Howdy Vados!
It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our May live event THE ATROCITY! This is our FINALE for Season 5, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. 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 of the Rules You Should Know for the weekend, and a few last-minute logistics reminders.
TICKETS FOR OUR MAY EVENT ARE STILL ON SALE AT THE DOOR! MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT ON CHANCE TO SURVIVE THE ATROCITY!
Our dates for Season 6 are posted on the website! If you need to ask over time in advance for your work, check it out!
There are several new Local Blueprints available if you missed them in April! You’ll be able to use the Redfield Exchange, CAPS, or SES Credits to obtain these prints from the Post Office, or find other players with these custom items in play!
The Gospel Truth
Mr. Napalm’s Spicy Surprise
Amaranthite Vein
CLEAN UP IS CHANGING! We will be continuing to experiment with a new process for Clean Up at the end of the event during our May games. Immediately after closing announcements, we will start with our Camp Cleanup first, and then complete our Personal Cleanup last! We had great success with this change during our April event, and we look to continue to improve!
Our Post Office times will be changing! Starting in May, we will return to opening up the Post Office at 8:00 AM on Saturday! Crafters and Econ Junkies rejoice!
Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by Max Pohlmeier.
Camp Bluebonnet Shores Clean Up Event!
We have a special opportunity available for our players at the end of May!
We always strive to leave our campsite cleaner than we found it, and our relationship with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas has been crucial to our long-term success. Finding a site isn’t easy, so we want to do everything in our power to be good partners and give back when we can. The Girl Scouts do some amazing work and we want to support them! Rafiki and the Camp Bluebonnet team have asked for some help around our campsite, so we are going to have a special charity event:
When: Friday, May 31st - Saturday, June 1st
Where: Camp Bluebonnet Shores
What: Clean Up Day! During these events we pitch in with a bit of manual labor to help get the Girl Scout camp ready for the upcoming summer season.
Friday Night: You can arrive on site after 6 PM. We will have access to the campsite to come out and sleep in a cabin to be ready the night before. I’ll bring some board games and Magic cards, and we will plan some potluck food events and just hang out with folks outside of a normal DR event. You don’t have to come out on Friday night, but it can definitely help with the drive the next day.
Saturday: We will plan on starting about 9 AM, so we can try to beat the Texas heat. We will help paint benches, clear debris from trails and do general trail maintenance, clean up some dutch ovens, and help make some new signs for camp. We will have plenty of water and snacks available. Last year, we were done early afternoon. Plan to bring something for breakfast and lunch plans on Saturday.
Clean Up: After we are done with the camp tasks, we need to clean up our Cabin, pack our gear, and get off site. We will try to get some food with everyone after if folks are still interested.
What to Bring: Bring comfortable clothes for working in, gloves, and any snacks or such you might want. It may be muddy, so consider good shoes for the terrain. Bring your bedding for sleeping in a cot, food for Saturday and any potluck on Friday, plus your normal meds, spare socks, etc.
Now, this is just a great feel-good event to be involved with in general, but we have an EXTRA BONUS for folks that show up to help —
You can earn TEN (10) Experience Points for your character! FREE XP!
That’s a pretty sweet reward, plus, if you have an Advanced Membership, you’ll get the bonus XP on EVERY character you have on the database. There is no cost on this XP for you or us, so this is one of the easiest ways to prepare for a travel game over the summer, or just bank some XP for the next season, while giving back to the Girl Scouts.
Let’s cover some qualifiers for this bonus:
You got to help with the Clean Up tasks. Generally, we will give 2 XP per hour of work if you cannot stay for the entire event or just come for a portion of the day.
You can only benefit from ONE of these Charity Events. You are welcome to attend other nearby chapter’s similar charity events, but you can only benefit from the Bonus XP ONCE. This is functionally a new phantom National Event, so you can only be checked in once.
If you don’t have an Advanced Membership, you’ll need to tell us which character gets the XP. We will have a list with us at site to keep track!
We hope you will join us for this special charity event!
rules You should know - MAY
Let’s cover a few of the common basic mechanics that might be relevant this weekend.
AGONY
Countered by Basic Mental Endurance if delivered by an AOE or Sound of Voice call, or by Avoid if delivered by a Strike or Ranged Attack. Agony is an ability that causes intense physical and/or mental pain in the character affected, making it difficult if not impossible to act through the torment. This effect normally lasts 10 seconds if not otherwise specified, and during that time, the character cannot use Skills or items but can move at a slow pace and defend themselves. Agony Interrupts skills being used when it is called.
