shell shock - what will you do to survive?

8/9/2019 Shell Shock - What will you do to survive?

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And for once you must try not to shriek the facts

Mankind is kept alive by bestial acts

Bertold Brecht, Threepenny Opera

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SHELL SHOCK how far will you go to survive ?

Shell Shock puts you in the role of young recruits sent to the frontlines. Facing the hardships of military life and war they will have to maketough choices to survive.

Shell Shock is a set of rules which will allow you to tell the stories of these soldiers. There are no predetermined setting. You can tell thestories of US soldiers confronted to the horrors of the Korean war or the lives of guerrilla fighters on the Polar front of the Marsindependance war of !"#. $hatever the setting% the &uestion remains the same ' how far will they go to survive (

Shell Shock is dedicated to the morons, people and friends of the 5 th Infantry Battalion and the town of Sarajevo that I met during the winter of 1995199!"

The opening #uotes of each chapter come from my military service"

$ll images used are in the pu%lic domain" This game was made with OpenOffice and uses the &owncome and $rial fonts"

Filmography : The $mericanisation of 'mily % The Thin (ed )ine% *arriors )**+,% Iron +ross% o man-s land % The Beast of *ar %Taegug.i % /latoon% $ %ridge too far % $ll #uiet on the western front )version !-",% /aths of 0lory % ohnny got his gun% Birdy % the0eneration 2ill mini series"

Books : $ll #uiet on the western front % ohnny got his gun% ourney to the end of ight % (ules of engagement % 3omage to +atalonia% The4orever *ar

Comics : The am% &6 % 3alo ones

Music : /0lek ) $%sence,% 1ancy 2lisa3eth )Battle and 7ictory ,% 2l4P )I-ll sleep when you-re dead ,% Full Metal 5acket 6ST% /escent 6ST%Thin 7ed 8ine 6ST

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The rules Shell Shock uses only si94sided dice )/:,. Usually you throw ! to #dice. 2ach die that shows a !% or " is a failure% each die thatcomes up as a ;%# or : is a success.


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● FrustrationMilitary life is designed to generate frustration. 5ust enough to letyou unleash it in a com3at situation% sometimes more... =n gameterms frustration will 3e used as 3onuses to the player>s rolls.

There no rules covering the soldier-s e#uipment"*eapons, ammo, rations""" se common sense Shell

Shock is a%out the soldiers, not their stuff"

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Creati"g a s#uad: If we go on a first name %asis will end up fuc.ing each other ;

+reating a soldier follows si9 steps '

1. define his attitude towards the conflict. define his attitude towards the army

!. choose his domain>s scores and personality

". calculate his traumas starting score

#. determine the soldier>s rank

$. finishing touches

1$ %ttitude towards the co"flict Try to imagine the feelings of your character a3out the war% this willhelp you picture him 3etter '

● You are a paci%ist opposed to the war 3ut too coward todesert ' gain a 0uilt point"

● You are a &elie'er % you firmly 3elieve that the war yis ?ustified ' gain a 7iolence point"

● You are indi%%erent a3out the war ' gain an Indifferencepoint"

● You don>t think much a3out the war 3ut you %ear to 3ekilled 'gain a 4ear point.

2$ %ttitude towards the ar&y The soldier>s training soon reveals the @ 3est A aspects of hispersonality.

You are a slacker % leaving the dirty work to others ' gain anIndifference point"

You love the thrills of military life. You are enlisted ' gain a7iolence point"

You try to fit in and always go with the crowd. You>re a sheep ' gaina guilt point"

2very s&uad has a scapegoat ' gain a 4ear point.

$ o&ai"s ( )erso"ality 1ow you must set the level of each domain. There are four of

them'

Use Search when the soldier>s perceptions are at stake )find a3oo3y trap or a shelter,

Use &estruction when the soldier wants to kill% maim or destroysome3odyBsomething.

Use 3eart when the soldier interacts with other people on afriendlyBhumane 3asis.

Use ind when the soldier must make rational decisions )conduct

an interrogation

/omains are noted on a ! to # range.

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(e'el )igni%ication

! $eak s personality '

=f his highest domain is ind he>s a leader % gain an Indifferencepoint"

=f his highest domain is 3eart he>s a preacher % gain a guilt point"

=f his highest domain is (esearch he>s a sur'i'or % gain a 4earpoint.

=f his highest domain is &estruction he>s a killer % gain a 7iolencepoint"

%ut has a tendancy to preach =1 Indifference pointagain>"

The uses of traumas and their conse&uences are descri3ed p.D

*$ ra"kThe soldier>s rank is determined 3y his ind score. s order is a 3ad idea though as he can punish you3etween missions.

