Collection Day

We have two weeks left of advanced Ticket Sales for Pre-Registration for our April event, COLLECTION DAY! Today, I have a sneak peek of some of the story you can expect to see during this event. We will also discuss a BIG portion of the event’s premise - THE GRAVE TAX. Remember, there’s nothing certain in life but death and taxes!

Let’s first discuss the PREMISE of the April event, talk about some of the THEMES we will be exploring, and finally talk a little about the GRAVE TAX.

I also wrote a cool short story that I’m pretty proud of back in July of 2019 when we were first releasing hype about our factions in DR:TX. You read it on our FICTION tab, here:

Death and Taxes — Dystopia Rising: Texas (idratherbeinbravo.com)

Premise of the Game:

In the bloody wake of Holy Mother Queen Jasper’s final walk; Bravado’s Morgue is damaged beyond normal repair. Its delicate state, even prior to the extended use of the terrible ritual that interrupted Jasper’s connection with The Cycle, is indicative of a greater problem in the San Saba Territories, and that is the infrastructural deterioration of the morgue system; which has been ongoing since the cataclysmic damage it sustained during the final days of the Hiway War. 

The Grave Council, ostensibly responsible for the morgue system’s upkeep in the Greater Lonestar, is headed by the enigmatic spiritual leader and Mystagogue Takheeta Firstborn of the Imix Tribe and Commander Rampart of the Reckoners; the Grave Council’s military arm.  The Grave Council’s stated purpose, since its infancy in the wake of the Psionic Bomb, is to steward and to repair the deep structures of the morgue system; and to deliver to the San Saba people an uninterrupted and natural Infectious Cycle. 

To that end, Takeeta Firstborn has realigned the purpose of Collection Day; the historical holiday upon which the Grave Council collects its Death Tax with her greater ideal, and of stabilizing the morgue infrastructure the entire San Saba over. She, on behalf of the Grave Council, has agreed to accept not only Brass as the blood currency for her Tax, but Infection as well. In return for the lives of common farmers and delvers, she will pay their petty debts in full. Their biomass to her purpose, and their lives to her infernal engine of change.

Themes of Collection Day

Each game, when we start out writing content for the game we start by considering the major themes we want to explore. We generally couch these in some of the language of the 6 types of literary conflict, but we go a bit more specific than that for our starting design so some of these conflicts will deviate from the classics.

• Healing Wounds Older Than You (Man vs God) The Psionic Bomb was a sin committed by desperate people in desperate times, and many of them are dead now; or drifters who left the place they saved when it was rendered a hotbed of radioactivity and death. But still, the repercussions of those old sins fall at the feet of those who followed after, who live in the world that those old sinner’s birthed in fire and blood. It is not the Vado’s old grievances that keep the morgue system from bridging the rifts within itself to heal, but it is their responsibility. 

• The Grave Tax Does Come Due (Man vs Fate) In life there are only two things assured to us, Death - and Taxes. The Grave Tax is inevitable, it is necessary, and paying it yearly is as regular as a bowel movement. There is nothing glamorous or terrifying about the Grave Tax, so long as yours is paid on time and in full. Otherwise, the Reckoners; black-clad taxmen who specialize in wet work, will provide the only alternative known to Taxes; that being Death. 

• The Infectious Cycle Goes On (Man vs Time) The ecosystem in the Greater San Saba is a complex series of biomes that range from the ivory blast land of the Dune Sea, to the megaflora forests of Essex, and to the murky and miraculous sea life that thrives just off the Clutch’s oil-slick shoreline. But, in every settled mile of the San Saba, morgues persist; people die; and they are hacked out like tonsil stones from the meat of the Mortis. Morgues are but connections to something Beyond Death, and though individual channels may wither and die off - still the Eternity Beyond remains beyond the scope of any one life. The Mortis is huge, and we rarely see beyond the shores of the Near Death.

Now that you understand some of the themes of the event, let’s talk about the primary conceit of the game, the collection of the GRAVE TAX.

the Grave Tax

Much like the PREMISE and THEMES of our event above, our mechanic of the Grave Tax is centered in the story. This is the main way we approach things in the DR:TX world and it informs how we design everything from new blueprints, mods, new threats, and every story we tell.

