Ninja Tag

A game about stealth, and searching.

New Age Base Game

Rules:

• Spies take one hit, or one tag, to die.
• Task Force Members (TFMs) are slightly vulnerable.
  • Spies can eliminate a Hunter by stealth-fully `assassinating` the hunter.
    • The way to eliminate them is up to the host, whether it's a simple tag, or by pretending to choke them.
• The Spy(ies) go(es) to a designated spot to begin counting to a prearranged number when they arrive.
  • The TFM(s) begin patrolling the area, searching for intruders.
  • Upon reaching the counting number, the Spies can start, or wait even longer to hype up the TFMs.
    • • If a TFM kills a Spy, that Spy goes to the designated dead zone and waits.
        • The maximum amount of new TFMs is equal to the amount of old TFMs.
• It is suggested that the host gives TFMs an advantage, such as toy weaponry, small flashlights, etc.
• For Spies to win, they must complete all objectives.
• For TFMs to win, they must kill all Spies, or go a set time limit without the Spies winning.

Spy Objectives

• First objective, such as assassination, infiltration, theft, reconnaissance, or something the host decides.
• Next, such as, `plant` an object at a designated zone.
• Afterwards, an example would be to get to a certain area.
• A Final objective of Exfiltrating.
• A bonus objective, say, find the hidden flag, or something.

Host Instructions

Find an area to play in, and make sure that the players understand and respect the boundries. This area can be cityscape, inside a building, in the woods, be creative, test the players' skills. Find a way to determine who is/are the TFM(s) first, simply by volunteers, or some other way. Start the playing match, and have fun.

Tips

• Try to keep it under 45 minutes, as it gets less fun for those sitting out, and those playing.
• Don't play favourites, as people tend to become angry over it.
• Avoid overcomplicating the rules, when explaining it, and try to give a demonstration.

Player Instructions

For the Spies

Evade the enemy guards while you race to complete all of your objectives, trying to mix caution with speed. You will need to rush for your objectives, while avoiding the guards, and staying hidden. You can try to eliminate a guard, but doing so will alert the others, and may cause you to fail.

For TFMs

Patrol and search the area for any intruders. Upon sighting one, immediately eliminate them, or alert others, and move in cautiously. Keep them from completing all of their objectives, and protect the area.

Player Tips

For Spies

• Spies can easily split into small groups to accomplish each objective simultaneously.
• Use teamwork to distract and lure TFMs away from objectives.
• Fast movements are only good when you are being chased.
• Clothing colour matters.
  • Black is usually bad, except as a general-purpose one, or in a dark environment- such as a building painted black.
  • Red is a good colour, as when there is no light on it, it is black.

Spies and Stealth

• Slow movements, try to be kind of low, stay towards darker areas, common sense stuff.
• Most people think on a 2-dimensional level. Ahead, behind, left, right, not up, down, and not often straight up.
• Hiding in Plain Sight works best outdoors. Indoors, use cover when possible.

For TFMs

• Spies can easily just try sprinting for the objective.
• Just because you're guarding doesn't mean you can't be stealthy.
  • If they don't know you're there, then they will probably make a mistake in front of you, or relax and move.
• Patrolling everywhere can scare spies fast, in smaller areas, if they see or hear you nearby, then they panic, and adrenaline starts pumping, which makes beginners mess up.

Variants (You can ignore this, if you want)

Classical variant

• With the lame base game, it became just sitting down in a group, and killing the Hunter. To counter, we released the original.

The rules:

• Prey are given time to hide.
• Hunter(s) (number of hunters should be proportionate to prey+area- more prey, more area, more hunters.) Look for prey.
• Hunters simply tag the prey to eliminate them.
• Any prey eliminated becomes the new hunter, taking the previous one's(') place. Those eliminated in a multi-hunter game just wait until all new hunters have been made.

Samurai Guard variant

One person is the ninja, and everyone else is the Samurai Guard.

The samurai choose a patrol route, then stay on it unless the see, hear, smell, or feel something out of place.

The ninja must get the objective, something such as, say, a paper, or assassinate a target.

Samurai take one hit to die, and have melee and touch kills. Ninjas take one hit to die, and can use anything.

eXtreme Samurai Guard variant:

Same as Samurai guard, except the ninja cannot attack, and is by her/himself.

Thief game variant

(Direct from the E-Mail)

1. (At least) two guards per Ninja.
2. Ninjas can't attack but guards can melee attack and tag.
3. Ninjas can go solo or work in groups.
4. Ninjas must steal an item from a area that is guarded.
5. Guards must patrol area of a minimum of twenty feet.

Ambush variant

Everyone except for one person is a hunter.

The prey must go from point A to B, and can choose their route. The hunters set up ambushes along the way, trying to kill the prey.

The prey takes two shots to die, the hunters take one shot to die.

The prey can use anything, while hunters can use anything but shurikens. Hunters need to coordinate with each other to kill the prey.

Icy Hot Snow Ninjas variant

This is similar to "Freeze Tag". This makes it MUCH, MUCH harder to play as the Hunter.

Rules

• If a Hunter tags an unfrozen(Hot) ninja, they are frozen(Icy), and can't move.
• If a Hunter tags a frozen ninja, they are Hot again.
• If a prey tags an Icy prey, they are Hot again. (However, they cannot make a Hot go Icy!)
• The last Hot prey to be frozen is Hunter in the next round.(Or last few, in a multi-hunter game!)
  • This means that say, H tags 1235, then 4. 4 is it, as no one can be unfrozen, and 4 was last to be tagged.

Prison Break variant

This is a cooperative game type, for (~)6+ players.

Rules

• The two prey(prisoners) are chained together at the wrist, and cannot escape the bond. (rope, or something!)
  • This pair must escape from the designated start zone-jail-and get to the end zone-freedom- before getting caught.
  • The prey cannot simply run there-if they do, call either a rerun, or cheating.
• Hunters(Guards) start at the end zone, and must find the prey, and kill them.
  • No camping allowed, as in camping the end zone.

Capture The (Hidden) Flag

Rules

• The Thief/Thieves hides the flag somewhere.
• The Guard(s) put the flag in an open spot.
• Guards are invincible, but can be stunned for 5 seconds with a black egg.
  • Guards can shoot to kill a thief, or tag them.

Gameplay

The thief needs to sneak in, and get the flag, while the guards try to balance finding the hidden flag, and defending theirs.

Sniper

• Basically, was proposed, not tested as of yet.
• 'Sniper' takes a modified Quad-B(see resources) and hides somewhere, trying to pick off his adversaries.
  • Also, a possible replacement is an Airsoft gun, or some other type of Nerf like-gun.

Rules

• Sniper can shoot, but can be tagged.
  • Sniper wins when all opponents are dead.

Simple enough?

Resources

• Survival Topics article on H.I.P.S.

(Hiding in Plain Sight)

• Making a mask from a shirt

Credit and Kudos to Vern Reid.

• [1] Nerf Brand Ballistic Balls

• [2] Dart Tag darts

• [3]Quad-B
  • To properly modify it, cut off forward case, cut off barrel, put on 1/2in. PVC coupling, make 8in. long 1/2in PVC barrel, and works with Stock darts from Hasbro, such as tagger or sonic, not Streamline.