The Mayor's Prerogatives
When the Rat Law track climbs, the Mayor is handed a one-time power. These are the prerogatives: Service Rat's take on the executive powers from Secret Hitler, where they're called presidential powers. Five exist, they fire the moment a Rat Law lands in the right slot, and exactly which one you get depends on how many players started the game.
Prerogatives are the lever that turns a quiet legislative game into a knife fight. A single Sniff Out can clear a suspected Sellout or sink an innocent Cat. A Kick Out of Town at the wrong moment can hand the Cats an instant win, or wipe out the only person who suspected the Rat. Knowing the schedule cold is half the skill.
The unlock schedule, by player count
The row is the Rat Law that was just signed; the column is the number of players the game started with. This is the exact table the app uses: prerogative timing genuinely changes with group size, which is why the same play feels different at 5 than at 10.
| Rat Law # | 5–6 players | 7–8 players | 9–10 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | – | – | Sniff Out |
| 2nd | – | Sniff Out | Sniff Out |
| 3rd | Peek at the Docket | Snap Election | Snap Election |
| 4th | Kick Out of Town | Kick Out of Town | Kick Out of Town |
| 5th | Kick Out of Town + Veto unlocks | Kick Out of Town + Veto unlocks | Kick Out of Town + Veto unlocks |
At the 6th Rat Law the Sellouts have already won, so no prerogative fires. Want this broken out per group size? See how player count changes the game.
The five prerogatives
Each card below links to a full guide: what the power does, exactly when it shows up, and how to milk it from both sides of the table. The name in parentheses is the Secret Hitler power it mirrors.
Prerogatives are the back half of a Round. If you're fuzzy on the front half, the nomination, the vote and the law draw, start with the full How to Play guide, then come back here.
Reading prerogatives by role
A prerogative is never neutral. Cats want every power to surface truth; the Sellout team wants every power to muddy it. The same Sniff Out that exonerates an honest Mayor becomes a weapon when a Sellout runs it and lies about the result. Before you ever trigger one, know which role you're playing for: the role guides cover exactly how Cats, Sellouts, and the Rat each weaponize the prerogative schedule.
The app applies every prerogative for you: no rulebook lookups mid-game. Free on Android and iOS, no account.