It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble! In these blogs, I’ll discuss in detail a mechanical aspect of Dystopia Rising, compiling all the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering a two-part feature on Crime and Punishment in the San Saba! Part one will cover aspects of how to do Crime in DR, while the second part will focus on what happens if you get caught by the Law Dogs. Let’s get started!
You can read more about the Criminal aspect of this type of play in the first part of this series:
Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team.
CRIME & PUNISHMENT OVERVIEW - the law
So, you want to be a white hat character? Maybe you want to join the Law Dogs, or you just want to make sure that person that robbed you answers for their crimes? Maybe you had a friend do something stupid and you just want to understand how to help them. Maybe you really really really like a certain Justice of Sin or Law Dog Union Boss, and have considered a crime to get a chance to get to know them better.
What’s the best way to get involved? What happens if you get caught? How does the legal system work within the game? How do the Law Dogs and Justices of Sin get involved? How does a Gauntlet work? I’ll try to cover the answers to these questions and more in our Crime & Punishment two-part series.
Being a Law Dog in the wasteland is one of the easiest ways to get involved in character-vs-character conflict, or CVC. This isn’t a path for everyone, as playing the “good guy” in a world of moral greys in the wasteland can be emotionally taxing. It’s easy to play a villain in DR, but it takes perseverance and grit to purposefully take the high road in a brutal wasteland. There are a few things to consider before we get started, but let’s say the quiet part out loud:
being a law dog WILL INVOLVE YOU IN CVC CONFLICT.
IF YOU want to pursue & question criminals IN GAME (ON AN NPC OR LC), YOU’LL NEED TO BE OKAY WITH CONSEQUENCES OF CVC THAT FOLLOWS.
We’ve covered a lot on CVC and similar topics in previous blogs on CVC Best Practices, and I’ve written pages and pages of rules blogs so it’s easy to have missed one particular week. I’ve compiled the “best of” into our OOC RESOURCES tab on the website, so here’s a few bits of reading to get started. I’ll refer to concepts within these essays during this series, but I’ll try to keep this blog focused on a high-level understanding.
The rules for CvC start on page 159 in the DR Corebook, in a section titled “Conflict Between Leading Characters”. I highly recommend people take a moment to read through this section in its entirety, as it is an often overlooked part of the book.
If you want additional reading, these other essays will be a great place to start:
Introduction to CVC - An introduction to the basis rules for CVC
CVC in the Moment - How to handle spontaneous CVC in the moment
Long Term CVC - How to approach long-term CVC with another player
CVC in the Wasteland - How the Wasteland works, and some rules to watch out for
Thick as Thieves (CVC Theft) - Details on the theft rules in game, and some important considerations
Disguise 101 - This covers useful rules for Disguises in DR and some tips for better disguises.
Steering & the 10 Foot Rule - This is a must read before you consider CVC, and is a very useful reminder of how to ethically steer your roleplaying for fun for everyone involved
Survival Ethos System - This is our DR:TX way to “opt in” to CVC in advance for all of you characters at the event. In exchange for this extra risk, you can access a brand-new list of items and resources for your characters.
With the CVC deep-dive part covered, let’s dig into how the justice system in the San Saba works in Dystopia Rising.
Justice in the apocalypse
The Laws of Settlements in the wastelands stand as an important contrast to the chaos of life in the zombie apocalypse. When people gather together for survival against the undead hordes, there needs to be some aspect of the social contract — that is, the shared understanding of what is right and wrong within that settlement. Most of the major settlements agree on a few cardinal sins, like murder, theft, cannibalism, and purposefully harming the Mortis Amaranthine.
But past the obvious societal breaches, every town in the wastes has some additional rules for keeping order, and it really varies from town to town. Some towns have a list of religious tenets they follow, while others prefer a system of fines and legalized bribery. Others might have powerful families that organize the area, while others might form town councils or similar structures to enforce stability.
In the San Saba, the mighty San Saba Board holds sway over the established order of the wastes. With vast resources and military forces that dwarf any that would oppose them in the region, the most powerful organizations have collectively agreed to enforce a peace. Together, they have decided what will be law and order in the San Saba. When the citizens feel protected and safe, they are more productive and ready to invest in the factions as a Stakeholder.
It’s just good business, after all.
