The following is one of the last things Thom Girard wrote as he was preparing to run the Encampment scheduled for next week.  The rules are fairly elaborate and subject to whatever revisions necessary.  Please let me know what you think.

I would especially ask the young men to circulate the information so you are ready for Saturday night.

The Night Watch

The Game of the Encampment

The game of Night Watch is originally set up for boys 13 and older.  It’s concept is to protect the faith (fire) against all evils (adults) and get through the evening.

Many of Nightwatch men have fallen asleep, stayed too close to the fire, been distracted, not functioned as a team, or just failed to maintain the fire. All these items can be considered important items into fatherhood.

Falling Asleep – fathers who just do not pay attention to their children.

Staying too close to the fire – a Dad who is too meek and not taking on the role of fatherhood may fall for anything

Being distracted – considered too much of something other than the focus of his family (TV, drinking, drugs, etc.)

Not functioning as a team – a set of parents not functioning together to raise the family.

Not maintaining the fire – absentee Dad.

Neither of these are what the Night Watch men should be and hopefully during this game they can understand what their fathers are going through continuously and what they are expected to go through when they are adults. Fatherhood, whether a parent, priest or brother have all these obligations to the family or the community they are involved with and need to always keep your guard up 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

How to Play

In order to win the game of night watch Team A (adults) must capture the fire(s) and return to their territory. Team B (Night watchmen) must capture 60 percent of Team A OR not have their fire captured all night.

Team Members:

Team A
Team B

Captain
Captain

Manhunter
Manhunter

Attacker
Patroller

Jailer
Jailer

Team A can capture members of team B but get no credit for captures. Team A’s complete and total focus is to merely capture the fire and return to their territory safely (obviously not with the fire).

Team B can capture members of Team A and imprison them in a designated area Team B must capture 60 percent of all players and have them in jail in order to automatically win.

A member who is in jail can be questioned, freed from jail, or escape.

There is no limit to how many times you can be caught and thrown back into the slammer.

Any member from either team can be freed from jail if one of your team members touches you.

Territories

The Night watchmen have the area of the citadel to protect and guard. Obviously they must MAKE SURE THE FIRE IS LIT AT ALL TIMES! A smoldering fire is an automatic forfeiture.

The Attackers have the multipurpose room and the cottage area.

Off limit areas are those where other campers are sleeping.

Any other area not mentioned is considered Neutral and open to fair
game.

Rules of Capture

Anybody who is tagged by a patroller or attacker while in the territory of the opposing team must be notified (“gotcha” is good) and is automatically sent to Jail. Anybody can escort them.

Anybody who is tagged while in the neutral zone must be notified (“gotcha” is good) and then must be escorted right away by the person who tagged him to the jailer at a reasonable speed. The escort cannot
attack any other member until that person has been successfully placed in jail.

Captains privilege

If you are caught by the captain of the team you cannot be returned to the other team and must remain caught or you may choose to be converted (loyalty to the end?). The captain may have mercy and release the prisoner at his discretion.

Man hunter’s privilege

The Man hunter can use water balloons to capture his opponent in neutral territory.

When the opponent is hit by a balloon the person must surrender themselves to the opponent’s jailer. If the Man hunter escorts the captive to the Jailer he is considered converted and is forced to join the side of the MAN HUNTER.

If the opponent hit by the balloon tags the jailer before the Man hunter can escort them they are considered a prisoner. Not converted.

A captive or prisoner must give up any non-concealable items upon request of the captor or a teammate of the captor. Concealable items need not be given up unless the enemy asking for them knows that the
player has the item.

Jailer

Each team has a jail which is designated at the beginning of the game. The jail must be somewhat accessible.

Each team has one player who will play the role of the jailer, and is indicated by some external clothing that is always seen. The Jailer can be switched to Attacker or Patroller but the person who is the new jailer must have the indicated item worn. The jailer can at any point in time be removed by the team but the item of indication must left behind at the jail leaving no jailer for that team.

If the Jailer is not present or has been captured the jail remains functional and all prisoners are not released.

The jail cannot be moved once the game has begun.

Truth Serum

The jailer has a supply of Truth Serum, which he may use by poking a prisoner in the shoulder with a pinky finger. The prisoner then becomes an interrogation victim.

The jailer may then ask the victim up to six yes/no questions, and the victim may lie no more than once. The victim may answer “I don’t know” if they really do not know, but then the question doesn’t count against the six.

Upon completion of questioning, the victim is freed from jail and must
return to his home territory as after a jailbreak. Questioning is
complete when the victim answers the sixth question.

There cannot be any more than one truth serum victim in each jail.

Freedom

A player in a normal state may touch a prisoner in another team’s jail. Both players are ethereal and must return to their home territories by the most direct route; they need not remain together. Only once they
have returned to their home territory can they begin play again.

Land Minds

A land mind is a water balloon placed on the ground.

A land mind can only be laid down in your own territory.

An opposing player who touches the land mind in enemy territory is stunned for one minute.

A land mind can be captured and used by the Manhunter if it has not exploded and they have been stunned for one minute without capture.

Picking up a land mind in neutral or home territory has no effect.

Sportsmanship

Players may not physically impede or block other players, either with their bodies or with objects.

Breakage of this rule is grounds to eject you from the game.

You may not fabricate or replicate game items.

Lies

Although lies and deceit are part of the game, there are several things you may not conceal, obfuscate, or lie about.

• You may not lie about whether you’re in the game.
• You may not lie about which team you’re on.
• You may not lie about the status of the game.
• You may not lie about what non-concealable items you have.
• You may not lie about any player’s status.

The End of the Game

The game is over when any one of the following conditions has been met:

• The fire has been captured
• 60% of all of the attacking players have been captured
• Night Watch survives the evening without having their fire captured