Crisis of Faith: Rules You Should Know

It’s Jonathan here again with another Rules Ramble! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic that will be important in an upcoming game, explain some new mechanic or system for DR:TX, or discuss a particular rule from the DR Corebook. In each ramble, I’ll focus on explaining that topic in more detail than the book alone can provide and help provide one place to reference all the various errata or rulings that might be relevant. Sometimes I’ll even drop a few Story Teasers or provide a summary of the last game in a Game Recap.

As we get ready for our next event this weekend, CRISIS OF FAITH, I'm going to be covering a bit about Rules You Should Know. We have a number of special things happening during this game, and we want to make sure you have a head start on any particular mechanics to watch out for. This week, we are going to cover some Characters of Note you will see in play, some recent local Rules Changes (including a change to LIT Inventory for live events), and some key Threat mechanics like the Benediction of the Reborn, Faithful Strike, and Test of Faith.

TICKETS ARE still on sale at the door starting at 5pm on Friday! DON’T MISS OUT ON THE NEXT DR:TX EVENT!

We’ve shared some interesting teasers this week, including a few announcements of note:

• The Girl Scouts of Central Texas will be present at our February event to sell cookies! You’ll find our favorite cookie raiders by the Depot on Friday from 4p-7p and on Sunday 12p-2p. This is a great way to support Camp Kachina and the scouts who use it. You can pre-order here (or place an order for delivery if you aren’t able to make it to game):

  • Cookie Preorders!

• Heather Halstead and Stephanie Patrick-Munoz did an excellent teaser video highlighting one of the villains we will talk about today. You can find the video below:

  • Pfilomena’s Return

• We had a Wastelander article release this week, with a bit of news from Essex!

  • Essex in Lockdown!

Photo credits in this post are from Max Pohlmeier, Lainey Weiss, Sydney Betzina, and Noah Goodman.

Notable Rules Changes and errata

There’s been a few updates at the National level since the last time we had a live event. Let’s cover a few of the notable changes:

LIT Inventory 2.0

DR National has updated the rules for how you can interact with your LIT inventory at a live event. This breaks down into three big changes, and all took effect as of January 1st, 2023. That means this will be the first live event under these new changes. The link above will take you to the blog post they released on December 20th, 2022.

Here’s the specifics:

• All items that were expired were removed from LIT inventory. This was mostly stuff like Meals or Legacy Buy List items (Lock Poppers, and stuff that changed last year) that were still out there. Most of y’all weren’t affected by this.

• All items that didn’t have an expiration date in LIT (like Herbs, equipment, etc) will now be entered with a proper expiration date, and will automatically expire if left in your inventory past that expiration date. This just means those herbs sitting in your LIT for three years will finally expire.

• Chapters should no longer be adding items to LIT at live events, barring extenuating circumstances.

What does that mean for our next game?

You can WITHDRAW items from your LIT, but we can’t ADD new items into your LIT inventory.

This change means we will no longer be issuing the LIT Trade Sheets for character to character transfers during check in. If you need to trade with someone, you’ll need to first remove the items from your LIT inventory, then physically give them the item card for that item.

You’ll still have limited access to remove items from your LIT inventory at the Post Office, but you should not be removing more than 10 total item cards each event. If you still have a large amount of items past this, send us an email at info@dystopiarisingtx.com so we can work out a way to get your cards to you.

If you have questions on this policy, please let either Shan or I know. We want to make the transition away from LIT as seamless as possible, but we want to let you have a reasonable amount of time to withdraw these items while we comply with National’s new changes.

National Blueprint Change log

Periodically, National updates certain Blueprints with changes. We had an update on 1/4/23 with a change to stop an exploit with a popular cooking blueprint. I also keep a list of all the Updated Blueprints on our DR:TX page, in case you want to makes you have all the latest updated dates on your collection of blueprints.

• “Glitter Gulch Prep Station: A character utilizing the Culinary skill in the area this augment has been set up in to create a meal may be assisted by another character who has at least Basic Culinary. The time required for crafting is reduced to half, and the Mind and Resolve costs of creating the meal can be split between the two characters however they wish. Both characters must abide by the rules regarding crafting. Any PFA benefits utilized during crafting must be provided by the primary crafter.”

National Errata & FAQ

You can browse a list of major changes to the Corebook at the link above. One common sense change was added here since our last game:

• “Blueprints: Copying a blueprint requires Active Roleplay and Full-Engagement.”

• This just means you can’t use other Skills while copying a Blueprint, and you can be interrupted while duplicating a blueprint. This has been how most folks have already done this, but now it’s officially on the FAQ page.

San Saba Socials

We had one minor update to one of the custom Proficient Society Membership items in DR:TX. The San Saba Republic has had to place a limit on their Open Market, thanks to some clever interactions from our players.

• The Open Market San Saba Social now has a limit of 25 Herb or Produce traded per character.

You’ll still be able to trade Herb for Brass at a decent rate, but you’ll be limited to numbers that are attainable in a live event.

characters of Note: CRISIS OF FAITH

This weekend, you’ll encounter several new faces in town, probably trying to convert you to the Cult of the Reborn one way or another. Each of these Face NPC characters will be in town this weekend and they will have more information about their respective causes during the CRISIS OF FAITH. We’ve mentioned a few of these folks in previous blogs, but let’s make sure you have the basics of what to expect:

Sister Greywand, the Prophet Reborn

Sister Greywand is a Full Dead whose body has become more mummified rather than freshly decaying. She still wears the ragged clothes that she “woke up” in, patched and repaired through the years and she wears a veil across her face to conceal the worst parts of the decay. Through her new title as the Prophet Reborn, she leads the recently renamed Cult of the Reborn. While she is not much of a physical threat in her own right, she is always surrounded by an entourage of fanatical devotees to whom she is psionically linked.

It was shortly after the violence surrounding the Dead Man’s Hand Tournament that Sister Greywand first showed up in Essex security reports. She was frequently spotted in the House of Books, pouring over religious tracts and collecting as many accounts of the life and teachings of Pfilomena as possible. While her contributions to organizing the varying apocrypha of the cult into a cohesive history were appreciated, initially her position within leadership was minimal and other scholars noted her to be kind but distant, often lost in the intense thoughts and the echoed memories that are known to plague her Strain. 

Ever since the Monolith erupted forth over one year ago, the cult, ever seeking signs from their Lost Prophet, started looking closer at Bravado. A schism began to form in the leadership of the cult, with a growing number of fanatical devotees stating that the events in Bravado were a sign from Pfilomena of the long-awaited end-times, while the main body of faithful, cleaving still to Pfilomena’s surviving son, Caleb Lovelace, took a more tempered approach to understanding the message being sent. Greywand kept sequestered in the House of Books, however she sent some of her protege’s out with Caleb, seeking knowledge about the events that had unfolded in the past and were anticipated to come.

The tipping point came in the lead up to the Archon’s anticipated return. As events unfolded just as the Midnight Orrery foretold, Sister Greywand presented an ambitious claim; she now knew the hour and the form that the Great Miracle would take. According to her new revelation, within the myriad echoes of her mind rests the imprint of Pfilomena Lovelace, and through her the Prophet is Reborn. When the ensuing power struggle settled down Caleb, initially opposed to the claim, was in agreement with her claim and Greywand now had the reins.

Sister Greywand seeks to create a unified chorus of Faithful voices heralding their singular intent for the Fountainhead’s second coming- rather than the cacophony of desires that greeted it at its birth. To achieve this, discordant voices of any person who acts counter to the "true faith" must be brought in tune, or made silent.

Caleb, the Mad Prophet of Cutthroat Alley

Caleb Lovelace is the son of Pfilomena Lovelace, the deceased leader of the Church of the Tiny God and, until recently, her reluctant, de facto successor. A gangly teenager with lank red hair that wears rags wrapped around his entire body save for the crown of his head and his hands.

The bandages on his face hide a disfiguring crystalline growth that hampers his vision and make him sensitive to radio waves and other signals. He claims to hear screams through the crystal and is a potent psion. Caleb is known to brave the most dangerous corners of Essex looking for people that he can help, and wanders Cutthroat Alley rambling about the dead voices of the Fountainhead, through lips the color of poison.

While initially disenchanted with the faith following his mother’s death, his kinship to her drew her despondent faithful to seek his comfort and guidance. His first forays into Bravado were out of curiosity at the similarities between the events of the Monolith and that of the Fountainhead, seeking the patterns and signs Pfilomena always spoke of, but he was opposed to the radical new faction within the church claiming that the Monolith was a portent of Pfilomena's return. His general personality is peaceful, kind and likable, but he has shown he is also capable of great passion and even violence, particularly where faith and the plight of Psions is involved.

Caleb’s sudden support of Sister Greywand has been instrumental in the Cult of the Reborn solidifying their message and reaching new voices in Essex, and he is as equally fervent about the prophecies and faith of the Cult as the new Prophet Reborn.

Gabriel, THE INQUISITOR

In a response to the recent unrest caused by the Cult of the Reborn, the RRC and the San Saba Board has opened a new contract with the Red Ledger to deal with the threat. The Red Ledger is something of an expert on the Cult, as they first gained prominence during the Dead Man’s Hand Tournament and defended Essex against the zealots. Gustav Glasseyes, the leader of the Red Ledger, has personally assigned one of his best Strikers to deal with these cultists in the way they know best — showing them the power of incredible violence.