But the wastes are a harsh place to live. While scrap and herb may be cheap enough, robbing someone of their last brew may inadvertently create a new zombie when they are left to die. When you are being pursued by raiders, you don’t have to be the fastest, but simply faster than your former friends. If they ended up with a mangled leg that slows them down, they should have learned to Avoid. Crazed religious cultists might decide to take on a role of a serial killer, in some twisted way of bringing fear into the world, and bandits might simply decide to make their wealth off others. In a world where death is around every corner, it’s easy to be selfish and it’s easy to drift into criminal behavior to survive.
NOTE: The San Saba Justice system is NOT the legal system of the real world, and certain rights we assume exist are not guaranteed. it is naturally unfair, and a product of the harsh wasteland and zombie apocalypse.
Thus, the justice system in the zombie apocalypse more closely resembles that of the Wild West. Brave marshals, dastardly villains, and face offs at high noon. You might have a Law Dog post a wanted poster on the doors of a saloon, and gather a posse to track down a killer that’s on the loose. However, as the world changed, so did the ability for the law to deal with criminals.
In a world where a person can simply return to life after being killed, simply hanging a cattle rustler doesn’t have the same impact. Fines can be useful sometimes, but those with enough wealth and resources can simply absorb the fine as the cost of doing business. With the massacre that happened at Killhouse last year, there is now no real way to imprison someone that commits a crime. But there still needs to be a way to hold someone accountable, so the Charter has outlined someone with the authority to be a check on the disorder of the wasteland.
The steps of justice in the San Saba are fairly simple, and the Law needs to handled in the field. When someone violates the social contract of the settlement, it’s up to someone to try to bring some justice and balance to the world. That’s where the Law Dog Union comes in, following their contract with the San Saba Board, followed by the Justices of Sin.
the focus of the San Saba legal system is on Contracts, and their connections to the Law of the san saba board.
Lastly, while some of our NPCs can be corrupt and evil, we generally assume positive intent when it comes to the Law Dogs. They are heroes in our world, the white hats in a world of greys, and the people that have chosen to protect the weak and helpless, and try to provide some measure of equal justice under the laws and contracts of the San Saba.
The Laws of the San Saba
Let’s first talk about what actually constitutes the Law in the world of Dystopia Rising. I covered this in a bit more detail in my first part of this series, but I’ll quickly cover the basics.
An important consideration - Assault isn’t against the law in the San Saba.
As long as they don’t die from their injuries, and you don’t take their stuff, you can still be involved with CVC without necessarily breaking the law. Remember the Bravado motto — talk shit, get hit!
The in-game setting has some enforced laws that come in two parts, the Laws and the Charter. You can click the links below to read more, but basically, it’s against the law to steal, murder, break contracts, traffic in Crystal Candy, and mess with the Morgues. If you violate the laws, you can be fined, killed, punished with a Gauntlet, or even made a Vagrant.
The Laws - These are the main laws of the San Saba. These are the primary ways you can break the law in the game, and these are only updated with a lot of effort during the annual Stakeholder’s Meeting, held during our May events.
The Charter - These are the secondary laws governing the Factions of the San Saba. These outline what aspects of life in the wastelands one of our local factions is granted authority over and serves as a secondary set of violations. These tend to be a bit rarer to enforce, but generally involve ‘breach of contract’ when they come up during criminal activity.
Let’s cover the major Law that deals with our protagonists, the Law Dog Union.
the Law Dogs
The primary law enforcement agency of the San Saba wastes, the Law Dog Union is empowered by the Laws and the Charter to uphold the law. The Union’s fundamental belief that laws are inherently fair and that equal enforcement leads to equal justice may also be fundamentally flawed. As the Board increases its power and passes more ordinances, the Union may come into conflict with itself but the core of the faction are true believers in law and order.
Their primary jurisdiction comes from one of the Laws of the San Saba:
In matters of Law and Order, the Law Dogs, Hell Hounds and Justices of Sin enact the will of the Board as their Voice and their Vigor, empowered to wield Death and Duty in their name.
Under their new contract with the San Saba Board, the Law Dogs represent the law of the San Saba, and some of their ranks, known as Hell Hounds, are even authorized to kill on behalf of the contracts of the Territories. Previously, the Law Dogs were under exclusive contract to the Chairman, but they now represent the entire Board instead of just one person. The Law Dogs choose their own leadership, and are currently represented by Boss Wyatt, a Reclaimer cowboy that helped form the Union after the Hiway War. The Law Dogs don’t hold an official seat on the San Saba Board, as the Union has maintained that the separation from politics helps them stay impartial.