Pretty hard to stay quiet when you are screaming in AGONY. Probably won’t be that dangerous, unless you had things hunting by sound… oh wait.
Some important details to remember:
Agony is a versatile skill used by several different entities in Dystopia Rising. While affected by this ability, you may not use Skills (including weapon skills!) or items, but can move slowly and act defensively. This means no brews, no gizmos, no armor, no weapons, nothing!
This attack interrupts all Skills being used, including Crafting. Remember, if you start using a new Skill while working on that expensive Artisan project, you will also be Interrupted. If you use Mental Endurance to resist the effect, you will Interrupt yourself. Best be careful about crafting while [REDACTED] are about.
Agony is often a precursor to more dangerous attacks like Break and Mangle, so remember you can’t Avoid while under the effects of Agony. 10 seconds is a LONG time in the heat of combat!
The Candlepin Survival Pack can protect you from this attack, but remember this is a Supply Bag item and cannot be stacked with a Freeiron Dry Pack. You can use either or, but not both!
The Battle Hymn is probably the best single defense against Agony, as it gives you an Upsurge protect and simply makes you immune. This is the only way to avoid interruption from Agony, as the effect simply doesn’t happen. Remember, an Upsurge only lasts one hour, so make it worth it!
Be careful not to attract the attention of things in the night that use this skill. You may not like what happens after you start screaming in agony...
TERROR
Countered by Basic Mental Endurance. Often delivered as an area or Line of Sight effect, those affected by Terror are overcome by an urge to flee from the source of it. For at least 30 seconds (default; some uses may specify a different duration in the call) they must attempt to flee from the presence of the source of Terror, regardless of (IG) safety. If they cannot for some reason escape, they will cower as best as possible. The target may still defend themselves, but fleeing will always be a priority when possible. Effects and items that give immunity to Fear do not give immunity to Terror unless noted otherwise.
This skill often gets confused with Fear, but the simple instruction for Terror is to RUN AWAY! If you don’t counter this with Mental Endurance or an item, you simply need to move away from the creature for at least 30 seconds. Pick and direction and move!
Terror is a separate ability than Fear. Many items that protect from Fear do not often the same protection from Terror, and often the two defenses are mutually exclusive.
Like Agony, the Battle Hymn is an excellent defense against this ability, and if the right Upsurge is chosen it protects from both Fear AND Terror.
One of the items purchased from the Master Sailing buy list can be used to defend against this ability, the Crew’s Cabin Flag.
The item Scales of Ezra makes the wearer immune to Fear and Terror, provided you can use a Faithful Anomaly skill and two baptized members of your faith are in line of sight.
Sounds terrifying! Definitely not something a Prince of Nightmares might use against you…
FEAR
Fear is a mechanical effect that prevents a Target from attacking the source of the Fear. Fear is broken if the Target is attacked by a foe, affected by other non-Fear mechanics with the aim of harming the Target, or forced to attack by another effect that comes after the use of Fear. Fear does not make you leave the battlefield, but it does prevent you from crossing the line from verbal and secondary support to engaging combatant. While under the effects of Fear, you can still attack others on the battlefield who were not the source of the Fear.
Fear is an insidious ability, as it can be used by intelligent threats to lock you out of a combat and there are not many ways to prevent it from affecting you. Be careful while walking in a pair, because if the predator is particularly cunning, you might have to just watch your friend die while you are stricken in fear and unable to help them.
Unlike Terror, you cannot use Mental Endurance against Fear. The only thing that really breaks Fear is that creature attacking you by mistake.
Remember, being an ‘engaging combatant’ is a bit vague, but if you try to use a Skill on a friend or otherwise involve yourself in the battle against that creature you may not be able to intervene. This means you can’t really use skills like Interfere or and you can’t make an attack on an enemy to prevent a Killing Blow. It doesn’t stop secondary support like healing through Biogenetics, but it does stop most active skills that could stop the enemy.
Like Agony, the Battle Hymn is an excellent defense against this ability, and if the right Upsurge is chosen it protects from both Fear AND Terror.
Sometimes, a big fucking gun can give you the courage to fight back against paralyzing fear, particularly if you have a Rebel’s Ridiculous Receiver. A solid shield like the Freeiron Guard can be handy in a pinch, and can be used on others. You can also rely on chemical stimulation with a Glitter Gulch Dartgun, if you have the right PFA. For everyone else, you can always use a Trophy Room too to resist fear, if you can get a bedtime story from an Avontuur.
A new blueprint from up north that’s handy against Nemesis works in a pinch versus fear, the Cullingwood Blade, if you are Bad Ass enough..
