TEXT: ©2019 by Christopher Allen <ChristopherA@DyversHands.com>. Image credits at DyversHands.com/GateWatch   
  You are WATCHERS of the GATE. Select one 
  GATE from the images on the back of these 
  cards or invent your own. Read aloud these 
  basic questions, then decide together your 
  answers to them. (~5 minutes): 
  • What does your own GATE look like? 
  • What is on the other side? 
  • How do the 2 sides of the GATE differ? 
  • On which side of your GATE is home? 
  • Write up the answers about the GATE’S 
  home side as your 1st LOCATION index card. 
  Draw a map of each side of the GATE on two 
  sheets of paper (~10 minutes): 
  • Draw & name the other side of the GATE, 
  and create your 2nd LOCATION index card. 
  • Taking turns, each player draws & names 
  (or draws a path off the page toward) at 
  least 2 nearby LOCATIONS, choosing at least 
  one Location on each side of Gate. 
  • Each player writes an index card with a 
  short description of their LOCATION choice.
  Read aloud the following questions ﬁrst, then 
  consider & decide on the answers for some, 
  but leave the others open as MYSTERIES. (10m) 
  • Who knows about the GATE? Uses it? 
  • Who comes through & with what? 
  • How do you pass through the GATE? 
  • Is the GATE always open? Why not? 
  • Is the GATE dangerous? How? 
  • Why are we watching? How long? 
  • Who or what are we watching for? 
  • Who built the GATE? When? How? 
  • Are there more GATEs? Where? 
  • Are we only watching the GATE, or are we 
  also guarding or defending it? 
  • Are we being paid to watch? How? 
  • Who are our enemies? Our allies? 
  Each player chooses at least one unanswered 
  intriguing question as a MYSTERY & writes it 
  up on an index card. Review the remaining 
  answers and write them up as TRUTHS. (10m)
  Each player plays a member of the watch. 
  Take turns asking a fellow WATCHER a 
  question about themselves — it is these 
  answers that will determine the nature of the 
  WATCHER. The answerer then asks another 
  WATCHER the next question. Continue until 
  each has answered at least 3 questions. (10m) 
  Possible questions include: 
  •When did you ﬁrst become aware of the 
  existence of GATES? 
  •When did you become a WATCHER? 
  •How did you once save the day? 
  •When have you failed? How did you 
  survive? 
  •What do you lack or need? 
  •What is your greatest talent? 
  •Who is your greatest mentor? 
  •Who do you care about the most? 
  Players write the name of their WATCHER, 
  along with 3 short phrases related to their 
  unique answers to these questions.
  There are at least three acts, each of which 
  typically contains two or three (5-10m) scenes 
  per player. Turn all 6 RESOLUTION cards face-
  down in center of table at beginning of each 
  act. Pick 3 MYSTERIES to focus on. 
  In Act 1, the player with the youngest 
  WATCHER begins the ﬁrst scene. Each player 
  on their ﬁrst scene shufﬂes the other WATCHER 
  cards, draws one & draws a random card from 
  the PLOT deck. The act ends when everyone’s 
  Act 1 WATCHER PLOT is resolved. 
  In Act 2, the player with the oldest WATCHER 
  begins by drawing a single LOCATION card, a 
  PLOT card and sharing the result. Remove one 
  of the MYSTERIES from focus. The act ends 
  when this Act 2 PLOT has been addressed at 
  LOCATION. 
  In Act 3, the player who has been least in the 
  spotlight begins the ﬁrst act. Pick one of 
  remaining MYSTERIES. The act ends when a 
  clue or answer to the MYSTERY is revealed. 
  Repeat Acts 2 & Act 3 as needed for future 
  sessions with new LOCATION & MYSTERY.
  Taking turns, set up a short scene with the 
  WATCHER you created. You must...  
  • Set the stage (when, where, what). 
  • Portray your WATCHER in that scene. 
  • “Cut!” Finish the scene when you’re ready 
  (your plot does not have to be resolved yet!). 
  You may… 
  • Ask other player’s WATCHERS to join you in 
  the spotlight. 
  • Ask remaining players to play any ensemble 
  characters as needed. 