The Law Dogs are governed by three basic rules:
Protect the Weak — A Law Dog’s first job is to protect the people of San Saba and to end immediate threats to the health and livelihood of those who live within. To a Law Dog, there is no such thing as an “Over There Problem”, and all pleas for aid must be considered and answered where possible for anyone in danger.
Provide Equal Justice Under the Law — For a people to believe in the laws and the social contract that keeps a society intact, they must believe in the fairness and equality of those laws. The Law Dogs must create a safe society where all are equal. The Union focuses on rooting out corruption amongst their ranks and tries to honor the trust that citizens of the San Saba place into them.
Enforce the Laws of the San Saba — Per their contract with the San Saba Board, the primary objective of the Law Dogs must always be to enforce the social contract of law and order within the San Saba Territories. This contract gives them absolute authority to operate as an armed militia in the region as well as the autonomy to pursue their charter. The only one that can speak to this contract is the San Saba Board itself, and the Law Dogs are not directly beholden to any individual voting member of the Board.
Let’s cover how you can prepare yourself to become a Law Dog yourself by understanding the three steps of Justice in the San Saba.
The Three Steps of Justice
First, none of this truly “new” information, but this is the first time that we’ve clearly spelled out each step of law and order in the wastes. From the very first event of 3.0, the law of the San Saba has always included Crime Scenes and Gauntlets, but it wasn’t always clear how each step worked. We’ve compiled most of the information on our website, and you can read more about each step below.
Contracts - Contracts are the sum and whole of the law, and an important part of our setting. Most players will interact with contracts through their Society Membership.
Enforcement - The Law Dog Union is charged with investigating, detaining, and questioning those found to have violated the law, and to bring that suspect to the Justices of Sin.
The Crime Scene - Once in custody, the accused is given a trial of sorts in the form of a Crime Scene. This includes a one-on-one steering conversation with one of our Storytellers to help you choose your next steps.
The Gauntlet - A public sentencing, once the accused is found guilty of a crime, they are brought by a Justice of Sin to hear appeals to mercy and other factors they should consider in their punishment.
Vagrancy - The harshest punishment that can be leveled past death, Vagrants are stripped of standing in the San Saba and are no longer protected by the Laws. These outcasts often meet a quick and brutal end without the support of the settlements.
The goal of the Justice System in DR:TX is to tell a good story, first and foremost.
We want to work with you, the player, to make this a story we tell together.
Some players want to have their character publicly hung at the crossroads. Others prefer to have their character’s contract seized by a horrible antagonist faction. Some want to use this plot point to force a change of faith, or another narrative shift for their character. Some folks just don’t do well with crowds and would therefore like to avoid a public scene like the Gauntlet.
There will be consequences for breaking the Law in game, but they can (and should) be fun, and work to forward your narrative goals for your character.
This is not to say that the Justices of Sin are bastions of morality or that the San Saba Board is always going to be judicious in the laws they pass, but we wanted to let you know that no matter which side of the law your LC ends up on, we’re on your side to make sure that experience is still fun.
Let’s cover the three basic steps of justice in the San Saba.
STEP 1: The Investigation
Well, technically the first step is that a crime actually happens. But let’s skip past the obvious.
The first step of an Investigation is simply being made aware of the crime that happened when the crime is reported to a Law Dog representative. This often happens when a witness sees something and reports it to a Law Dog, or more commonly, when the recently killed or robbed emerges from the Morgue with a clear description of their assailant. In a world where you come back after death, the best witness is the person that was just murdered.
There are several ways that a Law Dog can confirm a crime that was reported.
Interrogation & Questioning
The staple of the Law Dog Union is simply questioning people with a discerning eye. There are three major methods of questioning another LC or NPC, though certain items and room augments can improve your ability to question and also improve the ability of a target to resist.
Basic Malicious (p. 126) - This skill can be used to call “Interrogate” to make a target answer one question truthfully. There is some player skill involved in choosing the right question to ask, but this skill can be resisted with certain items and the skill Mental Endurance. This skill can also be used to tie binds and subdue a suspect, so it’s one of the primary tools used by the Law Dogs. This is a CVC action when used against another player.
Proficient Mental Endurance (p. 128) - This skill can be used more generally after watching a target for 10 minutes to learn about current intent and mindset. You can ask one “yes” or “no” question, so you need to be precise with your questions, as it can’t tell you anything about stuff that happened in the past only what the suspect might attempt in the future. This can be a CVC action when used against another player.
