, such as medicine or computers.
• Criminal skills, such as pickpocketing or infiltration.
• Innate talents, such as a photographic memory or the ability to detect lies.

As the middle Tier, Specialists lack the ability of Masterminds to completely control a situation with their plans, but are not almost entirely ineffectual like Commoners. Instead, as the name suggests, Specialists have specialized skills that are useful in particular situations. This can make them useful allies or dangerous enemies to a Mastermind. Because they can take an active role in Matches without overshadowing the Masterminds, Specialists are the most common type of character in Battles of Wits.

Bottom Tier: Commoners

Commoners are not problem solvers. As the name suggests, they are normal people without particular abilities that would make them effective in a Battle of Wits. As such, they are most often victims or pawns, being either helped or used by the Specialists and Masterminds in the story.