Rules Ramble

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Downfall Update

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It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our October live event DOWNFALL! This will be the first full game run under the new DR Live system and our first DR Live NATIONAL EVENT, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering some updates to our event that have developed since we began ticket sales in July.

Don't miss out on our limited run Glow Shroom pins, designed by the talented Poe Popek!

As a reminder, we’ve covered a LOT on Downfall so far:

  • Downfall Introduction - You can read about our content warnings and expectations for the National Event.

  • Character Creation Guide - We’ve provided a step-by-step guide for creating your first character on the DR Live Database, Juno.

  • DR Live: Where to Start - This is a handy guide on how to tackle reading the rules for the new system. TL;DR, there’s a LOT of books already for this edition, but the best place to begin is the Player’s Guide.

  • Frequently Asked Questions - We’ve made a few updates over the past few weeks and we’ve tried to anticipate most of your questions. We’ve updated this as of October 1st!

  • What’s Different in Texas? - If you are traveling to a Texas event for the first time, I’ve readied a guide for what to expect from our local game culture. Check it out!

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR DOWNFALL! GET YOUR FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW DR LIVE SYSTEM IN PERSON!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Lily-Jay Jones and our marketing guru Kiara Everlen.

Changes for the National Event

It’s hard to believe that Downfall is happening next week. We are only a few short days from our first DR Live National Event and I’m so excited. We launched our ticket sales way back in July and there’s been a lot changes since then!

We’ve had multiple books revealed by that Network Support team, we’ve had a Blueprint Unboxing, multiple Discord hangouts, and we’ve kept a chat running in our DR:TX Discord over the past few months. That’s a lot of places to make some clarifications and to decide on some changes as we literally get new information from our national team. Players have asked some awesome questions, and we want to make sure y’all are caught up with some updates for Downfall.

Let’s cover some of the big changes we’ve made to the Downfall event since we began:

You can play your Alts!

After hearing the feedback from our players, we’ve clarified that you can absolutely bring your alts to play at Downfall. There was some confusing language in our FAQ, but it’s been corrected.

You can absolutely bring your favorite LC! While you can play alts at Downfall, we recommend focusing on just one character. You’ll be learning the new rules in person, and we believe it’ll be easier to adapt to the changes with just one character at first. But, if you want to have fun as your alternate character, go for it!

However, you will only receive one set of Gear Loadouts (the starting items, plus your two choices of role items) in total, regardless of how many alts you check in. You can split these items between characters if you choose.

Bring Your Blueprints!

During our Blueprint Unboxing, we showed off all of the prints we will be using during the DOWNFALL event. I’ve collated the lists at our Downfall Blueprint Checklist, but we probably won’t have access to Blueprints on our Juno server until after our event. With that in mind, we’ve revisited our Blueprint item suggestions from the FAQ that once recommended leaving the blueprints at home.

With the lack of easy Blueprint access in the DR Live database, we have made the decision to honor blueprints that have a 1:1 equivalent in DR Live. You can bring your current 3.0 blueprints and they will ‘count as’ the equivalent blueprint in DRL for purposes of copying or crafting.

Keep in mind there are many brand-new blueprints for DRL that will need to be acquired through other means, such as a Zone of Mechanics or interactions with a NPC. We won’t be doing any conversion of existing blueprints for this event.  You’ll need to either reference the DRL material needs for the print from a digital source at game, or check at the Post Office.

Here’s what is in your survivor Packs:

We were waiting on the final blueprint release to confirm, but here’s what to expect from your starting gear packages. As we’ve mentioned before, we won’t be doing conversions of existing 3.0 items into DR Live versions for this event. As such, we want to make sure that we help folks test out a new system at mostly the same level of resources, so we’ve elected to provide some starting gear.

This equipment is complete FREE as part of your ticket. No mind, no scrap needed. You can read the complete list on our Frequently Asked Questions page. Here’s what you get:

  • Starting gear loadout

    • 1 weapon

    • 1 suit of armor

    • 1 gizmo

    • 1 Lineage specific healing Injection

    • TWO Choices of additional Loadout Options:

      • Artisan, Cook, Criminal, Melee, Gunslinger, Shield, Criminal, Priest

  • Survival Pack

    • If you bought your ticket prior to August 30th, you also receive:

      • DR:TX Currency Collection:

        • 1 Brass, 1 Lead, 1 Tin, 1 Amaranthite, and 1 Shard of the Red Crown

      • 1 Lineage Specific Recovery Brew

      • 1 Lineage Specific Healing Injection

      • 1 random Scrap or Herb

You should get a survey in your email asking about your preferred items for the loadout. Check your junk box just in case! If you have no preferences, you can choose “RANDOM”, and we will provide you with one of the brand new items available for DR Live in that slot.

Honeysuckle Huts will be used as “NPC Land”

Our Storytellers have had some awesome ideas for mods and such, and we want to continue to have a space that allows us some ‘away’ mods during the game. While we have previously suggested that camping will be allowed in the Honeysuckle Huts area (previously known as Zuni), we will be keeping this area as a limited access space for Downfall. We have plenty of other climate controlled cabins and open air cabins across the Bluebonnet Shores site, so we will have plenty of camping places for every attendee.

Starting XP is now available on the Juno Database

When we held our Character Creation Discord event last week, we shared that the additional 50 XP for character creation would not be functional on the Juno Database. As previously mentioned by Michael Pucci, all existing 3.0 characters will receive 50 additional ‘creation XP’ at the launch of DR live in 2025. This will help smooth out the start for most folks and remove some disparities for new players that start shortly before the transition. However, the Juno database didn’t really have a way to make this happen. At first.

Thanks to the hard work of Gloria, our network support genius, the Juno database has now been updated to reflect this starting XP! If you already have created your experimental slot character, you should be able to see the additional XP now. Plus, if you haven’t checked in yet, the time frame to convert your character to the new database is now around 12 hours. Amazing!

We’ve updated our Caps list for DR Live!

We’ve posted the Wishlist for our Downfall event via Facebook and Discord, but you can still earn some local Texas CAPs for the big event. We’ve updated our list of rewards to also include some DR Live specific items, so check it out on our Community Action Points Page.

Check out the downfall Wishlist!

Community Action Points is a system of thank-you and rewards that exists to give to players that work to make the community of Dystopia Rising a better place. These points can be turned in for things that will enhance their in-game experience. This program aims to offer a way to show our DR:TX team appreciates people who want to make things better for those around them and want to reward them with the thing that we all came here for: fun!

Character Creation is due on October 5th

We’ve opened up the Juno database for you to start building your characters for the event last week. You still have until this weekend to finish up your builds to make sure we have a printed character sheet ready for you on site. You have until October 5th at midnight to finish up this task.

Any character sheets completed after this point will instead be printed on site during registration.

Non attending Tickets will Be available end of downfall

If you can’t make the trip down to Texas, you can still access the extra XP for your characters for DR Live later this year. We are leaving up the ticket page for non-attending tickets all the way until the end of our event. You’ll be able to purchase your ticket at the door as well in person, as usual.

Based on our current license agreement, we won’t be able to sell Back Buy XP for Downfall once the event is finished, so if you’d like to support our local game and get some tasty XP we’ve love to have you support our chapter. Our ticket sales help us pay our teams, invest in cool props for DR Live, and manage growing site fees. After this event, your money will instead be spent through the National website to purchase Back Buy XP.

Here's a sneak peek of some of the in-character events to watch out for during the Downfall event!

Wrap Up

That’s it for today Vados! Short and sweet!

