Howdy Vados!
It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our September live event BENEATH THE CORPSE OF WAKING! Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering some last minute Rules You Should Know, featuring the new LIQUIDATION RUNS you’ll experience starting with this event!
Ticket sales are closed online, but you can still get a ticket at the gate!
IT MIGHT STILL BE HOT IN SEPTEMBER. CHECK OUT OUR NEW GUIDE OF LARPING IN HOT WEATHER SO YOU CAN BE PREPARED FOR THE HEAT!
Amber wrote about a bunch of Logistical Updates in her last blog post. Did you get a chance to check out the changes? Read about it HERE!
We’ve updated our New Player Corner with a lot of great resources for new and returning players alike. Thanks to DR: Michigan and DR: New York for paving the way with excellent similar content!
We’ve updated the SES Buy List, and we’ve allowed it to use your San Saba Society Memberships instead of requiring involvement with the Red Ledger. Check out what your Marks can earn you if you sign up for the Survival Ethos System.
You might have missed it, but we updated our Local CAPS list last season. There are some brand new shiny rewards if you help our game with extra NPC shifts or spend time as a Guide. Check it out!
Let’s get started!
Rules You Should Know - Liquidation Runs
What is a Liquidation Run? Great question!
With the lethal radiation of the fallen airship of Waking Prime, you may find the answers to your problems or a fatal dead end. The doors can be opened only temporarily, so you’ll need to be quick, clever, and disciplined to survive the radioactive horrors inside. Can you escape before your body is liquidated?
Liquidation Runs are a new DR:TX repeatable event that will happen over the course of this season. This upcoming event will focus on this new mechanic, but there will be opportunities to do this content in the future, so don’t worry! These are high risk, high reward events that are entirely optional, but can provide a great test of your teamwork, your problem solving, and your risk assessment.
Each Liquidation Run will consist of a series of TASKS that must be completed within the Corpse of Waking Prime. These Tasks will require the three C’s: coordination, communication, and cooperation. None of these tasks can really be done solo, so you’ll need to get some of your closest friends to help.
You might be asked to assemble a particular configuration of pipes to form a new pressure valve for the coolant system, evade zombies while blindfolded, or you might need to rewire an old electrical panel to open a sealed door. You might have to carefully walk over a pit of radioactive sludge, find a way into a locked storeroom, or find a pass code hidden in offices within the Waking. Regardless of the activity, your speed will matter!
Each of these Tasks will be designed to take under 10 minutes to accomplish.
That’s a good thing, but if you take too long it can be deadly. None of these tasks will really require Skills or Mind to accomplish, but rather they are a test for YOU, the player. Not every challenge will need you to be super physically active, but there are different challenges that might require puzzle solving, combat, stealth, or simply speed.
When you arrive to complete a Liquidation Run, an NPC will meet you at the edge of the Exclusion Zone. Basically, look for the glowing green area on the road near the Meadows. The NPC will present you with the tasks for the run and what to expect, take your names to keep track of who can earn payment for the task, and then let you enter the Exclusion Zone.
The instructions to complete these tasks will be found on yellow sheets inside the Exclusion Zone. You will not know the details of your task until you’ve entered the Zone. While the tasks may be simple, time is not on your side. If your group does not complete ALL of the tasks within the time limit, the Liquidation Run will be FAILED.
A Basic Run will have THREE tasks that must be finished. You will have 30 minutes to complete all of the tasks. We recommend at least 3 teams in your run.
A Proficient Run will have up to FOUR tasks that must be finished. You will have up to 40 minutes to complete all of the tasks. We recommend at least 4 teams in your run.
A Master Run will have up to FIVE tasks that must be finished. You will have up to 50 or more minutes to complete all of the tasks. We recommend at least 5 teams in your run.
Since the lethal radiation adds up over time (I’ll cover this below), you’ll be best off completing a Liquidation Run like a RELAY RACE.
One team goes in, completes their task, and comes back outside to tag in the next group of runners. If they complete the task quickly, the next team will have more time to complete their task. If one team takes too long, it could be difficult for the next team to complete the run before the total Liquidation Run timer is up.