The man known as Gabriel is a member of the Fallow Hope who has married his position in the church to his business with the Red Ledger. He claims the title of Inquisitor and is a master of a firearm and wielding his faith as a weapon. The Inquisitor is skilled at interrogation and hunting the Reborn cultists, no matter where they may hide or who they pretend to be. The Red Ledger attracts warrior monks and ascetics to their zealous cause of constant self-improvement and readiness, and Gabriel is no different. Seeing himself as one of the last Watchers of the Crossroad, he believes he is the last line of defense from another Fall.

Gabriel was at the fall of Temple Station during the Hiway War and is known to be fierce in his protection of the faithful and a former colleague of Reckoner-General Rampart of the Grave Council. With the disappearance of Colonel Sabbath Jacinto from Essex, the Inquisitor of the Red Ledger has taken the new Board contract as a personal crusade to root out the heresy of the Cult of the Reborn and rip it out at its roots. The cultists have been marked for their sins, and Gabriel and those that follow him will not rest until the sun can rise upon a wasteland safe from their machinations and misery.

Threat Skills of Note: CRISIS OF FAITH

The Cult of the Reborn will be a major threat of the weekend, and they are bringing a few new tools of the trade with them to aid them in their war of faith.

We covered the Benediction of the Reborn in our first blog post, but it’s worth repeating here:

• BENEDICTION OF THE REBORN (Threat Skill)

  • The NPC spends 10 seconds roleplaying the ritual conversion and then gives a Subdued or willing target the REBORN or HERETIC keyword.  Call “Benediction of the Reborn: Inflict [REBORN/HERETIC] Keyword, Red Star Immune”.

  • Characters Baptized into a Faith may spend 1 Resolve to declare “No Effect!”

  • If a character is Faithless or cannot spend Resolve, they cannot resist.

  • Characters of the Red Star Strain are IMMUNE to this Skill and it has no effect.

  • Keywords remain on the victim until specifically removed by another plot effect.

Like I mentioned in my blog post, this is functionally just a new version of attack monsters will use on you when you get taken down in combat. If you get knocked into Bleed Out or otherwise Subdued, they will use this Skill to give you a new Keyword. Make sure you save an Injectable to get yourself out of a tough situation!

Most of the Cultists you’ll encounter this weekend will have some ability to perform Faithful Anomaly Skills (and will also be vulnerable to Aberrant Bane!). This means there are a few particular common Faithful Skills worth mentioning here:

• proficient faithful patterns

  Countered by Basic Mental Endurance. This skill is delivered via a Psionic Attack, and the NPC this weekend will call out “Psionic: Suggestion, Declare your Faith and Devotion: Are you Heretic or Reborn?” The Cult of the Reborn will use this to question if you have the HERETIC or REBORN keywords with this Skill, so it might be a good idea to save some Mind to resist the attack if you are trying to keep a certain allegiance a secret…

• Basic Faithful Spirit & Faithful Vessel

  These Skills are normally used to buff a member of your faith. Faithful Spirit makes a target immune to next Mangle or Blinding, while Faithful Vessel will make the target immune to next Break Armor. If you throw an attack against a Cultist that is protected by one of these effects, the power of their faith will let them resist the FIRST use of these Skills. The Cultist will answer with “No Effect!” to let you know the attack failed.

• Proficient Biogenetics

  Countered by Basic Mental Endurance. By engaging in a Psionic Attack, the user can cause the target to be knocked Unconscious (p. 108). They will call “Psionic: Unconscious” after using this skill, but it does not work on zombies and most forms of Undead. Remember, while you are Unconscious you cannot use any skills, you are unable to move on your own, and can’t resist attacks like the Benediction of the Reborn. You can awaken someone from this state by spending 30 seconds of Active Role Play waking them, otherwise they are out for 10 minutes!

• Proficient Faithful Vessel

  Countered by Basic Mental Endurance. By engaging in a Psionic Attack, the user can cause the target to become inundated with a debilitating volume of hallucinations centered around the themes of a crisis of faith (get it?) and otherworldly wrath for 1 minute, making the Target incapable of using ANY Anomaly skills. To use this skill, the NPC will call “Psionic: 1 minute no Anomalies!”

Next, let’s consider a few unique Threat Skills that you might hear from our white-robed Cultists this weekend:

• Terror (Threat Skill)

  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 30 seconds, 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.

• Faithful Strike (New Threat Skill)

  Countered by Avoid. This is the basic offensive attack the Cultists will use against their enemies. This is a Strike, so it can be Avoided, or simply blocked with a shield. The NPC will call “10 damage, Heretic Bane!” after a successful hit. If you have the HERETIC keyword, you will take DOUBLE damage from this attack.

• Test of Faith (New Threat Skill)

  Countered by Basic Mental Endurance. A powerful attack used by the leaders of the Cult of the Reborn, this will allow the Cult to quickly identify their enemies in the midst of a crowd. The Cultist will call “Area of Effect: All Heretics, Agony!”. 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. 

• Reborn Strike (New Threat Skill)

  Countered by Basic Mental Endurance. The Cult of the Reborn can wear down their foes and weaken their ability to resist the powerful Benediction of the Reborn. This dangerous attack will be delivered by a Psionic Attack or touch, and the NPC will call “Psionic: Heretics lose 1 Resolve! Red Star Immune!”. If you do not resist this ability, you immediately lose 1 Resolve, which could cause a Fracture if you hit zero. Since you need to spend Resolve to resist their conversion, this pushes you one step closer to being marked as part of the Cult. Watch out!

• Shield of Faith (New Threat Skill)

  Certain powerful members of the Cult of the Reborn can force their way through a crowd by sheer force of will. When this skill is used, anyone nearby will be repulsed away from them with a Knockback effect similar to the effects of Master Biogenetics. The NPC will call “AOE: Shield of Faith, None May Approach!”. If you are near the NPC, you must leave their immediate area and you may not re-enter as long as they keep their hand raised in a fist. There may be ways to overcome this protection, but you’ll have to find out more in game.

Wrap Up

That’s it for today Vados! We still have a few more surprises in store this week, and we can’t wait to see you this weekend! Steph and Chase have put a lot of hard work into crafting the story this weekend, and I hope you find a way to survive your CRISIS OF FAITH!

See you soon Vados!

Welcome to "Crisis of Faith"

It’s Jonathan here with our first weekly blog post for the upcoming event, CRISIS OF FAITH!

We are finally back from the winter break we take each year during January, and we have some cool stuff to share! This is leadup for our February DR:TX event written by our Overarc STs, Stephanie Patrick-Muñoz and Chase Lira. Today we will talk a bit about some story teasers, some core mechanics and concepts for the event, and a reminder of some of the benefits of pre-registration for one of our events. We will also reveal the details of one of the key threats for the weekend, the CULT OF THE REBORN.

We’ve ran a few social media events of note over the break:

• This very next weekend, on January 21st, is the first run of our new limited ticket series, Lone Star Skies Vignettes, IN THE WOODS! Our director Shan will be running a unique online story experience detailing a murder mystery set in the homelands of the Lovelace Family. We even posted a raffle today for the last remaining ticket to the event that was donated by a generous player at DR:TX!

• We have also featured our new Buyback Campaign online on Facebook, and we can help if you’ve been wanting just a few more XP to get that tasty PFA. In the loosely paraphrased words of our newest member of the Admin team, Kiara: “Make sure to get your buyback so we can spook you with shit. Then buy your tickets to CRISIS OF FAITH and get ready to question everything you and your character believes about faith, the world, your place in it, and what it means to be reborn. Buckle up fuckers!”

Tickets for CRISIS OF FAITH will go on sale January 23rd at 1:00 PM, CST. bookmark the link so you don’t miss out!!!

This post will discuss a few light STORY SPOILERS for our next event, so we hope you enjoy what we have in store!

Our artwork in this post is from an excellent comic by Beau Lee and Shan Lind we used during our online game, GALATEA.

Let’s talk a little bit about the story of the next event…

The Cult of the Tiny God approaches the Fountainhead in Essex, PHW 04

teaser FOR CRISIS OF FAITH

And now an excerpt from a recent sermon heard in the streets of Essex about the Prophet Reborn:

"What is the Final Death? Ask any handful of folks and you'll get a handful of answers 'Death is the wheel's final turning, the coda of the song, the final lesson on suffering' and before now, one might have thought any or all of them right. But after the past year, many of you now see none of these answers quite grasp the truth, not fully.  They brush over its surface, skim and probe and flirt but never truly embrace the truth.

Yes, yes! 'Imprint is Matter, Matter is Imprint, ' I hear some of you murmur, this at the core of it. For you see, Death is Power; death is Energy. As we live we build up that energy and in death that energy is released and played out into the world according to… according to our Imprint, yes well said. But what is the Imprint? Is it immutable? This framework that burns our energy and births us again and again until our energy is expended… are we doomed to follow it, forever unchanging?

I say no!

It CAN be changed. And the answer is so gleamingly, beautifully simple. Belief. Belief is the tool that shapes the Imprint. We saw the truth of it in Essex, where for a glorious, shining moment, the whole WORLD changed! Our glorious Prophet saw the signs and led us to the path of truth. We have watched for her signs ever since. My friends, my brethren, I have listened and I have seen, and despite my doubts and denials the signs called out louder and more harmoniously until I could no longer deny the glorious truth. What is this wondrous news? I tell you, through me: our Prophet has been Reborn! They will say it is impossible, but just last year I would have told you that stemming the cycle of death and return would have been impossible, and yet here we stand, on the other side of a terrible Miracle that shook the San Saba to the Core. Those in Bravado serve as a great example. Time and again they have accomplished fantastic feats… but only because they believed they could…. 