Next week I’ll cover the few unique rules we will have for this event, including the dangerous Exclusion Zone, how you can unlock some new blueprints with the RRC Invention Exchange, and other Zones of Mechanics to watch out for during the Downfall event.

Will you side with the Wells Society or the Temple Evolution? Will you have an opinion to share with the infamous General Mustang? Will you survive the strange new undead and deadly raiders in the world of DR Live? Let’s find out together next week!

Downfall tickets are on sale now, so don’t miss your chance to make history!

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Life in Bastion

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Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our October live event DOWNFALL! This will be the first full game run under the new DR Live system and our first DR Live NATIONAL EVENT, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering some more of the lore of Bastion and the Fallow Hope that call it home!

  • wE WILL BE HOSTING OUR Last dYSTOPIA rISING lIVE HANGOUT before downfall ON FRIDAY, 9/27! CHECK OUT OUR DISCORD FOR MORE INFO!

I’ve already made quite a few blog posts on the topic of Downfall, so let’s compile some handy links all in one place:

  • Downfall Introduction - You can read about our content warnings and expectations for the National Event.

  • DR Live: Where to Start - This is a handy guide on how to tackle reading the rules for the new system. TL;DR, there’s a LOT of books already for this edition, but the best place to begin is the Player’s Guide.

  • The Story of Downfall - This is a detailed look at the STORY of the event, including an introduction to the various factions and personalities you’ll meet while in Bastion.

  • Frequently Asked Questions - We’ve made a few updates over the past few weeks and we’ve tried to anticipate most of your questions.

  • What’s Different in Texas? - If you are traveling to a Texas event for the first time, I’ve readied a guide for what to expect from our local game culture. Check it out!

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR DOWNFALL! GET YOUR FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW DR LIVE SYSTEM IN PERSON!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Max Pohlmeier, Lauren Guzaldo, Sidney Betzina, Maddeax Cole, and Jason Dumas.

We’ve covered a lot about Bastion on our Downfall site, but let’s cover a bit more about the day-to-day life inside the Fallow Hope community.

The Mustang Loyalists

From the high walls of STAR CITY to the north, the Mustang Loyalists have been a power in the San Saba for decades.  Following the leadership of the one and only GENERAL MUSTANG, the Loyalists have spread the faith of the Fallow Hope across the region.  Uncovering weapons and munitions from oldcestor facilities around the Lone Star has given them firepower that is virtually unmatched in the region, but they’ve largely kept to themselves.  Multiple wars throughout the region have tested their resolve and left the forces of Star City mostly in disarray, but the Loyalists have kept true to their faith and unwavering dedication to their demagogue leader.

After the crash of Waking, the honorable General Mustang, last of their name, heir to Star City and Fort Worthless, conqueror of the Wastes, Champion of the Lord Commander, and First General and Prophet of the Sky Temple, has offered their loyal soldiers of the MUSTANG LOYALIST ARMY to assist in the divinely appointed annexation of the settlement that formerly housed the powerful elite of the region.

Mustang has always had their eyes set on Bravado since before the Hiway War, and reclaiming the fortress-city in the name of faith has only reinvigorated their cause.  The tenets of the Fallow Hope warn against the dangers of hellfire, the deadly radiation that led to the fall of mankind when the zombie virus first emerged.  For Mustang, conquering the city of Waking meant conquering the ancient foe of their faith, and they are finally able to ready plans put into motion before the fall of the Trade Union so many years ago.

Under the day-to-day command of General Mustang and Minister-General Marcus Remington, the Loyalists have become a powerful faction within the region and have now consolidated their might within their new home of Bastion.  They have been hard at work reinforcing the city, restoring what areas they can for homes and housing, and solidifying the defenses.

The Infamous General Mustang

General Mustang has been a leader of legend in the Lone Star.  Responsible for the success of Star City as a settlement in the northern region, leader of the faithful from the Sky Temple, and general tactical genius, they have been involved in the affairs of Bravado for over a decade.  General Mustang had a big part to play in the years before the Hiway War, their forces of Law Men standing as an extension of Star City’s power.  However, much of this fame and infamy is bound more to a name than a single person.

The old saying of Star City that ‘there must always be a General Mustang’ holds true even to this day.  More a title than an actual true name, the figure of Mustang was the savior that united the people together in safety behind the thick walls of Star City.  Thought to be a vessel for the Lord Commander, the General is a symbol of faith for the Loyalists, a reminder of their holy cause, and a reason to keep fighting.  Because of Mustang, their families are safe, they have food, water, and shelter, and they have a sense of safety that is hard to find in the apocalypse.

The current General Mustang has served in the role since shortly after the Hiway War. She was a commander in Star City, and a rising star and pupil of the former leader when she served over the congregation.  When the former General Mustang was defeated at the Washbourne Plantation, their forces disintegrated by the detonated nuclear device that ended the Loyalist attack, she was quick to step into their place as the supreme leader of the Fallow Hope, taking on the new mantle of the Lord Commander’s Avatar.   

While she fought alongside the former General against Hiway Robb and even the people of Bravo, her focus was generally on the smooth operation of the faction and home base while they were away at the front lines.  She is a clerk and organizer at heart, skilled at administration and the actual day-to-day talents of a settlement leader.  In the wasteland, every settlement tends to coalesce around individuals like Mustang for simple survival and she was no different.  She has a way of making sure every person in her command works together towards a common goal, and she inspires those around her to loyal service and faith.

The new Mustang’s faith is a beacon of piety and simple confidence.  She believes in the mission of the faith, the structure that order brings out of chaos, and the need to serve others in a dangerous wasteland.   She radiates a calm confidence, and works to keep her soldiers disciplined and loyal.  While she doesn’t think of herself as a priest, her firm insistence on sharing the mantle of leadership with her command earns her more respect by the day.  She is fiercely loyal to her cause, and sees the Wells Society Initiative as a means to carry the example of their leadership to more settlements in the Wastes.

Mustang knows that the former holder of the title had a bit of a reputation to overcome.  Despite their actions, none can doubt the success that it created for Star City and their people.  As one of the only settlements in the area to successfully erect and maintain thick walls to protect themselves, it is one of the few cities in the Lone Star that stands firm no matter what threat emerges from the wasteland.  With Star City firmly in hand, the new Mustang has turned her eyes to the south, to Bravado and the San Saba region.  The Vados stood up against the Chairman and the San Saba Board in a way that she was never capable of, and she knows and respects the power of a town to stand united in the face of adversity.  With that goal in mind, she has moved the center of her command to the Bastion of New Dawn, to oversee the tenuous relationships with the power that was capable of toppling a giant like Arthur Lovelace.

As the vessel of faith and war for the Fallow Hope of the Mustang Loyalists, she is held on a pedestal of awe and respect by the common soldiers and corpsmen of the faction.  Mustang is a powerfully charismatic leader and incredibly confident in her faith, her people, and the role she plays for the settlement of Star City and Bastion.  While the recent war has decimated many of the more powerful enemies of her faction, under her leadership the faction has claimed a new fortress in the fallen sky-city of Bastion and grown even stronger.

travel to Bastion

Bastion is now one of the safest towns in the Lone Star, thanks to a commanding military presence and the natural defenses of the wreck. The city deals with a sizable zed presence that emerges from inside the city, but the Exclusion Zone keeps the most dangerous threats at bay on the ground.  The Loyalists are still focused on reclaiming the city block by block and dealing with the dangerous underbelly of the crashed vessel.  Every citizen in Bastion is expected to do their part, conscripted into service of the Mustang Loyalists.  Every day, residents and Loyalists alike patrol their home, man the walls and main approaches to the city, and work to continue the restoration of the crashed wreck.

