Murder Inc.

Howdy Vados! It’s Jonathan here with a special update for our next game, BEYOND THE HORIZON! Today, since I have time to write in the middle of an ice storm, we are going to discuss how we are going to be implementing the new Murder Inc. faction into our local game. This is a bit of a spoiler warning for things you might find out in game, and this is a bit of a longer post.

First, credit to where it’s due: The Murder Inc. concept was re-released as a support doc by the DR Connecticut staff. This article today assumes some passing familiarity with the concepts included in their Murder Inc. Support Doc, and you can see the license we use this with on our Accreditations Page. I’d recommend reading this doc first, so you’ll better understand the variations I describe below, but I’ll attempt to explain it in broad strokes. We also incorporated several ideas here from Tom Kelly and our friends at DR:NY in how they added Murder Inc. into their game.

Full Transparency Mode

The stuff we are going to talk about today is a secret IN GAME. While you might know bits or legends about the faction or even have a complete understanding of their backstory out of game, this stuff is a secret kept to only the members of the organization. Consider this a SPOILER WARNING, but our goal here is to clearly telegraph how you can join Murder Inc, who is involved, and what their rules and rituals will look like. Our hope is that by being transparent, we will allow you to be prepared to “opt in” to this style of CvC play.

If you don’t want to know about Murder Inc., STOP reading here! This info will be linked on our website, so you’ll be able to find it later if you want.

The history of Murder Inc. in DR:TX

First, some history. It’s time for a bit of backstory:

In the last days of 2.0, the STs and Gamerunners ran a series of games that detailed the events of the Hiway War, a devastating conflict between the collected factions of the Lone Star and a villainous Full Dead known as Hiway Rob. The war was set to reshape the landscape of the Lone Star in preparation for our transition to new ownership with Shan and Aesa, but also to prepare for the new 3.0 edition. Our plans were to erase all traces of the past and go into the new world with a blank, fresh slate for our stories in 3.0.

However, during those last games we allowed players to contribute in-game resources like scrap, Brass, and herb and complete a series of mods to “save” a faction that they cared particularly about. Our promise was to include those factions in some new form in our 3.0 setting, though we made sure to explain that it would not necessarily be an exact copy of the old faction, but something new to account for the changes in our setting.

Several factions were saved by player action, including the Antler Tribe, Cervaxi Tribe, the Buccs, the SCAdians, the Road Royals, the Spider Haus of Red Star, and the Imix Tribe of Unborn. You can still find elements of these survivors today, in player-led factions like the Road Royals, and in NPC-led factions like the Tribes Disparate, the Grave Council, and the Junkerpunks.

However, one faction was saved during the Hiway War that we don’t talk about: the Guild.

The symbol of Murder Incorporated

In 2.0, the Guild was the larger network of assassins, criminals, and murderers across the settlements of the Wastes and was joined by learning a skill known as Guild Member. The original Murder Inc. faction was detailed in a DR 2.0 tabletop sourcebook called Diaries of the Rum Coast and was a subfaction within the larger Guild network. The Guild Member skill worked similarly to the Criminal Influence skill in 3.0, allowing you to attend shadowy meetings in the dark. In old Bravo, the Guild was heavily tied to the machinations of Judge Parker, Hiway Rob, and several other villains of the past, and the lines between Murder Inc. and the Guild were often a little murky.

In game, Murder Inc. only claimed a dozen or so members across the network, so it was more of a secret society than a criminal gang. They were both groups of shadowy assassins, seeking to eliminate serious threats by carefully removing targets, but the Guild was filled with corruption from within and powerful figures calling the shots to eliminate their own enemies, and not targets that were a greater threat to the wastes. Murder Inc. claimed to stand above the corruption, but was eventually taken down by their enemies and their own corruption during a national event at the end of 2.0.

Fast forward to the present, after the three-year time skip between 2.0 and 3.0, and we are ready to talk about what happened next. After the events of the recent Dead Waters online national event run by DR:CT, the faction known as Murder Inc. has made a return to the wastelands, but they’ve been present in the San Saba for a while…

The Widows of the Lone Star

From our first posts about the Widows, we’ve always been a bit coy and playful about their connections to the Guild. We even literally spelled it out for you in the description of the faction on our website. Spoiler - the bolded letters at the start of the sentences spell out “GUILD”. This is also one of our primary CvC factions within DR:TX, and serves as a vehicle for CvC related plot and activities within our game.

While the Widows are part of the larger Lovelace Family, the Widows serve a more specific purpose — preventing the horrors of the Hiway War from ever happening again, through any means necessary. Sure, the public face of the Lonestar Widows and Children’s Fund deals with charity, orphanages, and community service and they do some very good work in the San Saba Territories. But within their ranks are also the talented assassins of The Veiled, who hide their identity when they act in the name of the Widows to eliminate a threat to the wastes. It’s one reason that the Widows have declined a position on the San Saba Board, as they want the ability to act as they see fit without the burden of politics.

Clauthia Lovelace

The Widows are led by three figures - the Widows of the Lonestar, subtly echoing the tales of the Three Fates of old mythology — Clauthia Lovelace, Mx. Lackey, and Atrophy Lovelace. Each represents a philosophy or way they approach the goals of the faction in their roles as Spinner, Measurer, and Cutter, and each was widowed by the atrocities of the Hiway War and represents a different way of dealing with their own grief and loss.

So naturally, the Widows represent the single best way to include the new Murder Inc. items and support material into our game. In fact, they’ve basically been doing this already in our game for the last year because of their history with the former Guild!

At the next game, interested players will have a new opportunity to join the subfaction within the ranks of the Widows of the Lone Star, known as the Veiled.

Joining Murder INc. is NOT a requirement of joining or participating with the Widows of the lonestar faction.

You can join the Widows without joining Murder Inc. but it is a way of deepening your connection with the secret rituals of the Widows. If you have the Widows Society Membership on your sheet right now, you can also easily gain the Society Membership for Murder Inc. but it is not required. There will still be a number of ways to interact with the faction or attend the Widow’s Tea on Saturday afternoons, all without necessarily being a shadowy assassin or embracing CvC.

Murder Inc. and the rules

Now that the history lesson is out of the way, let’s discuss how you join, and how we will use these concepts in our local game. Let’s talk briefly about where we will differ from the source material, and our implementation. Again, the basic write up of the Murder Inc. faction is found on the DR: CT website, found here.

• We will NOT be using the listed “families” in the Murder Inc. Support Doc. Instead, our “families” will be existing NPCs and NPC factions within the DR:TX game. The first known “families” in DR:TX are the Lovelace Family and The Veiled.

• Players cannot teach another character the Society Membership skill, at this time. You may only be inducted into the organization by an NPC sponsor in DR:TX after passing a test or personal plot request.

• This is a separate organization from our other CvC Faction, the Red Ledger. You can be a member of both factions, but you may find your loyalties occasionally tested…

• The Widows of the Lonestar will NOT be the only way to interact with Murder Inc.