The time for the Great Miracle has come. If you still doubt my words, look no further than the contemptible figures of the San Saba Board of Directors. They have brought a damnable Law, all in the name of ‘protecting’ us. They say it is to curb the sinful acts of vile criminals who would take advantage of the Aberrant. All noble goals, to be sure, but the real sinister truth of it is that they are afraid. Yes my Brethren, they have seen what the wild, directionless Beliefs of a few misguided souls could wreak and they FEAR! Fear that we shall no longer place our Belief in them! Fear that we shall take our DEATH and use it to power OUR Great Miracle instead of their SELFISH, worldly designs! FEAR WE WILL NO LONGER SLEEP, AS OUR GOD SLEEPS IN THE GARDEN OF THEIR CRAVEN CORE, CLINGING TO CONTINUANCE!

The Tiny God has pointed me in the direction we must go. Many will try to stop us, but we must be strong in our Beliefs, and by our Faith be strengthened. Trust that the Prophet stands by your side. Soon they shall see the ultimate beauty of our truth. Yes, I Believe they will see my Brethren…

For you will MAKE them see.”

— Sister Greywand, Essex, PHW 06

The Lost Prophet, Pfilomena Lovelace, addresses her flock shortly before her death, PHW 04

That’s a bit ominous. Let’s chat about what it might mean for the future.

The Cult of the Tiny God, REBORN

Way back during our Online Season, we ran a series of events in Essex, the City of Light and Sound. This is the beating heart of the San Saba Territories — one of the largest cities in the area, a fortified city of thousands to the southwest of our sleepy town of Bravado. The city is often mentioned in our live games as being “off camera” of sorts, but it’s a frequent location of note in our setting.

Our Essex online game series was a trio of online events, loosely dubbed “The Fountainhead Trilogy”, as each story built on events of the last. From the celebrations of the first Festival of Light and Sound, to the story of the first Archon Incursion in the San Saba, and the emergence of the new Morgue in Essex known as the Fountainhead, we explored a new area of our setting and introduced some casted characters that have even made appearances in our live games.

One group that has made a few visits to Bravado over the past few events is a group we first debuted during the game GALATEA — The Cult of the Tiny God. We’ll be going into more detail about these folks and how they’ve changed in the years following the Fountainhead Incident in a future blog post before CRISIS OF FAITH. For now, let’s cover the basics.

When the Fountainhead emerged in the heart of Essex, the lives of its people were collectively turned on their heads;  The Cult is the natural extrapolation of a fearful population being shown what, to them, looks fundamentally like miracles.  After the Fountainhead, supposedly, consumed the Archon that terrorized the city at the climax of that year’s Festival of Light and Sound, a fanatic group of cultists began to worship at the feet of the monolith.  They believed the Fountainhead to be the closest thing to a god that could exist, and ached for the beautiful world they saw in their dreams.

The Cult of the Tiny God has reared its head periodically over the last few months, surfacing in portions of the cult that worshipped the Archons during the EMERALD GALA, appearing in several mods during our national event, DEAD MAN’S HAND, and even has made some appearances on Sundays over the last few live events in DR:TX.

You can read a bit more about the lengths they went to prove their faith a reality, including the sacrifice of their leader, Pfilomena Lovelace, who walked willingly into the destructive force of the Fountainhead. Her body and even her very Imprint was completely annihilated, destroyed in the strange Abyssal energies of the proto-morgue.

Read the comic: Galatea: Commit

In the wake of Pfilomena’s death, the Cult was lost and without purpose. The lies of their Cult were made obvious and many of their number scattered and left the faith entirely. Even Pfilomena’s son, Caleb Lovelace, was a skeptic after his mother’s pointless death. But a few kept their hopes tied into their delusions and prayed for the return of their LOST PROPHET, believing that somehow Pfilomena would be reborn and returned to them to lead them once more.

For years, this has been a fantasy, but this Cult of the Tiny God’s delusion has emerged within a new and dangerous threat to the San Saba — THE CULT OF THE REBORN.

The Cult of the Reborn

Formed from the former members of the Cult of the Tiny God, and even adopting their familiar white and grey robes and ashen thumbprint marks on their forehead, the Cult has found new focus under the leadership of a new and powerful demagogue. Someone claiming to be the PROPHET REBORN has stepped into the leadership of the faith in the recent months, and their presence is about to be felt across the San Saba.

The Cult is formed out of the common people of Essex and the San Saba Territories as a whole, much like their predecessors. They are Lineages and people just like your characters, but they have been twisted by delusion and grief. In the wake of the destruction of recent Archon incursions (most recently in Bravado), and a general sense of fear and existential crises about the unknown, folks have sought to find answers. Something happened with the Fountainhead and the Archon Incursions that the common person cannot explain, and they have decided to create a story that helps them rationalize away the things they cannot understand. Rather than address something real, the new Cult of the Reborn represents the ability of the masses to seek an answer to the unexplainable mysteries by finding conspiracy and pattern in everything they see.

And now they have a plan to restore their founder, the Lost Prophet, and conduct a grand ritual known as the GREAT MIRACLE. Their plans are still a bit mysterious, but anyone in the San Saba that has eyes can tell that the Cult is actively recruiting and building their numbers towards some nefarious purpose. The San Saba Board has even requested Strikers from the RED LEDGER to take up arms against the cultists in Essex, scattering them from street corners and makeshift sermons in the dark alleys of the City of Light and Sound.

Whether the Cult of the Reborn is successful in their plans will be up to your characters and the choices they make in February. We will cover a bit more of their details in a few weeks, but for now know that the Cult of the Reborn is a threat that must be answered.

ooc IMPORTANT NOTE: The Cult is fundamentally WRONG about what happened in Essex.  Every behavior of the Fountainhead was the function of the Mortis Amaranthine reacting to the deaths of so many victims at one moment.  Whatever the cult interprets as a “god” is most assuredly NOT any form of a god or deity.

The Lost Prophet approaches oblivion, PHW 04

content warnings - Religious Conflict

You can always find our list of Content Warnings on the Bravado website, and in our tradition of radical trust, we want to also trust in each player that attends our game to know their own limits and be able to choose to avoid topics and situations that make them uncomfortable.

So now that we understand the cast of characters we will deal with, let’s talk about some Content Warnings for CRISIS OF FAITH, particularly the following:

• Religious conflict, religious-related death, corruption, and abuses of power (only in-game faiths - not real faiths)

• Simulated psychological role play

• Death, mourning, death rituals, and the potential loss of life and harm to self or others due to character choices.

For this event, we are dealing with a dangerous cult of fanatics that are out to CONVERT others into their own in-game faith by any means necessary, including trickery, intimidation, and even force. This will test characters in new ways, as they will find their faith challenged, their sense of identity and belief in that faith questioned, and it should provide some deep roleplaying opportunities to decide what your character’s in-game faith REALLY means to them.

You can even join the cultist’s side on purpose, particularly if you find their cause compelling or interesting or you just want to avoid death at the hands of a violent cultist. Maybe you join the Cult of the Reborn because you just want to seek out that religious conflict in your roleplay or you want to sneak into the cult’s inner power structure to destabilize it from within. Regardless of your reasoning, FAITH and the role it plays for your character is a big part of this upcoming event.

We understand that not every person has a great relationship with the concept of organized religion, cults, churches, or even faith in real-life. It’s not for everyone, and everyone’s experience is unique. However, this concept of IN-GAME Religious Conflict will be a BIG part of the story for our February event. While we will have many ways for characters to Opt Out and resist the forced conversion, it will still be present in ways you may not always be able to avoid.

To be very clear, this type of religious roleplay and conflict isn’t really anything NEW to Dystopia Rising, or DR:TX.

You can find the following discussion about Faiths in the Postapocalyptic Wasteland on page. 69 in the DR Corebook:

“In the world of Dystopia Rising, no real-world faiths are used, out of sensitivity toward players who practice these real faiths and a recognition that something that is acceptable to one person may be offensive to someone else. Because of this, the Dystopia Rising universe includes a number of fictional faiths. All players are asked to be respectful of real faiths and not use them as content within this fictional world.

The postapocalyptic faiths each have various and sometimes conflicting views. They’ve spread out across the world, with some of them splintering into new denominations. These faiths help bring people together as a whole, forming groups that have learned to survive in the world in which they now live.

Unlike more fantasy focused genres, in Dystopia Rising religion itself does not provide supernatual powers from outside the individual. Powers associated with faith are instead generated from within, using the medium of faith as a means to activate harder to access abberant abilities. The faith that comes with devotion to a religion can open abberant abilities and biological enhancements that are latent within most Strains.

In the end it is important to remember that religion in the Dystopia Rising universe serves the same purpose as it does in some modern societies. Religion can shape the customs, traditions, morals, and to a degree the behavior of a person or group of people. Religion can provide community and give a sense of belonging and purpose. Religion can encouage people to raise one another to a higher level, or it can be a tool for horrible purposes when directed by destructive people.”

We will have many opportunities to opt out of these mechanics during the event in case this still isn’t something you want to participate in. There will still be zombies and raiders to run away from in the darkness, scrap to salvage, herb to farm, and blueprints to copy. We hope you will be excited to join us for this story, but we will have many other stories to enjoy in the future.