Most trade arrives in Bastion via airship, evading the worst of the Exclusion Zone but only if expected by the Loyalists.  Deadly scrap cannons will make short work of most unannounced airships, but should any be durable enough to survive a volley from the walls of Bastion, the Spindrift Navy is quick to board and disable the vessel before they can reach the city.  The airspace is heavily patrolled, and the height of the wreck means it's nigh impossible to approach undetected.  Most of the necessary ammunition, supplies, and gear is shipped to Bastion via skyship, and many Cloudskippers have made pacts with the Loyalists for safe passage in exchange for ferrying shipments into the city from abroad.

Travel by rail to Bastion is possible, but much more dangerous.  Some supply shipments are made via railcar, as the RRC had built a functional extension of the Oxline that ran towards Bravado before the War of Antlers overtook the region.  A single shoddy rail line runs up a makeshift ramp into the wreck on the east side of the city, but the actual Ox would never survive the ascent due to its massive size.  Instead, smaller locomotives or hand carts must make the journey through the Exclusion Zone, and few survivors outside of Retrogrades survive the journey without planning and protection.  Most rail shipments are unmanned for the ascent, instead ferrying the personnel by airship into Bastion.

Part of the wrecked ship that makes up the raised hull of Bastion is underwater in Lake Bravo, but most of the submerged sections lie fully in the radioactive Exclusion Zone to the south of the city.  The waters are intensely dangerous, swarming with irradiated critters that make any real landing challenging.   There are no real docks or other permanent structures to aid river traffic, but smugglers and dissidents will occasionally build a makeshift pier for an attempt to enter the city by stealth.  Due to the challenge of surviving the radiation while arriving by water, the Loyalists have simply sealed off the avenues and roads that led to the edge of the Magnolia District, and watch for any new faces that haven’t been checked in for processing.

While the city operates in a constant state of alert and military readiness, there are still moments of peace for the residents of Bastion.  General Mustang has done what they can to help provide entertainment and improve the morale of their citizens, even opening up a few non-Fallow Hope bars in the Magnolia District to provide some managed privacy.  The Loyalists are used to dealing with citizens that don’t share their faith, as Star City is equally as diverse as Bastion hopes to become.  Some neighborhoods of survivors have banded together in the less hospitable sectors of the Magnolia District, building a new life for themselves a bit further away from the Fallow Hope barracks.  Though it might be a bit more dangerous, some are willing to risk the distance for a sense of independence.

Life in Bastion

As more citizens flock to the supposed safety offered by the Loyalists, new arrivals are assessed and cataloged for useful skills and equipment before being assigned a bunk and work shift.  Fallow Hope Quartermasters and logistics experts take careful notes of new arrivals, particularly if they have useful skills and knowledge to aid the town.  Skilled crafters and engineers are highly valued among new arrivals, as Mustang knows and appreciates the value of skilled labor for the reconstruction.  Some have been authorized to open their open shops and services, provided their mandatory work shifts in service to Bastion are completed.  Any arrivals that wish to make a home in Bastion must swear fealty to General Mustang, but very few seek to challenge the new status quo of the community.  One set of laws is as good as another for most residents, and as long as they do their part, the Fallow Hope are content to let them be.

Food and clean water is strictly rationed in the city, as most of the farmland nearby is either irradiated, too small, or too distant to serve the needs of the growing community.  Mustang hopes that as enough of the glow shrooms mature, the impacted lands around the city can once more be made arable enough to support the city on its own.  It will likely be several months before the first farms can open, but the Wells Society seems confident enough in their timetables.  The Loyalists’ strict logistics has kept the citizenry functionally fed and alive, though many of the Elitariats that once enjoyed finer dining and cuisine while under Board rule still bemoan the spartan accomodations.  Rations and carefully portioned protein and bread allotments aren’t the best of fare, but it beats having to scavenge or hunt for a meal in the wasteland.

Every morning is met with a trumpet fanfare, the drills and preparation of the Loyalists never stopping.  After physical training in the morning, various work shifts begin around the city, hauling rubble, tearing down dangerous structures, and continuing the repairs to the city.  Spare rubble and scrap is hauled to the edges of the Magnolia District to reinforce the new walls that were erected by the Loyalists, or to serve as grapeshot for the scrap cannons.  Heavily armed patrols are ready to respond to zombie or raider incursion, though the Loyalists close and weld shut any new entrances into the hull of the city as soon as they are found.

Threats can bubble up from within the radioactive depths of the city, from raiders to zombies, and even dissidents and agitators of former residents that are unhappy with the occupation.  While the rule of law in Bastion is mostly fair, if a bit draconian, some of the unofficial residents of Bastion still lurk in the radioactive halls below the surface.  The Cult of Savannah’s Light has found new friends in the Temple of Evolution, arming their revolutionaries that are attempting to restore access to the massive steam reactor that once lurked at the heart of the vessel.  

Many of the labyrinthine tunnels that make up the hull of Bastion are collapsed and difficult to traverse, and few remaining residents truly know their way around the interior of the ship.  While the lower decks once housed the common workers and RRC employees that maintained the gilded state of life on the surface, most of those residents were evacuated before the city crashed.  New entrances into the lower hull are discovered every day, often by zed that crawl from a new crevice and emerge into the city.  Sealed bulkheads and submerged sections flooded from the nearby lake make opening random doors below a dangerous endeavor, and the Fallow Hope have bigger issues to deal with than trying to return function to the decks below.

The new Morgue of Bastion is functional, but Mustang hopes that some of the visitors for the upcoming Wells Society launch can be leveraged to find a permanent solution to the ailing Grave Mind.  Though the Grave Council successfully integrated the morgue of Bastion after the crash, lack of true maintenance during the following schism has only delayed the inevitable corruption that is spreading steadily from within the city.  Though many residents may not realize it yet, several of the emergency bunkers stationed in the various streets of the Magnolia District are actually part of General Mustang’s preparation for a morgue failure.  Mustang knows action must be taken soon to stabilize the morgue, before the threat grows critical.

Overall, the Loyalists are preparing and bracing themselves for the next catastrophe to face their new home.  Many of the Loyalists are wary about inviting former enemies into their city, but most of the residents believe more in Mustang’s planning and leadership.  If Mustang is convinced that the city can weather the influx of new arrivals, they will do their damndest to be on their best behavior and weather the incitement that is certainly to arrive with their “guests”.  The standing orders of the Fallow Hope are to keep the faith and avoid conflict, and no resident is interested in facing court martial by throwing the first punch.

The Laws of Bastion

While under Loyalist occupation, the city has established several rules and structures to help bring order to the settlement.  However, despite the reputation that some bands of Fallow Hope have earned, the Loyalists have established common-sense edicts for enforcement.  None of their laws are particularly draconian, but the residents in the town are generally willing to accept a bit of loss of freedoms in exchange for security.  The Mustang Loyalists have generally upheld their end of the bargain, and as long as major crises don’t strike the settlement few will see the need to be a dissident.

The Fallow Hope have adopted a chain of command that ensures the orderly rule of the city, and use a code of rules that have served Star City in the past.  While there are many addendums and additional texts on the administration and enforcement of the laws, the general rules of the settlement are as follows:

The Military Code of the Lord Commander’s Justice

  • Fealty to the Lord Commander and General Mustang are required for permanent residence in Bastion. All residents and visitors alike must abide by the laws of Bastion or face court martial.