Proficient Telepathy (p. 136) - This psionic skill can force someone to speak without a filter for 5 minutes. While they still have some agency about what they say, any direct question must be answered without limitation. This can be resisted by Mental Endurance, and if the subject is hit with a Choking Blow they may not be able to communicate to answer. This is a CVC action when used against another player.
Stolen Items
In the case of item theft, item cards that are stolen are marked with a “S” and the player number of the person who originally owned the item. Unless the criminal takes steps to remove this mark with Proficient Criminal Influence, this is open information that can be seen on an item card. If a Law Dog catches a criminal with stolen merchandise, they can simply search them for contraband as their evidence. If the subject isn’t willing, they may have to be subdued and tied up so a proper search can be completed. Of particular note, Brass notes, scrap, and herb are not something that can be tracked easily as stolen, and these are often common choices for smart criminals to steal.
Contraband
This is a custom keyword in DR:TX included on some item cards and certain blueprints. These items are considered illegal, and simply having them on your person can be a violation of the laws of the San Saba. The most obvious form of Contraband at the moment is the ubiquitous Crystal Candy, as simply possessing the drug can be grounds for a fine or confiscation.
The Law Dog Report
Once a Law Dog has been alerted of a crime, they set out to investigate what happened, question witnesses, and build a story to give to the Justices of Sin. Once evidence feels good enough, the Law Dogs will request a Crime Scene from the Justices of Sin by submitting their Law Dog Report. This is a unique form of Action Request that can be submitted in writing at the Post Office using a form found at the Research Station in the General Store. The Law Dog Report can be a way for you to work with the Storytellers to set a Bounty on a target, and to let us know you’d like to pursue this story further.
WANTED POSTERS
If the accused doesn’t submit willingly to be questioned, they may have to be tracked down first. The Law Dogs may choose to issue a Bounty for the accused, offering a reward for anyone that helps them find and detain their foe. The Law Dog simply has to post a WANTED POSTER at the General Store letting everyone know who they are searching for. This can be completed in between events, or if a player feels particularly creative they can create one during the game. The Law Dog should work with the STs to craft a particular bounty amount, unless they are willing to offer the Brass out of their own pocket as a reward.
Law Dogs are generally chastised for taking the law into their own hands and bounties generally ask for the suspect to be brought in alive. Bounties that call for the death of the suspect can only be issued by the Union Boss or a Justice of Sin.
A player that has Master Society Membership in the Law Dogs can even acquire the unique item known as an Arrest Warrant. This item enables them to chase, pursue, and even prevent a target from escaping with Master Stealth. Sounds handy!
What happens if you can’t find evidence?
Often, crimes go unsolved in the wasteland. If the criminal used a disguise, was quick on their feet, or covered their tracks, it can be really difficult to get a concrete answer as to what happened. It’s entirely reasonable that the villain gets away with the crime. Sometimes, they just lie about what happened and no one thinks to dig deeper.
There is no real way in this game to really tell truth from fiction. While you can use torture to ask a few true questions or you can use psionics, the concept of “truth” will always be a bit murky. It’s easy to use a Disguise, use an item that allows them to lie under interrogation, use Mental Endurance to resist questioning or psionic manipulation, and a clever person can simply dance around the truth without actually admitting to a crime. If the criminals are particularly vicious, your key witness may suddenly disappear or refuse to share their testimony to a Justice.
There is no such thing as objective “Truth” in Dystopia Rising
The truth of a crime will always be subjective, and there’s no real mechanics for forensic science, fingerprints, or anything of the sort. While our Storytellers will strive to create some fun investigation roleplay from time to time, these will be local mechanics and nothing official in the core book. This is one reason why we believe Ethical Steering is so important to the act of investigation, as you’ll often have to work together with the other players to tell a good story about the search for the truth.
Sometimes you can’t agree on what actually happened, can’t find concrete evidence or a witness, or the accused may have simply kept their mouth shut about what happened. Sometimes the investigation just ends here, as a cold case that might never be solved.
But if the Law Dog has gathered enough hard evidence, they can take their case to a Justice of Sin. That’s where the Crime Scene comes in.