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Mind score *ank

4" Private

; +orporal

# Sergeant

'ach s#uad can only have one sergeant . If this role isalready filled you-re a corporal"

+$ fi"ishi"g touches

GritYou gain a grit point per scenario. The grit makes the soldierimmune to the effect of stress of similar level. < soldier>s grit scorestarts at and can never 3e superior to "% no one is totally immunefrom stress.

If the 0 and the players want to play a session withmore e8perienced soldiers feel free to start with highergrit scores"

)core )igni%ication

fucking new guy

! soldier

seasoned" veteran

For each grit point gained the player should note a @ moment A of

the game session that particularly marked the soldier. =t>s usuallyone of those events that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

$ soldier who gains his third grit point adds 1 point to oneof his domains and gains one point in the trauma of hischoice"

+ounds , stressThese two scales represent the most important ressources of asoldier% his health and his mental sta3ility.

Frustration s roll. This is

up to the players and the CM. 6nce again% this game is a3outsoldiers% introduce e&uipement when it>s important for the story3eing told.

*emaining troopsFor the remaining mem3ers of a s&uad )1P+s, choose a name% anattitude toward the conflict and an attitude toward the army. $henthey>re involved in a conflict you use three dice. This soldiers arehandled 3y the players% not the CM.

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Syste&$hen a soldier is taking action the player throws a num3er of dicee&ual to the domain used. 2ach die is considered separately. <result of !% or " is a failure. < result of ;% #% : is a success.

Co"flict s a failure. <draw means a status &uo.

$ status #uo should lead to a new conflict with newsta.es or end it" (erolling for the e8act same conflictshould %e avoided as its stalling the ongoing story"

$henever the rules speak of your num3er of successes it>s the

num3er remaining after the opposition>s where su3tracted.

trau&as- uses ( co"se#ue"ces=n Shell Shock% a soldier faces four types of traumas ' 0uilt %Indifference% 4ear and Eiolence. These traumas will slowly tear thesoldier>s soul apart 3ut they may allow him to survive the conflict.

*y accepting guilt % a soldier makes an attack that was aimed at himhit another mem3er of his s&uad )if it>s a soldier played 3y anotherplayer he cannot use his guilt trauma to avoid it,.

*y giving up to Indifference a soldier cancels any stress he mighthave gained in a conflict.

*y giving up to 4ear un soldier will not 3e part of an on4goingconflict.

*y giving up to 7iolence a soldier makes an unopposed/estruction roll and kills one enemy per success he o3tains.

2ach time the soldier succum3s to a trauma its level goes up 3yone. 6nce it reaches five points% the soldier>s attitude should startto change '

is 4ear paralyses him% he >ll try to avoid the enemy and mostconflicts. 6ther soldiers will feel uneasy around him.

is Indifference cuts him away from his loved ones. e stopsreceiving mail% his girlfriend leaves him... $hatever fits thesituation.

is 7iolence makes him a 3ully. e always try to use the&estruction domain in com3at.

is guilt starts to weight on its his shoulders. e tries to avoid theuse of the &estruction domain in com3at.

6nce he reaches ! points in one of his traumas% the soldier wenttoo far and the rest of his life will 3ear the marks of the war '

Full of 4ear the soldier will run away for the rest of his life. May3e

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he>ll desert the army% &uit his wife or let down his friends ...

*y giving up to Indifference the soldier 3ecomes a sociopath. eends up alone and pro3a3ly depressive.

Seduced 3y 7iolence the soldier allows it to take control of his li fe.*eaten wife% 3eaten kids... The soldier>s future is now a

neverending 3rawl against himself and the rest of the world.*urdened 3y guilt % the soldier commits suicide% 3y 3ecomingalcoholic% drug dependant or 3y putting a 3ullet through his 3rain.

ther causes o% traumaThere are many situations that can cause a trauma to grow. Theseare up to the players 3ut here are some e9amples '

● Kill a civilian% 3e part of shooting s&uad ' G! 0uilt point.

● Kill another soldier )@ friendly A,% participate in torture ' G!

7iolence point.

● 8efting 3ehind a fellow soldier ' G! 4ear point.

● 8etting any of the a3ove things happening and do nothing 'G! Indifference point.

Traumas are the core of a Shell Shock session, %e sureyou and your players fully understand their uses andconse#uences"

/rustratio": 4eeling cold is a civilian feeling ;

Military life 3rings its own set of frustrations. Stupid orders%incompetent officers% pointless e9ercises... The goal is always to letsome frustration 3uild4up in each soldier. The point then 3eing to

let them release it on the 3attlefield. < frustration point can add onedie to a soldier>s pool. You can use up to three points for a singleroll. < soldier can never have more than three frustration points at atime.

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slaughter : *hen you need something, open the door, shoot and helpyourself ;

=n Shell Shock there>s a conflict when something or someone

opposes the soldier. The following rules are used to resolve theseconflicts% 3e it an argument with a stu33orn officer or to find theposition of a sniper hidden in the ?ungle.