  • Do not kill the living.  All in Bastion must work together for our common survival.  Save your blade for the undead.  Murder of a Lineage will be punished by court martial.

  • Do not disobey a lawful order of a superior officer.  Order is a balm against chaos, and dereliction of duty will be punished by court martial.  

  • Challenge of the Military Code or assault of any Fallow Hope officer is forbidden.  Respect the chain of command of Bastion, or face court martial. 

  • Do not steal or destroy the possessions of others.  If there is a need for additional rations or equipment, please inform the Quartermaster.  Theft will be punished by court martial.

  • All residents or visitors to Bastion will meet the Challenge of Arms, and will serve in the defense of the city.  Mandatory service in the defense of the city will be met during residence.  Report useful skills or equipment to your local Section Commander.  Desertion of duty will be punished by court martial.

  • Heresy against the Tenets of the Fallow Hope by the faithful is forbidden.  While all faiths are accorded appropriate respect inside Bastion, the faith of the Fallow Hope is held to a higher standard.  Deviation will be met with court martial.

  • Aiding and abetting the proliferation of hellfire and radiation is anathema.  Willfully risking the safety of Bastion by spreading the taint of radiation will result in court martial.

  • There are no third chances.  Survival of a Court Martial or Captain’s Mast will offer a second chance to a resident or visitor of Bastion, but further dereliction of duty will result in permanent expulsion from the Bastion of New Dawn or final death.

Most of the laws of Bastion are similar to other towns, but the primary means of enforcement of the Military Cody is known as the COURT MARTIAL. Given that the Fallow Hope pride themselves on readiness and combat worthiness in a fallen world, their law generally punishes violations with a unique trial-by-combat.

Court Martial, aka The Captain’s Mast

Mechanics: None, but Basic Faithful Patterns is frequently incorporated.

Details: The chain of command is not only a suggestion, but part of the very faith of the Cult of the Fallow Hope and the citizens of Bastion. Violations must be punished. All participants and targets must be Fallow Hope or reside in the settlement of Bastion.

Basic Instructions: The performer of this benediction must give a speech or sermon for the first five minutes of the duration about the crimes of the soldier and the lessons that should be learned for the community to survive.  The accused is tied to a ceremonial structure by at least one hand in the Exclusion Zone and a prayer issued for their souls, and an entrance to Bation’s lower hull is opened nearby.  The accused is traditionally given a small knife or one-handed weapon to defend themselves, or hasten their own demise.  If the accused survives alone the wave of Zombies that likely emerges before the radiation overwhelms them, the Lord Commander has seen fit to absolve them of their sins by their service to Bastion.  

Wrap Up

That’s it for this week Vados!

The DR:TX team has a lot of cool things planned for Downfall, and we can’t wait to meet our friends from around the wasteland. As we get closer to the first ever DR Live event and the eventual rollout of the new system next year, we have plenty to talk about to get ready for the event. Will you help the Wells Society with their strange mushroom experiment? Will you dive into the Grave Mind to help Bastion with a growing corruption? Will you brave the radioactive Exclusion Zone in search of useful items and treasures? Will you survive the DOWNFALL?

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR DOWNFALL! REMEMBER YOU CAN BUY A NON-ATTENDING TICKET AND STILL GET YOUR EXTRA XP LOCKED IN BEFORE THE NEW EDITION LAUNCHES.

Next week, we will cover a bit of the Zone of Mechanics you might encounter in game as you explore the radioactive wasteland around Bastion in search of the marvelous GLOW SHROOMS.

See you soon Vados!

Downfall

Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our October live event DOWNFALL! This will be the first full game run under the new DR Live system and our first DR Live NATIONAL EVENT, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. It’s been a bit since we launched ticket sales for this event, so I want to make sure we are covering the basics as we hit the last few weeks before the game. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering the premise of our event, some content warnings, and some themes of our upcoming event!

I’ve already made quite a few blog posts on the topic of Downfall, so let’s compile some handy links all in one place:

  • DR Live: Where to Start - This is a handy guide on how to tackle reading the rules for the new system. TL;DR, there’s a LOT of books already for this edition, but the best place to begin is the Player’s Guide.

  • The Story of Downfall - This is a detailed look at the STORY of the event, including an introduction to the various factions and personalities you’ll meet while in Bastion.

  • Frequently Asked Questions - We’ve made a few updates over the past few weeks and we’ve tried to anticipate most of your questions.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR DOWNFALL! GET YOUR FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW DR LIVE SYSTEM IN PERSON!

Our images for this post were developed by our talented Marketing Director, Kiara Everlen.

Event Announcement: DR Live Transition

Last week, the Network Advisory Board met to discuss and vote on the upcoming transition to Dystopia Rising: Live. After thorough discussions and collaboration across all branches, a unanimous decision was made regarding the following key dates:

  • January 15, 2025: All branches will sign new contracts.

  • February 1, 2025: Branches can begin transitioning from DR 3.0 to DR Live.

  • April 30, 2025: DR 3.0 will officially end for all branches.

This timeline accommodates seasonal calendars and allows sufficient time for teams to be trained on the new focus and mechanics of DR Live. We believe this phased approach will ensure a smooth transition for everyone involved.

Mark your calendars for February 7-9, 2025, as "Cradle's Lullaby" will officially kick off Dystopia Rising: Live for the Texas chapter!

I’ve included this on our Downfall page and in my story blog, but here it is once more for posterity:

THE PREMISE

“Every settlement in the wastes has a similar story – a spark of hope amidst the irradiated wasteland, trying to survive in a hostile environment that is the product of too many nukes, too many raiders and undead, and too much conflict.  Now, a new hope for survival has arrived – a way to cure the threat of radiation.

The Wells Society, a group of Sainthood that survived the fall of the Trade Union, have emerged with a solution — a breed of mushroom that feeds on radiation itself.  With the help of the Grave Mind scholars known as the Servants of the Undying, they have developed the “Liberum Radicalis”, or Glow Shroom, and promise that they can “cure” irradiated areas across the wastes.  In a few short months, the Society claims they can return an area back to a state where crops can grow and new settlements can form, free from the plague of the green glow.

Their first test of the strange blue mushrooms on a large scale has happened at a Fallow Hope fortress called the Bastion of New Dawn.  Built atop the wreck of a massive crashed airship, Bastion has been surrounded by lethal radiation and massive ZOMBIE HORDES that continue to emerge from the destroyed generator at its core and has served as an impenetrable fortress during the recent wars in the area.  The soldiers of the Mustang Loyalists, loyal to the one and only GENERAL MUSTANG, have opened the fortress to new settlers and travelers, with a promise that the radioactive threat is no more.  

With the help of the Wells Society, the first proof of concept for their new mushroom is ready for others to visit, collect spores to take home with them, and see for themselves what the Sainthood have brought forward for the greater good.  Invitations have gone out to every major settlement across the wastes, to visit Bastion and see the revelations of the great work that has been completed, and how it can benefit their own communities.

But their opponents with the Temple of Evolution suggest that the radiation is itself a reason for the survival of so many settlements.  Without the mutation of the Infection, none of the Strains would exist.  What will happen to the Infection that runs in your veins when not constantly bombarded with radiation from the wastelands?  What will happen to the Mortis Amaranthine when the source of its creation is gone and it is allowed to expand unchecked?  Even if the Glow Shrooms are safe, who will control these new fertile lands and decide who will benefit from the homes that are created in the absence of radiation? 

Come and witness the birth of a new era of the wasteland, survive the zombie hordes, and gather the promise of salvation to bring home to your settlements, courtesy of the Wells Society and the Bastion of New Dawn.”