  • There will be additional NPC sponsors, “families”, and more in the future, as the faction grows in influence and scope. There are already members in other existing factions you can learn about in game if you are diligent, but it is a secret society after all!

  • If you want to join Murder Inc., but don’t want to be a part of the Widows, submit an Personal Plot Request so we can include your ideas into a different NPC sponsor to the faction.

• We will be looking at choosing PLAYERS to be our Blade of Shepherd’s Chosen, a group of the Sainthood of Ashes faith that serves as a check on the conscience of those that would eliminate a threat during the rite of the Honor Hunt. If you are interested in this role and have a character interested in Murder Inc. with this faith, let us know at info@dystopiarisingtx.com.

Joining Murder Inc.

Let’s talk about some specific requirements for joining the faction. These traditions, steps of joining, and play expectations of this group will be listed on our website as well.

• The rules for Society Membership are found on page 106 in the DR Corebook.

• You must have at least Basic Criminal Influence to join Murder Inc. The only way to find out about an secretive organization of assassins is to already be a criminal!

• You must have Proficient Stealth to join Murder Inc. OR the ability to be disguised by a friendly ally using the appropriate item effects.

• Joining this faction will be considered to be opting-in to CvC in DR:TX, and you will be required to join the SES System at the start of each game.

• Members of Murder Inc. must wear a physical MASK during official meetings of the faction. Failure to do so could result in violence directed at your character by other characters or NPCs. In game, this will be represented by the Many Faced Mask item card.

• Trying to attend a meeting of Murder Inc. without being a member is a dangerous and character deadly prospect — you have been warned!

• Performing the Murder Dive procedure without the blessing of the Widows will have potential ramifications — you have been warned!

• If you have both Proficient Widows Society Membership AND Murder Inc Society Membership, you are considered to be a member of The Veiled, a subfaction of the Widows of the Lonestar.

How to join during the February event

To join the faction of Murder Inc. at our February event, you will have a few options:

• If you already have the Proficient or Master Widows Society Membership or you have the Inner Circle PFA, you will be able to simply chose a subfaction (see below) to join during our February event. The Widows are the first faction to formerly induct members into Murder Inc., and have already vetted a chosen few into the ranks of the organization.

  • We will write this on your sheet during Widow’s Tea on Saturday afternoon of game at 1:00 p.m. This will happen in the Meadows, near the Farming Roleplay Zone.

• If you attended the Dead Waters online national event, you likely already have this Society Membership on your sheet. You are not required to join the Widows, but instead represent a free agent inducted in the Sunken Saints. Congrats!

• Lastly, if neither of the above apply, you will still be allowed to join the faction by completing a SKILL TASK during the event. This will require you to complete a challenge to craft or buy a suitable Many Faced Mask item card, so you will need an appropriate phys rep for this item. While we encourage you to provide your own mask, we will have a few extras available in Ops you can borrow if yours does not arrive in time. The blueprint for this item will be made available as part of this task, so don’t worry!

Now, if you join the faction of Murder Inc, you have a choice ahead of you…

The Subfactions of Murder Inc.

Murder Inc. is separated into three subfactions. Each subfaction espouses a preferred method or philosophy of how they approach their goal of eliminating threats to the wastes, and you must select one of these subfactions of Murder Inc. when you gain the skill. This will look like “Society Membership: Murder Inc (Adherents of Betrayal)” on your sheet in the Notes section.

• The Adherents of Betrayal — The known NPC of this faction is Clauthia Lovelace, played by Aesa Garcia. One of the more prominently known members of the trio of Widows, Clauthia maintains a network of spies and informants throughout the Lone Star. She traditionally meets for afternoon tea on the weekends, and engages in the idle gossip and rumors that make up her trade. Their members wear a bauta mask when performing the tasks of Murder Inc.

  • Clauthia will be able induct willing characters into a subfaction that specializes in dealing with targets that cannot be easily assassinated, but must instead be dismantled and destroyed through subtle manipulation and economic influence. With their influence and power, Adherents take down these titans of industry -- taking all that they have before killing them in the night. If you are craving a political faction that works on a larger scope to influence the San Saba, this is a perfect philosophy for you.

• The Silent Knell — The known NPC of this faction is Mx. Lackey, played by Sadie Hawkins. However, Lackey has been known to appear in different disguises and are periodically seen played by other Guides or STs. One of the most obvious agents of the Widows, this member of the Veiled is normally assigned to handing out tasks and missions to others of criminal intent. Always dressed sharply, they play the role of the servant in public but operate with much more independence outside the sight of the other Widows. Their members wear a featureless blank mask when performing the tasks of Murder Inc.

  • Mx. Lackey is a master of disguise and inducts members into a subfaction that prides itself on secretive assassinations and making their kills appear to be accidents. These assassins, spies, and informants normally take out delicate targets -- ones that have amassed too much power and would become martyrs if their deaths were known to not be accidents. Disguises, poisons, and more subtle tools of misdirection are their specialty and they abide by a code of secrecy even more strict than the other elements of Murder Inc. If you are craving a chance to be a disguised secret agent or stealthy assassin, this is the philosophy for you!

• The Watch of the Bone Chapel — The known NPC of this faction is Atrophy, played by Shan Lind. While all of the Widows understand what it means to be invisible in society, Atrophy has perfected the role of shadow. Atrophy trains new recruits to the Veiled and determines most assignments that require an assassin, even if the target is already dead and within the Grave Mind. No traitor to the Widows has escaped the wrath of Atrophy and tales of her deeds are ghost stories told to new recruits. Their members wear a plague doctor mask when performing the tasks of Murder Inc.

  • Atrophy is a Graverobber and master of the Murder Dive, and inducts members into a subfaction that deals with undead threats and challenges to the natural order of the Mortis Amaranthine. Their group focuses on eliminating some of the worst threats in the wasteland -- those who have learned all that they could about the Grave Mind and have used their knowledge to the detriment of society. This includes wayward Graverobbers, Grave Attuned, and even Techno Savants who have discovered ways to manipulate the grave that could spell disaster for others. If you want to embrace the life of the “gravehead” and fight powerful undead monstrosities and their masters, this is the philosophy for you!

The Traditions of Murder Inc.

There are a number of common traditions of this faction in the DR:TX game.

• The Rite of the Mask — This is a tradition of the Widows, and requires the prospective member of the Veiled to construct their own calling card - a signature mask that will hide their identity while working on the tasks of the faction. Traditionally, this mask can include a black veil that can conceal your identify or one of the more specific masks favored by the subfactions. Members of Murder Inc. must always were a mask while on mission, and failure to conceal your identity can be a transgression worthy of death.

  • This rite will require you to complete a challenge to craft or buy a suitable Many Faced Mask item card, so you will need an appropriate phys rep for this item. The use of a blueprint for this item will be traditionally made available as part of this task.

