IN A WEEK OF SHARKS (IAWS)
A GAME ABOUT SHARKS

Introduction

In this game, one person plays Vescor, a great white shark that is the ultimate predator conceived of by man or nature.  Everyone else plays people.  Over the course of the game, the people will have petty squabbles over things like local politics and beach safety, and then sharks will start eating people, and then someone will probably try to kill Vescor.  But Vescor will come back.  Vescor always comes back.

Needed to Play

This game works best with a lot of players in a casual atmosphere.  If you want a tighter story with fewer plot elements, you could have only about five players.  If you want a more chaotic story with a lot of people getting eaten by sharks and some plot elements that get dropped partway through the game, you could play with up to ten players.  These players do not need to know anything about roleplaying games or sharks.  However, if they don’t know anything about roleplaying games, it would be helpful to know something about improv theater or some other type of collaborative storytelling.  This game is appropriate for all ages.  There is no math.  You will also need some index cards or small pieces of paper and something to write with.

Start

Decide who gets to play Vescor.  If you are playing this game multiple times, a different person should get to be Vescor each time you play.  The other players draw three cards from the list of Plot Element Cards below, choose one, and discard the rest.  Each Plot Element Card has a scenario and a suggested protagonist or antagonist.  As each player chooses their card, they should also choose a character that is involved in some way with that plot element.  You can use the suggestions or make up your own character idea.  Write your character’s name on an index card and place it in front of you. Add on a “P” for protagonist or an “A” for antagonist.  This will be called your main character and you can play this role in any scene in the game.  All main characters must be either protagonists or antagonists (except Vescor).  There should be about an even split between protagonists and antagonists.  Describe your main characters and brainstorm as a group how the Plot Elements might fit together. Figure out what the relationships between each character are, especially where they result in conflict. If you give names to other characters from your Plot Element Card, write them down on index cards and put them in the middle of the table.  Anyone can grab that card to play, if their main character isn’t in a scene, or if their main character gets eaten by a shark.

Mechanics

The game mechanic for resolving conflicts and telling the story is like Rock, Paper, Scissors, but for sharks.  It is called Teeth, Fin, Tail.  To throw Teeth, make a shark biting motion with your hand.  To throw Fin, hold your hand still, sideways, and upright, like a shark fin sticking out of the water.  To throw Tail, hold your hand sideways pointed at the other person and wave it around, like you are a shark swimming away.  Each person playing should count to three and then throw a move.

•	Teeth chomps on Tail.  Teeth wins.
•	Tail swims away from Fin.  Tail wins.
•	Fin warns against Teeth.  Fin wins.

The exception to this rule is Vescor.  When Vescor throws Teeth, Vescor always wins.

Teeth, Fin, Tail can also be used for any sort of conflict that arises between players, such as what interpretation of the rules is correct, or whose turn it is to order pizza.  Players should practice a couple of rounds of Teeth, Fin, Tail before they play to make sure that everyone agrees on what the moves look like.

Beginning Scenes

Take turns framing beginning scenes of the story.  The player to the left of Vescor goes first.  When it is your turn, you are called the active player.  Describe what your character is doing and which other characters may be involved in the scene.  If they are not main characters, other players should pull those characters from the pile in the middle of the board and play them.  Look for opportunities where characters will come into conflict.  Conflict in beginning scenes can be protagonist vs. other protagonist, protagonist vs. antagonist, or anyone vs. Vescor.  The active player decides who their primary opponent is from any of the other player’s main characters.  Regardless of the actions of other characters, the core conflict must be between two main characters.

To determine how the conflict goes, play Teeth, Fin, Tail between the two opposing players.  Do this twice.  The first result is how the scene starts out.  The second result is how the scene ends.  Look at the list below to get an idea of how the conflict should go, and narrate it however you want.

•	A protagonist wins twice:  This protagonist has accomplished a major goal and has had complete success.  However, this protagonist is marked with hubris.  Write down “doomed” on their card.  They are doomed to be eaten by Vescor by the end of the game.  Vescor should make sure this happens.

•	A protagonist loses twice:  This protagonist has suffered a serious setback and lost something of value (their reputation, a person item, or a family member, for example).  This protagonist is probably the hero.  Write down “hero” on their card.  They have the best chance to defeat Vescor. In a future conflict against Vescor, they may change their throw once, after seeing what Vescor throws.  But if they lost to Vescor twice right now, they get eaten now anyway.