You can read in full about the GRAVE TAX here:

• Grave Tax — Dystopia Rising: Texas (idratherbeinbravo.com)

Primary Themes of the grave tax

• Death has Consequences -  In a world where survivors can return from death, crimes like murder can run rampant unless some threat of punishment is enforced.  The Grave Tax is a method to prevent the needless deaths of shareholders, merchants, and Braves, and is assessed as a financial burden upon death.  Unnecessary death is frowned upon.

• Death Comes for All, Pauper or Prince - The Grave Council does not care for the status placed upon a person in the times within the Mortis Amaranthine. They pursue their due from every being that walks the San Saba wastes. They also treat the death of a Pureblood from an ivory tower the same as they treat the death of a wandering Rover.

• Story, not Punishment - The purpose of the Grave Tax is not to punish players for dying or to create an undue financial burden.  The Grave Tax provides a concrete way to involve yourself in the greater story of the Lone Star, interact with several powerful factions, and seek out assistance and roleplay with other characters in the game.  It is tied with the enforcement of law in the game and can be opted out if the player wishes to avoid a negative play experience by using the Pauper’s Fund.

The Grave Tax is meant as an avenue for story, not punishment.

What is the Grave Tax?

The Grave Tax is one of the enforced laws of San Saba Territories and a tradition of the Grave Council that helps cover the maintenance of the Morgues of the Lone Star.  This is a fee, normally paid in Brass notes, that a Groundskeeper is paid to retrieve someone from the Mortis Amaranthine and is tracked and collected by the agents of the Grave Council.  As part of an agreement with the recently formed Railroad Conglomerate, the San Saba Board has delegated authority over every Morgue within the San Saba territories and the Lone Star to the Grave Council and enshrined the Grave Tax into law of the Board. Even the Junkerpunks acknowledge the need to preserve the cycle of death through the Mortis Amaranthine.

“None shall interfere with the Delivery of the Post,
Nor the Collection of the Grave Tax.

- from the San Saba Charter of Laws

how much does the grave tax cost?

There are three classes of deaths that occur in the San Saba. This amount is assessed by the Groundskeeper that runs the death scene for a character, and it is recorded in our DEATH LEDGER and on your character sheet in the NOTES tab. You can always choose to have MORE taxes put on your sheet, if you like that extra spicy angst. (You know who you are!)

• Class 1: Accidental or Unpreventable Death (25 Brass)

  • Death by Zed, Raider, or a Creature of the Wastes

  • Death from the Environment, or Natural Disasters

• Class 2: Preventable Death (50 Brass)

  • Death that could have been avoided in some way.  Foolhardy, silly mistakes are normally classified in this manner.  Needlessly feeding the Gravemind is a threat to the delicate balance of the Mortis Amaranthine. This includes Duels, Crimes of Passion, and Violations of the Laws.  If an action of the deceased could have been avoided by upholding the laws and contracts of the San Saba, this level of fine is normally assessed.

• Class 3: Intentional Death, or Murder (100+ Brass)

  • Purposefully feeding the Gravemind is the most grievous crime, particularly through MURDER. This can include collateral damage and actions that lead to the death of others in addition to themselves, particularly in ways that can be proven by the recently deceased or other witnesses. This is the starting amount of a fee for this type of death but can escalate accordingly to the severity.  

why is the grave tax necessary?

When a person emerges from a Morgue in the San Saba after death, there is a significant threat of a dangerous wasting disease being contracted, known as the Plague of the Unfinished. The Groundskeepers of the Grave Council have developed a number of procedures to limit this spread, and when they or a Sanctioned Graverobber is involved, the threat of this disease is minimal.

The Plague of the Unfinished: This extremely fatal disease was first discovered by Sanctioned Graverobbers of the Grave Council in the Lone Star. While the cause of the disease is unknown, the symptoms are quite obvious. During the process of rebuilding of a survivor’s body after a death, the body is ejected from the Mortis Amaranthine in an unfinished state. The process of regeneration is left incomplete, and the body begins a quick return to the Gravemind as it literally melts and rots away. The process is extremely painful, horrifying to watch, and has very few known cures if not caught quickly. When the victim emerges from the Gravemind after dying to this disease, they are cured if they can survive a second loss of Infection. Thankfully, the disease does not seem to be infectious in this form.