Remember, you can always use the OK Check-In System to “thumbs down” any interaction you don’t feel comfortable with, even CVC!

The Lost Prophet being consumed by the Fountainhead, PHW 04

wrap up

That’s it for today, Vados! We have some more content for the lead up to this event coming your way soon, and we can’t wait to share what’s in store.

Next week, we will cover the BENEDICTION OF THE REBORN and the specific mechanics about how the Cult will be forcefully indoctrinating their victims to aid the Great Miracle. I’ll reveal the specific details about the mechanics so you will be able to make informed choices about seeking out this plot during our event.

After that, we will discuss a few more of the Characters of Note within the CULT OF THE REBORN and their opponents, the RED LEDGER. We will talk about Caleb, the Mad Prophet, Sister Greywand, and even the mysterious Inquisitor of the Red Ledger. This will focus on lore and stuff that your characters might know about the Cult before you enter play in February.

Lastly, I’ll cover Rules You Should Know the week before the game, covering the unique Faith-based powers you’ll need to watch out for, and some of the specific tricks the Cult of the Reborn can use against you.

Remember, tickets go on sale on January 23rd at 1:00 pm CST! See you soon Vados!

Emerald Gala: Rules You Should Know

It’s Jonathan here again with another Rules Ramble! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic that will be important in an upcoming game, explain some new mechanic or system for DR:TX, or discuss a particular rule from the DR Corebook. In each ramble, I’ll focus on explaining that topic in more detail than the book alone can provide and help provide one place to reference all the various errata or rulings that might be relevant. Sometimes I’ll even drop a few Story Teasers or provide a summary of the last game in a Game Recap.

As we get ready for our next event this weekend, THE EMERALD GALA, I'm going to be covering a bit about Rules You Should Know. We have a number of special things happening during this game, and we want to make sure you have a head start on any particular mechanics to watch out for. This week, we are going to cover a bit more about some changes to our game schedule, some ways to earn a new Blueprint, Alone in the Dark, and the dangerous abilities of the Archons your character could face like Devour Imprint, Abyssal Rift, Aberrant Consumption, Sever Imprint, and Frequency Inversion.

TICKETS ARE still on sale at the door starting at 5pm on Friday! DON’T MISS OUT ON THE NEXT DR:TX EVENT!

Photo credits in this post are from Max Pohlmeier, Lainey Weiss, and Noah Goodman. Gauntlet posters were made by the talented Aesa Garcia.

Culinary requires a certain amount of patience… and charcoal.

Changes to the Schedule

This month, we are testing some changes to our game schedule to accommodate some feedback we’ve received over the past few months, and to really allow our EMERALD GALA to be an event that is pretty special.

Extended Siesta

First, we’ve extended the AFTERNOON SIESTA. The afternoon break will be EXTENDED from 12:00 pm-4:00 pm on Saturday. This is an experiment to allow for spookier late-night content by shifting our STs and NPCs to better times. Plus, Texas tends to get a bit hot in the afternoon if you didn’t notice. During this four-hour window, we will have very few or no combat mods in play so this is a perfect time to schedule that player event, potluck, gang-up, or just get some crafting done in peace and quiet. Now, this is still a DR game, so it’s not always entirely safe during these hours (especially for a few folks below...), but there won’t be hordes of zombies at least.

Post office closed from 7pm-9pm

Secondly, to make sure that ALL players and staff can attend the Emerald Gala festivities, we will be CLOSING the Post Office from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm on Saturday night. You will still be able to complete projects using the One Job Policy (p. 174) during this time and turn them afterwards, but we will not have Postal Workers to issue cards during this time. Enjoy the Gala and save the crafting and farming for later!

The Emerald Gala Events

Lastly, the Emerald Gala will be trying something a bit different. During the two-hour window of the Gala on Saturday night, we won’t be running many NPCs or events of note. Instead, we will be allowing folks to join together in the Winter Lights spirit, enjoy music, food, and games during the party. We will have some face NPCs present, some opportunities for contests and fun, and generally lots of opportunity for showing off your best outfit and not worrying about running to grab that shield or brew.

We can hunt you down with the Archons at the end of the party after all, so enjoy the nice, safe fun while it lasts! And hope they get the Emerald Arsenal ready in time!

Again, Boris?

Spicy! Maybe the Butcher will finally answer for their crimes…

NEW NATIONAL RULES UPDATES

There has been an update to the National Lexicon and the Undead Threat Guide since our last event. They didn’t really advertise this change outside of a post on the Discord channels and the updated site on November 16th, but here’s the details in case you missed it:

RANGED REDUCTION (UPDATED FROM THE BOOK)

Possessed by many zombie threats and some exceptionally armored critters, Ranged Reduction reduces the amount of damage taken from firearms, bows, and thrown weapons to the target. Ranged Reduction (Minor) means that the target reduces incoming damage by 5 from a Ranged Attack, minimum 1, while Ranged Reduction (Major) means that the target reduces incoming damage by 10 from a Ranged Attack, minimum 1. Ranged Bane attacks do normal damage to the target, but do not double their damage.

• TL;DR: THE BIG CHANGE HERE IS THAT RANGED REDUCTION for the undead HAS BEEN SPLIT INTO TWO VARIETIES, MINOR (REPLACES mINIMAL) AND MAJOR (REPLACES iMMUNE)

Previously, most dangerous Rank 3 Undead had Ranged Reduction (Immune) while lesser threats had Ranged Reduction (Minimal) instead. This meant that most firearms or ranged attacks were worthless against most Rank 3 zombies, including the iconic Tank. This has long been a point of contention for all those NERF gun lovers out there, as they would have to switch to a melee weapon to deal with most zed.

With this change to Ranged Reduction, it is a brand-new day for firearms. Basic Zombies still reduce damage by 5 unless it’s from a source of Undead Bane or Horde Bane, while higher ranked zombies now simply reduce damage by 10 instead of being completely immune to ranged.

That means that upgraded attacks from some ranged weapons like the Candlepin Flame Belcher, the Mountain Rifle, and the Al Buquerue's Left Turn can be useful against the most powerful types of Undead. If you can deal more than 10 points of damage, you’ll get some damage past the defenses of the zombie. And it’s even better if you have Undead Bane, since the damage won’t be reduced at all.

Enjoy!

Now I gotta make a new gun to kill my first Tank at range…

National Blueprints & Local Blueprints

During this weekend, you will have an opportunity to earn a chance at a BRAND NEW BLUEPRINT. We talked a bit about this in my post on the Emerald Arsenal, but there will be a custom Zone of Mechanics in play this weekend called EMERALD INVESTMENTS.

emerald arsenal blueprints

During the event, our players will choose which of the seven Emerald Arsenal items they are interested in making into reality. The top winners will be incorporated into the next National Blueprint to fight against the impending Archon threat. This item will be useful in facing Outsiders during future encounters and will be themed around the winning Emerald Arsenal items.

Zone of Mechanics: Emerald Investments

You may pay 10 Brass to the Post Office in order to receive a copy of the Emerald Arsenal blueprint when it becomes available.  This item will be delivered by postal worker or placed in your LIT inventory.

Characters with Master Society Membership in a San Saba Faction may pay 100 Brass to the Post Office for a crafted item in addition to the Emerald Arsenal blueprint once it becomes available. This will have an expiration date starting from the event you receive the item.

Players that complete this Zone of Mechanics will receive a copy of the new National Blueprint generated by the Emerald Arsenal during the next event in February (if it’s ready!). If you are a traveling player, this item will be placed into your LIT inventory instead, or I’ll find a way to get it to you once it releases.

I can’t reveal exactly what this item will do yet, but the first way to get access to this new blueprint is attending our Premiere event. If you interact with the Emerald Arsenal ZOMs this weekend, you might get a taste of what might be in store.

local blueprints

This weekend will also see the release of several new Local Blueprints. These are DR:TX ONLY local plot items that will allow you to make new Local Plot Cards through crafting. These Local Blueprints will be printed on a different color of paper than the traditional blue of normal blueprints to mark them as unique.

They will use the normal rules for blueprints, including being able to be copied, used for crafting, or even stolen. These blueprints will commonly require Society Memberships with the San Saba Factions to use or create. However, these blueprints (or the items they make) cannot leave play from DR:TX or impact other games at all.

Since they are Local Plot Items, they are only usable at our game. Sorry!

These new Local Blueprints will be one way we play test potential future submissions for national blueprints during Premiere games and the like, and we look forward to your feedback on these new prints.

“Hey there Tenderhorns! Have you heard about Blood Ghosts yet?”

Alone in the Dark

DR:TX will be releasing a new global mechanic for this event, borrowed from our friends in DR: Virginia, originally designed by Phil Grau. This mechanic also saw use in DR: Michigan, and we will be including our own DR:TX take on the concept below.

ALONE IN THE DARK

At any time after the sun has set that a player finds themselves alone and without the ability to see another person, that person is considered to be Caught Alone.

That player must, at their next convenience, drop out of character and report to Ops.

Results for being Caught Alone vary wildly and could be a slight scare or a grievous consequence.

Players under the effect of Basic Stealth may move after dark as they wish, but should beware anything that would cause them to become seen.