•	An antagonist wins twice:  This antagonist has accomplished a major goal and has been completely successful.  However, they will be eaten by Vescor by the end of the game.  Write down “doomed” on their card.  Vescor should make sure this happens.

•	An antagonist loses twice:  This antagonist gets eaten by a shark (either Vescor or another, lesser shark) at the end of the scene.

•	Vescor wins twice:  Vescor eats their opponent. 

•	Vescor loses twice:  This should never happen.  Remember, when Vescor throws Teeth, Vescor always wins.

For conflicts that do not result in “Win Win” or “Lose Lose,” there are no hard rules as to the results of the conflict.  Here are some narrative guides to give you ideas as to how the scene might go:

•	Win -> Lose:  In a scene in which the active player first wins and then loses at Teeth, Fin, Tail, their own victory has actually made their situation much worse than it was before.  The active player should describe their accomplishment, and their opponent should describe the terrible side effects of their victory.

•	Tie -> Lose:  In a scene in which the active player first ties and then loses at Teeth, Fin, Tail, they had victory in their hands, and lost it at the last moment.  The active player should describe how this will inspire their character to even greater acts of desperation to achieve their goal.

•	Tie -> Tie: In a scene in which the active player ties on both rounds of Teeth, Fin, Tail, a great struggle ensues.  Although neither side prevails, both sides should narrate how this struggle has changed them in some fundamental way.

•	Tie -> Win:  In a scene in which the active player first ties and then wins at Teeth, Fin, Tail, they needed a crucial item or advantage to win.  Decide what that was.  The next time the active player loses at Teeth, Fin, Tail, even if they are no longer the active player they lose that item or advantage.

•	Lose -> Win:  In a scene in which the active player first loses and then wins at Teeth, Fin, Tail, their victory has come as the result of great sacrifice, either the death of someone other than the active player, or some other severe hardship.  Main characters cannot be killed in this type of conflict, but other characters from the center of the table can.  The active player should decide who gets sacrificed.

If new characters are described and named during a scene, write their names down on index cards and place them in the middle of the table.  When a character dies in a beginning scene, they get to narrate their own death scene. They can draw a card from the middle of the table and play that character for the rest of the game.  That character gets promoted and is now a main character.

Middle Scenes

After Vescor’s beginning scene ends, continue around the circle framing middle scenes.  Middle scenes should be protagonist vs. antagonist or anyone vs. Vescor.  Protagonists should not fight each other in middle scenes.  If there are ever no more antagonists left, middle scenes end.  Go directly to Sudden Death.  As before, the active player decides who their opponent is.  Players who are not chosen as the opponent can play their main character, or one of the characters from the middle of the table.   They can choose to aid either side in the conflict, but only the active player and their chosen opponent plays Teeth, Fin, Tail.

To determine how the conflict goes, play Teeth, Fin, Tail between the two main opposing players.  Do this twice.  The first result is how the scene starts out.  The second result is how the scene ends.  Look at the list below to get an idea of how the conflict should go, and narrate it however you want.

•	Protagonist wins twice:  If against an antagonist, the antagonist is soundly defeated by the protagonist.  They should pick a new main character from the characters at the center of the table.

•	Protagonist loses twice:  The protagonist is hurt in a dire way.  Perhaps their leg got bitten off by a shark.  Perhaps they lost their job. Perhaps their beach front house has been foreclosed upon.  They have survived, however, even if they lost to Vescor.  But Vescor will be back for the rest of them.

•	Antagonist wins twice:  This antagonist has a choice.  They may either change sides and become a protagonist, solely for the purposes of defeating Vescor.  Or they may be eaten by Vescor at the end of the scene.

•	Antagonist loses twice:  This antagonist is either defeated (run out of town, or otherwise out of the game) or eaten by a shark.  They should pick a new main character from the characters at the center of the table.

•	Vescor wins twice:  Vescor eats their opponent or, if a protagonist, bites a large chunk out of them.

•	Vescor loses twice:  This should never happen. 

For conflicts that do not result in “Win Win” or “Lose Lose,” there are no hard rules as to the results of the conflict.  Here are some narrative guides to give you ideas as to how the scene might go:

•	Win -> Lose:  In a scene in which the active player first wins and then loses at Teeth, Fin, Tail, their own victory has actually made their situation much worse than it was before.  The active player should describe their accomplishment, and their opponent should describe the terrible side effects of their victory.

•	Tie -> Lose:  In a scene in which the active player first ties and then loses at Teeth, Fin, Tail, they had victory in their hands, and lost it at the last moment.  The active player should describe how this will inspire their character to even greater acts of desperation to achieve their goal.