If you die and return without the assistance of the Grave Council, you can lose more than one Infection. This disease is no joke! This disease might even be relevant during the next event…

the Pauper’s Fund

Ultimately, the story of the GRAVE TAX is an OPTIONAL one. You might not enjoy roleplaying owing a debt to a shadowy organization of Graverobbers and Gravemind Cultists. That’s perfectly fine! The Grave Tax is meant as a way to create a cool story behind each death, not a burden or punishment. 

No player is required to have a Grave Tax added to their character sheet when they die. Period.

As an in-game reason for how this happens, The Widows of the Lone Star maintain an account with the Grave Council that helps alleviate the debt of the unfortunate or those that cannot afford to pay.  This fund normally pays the Grave Taxes of those that ask for assistance and is collected by the various charitable works of the Widows. The Pauper’s Fund can be used in the cases where a player wishes to opt out of this mechanic, within reason.  

The sole exception to this option is MURDER. If you kill another character and cause the loss of Infection in CvC Conflict, you’ll have to suffer the consequences for breaking the law… if you get caught!

We hope you will join us for COLLECTION DAY! Make sure to get your tickets early so you can have your character sheets pre-printed at the door. You can always buy you tickets on site if you miss out, but we appreciate the folks that can pre-register. This lets us know how many NPCs to expect for a shift (so we know when we can send out more zombies!), which players are planning on coming for Personal Plot Requests and PFA Requests, and helps us prepare an even better event for you!

Register — Dystopia Rising: Texas (idratherbeinbravo.com)

Story Recap: Queensgrace

Good morning! It’s Jonathan here with a STORY RECAP for the recent event, QUEENSGRACE. The goal of these Story Recap posts is to help fill in the blanks for those that might have missed an important mod, been at NPC camp, sleeping, or simply were not able to attend the game. These are major points of continuity that might be important as our season continues, and I hope this will help with the FOMO feels.

Tickets for our next event are on sale NOW!! You can buy tickets for our next event, COLLECTION DAY today!!

You can also find our other game recaps from this season online here:

• Season 3, Episode 1: THE SECOND FOUNDING

• Season 3, Episode 2: CARNIVAL MACABRE

• Season 3, Episode 3: BLOOD FEAST

• Season 3, Episode 4: THE LONG NIGHT

• Season 3, Episode 5: BEYOND THE HORIZON

So once you’ve been caught up, let’s talk about what happened next…

QUeensgrace: The Premise

The Thirteen Houses of the Tribes Disparate have long jockeyed for position under the unifying banner of Holy Mother Queen Jasper, First of the Antlers; Bearer of the Antler’d Crown. At the Zenith of the Hiway War, nearly a decade before now, Queen Jasper’s homeland was firebombed to slag while her father and king, one in the same, was gutslewn and bled out in his own tent. She would go on to avenge him by assisting the Braves that won that war as fearless, sometimes reckless, scouts and frontline bloodletters. 

But after, spurred by the plight of her own tribe and the desolation that defined the years following the Bombing at Old Bravo, Jasper first became tribal warmonger, then military leader, then peacetime royalty in the span of about three years. Her tribe, which began with only the starving warriors of her own bloodline, swelled to annex twelve additional bodies into its larger structure and before she had reached forty years of age, Jasper had become leader to an infantile nation with no land to call its own. The Tribes Disparate was born in the fear and isolation that characterized those nuclear years when the dirt was too hot to walk on, and the water burned your throat to drink it.

Through opportunistic power plays, hard-earned political acumen and the lives of many, many of her soldiers - Jasper would eke out a permanent home for The Tribes Disparate in Essex, in the wake of the Fountainhead Incident. Every moment of Jasper’s life and the lives of her House Heads, since the end of the Hiway War, had built up to the crucial acquisition of their own land. 

And now, two years later, the Holy Mother is dying. 

Her Tribes, bound together by their devotion to Jasper herself- and only recently the acquisition of the city they are supposed to govern, vie for power over one another even as their Queen takes her stately, staggering steps towards eternity. 