• The Blooding — When new members are brought into the fold, there are a series of initiation rites that they have to undergo. While the Lovelace Family has their own rites, there is one universal one that everyone must undergo: being blooded.  Becoming blooded involves participating in a kill with the rest of the “concerned citizens”. This is an opportunity for the family to teach the new member how a kill is normally done, and also allow them to show the family what they’re capable of. Normally, the new member either does the first or final strike on a target. For families that focus on gathering information or creating dossiers, being blooded can mean something different. Instead of doing the actual kill, a new member instead prepares enough information for others so that a successful strike can be carried out.

• The Honor Hunt — Honor Hunts are saved for the worst that humanity has to offer, and task the members of Murder Inc. with assassinating a priority target. Honor Hunts are called by one of the leaders of a family within the San Saba and are voted on by the collected members of Murder Inc. The person that calls the hunt will make their case for why that target must die, as well as provide the intel and research that is available. Each member is expected to work together to complete the Honor Hunt within three months. If they fail, it’s viewed as a slight on them and their family and other members of Murder Inc. in the area may look down on them. A vote must pass a majority before a Honor Hunt is called, and can be vetoed by the Blade of the Shepherd’s Chosen.

  • At the formation of Murder Inc. in the Sunken Saints, it was also decided that the “one and done” rule for both targets and Honor Hunts should be instituted. Whenever a person is hunted, they are killed once and then are not hunted again – as long as they learn their lesson. A target may not be chosen twice without significant provocation.

    Note: The “one and done” helps when players engage in CvC so that it’s not a continuous back-and-forth until someone loses their character. Keep in mind that with casted characters, this matters less – though the DR:TX staff finds it important to be transparent with players of our future plans for that casted character, or if we know other players that want to engage with that casted character.

• Voting in the Faction — Following an example of our friends in DR:NY, and the Murder Inc. faction there, when the faction decides to declare an Honor Hunt, you will be able to VOTE for or against that hunt using your levels of Criminal Influence:

  • Basic Criminal Influence gets one vote

  • Proficient Criminal Influence gets two votes

  • Master Criminal Influence gets three votes

  • The Inner Circle PFA will add one vote you can cast. For example, a character with both Inner Circle and Master Criminal Influence will get four total votes.

• The Blade of the Shepherd’s Chosen — For families that hold to the old traditions of Murder Inc., they have a member who is also part of the Blades of Shepherd’s Chosen. This Sainthood-only group is responsible for determining whether an Honor Hunt is warranted or not. For these families, an Honor Hunt is proposed by leadership. Then, the Blade researches the individual and determines whether or not the Honor Hunt should be officially called. If the Blade decides that the Honor Hunt isn’t warranted, then they can veto the hunt. Having a Blade of Shepherd’s Chosen often helps families keep on the right path, and puts a check on leadership that has become too corrupt.

  • In DR:TX, this role will normally be held by a player. However, the ST staff reserves the right to step in as the Widows to influence a vote or stop a Honor Hunt.

• Forever Sharpening the Blade - The Traditions of Murder Inc. are unique to each chapter but they are not set in stone. The nature of the society and their focus on avoiding the corruption of the past means that this can and will change over the course of play. When a new rule or tradition is introduced, it must pass a vote of all members of the faction and can be vetoed by a member of the Shepherd’s Chosen similarly to a Honor Hunt. When a major change occurs in this manner, it will be recorded on our website for the future.

Wrap UP

Whew! That was a lot! Thank you for sticking with me through a complicated subject. This information will be included on our website soon, so you can refer back to these materials at your convenience. We want this faction to be a tool to embrace CvC play in Dystopia Rising, but we are eager to let you decide how this faction evolves and influences the landscape of the San Saba in the future. Let us know what you think!

New Lexicon, FAQ, and Item Updates!

Hey there Vados! It’s Jonathan here with another Rules Ramble! This week we are taking a bit of a brief interlude from the discussion on CVC to talk about some recent changes in the network. As always, the purpose of these Rules Rambles is to cover a topic in the DR rulebook or something that might show up in game in more detail than the book alone can provide.

We also have a few days left to get tickets for our February event, BEYOND THE HORIZON, and we just announced the return of The Ark Society and the first chance at the unique currency known as an Ark since that National event two years ago! Tickets are available HERE!

So a few weeks ago, DR National released a couple of great new resources that I’d like to highlight and discuss in this Rules Ramble. There’s been some significant changes to the way a few Skills work, so I want to make sure everyone is on the same page before the next event. We also had some new items released during the Dead Waters online event that change the landscape a bit.

Errata & FAQ

Errata & FAQ — Dystopia Rising (dystopiarisinglarp.com)

The DR Rulebook, much like many gaming publications, has some flaws and mistakes in it. Companies often can’t or won’t reprint a book once it’s been released for final printing, so we need to rely on Errata and FAQ docs to fill in the gaps for mistakes in the book. A few of these are listed on the National page here, and it’s a short list so it’s an easy read. This will be a useful page that will be updated as new rules interactions bring light to some things in the book that need to be more clear.

A lot of these changes seem minor but are actually pretty important for avoiding some weird rules interactions. I’ve covered some of these in previous blog posts, but the errata on Resolve and Fractures are particularly important to cover.

• Fractures - These do not heal after a game and persist on your character sheet if not healed. The ONLY way to remove a Fracture is via the Proficient Social Influence or Master Necrokinetics Skills. This isn’t really an errata, but simply one line that was confusing that was fixed in a later update. However, since you might have read this in a previous edition, it creates a lot of confusion. Our very own Aesa covered this topic in a blog post back in September, found HERE.

• Resolve - Once you hit Resolve ZERO, you can no longer use the following:

  • items that cost or lose a Resolve (this includes INJECTABLE BREWS like Red Mist!),

  • Skills that cost Resolve (like most Master Psionic skills or Master Stealth)

  • anything that interacts with any local mechanics that needs Resolve, like on a Zone of Mechanics or Local Plot Cards (sorry, no Leviathan Salts for you!).

  • Make sure to save that last point of Resolve for an emergency!

Lexicon

Lexicon — Dystopia Rising (dystopiarisinglarp.com)

We’ve had something of a Lexicon on the Texas webpage with our Rules & Skills page for a bit. This is simply a list of common abilities, keywords, and skills that don’t really exist in the DR Corebook, but that you might see in play. A few of these are some common sense updates, like the inclusion of the Stabilized condition (weirdly, this was referred to in the Corebook, but never actually listed as a keyword). But a few of these are brand new Skills and keywords like Downsurge and Nail that have not seen before. I’d highly recommend checking it out, but I’ll cover a few of these interactions in later blog posts.

The bigger win here is that we finally have a PUBLIC listing of common THREAT SKILLS. These are abilities you will see on zed, raiders, or other monsters that we send out to try to kill you in game. Previously, these were only available to the Guides and STs but now we have a public location for the stuff you might want to look out for. This is a really neat resource, and I’m super glad it was added.