STEP 2: The Crime Scene
After the events of Justicalia, the Justices of Sin are now responsible for being Judge, Jury, and Executioner of any and all citizens of the Lone Star who violate the laws set forth by The Board and those who breach contracts that are backed by the Railroad Conglomerate. The person accused of breaking the law is known as a “Breacher”. In the Wild West metaphor, the Law Dogs are like the Marshals and Sheriffs, while the Justices are the Circuit Judges.
During a Crime Scene, the Law Dogs present to the Justice of Sin appointed to the region evidence of the accused crime, and detail the manner in which the LC has violated the Laws of the San Saba. They will outline their witnesses, any physical evidence, or testimony from other members of the Law Dog Union as proof of completing their contract to detain and present the accused for punishment. This normally happens with a Law Dog Report, but sometimes this can be a scene with the Justice in game.
The Justices of Sin can dismiss a charge on a character if they deem the evidence isn’t worthy of pursuit, or if they feel it was an accident or there is sufficient information obtained during their Crime Scene to dismiss. The Justice can assign penalties, fees, or acts of service directly to the character on the spot and doesn’t need to use a public Gauntlet. They can even grant a Law Dog permission to kill in the name of the law if a suspect is unremorseful or difficult to find or carry out the execution themselves.
There are four main Justices assigned to Bravado that you will see in play, though we may introduce others at a later date. Each Justice represents a Faith in the wastelands.
Justice Titus (Joel) - Representing the Light of Hedon, Titus is one of the original Justices that served at Prudence Pententiary. An expert marksman and powerful psion, Titus is a consummate professional.
Justice Locket (Ren) - Representing the Faithless, this Red Star justice instead focuses on the good with humanity itself rather than a particular faith. Locket is also one of the original Justices of Sin that served at Prudence Penitentiary.
Justice Blayne (Heather) - Representing the Final Knights, this former radio broadcaster was recently recruited after the excavation into the Lost City of Barogue. They have an talent for obtaining the truth through pain and exquisite suffering.
Justice Rogers (Jonathan) - Representing the Nuclear Family, this mild manner coach tries to see the best in folks and help them to atone for their sins, using good old fashioned family values. A newer recruit, they joined after the recent reorganization of the Justices.
The scene between the Justice of Sin and the LC who committed a crime is a personalized scene that melds the player’s goals and comfort level with the story and consequences brought about through their play.
This scene will always involve a member of our Storytelling staff or Gamerunners, and is an opportunity for us to steer the outcome of a Crime Scene. The normal player that portrays the Justice isn’t necessarily involved in a Crime Scene, as this is primarily a way for our staff to check in on both parties to help mediate a clear and satisfying resolution to crime and punishment. We will strive to have this conversation “off screen”, so we can help manage the emotions and disagreements that can sometimes occur from CVC interactions like this.
This may involve ‘closed door’ black box narration scenes, or public displays of punishment or atonement also known as The Gauntlet. However, not every Crime Scene resolves into a Gauntlet, and we want to work with you to tell a satisfying conclusion to the story of the crime that occurred and what happens next. Not every player is interested in a public accounting of their crimes, and we want to allow you to engage with your own level of comfort in the scene.
Step 3: The Gauntlet
The Gauntlet is a public tradition of the San Saba that functions similar to a “sentencing” in our modern justice system. When a person has been found guilty of violating the Laws and Charter of the San Saba during a Crime Scene, the Justices of Sin, roving representatives of the San Saba Board that assess their crimes and assign an appropriate punishment, will determine the punishment that will be levied on the accused.
The Gauntlet is normally called near noon and is held at the Crossroads in the center of Bravado. Because the original Justices were followers of the Light of Hedon, the process has a bit of ritual and pomp involved. It follows a few discrete steps:
THE GATHERING
During the Gathering, the Justice of Sin will establish the structure of the Gauntlet and explain each step of the process. All citizens of a town are invited to attend a Gauntlet, and they will generally be alerted at least one month before a Gauntlet is to commence. A poster warning of the upcoming Gauntlet will be distributed across the San Saba.
THE PRESENTATION OF SIN
During the Presentation of Sin, the Justice of Sin will introduce the evidence presented by the Law Dogs during the Crime Scene. They will outline why the decision of guilt was reached and the appropriate public evidence that should be considered by the attendees. New evidence cannot be presented during this step, as the word of the Justice is law and the accused has already been determined guilty.