If you are caught alone at night, one of the many things lurking in the shadows may find you first. You might wander through a weak part of the veil between the worlds or get too close to some early abyssal incursion. Maybe you just got caught alone by one of the Longwalkers or experienced some strange time dilation as you get lost in the woods. Perhaps some local terror like a Nemesis or Murder Goat Deer found you as prey in the darkness. Maybe it was nothing at all. Whatever the result, it’s best to walk in groups or be able to evade prying eyes in the darkness with Stealth during this event.

NOTE: Several of the events you can encounter with this mechanic may offer unique consequences, conditions, Roleplay Burdens, local plot cards, or even Body damage or Mind loss. Not all of the potential consequences are negative, but they all represent an encounter during the Long Night that marks your character in some indelible manner. If a particular condition is something you are not comfortable role-playing, you will always have an option to re-roll for a different consequence or you can use the OK Check-In System to let us know to calibrate the results.

Better yet, the candle lights and altars of the Lovelace Family are said to protect you from the darkness, provided you can convince them to part with their lanterns to protect you. There will be access to certain Local Plot Cards during this event that can interact with this mechanic and perhaps even give you a way to avoid the consequences of wandering alone in the dark…

The Buddy System isn’t just a good idea, it’s a lifesaver!

Archons 201

apocalyptic Threat Skills of NOTe

The ultimate threats of the wasteland have a host of skills that they can employ while within our reality. We talked a bit about the known lore about the creations in my post on Archons 101, but let’s dig a bit into the mechanics of what they can do. To be clear, I’m not covering EVERYTHING an Archon can do, but I’m going to cover some of the major ones to worry about.

Archons have three major modes of interacting with you violently: Attacks, Abyssal Attacks, and Global Effects, and they have several unique Defenses.

Attacks & Defenses

Archons have Attacks & Defenses like most threats, of course. They have some innate defenses based on their unique physiology and even active defenses like Defend, Balance, and Mental Endurance. Archons have a number of deadly basic attacks including Scattershot, Knockbacks, and Strikes. Like many Threats (even the lowly Shambler), they even have attacks they can make every flurry of blows. This means that even if they use all their active skills, they still have some dangerous attacks for the entire fight.

• Rend: [Damage Type]. If a Threat hits you with this type of basic attack, you lose points from both your Armor AND your body with the same swing. For instance, a call of “Rend 5!” will deal 5 points of damage to your Armor and 5 points of damage to you directly. If you are not wearing armor, this call simply deals Body damage. These types of attacks are brutal, and even armor will not save you!

• Psionic Stun: This is a melee strike frequently called by an Outsider. This can be Avoided OR can be resisted with Mental Endurance. Since this ability only deals a Stun, it can also be countered by Balance. If you get hit, you’ll crumple to the ground (or take a knee), be unable to move, and will be unable to use skills or use any equipment except for Armor for 5 seconds while stunned. (Stun, p. 107)

The last common defense of an Archon is their hefty slate of immunities:

• Invulnerable State: Immune to all Damage. The Outsider will declare “Immune” periodically during the fight. This is the default state of the Outsider until it has fully crossed into this plane of existence or been rendered vulnerable.

• Unnatural Physiology: Strong Limbs (Immune to Mangle), Immune to Stun, Immune to Knockout, Immune to Blinding

Like I mentioned in my blog post, Archons are completely immune to all damage and most effects until they’ve been made vulnerable in this world. Hopefully the Emerald Arsenal will do the trick, but it might be necessary to simply RUN from an Archon if you don’t have the means to hurt them. You’ve been warned!

Abyssal Attacks

These are unique attacks to the Outsiders, and they have devastating potential to be lethal. These attacks often bypass common rules, break the laws of reality, or are completely unique and deadly methods of eliminating their foes. They have many (or even unlimited) uses of these abilities and can often refresh their uses by killing an enemy.

• Abyssal Strike: The Archon will call “50 Damage” with an apocalyptic melee strike. This can be combined with Scattershot for full damage, for this monster only. Normally Scattershot is capped at 20 damage, and most big hits can’t be used with Proficient Combat Tactics (p. 114). For the Archon, the laws of reality don’t apply so they can deal massive amounts of damage to a large crowd of targets. Yikes!

• Devour Imprint: Upon the next successful strike to an LC, the Archon will declare “Devour Imprint: Absorb 6 Resolve”. This skill can NOT be modified by Scattershot. This skill can (and should) be Avoided.

  • If you get hit by this attack, you immediately lose all of your remaining Resolve, and the Archon regains their lost Resolve. In addition to not being able to use any and ALL equipment, ZOMs, and injectable brews that requires Resolve (p. 95), this attack will inflict a FRACTURE upon the hit (since you hit zero Resolve). That means it will also turn off several useful Master Anomaly skills and impact your total maximum Mind pool as well.

  • Like I said, save Mind for an AVOID!

• Abyssal Rift: The Archon will declare a countdown of 3 seconds, then call “Abyssal Rift”. The Outsider can go OOG and take a willing or incapacitated individual in physical contact with them into the Mortis Amaranthine. This leads to a Grave Mind Scene in which the target does not lose Infection. The Outsider observes the scene until the Gravemind notices and ejects the individual violently. Make a player note that the next Grave Mind scene will be intense and malevolent. This rift allows the Archon to escape (or ENTER) virtually any area by transporting themselves through the Abyss.

These are incredibly dangerous attacks, and you’ll likely get a chance to experience them firsthand if you encounter the Archons this weekend. Certain items in the Emerald Arsenal can offer defenses to these attacks, so choose wisely!

global effects

The last mode of attack are unique to the Archon. When an Archon enters play, it will be with the NPC or ST representing the creature itself, but they will also be accompanied by a Guide wearing a green headband. These Guides will periodically call out these global effects.

There is no limit to how many times an Archon can use these attacks, but they all have a brief cooldown after use. We won’t be calling multiple Sever Imprints in a row, but you could see several of these abilities over the course of an encounter with the creatures.

• Sever Imprint: The Archon will call “By My Voice, Lineages in Bleed Out, Sever Imprint, Murder”. This is an incredibly deadly attack. Characters in Bleed Out when this skill is called immediately DIE. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 Brass. And a BMV is a 50-foot radius of effect, so this will cover most of the battlefield and even passes through walls, doors, and obstacles.

  • As this is a Sound of My Voice effect (p. 106), very few abilities can stop this attack. You can’t Interfere it, because you won’t meet the requirements to be a target. You can’t use a Sosweet Kopis to avoid the effect, cause that only stops Area of Effects (p. 102). You can’t use the effects of a Phalanx Doyen and the OOPH Barrier Shield for two reasons — first, you can’t use a Shield or an effect while in Bleed Out (p. 103), and the Shield specifically excludes effects “called by a Guide”.

  • The Murder effect CAN be stopped, and this is the ONLY way to survive this attack other than not being Bleed Out in the first place. Anything that prevents a Killing Blow also stops a Murder effect. There are THREE major effects (outside of plot items like the Emerald Arsenal) that stop this: the Striker’s Coat armor, the use of Proficient Faithful Spirit (p. 136), or being inside the Master Biogenetics (p. 137) area of effect.

• Aberrant Consumption: The guide will periodically call “By My Voice, Aberrant Consumption, Devour 5 Mind”. Anyone in the area loses 5 mind points, and the creature gains a benefit. The haunting aura of the Archon saps your will and constantly draws from Lineages and enemies nearby. These frequent attacks will drain your Mind and make it harder to Avoid and fight back against the monsters. Remember, very few abilities make you immune to By My Voice calls, so this is something to watch out for.

• Frequency Inversion: The last global effect is the skill that you WANT to hear the Guide call out. Upon Archon being made VULNERABLE by some plot mechanic, the Guide will call “By My Voice, Frequency Inversion, Archon Vulnerable for 30 Seconds.” This means you will have a limited amount of time to hurt the Archon, so make those precious seconds count!

That’s a lot to remember, so we will also cover some of these Skills during our opening announcements and you’ll get some chances to experience them in person soon enough. Like the Abyssal Attacks, several of the Emerald Arsenal effects can offer protection against these Global Effects — if they are ready in time!

Nope, nope, nope, nope…

OTHER THREAT SKILLS OF NOTE

Oh, did you think that the Archons were the only dangerous thing in the darkness? The Long Night draws forth all manners of the creepy and unexplained, and they often have some peculiar abilities and dangerous skills to use against their prey. I hope you aren’t caught ALONE IN THE DARK.

• Anomaly Response Healing: Any use of Psionic Abilities within earshot of the [REDACTED] declares “Anomaly Response: Healing”. Heal all Body.

• Discorporate - [REDACTED] can declare “BLINK” and leave a scene as they fade out of reality. The [REDACTED] can leave an area at any time, even if someone uses a “No Escape” effect.

• Invulnerable - In short, [REDACTED] can never truly be “killed” in any way that we can recognize.  They have no Body, no Armor, or any other way to be physically harmed. They are threats to survive, not kill or defeat...

  • Ranged and Melee Immunity - Call “No Effect” or “Reduced” to any damage calls or similar effects.

  • Unnatural Creature - Call “No Effect” to any use of Mangle or Knockout. These creatures can never be killed, outside of plot effects

• Alluring Visage (Psionic Mutation): The [REDACTED] can attract any Lineages near it, who must immediately proceed within melee range of the threat. Once they have reached that point, they may leave. Call “PSIONIC: By My Voice, Alluring Visage, Attract all Lineages”. Countered by Mental Endurance for a 5-minute period.