Radiation, Mushrooms, and Zombies? Sounds like a great Dystopia Rising event!

The Themes of Downfall

Every game in DR:TX has a few themes we want to reinforce in the story. Here’s a few to watch out for during the National Event.

Greater Good vs Individuality

  • While solving a problem of radiation can present a benefit for the greater good across the wastes, as the Mortis is strengthened so does the sense of self fade into nothingness.  The Wasteland is a balance of radiation and death, and picking one or the other could be catastrophic.

Radiation vs the Grave Mind

  • Radiation is a useful tool against raiders and zed alike, offering powerful weapons and a natural enemy to the Grave Mind.  As radiation wanes in danger and the Grave Mind gets stronger, so too does the threat of undead.  If the glow shrooms are truly an answer to radiation, could this even remove the protective elements of the Infection such as quick healing and beneficial mutations?

Faith vs Order

  • The opposing faiths of the Darwin and Fallow Hope are placed in conflict during this story.  Mustang has a solution to help their people with new farmland, new safety, and the ability to help their faction grow.  The radiation leaks from Bastion have been a bane on the nearby settlements, and even the Darwins have precepts against unchecked evolution.  But, the glow shrooms represent the anathema of the Darwin faith, and a way to remove their faith’s holy focus from being a force of survival.

CONTENT WARNINGS - DOWNFALL

The themes of Dystopia Rising often touch close to our real world in ways we cannot always avoid. The DR:TX team believes that we can still tell these stories about challenging topics, but we also believe we need to be transparent about our intentions and set proper expectations for our content. 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.

It’s important to watch for descriptions, situations, or events that you might want to avoid. You may find new limits that are unknown to you because the matter never came up. We encourage you to take the necessary steps for your own emotional safety. We want you to be comfortable with the types of horror in our events so you can enjoy the thrill of the zombie apocalypse and the nightmare creatures we introduce into the game space.

It’s one reason we take our OK Check-In system so seriously! We understand that these may not be stories you want to participate in, and that’s okay! Remember, you can always use the OK Check-In System to choose to leave a scene, even CVC!

Overall, this next event focuses heavily on the themes of DR Live, particularly with the setting of the updated system. Our story for the weekend is heavily based off of the National Plotkit, “Illusions of Civility”, but it still has it’s own unique Texas flavor.

You can always find a list of our Content Warnings on our website, but let’s talk about some of the specific things you might want to be prepared for during this October event.

MISTAKES, RULES ERRORS, and CORRECTIONS IN FIELD

  • This is literally everyone’s first game. We will all be learning a new system at the same time. We will make mistakes, we will get the rules wrong, and so will you. While many of the new systems are intuitive and we’ve planned a number of workshops for Thursday, it’s still a lot of information to absorb at once. We must treat every moment of this event as everyone’s first game ever, and treat our fellow players as if they were tender-horns experiencing the world for the first time. For some of our players, it literally will be!

  • Please show your fellow players and our staff grace and forgiveness. For this event, we will especially ask for your grace, patience, and forgiveness as we experience the ups and downs of our first event ever under DR Live rules. Please be kind to your fellow players and especially our volunteer staff, as we all have the same goal — telling an amazing story in the zombie apocalypse. We will learn and explore this new system together.

  • Correct and Move On. If we make a mistake in the field, as either a guide or player, we will practice a strategy of fixing it for future encounters. We won’t try to reset or roll back any major rules calls, but trust our Guides to make the call in the moment. If we find an error later, we will correct and move on with the right ruling for any future instances. We might have to calibrate a combat encounter on the fly, so be prepared for sudden ends to fights, and generally expect us to continue to improve as the weekend goes on. We will try to avoid any major scene or continuity breaks, and try to keep everything in game as much as possible.

Resource scarcity, and the struggle to provide for yourself in the apocalypse

  • The DR Live economy is brand new. With the major change of Impact Skills, the Mind economy you are used to in the 3.0 system doesn’t really exist in this brave new world. It’s one thing to look at a proposed break down of blueprints and mind points and try to anticipate how it will function in a live space, and it’s an entirely different thing to actually do it live. Part of this event will include learning a new cadence to the flow of economy and crafting, and it WILL be different than the previous edition.

  • Items are less necessary in DR Live, and you may have less gear than you are used to in 3.0. Many of the tricks you needed items for in 3.0 are now included into the various Impact and Development skills. Other items only really function for Professions. Healing is significantly improved, and your combat skills don’t need a steady supply of Mind brews to stay ready. While cool items can be nice, they certainly aren’t a requirement for surviving in this new apocalypse. Many of the blueprints have very niche applications that won’t necessarily come up during this event, and you don’t have to worry about trying to build out a perfect set of gear — there’s still plenty of time until the DR Live transition.

  • Everyone will be on mostly the same footing. Your 3.0 items won’t function for this event, so we will give you a head start with some FREE items! One of your characters will receive a load out of useful items and brews, and our goal is to give everyone a fairly even start. There will be several ways to access new blueprints in game if you choose to pursue crafting. While we can’t account entirely for folks bringing in outside scrap, herb, and currency to the game, there will be plenty of opportunities to salvage, forage, and loot items during the event.

  • Item transfers won’t happen during this event. You won’t be able to transfer your existing 3.0 items, so you can leave these item cards at home. You’ll be able to do that soon enough when we transition to DR Live in 2025. Starter weapons are still a thing in DR Live, and you’ll still be able to use your props and craft new items during the game. But, any items you make, loot, or steal will be yours to keep for the new edition after you leave.

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

  • The city of Bastion is a Fallow Hope stronghold. The Fallow Hope have graciously invited visitors into their home as part of the Wells Society Experiment, but it’s still a town led by the faithful. You might find yourself in opposition to some of their policies and rules, and that’s fine. The overall goal of this event is to create great opportunities for religious conflict with the authorities and residents of the town, but our primary focus is on role play and drama, not outright war games. The Fallow Hope will leave you be if you follow the rules and play nice. Despite these rules, many of the citizens of the town have purposefully chosen to stay here because of the security the Fallow Hope provide.

  • The leadership of Bastion is overtly a religious theocracy, but all are welcome. The Fallow Hope will be on their best behavior with visitors in their home, but they aren’t interested in forcing their agenda on visitors as long as they also behave. While the Fallow Hope religion is the primary faith of the town and granted certain lenience not extended to others, there are many residents in the town that practice other competing faiths. While they frown on open terrorism or attacks on their residents, there’s no specific rules against preaching your faith in town — you just might not find that many interested converts.

  • The Fallow Hope of the Lone Star have a storied past. The former General Mustang and the Mustang Loyalists have not always been allies of nearby towns like Bravado, and they have a long and dark history in the region. Corruption has long been a nuisance for the Loyalists, and they are hard at work trying to clean up their ranks. Not every Fallow Hope in town believes with the same fervor in the Wells Society Experiment, and there is potential for conflict and strife in their ranks.

Wrap Up

The DR:TX team has a lot of cool things planned for Downfall, and we can’t wait to meet our friends from around the wasteland. As we get closer to the first ever DR Live event and the eventual rollout of the new system next year, we have plenty to talk about to get ready for the event. Will you help the Wells Society with their strange mushroom experiment? Will you dive into the Grave Mind to help Bastion with a growing corruption? Will you brave the radioactive Exclusion Zone in search of useful items and treasures? Will you survive the DOWNFALL?

Over the next few weeks, we will cover a bit of the lore of the event, including the rules of Bastion, some of the major faces to meet, and some of the in-game events you can complete during the game.