Jasper, determined to live long enough to appoint an heir, has called The Summit and chosen New Bravado as the neutral territory upon which the decision of her successor will be made. Once, before the War, a Baywalker barkeep promised Jasper that, when the time came, his bar would be a gathering place for her warriors to debate and share in scholarship. The Anchor, even. 

Now, she calls upon all of Bravado to honor that barkeep’s oath - and to aid in the future, if there is one at all, for the Tribes Disparate and Legacy of their Queen.

The regents, and a focus on roleplay

This event saw the introduction of several Face NPCs that represent the Regents of the 13 Tribes Disparate. Each event, our team at DR:TX strives to refine our process and introduce new styles of play as we continuously work towards a game that is enjoyable for all types of players. This event was an experiment in providing some deeper roleplay opportunities, with a bit less focus on crunchy mechanics or new monsters. There were still plenty of raiders, zombies, and danger, but no massive Leviathan props, deadly diseases, or giant Monoliths.

The main interest of QUEENSGRACE this weekend was the FOURTEEN different NPCs that were in play for most of the weekend. While of a few of these characters had seen live play during our first season, some of them during our online second season, many of these characters were seen in person for the first time ever.

THE INCUMBENT

• Prince Shale, Regent of the Antler Tribe - Josh Jones

THE UNIONISTS

• Mama Rabbit, Regent of the The Rabbit Family - Vincent Livingston

• Sky Captain Bliss, Regent of the The Cloudskippers - Harlow Ulmer 

• “Boss” Lucy Frances Debs, Regent of The Local 727 - Barbara Jermyn

• Colonel “Sabbath” Jacinto, Regent of The Jacintos Militia - Anastasia Mars

THE INDEPENDENTS

• Captain Marina La’sander, Regent of The Longberths - Sadie Hawkins

• Brother Janus, Regent of The Hermits of Helios - Harold Wilson

• High Architect Lavender, Regent of The Curators - Kenzie Unger

• Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi, Regent of The Cervaxi Tribe - Riva Amyett (LC)

THE DISPARATE

• The Lightbearer, Regent of The Torchlights - Zachary Ryan

• Sedan Fourd’or, Regent of The Sweetwater Clan - Clint Jaskier

• Malorous Mab, Regent of The Cali*Co Caravan - Merp Tastic

• King Hogon Clarkson, Regent of the SCAdians - Joshua Zimm (LC)

THE PRODIGAL SON, THE EXILE

• Lord Hush, Exiled Regent of The Oxkillers - Sam Mars

Each of these characters was a full-fledged Face NPC with a dossier (38 pages! whew!) of their background, history, objectives, secrets, and more. Many of them were in the play space for most of the game, and were coached on ways to involve players into their politics and plots. Unlike many NPCs, these characters were given a lot of agency to decide the fate of the Tribes by talking to their constituents, building political alliances, surviving assassination attempts, and gathering allies from the town.

King Hogon, Regent of the SCAdians

The Regents also had the ability to gather allies in the form of TRIBAL CHAMPIONS:

the champions of the Disparate

While our new mechanics were limited this weekend, one particular exception allowed the Regents to choose CHAMPIONS that could represent them as bodyguards and allies. Each Regent could pick up to three Champions, but if they ever lost the Token of Fealty they were given, they lost the powers as well. The Champions gained the abilities to use Interfere, even if they didn’t have the skill, use an aura buff effect similar to Master Combat Tactics, and be Fearless, immune to the Fear and Terror abilities. These mechanics proved instrumental in allowing characters to be directly involved in the politics of the Summit.

You can read a bit more about where we started with the many faces of the Tribes Disparate at the start of our event in a blog post that Shan wrote on the political sub factions and the potential results of the Summit.

Our Regents for the opening of the Summit on Friday night. On the back row, from left to right: Sedan Four’dor, Prince Shale, Boss Debs, Sky Captain Bliss, Malorous Mab, Brother Janus, Lord Hush, the Lightbearer. On the front row, from left to right: High Architect Lavender, our proxy for the Rabbit Clan, Captain La’sander, Holy Mother Queen Jasper, Colonel Jacinto, Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi, and our proxy for the SCAdian clan. Not pictured are Mama Rabbit, and King Hogon.