=n every case% the players determine what domain they will use inthe conflict while the CM will fi9 the siHe of the opposition pool ofdice.


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)tressThe stress levels are '

● ervous ' as the name implies.

● $gitated ' the tension makes him loose all his frustrationpoints.

● /anic.ed ' the soldier will soon snap. e cannot receive

3onus dice from other soldiers.● Shell Shoc. ' the soldier collapses into a state of shock.

6nce in a shell shock state the soldier>s actions will 3e guided 3yhis highest trauma )player>s choice in case of a draw,. e thenuses a pool of dice e&ual to the selected trauma when he needs toact.

'ach 0rit level ma.es the soldier immune to thecorresponding stress level" So even with a level A grit asoldier remains vulnera%le to shell shoc."

The rest o% the s/uad - s rather simple ' the sergeant goes first then the corporals andfinally the soldiers.

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Ee&)le of co&3at The $lpha s#uad is patrolling planet 3alifa8-s tunnels" The players have to define the sta.es for the coming conflict ? do theywant to avoid the enemy C Or will they o%ey orders and try to findhim C

The sergeant wants to carry on the orders %ut the s#uad-s scoutgoes with the first option" The 0 thin.s that the conflict involvesonly the s#uad-s scout and as. him for a (esearch roll"

3ans the scout has a score of 5 in research, he throws five dicesand gets two successes"

The enemy is made or regular troops, so the 0 throws three diceand o%tains three successes D

/oor hans ta.es a stress level and leads his s#uad in front of anenemy patrol"

$ll players now %eing part of the ne8t conflict, the initiative rulesare used"

Sergeant Iceman decides to give orders to his troops, he throwshis five dice ind against the enemies three dice" 3e wins with amargin of two successes" 3e orders the rest of the s#uad =not played %y other players> to open fire"

The rest of the s#uad usually throws three dice %ut now they addthe two %onus dice given to them %y sergeant Iceman" They get amargin of three successes ? one enemy is .illed and another onewounded"

The ne8t player =a corporal> states that he-s going to close on theenemy to throw a grenade" The 0 states that he-ll have to usehis (esearch domain to get close to the enemy without %eingseen" If he fails he will %e shot at"

The soldier has a score of A in (esearch" 3is roll is opposed to theenemy A dice" 3e wins with a margin of one ? he successfulythrows a grenade in the middle of the enemy troops" The 0states that the num%er of .illed ennemies .illed is e#ual to the sumof the soldier-s &estruction and 7iolence scores"

It-s now the time for the rest of the player-s to act, the conflict will

end when one of the two sides surrenders, flee or is %utchered"

s mess or a tank 3attle. Use common sense% watch thefilmography and you>ll 3e a3le to face any situation. =n the a3ovee9ample the CM stated that the grenade would kill )&estruction G7iolence, ennemies. e cound have stated that a grenade kills)&estruction I successes o3tained, enemies. $hen a playersorders an artillery strike on a village% the CM can guess it will kill)Mind G =ndifference,I! people... This is all @ color A. The most

important things to do in any conflict are '

● set the stakes for each party involved

● determine what domain will 3e used

● apply conse&uences

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4(4 *etween com3ats and patrols% soldiers may have the time to rela9.2ach period of rest allow the soldier to eliminate all his wounds andstress levels. *ut nothing is perfect and the soldier will soon haveto face...

BoredomThe life of a soldier is mostly comprised of routine. Simply put% hegains one point of frustration whenever he gets to rest. May3e it>sthrough a 3rawl% 3inge drinking... $hatever makes sense.

Punishment/uring a rest period the s&uad sergeant can punish the soldiersthat diso3eyed them. This will give the soldiers two point offrustration 3ut won>t allow them to eliminate their stress levels.

*andom e'entsSomethings that can happen in time of rest and the conse&uencesfor the soldiers.

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4u""i"g the ga&e


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wait for the wea. to die %efore you start distri%ution ;

: $ fellow resistant was made prisoner %y the enemy" s role is to create 1P+s fleshed out enough so players will3e concerned when they>ll have to make some choices a3outthem. The 3est thing is to convey a description in one shortsentence. 6nce gain% pick a movie in the filmography% a pencil anda sheet of paper and try to descri3e some characters in onesentence.

$ %urnedout sergeant respected %y his men"

$n arrogant officer vying for glory"

$n aspiring war journalist who don-t have a clue"

$ar movies feature a lot of archetypes you can 3ase your 1P+son '

● The lieutenant : young and idealist, old and arrogant,

incompetent. Close to his men or distant he is part of another caste

(the officers) and has access to informations the rest of the squad

cannot have.