The goal of these runs is to let multiple groups of players work together. Since you can really only do one run without dying during each 12s, no one character will be able to “tank” these challenges. You’ll have to have friends to be successful! While you CAN complete several runs over the weekend, we hope that you will be kind and generous and let other players attempt the run before the timer expires.
A timer you say?
A Ticking Clock
During the fall of the city of Waking several failsafes were deployed to keep the city intact for the Emergency Landing. When radiation flooded the hull of the ship during the last gasps of the nuclear engine that powered the ship, several areas were locked down to prevent the radiation from damaging the surface city. These areas are still pressure locked, but if you can find a way to release the pressure, you’ll be able to access deeper into the city with each run.
The doors into the interior will only remain open for at least 30 minutes total. Once this time is over, the doors will seal shut.
Anyone still inside when the final alarm sounds will be trapped inside with the lethal Radiation, doomed to melt away in the radioactive dark of the crashed airship. Yikes!
Where is the Exclusion Zone?
The majority of the action of a Liquidation Run will take place in our new NPC Land in Zuni. Remember, this area will be off limits for camping when you get to site this weekend!
However, when the game starts this weekend, this boundary will be at the EDGE of the Meadows, along the road behind Kiva. The radiation from Waking is leaking into Bravado, and you’ll need to push back the impact first if you want to get into the airship.
Yes, that does mean that the MORGUE is currently in the Exclusion Zone when the game starts. Better not die friday night, or you might come out glowing green!
The Exclusion Zone can be dangerous, but let’s cover some common questions.
What about tricky ways to get out?
Sorry! Anyone inside the Exclusion Zone (Zuni) suffers a “NO ESCAPE, 1 HOUR”. You may not use Master Stealth to escape the Zone. You’ll have to solve the puzzles and get out under your own power. After all, the winding corridors of Waking are a bit of a maze. Simply vanishing into the darkness doesn’t guarantee you can find your way out!
what do i do when i’m waiting for a run?
Unfortunately Liquidation Runs come with some additional dangers for those outside. Opening the pressure doors to the city creates a ruckus and tends to attract Undead and worse threats. Anyone outside the Zone will need to make sure the door stays open and should be ready for a fight. If the NPC assistance dies, the run might fail then and there.
While a Run is active, you might encounter radioactive Zed, raids from the Oxkiller Alliance, or worse irradiated threats from within the Exclusion Zone. Make sure you bring your shield and weapon with you before you go in!
How does the Timer work?
Each character that enters the Exclusion Zone will risk the deadly radiation to complete the tasks inside. You’ll be able to decide how far you want to push your luck during a Liquidation Run, but you may leave the Liquidation Run at any time, provided you can reach the boundaries of the Zone before your timer runs out.
The Guide will keep track of the total time with a stopwatch, and use an airhorn or other similar loud device to alert you to planned intervals. You’ll receive a warning when the time is short, so keep your ears open so you can make it out alive.
We’ll have a small egg timer to keep track of your own Radiation Timer, or you can use your own watch or timer if you prefer.
What if we don’t complete a task before we have to leave?
The next team can immediately enter to help you finish the task, but that will start their Radiation Timer. That means that on the next leg of the tasks they will have less time before death. It might be a good idea to have some alternate runners picked out to finish up a particularly tricky task.
what happens when the Timer runs out?
If you are still inside the Liquidation Run when the final time expires, your character dies from lethal radiation exposure, regardless of their Strain. This infection loss cannot be prevented, but you will eventually find your way through to the Morgue.
Since you can leave at any time, you’ll only be forced to stay inside if something TRAPS you inside. Better have an Avontuur handy!
What Happens to me inside?
While the radiation inside Waking is deadly, you’ll have some time before the worst of the exposure sets in. Let’s cover how you can cheat certain death.
This Radiation Timer starts when you first enter the Exclusion Zone and does NOT reset until SIX (6) hours passes or the next 12s, whichever is first. These mechanics are considered an environmental effect, called by a Guide. A Liquidation Run also counts as a vehicle mod for purposes of the Nomad Lineage advantage.
Note: in a previous blog post we suggested that if you re-enter Waking a second time before the 12s you would immediately die, but that wasn’t entirely accurate. The instructions below are how we will run it during this event. Sorry for the confusion, but we wanted to give you a bit more agency in what happens if you stay behind to complete a task without allowing one person to do everything themselves.