•	Tie -> Tie: In a scene in which the active player ties on both rounds of Teeth, Fin, Tail, a great struggle ensues.  Although neither side prevails, both sides should narrate how this struggle has changed them in some fundamental way.

•	Tie -> Win:  In a scene in which the active player first ties and then wins at Teeth, Fin, Tail, they needed a crucial item or advantage to win.  Decide what that was.  The next time the active player loses at Teeth, Fin, Tail, even if they are no longer the active player they lose that item or advantage.

•	Lose -> Win:  In a scene in which the active player first loses and then wins at Teeth, Fin, Tail, their victory has come as the result of great sacrifice, either the death of someone other than the active player, or some other severe hardship.  Main characters cannot be killed in this type of conflict, but other characters from the center of the table can.  The active player should decide who gets sacrificed.

If new characters are described and named during a scene, write their names down on index cards and place them in the middle of the table.  When a character dies in a beginning scene, they get to narrate their own death scene.  They can draw a card from the middle of the table and play that character for the rest of the game.  If there are no more cards in the middle of the table, they can play the ghost of their dead character instead.

Sudden Death

Ending scenes continue in the same fashion as above, except the players may collectively determine the order they decide to frame the scenes, with Vescor always going last.  Ending scenes are always player (protagonist or antagonist) vs. Vescor.  Count the number of players and divide that number by two, rounding up.  This is the total number of times Vescor may throw Teeth in the ending scenes.  Vescor should make sure to try to eat anyone left who has “doomed” written on their card, as a result of being marked for death at the beginning of the game.

To determine how the conflict goes in ending scenes, play Teeth-Fin-Tail only once per scene.  Look at the list below to get an idea of how the conflict should go, and narrate it however you want.

•	Protagonist wins:  The first time a protagonist wins, they have marked Vescor in some way, with a scar, a tracking tag, for example. The second time a protagonist wins, they have defeated Vescor!  Or have they?  The body is never found… 

•	Antagonist wins:  The antagonist has achieved all of their goals, at the expense of making Vescor even angrier and more dangerous than they were before!  The antagonist is now out of the game, leaving those remaining to deal with Vescor. 

•	Protagonist and Vescor tie:  See above as if protagonist had won, however they die in the process of marking or defeating Vescor.

•	Antagonist and Vescor tie:  See above as if antagonist had won, except that, although they achieve their goals, the newly even more dangerous Vescor eats them afterward.

•	Vescor wins:  Vescor eats their opponent.  This character is out of the game.

Sudden Death complete when either of the following occurs:  Vescor has eaten all other characters or Vescor has been defeated.

Plot Element Cards

These could be made into actual cards, or you could use cards in a deck to represent them and then look them up on this chart (H = heart, S = spade, C = club, D = diamond).

1.	(2H) A child, stuck in a riptide, the parents blissfully unaware.  Protagonists: the child, a parent.  Antagonists: a negligent lifeguard.

2.	(3H) An abandoned pile of needles, carrying a deadly payload.  Protagonists: an environmental activist, a whistleblowing scientist.  Antagonists: an evil scientist, CEO of a pharmaceutical company.

3.	(4H) An alcoholic lighthouse operator, suffering marital troubles and driven to grief.  Protagonists: the lighthouse operator, their child.  Antagonists: the lighthouse operator’s drinking buddy.

4.	(5H) An unprecedented summer storm front, bringing in strange sharks from foreign waters.  Protagonists: a weather reporter.  Antagonists: a climate change-denying politician.

5.	(6H) A coast guard helicopter pilot, suffering flashbacks from a traumatic incident.  Protagonists: the helicopter pilot, their psychiatrist.  Antagonists: the pilot’s new civilian employer after they have been discharged.

6.	(7H) A secluded tide pool, the illusion of safety.  Protagonists: teenagers in love.  Antagonists: a real estate developer.

7.	(8H) A coastal restaurant, notorious for its off-the-menu illegal shark fin soup.  Protagonists: a member of GreenPeace.  Antagonists: the restaurant owner, a world-traveling gourmand.

8.	(9H) A sea captain, missing a limb and obsessed with revenge.  Protagonists: the sea captain, the sea captain’s first mate.  Antagonists: the sea captain, a reality show producer.

9.	(10H) A shark tooth necklace, given as a symbol of love.  Protagonists: an elderly couple, tragically separated since their youth.  Antagonists: a thief, who believes the necklace is the key to finding a lost treasure.

