WELCOME to Mindlessviolence.com

This site is a labour of love; it was created to host MINDLESS VIOLENCE, a homebrew miniature wargaming set of rules, and the fictional backgrounds in which the battles played using them were thought to take place.

My name is Fabio Zanicotti, and since I can remember, I’ve always been an enthusiast gamer, being RPGs and miniature wargaming my top hobbies and interests.

As for many other passionate gamers, it came a time when I wanted to write my very own game, just for the sake of it and to give vent to my desire to do ‘something creative’: so I spent a lot of my spare time in front of a word processor writing the miniature wargame I thought I’d like to play.

Here you will find all the MINDLESS VIOLENCE material I think it is worth publishing on the web; feel free to have a look at it, to download it, to like it, to hate it or simply to ignore it.

My very hope is that you’ll read it, you'll eventually play it and that you’ll have some fun.

Just some disclaimers:

• English is not my mother tongue; I just thought that writing the game in English would assure me the largest possible web audience I could ever hope for.
  Said that, please forgive my bad English and feel free to write me just to correct my grammar and use of words.

• The rules are still under playtest (thanks Paolo!) so do not expect them to be too polished; I’m totally open to any kind of constructive criticism and suggestion you should find the time and will to send me; I've decided to put the rules on the web also to get some feedback.

• Given my interest in World War 2 history and my enthusiasm for everything fantastic (be it fantasy, horror, pulp or sci-fi), I do like a lot Panzerpunk settings (for non-gamers: alternative history WW2 backgrounds in which weird technology, the supernatural or  even black magic play a significant role in reshaping the events of humanity's bloodiest war) and so I’m trying to write my own, which I named SHATTENKRIEG (Shadow War)

This is the only reason you’ll see swastikas, and other references to nazis on this site; it must be clear that I definitely do not approve, follow, believe or condone anything the nazis have done, thought or believed, or are still doing, thinking, believing or even imagining.

• I'm not a military history expert, nor a WW2 'buff': please allow me to make some mistakes or to be totally wrong when I refer to the use, year of introduction and other details related to weapons or other technical aspects of combat

As its name suggests, this section lists the site news:

05/03/07

Mindlessviolence.com goes on-line !!

05/11/07

Mindless Violence main rules ver.7.2.1 have been released.

The main scope of this new version is readability: every effort has been made in order to achieve a more easy to read and understand set of rules.

Main changes are the following:

• text has been extensively rewritten ad streamlined

• acronyms are not used anymore

• some rule specific terms have been changed for a better comprehension

• paragraph order has been rearranged in a more logical sequence

• residual grammar and orthographical errors have been corrected

Modifications have also been made to the Scenarios:

• text changes to reflect the main rules' new version

• 'It fell from the sky' scenario: new rules and clarifications

• 'The Summoning' scenario: missing weapons and magic items card added

08/03/07

Mindless Violence main rules ver. 8.0.0 have been released.

Rules has been simplified to make easier to determine if a model has been damaged by a successful hit.

The Model Data Cards in the 'It fell form the sky' and 'The Summoning' scenarios has been updated to the new rules changes.

If you do not like to use Model Data Cards or find them to be too cumbersome, a blank Model Record Sheet has been added to the download section:  all the data of the models in a warband can now be collected in a single paper sheet.

MINDLESS VIOLENCE (or MV) is a set of skirmish miniature wargaming rules; it was created to play small scale fights between two or more factions, each composed by a limited number of combatants, using miniature figures on a gaming table that represents the actual scenario in which these small battles are supposed to take place.

 

The rules were conceived to be general-purpose: they are not specifically bound to a specific historical setting or fantastic background; the intention was to create a sort of meta-rules that could be easily adapted for any kind of combat situations.

 

The rules are written for 25-35 mm miniatures, but can be easily converted to any other scale.

 

MV uses no reference tables: a single roll of a D12 dice pool to resolve hits, to determine damage, and to take in account the eventuality of "criticals" and "fumbles".

 

Model actions are regulated by a card-driven initiative mechanism, which comprises special effects, called "Boosters" that can be used to enhance a model's characteristics, or to alter its normal behaviour.

 

I cannot stress enough that I‘d like to receive feedback - any constructive feedback - from the people that find the time to have a look at MINDLESS VIOLENCE: the game is on the web mainly for this reason.

A wargaming rule set without an exciting background in which battles take place, is only a dry if not boring list of instructions; even if it is true that MV was created to be an background independent set of rules, the following settings are being (or will be) developed to be used with MV:

 

• SHATTENKRIEG (Shadow War): Heinrich Himmler, SS Reichsfuhrer, head of the Gestapo and of the Waffen-SS and a true believer of the paranormal, in 1937 gave life to a secret SS elite group codenamed ‘BlutKreuz’ (Blood Cross) dedicated to the investigation of the Occult and of its practical application at the service of the millenary Third Reich.
  But the horrors and madness spawned by the grim researches and experiments of the BlutKreuz could not be even compared to the ones the upcoming global war would unleash on humanity.
   