APPEAL FOR MERCY
During the Appeal for Mercy, the Justice will consider any mitigating or aggravating factors in determining the sentencing for the accused. Character witnesses or past good behavior is commonly considered during this step, as is information that might confirm the evidence presented by the Law Dogs. Each contractor or stakeholder that chooses to do so will have 2 minutes to speak or may pass their time to another person. The breacher may also use their two minutes to ask for Mercy from the Justices, or appeal to logic or reason.
SENTENCE OF ABSOLUTION
Once all breachers have spoken, the Justice will determine the outcome of the punishment in the form of a Sentence of Absolution. The Justice will take into account the Appeals for Mercy and choose a sentence appropriate to the crime. Sentences can include fines, acts of service, public punishments leveled by their peers, or even death. In rare instances, a repeat offender may even be ostracized from the San Saba by being made a Vagrant — someone who is not protected by the laws and can freely be killed, robbed, or run from town.
Completion of either a Crime Scene or a more public Gauntlet is seen by the San Saba Board as absolving that character’s criminal strikes and all Law Dog Bounties will be nullified for those crimes. The crime is completely absolved, and they are free to continue about their business. The purpose of the Sentence is not to shame or hold them accountable forever but to give them an opportunity to seek atonement and move forward as a full citizen in the San Saba.
a Quick note on Punishments
Those that breach the Law suffer a punishment for their crime. This punishment can vary in game. Remember - there will be consequences for breaking the Law in game, but they can (and should) be fun, and work to forward your narrative goals for your character.
Violators can either be assessed a hefty fine of Brass or materials, assigned mandatory work tasks for factions of the San Saba or service within the San Saba Militia, assigned a collective punishment of their peers present, or be labeled a contract-breaker and Vagrant. In rare instances, the Law Dogs may be tasked as Hellhounds, and simply remove the threat to the Board through sanctioned murder. This ability to kill is only granted by the Law Dog Union Boss or a Justice of Sin, and it is used sparingly.
In general, the Justice will assign a punishment equal to the crime that was committed. Breaches of Contract and theft are generally met with fines and restitution. If they cannot afford to pay, acts of service will be assigned, sentencing to serve in the Militia on the front lines or to perform an act for one of the major factions. More serious crimes like treason and murder are often met with a death sentence and the loss of at least one Infection. Only very serious and repeated offenses will be met with final death or vagrancy.
No character will be made a Vagrant without enthusiastic consent, as this is a challenging story to participate in and one that often leads to the final death of the character. These doomed souls are no longer protected by the laws of the San Saba and can be murdered, robbed, or driven out of town without recourse. These types of characters are better cast as a villain and not as a player.
The Gauntlet is a perfect place for a dramatic turn in your character’s story, and some of the best character memories can be made at a Gauntlet. If you get to take your place on stage, enjoy the moment, and let us know how we can help steer this event towards the next step for your character.
Tips for Being a Better Law Dog
Lastly, let’s cover some best practices for being a Law Dog.
Play the Role
One of the best parts and most fun about being a Law Dog is playing the “good guy”. Like we said earlier, it’s easy being a criminal in the wasteland. Being selfish is easy, but it takes effort to choose a better path in the dangers of the apocalypse. The Law Dog role can be a challenging and difficult path to walk, but it can also be very rewarding. A good Law Dog should assume the best in others, be a bastion of decency, and generally try to help those in need. They don’t have to be martyrs for the cause, but they should generally be upstanding citizens. It’s difficult to be respected as a Law Dog if you are consorting with criminals all the time.
Be ready for consequences
The first step is to accept that once you get involved as a Law Dog in DR you are accepting a certain amount of risk. As a good guy, you are an obvious target for the criminal underworld. Eventually, you will risk your items, your standing in the community, your health and safety, and maybe even your Infection. Generally, you should be ready for the consequences that could happen to your character if and when you get caught by the Underground in a vulnerable state. If you prepare yourself for this risk, it’s much easier to accept it when it eventually happens.
Get consent
Like I mentioned above, the best way to follow a lead and question your suspect is to first get consent from the other Player or even NPC. It’s not expressly required to flash a “C” at an NPC, but remember that they are people too. Unless they were told by the Guide to expect an intense interrogation, you might be surprising the actual player, and not the NPC. If they don’t give an enthusiastic “yes” to this type of question, steering, or conversation, you are better finding another route for evidence if possible. I know it may seem strange to “warn” a person of an impending investigation, but I think you’ll find more people are interested in this type of conflict than you may expect, especially if they can prepare themselves for the intensity in advance.