We are in the process of updating our webpage to account for these new changes, so stay tuned for an updated DR: Texas Lexicon that covers the stuff that’s not on the National page and only in play in our local game. I’ll definitely cover this in a future blog post.

New BLUeprints?!

Three weeks ago, the criminal-focused online event Dead Waters was ran by the folks at DR: Connecticut and released several new items into play. These new Blueprints are circulating now, so there’s a few new items to be aware of in the world.

• There are TEN new Blueprints available in play. You can look up the details on these prints by searching their name on the DR Character Database. These prints require some combination of Criminal Influence and Murder Inc. Society Membership to craft and use, and they incorporate the new WASTELAND-ONLY keyword. These could also become contraband at some point in the future, as many of these items are CVC focused and could attract the attention of the Law Dogs…

  • The Many Faced Mask (Gizmo)

  • Miss Anthrope’s Blade (Florentine Weapon)

  • That Cursed Pitchfork (Gizmo)

  • Little Drop of Poison (Poison Brew)

  • Al Buquerue’s Left Turn (Exotic Weapon)

  • Brain Shudder Blade (Small Weapon)

  • The Big Hate (2-Handed Firearm)

  • The Hunter’s Secret (Gizmo)

  • Murder Dive (Procedure)

  • Living Autopsy (Procedure)

• Festering Crystal (New National Scrap) - This is a new, uniquely numbered item that can only be obtained from National events or Premiere events in small quantities. These are an expendable resource used on many of the new Murder Inc. prints (particularly the procedures) and there won’t be a lot of opportunity to get one until next season for our local players. Luckily, almost all of the new prints that use these Crystals only need the Crystal to fuel the PFA ability. This means the items will still be usable even if you don’t have a Festering Crystal.

• WASTELAND-ONLY (New Keyword) - This is a new condition for an item card that makes it only function while WITHIN the Wasteland. When a weapon with the Wasteland-Only tag is used outside of the Wasteland, it functions as a Starter Weapon (base damage) instead. However, a Gizmo with this tag has NO function at all outside the Wasteland. Remember, the boundaries of our Wasteland area in Bravado is outlined HERE.

New Society Membership?!

The Dead Waters event also introduced a new Society Membership in the form of MURDER INC., as well as three sub factions of that group - the Adherents of Betrayal, the Silent Knell, and the Watch of the Bone Chapel. We will have some more details very soon about how we will implement this into our local game, but it may have something to do with a certain tea time at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday if you are interested in joining right away…

Functionally, this Society Membership functions per the rulebook, on page 106. The applicable part of those rules are here:

• “Society Membership requires being recorded on a character sheet by an existing member after completing listed membership requirements to be an official member of the group. Societies outlined by a Society Membership are specific to each branch (local game) and are not part of any canon group or organization.”

For those that played the game in 2.0, Murder Inc. isn’t a new thing but rather a reincarnation of a former group in Dystopia Rising. This organization was a secretive group of assassins that worked to remove the largest threats in the Wastelands — through MURDER. You can find some of the outdated 2.0 information about Murder Inc. in the old tabletop materials available on DriveThruRPG.

This new incarnation is less formally structured as a National organization and set up more by each chapter. There are some more materials on the current history of this organization available on the DR: Connecticut webpage here, but our final Society Membership will likely divert from the examples within.

Wrap Up

That’s it for this week! Next week I’ll cover a few of the game-specific rules you should be aware of before our February Event, and then I’ll probably return to my discussion of CVC in Dystopia Rising. See you next time Vados!

Theft and CvC

It’s time for another Rules Ramble with Jonathan! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic in the DR rulebook in a deep dive that focuses on explaining it more detail than the book alone can provide. There are four core pillars of the DR game in my mind: Combat, Roleplay, CvC, and Economy, and today’s series delves a bit deeper into the logic behind some of the things involved with CvC, or Character vs. Character behaviors. Our specific topic this week is THEFT.

TL;DR: Theft is super complicated. This is a bit of a LONG blog post, and these rules are all over multiple places in the DR: Corebook, so it’s natural for a bit of confusion on this topic. I’ll try to break it down like I always do into more manageable sections, but you’ve been warned. :)

CvC in Dystopia Rising, Part 2

Last week, we talked a bit about the Wasteland and the Four Pillars of Play, which you can read about in my blog post here. The rules for CvC start on page 159 in the DR: Corebook.

Remember, there are four levels of possible CvC interaction in Dystopia Rising:

• Non-Wasteland CvC - Normally, CvC behavior is prohibited outside of the Wasteland zones. However, the book makes a key exception to this rule, and that will be the focus of discussion today. Any CvC in a non-Wasteland zone requires explicit consent and discussion in advance, other than the skill LARCENY or in-game theft of unattended items.

• Wasteland CVC - While in the Wasteland, you do not require consent for CvC. We talked about this in the blog post last week. While a Guide is not required, it is recommended.

• SES System - This is a sign up list you do as a player out of game, affecting all of your characters in the game. You effectively give consent to CvC interactions in advance and “opt in” to a more deadly game.

• CvC Faction Membership - While the SES system covers OOG behavior, there are several factions that provide ready opportunities for CvC actions, including the Red Ledger, Murder Inc., and the Widows of the Lonestar.

Theft in Dystopia Rising

While the easiest to imagine scenario for CvC is simply a fight between two people in the Wastelands, THEFT holds a unique position in the world of Dystopia Rising. Unlike violent forms of CvC, you are consenting to theft by simply existing in the world. It’s the only type of CvC that you cannot easily opt out of and the only type of CvC you can commit outside of a Wasteland without consent.

It’s a overlooked part of the rules found on page 163 (emphasis added):

“Always remember that the player is more important than the character; just because your character is a master thief doesn’t mean you should try and steal every single item from someone you know may become upset. You do not need to check in with another player prior to using a thieving skill on their character, but you should prioritize the mental and emotional health of the player representing the character you are stealing from over your character’s fiction desire to steal.”

HOWEVER, the rules ALSO say that EVERY theft outside of the Wasteland requires a Guide, on p. 162 (emphasis mine):

“If CvC escalates to one character attempting to take an Infection from another or the stealing of in-character property outside of the Wasteland, a Guide must be involved.”

So what does this mean?

• You can steal an appropriate item without asking the other player in advance, but you must always involve a Guide.

However, you should always consider the other player in a theft, as losing items can be one of the most devastating forms of CvC. In some cases, those items can represent hundreds of hours of playtime and crafting! You should always prioritize the mental and emotional health of a player behind the character over your character’s fictional desire to steal.

USING A GUIDE

Whether you use Basic Larceny or pick up an unattended object you will need to have a Guide present to monitor the Theft. The Guide will help you oversee the situation and, if needed, help you gauge the other player’s reaction. When you use the Larceny skill, the Guide will notify the other player and retrieve the card for whatever you stole. If it’s an unattended object they’ll help you register it in the Theft Log that is found inside of the Post Office.