Let’s cover what happens the longer you stay inside.
5 Minutes - ACUTE RADIATION POISONING
If you remain in the Waking Exclusion Zone for 5 minutes, you contract Radiation Poisoning, Stage 1. This will increase your disease by one stage if you are currently infected. Mutants & characters with Helscape Death Masks can resist this by spending a Resolve or Mind.
10 Minutes - ORGAN FAILURE
If you remain in the Waking Exclusion Zone for 10 minutes or longer, you have reached a lethal dose of radiation. Within the next hour (two for Mutants), your body will cease to function at a cellular level and you will die and lose an Infection. This Infection loss cannot be prevented or avoided.
15 Minutes - DEATH
If you remain in the Waking Exclusion Zone for 15 minutes or longer, your fatal dose of radiation kills you on the spot. Your muscles fully break down and you cannot escape the brain death that happens in the next moments. This Infection loss cannot be prevented or avoided.
TIME EXTENSIONS
Mutant Lineage characters may add ONE (1) minute to their timer. This does not stack. (ex. A Mutant will only die to Organ Failure after 11 minutes)
Characters with any carded Vehicle may BREAK that item to add an additional ONE (1) minute to their timer. The Vehicle must be repaired by an Artisan before it can be used again. This does not stack.
An Avontuur with a Hijinks Harness may spend 1 Resolve or 20 Mind to add ONE (1) minute to their timer, ONCE. This does not stack.
This means that if you are a Mutant, an Avontuur, or lucky enough to have a Vehicle, you’ll be able to push your luck a bit further (by one minute, at least). However, extending your own Radiation Timer doesn’t change the total time for the run, so while you might be able to survive a bit longer during the run, you’ll still die if you get stuck inside when the doors close.
if you run over the 10 minute timer, death is certain. make sure you are out before then if you value your life!
However, if you’ve already reached the point of lethal exposure, you’ll have a choice to make. You can leave the Liquidation Run and have about an hour to say goodbye to your friends and family, or you can push your luck further and be a big damn hero. Imagine the story of staying behind to finish the puzzle while your friends escape safely.
What other threats can I expect inside?
Zombies. Well, irradiated Zombies. These won’t necessarily be super deadly threats, but they WILL slow you down. Every zombie you kill is a time you aren’t completing the task. If you get knocked into Bleed Out, you’ll be losing valuable time while a doctor performs first aid. And even a basic Shambler might get a lucky strike in, and the damage will add up.
Radiation. In addition to the general deadly radiation, you can expect to encounter pools of liquid radioactive sludge that must be avoided, Area of Effect attacks, or periodic By My Voice calls that deal small, but regular amounts of Radiation damage. Remember, Radiation damage deals both Body AND Mind damage!
Surprises. Waking was a titanic relic of the oldcestors and there are still some bits of surprising technology inside that can be deadly. The defenses of Waking don’t care if you are a zed or survivor, so make sure you are ready for unexpected, nightmarish, challenges.
We hope that you can have an epic moment during your Liquidation Run, and we hope that you will enjoy this new experience. But let’s cover why you might really want to do a Run - the promise of a reward!
Do Work, Get Paid?
The fall of Waking has drastically impacted the financial viability of the Railroad Conglomerate. Faced with a budget shortfall due to the disaster, they are forced to consider alternative payment methods for their contractors. Only those truly loyal to the RRC will be able to get a full payment, but there will still be lucrative rewards to be earned.
While hard Brass won’t be as readily available as you might have hoped, it turns out that choosing to crash an airship on Bravado has come long lasting consequences. Huh.
No matter the outcome of the Liquidation Run, your character can earn a reward for attempting the impossible. If you die during a Liquidation Run, your Grave Tax will be paid by the RRC, so don’t worry about insult on injury if you take too long.
If your group FAILS a Liquidation Run, any characters that entered the Exclusion Zone earn one (1) of the following as a consolation:
1x Company Money (San Saba Sundry). This item counts as 10 Brass with most NPC merchants.
10 Brass (if the character has Proficient RRC Membership or higher)
If your group SUCCEEDS on a Liquidation Run, any characters that entered the Exclusion Zone earn one (1) of the following as a reward for their efforts:
2x Company Money (San Saba Sundry). This item counts as 10 Brass with most NPC merchants.