The Shot Heard ‘Cross Bravado

Once night fell on Friday, the SUMMIT began in earnest. Each of the Regents of the Tribes Disparate (or a proxy in the case of a few folks not arriving till Saturday) gathered around the sickly Holy Mother for a final walk into the town of Bravado. The lights of their House symbols glowing ominously in the night as they made their way to the Depot for an opening statement from the Queen. After taking their places under the banners of their House, the Queen addressed the assembled Vados at the Terminal Station

Holy Mother Queen Jasper (Shan Lind)

Holy Mother Queen Jasper spoke of the legacy she hoped to leave behind, of the reasons she was stepping down, and the stakes of the decision to be made. Jasper’s words echoed in the room of the Depot, the fire of her spirit undiminished even though her frame was frail. She spoke of the traditions of the Tribes, and how they collective might and individual strengths of the 13 tribes were important to their success. She spoke of their new home in Essex, and her hope for a brighter future for the San Saba.

The speech was interrupted as the outcast leader of the Oxkillers, Lord Hush arrived in force at the Depot, flanked by a large contingent of his personal guards. The rebel leader loudly called the Queen a liar and fraud, and called her on her hypocrisy in front of all of her Regents. He spoke of the crimes of the Board, particularly the floating city of Waking and the compromises the Queen had made to stay in power despite her sickness. Lord Hush called upon an ancient rite of the Antlers to choose a leader by a trial-by-combat, to determine the true leader of the Tribes Disparate. Much to the dismay of her Regents, Jasper accepted the challenge, and the floor of the Depot was cleared for their duel.

The Duel between Jasper and Hush started with the terms of the challenge being to the death. Given that Jasper was on her last Infection, it was to be a final combat for the fate of the Tribes. Jasper showed a surprisingly amount of skill and strength despite her fragility, and drove Hush back time and time again. However, the stamina she was able to muster was not enough and the duel began to swing back towards Lord Hush. With an unexpected maneuver from his Paradigm Enhancer, Lord Hush stunned the Queen (as well as any aberrants nearby), and raised his sword for a final blow.

<BANG!>

Suddenly, a shot rang out across the Depot (or two, depending on who you talked to..), a vicious shot from the dreaded Royal Flush. In the chaos of the fight, Lord Hush was robbed of his final victory by the cowardly actions of an ASSASSIN. Fleeing the scene of the crime, the familiar grey coat and bowler hat of the villainous Grandfather Nichols was seen by onlookers but the assassin managed to evade pursuit as he vanished into the darkness.

Lord Hush promised swift vengeance against the town, who he blamed for violating the neutrality of the Summit. Hush promised that he would defeat Queen Jasper, even if he had to wait until she came back as a zombie to finish the duel. A fight erupted in the Depot as the various Regents tried to escape the anger of the Oxkillers, but they were soon repelled with the help of the town. However, the assassin’s bullet added a new sense of urgency to the Summit, and the Regent’s decision for a leader to replace the fallen Queen.

Boss Debs, of the Local 727 (right, played by Barbara Jermyn)

A new rusted cage

The immediate concern of the Regents of the Tribes Disparate was the imminent threat of Lord Hush simply finding Queen Jasper when she emerged after her death and “finishing” the duel they had started. The old traditions were clear that only a person that defeated Jasper in combat could truly claim the Antlered Crown, but it was agreed that a killing blow on her zombie would suffice for some of the more rebellious Regents ready to put their votes behind Hush if he was successful.

The Summit was traditionally a time of peace, so outside of a few honor guards the Regents martial forces were vastly outnumbered by Lord Hush and the Oxkillers. They would need some time to summon help from their military forces in Essex to contest the large force of Oxkillers threatening Bravado. What the Regents needed most was TIME, and the Mortis Amaranthine was not going to be cooperative with releasing Queen Jasper’s zed in a timely manner.

Or was it?

Colonel “Sabbath” Jacinto (played by Anastasia Mars)

In a desperate plan to delay Lord Hush’s victory, a few of the Regents including Colonel Jacinto, Sky Captain Bliss, and High Architect Lavender, sought help from the criminal element of Bravado to help them come up with an alternative that would stop the zed of Queen Jasper from escaping the morgue - a new RUSTED CAGE. While the Regents were reluctant to pursue such a heretical idea, they saw no other choice. This archaic Imix ritual was used to stop the Gutmother during the SECOND FOUNDING, but it could be adapted in the short term to work against a different target.

