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!