See you soon Vados!

Rules You Should Know - September

Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our September live event THE FALL OF THE SAN SABA BOARD! This is our second part of our Season 5 finale, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering some last minute Rules You Should Know, including how our Last Hurrah will work.

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Max Pohlmeier, Lauren Guzaldo, Sidney Betzina, Maddeax Cole, and Jason Dumas.

FIrst GAme of the season!

This weekend we get to return once more to our hometown of Bravado. I’m so excited to see your smiling happy faces and survive the wasteland once more, and I’m so ready to let you survive the rage of the Chairman and end the San Saba Board once and for all. This will be your chance to take part in the final story of Arthur Lovelace, and we want to give you an opportunity to deal with this villain in person.

This is going to be a combat-heavy game, and so far we’ve covered a bit about the Chairman and the history of his conspiracy to rule the San Saba, and how the Capture the Flag events will happen during the weekend. Today, we are going to cover a bit of our customary Rules You Should Know, including:

  • The Ongoing Assault - The Mechanics of the Board attack on Bravado

  • The War at Home - How to Use War Supplies and Combat Units in the Fight

  • The San Saba Board Forces - Threat Skills to Watch Out For!

Let’s get started!

The Ongoing Assault

During the September event, you’ll face all sorts of Lineage enemies that make up the forces of the San Saba Board in their all-out assault on Bravado. Throughout the event, you’ll see a few recurring attacks that I’d like to telegraph in advance.

Sniper Fire

The NPC may call “Line of Sight, 10 Damage!” or a Guide may call “Sniper Fire! 10 Damage!”. The NPC will use a green laser point to identify the targets, or have a Guide point at the victim.    Use a green laser pointer to ID targets.  NPCs will use this no more than once every 30 seconds.

The Chairman has brought aimed all the guns at Bravado, literally. In many of the fights, you’ll have to deal with the snipers and gunmen aiming from a distance, and you’ll need to take cover and break line of sight to evade their attacks. These will be LINE OF SIGHT attacks, which means they don’t need to hit with a packet or dart to count as a hit. However, Avoid still works on Sniper Fire, and can prevent the entire shot. However, the best defense is just getting out of the line of sight of the laser pointer. If the Guide can’t see you, you can’t be shot!

Air Raid Siren 

The NPC will hold a fist in the area marking the point of impact and play an air raid sound.  If you do not move away from the point, the NPC will call “Area of Effect, 20 Damage!”.  If you take obvious means to dive for cover or hide behind an obstruction, this attack will not affect you.

During the assault on Bravado, Mr. Lovelace will deploy a number of cannons and mortars to shell the town throughout the attack. These bombardments will be represented by a Guide or NPC calling an air raid, and inflicting an AOE attack in an area. The only way to avoid this attack is to HIT THE DECK, and dive for cover or hide behind an obstruction. If you properly respond to the attack, you won’t take damage, but remember this is a GUIDE CALL for an attack so even PFA abilities like Call the Phalanx won’t prevent this damage otherwise. So remember when you hear the air raid sound, take cover!

Sapper Tunnels

The San Saba forces have infiltrated the tunnels below Bravado.  They may appear and spawn inside buildings from Sapper Tunnels to overwhelm from the inside.  These tunnels can be closed with 10 Basic Scrap and time spent sealing the entrance, but characters with Artisan can complete the repair faster.

Throughout the weekend Red Ledger Sappers will join in the attack, “undermining” (get it?) the town from below. When these attacks occur, a large physical prop to represent the hole created by the infiltration will be set up in the area. These Sapper Tunnels will offer a new place for the enemy to respawn, even INSIDE a building behind the shield wall. While these tunnels can be closed, it’ll take a skilled Artisan and some Basic Scrap to do it quickly.

Sapper Bombs

Represented by a bomb prop carried by an NPC.  Counts as a timed trap, and takes 10 seconds to set.  After the timer expires, the NPC will call “By My Voice, 50 Body!”.  This trap can be disarmed if the timer has not expired.  This bomb can damage crafting zones and room augments and will lead to expensive repairs if successfully detonated.

Some conflicts over the weekend will involve large explosives deployed by the San Saba Board forces. These powerful shrapnel bombs will obliterate anyone nearby, but can also damage crafting zones and room augments nearby. When these bombs are deployed, you’ll only have a few minutes to disarm the trap before they detonate. If you fail to stop a bomb, you can expect a costly repair to lock down that crafting station or augment until it’s repaired.

Line of Battle - Lake Path

The line of battle has been marked on the Lake Road.  If you pass this point without a Guide, your character is dead from sniper fire and indiscriminate bombardment.

In the initial attack on Bravado, the Chairman will land his invasion force at Punkerport, near Lake Bravo. With the bulk of the Bravado Militia engaged in the fight, you’ll need to help them defend against the assault until reinforcements arrive. Until you’ve successfully fought back and held ground in the attack over the weekend, this area will be the heart of the fighting in town. While most of this fight will happen “off screen”, we will have several barricades erected on the Lake Road, and there will be a clear sign that marks the LINE OF BATTLE. If you cross this line willingly, it will be assumed that your character was slain by the chaotic fighting between the Bravado Militia and the San Saba Board. Only when the final assault on Punkerport commences will you be able to advance the line to the Lake for a final confrontation with the Chairman. Be prepared!

The War at Home

Last season, the War of Antlers gave our players a lot of ways to support the fighting across the San Saba by investing in War Supplies and Combat Units. Our player spent a LOT of time and resources investing in the Militia and we want that investment to still be useful for the final fight of the rebellion. For that reason, there will still be some ways to use any War Supplies and Combat Units you made last season.

Note: There won’t be new ways to generate War Supplies during this event, nor will there be any dice rolling mechanics like there were last season. everything will be focused on in-game conflicts instead!

Let’s talk about the final ways you’ll be able to use items you built last season during the FALL OF THE SAN SABA BOARD.

While there will be some other ways to spend your remaining War Supplies, that’s not necessarily something everyone is interested in. Some of those that built War Supplies last season may not care much about helping out the war effort, so we’ve provided a way to recoup some of your investment. This won’t refund all of the resources you might have spent, but it will provide some additional ways to generate Scrap and other items that could be useful in the future.

War Profiteering:

You can recoup some of your investment by divesting your War Supplies at the Post Office instead of aiding the war effort.  You may exchange one (1) War Supplies for one choice from the following resources:

5 Basic Scrap, 2 Uncommon Scrap, or 1 Rare Scrap

3 Basic, Uncommon, or Rare Herb

1 Named Herb or Produce

For those that want a way to ride off in the sunset with their favorite Combat Unit, some of the brave soldiers of the Bravado Militia will have the opportunity to go down fighting against the San Saba Board. There will be an opportunity to send your soldiers to obtain crucial intelligence about Arthur Lovelace’s plans for the attack. When these soldiers are sent into the fray, they will have a chance to acquire a SCOUTING REPORT, and earn you an advanced look at one of the conflicts of the weekend.

Heroic Sacrifice:

You may permanently expend one (1) Combat Unit in a risky maneuver to delay the Board Forces from advancing on Bravado and obtain a Scouting Report for an upcoming attack by the San Saba Board.  Record the name of the sacrificed unit on the back of this sheet, but each location can only be scouted once.  This is the ONLY way to obtain a Scouting Report.

A Scouting Report will provide an advantage during the next attack by the Chairman’s forces, and make the victory conditions easier.