  • Ask “Help me ﬁgure out…?”—Invite the 
  other players to come up with an answer. If 
  no one answers, the player to your left 
  decides the answer. 
  • Ask “Do I Succeed?” The player to your 
  left chooses a face-down RESOLUTION card, 
  turns card face-up & narrates the result. 
  • If all RESOLUTION cards are face-up, turn all 
  face-down.
  At any time any player may request… 
  •“Focus on that!” — Ask the speaker to 
  offer greater detail about the scene & what 
  is happening. 
  •“Close-up!” Ask the speaker pause so that 
  you can add detail to a scene to support the 
  characters in the spotlight. 
  •“Rewind!” — Ask the speaker to undo 
  what their character is doing and do it in a 
  different way.  
  •“Fast-Forward!” — Ask the speaker move 
  to the next scene faster. 
  •“Pause!” — Signal to the other players that 
  the current scene is not comfortable and 
  intensity should be reduced. 
  •“That seems risky!” — Ask that the 
  player speaking to restate what they are 
  trying to do. A 3rd player turns over a 
  RESOLUTION card face-up, interprets & 
  narrates the result. (Only once per scene.)
  ❶ Create Locations 
  ❷ Deﬁne the Mysteries 
  ❸ The Watchers
  ❻ On Anyone’s Turn 
  ❺ On Your Turn 
  ❹ The Three Acts
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  ©2019 by Christopher Allen <ChristopherA@DyversHands.com>. Image credits at DyversHands.com/GateWatch   
  
  Act One 
  Choose one of…  
  • The WATCHER has something you need 
  or want. Act can end if you gain or are 
  publicly denied it. 
  • The WATCHER has a story they are 
  reluctant to tell. Act can end if they tell 
  the story or publicly tell you no. 
  Act Two 
  Choose one of… 
  • You require help from allies or mentors 
  at LOCATION who want your support for 
  another goal. Act ends after the 
  WATCHERS support them or fail at the 
  attempt. 
  • You are betrayed or tricked by allies 
  or mentors at LOCATION. Act ends after 
  the WATCHERS confront them.
  Act One 
  • You suspect WATCHER or WATCHER’S ally 
  has a hidden agenda. Act can end once 
  you learn the agenda, or when the 
  WATCHER denies it after you confront 
  them publicly. 
  Act Two 
  Choose one of…  
  • An answer about GATES previously 
  determined to be a TRUTH is in fact false. 
  Act ends when the WATCHERS ﬁnd it is 
  false at LOCATION. Create a new MYSTERY 
  card. 
  • The GATE closes, possibly due to the 
  activities at LOCATION. Act ends when 
  either the WATCHERS discover the source 
  of the closure, or the GATE re-opens.
  Act One 
  •At some time in the past you spied upon 
  WATCHER or you stole something from 
  WATCHER that they may or may not 
  value. Act ends when you either ask for 
  forgiveness or return what you stole. 
  Act Two 
  Choose one of…  
  •You must work alongside someone the 
  WATCHERS don't like (rivals, villains, 
  outcasts) at LOCATION. Act ends when 
  the WATCHERS either succeed or fail in 
  collaborating with them. 
  •A new GATE is rumored to have opened 
  at LOCATION. Act ends when the 
  WATCHERS discover if the rumor is false 
  or when they discover where the new 
  GATE leads to.
  Act One 
  •You must break a rule or law to deal 
  with a personal situation. You need help 
  or to obtain permission from WATCHER 
  to do so. Act can end after you deal with 
  any consequences. 
  Act Two 
  Choose one of… 
  •A traveller from LOCATION desires to pass 
  through the GATE. Act ends when the 
  WATCHERS allow or deny the traveller 
  access to pass through. 
  •Goods (resources, tech, magic, gifts) 
  from other side of GATE are to be 
  delivered to LOCATION. Act ends when 
  the WATCHERS allow the goods to arrive 
  at the LOCATION or refuse them.
  Act One 
  • You wish to meet the family or friend of 
  WATCHER or for WATCHER to meet your 
  family or friend. Act can end when the 
  meeting occurs or WATCHER denies the 
  meeting. 