• Stunning Strike: The tendrils of the [REDACTED] are coated in a neurotoxin. Call “10 damage, STUN!”.  The [REDACTED]can use OVERPOWER once per strike attempt if this strike is Avoided. The Stun effect may be ignored with Balance, but you still take the damage unless Avoided.

It’s time for Winter Lights!

wrap up

That’s it for today folks! We have a cool event planned, and Maenad and the team have been hard at work this month getting some surprises and dangers ready for the Premiere event. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store, and we are excited to see each of you in just a few days. See you soon Vados!

The Emerald Arsenal

It’s Jonathan here again with another Rules Ramble! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic that will be important in an upcoming game, explain some new mechanic or system for DR:TX, or discuss a particular rule from the DR Corebook. In each ramble, I’ll focus on explaining that topic in more detail than the book alone can provide and help provide one place to reference all the various errata or rulings that might be relevant. Sometimes I’ll even drop a few Story Teasers or provide a summary of the last game in a Game Recap.

As we get ready for our next event, THE EMERALD GALA, I'm going to be covering a bit about the Inventor’s Ball, R&D, and the unique inventions that have been designed to combat the terrible threat of the Archons - THE EMERALD ARSENAL. This blog post will cover some specifics about the various weapons that will become a new national Blueprint!

TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR THE EMERALD GALA UNTIL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2ND! DON’T MISS OUT ON THE NEXT DR:TX PREMIERE EVENT!

We also had some BIG announcements last week about the re-opening of DR New Mexico, and some upcoming staff changes here in DR:TX, so check it out!

Photo credits in this post are from Lainey Weiss and Francine Ilac.

Is that THE famous Felicity Redfield I see over there?

In today’s post, we are going to cover a few big concepts during the next event and how you can change the course of the metaplot and story in the San Saba with your actions at this event.

I wrote a lot about the impending Archon Threat last week, so this week is going to talk a bit about how the San Saba has been preparing. This region has seen more activity from the abyssal entities known as Archons than many other settlements in the wastes, so that has given the scientists and factions of the Lonestar more data to prepare than most, and a reason to develop tools and weapons for the next INCURSION.

The Inventor’s Ball

One of the major in-game events of the EMERALD GALA will be the Inventor’s Ball. Part science fair, part prom, part job interview, this is the event of the season for the genius inventors of the Railroad Conglomerate. While the RRC is the preeminent faction in the San Saba thanks to their control of the Oxline railways and the capital of Waking Prime (which is totally not falling), one of their key subfactions is Research & Development, or R&D.

R&D is the home of most of the ex-Conglomerate scientists (a former political faction from Season 1) and the great Digitarian families of the Lone Star. Each of these families can trace their origins back nearly to the Fall, and they have a long tradition of academic excellence and technological expertise. They are stewards of artifacts of the oldcestors, kept running by prayers, hope, and a little mad science, and they are the heart and soul of the flying sky-city that is the capital.

There are six major branches of the Digitarian and Pure Blood elite in the city of Waking Prime:

• Dellison: This family specializes in medical science, particularly research into imprints, grave sciences, and good old fashioned anatomy and physiology. Their founder is known for pioneering successful organ transplants for the Candlepin company, and is considered one of the best doctors in the region. The San Saba Board and the RRC have excellent medical benefits thanks to the Dellisons.

• Hackard: One of the most important families in the RRC by wealth and privilege, the Hackards were the genius inventors behind the formulations of Oxblood, a biodiesel fuel used by most of the locomotive engines that run along the Oxlines, and assisted Dr. Sung with the creation of the Ox itself.

• Kwolk: This family may be considered eccentric by most, but their mastery of clockwork gear systems, steam, and the various mechanical engines used throughout Waking Prime make them invaluable to the RRC. They are watchmakers and fine craftsmen of gizmos, small contraptions, and most of the radio technology used by the floating city.

• Tinstrument: The most politically powerful family, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Tinstrument, this was the founding family of the Conglomerate. Their speciality in solar power and alternative fuels led to the creation of the Capacity Engine, the mighty oldcestor creation that keeps the city of Waking afloat.

• Buzzbee: Easily identified by their maroon colors and Tainted scientists, the Buzzbee family is one of the oldest institutions in Waking. They created the lightning rod system that brings power to the city’s lesser systems, and the storm alert system that detects weather changes and navigation. Masters of electricity, they collect oldcestor technology in hopes of recreating the marvels of the time before the fall.

• Skyline: One of the newer families of Waking, their genius lies in the creation of lenses and glassworks, used throughout the city to repair telescopes, windows, streetlights, glassware, and more. The delicate and intricate glass and copper constructions of the Skylines are highly desired by most of the scientists in the collective. While their devices may seem simple at first, they are masters of subtlety and have excelled in the cutthroat politics of Waking’s elite.

One such tradition they have cultivated over the years is the concept of the INVENTION EXCHANGE. Once an internal cultural practice with the Conglomerate, the “Invention Exchange” has become a part of the formal etiquette of R&D. It is a grand and endless competition of innovative one-upmanship… so much so that the average RD member will think it rude if you do not have SOMETHING to share with them, even if it’s only a rough sketch on the back of a cocktail napkin.

We’ve introduced something of these mechanics with the REDFIELD INVENTION EXCHANGE this season at the General Store, and you can use this Zone of Mechanics to acquire new blueprints in game.

Now that I’ve given you a bit of a background on the brains behind the plan, let’s talk about the Emerald Arsenal itself.

Of course, my rocket launcher has a V8 engine… doesn’t yours?

The Emerald Arsenal

Ever since the first Archon encounter during the Fountainhead Incident, the leaders of the San Saba have been brainstorming how to better prepare for the next incursion by these abyssal entities. Thanks to the early warning from the Grave Council, the San Saba Board has been quietly funding research projects over the last year to prepare. The Inventor’s Ball will see the premiere of these fantastical inventions and display the prototypes for defending against the terrible threat of the Archons.

During this next event, THE EMERALD GALA, your characters will have the chance to pick which of the weapons you’d like to employ against the Archon threat.

This choice will result in one of these creations being offered in some form as a BLUEPRINT that will be shared with the network. This item will be the next tool in the fight against the Archons, and will be revealed once our event is over. For those that invest in the success of the Emerald Arsenal, you’ll have an opportunity to get the first copies of this new Blueprint.

The RRC has presented SEVEN different entries for the Inventor’s Ball, and each has the backing of one of the powerful factions of the San Saba. The entry that wins the support of the Board will have the funding to mass produce their invention and spread that knowledge to the wastes.

However, each device requires a bit of attunement and final adjustments to demonstrate, and there won’t be enough time to get every option ready in time. You’ll need to pick one (or two) of the weapons below to use during the final fight on Saturday night. And that’s assuming some criminal element doesn’t decide to take matters in their own hands to sabotage the Arsenal (they wouldn’t do that, would they?)…

---

Stewart’s Abyssal Xenoclave

Patron Benefactor:  Railroad Conglomerate, Felicity Redfield
Description: “Dr. Janus Stewart’s Xenoclave is a monstrous yet marvelous feat of mechanical engineering. The general shape of the device is easy enough to understand but to examine its details with any level of certainty is a Herculean feat. The many gears and plates that make up its construction seem to warp and rearrange in response to perception, and a lack of seams, screws, bolts, or welds make it an impossibility to imagine the abyssal workings that tik away within its iron carapace. This machine is designed as an opening play, a way to drag the Archons into our world on our time, and without the properties that normally render them invulnerable. Using a combination of radiation, sonic frequencies, and something that Dr. Stewart has dubbed “Pataphysical Pressure” the Xenoclave would open a sterile and stable Rift that draws forth the Archons and binds them to physical form.”

Buzzbee Stormbound Cage

Patron Benefactor:  Law Dog Union
Description: “A complex and electrified Faraday cage made of precious metals and tightly wound netting. Installed around the doors and windows of The Depot and flooded with electric current, this device would diffuse the electricity across a wider area to interfere with their ability to discorporate. In theory this would prevent an Archon from easily entering or exiting the Emerald Gala event by an Abyssal Rift, or by traveling through electrical systems. Strains passing through should feel a slight buzz but are none the worse for wear. The Cage will not keep an Archon bound for long within, but it will trap them for a short duration.”

Dellison Biogenetic Imprint Tether 

Patron Benefactor:  Grave Council
Description: “The Biogenetic Imprint Tether an ominous medical device shaped like a spider attached to a still living brainstem bound in a serum-filled canister. There are mechanical components resembling audio signal amplifiers connected to the canister. This device radiates unsettling whispers that bury into your mind while in range of the amplifier, and prevents modification to your Imprint by creating a localized biogenetic field around anyone within range. In the event that you are on the verge of death, this device would allow you to resist the attempt of an Archon to sever your Imprint.”

Tinstrument Solar Flare Matrix

Patron Benefactor:  San Saba Republic, Mayor Tinstrument
Description: “The Solar Flare Matrix is a series of mirrors and lights focused through Amaranthine lenses into a powerful radioactive weapon. The device can concentrate ambient light into a searing blast of energy, converting the light into various wavelengths across the visible spectrum. While Archons are thought not to use traditional vision, the combination of electromagnetic energy and solar radiation should be enough to scramble their senses. Though it would take time to charge each burst, if they are truly multi-dimensional entities they should be overwhelmed and stunned by the sudden exposure to multiple forms of radiation across all visible wavelengths.”