• TOTENWELT (World of the Dead): the future of Shattenkrieg: in 1944, the combined efforts of the ‘Blutkreuz’ and the ‘Gureebanshou’, its Japanese counterpart, produced a new strain of re-animated corpses: the plague zombie, (or ‘Pest-tonen’, as the BK baptized them) that could transform in other contagious walking dead their victims, which in turn would create other Pest-toten.
  Several dozens of Pest-toten were launched on France, England (on board of modified V2 rocket bombs) and on the Eastern front to create confusion and mayhem behind the enemy lines.
  In a few months the number of plague zombies increased exponentially as the BlutKreuz was unable to control the tide of newly created undead: Europe was eventually overrun by a growing horde of self replicating walking dead, out to kill all the living; the war has become something quite different...
   

• THEY CAME FROM OUTER SPACE: They are here! They want our women! Our Army seems incapable of stopping the invasion! Could these be planet Earth’s last hours ?!?
  Inspired by the wacky B-movies of the 1950’s, this setting will recreate the typical situations presented in those celluloid masterpieces: aliens, giant insects, killer robots and mad scientists, daring teenagers but also (and why not ?) vampires, mummies, flesh golems (a.k.a. Frankenstein’s monster), zombies and other assorted horrors.
   

• ALL THINGS DARK & DANGEROUS: directly inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos (and by Chaosium’s wonderful RPG ‘Call Of Cthulhu’), this MV setting is dedicated to the desperate fight of small groups of nearly insane humans against the unspeakable horrors of the Mythos and their psychotic worshippers.
   

• VAMPIRE$: as seen in John Carpenters’ movie “Vampires” (adapted from John Steakley’s novel “Vampire$”): professional vampire hunters squads are hired by the Vatican in order to uproot the very epitome of evil from this uncaring world.
  No Ann Rice dandies here; only nasty, brutish and utterly evil blood-suckers…

• DARK ALBION: a 'ScreamPunk' setting I'm working on at the moment; expect a first draft of a concept document soon (Real Life^® not withstanding....)

Here is the real content of this site: all MINDLESS VIOLENCE material is downloadable in PDF format, readable and printable using Adobe’s Acrobat Reader^®; in the unlikely event that you haven’t yet installed a copy of this program on your computer, download it freely from here.

MINDLESS VIOLENCE main rules Ver. 8.0.0

MV rules versions are indicated with a three numbers in X.Y.Z format, where the 'X' value represents a major revision (i.e. it is increased every time the main rules mechanisms are changed or altered in a significant way), 'Y' represents a minor revision (i.e. it is increased every time the rules are revised without changing the main rules ‘engines’), and 'Z' represents an editorial revision (i.e. it is increased every time no rule is changed but some paragraphs are extensively re-written in order to increase readability or to clear out some rules).

MV Action Cards

A PDF document containing the Action Cards described in the main rules; instructions are included.
 

MV Markers

A PDF document containing the Markers described in the main rules; instructions are included.

 

Model Record Sheet

A simple game aid to collect all the relevant data of the models in each warband, without the need to use Model Data Cards.

 

SHATTENKRIEG background notes Ver. 0.2

A collection of ideas about the SHATTENKRIEG 'PanzerPunk' background; these notes will be eventually used to write a coherent 'history' of this horrific alternate WW2.

Some SHATTENKRIEG concepts (e.g. the 'Blutkreuz', and the 'Untertoten'/'Ubertoten' nazi zombies) were also used to develop 'Paolo Parente's DUST' background: Paolo (whose illustrations and artworks should be very well known to every gamer and aficionado of the fantastic worth of his own salt) is one of my very best friends and (for now) the only MV playtester I've managed to "recruit"; concepts specifically developed for DUST and not part of the SHATTENKRIEG setting are clearly indicated in the text.

Even if there are a fair number of 'Weird War' settings out there, I sincerely hope you'll find something original in SHATTENKRIEG.

'IT FELL FROM THE SKY': a Shattenkrieg scenario
An introductory SHATTENKRIEG scenario: an American patrol in post D-Day France investigates the whereabouts of a mysterious object that has been seen falling from the sky: too bad a BlutKreuz squad is sent to retrieve the debris of that very object, and, more important, what's INSIDE it...

Scenario, models and weapons reference cards are included.

'THE SUMMONING': a Shattenkrieg scenario extravaganza

When Paolo asked me to playtest MV rules with a scenario which included Mike Mignola's HELLBOY and his B.P.R.D companions, I was more than happy (HB is Paolo's and mine favourite comic) to comply: in this scenario HB and his allies (which includes a holy priest, a nun and a rabbi with his golem) battle against a Blutkreuz mage and his lackeys who are trying to summon a monster from beyond using the occult powers of the 'Heilige Lanze' and the 'Necronomicon'.

This scenario uses official (and unofficial, like HB itself) 'Gotterdämmerung' miniatures, sculpted by Jim Bowen and distributed by Monolith Design.

Scenario description and special rules are included; models and weapons reference cards are here.

Not exactly ShattenKrieg canon, but a hell (pun intended) of a fun !!