  Act Two 
  Choose one of… 
  • There is a rumor that a clue to a 
  MYSTERY may be found at LOCATION. Act 
  ends when rumor is proved false or clue 
  is found. 
  • The WATCHERS are beset by an 
  unexpected force at or denied access to 
  LOCATION (enemies, the law, force-of-
  nature, an event). Act ends when the 
  WATCHERS succeed or fail to repel the 
  force, or when access is otherwise 
  restored.
  Act One 
  • The WATCHER has an exceptional skill or 
  ability that you wish to witness or that 
  can teach you something. Act can end 
  when you witness it or are publicly 
  denied by WATCHER. 
  Act Two 
  Choose one of… 
  • The control of LOCATION has 
  unexpectedly changed hands. Act ends 
  when the WATCHERS discover who 
  controls it and what the consequences 
  of that change will be. 
  • There are innocents or bystanders at 
  LOCATION that are threatened by the 
  GATE and must be protected. Act ends 
  after the WATCHERS have succeeded or 
  failed in protecting them.
  Plot 
  Plot 
  Plot
  Plot 
  Plot 
  Plot
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  ©2019 by Christopher Allen <ChristopherA@DyversHands.com>. Image credits at DyversHands.com/GateWatch   
  
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  No, and unexpectedly… 
  … something entirely unrelated 
  goes wrong /misses the mark 
  … others will discover you or 
  become opposed against you 
  … something dear to you is 
  harmed, lost or destroyed 
  … you harm yourself, a friend, 
  ally or loved one 
  … omens of a dark future are 
  foreshadowed or prophesied 
  against you 
  … another plot thread accelerates 
  to conﬂict
  No, but… 
  … your failure has some positive 
  consequences 
  … you lose no time or resources 
  … your failure can help another 
  succeed 
  … you gain insight or knowledge 
  that will be useful in the future 
  … you gain a friend or goodwill 
  in the process 
  … you gain insights on how to 
  resolve a different plot thread
  No, unless you still 
  choose to succeed… 
  … at a serious cost 
  … at the price of earning a new 
  enemy, debt or bad reputation 
  … by sacriﬁcing something dear 
  to you 
  … at the price of harming 
  yourself, a friend, ally or a 
  loved one 
  … by ﬁnding someone else more 
  suited to the task 
  … by signiﬁcantly altering the 
  stakes or goal 
  (spotlight character chooses)
  Yes, but you succeed… 
  … at a minor cost 
  … with unanticipated or 
  unintended consequences for 
  the future 
  … by exhausting additional 
  resources 
  … by being slower than planned 
  … at the cost of others noticing 
  your actions in the future 
  … by being disadvantaged in 
  resolving a different plot 
  thread 
  Yes, and… 
  … you were more as successful 
  than planned 
  … you succeed using fewer 
  resources 
  … you succeed quickly leaving 
  extra time 
  … you succeed quietly and 
  without notice 
  … you succeed with style & 
  panache 
  … you succeed perfectly & 
  decisively
  Resolution 
  Resolution 
  Resolution
  Resolution 
  Resolution 
  Resolution
  Yes, and unexpectedly… 
  … something completely 
  unrelated is a success 
  … you ﬁnd or discover something 
  or someone important 
  … you earn an ally, reward or 
  good reputation in the process 
  … you gain insight or knowledge 
  that will be useful in the future 
  … omens of a bright future are 
  foreshadowed or prophesied 
  for you 
  … you will be at an advantage in 
  resolving another plot thread
  Print Double Sided Long Edge on Avery #5392 “Meeting Badge” Cards
  ©2019 by Christopher Allen <ChristopherA@DyversHands.com>. Image credits at DyversHands.com/GateWatch   
  
  Print Double Sided Long Edge on Avery #5392 “Meeting Badge” Cards
  ©2019 by Christopher Allen <ChristopherA@DyversHands.com>. Image credits at DyversHands.com/GateWatch   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Collections/Kid Friendly/3. Rules Lite Collection/Gate Watch - Collaborative Cinematic Storytelling (Digital Print & Play) [2019].pdf