Most importantly, getting a Guide involved helps to meet the intent of the theft rules by ensuring there is a neutral third party considering the other player’s feelings. Generally for ANY form of CvC, I recommend getting a Guide involved, but for Theft it is specifically required. And, it’s just good practice in my experience, even for those in the Wasteland!

Finally, if you steal something from another character, you have “flagged” yourself for CvC in return and they can also grab a Guide to get back at you for stealing their gear (p. 163):

“The individual who has been stolen from has license to take a Guide with them in order to beat down the thief and take back their item.”

So this seems like a big thing to watch out for, right? There are only a few specific ways to reduce your chance of Theft in game, so let’s first talk about how you can steal items in game, and the specifics of what can be stolen and what can’t be stolen.

HOW can you Steal Items?

While outside of the Wasteland, there are a few ways to get items in an illicit manner from another character:

The Larceny Skill

On page 118, you can find the basic rules for the Larceny skill. This is the core mechanic that allows you to steal items that are currently in possession of another character. This skill requires you to place a black clothespin on a targeted piece of equipment or Supply Bag without your target noticing. Unlike a lot of other Skills in the game, this actual requires a bit of player talent to pull off effectively. A few reminders for this Skill:

• You MUST perform the placement of the clothespin in the presence of a Guide.

• The clothespin needs to be placed near the item being stolen or on the Supply Bag itself.

• If your victim notices you place the clothespin, they know that you picked their pocket and can act on that information accordingly — usually violently!

• Because the Skill requires Active Roleplay (p. 102), it is also visible to anyone nearby if they notice you place the clothespin. They can also act on that information — usually through blackmail or violence!

• You must still be mindful of a person’s boundaries when placing a clothespin. If they have a brew attached to their chest, you can instead attach the clothespin on the arm nearest the brew.

• Basic Larceny rewards you with ONE random item card from the Supply Bag. The Guide will retrieve this item card for you and can deliver it to you discreetly.

• Proficient Larceny rewards you with the highest value item card from their Supply Bag (which is at the discretion of the Guide, not the thief!)

Remember, this is the ONLY way to steal an item in another person’s possession without consent. The only other person that could be targeted outside of the Wasteland is someone registered with the SES, but they’ve effectively agreed to the risks of Theft by signing up.

Looting a Corpse:

The rules for looting a fallen opponent are on p. 158. Let’s cover the basics:

• You can only loot another player character that is within the Wasteland, a registered member of the SES system, or with explicit consent.

• You must spend 30 seconds of Active Roleplay on a Subdued (p. 107), Unconscious (p. 108), or Dead (p. 208) target. The body must still be present if they are dead!

• You can loot any item cards, blueprints, currency, or in-game generated items.

• You must still check with the player for permission to touch them!

• You can also take items directly from the hands of a Stunned (p. 107) enemy to disarm them.

Stealing an Unattended Item:

This topic in the book is woefully incomplete, and only mentioned in passing in basically one line (p. 163). I really wish this was spelled out more clearly, as it’s probably one of the most misunderstood parts of CvC. However, if we apply some context we can see a few rules that apply to these items. Let’s break down a few points of importance that we can infer from the other sections of the book.

• You may steal an item from an active play area (see below) that is left unattended.

• The item must have a phys-rep, or be something that is itself a phys rep like Blueprints, currency, weapons, shields, armors, or brews.

• You must have been in play for 4 hours prior to the theft, and must stay in play for 4 hours after the theft.

• There are certain items you cannot steal, by the nature of their condition.

So since this is such an unclear section on the process of thievery, let’s explore each of these restrictions below…

Where can you not steal from?

While areas inside the Wasteland are obvious targets for theft, let’s talk about the places that cannot be targeted for theft:

• You cannot steal from a person’s personal sleeping area (bed or bunk). (p. 163)

• You cannot steal items from a bathroom or shower area. (p. 163)

• You cannot steal items from a character not currently in play (p. 29)

  • This includes items for secondary characters and while you are on NPC shift!

• You cannot steal items from places on a person other than their Supply Bag. (p. 163)

  • NO digging through pockets or clothing!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Every character should bring a section of black fabric (a black sheet or something similar works well) that you wrap around your out-of-character items that are stored out of sight in main play spaces (p. 29). This lets Guides and other players clearly know those items are out of play. This is a perfect way to protect your items and props for a secondary character that you will be playing later in the weekend or while you are on shift as an NPC or Guide. You can even include a handy sign that marks the equipment “Out of Character” if you like.

However, you cannot use these places to hide in-game items on purpose. If you are caught using a car, your cabin, your sleeping area, or another out of game location to store items you are using in game, you could receive a warning from a Guide or even potentially lose the item cards involved (p. 163). If it has an in game function, keep it on you or in a visible place that’s not a bed or bathroom! You can still hide something physically in the active play space, but if it’s found it can be stolen.

What can you steal?

So the book outlines a few items and locations that you can steal from. I’ve attempted to clarify a few places here as well as include some items from the blueprints that have specific mechanics involved as well.

• The most important rule: you can only steal IN-GAME ITEM CARDS!!!

If there is a prop involved, that prop MUST be returned to the player after the theft. This is the main reason we use a Theft Log and require a Guide - we want to make sure your super cool phys rep makes it back to you! You obviously cannot steal wallets, purses, iPads, phones, or anything else like that either. That’s a real-life crime and you will be immediately removed from our game, reported to the police, and banned from ever returning.

Let’s break down all the eligible targets for a robbery in Dystopia Rising:

Items you can steal:

• Items inside a Supply Bag or a carried phys rep with an successfully attached black clothespin

• UNATTENDED in-game tagged items with a prop (weapons, shields, brews, etc.)

• Currency (Brass) and Blueprints are their own phys rep, so these items can be taken if they are found unattended and can be kept outside of a Supply Bag.

• Items inside a Supply Bag from a defeated and helpless opponent inside the Wasteland or that is a registered member of the SES.

  • If your Supply Bag is looted, the DR: TX staff asks that you should surrender any unprotected Currency or Blueprints you have on you as well! We want to encourage folks not to look in other pockets, but these items can still be taken when looting a target.

Items you cannot Steal:

• Item Cards NOT in a Supply Bag - Because Item Cards are not phys reps by themselves and must have a phys rep to be outside of the Supply Bag (p. 168), you can’t really steal a stack of loose item cards like Herb or Scrap unless they have an attached prop. These should probably be inside a Supply Bag and not left unattended anyways.

• Supply Bag - Because a character must have a Supply Bag as part of their costume, you cannot steal a Supply Bag. You can take the items INSIDE the bag, but you cannot take the Supply Bag itself. You must leave it behind after a robbery.

• Vehicle Item Cards - Because Vehicle items are normally impossible to represent in character, they are considered to be just outside the play space and cannot be stolen. These rules are printed on every Vehicle item card.