MORE MINDLESS VIOLENCE Ver. 1.0.0
MMV expands the MINDLESS VIOLENCE main rules and introduces new game concepts.

This document, until considered ‘complete’, will be treated as a ‘Work In Progress’: new text will be added from time to time, as new ideas come up or are perfected.

The main areas covered by MMV will be:

• advanced rules: using squads, Gore Deaths and more violence

• horror effects: rules for fear, terror, panic and madness

• vehicles: using vehicles in MV skirmishes

• edges and hindrances: advantages and disadvantages that defines a model's skills and general behaviour in combat

• “how to make a monster”: create numberless creatures in modular way – add claws, tentacles, eyestalks and jaws to give life to your nightmares and engage them in combat

• Magic & Psyonics: how magical and supernatural feats are handled in MV

No site is complete with a list of links, and Mindlessviolence.com is no exception: here are some links that hopefully will be of some interest for this site visitors; the selection is VERY small at the moment, but from time to time I'll add new links to the list.

Send me suggestions about links you think or would like to see added.

Miniature gaming:

The Miniatures Page - the best miniature gaming news source on the web. Period.

Free Wargame Rules - a site dedicated to free miniature gaming rules; all historical periods and almost every fantastic setting is covered, from fantasy to horror.

Miniature manufacturers:

Games Workshop - love them, hate them, prise them, bash them: personally I give them regularly a fair  amount of my hard earned money.
Their "Specialist Games" are great and, if this is not enough, are freely downloadable in PDF.

Mongoose Publishing - makers of the "Starship Troopers" miniature game (even if it is too much inspired by the movie by my own tastes); my favourite game in their catalogue is "Streets of MegaCity One", a very good skirmish game set in the grim and humorous world of Judge Dredd.

Rackham - the main French miniature manufacturer: their fantasy line is superb, and the imagery of their upcoming AT-43 sci-fi game was 'incidentally' worked on by Paolo Parente. Look out for their "Cadwallon" RPG.

Panzerpunk miniature gaming:

Dustgame - my friend’s Paolo Parente line of panzerpunk toys; his Twisting Toyz brand manufacture this wonderful pieces of art of his very own design. Don't forget to have a look to the wonderful DUST comic: hope you'll recognize some SHATTENKRIEG elements in the background.

Gotterdämmerung - Jim Bowen's 'Weird War' miniatures: this great line of cartoonish  miniatures were used in 'The Summoning' MV scenario.

Projekt-X -  another inspired line of Panzerpunk miniatures: evil nazi scientists, super soldiers and re-animated casualties; this minis were also used to playtest SHATTENKRIEG scenarios.

RPGs:

Chaosium Inc. - the makers of the one and only ‘Call of Cthulhu’: the RPG based on the works of one of the greatest (if not the greatest) horror writers - H.P.Lovecraft

Delta Green - a great modern-day setting for 'Call of Cthulhu': conspiracy, aliens, UFOs and even a sect of evil occult Nazis are mingled seamlessly with the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos; the main book has just been reprinted in hardback by EOS Press

Atlas Games - publishers (among other things) of  ‘Unknown Armies’ the RPG of urban horror and mayhem written by John Tynes and Greg Stolze; if you’ve never heard anything about it, you are losing something great.

Arc Dream - publishers of ‘Godlike’ a 'Weird War 2' RPG created by the talented Dennis Detwiller in which humans gifted with supernatural powers (known as 'Talents') begin to appear  before the beginning of WW2 (the first one being 'Der Flieger' a supersonic flying nazi); this is not your run-of-the-mill superhero RPG: the gritty realism of war is not obfuscated by the marvels of the Talents' superhuman abilities.

Black Industries - the publisher of Warhammer Fantasy RPG: by far one of the best fantasy RPG. One of their next projects is the Warhammer 40K RPG.

Gaming Assistant Software:

Lone Wolf - the makers of Army Builder: this great piece of programming allows computer assisted generation of army lists for virtually any miniature game; one day I’ll eventually find the time to write MINDLESS VIOLENCE army list files to be used with this program.

Other Fun Stuff:

Boardgamegeek - THE site for boardgame fans: I visit it religiously every day.

Fuzzy Knights - hosted by the 'Kenzer & Co.' RPG publisher, this is a web comic strip that I find to be very very funny: a bunch of stuffed animals plays RPGs and manage to resemble in a really discomforting way to a group of real human gamers. Amazing.

Hellboy - Mike Mignola's comic official site: the place to start if you don't know anything about one of the best character around.

GP32X -  the most up-to-date site on the wonderful GP2X: the one and only open-source gaming handhel. A must if you're into retrogaming.

UBUNTU - probably the most easy to use Linux distro. Try it (a live CD is available) and you won't be disappointed.

If you have something - anything - constructive to say about MV, the rules, the settings or if you just want to say 'hello' just send me an e-mail.

If you're thinking "your game sucks and you're lame" please do not e-mail me just to say that, even if it's probably true: write down some ideas for improvement and send them instead.

Last edited on: 08/03/2007

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.