There are many items purchased from every level of the Sailing buy list can be used to defend against this ability, such as Grog, Crew’s Raiding Flag, Crew’s Cabin Flag, and Keg O’ Grog. This is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get immunity to Fear.
Can you master your fear in face of living Nightmares?
FROZEN IN FEAR (Nightmare Threat Skill)
One last mechanical effect to watch out for this weekend is one you’ll hear a bunch as the Nightmares hunt your survivors by sound through the weekend. After you hear the “Nightmare Manifest” skill call, you’ll likely hear this next call:
“PSIONIC: Area of Effect, STUN!”
At its heart, it’s just an AOE STUN effect, but let’s make sure everyone is on the same page.
Area of Effect
The Area of Effect is a 10-foot radius for the mechanics for a skill or effect, centered on the user of the skill. No area of effect outside of plot mechanic zones reach more than 10 feet. Areas of Effect do not pass through structural walls, but they do bypass partial cover and non-permanent structures.
Stun
A character who is stunned cannot use any equipment (save for armor they are currently weaing or equipment that activates when the wearer is Stunned), cannot use any skills, crumples to the ground (or drop to a knee for safety needs), and is unable to move of their own volition for 5 seconds. Equipment may not be stripped off of a Stunned Target, but items in the hands of a Stunned Target may be removed.
Let’s cover some important notes to consider if you get targeted by this skill:
While STUNNED, you can’t use Skills, you can’t attack or defend, and you need to take a knee for 5 seconds. While you are Stunned, you can be disarmed by intelligent opponents and you are vulnerable to other powerful attacks like Mangle or Break, as you can’t use Avoid. This is often a precursor to more dangerous attacks, and it renders you unable to prevent the next big swing. In practice this renders you vulnerable for a bit longer than 5 seconds, as you’ll still need to stand up and that can leave you exposed.
AOE attacks bypass light cover and stuff like trees, obelisks, bushes, etc. You’ll need to be fully inside a building with a shut door to avoid the effect based on obstacles. If you are defending an open door, the effect will carry past your shield wall inside.
As this attack is a PSIONIC effect, the skill Mental Endurance can resist the AOE Stun effect. This also means rare brews like the Murky Black Byproduct and Gleaming Red Byproduct can be super useful.
AOE attacks cannot be stopped by the Avoid skill, but CAN be stopped with the Balance skill, as this is an AOE effect that would cause you to be Stunned.
The most common item defense to Stun effects is actually through the power of a good meal. With the Deep Cholesterol Fry procedure, a cook can add “Immune to the next Stun” effect until the next 12s after you eat the meal. Remember to say “No effect, Meal!” when you use this buff.
Like Agony, the Battle Hymn is an excellent defense against this ability, and if the right Upsurge is chosen it protects from the next Stun effect. However, given that the Stun protection is a one-use ability, and the protection from Agony, Fear or Terror can last up to an hour, this isn’t a mode chosen often for this benediction.
Certain rare effects, like the Phalanx Doyen PFA ability with the OOPH Barrier Shield can prevent the effect, provided you can stay in the shield wall formation. This renders you immune to area of effect calls, but not single target Stun effects.
Speaking of powerful shield abilities, the Wasteland Mentor effect of the Freeiron Guard can make your allies immune to Stun for 1 minute, and even break a Stun effect on someone else without needing a PFA skill.
Now you are armed to master your fear, and not be frozen in place when the Nightmares attack!
QUICK EVENTS
One last complication to the fighting will be experienced in the form of Quick Reaction Events, a returning concept for DR:TX that we used during our SIEGE event last year. These were inspired by some clever skill uses in DR: Oklahoma (Fore!!), and by our very own Reaction Events during the Submarine mods written by Ed Sampson. If you attended our VOX POPULI event, you had to react to these in person!
WHAT IS A QUICK EVENT?
During the final fights of THE ATROICITY, you will occasionally hear a Guide start a Quick Event:
The Guide will describe the effect with a exclamation - “Shockwave!” This is largely flavor and is meant to help you understand in-game what effect is happening. We don’t have a Hollywood budget, so sound effects will have to do.
The Guide will call the keyword, then start a slow 3-count. - “Hit the Deck, 3, 2, 1!” When you hear this countdown, it will be a clear sign to do something!
You will have only a brief time to REACT to the event. If you perform an obvious behavior to protect yourself, you will avoid the damage or negative effect. This might be something like taking cover, cover your ears, looking away from a blinding light, or falling to the ground.