There will be six opportunities to earn Scouting Reports with this mechanic:

  • Protect the Solar Panels

  • Defending The Devil’s Gorge Bridge

  • Defending the Morgue

  • Turning the Red Ledger

  • Defend the Water Supply

  • The Final Stand

These soldiers will need to give their all, but it’ll be up to you to decide which Combat Units (if any) are willing to make a name for themselves in the final battle. Completing this mission will reduce the difficulty of the upcoming fight, make the victory conditions a bit more manageable, or even reduce certain threat skills or enemies from being used in the fight.

For those that are a bit more attached to the Combat Unit they mustered during the War of Antlers, there will still be a way for them to offer concrete assistance without needing to make a last stand:

The Battle of Bravado:

Spend ten (10) War Supplies or send one (1) Combat Unit to defend Bravado from the Chairman’s assault at the lake. This Unit cannot be used for other actions, but will survive the Fall of the San Saba Board. You can call “Sound of my Voice!” and grant the following buff once during the next 12s:

You’ll be able to choose one of the following buffs you can gain during the event:

  • Upsurge, Allies gain 20 Armor 

  • Upsurge, Allies can Avoid or Balance for -1 Mind

  • Upsurge, all Allies gain Ranged Reduction (Minor)

  • Upsurge, Allies gain 10 Body and 10 Mind

  • Upsurge, Next 4 melee strikes deal 10 damage

  • Upsurge, Next Bleed Out, Heal 10 Body

Each of these abilities is an UPSURGE effect. You can find the full rules for Upsurges in the DR Corebook, on page 109. Some enemies may even apply a DOWNSURGE effect, which is just a negative buff instead of one that grants an advantage.

  • Remember, Upsurges last for a maximum of one hour once called, and you can only have one Upsurge and one Downsurge at a time.

  • Several skills, items, benedictions, and PFAs can apply Upsurges to other characters.

  • An Upsurge can take you ABOVE your normal stats for Mind, Body, Infection, Armor or Resolve. If you would use these stats, you instead use the ones granted by the Upsurge first. However, if you haven’t used those resources by the end of the effect, you don’t get to keep the bonus.

  • If you would be affected by a new Upsurge, you’ll can use the skill Basic Mental Endurance to resist the new call and keep your existing Upsurge. Otherwise, the new Upsurge ability “overwrites” the previous one.

  • Upsurge effects are tied to the character, and can’t be shared to someone else. If you have a buff to do additional damage on a melee swing, you can’t just hand off your boffer to someone else to let them use your remaining swings. It only applies to you!

  • There are a few rare items that can steal an Upsurge effect, but it’s only something an Overlord can perform.

The San Saba Board Forces

The Chairman of the Board, Arthur Lovelace, has poured his last resources (and some stolen from the RRC) into funding his war against Bravado. After his loss at the Battle of Essex, the Chairman retreated with his remaining forces and bided his time until after Burning Season to enact his revenge. During the September event, you’ll face a number of dangerous Lineage threats along with the normal dangers like zombies and raiders.

The two main parts of the Chairman’s forces consist of the mercenary legions of the Red Ledger, led by the new boss, Simon Blackheart, and the Chair’s personal elite army called The Praetorian Guard, led by Lawrence Graves. These forces will be intelligent enemies, capable of tactics, conversation, opening doors, and laying traps. They will be capable of basically anything you could do as a player and will use powerful crafted equipment against you in battle.

There’s a few threats to be aware of:

  • Red Ledger Strikers - The main force of Arthur’s attack are the thugs and strikers of the Red Ledger. Trained killers and soldiers for hire, they’ve taken a contract with the Chairman during the war and were once staunch allies of the Militia until the rebellion began. These horde threats will be the bread and butter you’ll face over the weekend and each is a dangerous combatant capable of using most weapons and combat skills in equal measure.

  • Red Ledger Sappers - The siege specialists of the Red Ledger have infiltrated the Facility below Bravado and have dug a number of tunnels into the town. Once used to siege Oxkiller fortifications, they’ve now turned their destructive tendencies towards our town. Capable of forward deployment with Sapper Tunnels and armed with powerful explosive devices, the Sappers will strike behind enemy lines to disrupt the town as much as they can.

  • Waking Intelligence Assassins - Lawrence Grave’s elite spooks will be present for the fight in Bravado, bringing their murderous skills to bear against our town. Stealthy and sneaky, the WIS Assassins will be responsible for sabotage, infiltration, and other more subtle strikes on the town. You can expect them to have powerful abilities in combat and the ability to fade into shadows or quickly get out of an ambush.

  • Praetorian Zealots - The Chairman’s personal guard are made up of some of the most talented killers and soldiers recruited from his years during the Hiway War. The Zealots are the healers and force multipliers of the attack on Bravado, capable of protecting their allies and returning dangerous threats back into the fray. You’ll need to quickly deal with them before they undo all the damage you’ve inflicted on the other Board forces.

  • Praetorian Commanders - The leaders of the Praetorian Guard are powerful generals, buffing their fellow soldiers in a fight and providing powerful Upsurge effects to their troops. They are also practiced killers, capable of breaking a line or holding their own in a fight. The Commanders will be some of the most deadly enemies of the weekend, outside of Lawrence and the other face NPCs, and will be a dangerous foe on the battlefield.

wrap up

That’s it for today Vados! We have a lot of cool fights planned for the weekend, and I can’t wait to challenge you on the battlefield as we bring the war home to Bravado. You’ll have a chance to deal with the Chairman and his allies, and change the future of the San Saba with one last stand. Will you carry the banner of Bravado into the fray? Will you survive the rage of the Chairman? Will you find a way to stop a wily foe with resources and back up plans to spare?

Remember, you can still get tickets at the door, so don’t miss your chance to take part in the final battles of the War of Antlers!

See you this weekend Vados!

The War for Bravado

Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our September live event THE FALL OF THE SAN SABA BOARD! This is our second part of our Season 5 finale, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering one of the key mechanics for representing the War for Bravado, our Capture the Flag events.

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Max Pohlmeier, Lauren Guzaldo, Sidney Betzina, Maddeax Cole, and Jason Dumas.

The war comes home

During the September event, the remaining Board forces will be launching an all-out assault on the town of Bravado. This will be a combat-focused event overall, but we want to have some fun, epic fights that involve a bit more than just swinging a boffer. During the event, there will be several set-piece CONFLICTS, where you will engage with the San Saba Board forces in town. During these attacks, the enemy will be attempting to damage key infrastructure in the town, and it will be up to your characters to stop them and protect your home.

During each fight, there will be several VICTORY CONDITIONS. In addition to weathering the assault by the Red Ledger Mercenaries and members of the elite Praetorian Guard, you’ll also have to achieve several objectives during the battle to claim victory from the Chairman. You’ll have a chance to learn about these victory conditions in advance provided you invest your Combat Units wisely, but each will be clearly communicated on a Zone of Mechanics at the battle site.

For some fights, you’ll have COMPLICATIONS, which will challenge you in new ways like adding a timer to the fight, an additional task that must be completed, or a unique mechanic for the fight. These will generally be something that must be overcome during the fight, but there will be some ways to mitigate these challenges through a “scouting report”, but we’ll cover that next week.

You’ll need to defend several key locations around the town over the weekend:

  • The Post Office

  • The Depot

  • The Meadows

  • The Morgue

  • Devil’s Gorge Bridge

  • Helios Solar Panels

  • Punkerport

While each fight will have some kinetic elements you’ll face like disarming a bomb, sealing a tunnel, or solving a puzzle, the primary Victory Condition feature of the weekend will be our CAPTURE THE FLAG events. Many of the major conflicts will include this feature, and it’ll happen in one of two ways. Let’s cover the first Capture the Flag event mechanics.