Kwolk Acoustic Pulse Scuttler 

Patron Benefactor:  Junkerpunks
Description: “A series of clockwork acoustic devices organized into a convoluted system of tubes that remind you of a barrel organ. The amplification of sounds made through gear-driven pneumatic pressurization is made possible by a complex modulating frequency device that enables the wavelengths to be amplified or suppressed. The Kwolk device was originally made to mimic Leviathan mating calls, but these have been tuned to match and neutralize the Abyssal Pulses hidden in the Archon’s deadly auras. The combination of these competing frequencies should be able to counteract these pulses by creating contradicting and opposed subaudible wavelengths.”

Skyline Darken'd Veil

Patron Benefactor:  The Widows of the Lone Star, Lovelace Family
Description: “A series of ornate tapestries inlaid with precious stones and delicate wiring woven within the strange metallic threads. The stone-laded tapestry creates a dampening effect that interferes with the visible light spectrum and makes your head hurt if you stare at them for too long. The material used to create these is beyond mundane ability to recreate and must be some form of oldcestor form that enables the weaving at such fine detail. The Darken’d Veil also consumes a fabulous amount of energy and the most cumbersome application of this invention is simply finding enough energy to power the device. Only by connecting the Veils to something of great power, like the engine of THE OX, would be sufficient to shield the Emerald Gala and that will require all escape from Bravado Station by rail to be limited. When at full power, the Darken’d Veil should be able to obscure the use of psionics from Archons and prevent them from healing off of its use.”

Hackard Abyssal Siphoning Anchors

Patron Benefactor:  Prudence Penitentiary
Description: “The Hackard’s mastery of Oxblooded forging has enabled the creation of strange blackened chains that hang from the walls and end in an asymmetrical psionic crystal. Each of the chains are inlaid with filigree and runic markings reminiscent of the language of old Barogue. Made with the same care the master smiths used to construct the Ox, the Anchors are not just decorative but parts of them are anchored into the world beyond thanks to the Amaranthite alloys used in the construction. They are designed to drain the energy of the Archons and prevent them from benefiting from the slaughter of strains. The chains are bound into complex runes carved into the very earth, channeling the energy away from the Archons and preventing them from establishing a connection back to the Abyss they could use to escape.

I mainly picked this one for the Green. It is the EMERALD GALA after all.

Unintended Consequences

One aspect of the Emerald Arsenal we will not be entirely spoiling is the unintended consequences of using the devices in their prototype states. These devices are untested, experimental, and pushing the bounds of pseudo-science in the wastelands but they follow a natural bit of logic and evolution in their concepts. We still don’t know if they will work against the Archons, and it’s like hitting a bit of a moving target with a hammer (sometimes literally!).

But there’s a catch.

You see, a hammer can be used to build a house, repair a ride, or fix something that’s stuck. It can also be used to cave in the skull of an enemy, and it can hammer out a new deadly weapon from the forge. It all depends on WHO is using the item, HOW they are using it, and their intent. Each of these devices is a hammer of sorts, and that is going to have an impact on the future of the San Saba.

Each of the items in the Emerald Arsenal will have some ADVANTAGES, DRAWBACKS and UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

• Advantages are pretty straightforward. Each device will have a unique mechanical effect that directly counters some aspect of what the Archon can do in game. Each of these items is built around DEFENDING against the Archons and will provide useful tools to evade some of the toolkit in their abyssal arsenal. This can be a very valuable asset in the final fight on Saturday night, and could swing the tide in your favor.

• The Drawbacks will be a constraint or mechanical effect that accompanies the beneficial effect of the Arsenal item. It’s something that can probably be worked out over the next few months with the proper funding and testing, but for now the Emerald Arsenal are prototypes only, with all the quirks that entails. For instance, the Dellison Biogenetic Imprint Tether is excellent at stopping the Archons from severing the imprints of their victims, but it also interferes with Biogenetics in the area. These quirks will be displayed for you to see in game, so you’ll be able to make an educated guess on which of the Emerald Arsenal you want to see made into reality.

• The Unintended Consequences will require a bit of RESEARCH, particularly for those with the right LORES and PFAs. Each of these will outline the potential for abuse and the inevitable escalation that will occur once the Pandora’s Box of technology is advanced in the San Saba. It may not happen exactly as you predict, but humanity has a way of taking something benign and helpful and trying to make it into something that can be controlled or exploited. For instance, the Abyssal Xenoclave might be useful to purposefully pull an Archon across the veil of reality, but opening a rift into the Abyss could allow OTHER things to come through. And worse yet, imagine a world where someone has the ability to purposefully open an Abyssal rift in the home of their enemy, for instance.

As you can see, it’s not entirely a choice without consequences, but you’ll have plenty of time to make a decision before the grand finale of the EMERALD GALA. The Emerald Arsenal will provide some opportunities for debate and roleplay around their use, and we hope you will have fun with the conflict ahead.

Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. To soften rocks, or bend the knotted oak. - William Congreve

wrap up

That’s it for today Vados! Next week is the last week before game, so we will be covering some Rules You Should Know, the ARCHON edition. I’ll cover some of the deadly attacks you should be prepared for, and a few bits of mechanics that might become relevant during the event.

Remember, advanced tickets are still on sale until FRIDAY, December 2nd, so make sure to lock in your ticket to our Premiere event. You can get more XP than normal, and a chance to participate in some fun National plotlines, while advancing the story of the San Saba.

See you soon Vados!

The Emerald Gala

It’s Jonathan here with our first weekly blog post for the upcoming event, THE EMERALD GALA. This is our December DR: TX Premiere Event written by Maenad Wilder and Shan Lind. Today we will talk a bit about some story teasers, some core mechanics and concepts for the event, and a reminder of some of the benefits of attending a Premiere Event. This month is going to also include a formal party, so we want to give you enough time to prepare for the social event of the season!

Our last event was a smaller, more intimate event and provided some amazing roleplay opportunities, but this event is going to really dig in the METAPLOT of the season, and some consequences from decisions and events last season. This post will discuss a few light STORY SPOILERS for our next event, so we hope you enjoy what we have in store!

Photo credits in this post are from Max Pohlmeier, Lainey Weiss, Crystal Louise Remy, and Noah Goodman.

PRemiere EVENt Tickets are on sale NOW!

First off, the EMERALD GALA is a DR:TX PREMIERE EVENT.

Premiere Events are special events run by chapters to give their players the Special Event feel in their own chapter and telling their own stories. These are heightened events meant to be used with unique mechanics, one of a kind plot items, and an opportunity to push the limits of the game to give the community something really big to experience. These events are perfect opportunities to involve National level plots, mechanics, and items, and are a way to “blow the roof off the joint and make people’s heads spin.”

What do they offer?

• MORE XP — Premiere Events off more bonus XP options! You can purchase up to FIVE (5) additional experience points for each of your characters during a Premiere Event. This is awesome for saving up for that point of Infection or a new PFA.

• NATIONAL CONTENT— National items like Festering Crystals, Imprint Crystals, and National-level currency can be distributed during these events. Premiere events give out less of these items than a National game, but they will still be available through mods and events.

• BIGGER PLOTS, BIGGER THREATS — During a Premiere Event, we can also use unique National-level threats like Archons! I’ll cover a bit more about these apocalyptic threats in a future blog post. In general you can expect a more intense threat than a normal DR:TX event during a Premiere game, including our very own breed of mysterious threat - the LONGWALKERS.

• SELF TEACH — You gain the ability to Self Teach ANY non-PFA Skill that you are able to learn, on each of your characters that are checked in. If you have an Advanced Membership, you can Self Teach a Skill for each of your three characters! This is a trick that normally costs 50-300 CAPS to get a teacher, so this is a great value. Have you been struggling to find a player that has that particular Skill you want? Look no further!

• These events can also be held over 4-days, but we’ve elected to keep our Premiere Events to our normal 3-day duration, both to save our own sanity and not stretch our team thin.

These events can be held once per season, and December is our chosen month! We have a lot of travelers planning on attending this event, so we hope to have a killer experience to share with y’all.

You can also check our Content List here, before you purchase a ticket.

Let’s talk a little bit about the story of the next event…

A personal invitation from Felicity Redfield for the Emerald Gala

The Premise of the Emerald Gala

The Inventor’s Ball, otherwise known as the Emerald Gala, takes place on Waking Prime every year in the lofty penthouse levels of Eureka Tower. Technocrats and debutants trade gossip and trade-secrets over thin flutes of Pre-Fall champagne as they soar above the San Saba, and all its rugged candor. But Waking is Falling, inch by inch. And as the megalithic blimp-city descends below the cloud layer, its streets will fill with the same noxious fumes that give the Lonestar Sky its vibrant, blood orange hues. 

Dispossessed, the Board turns to Felicity Redfield of the RRC. The owner of the lands Bravado has agreed to host the Emerald Gala here, in Bravado proper, in exchange for a very public favor.  Saving face for the San Saba Board and Waking Prime means drawing their wealth, resources, privilege, and knowledge to Bravado Station, all in the hopes to stop the the greatest threat known to the San Saba and perhaps, the Greater Wastes - the unnatural outsiders known as ARCHONS.

