A Shell-Shocked Veteran may have a BSOD in their back story. Alone in a Crowd typically represents a milder, non-disabling form of BSOD a related trope is Heroic Safe Mode, wherein the hero 'defaults' to a fight or flight mindset before rebooting in safety.
They may run off and have to be tracked down by their friends for Epiphany Therapy. Alternatively, if, say, this occurs during a fight, a hero may have a violent outburst, killing Evil Minions and hurling their own companions aside. The effect is similar to passing a Despair Event Horizon, but is temporary rather than permanent. Durkon, The Order of the Stick, Strip #247.Ī stunning revelation or horrible event affects a character or someone they care deeply about, leaving them shocked to the point of mentally shutting down for a while, analogous to the Blue Screen of Death.