20 Brass (if the character has Proficient RRC Membership or higher)
1x RRC Liquidation Voucher (Local Plot Item). This item may be exchanged for crafted gear such as brews, armor, weapons, augments, or even vehicles at the Post Office. Expires May 2024.
Liquidation Vouchers are a new tradeable Local Plot Card meant to be saved between events and saved for bigger rewards, or they can be exchanged immediately for a smaller reward. You do NOT need to complete every run in order to earn the highest tier reward, and this buy list will remain open through Season 5.
You can only EARN TWO Liquidation Run VOUCHERS each event. Any runs after this no longer offer vouchers or money rewards.
You can attend more than two Liquidation Runs if you are really enjoying the experience, but the rewards stop after the first two vouchers earned. That means you can only earn up to 2 vouchers per game, even if both runs are successful.
What can you get with a Voucher?
This list will be available at the Post Office starting during the September event. Simply take one of your Liquidation Voucher item cards you got from the Liquidation Run to the Post Office and you can trade it for one of the items below. This is a great way to rebuild your gear from the Burning Season, acquire an expensive gizmo like a Doctor’s Bag, or get access to a neat Augment.
These are some impressive rewards, but since you are risking DEATH by radiation, we want to make it lucrative enough to risk it all to delve into Waking.
1x Liquidation Voucher:
1x Basic Red Mist Healing Injection
1x Basic Weapon, Shield, or Armor of your choice
1x Basic Artisan or Culinary Crafting Component of your choice
3x Blueprints of your choice
3x Named Scrap, Produce, or Herb of your choice
20x Basic Scrap, 5x Uncommon Scrap, OR 3x Rare Scrap
2x Liquidation Vouchers:
1x Proficient Weapon, Shield, or Armor of your choice
1x Proficient Artisan or Culinary Crafting Component of your choice
1x Master Healing, Recovery, Hallucination, or Death Brew of your Choice
1x Basic Augment of your Choice
1x Basic Gizmo of your Choice
1x Deep Fried Canned Ampheta Feast (+25 Mind, Cures Disease, 3-month expiration)
3x Liquidation Vouchers:
1x Master Weapon, Shield, or Armor of your Choice
1x Master Artisan or Culinary Crafting Component of your choice
1x Basic Room Augment of your Choice
Gain Proficient Society Membership (Railroad Conglomerate)
4x Liquidation Vouchers:
1x Basic Vehicle of your Choice, or Upgrade an Existing Vehicle by one level
5x Liquidation Vouchers:
Gain Master Society Membership (Railroad Conglomerate)
We may add additional rewards as the season continues, so don’t spend all your Vouchers right away. The RRC is still suffering from the Fall of Waking and they need your help to free up funds for future rewards.
Rules You Should Know - Special Elections
One last thing before we go!
The new San Saba Militia needs a leader chosen by the people, based on a Trustee vote before the Burning Season. This role will be demanding and will require hard decisions, difficult choices, and heavy investment of their time, energy, money, and more. This election will be held during our September event, and it will follow a similar format to our annual May Stakeholder’s Meeting votes.
This role will be integral to pursuing the war with the Oxkillers over the course of Season 5. They will impact whether or not the war is successful and you can VOTE on the best candidate for that role.
During the September Special Election, any character with a SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP in one of the seven San Saba Factions (not counting Murder Inc.) may vote on the proposed leaders for the San Saba Militia that have been submitted by the Board. Each candidate has a number of ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES in the upcoming war, so choose carefully.
Each character may vote ONCE (and once only), and their vote counts according to one of their levels of SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP. Extras and SCs may also count their votes towards this election.
Basic Society Membership (1 vote)
Proficient Society Membership (2 votes)
Master Society Membership (5 votes)
You may vote for ONE candidate for the leadership of the Militia. Sufficient votes in favor or against a candidate can sway the opinion of the San Saba Board to approve that candidate as the new Militia leader, on behalf of the people of the San Saba.
There are THREE candidates for this role that have been nominated by the Board, but with sufficient popular support and campaign “financing” (AKA bribes), even an LC can qualify for this role.