Capture the Flag

During the weekend, you’ll have to represent the Bravado forces in battle in the best way possible — by carrying the Bravado Flag into the fray and flying it over the battlefield. As both an example of the Bravado spirit, and a tangible and visible beacon of the town, a flag will help us represent the larger conflict for the town during our war games. As long as the flag is still flying, you’ll know Bravado stands strong.

During a Capture the Flag event, you’ll have to protect the Bravado Flag and make sure the flag doesn’t fall into the hands of the enemy San Saba forces. You’ll need to protect the character carrying the flag and defend the area while the Board forces attack while achieving any other objectives within the conflict. Here’s the specific details:

Victory Condition:

The Bravado Flag must remain in the same player’s hands in the contested area for a period of FIVE (5) uninterrupted minutes.  If the flag bearer leaves the area, the flag changes hands, or the flag bearer is knocked into Bleed Out, the timer is reset.  A Guide or NPC will generally keep track of the flag timer, and call out loudly the minutes as the timer is completed.

Once this timer is completed, you may loudly call “San Saba Board, GET WRECKED!” and claim victory at the battle, or cast down an enemy flag.  

The Bravado Flag (Unique Local Plot Item)

A Shining Beacon of Freedom - The Bravado Flag cannot be hidden and must remain visible at all times as a symbol to keep fighting.  If it is obscured or hidden, the timer is reset.

Carrying the Flag - The Flag is a one-handed item and is not a weapon. You cannot carry other items in that same hand or use a two-handed item.  It can be targeted with effects like Telekinesis but cannot be Broken with the Break skill.

The Burden of Duty - The bearer of the flag cannot run or move faster than walking while carrying the flag.

Till Your Dying Breath - If the Flag Bearer enters Bleed Out or is otherwise Stunned or Incapacitated, they drop the flag and the capture timer is reset. 

These Colors Don’t Run - The Flag cannot leave the area of engagement during the conflict.  If the flag leaves the area, the timer is reset and the battle can be considered forfeit.

So let’s break this down:

You can’t hide the flag or just try to outrun the enemies. Carrying the flag will slow you down and take up one of your hands so you can’t use certain items. The flag also needs to stay in the area and be visible, so the San Saba Board knows you are fighting back. If you flee the area with the flag, you’ll generally lose that battle and that might have some other consequences for the game. For instance, if the Chairman’s forces damage the Solar Panels, you won’t be able to rely on lights in the buildings at night, and we will only have the red safety lights up during nighttime hours.

The main way to lose the flag is if the flag bearer gets attacked. If the character holding the flag takes a Stun effect from a skill like Takedown, gets Knocked Out by something like Proficient Biokinetics, or gets knocked into the Bleed Out, they will have to drop the flag. This means the flag bearer should probably save some Avoids for defense, and make sure they have medics or psions close by to keep them from falling in combat.

Keep in mind, the flag bearer will probably be the number one target on the field, so carrying the Bravado Flag isn’t for the faint of heart and it’s definitely not a role for a non-combatant. You will likely get attacked and hit by a boffer if you carry the flag!

COmplications

The Capture the Flag mechanics adds a bit of a challenge to a fight, but that won’t be the only challenge that Arthur Lovelace has in store for the town of Bravado. At some of the conflicts of the weekend, there will be additional complications that will provide a new challenge during the fight. You’ll have to overcome these challenges in addition to securing the flag or defeating the Board forces.

Let’s talk about one of my favorite Complications for the weekend:

The Devil’s Gorge Bridge

A large chasm separates the battlefield and CANNOT be crossed by any means. You may not cross the marked area and close to melee range for any reason, even with Enhanced Movement, Never Here, or other similar movement effects.

If you enter into the marked chasm area for any reason, your character is immediately knocked into Bleed Out and is removed from the battle, likely to die far outside of the reach of your allies.

You will need to use RANGED attacks to deal with the enemy forces on the other sides, such as firearms, bows, exotic weapons, or psionic attacks. Until all of the enemy forces are defeated at range, you cannot claim victory during the conflict.

That’s right. It’s time for those NERF guns, baby!

I’ll be bringing a few extras to share with our NPCs, but this combat event is the perfect time to break out your favorite blaster for a shootout at the Devil’s Gorge Bridge! Time to take aim and prove that shield bros aren’t the only folks that can win a fight!

This is just one example of the Complications you’ll face during these big battles, but you can expect each to require some different tactics, kinetic events, or other means of interacting with the environment during the fight. You’ll have to adapt quickly, and plan your defense at the Chairman’s troops if you want to win the day.

advance the line

The final type of Capture the Flag event will take place at the start and the end of the weekend event. As the town enters the battle on Friday night and as they push towards the final conflict with Arthur Lovelace on Saturday night, you’ll need to advance the line of battle by completing a special type of Capture the Flag mechanic.

Advance the Line

This fight is a series of linked Capture the Flag events.  There are three different San Saba Board Flags that represent an advance into the enemy line.  At each point, the players must hold the line with The Bravado Flag for FIVE (5) uninterrupted minutes to capture the territory.  

The Bravado Flag must remain within AOE range of the posted San Saba Board flag to start the timer and cannot proceed further.  If the Flag or any Bravado forces advance past this line of battle, the Guides in the area will begin to call MORTAR and SNIPER attacks on the players until the flag is fallen or falls back behind the line of battle.

The Bravado Flag must remain in the same player’s hands in the contested area for a period of FIVE (5) uninterrupted minutes.  If the flag bearer leaves the area, the flag changes hands, or the flag bearer is knocked into Bleed Out, the timer is reset.  A Guide or NPC will keep track of the flag timer.

Once this timer is completed, you may loudly call “San Saba Board, GET WRECKED!” and prominently throw down the San Saba Board flag posted at the line of battle.

VICTORY CONDITION:

Once three (3) San Saba Board Flags have been cast down, you can claim final victory and rout the enemy forces or advance to the next stage of battle.

Advancing the Line is similar to the other Capture the Flag events, but this time we will have three flag markers for the San Saba Board Flag. In each part of the fight, you’ll need to advance with your allies up the field claiming territory, holding ground at the line of battle, and then casting down the enemy flag once you’ve asserted your tactical dominance in the area. Once three flags have been taken down in your advance, you’ll have won the day!

If you get too greedy and try to advance too fast, the cannons and mortars of the San Saba Board forces will punish your advance. You’ll need to be organized and advance the line across the field of battle as you hold your own flag. The same rules apply here, and if your flag bearer is taken out or stunned, you’ll have to restart the timer, so protect them at all costs!

These will be BIG, epic battles, and you can expect some of the major generals and leaders of the San Saba Board to be present for the fight. We hope you are ready at survive the war at home, and take the fight directly to Arthur Lovelace!

Wrap Up

That’s it for today Vados!

We have only a week or so until the first event of the season and we are so excited to see your shining happy faces again in our neck of the wastelands! Will you be about to weather the fury of the Chairman? Will you get your final revenge on Arthur Lovelace and truly break the organization known as the San Saba Board? Will you prove on the battlefield that Bravado will be the architect of its own future? Let’s find out together in THE FALL OF THE SAN SABA BOARD!

Get your tickets now for THE FALL OF THE SAN SABA BOARD!

Next week, I’ll cover a few of the Threat Skills you can expect to see, some of the mechanics to use War Supplies and Combat Units, and other Rules You Should Know the week of the event! See you soon Vados!