Despite the protest of Commander Rampart of the Grave Council, the Regents gathered a group of local psions to help them build a temporary trap for Queen Jasper, locking her imprint in the Gravemind until they could decide who would be the next Queen or King. The Grave Council refused to help with the ritual, as it would mean locking Jasper in the Gravemind, completely aware of her body being broken into tiny bits again and again as she was unable to reform into a zombie. A fate worse than death, and only the first of several unethical decisions during the weekend to be sure. It would be a maddening process, and it was sure to make whatever came out much, much WORSE.

Because they lacked the same conditions that made the first RUSTED CAGE possible, it would be necessary to build the new prison where Jasper died — in the middle of the Depot. While the new RUSTED CAGE was being set, the town had to fend off wave after wave of zombie attacks trying to stop them from completing the foul ritual, a reaction of the Mortis Amaranthine against the perversion that was being completed. As the dust settled once the ritual was complete, the Regents settled in for a lengthy debate on who could be trusted to challenge Lord Hush and be the one to complete the Killing Blow on Jasper when she came back out.

Boss Debs (Barbara Jermyn), Sky Captain Bliss (Harlow Ulmer), Sedan Four’dor (Clint Jaskier), and Sabbath Jacinto (Anastasia Mars) enjoying a drink at the Soiree.

An assassin brought to Justice?

A small group of Regents and Law Dogs led by Jasper Cline set themselves to trying to find the assassin, as Grandfather Nichols had been spotted in town once more, this time with his sights set on eliminating the other Regents. Nichols tried several times to kill some of the Regents, with two major attempts on Colonel Jacinto of the Jacinto Militia, an attack on King Hogon of the SCAdians that ended in the death of Remis Whoreson, a sniper shot fired at Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi, and several attempts at poisoning the Regents as they sat down for meals. Whatever other goals he had or some other true purpose, the assassin was set on killing as many of the Regents as he could.

The Law Dogs tracked Nichols down at the parachute bar in Delvedown, in an aggressive brunch that revealed that Nichols was quite happy to talk with his pursuers, so long as they asked the right questions. Any specific questions of his employer, or the nature of his remaining contract were met with a grin and the same reminder that he “could not violate the terms of his contract”. The crazed Nemesis was very specific that he was playing the role of an assassin, and played a game of cat and mouse with the individuals tracking him down. Nichols killed several in his rampage in town, but let those that weren’t directly defending a Regent escape with their lives.

The Lightbearer (Zachary Ryan) takes down Grandfather Nichols (Jonathan Loyd)

After being confronted and interrogated by the Law Dogs at the Depot, Dr. Nichols was finally captured, but not before murdering Jasper Cline, the very Law Dog sent to claim his bounty in the name of Boss Wyatt. The remaining Law Dogs dragged him away, to face justice in the Gauntlet but were intercepted by the Regents, led by the Longberth captain, Marina La’Sander, Fawn Cervaxi, Lavender, and the Lightbearer. Determined to have justice for their slain Queen, Marina refused to let Nichols be taken away for a later punishment, choosing to complete the execution on the spot herself.

As Grandfather Nichol’s corpse laid on the ground, curiously not being claimed by the Gravemind, the Telling Visionary cultist enacted one final “Nemesis Gottcha!”. Like the movie villains of oldcestor horror films, Nichols sprang up from the ground despite being “killed” and fired a final shot, killing the Regent of the Cervaxi with his violent surprise.

Justice was served, but not before Nichols completed his last contract. The Nemesis killer is still at large as he escaped from the Morgue following his death, but the Law Dogs have a renewed fervor to track him down and capture him for the Gauntlet in April.

difficult decisions

The Regents spent the next day trying to decide amongst themselves who would be fit to rule the Tribes in the absence of Jasper. The initial alliances of the Tribes had broken them into three competing interests in the future of the Tribes: the Unionists, the Independents, and the Disparate. Each had different opinions on who should lead, or even IF the Tribes should remain a source of power in the wastes.