As a reminder, the three NPC candidates are:
Tabitha St. Mercy - The former Warden of Killhouse is a powerful figure in her own right, with the fortress-prison of Killhouse being a valuable training ground for new soldiers, alongside her Fallow Hope allies.
Reckoner-General Rampart - A veteran of the Hiway War, the leader of the Grave Council is a natural fit for leading other soldiers into battle. A powerful psion, adding the powerful wealth of the Grave Tax would be vital assistance during the war.
Queen Lucy “Boss” Debs - The leader of the San Saba Republic was behind the creation of the Militia, and many of her people make up the ranks of the new force. She has the power of the people behind her, but some question her resolve in facing off against former allies.
RESEARCH can be completed to determine more about the candidates for the election and their chances to win. Some of the candidates have advantages and disadvantages if they are chosen as a leader, so choose carefully.
A player character CAN be submitted as a “Write-in” candidate, provided they complete a series of tasks on a related Zone of Mechanics.
From the San Saba Charter:
“The San Saba Chair shall finance and appoint leadership of a standing militia to provide support, maintain the peace, quell threats, defend the territory, and repel invasion. The leadership of this San Saba Militia shall be chosen by majority vote amongst stakeholders of the San Saba.”
Votes will be tallied Sunday Morning before the end of the event.
Write In Candidates
This is our first foray into allowing a bit of player agency into the the politics of the San Saba, so we hope you are ready. While we do not plan on letting players ever serve on the San Saba Board as an LC, we do want to reward those folks that have dug deep into the politics of the Lone Star — with the special election for the leader of the San Saba Militia.
This role will be integral to pursuing the war with the Oxkillers over the course of Season 5. They will impact whether or not the war is successful and you can vote on the best candidate for that role.
During the September Special Election, any LC can attempt to join the high risk, high stakes world of politics in the San Saba as a “Write In Candidate” on the ballot. An LC may be nominated for this role, but this will be an uphill battle to outmaneuver the San Saba Board.
You’ll need to complete a Skill Challenge in order to qualify, but let’s cover the basics:
Write In Candidate Requirements:
Character must be a Stakeholder (Proficient Society Membership) at minimum to qualify. The San Saba Board will not accept an outsider, regardless of votes. You must be involved in our politics already. There are a number of ways to gain this in game, from paying Brass, or even completing enough Liquidation Runs.
Characters must be able to attend a majority of DR:TX events this season.
You must have Bravado as your home game.
A Character must submit a 200 Brass bribe.. Ahem, “campaign financing payment”... to add themselves to the Ballots for the election. You can use items like Company Money to pay this fee, though!
You must acquire the signature of a San Saba Board Member as a sponsor for this role. There will be a few of these NPCs in play during this event, so you’ll have to be keeping an eye open for your opportunity.
Your character agrees to general CVC through the SES during every game they attend. You will be involved in deadly politics, sometimes without warning.
As the Militia General, you WILL be a target for the Oxkiller Alliance during the games and Infection loss or final death is possible, even probable.
This could be an excellent opportunity for a retirement arc for your LC.
This will NOT be an easy task to accomplish, and its a bit of an uphill battle. You’ll need to not only earn a majority of the votes in the election, but you’ll need to be ready for a challenge from the other NPCs as to why they should consider you for this new role.
NOTE: If an LC wins this role, this will involve mandatory CVC & politics, punishing in-character decisions, economic investment, and we will generally try to make your character’s life stressful and miserable (in a fun “play to lose” way, promise!). war is filled with choices, and you’ll be responsible for what happens next.
You will need to plan on attending most DR:TX events this season, and you should NOT attempt this role without serious consideration first. This is your warning!
I’m looking forward to seeing if anyone has the charisma (and a bit of luck) to achieve this coveted role. This role will have an important part to play in the upcoming war, so let’s see if you can gather the support to make it happen!
wrap up
That’s it for today, Vados! We have a KILLER event in store for you this weekend, and we hope that you will enjoy a return to Camp Kachina, that you will get your chance to survive in the Zombie Apocalypse, be a big damn hero, and brave the dangers BENEATH THE CORPSE OF WAKING.
What are you excited for most? Seeing your friends after a long summer? Hitting Zombies in the woods with your friends? Liquidation Runs? New blueprints from the summer? Let us know on our social media!
See you in a few days, Vados!