• Crew Tattoos - This is a unique gizmo item from the Sailing buy list, and can’t be stolen for obvious reasons - it’s part of the character!

• Costume Pieces (p.158) - Sorry, you can’t take that cool hat or scarf without specific consent.

• Starter Weapons - These are items marked with a WHITE tag, and represent non-item card equipment. Since you can only steal item cards, this isn’t an eligible target. While you could technically steal one of these props, you can get these weapon tags at any time from the Post Office for FREE. So, there’s really no reason to steal one. You can still turn these into the Post Office as lost items, but there’s not an item card that can be stolen.

When can I get my cool loot from theft?

One of the often overlooked rules of CvC involving Theft or Infection loss is the TIME requirement. You must be in play long enough to be confronted after the act of CvC, as well as been your in play for a period of time before the event. The person that has been stolen from also has the license to hunt you down and respond in kind because you have been “flagged” for CvC in the act of committing the crime.

• When you steal from another player or remove an Infection, you must have been in play for at least four hours before the act of CvC, and remain in play for four hours AFTER the fact (p. 163).

This means there are a couple of obvious moments when you can’t steal. We can extrapolate that you cannot steal in the following examples:

• Your NPC shift is due in less than 4 hours. If you go on shift, you’ll be out of play.

• You just switched into your secondary character. That character has not been in play for at least 4 hours.

• You just came off of NPC shift. Sorry, you haven’t been in play for at least 4 hours.

• If you just stole an item, you cannot leave the site, go to NPC shift, or switch into another character until 4 hours after the incident.

• The end of game on Sunday is less than 4 hours away. This means Sunday morning is pretty safe from thievery, especially after 8:00 am, as game ends at 12:00 pm noon in DR:TX.

• You just entered game on Friday night. You can’t start to steal until 2:00 a.m in DR:TX, because our game on call is at 10:00 pm on Friday night. Sorry, not sorry!

• This means that unless you have a No Casting ticket, there is a very narrow window of when you can steal, with a 12-hour break in the middle (4 hours before NPC, the shift itself, and the 4 hours after). If you switch characters, it becomes even more restricted.

Finally, let’s explore exactly how you get your ill gotten item cards from a victim:

In the case of an unattended item:

• You must keep a stolen phys rep item on your person for 30 minutes after the theft. This gives people a chance to notice the item is missing and catch you in the act.

• You must surrender the phys rep to the Post Office after that 30 minutes, so the victim can retrieve their prop later.

• The Theft will be reported in the Theft Log at the Post Office

• When the victim comes to the Post Office, they will need to surrender the item card of that phys rep to the Post Office, and you can pick it up at a later time once the theft has been noticed and the item card turned in.

In the case of Larceny:

• The Guide will bring you your item card after the theft has been reported to the victim. Ideally, they will bring this item to you discreetly but I’ve always found it helpful to set up a place in advance to meet the Guide later to get the stuff that’s out of sight of your victim.

“Hey, That item looks like mine!”

So, you’ve successfully taken an item from another, spent your 30 minutes with the prop, and gotten away. Now what?

• When you retrieve your stolen item at the Post Office, the stolen Item Card will be marked with the player number of the character it was stolen from on the back.

• This theft will also be recorded in the Theft Log for later reference if a Guide needs to check on the people involved in a theft.

• Stolen goods are still identifiable to others, particularly notable or recognizable items like weapons, shields, or armor. These items will have the original owner’s player number marked on the weapon tag using a letter in from of it. This will look something like “S-4337” on the tag. The “S” means the item is STOLEN.

• In order to remove this marking, you can sell the item through the black market to have it “washed” using the Proficient Criminal Influence skill (p. 119). When you do, you will be able to get the proceeds from the sale discreetly and your buyer will be able to get a card or item without the stolen Player Number on it at the next Criminal meeting.

Can I protect myself versus Theft?

So we’ve talked a lot about the how’s and why’s of thievery, but is there any hope for folks that don’t want to be robbed? Yes!

There are quite a few items that interact with Theft and can offer some measure of protection. Clearly, the best way to avoid theft is to keep your items on you and stay out of the Wasteland, but sometimes you want that extra peace of mind. Remember, under normal circumstances an item you have on you can only be stolen outside of the Wasteland using the Larceny skill and a black clothespin, and that’s generally limited to only 1-2 item cards at a time.

Here’s some important items to consider:

• Freeiron Dry Pack - This is the perfect tool to deter a pickpocket. It can protect your more valuable item cards by giving them an unexpired herb instead or even MANGLE the limbs of the would-be thief.

• Hidden Wallet - This item from the Trade Connections buy list lets you protect 50 currency cards from being looted or pickpocketed. Always have a stash of money safe!

• Document Case - This item can stop people from being able to access up to 25 blueprints from being pickpocketed.

• Dead Man’s Hand - the PFA ability of this item protects a small weapon, firearm, or thrown item from being looted or pickpocketed for a short time.

• Containers - There are several of these items in the game, but all allow you to lock or place traps on them to prevent a thief from gaining access. The Merchant’s Stall Heavy Lock Box can be acquired from Master Trade Connections buy list or a Locking Box can be bought from the Criminal Influence buy list. The Entertainer's Kit and Angry Anchor Storage Box also counts as a Container that can be trapped.

• Traps! - While these don’t so much prevent a thief from actually stealing something, it can make it so they have a bad day. Particularly deadly traps might even make sure the thief is in Bleed Out before they can get away. There are several varieties available from blueprints, including the OOPH Room Trap, the Toothpiq Box-Trap, the Slappi Snap-Trap, the Daline Smart-Trap, or the Greenlight Grave Trap.

There’s also some items that even IMPROVE your ability to steal from another!

• Steelpaw Finger Mitts - This set of gloves lets you place TWO clothespins instead of one.

• Sosweet Clay Replica Mold - This item can get into a locked container by making a temporary key, and even delay a trap from going off so you can evade it!

• G. G. Locksmithing Tools & Lock Poppers - These items can speed up the process of lock picking so you can get away more quickly. The Lock Popper single-use items are available from the Criminal Influence buy list.

• Mountain Trap Snapper Kit - This item lets you quickly disarm a trap by destroying it.

We might even see some more items soon once the Augment prints are released, so keep your eyes out for neat items that can help you out against the criminals out there.

Remember the law!

Remember that Stealing is currently a crime in the San Saba Territories! Just because you were successful in taking that item from another player doesn’t mean that they are the only one that can come after you! If you are particularly brazen with your crime, you could have Law Dogs like BOSS WYATT on your trail, or even earn the distrust of other criminal types by drawing too much attention to them. Particularly visible crimes could even earn a bounty or honor hunt with the Red Ledger or Murder, Inc.!

Common courtesy - Honor amongst thieves

While this next part is not specifically part of the rules in the Corebook and I can’t make you follow them, I think this is a common sense rule when approaching CvC that helps control emotions regarding the loss. Consider this a best practice, heavily recommended by the staff of DR:TX.