10.	(JH) A big game hunter, after the most dangerous game of all: sharks.  Protagonists: the big game hunter, an agent for animal protection.  Antagonists: the big game hunter, their rival in trophy collection.

11.	(QH) A film crew produces a documentary about sharks, pushing the limits of safety in their pursuit of extreme journalism.  Protagonists: the scientific advisor, David Attenborough.  Antagonists: the producer/director, the Hollywood show host.

12.	(KH) A sleepy resort town, dependent on tourism for its livelihood, and the biggest vacation weekend of the year.  Protagonists: the owner of a family bed-and-breakfast inn, a friendly tourist.  Antagonists: a wealthy and arrogant tourist, an insurance fraud scam artist.

13.	(AH) A scientific experiment in tracking shark movements, funded by sinister backers.  Protagonists: a genius scientist.  Antagonists: the criminal who will use their work for evil, the bodyguard assigned to “protect” the scientist until their work is done.

14.	(2S) An aging daredevil, looking to regain his fame by jumping their motorcycle over a series of shark pools.  Protagonists: the daredevil, their number one fan.  Antagonists: the daredevil’s agent.

15.	(3S) A sewage treatment plant, extruding waste into once pristine waters.  Protagonists: an EPA inspector, a class-action attorney.  Antagonists: a bribe-taking plant manager, the criminals using the plant as a cover to manufacture drugs.

16.	(4S) An ancient shipwreck, long thought lost, burdened with pirate gold, pursued by nefarious characters.  Protagonists: local kids who love pirate stories.  Antagonists: criminals out for a quick buck.

17.	(5S) The mayor, seeking reelection, in the pocket of local business interests.  Protagonists: the political newcomer running against the mayor.  Antagonists: the mayor, their campaign manager.

18.	(6S) A tabloid photographer with a scheme to lure sharks for the ultimate headline.  Protagonists: a local kid who secretly finds out about their scheme.  Antagonists: the photographer, their accomplice.

19.	(7S) The private yacht of a wealthy millionaire, where an uncomfortable confrontation is soon to take place.  Protagonists: an uninvited guest on the yacht.  Antagonists:  the millionaire yacht owner.

20.	(8S) A world champion surfboarder, who has vowed never to surf again, not since the incident.  Protagonists: the surfboarder.  Antagonists:  their rival, who is now the favorite in the championship, the surf competition organizers.

21.	(9S) A clandestine beach party in the dead of night.  Protagonists:  sex-crazed teens. Antagonists:  police officers here to break up the party.

22.	(10S) A new housing development, and the residents, lacking flood insurance. Protagonists: a family who has just moved into town.  Antagonists: shady real estate developers, unwelcoming locals.

23.	(JS) A shipment of piranha, to be sold as exotic pets for the wealthy.  Protagonists: a biologist on their beach vacation, just back from a business trip in the Amazon basin.  Antagonists: a drug smuggler with a number of bodies to dispose of.

24.	(QS) A fishing trawler, swept away in a storm, far from friendly waters. Protagonists: the captain, the new guy on the boat.  Antagonists:  mutinous crew members.

25.	(KS) A crumbling hydroelectric dam, needing repairs, ready to burst. Protagonists: the union organizer at the dam.  Antagonists: evil capitalist lackeys.

26.	(AS) A drug lord's estate, featuring multiple pools, one of them filled with pet sharks. Protagonists: an undercover DEA agent. Antagonists:  the drug lord, assorted minions.

27.	(2C) An airplane, flying through a storm, forced to make an emergency landing in dangerous waters. Protagonists: a police officer who has two weeks left before their retirement. Antagonists: whiney first class passengers hording food.

28.	(3C) A covert government research facility, where illegal genetic experiments are performed. Protagonists: a homeless person who had been captured and illegally experimented on.  Antagonists: scientists trying to play God.

29.	(4C) A Navy SEAL, returning from war, to a home that is no longer there. Protagonists: the Navy SEAL. Antagonists: a criminal who offers them a dangerous job.

30.	 (5C) A boardwalk carnival, dominated by the Ferris wheel, built by the lowest bidder. Protagonists: a young couple in love, riding the Ferris wheel, one with a ring in their pocket.  Antagonists: terrifying carnies.

31.	(6C) An international shark-trafficking cartel, illegally smuggling sharks. Protagonists: an investigator from a foreign country, investigating the missing sharks.  Antagonists:  smugglers with a submarine.