Learn Basic Malicious
This is the bread and butter of the investigation, and it’s one of the best skills for learning more about your target. It’s helpful in all kinds of situations, from questioning enemy Oxkillers about impending attacks, identifying which bandit stole that important relic, or even just finding out who robbed that merchant. You can complete the task without this Skill, but this definitely makes it easier.
Learn some Combat Tricks
Sooner or later, you’ll need to be able to subdue and capture your bounty in order to bring them in to the Justices of Sin. That means you’ll need to be able to defeat and subdue your foe.
Skills like Break, Blinding, and Take Down are all useful for controlling a fight. Defensive skills like Avoid and Mental Endurance can keep you in a fight, and advanced skills like Proficient Malicious to mangle a limb can quickly bring a fight to a close.
While Basic Malicious is useful for tying up your prey once they’ve been taken down, Basic Medical can be a life saver to stabilize them and prevent them from dying. Remember, you can’t kill a target as a Law Dog unless given specific permission as a Hell Hound.
Use Equipment Wisely
Don’t pass up on equipment either. You can obtain a cheap Dogrun Brew with only Basic Society Membership that will give you a powerful Upsurge buff, and the ability of the San Saba Social can give you an edge in a fight. Room augments like a Dungeon or certain weapon augments can make it even easier to question your criminal. Armor is a great way to give you an edge in a fight too!
If you have the funds, some of the Weapon Augments can be incredibly powerful at shutting down a fight. Items that grant No Escape like the Flower Scented Paint Rounds can prevent a foe from escaping, or the powerful weapon combos of the Spin to Win can quickly turn a fight in your favor.
Have a Plan for Questioning
Before you start the interrogation of a suspect, you should have a plan in mind. Try to write down your questions in advance, and workshop the best strategy to take with your foe. Give them some time to squirm, apply some pressure, or and maybe try to lure the truth out of them with kindness. Think about what their answer really was, and plan out your follow up questions. Try to have these discussions about strategy away from the suspect, so they can’t react and lead you down the wrong path.
While you should be gracious with your Steering, try to learn about your suspect and whether or not they may be able to evade your questioning in advance. This can give you time to bring in a psion to help, craft gear to give you an edge, or give time for a brew’s effects to fade. The more you know about your opponent, the easier you’ll able to build the case for the Justices.
turn in your reports!
The Law Dogs play an important role in the justice of the San Saba, but any actual punishments for a crime are decided by the Storytellers. Law Dogs shouldn’t take justice into their own hands without having a planned conversation about CVC first. Make sure you are turning in your Action Request so we can follow up with the players or NPCs involved to get the facts straight. Turning in your Law Dog Report is great tool to help us proceed to the next step.
Follow up OOC
This is probably the most forgotten step of CVC. Remember to check in on all the parties that were involved in the crime either after it happened, or once game is over. This applies to the other side as well, and if you get involved in an particularly intense interrogation scene with a criminal, it can be good to check in with all the players involved. CVC can come with a lot of emotions, so it’s important to remember the player behind the mask, as well as the victims in the crime. Even if the suspect was an NPC, it doesn’t hurt to check in with that person at Ops, or after their shift. You can offer apologies, ask for steering, and generally make sure they are still okay with the decision to be included afterwards. I’ve listed several ways to help with Steering in my blog post.
Tell a good story
Dystopia Rising is a survival horror game, but it’s also about telling neat stories with your friends. Being a Law Dog can be exhilarating, and deadly CVC is a roller-coaster of challenge. There are so many cool tricks, neat items, and unexpected player skill to consider in a fight against an intelligent opponent or an intense interrogation, and you can tell an amazing tale of the daring and skill that happens when you get involved in justice in the wastes. Remember, that if the criminal is never caught, that can be kind of a boring story and an unsatisfying conclusion. There’s so many connections and possibilities that come from this type of play, and I’m excited for you each to explore this deep and rich side of Dystopia Rising.
Wrap Up
That’s it for today Vados! I hope you enjoyed this summary of Crime & Punishment in the San Saba, and I hope I was able to provide some insight and guidance for your roleplay as a dastardly villain or noble Law Dog. Let us know what questions you might still have, and we hope that you will choose to involve yourself into an amazing side of CVC in the world of Dystopia Rising.
Tickets are still on sale for our next event, Cirque De Dread!
See you soon Vados!