● The journalist : old timer who saw more than any soldier ordumb newbie discovering the joys of war.

● The nurses : religious, nymphomaniac, caring... And often the

only women a soldier will see and talk to.

● The interpret : honest% vicious or selfish% he is often thes&uad>s only source of information.

To name 3ut a few... $hatever happens don>t throw a doHen ofthem at the player>s faces. Two or three well defined 1P+s will 3emore than enough to fill a session.

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Lo"g ter& )lay Shell Shock rules don>t focus on the character getting stronger astime passes. =n fact% focusing on the psychological damage of warthe soldiers 3ecome more and more frail(


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The e"e&y 7egarding the game mechanics you only have one thing to takeinto account when defining the enemy ' his level.

nemy (e'el Di%%iculty

Cuerilla /ifficult

7egular " ard

Eeteran ; Cruesome

2lite # =mpossi3le

Co&3at's le"gth The num3er of enemy troops should 3e 3ased on the type ofcom3at you want' an am3ush% an assault on a 3unker% defending aposition... This will help you set the num3er of hostiles andsometimes there will 3e only a time limit. =n that case you don>tneed a fi9ed num3er of enemies% what matters is that the s&uadhold the line for a given amount of time or makes it to a safeposition. The stakes for the s&uad mem3ers will 3e to saveammunition% tend to wounded soldiers and stay alive.

6layi"g the e"e&y Soldiers will generaly encounter wounded or dead enemies whomost of the time won>t even speak the same language. tsnot forget that after some 3loody encounters the will to even talk to

the enemy might fade. 6rders and propaganda make sure theenemy remains faceless and despica3le as long as possi3le.

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7aria"tsSome random ideas for your Shell Shock sessions.

8ew rolePolitical commissar ' one of the players get to 3e the politicalcommissar of the s&uad. This can 3e known )or not, 3y the otherplayers. *etween each session he will have to tell the CM if asoldier deserves any sanction. =n some wars the punishment will3e directed at the soldier>s family or friends left 3ack home.

4ules o)tio"sDrugs ' the use of drugs allows the elimination of all stress levels3ut regular use )more than once, makes the soldier gain one

Indifference point.

Demo&ilisation ' if a soldier reaches the /ead wound level andhis revived 3y another soldier he>s still grieviously wounded ' he isdemo3lised and sent 3ack home with the following conse&uences)throw one dice, '

!4" no lasting wounds; L # loss of a mem3er% disfigured...: loss of two mem3ers% or worse...

Use it often on s&uad mem3ers not played 3y other players.

8ew situatio"s2 crew instead o% a s/uad ' soldiers are now part of the crew of a

3om3er% a su3marine or a tank. +heck &as Boot or Below if youneed pointers to the kind of stories you can tell. The CM>s workloadwill 3e little heavier as she may have to prep a little more key1P+s in advance )captain% cook% medic...,.

Prisonners ' all Pcs are P6$s. Stories revolves around survivaland escape plans. the 0rand Illusion% the 0reat 'vasion, Stalag 1E

4uryo or the Bridge on the river 2wai are your 3est friends.

2rmored troopers ' the power armors of Starship Trooper or $rmored Trooper 7otoms have a /amage 8evel e&ual to thesoldier and have the same conse&uences.

Ci'ilians ' you can also tell the stories of civilians trapped in a civil

war% revolutionnaries or resistance fighters with the Shell Shock rules./on>t let yourself 3e stuck to military campaigns. $henever youwant to tell the story where some people think that killing or dying

for a cause is a good thing you have a Shell Shock scenario waiting

to happen.

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SHELL SHOCK Character Sheet SHELL SHOCK Character Sheet SHELL SHOCK Character Sheet SHELL SHOCK Character SheetName : Rank :

Rôle :

Attitude towards the conflict :

Attitude towards the army :

Search Destroy O O O O O O O O O O

heart mindO O O O O O O O O O

GRIT FrustrationO O O O O O

health StressProtection O Nervous O

Hit1 O Agitated3 OWounded2 O Panicked4 O

Dead O Shell Shock O

1 : loose all frustration oints2 : can!t "ove #ithout hel$ %2D to all rolls

3 : loose all frustration oints

4 : can!t receive &onus fro" other la'ers

Name : Rank :

Rôle :












Name : Rank :

Rôle :












Name : Rank :

Rôle :













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SHELL SHOCK Character Sheet SHELL SHOCK Character Sheet SHELL SHOCK Character Sheet SHELL SHOCK Character Sheet

Events tied to the grit levels :

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War is like love, it always finds a way.

Bertold Brecht, Mother courage and her children

Shell Shock, a game by Kobayashi http://livresdelours.blogspot.com/
http://livresdelours.blogspot.com/http://livresdelours.blogspot.com/

shell shock - what will you do to survive?

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