• Steal or Kill. Not both.

Theft is one of the most brutal ways to affect another character in Dystopia Rising, matched only by the loss involved with losing Infection, or losing a Character for good. Items made in game can take hours to build and can be difficult to replace. Infection costs 10 XP to get back, and requires a complicated and risky process to even be able to get it back.

Don’t add insult to injury by murdering another character and then stealing everything they own. It’s just not a good idea. It’s a punishing way to commit CvC, and I promise it will earn a response in return. Always make sure to check in with the other person before committing CvC, and make sure you are considerate of their feelings as well.

Our in-game CvC faction of the Red Ledger will actually encourage this paradigm and look to build a culture of behavior around this point. We want to reward the folks that want to get into the violent side of CvC, but we want to make sure it stays fun for everyone!

Wrap up

Next week, we will wrap up this series on CvC and talk a little about Bleed, Conflict in the Moment, and Long-Term CvC. See you then Vados!

Timing and Damage Calls, Part 3

It’s time for another Rules Ramble with Jonathan! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic in the DR rulebook in a deep dive that focuses on explaining it more detail than the book alone can provide. This week we are wrapping up the final discussion of the Anatomy of a Damage Call in Dystopia Rising. There are four core pillars of the DR game in my mind: Combat, Roleplay, CvC, and Economy, and this series delves a bit deeper into the logic behind some of the things you say during a combat.

Catch up with Part 1 here. We introduce some key terms for each part of the Damage Call and break down each component. There’s even a handy dandy graphic!

Catch up with Part 2 here. We discuss some example Damage Calls, and break them down in turn. These range from simple to complicated calls, and we cover one of each type of attack.

Aesa also covered some really important Logistics announcements yesterday for the February game here, so take a look. Go on, this will wait!

Ok, so we’ve spent some time talking about Damage Calls and gave you some examples, so now let’s look at a Damage Call in motion and where Defenses come into the picture.

The key part of these essays so far is that there is an inherent logic to how a Damage Call is organized.

This logic also explains the order and timing that we use with a call, so we are going to discuss timing and defenses, and how they apply to a Damage Call. This is a longer post, so fair warning!

Defenses And Damage Calls

So someone has attacked you and made their Damage Call. One of the first instances of TIMING when it comes to a Damage Call is the reaction that is called in response to being targeted by an attack or Skill. Once a call has been made, you have a brief window to declare a DEFENSE. Let’s look at p. 157 in the DR Corebook for how to call a defense.

• Once your opponent has made a Damage Call and successfully hit you, you have a window of Roughly THREE SECONDS to declare a DEFENSE.

You must interrupt what you doing to use these Skills, so using a Defense while working on a Full Engagement RP skill interrupts that skill use (p. 103-104). There are several Defensive Skills in the game:

• AVOID - This skill is the most versatile Defense in the game, as it stops almost every melee Strike or Ranged Attack in the game. The only type of physical attack not stopped an attack that uses the phrase “No Avoid!” OR the Skill Proficient Malicious (aka MANGLE!) when it is delivered from behind you. This skill is also the most taken Skill in the game for this reason — It’s the surest way to protect yourself in a combat, even as a non-combat player!

• DEFEND - This skill is almost always used by NPCs. This works the same as Avoid, but only protects in the front 120 degree arc. If they are behind you, you cannot call this Defense and this cannot be used against an attack that uses the phrase “No Defend!”. This skill is designed to reward you for good positioning and flanking in a fight against NPCs.

• BALANCE - This skill protects against any effect that causes you to lose your footing, fall down, be knocked back, or any STUN effect. This counters Knockback, Stun, Takedown, and even Area of Effect versions of these skills. Important note here is that Balance stops the EFFECTS, but not DAMAGE. If someone declares a “10 damage, STUN!” attack, declaring Balance only stops the Stun, not the 10 damage.

• MENTAL ENDURANCE - This skill protects against any PSIONIC effect that directly Targets you, except for Master Pyrokinetics. This is sometimes useful against other skill effects like Agony or Terror. This is also one of the few skills you can use while in Bleed Out.

• INTERFERE - This is a strange Defense, as it’s not so much avoiding the attack as redirecting to another. The person that calls Interfere takes the attack instead, and cannot reduce or defend against the damage under normal circumstances. You must qualify as a Target to use this as a defense, so no taking a Mangle to your leg when it’s already Mangled! (This also cannot stop a Killing Blow on someone, as you are not in Bleed Out when you use the skill!)

• Other Item/Skill Defenses - There are several items that offer new defenses against attacks, make attacks automatically miss, or provide a more narrow Defense to particular calls. There are far too many different types to cover them all here. Generally items that make you immune to an attack will have a specific Counter to call out like “OOPH, Blocked!” or something similar to “No Effect!” followed by the Defense name. For instance, most Zombies are immune to Mangle effects on their arms and will call “No Effect, Strong Arms!” in response, or you might call “No Effect, Phalanx!” while participating in a shield wall called by a Phalanx Doyen.

The main reason I want to focus on the idea of Defenses is that these represent the concept of an INTERRUPT to the flow of a Skill call. If I can react to an attack BEFORE the effect is applied, that means there are some kind of hidden “pause” steps in a Damage Call where we work out some basic logic. It also means there is a distinct order to how things are applied in a fight, and an order to that timing.

TIMING IN DYSTOPIA RISING

I’m a bit of a Board Game nerd, so in a lot of games the Order of Operations can make a big difference in understanding the interactions in a game. Dystopia Rising is no different, though we don’t have an official ruling on Timing in the game. What I’m going to attempt to discuss here is the flow of a Damage Call and how all that information is there, if you know where to look.

a Damage Call is generally applied from the beginning to end, left to right.

This is why the order of a DAMAGE call matters! Following our discussion last week, the way a Damage Call is designed with a Delivery Method first, Damage Amount next and any modifiers, and finally an Effect that informs this order of operations. An attack sequence can be broken down into a few key steps:

• Declare the attack as a DAMAGE CALL, spending any items or Mind needed

• Make a Successful Attack, on a valid Target and location

• Declare any Defenses to the attack

• Apply Damage from an attack

• Apply Effects from an attack

When I think of the “flow” on an attack, there are natural points in this where you look for Triggers, or instances where you can call an interruption or Defense against the attack. These interrupts happen Instantly, and can Interrupt the flow of an attack. A great example of these types of phrases used in other games can be found in systems like Magic: The Gathering, or Warhammer 40K. You may not always use a Trigger to activate a Skill, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still there!

This example of the timing behind an attack is pretty simple, but let’s dig a little bit deeper and explore all the separate logic steps of the sequence. Most of the time, these steps happen pretty quickly so you may not have stopped to think about the steps much.

Let’s look at that in text, and not just my silly Paint project.

Timing of an Attack:

Declaration of Attack

• Declare the Damage Call or Skill out loud where your target can hear (p. 157).