Mama Rabbit (played by Vincent Livingston)

The Unionists, led prominently by Mama Rabbit, Colonel “Sabbath” Jacinto, and Boss Deb, wanted a world where the Tribes retained their influence in the San Saba Board, and continued to reap the rewards of their investment in Essex and the Lone Star. However, they could not agree on one specific person to lead, as they had fierce arguments over how to select a new leader, particularly as they found the rite of trial by combat distasteful. A key sticking point seemed to be an Oxblood facility used by the RRC to generate the fuel for their railroads, and arguments over how they should deal with the Board itself. The fate of Drywater was prominent, with several of the Regents expressing their support for the new Junkerpunk settlement and wanting to see Jasper’s legacy preserved in the new alliances she made before her death. When Mama Rabbit backed Boss Debs as a candidate, it swayed a majority of the Unionists to her side, including Brother Janus of the Hermits of Helios.

The Independents were also unified in their support of the Junkerpunks, particularly after their gains in Drywater. A possible solution for the decision of Regent was voiced by the like of the Cervaxi and the Longberths, favoring a Triumvirate of leaders rather than a single voice like they had in Queen Jasper. The Bloodied Wolves of the Sequoia Wastes brought the multi-leader suggestion forward based on a dying wish from the former Queen, and it was quickly adopted by the many of the Regents as a compromise. However, Marina’s brash decision to bypass the laws of the San Saba in her execution of Dr. Nichols and her idea that the Junkerpunks should be given a permanent seat on the Board created a stir between the Regents. The Independents ideas won over more than their individual regents, as Boss Debs and other Unionists adopted the idea of a Triumvirate into their platforms, based on suggestions from High Architect Lavender and King Hogon. The citizens of Bravado also approved of the popular Triumvirate plan, further solidifying the idea into the new structure of the Tribes regardless of whoever claimed the crown.

Sedan Four’dor (played by Clint Jaskier)

Finally, the Disparate were torn over the how their military might would be respected in the new order of the Tribes Disparate, but mostly they were dissatisfied with the status quo. The Torchlights and the SCAdians stood firm on their demand of a trial by combat still being allowed to choose a leader, though their disagreed if a fight must be to the death. Malorous Mab found kinship with the local Final Knights, and joined several members of the Independents in calling for a consideration of gaining new seats on the Board as part of their demands. The Disparate were the strongest voice for the ability to leave the Tribes, as they took offense to the way that Jasper forced the various groups into submission. They wanted a leader, but also wanted the ability to choose their own paths. The young leader of the Sweetwater Clan, Sedan Four’dor, even went so far as to focus his efforts on settling a trade agreement with the Junkerpunks, “just in case” things went in that direction.

For his part, Lord Hush and the Oxkillers were convinced to stand down by residents of Bravado once they were able to clarify that the assassination of Jasper was not a plot by their residents. Lord Hush was a strong voice in favor of dissolving the Tribes altogether, and it was hard to ignore the truths he mentioned. He continually spoke of the devastation left behind in the wake of the floating city of Waking Prime that pollutes the land wherever it flies. Hush whispered in the ears of those Regents that he thought would be sympathetic to his cause, and he spoke in greater detail of the hypocrisy and compromises Jasper made, working with the RRC to unnaturally prolong her life because she refused to relinquish the reigns of power. He called the former Queen on the tyranny she used to keep the Tribes in check, ruling with martial might and forcing others to submit at the tip of a sword. While everyone could agree that the Oxkillers were wrong in their attacks on the town, no one could argue that there wasn’t a little uncomfortable truth to their zealotry.

High Architect Lavender (right), played by Kenzie Unger

After hours of politics, no ONE leader emerged and it was decided that several Regents would still be willing to put themselves on the line to stand as the next King or Queen. High Architect Lavender argued that they should just make a temporary decision to keep the Tribes and the citizens safe until a more permanent decision could be made. Boss Debs of the Local 727 stood as a favorite for a temporary leader, especially as she espoused the idea of a Triumvirate leading the tribes eventually.

