Toby

Toby is an NPC character at the party. He is not a member of the cast, so the spy cannot play as him or select him for any role. Both the spy and the sniper can easily recognize him due to his distinct appearance and the grey triangle over his head. On most venues, he is a waiter, and walks around to players to offer them drinks from his tray. On certain venues, he is a bartender, and guests must walk to him to get a drink. Toby always appears in old art style, even in new art parties, because no new art has yet been created for him (Chris Hecker the developer said that Toby and Damon were not going to be changed until close to the final release).

As Waiter[]

Toby looks for guests who are not currently holding anything in their left hand, then goes up behind them and offers them a drink. A spy whose left hand is empty can summon Toby, or can wait for Toby to come to them spontaneously. Once Toby is offering them a drink, the spy can choose to take or refuse it. Refusing a drink causes Toby to immediately seek out another guest to visit. If the spy ignores Toby for 15 seconds, he will give up and find someone else to serve. NPCs never ignore Toby so long that he gives up, although they may walk away while he is offering a drink.

While being offered a drink, the spy can choose to purloin the guest list from his tray.

As Bartender[]

Toby remains behind the bar. A guest whose left hand is empty can go up to the bar and request a drink. Toby will serve guests in the order in which they requested their drinks. If the spy demands a drink, the spy will be the next to be served (AI's will never demand a drink though).

On some occasions, NPC guests will reject the drink that was prepared for them, or become impatient and leave before Toby can serve them.

Toby puts the guest list on the bar while the drink is prepared; this is the spy's opportunity to purloin it.

Drinks[]

Guests always hold drinks in the left hand. While holding a drink, the spy can choose to sip or gulp it. A drink takes three sips to finish, while a gulp will drain whatever is left in the glass. Once the drink is finished, the glass disappears, and the spy's left hand becomes empty again. Sometimes a partygoer will start the game with a drink already in hand; in that case, the drink always has only one sip left in it. NPCs never gulp drinks (except if the spy interferes with them).

Holding a drink affects the spy's ability to accomplish missions (because their left hand is occupied):

Can't perform: Transfer Microfilm, Swap Statue, Inspect Statues, Purloin Guest List
Options limited: Bug Ambassador (can only bug with the right hand), Fingerprint Ambassador (can't lift prints from books or statues)
Unaffected: Contact Double Agent, Seduce Target

Spy Strategy[]

You typically don't want to be holding a drink because it prevents you from accomplishing some missions. But NPCs accept drinks, so never taking one makes you look suspicious.

After accomplishing the Purloin Guest List mission with a white or red action test, you will have a drink in your hand. A sniper who quickly notices that the guest list is missing might find you suspicious for holding a drink.

Sniper Strategy[]

Anybody who accepts a drink from Toby and finishes it in less than three sips is probably the spy. It's safe to shoot anyone who ignores Toby offering them a drink for 10 seconds without leaving, or who accepts a drink as Toby is retracting it. Holding a drink shortly after the guest list has been purloined is suspicious, particularly when the character is known to have been near Toby at the time. Some snipers highlight Toby when the Purloin Guest List mission is active in order to keep track of him more easily.

Background[]

Originally, the waiter was unnamed. Beta tester zerotka posted a poem in the SpyParty forums in which the waiter was given the name Toby. Chris Hecker later reproduced the poem on the SpyParty blog, and in build 1970 the name was added to the game as an undocumented change.

Characters