• Spend your Mind or other Resources to power the attack. You always spend for resources at the START of a Skill use or attack.

  • If your attack is Countered, Interrupted, or misses, you still spend the Mind and items!

  • You must always Declare the attack BEFORE actually making the physical attack!

Attack Step

• Make your physical attack against the Target.

• If your target is a Non-Combat Target (marked with an Orange Headband), DO NOT physically attack them, but instead point at them and declare your effect or damage (p. 155). This is an automatic hit, but they can still declare Defenses like Avoid.

  • Strikes will use a contact-safe boffer and need to hit a valid location

    • Remember the FLURRY rules - You may not swing more than 3 times in a row, unless you are using Florentine weapons (p. 156).

    • The 1st and 2nd strike in a Flurry cannot hit the same target to be a valid location. You got to change up where you hit them each time! No “machine gunning” the same spot!

  • Ranged Attacks will use a packet or NERF gun bullet, and they need to hit a valid location

    • First, check if you can still use a Nerf Gun against your target. If they are within TWO PACES, you must use a Packet instead.

    • If the attack is a red packet or bullet and contacts a shield, it is not blocked by a Shield and the attack is considered a hit unless they use some other Defense.

    • If the attack is a thrown weapon, a blue packet or arrow, and contacts a shield the attack ends and it is considered a miss.

    • Remember your RELOAD rules - After 6 shots, you must pause for a moment to simulate a reload of your weapon. Some items have longer Reload times (p. 156).

  • Psionic Attacks use a white packet and are always accompanied by the “Psionic!” call at the start of the Damage Call, but must still hit a valid location.

    • If the psionic attack contacts a shield, the effect still works. Shields can’t normally stop Psionics.

    • You CANNOT use a Psionic Attack while Blinded!!

  • Area of Effects, Sound of my Voice, and Line of Sight all automatically hit if they are in range.

    • Very few Defenses can be used against these delivery methods, but Balance can be used against any AOE or Sound of my Voice attack that uses the STUN mechanic.

• Check if your attack hits AND contacts a valid location (p.155). If you successfully hit, you proceed with the application of the attack and its effects.

  • If you miss your swing, it contacts a non-valid location, or is blocked the attack ends.

  • If your attack or Skill is Interrupted, it has no effect (p. 104).

Defense Step

• If you successfully hit, your Target can declare a DEFENSE. The Target has 3 seconds to declare a counter and spend Mind or Resources for that Defense (p. 157).

  • If the appropriate Defense is called, the attack is ended and is considered a miss. NONE of the effects of the attack apply if it is appropriately countered. A proper defense stops the entire Damage Call.

    • Avoid/Defend - stops melee Strikes or Ranged Attacks

    • Balance - stops Knockback, Takedown, or Stun effects

    • Mental Endurance - stops Psionic Attacks

    • Interfere - changes the Target to the user of Interfere, and it is considered an automatic hit that cannot be Defended against.

  • You cannot exchange a series of blows and THEN call a Defense. You must immediately interrupt to declare a Defense before continuing other attacks.

• Check for effects that trigger on Defenses.

  • OVERPOWER - This is the primary Keyword that activates on a successful Defense. You can spend 1 Mind and declare the same attack again as a new attack. The Target will have to declare ANOTHER defense to that second attack. Go all the way back to the beginning.

  • Some items give you a temporary buff to other skills once a Defense is used, and would activate at this step. This includes some Augments and weapon effects.

Damage Step

• Check for Damage Resistance or Damage Immunity.

  • If Resistant, the Damage is generally reduced to 1.

  • If Immune, the Damage is generally reduced to 0.

• If the attack is not countered or Defended against, you apply the damage of the attack to the target’s Armor (p. 169).

  • Check to see if their armor is broken, and activate any effects that happen on armor break. Unique undead threats like Rimebound Dead would explode at this step.

    • If the attack uses a Body effect, apply the damage to Body first instead. Body SKIPS Armor completely, so any effects that would happen on Armor breaking are not triggered.

  • Apply any remaining damage to the Target’s Body pool.

• Check for Bleed Out (p. 208).

  • If the Target hits zero Body, they enter Bleed Out.

    • Activate effects that trigger on entering Bleed Out. The primary example here is the Striker’s Coat call of “Immune to Killing Blow, 1 Minute!”.

    • This is an important Timing consideration, because this is how a Striker’s Coat protects vs. Murder. First you apply the damage, they enter bleed out, the armor activates, and then the killing blow is applied.

  • If they still have Body remaining, the damage step ends and you proceed to apply any effects at the end of the call.

    • Some effects won’t really impact a dying Target, but most can carry over.

Effect Step

• Apply any instantaneous Killing Blows, like MURDER.

  • If the Target is in Bleed Out and receives a Killing Blow, their Bleed Out timer ends and they immediately die (p. 208).

  • If the Target is under the effects of Proficient Faithful Will, protected by a Striker’s Coat, or protected by Master Biogenetics, they can declare their immunity in response to the Killing Blow.

• If still eligible, apply other Effects of the Damage Call

  • This is the most broad step of an attack, as there is the most variation in effects from Damage Calls during this step. I can’t possibly predict every effect here, but I’ll cover the basic interactions.

  • If the Target has some unique Defense to an Effect that would activate, they can declare a reaction to the trigger of taking the Effect.

    • For example, a target protected by Basic Faith Vessel could declare “No Effect!” to the first Break Armor effect they take during the 12s.

  • If a Target is IMMUNE to some portion of the Effect, they can “No Effect!” or the appropriate Skill call and ignore that particular Effect.

    • Unless specified by an item or Skill, you only avoid that portion of the effect. If someone had a protection versus Mangle and was hit by an effect that called “Mangle, Stun!”, they would stop the Mangle but NOT the Stun.

• Defenses that prevent specific Effects only defend against that single effect, not anything else included in the Damage Call.

• The threat Skill Cannibalism (used by most Zombies and Raiders) has a specific unique counter to its call of “Reduce Bleed Out to 1 Minute”.

  • If under the effects of Proficient Faithful Will, the Bleed Out timer is NOT reduced, but stays at the extended time of the Skill effect.

• Lastly, any effects that would Trigger from taking a particular Effect take place. This might include certain abilities that allow you to use an item, or trigger a counter attack back at the opponent. There’s a few of these in play, particularly on Threat skills on monsters. The threat skill Anomaly Response allows a monster to heal themselves in response to a Psionic skill being used near them, for instance.

Wrap Up

WHEW!

That was a lot. Sorry for the wall of text, but it’s a pretty complicated subject. I’ve spent three weeks digging into the details of the Damage Call, and we still didn’t even address Bane and Resistance (that’s a topic for another day!). Next time, we are going to pivot a bit and discuss THEFT in Dystopia Rising.

Tickets for our February Event "BEYOND THE HORIZON" go on sale on MONDAY, JANUARY 17th at 1PM! We hope you’ve enjoyed your Long Night!

See you later Vados!