32.	(7C) A marine biologist, coming back to town to deal with unfinished business. Protagonists: the marine biologist.  Antagonists:  those who mocked them at university.

33.	(8C) A radical terrorist cell, planning to attack with a shark-delivered explosive device. Protagonists:  an overworked CIA analyst, trying to get out of a desk job.  Antagonists: non-stereotyped terrorists.

34.	(9C) A party rages in the luxury suite at an ocean-side hotel, and about to get really out of hand. Protagonists: an aging rock band, back in their hometown for one last gig before retiring.  Antagonists: The fans that want them to play on forever.

35.	(10C) The newly elected sheriff, looking to make a name for themselves. 
Protagonists: the sheriff’s deputy, who does all the real work.  Antagonists: Vescor-enthusiasts planning Sharkapalooza.

36.	(JC) A leading international shark expert, renowned as the “shark whisperer.” Protagonists: The Shark Whisperer.  Antagonists:  Rival shark whisperers.

37.	(QC) Two lifeguards, more intent on their romance with each other than on the swimmers they are sworn to watch. Protagonists: an aging surfer with dreams of former glory. Antagonists:  the jealous ex- determined to break them up.

38.	(KC) A popular spring break reality show, the D-list celebrities willing to make any sacrifice to jumpstart their dying careers.  Protagonists: harried production assistants. Antagonists: drunken entourages.

39.	(AC) An oceanographer, having a key insight far too late. Protagonists: the oceanographer, trapped on their offshore base. Antagonists: the ham radio operator determined to turn their call for help into their own profit.

40.	(2D) An innocent shark, framed for murder by a brilliant serial killer. Protagonists: a small-town mystery writer.  Antagonists: the local sheriff and literary critic.

41.	(3D) A massive passenger ferry, loaded with cars and people, about to suffer a catastrophic malfunction, and under stocked in terms of life-vests. 
Protagonists:  a disregarded safety engineer, fired by the company as a scapegoat for the last accident.  Antagonists:  the parent of the person killed in the last accident.

42.	(4D) Heated words, revenge vowed, during a zoning board meeting. 
Protagonists:  A mad, myopic ombudsperson. Antagonists: The obtuse, but well-meaning notary-public.

43.	(5D) A previously undiscovered species of prehistoric shark, unknown for centuries... until now. 
Protagonists:  a famed paleocryptoicthyologist and their band of aquanauts. Antagonists: treasure hunters.

44.	(6D) A team of scuba divers, left behind and forgotten by a careless tour group.  Protagonists:  a local artist famed for their woodcuts of local marine topography. Antagonists: a corrupt insurance adjuster.

45.	(7D) A captive orca, filled with hatred towards its jailers, plotting revenge. Protagonists: a graduate student who believes that they have had a breakthrough in translating whale song. Antagonists: lawyers for the sea lab.

46.	(8D) An off-shore oil drilling platform, with environmentalists calling for its decommission.  Protagonists: the former mayor of Sealand, looking to form a new independent republic. Antagonists: the Federal Government

47.	(9D) An actual shark with an actual laser mounted to its head. Protagonists:  an FAA inspector investigating blinded pilots.  Antagonists:  a cell of anarchists, cut off from their brethren
 
48.	 (10D) A human arm, the hand wearing an inscribed wedding ring, washes onto a public beach.  Protagonists:  a group of teen mystery solvers, well regarded in their hometown, but finding the big city has more complications than they thought.  Antagonists: the City’s professional and ruthless homicide investigation team.

49.	(JD)  A tsunami floods a city, filling it with seawater.  Protagonists:  a down-on-their-luck family living under the lowest bridge in the city, barely skirting the law, and living day-to-day with the goodwill of their neighbors.  Antagonists:  a real-estate developer with plans for their bridge.

50.	(QD)  A friendly pod of dolphins that rescue a person lost at sea and now need their help.  Protagonists: a small child that can speak to dolphins. Antagonists:  A family of tuna fisher folk, squeezed out by environmental regulations and large canning companies.

51.	(KD)  A new oilrig is destroying fishing in the area, and the local inhabitants plot their revenge.  Protagonists:  widow/widower of an oil worker killed in mysterious circumstances.  Antagonists:  leader of a cult who will destroy any local who dares to speak of their secrets.

52.	(AD) A robotic shark invented by the military to attack submarines has gone missing.  Protagonists:  Coast Guard officer who warned that the program was too dangerous.  Antagonists: local hacker who has intermittent control of the shark.