If you do not react in time, the Guide will call a “Failed Reaction”. This call will be alongside a temporarily inconvenience, like Blinding, Agony, or Stun. This is an unavoidable effect, and no use of Avoid, Balance, Mental Endurance, or even a Phalanx will stop this.
A few of the events cannot be avoided at all. There is one effect that cannot be avoided by reacting to the event and will simply be a thing you need to deal with.
In practice, these attacks will be pretty intuitive. After you’ve seen it in action a few times, you’ll understand what you need to do to protect yourself, and you can simply listen for the Guide to call or point to you for the effects. The first time you experience these Quick Events, you’ll even have a longer count to help you realize what is about to happen.
WHAT IF YOU ARE A LITTLE LESS MOBILE?
Don’t worry! The goal of these events is not to punish people that may have a lack of mobility or be a bit slower. I know I’m not the fastest person out there, but what we are looking for is EFFORT.
IF YOU DO SOMETHING THAT A REASONABLE PERSON COULD INTERPRET AS REACTING TO THE EVENT, THE EFFECT WON’T HURT YOU.
This is largely a self-applied attack, so if you feel you avoided the attack our Guides will believe you! We want to have a fun, kinetic event to break up the monotony of a fight and to add a bit of tension to the boss fight, and this is not meant to force a strenuous physical activity.
WHAT KINDS OF QUICK EVENTS SHOULD I EXPECT?
In our DR:TX tradition of Radical Trust, here’s the list of the effects you can expect to see during the fight. This will also be posted in the Depot and the Post Office and we will have several NPCs to help telegraph these behaviors when they happen.
Pay attention, and you’ll survive the Atrocity!
All Will Tremble! HIT THE DECK!
A Guide will call “Hit the Deck, 3, 2, 1!”. If you do not obviously react and take cover, sit down, and/or fall to the ground (if able), you suffer an unavoidable “Failed Reaction: Stun, 10 seconds!” as you are disoriented by the collision of a shock wave.
The Grave Mind Hungers! GRASPING TENDRILS!
A Guide will call “Grasping Tendrils, 3, 2, 1!”. If you do not obviously dive for cover, move from your current position, or take obvious attempts to dodge the tendrils reaching from the Mortis, you suffer an unavoidable “Failed Reaction: 5 Body, Nail, 1 Minute!”. You may not move from your place for 1 minute following this damage, as you are pinned by grasping tendrils of the Grave Mind.
Wave of Darkness! LIGHTS OUT!
A Guide will call “Lights Out, 3, 2, 1!”. The lights of the Depot or other buildings will be extinguished, and LCs AND Threats may use Stealth effects indoors for the next 5 minutes. You may use Awareness to counter Stealth effects as normal. You can’t react to avoid this event.
The Undead Wail! PSIONIC RUPTURE!
A Guide will call “Psionic Rupture, 3, 2, 1!”. If you do not obviously cover your ears, muffle your sense of hearing, or make some effort to meditate or mentally protect yourself, you suffer an unavoidable “Failed Reaction: Agony, 10 seconds!” as the haunting screams of the Mortis Amaranthine overcome your senses.
The Crown Shines Bright! BLINDING LIGHT!
A Guide will call “Blinding Light, 3, 2, 1!”. If you do not obviously cover your eyes, avert your vision from the Prince Undying, or make some effort to protect your eyes with goggles, masks, or scarves, you suffer an unavoidable “Failed Reaction: Blinding, 10 seconds!” as the blinding flash of the Prince Undying’s psionic crown overwhelms you.
None Shall Approach! KNOCKBACK!
A Guide will call “Knockback, 3, 2, 1!”. If you do not obviously react and brace yourself, take a knee, sit down, or make some obvious attempt to hold your ground, you suffer an unavoidable “Failed Reaction: Knockback, 20 Steps” from the telekinetic rage and force of the Prince Undying.
That’s it for the Quick Events. I think these will offer some fun ways to interact with the fight that isn’t swinging a boffer and it will be something that anyone can do during the siege. Remember, it’s all about the effort, so just try your best!
WRAP UP
That’s it for today, Vados! We covered a lot in this blog post, and we will cover the main highlights once more during our Opening Announcements at game next week. While the Mortis Nightmares can be deadly enemies, there will still be other events throughout the weekend as we wrap up our season, so don’t worry. You’ll still face zombies, raiders, and other survivors as we contemplate THE ATROCITY of the Prince Undying.
TICKETS ARE STILL BE ABLE TO PURCHASEd AT THE DOOR FOR OUR LAST EVENT OF THE SEASON.
Don’t miss out on your chance to experience the first part of our season finale! See you this weekend, Vados!