A year ago to the date of the Inventor’s Ball, Archons descended upon New Bravado through the throat of the Monolith and ravaged the town before being beaten back by the combined might of the San Saba Territories and a signal that rendered the normally untouchable beasts, temporarily capable of sustaining harm. On that fateful night, Reckoner-General Rampart proclaimed that the Archons would return, a year to the day, according to the arcane mathematics of the Midnight Orrery, which reads the currents of the Mortis Amaranthine as if it were a rotating sphere of constellations. 

And so, Felicity Redfield suggests a kind of exchange, not of gossip or trade-secrets, but of munitions capable of destroying the greatest threat known to the San Saba and perhaps, the Greater Wastes — the Emerald Arsenal. The greatest minds of the San Saba have been hard at work testing and creating new gizmos and machinery to meet this threat. These untested weapons must be capable of not only stopping this threat when it emerges but protecting all of the people in Bravado from this otherworldly incursion, lest the Archons rage through the Territories, unleashed in their predatory hunger. The Inventor’s Ball will be a premiere of their genius, on the one night that an incursion of the Archons can be predicted.

For, on the night of the Gala itself, the Archons will surely return dressed in their sharpest carapaces, wholly prepared to eviscerate the well-coiffed attendees of the Wasteland’s fanciest party, and the denizens of Bravado should be equally armed as they are prepared to meet this threat from beyond death itself, while ready to dance the night away in their finest Emerald Regalia. Gather your finest clothes, your deadliest arsenals, and prepare for a party at the end of the world.

So, there’s a few things mentioned there we need to talk about.

The emerald Gala

It wouldn’t be the party of the century if you didn’t come dressed in your very best. For this event on Saturday night of the game, we want to encourage you do something special with your costume. From 7PM to 12AM, we will be hosting the Emerald Gala during the event, and it will be a party with music, food, and fun. At the end of the Gala, it will culminate in a ballroom blitz when the ARCHONS arrive. How will you dress to impress?

What is your character’s idea of “ballroom formal”? Do you have a cute outfit you’ve been dying to wear? Have you been eyeing a costume update? We want to give you a heads up as soon as we can so you have time to prepare and decide on what formal wear means to your character. We are excited to see what you can come up with, and we hope you’ll buy in to the idea of a party in the zombie apocalypse.

We will also be introducing a new Local Blueprint, the Emerald Regalia, that allows you to benefit from the protection of Armor, while not having to give up a certain sense of style. Perfect for parties and Galas alike, this armor can even afford a certain bit of CHARISMA to the wearer, ideal for making friends or playing politics. And, since it adds a bit of armor, it can be useful if something… terrible decides to attend your party.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

The archon threat

During our last Premiere event in Season 3, THE LONG NIGHT, three terrible creatures emerged from the Monolith. These apocalyptic threats nearly defeated the town of Bravado until a signal from within the obelisk rendered them capable of being injured and repelled. However, in the wake of that event, the weapon they used to hurt the creatures was destroyed by the feedback, and now the town is unable to deal with the creatures should they return.

The Archons are a truly dangerous threat, with abilities capable of sapping your Resolve in one blow, strikes that can kill you where you stand, and even devouring your very imprint should you lay bleeding. I’ll be covering more about what to expect from these terrible monsters in a future blog post but know that THEY ARE COMING (to use the last words of the late Dr. Nichols).

I hope you are prepared but know that this will be a HIGH-RISK game.

The best way to survive an Archon is to run away, if you can. They are truly threats to be survived, not defeated. Until a weapon can be developed to face them, they are nigh-impossible to injure, much less kill. A big element of the story of this event will be trying to uncover and choose which weapons to bring to the Emerald Gala in the hopes of stopping these immortal terrors.

The Night is dark and full of terrors

Speaking of night terrors, we will be releasing a new global mechanic for this event, borrowed from our friends in DR: Virginia, originally designed by Phil Grau. This mechanic also saw use in DR: Michigan, and we will be including our own DR:TX take on the concept below:

ALONE IN THE DARK

At any time after the sun has set that a player finds themselves alone and without the ability to see another person, that person is considered to be Caught Alone.

That player must, at their next convenience, drop out of character and report to Ops.

Results for being Caught Alone vary wildly and could be a slight scare or a grievous consequence.

Players under the effect of Basic Stealth may move after dark as they wish, but should beware anything that would cause them to become seen.

If you are caught alone at night, one of the many things lurking in the shadows may find you first. You might wander through a weak part of the veil between the worlds or get too close to some early abyssal incursion. Maybe you just got caught alone by one of the Longwalkers or experienced some strange time dilation as you get lost in the woods. Perhaps some local terror like a Nemesis or Murder Goat Deer found you as prey in the darkness. Maybe it was nothing at all. Whatever the result, it’s best to walk in groups or be able to evade prying eyes in the darkness with Stealth during this event.

Better yet, the candlelights and altars of the Lovelace Family is said to protect you from the darkness, provided you can convince them to part with their lanterns to protect you.

Festive lights in the Dive for the holidays

Winter lights, a DR:TX Tradition

Winter traditions have been part of the human experience since we're clawed out of the primordial muck using thumbs and thought to ourselves "I ought to buy my child nine pairs of socks”. First thing we did with those dexterous extra digits was to throw up a pine tree in the den and shove some well smoked meats under it to give to people on a specific day but not before. We’ve been doing that for about thirty thousand years, give or take. So let’s try something a little different?

We started this tradition WAY back in 2019 as a way to be more inclusive on our holidays around this time of year, and we are pleased to once again share this tradition with our new players and guests.

The setting-specific holiday we focus on in Bravado is Winter Lights, a Quiet-Folk holiday focused on the notion of Ritual and Tradition, honoring the beliefs of the varied many across the Lonestar. The Lovelace Community celebrates this season every year not on a specific day, but as a kind of blanket period during which they assume and honor the traditions of their neighbors. What that looks like in the playspace, in terms of decoration, is a ton of tea lights all over the camp. So if you want to buy into this tradition and thusly the attentions of the Quiet Folk who celebrate the soft and quiet light of community, you should put tea lights all over your personal areas. 

In addition, the Nomads who travel the Long 360 out of Essex have their own tradition of decorating “Loop” trees along the highways. What was once a seemingly out-of-place garish display of garland and lights that has slowly become an important cultural touchstone of the Winter season in the Lonestar. We can’t wait to see how our players bring the trees of Bravado to life with festive in-genre decorations (that of course, can be easily cleaned up after game off).

Similarly, The Junkerpunks celebrate Cargo-Net Day, another “new/old” tradition based on holiday themes. This holiday and its rituals have been completely designed by our amazing players, and we are excited to support it by honoring the related plot requests they’ve put in to our writers. We love the tales of Nopalito Joe and Kelpie. 

We encourage you to put your brilliant minds to work to come up with amazing holiday traditions to fit within our shared story. Something from your character’s past? Something entirely new? Winter Lights is all about discovering and celebrating tradition, and we are excited to see the creativity our players bring to that.

We’re attaching a link here to a useful article that we hope will give you something to think about when designing holidays for the LARPspace that are clever and respectful. 

The long Night & Longwalkers

Every year the town of New Bravado experiences a period of total night. From sometimes late December to early February - the sky above the township goes utterly and oily black. Whether it is a result of the bombs of the Hiway War or smog and radiation buildup from Waking Prime, the result is the same — a time of darkness descends on the San Saba. And in that night lurks something… strange and foreboding.

LONGWALKERS, denizens of that Long Night, stalk the blackness between settlements and play wicked tricks on those foolish enough to wander into the blind eternity beyond the circle of their firelight.  This gallery of cryptids stalk the darkness of Widow’s Peak and beyond, even venturing as far south as Bravado. Shadowy, half-real entities that are considered folklore by much of the greater San Saba, nonetheless stalk the bleak between. Zed or creature, it is hard to tell. But the Longwalkers have been the subject of local legend for generations of Lovelaces before the Long Night came to New Bravado. 

Some in search of prey, others absolution, most - with opaque motives. Are they strains gone mad in the blind eternity of the Long Night? Are they expressions of our terror made manifest in the chaos of sensory deprivation? Are they the Gravemind itself dreaming in the siesta between seasons? It depends on who you ask. Some Longwalkers have strange tells that indicate they are present. Water running backwards, the scent of rotten fruit, the sound of tinkling chimes. These mysterious entities stalk the Long Night looking for something. The No-Face Man, the Midnight Jellyfish, the Behemoth, the Gardener, the Nite Owls, the Shadow People, the Lady of the Long Night, and The Click - these figures sometimes derive from folktale and myth - and others are the inspiration for the same.

Can you count all the Longwalkers in this picture of Widow’s Peak?

wrap up

That’s it for today Vados!

I hope you’re excited to play with us in December! This is a special time of year for DR:TX and we are excited to present our Premiere Event for this season with some of the biggest, baddest enemies seen in the world of Dystopia Rising.

Next week, I’ll dig a bit deeper into the Archon threat, with some more information on their particular abilities and a bit more into the lore you might want to know. See you soon!

---

“When the haunted Hallows moan,

And the Long Night looms so near,

Remember child, dog, and delver,

That the dead can smell your fear.


Remember always to carry a light,

To ward off the fearful zed,

To remind them that they have no business here,

And that it is you that they must dread.


So in these small and quiet days,

When the world beds itself down,

Protect those who would bear your light,

Through the tired streets of town.


Plant a torch and be the Light,

That leads your family home,

In the last and frigid nights,

Come home to Bravado.”

— A Lovelace Winter Carol, PHW 02’