Several of the Regents engineered a final vote in the Depot before Jasper returned, but declined to make sure that each Regent was notified. They even made sure that the Lightbearer was removed from the vote, and called upon a favor to make him abstain so he could save face from his tribe that would only respect a martial challenge to the throne. Because of these politics, the Sweetwaters, the Oxkillers, and the Cali*Co were excluded from the final vote, though the Sweetwaters voted by proxy when the Underboss to Sedan Four’dor arrived late. Marina La’Sander voted on behalf of Malorous Mab, claiming an alliance with the Accensorite Final Knight in her absence.

Despite the arguments for a single leader and a strong showing from the Jacintos and the SCAdians, the collected Regents settled on choosing Boss Debs as their leader for a month, and that they would sign a contract that they would decide on three different leaders to represent the Tribes Disparate. This compromise seemed to mollify most of the Regents, save for the Antler Tribe and the Oxkillers.

Other events of note during the summit

While the Summit was the primary focus of the Regents and folks that were engaged in the fate of the Tribes Disparate, several other key events occurred during the weekend:

Malorous Mab (Merp Tastic) negotiates with the Jacinto’s leader, Sabbath (Anastasia Mars).

• Murder Inc. offered their first contracts in Bravado, but it is unclear exactly who was the target of the shadowy organization. It is rumored that they chose a new Blade of the Shepherd to guide their hunts. While it is likely they had something to do with the Summit, no one has claimed credit for any particular kills during the weekend.

• The Rusted Cage created a number of problems for folks in the Depot, as the searing rage of Queen Jasper caused a number of earthquakes centered on her prison in the Mortis Amaranthine. Periodically, the agony she was feeling below the ground was broadcast in a deafening scream from the Rusted Cage, and the Depot had to endure number attacks by zombies bent on freeing the Queen from her prison.

• The Longberths led a group of sailors in harvesting the remains of the Leviathans killed while BEYOND THE HORIZON. Various other trade opportunities emerged with the Regents in town, as many sought to establish new trade connections with the Tribes Disparate while they had direct access to their leaders.

• Criminals found their supply of Crystal Candy had become tainted, and any Crystal Candy purchased from the Post Office with Criminal Influence was difficult to stomach and not quite as effective as it should have been. Some folks even took to harvesting “fresh” Crystal Candy from hapless psions or willing victims that could be harvested with a deadly procedure.

the queen Returned

With a Queen chosen, the Tribes gathered their might at the Depot, the site of the Rusted Cage that was containing the zed of Queen Jasper. The foul ritual was straining to contain her anger, and the earthquakes shuddering the building were increasing in severity quickly. The Regents would try to deal with whatever emerged from the Cage, and make sure that the corpse was destroyed by the killing blow of Boss Debs, thus securing her right to the Antlered Crown. Lord Hush refused to support the Queen-elect, and instead used an Abyssal Stitch procedure to bodily enter the Mortis Amaranthine, where he attempted to kill Jasper within the Grave Mind itself.

Lord Hush’s last gambit had an effect. There was an eerie moment of silence as the ritual containing Jasper ended. The lights flickered out, and the screams of the undead stopped. It was like the calm before a storm, for as the lights came back to life, in the center of the room was the desiccated corpse of Queen Jasper, surrounded by a mass of Tanks, Shamblers, and Abominations. The Cage had done as the Grave Council feared and magnified Jasper’s power, as she raised the terrible greatsword she took with her into the grave.

The Returned Queen, by Avery Clarke

Jasper held the defeated form of Lord Hush up in her cancerous limbs, and with a great unnatural howl flung the Oxkiller across the room into the Regents and their Champions. Lord Hush had failed to stop the Queen, and her vengeance on the Regents was now made manifest. Her terrible call was answered from outside as well, as a vast horde of zombies arrived to the summons of the deceased Antlered Queen. The fight erupted into chaos, as zed assaulted the defenders in the Depot.

Each time Jasper pressed the attack, the citizens of Bravado stood firm. Her piercing strikes and screams of agony echoed in the Depot, but the shield wall of the Regents and their Champions stood firm. Each time Jasper was beaten down by the Vados, she cried in anger and rose once more, tenacious and unstoppable. As her anger magnified, the cries of her betrayal took a sinister note. The veneration that the Regents had shown her in life was abused by the zombie Jasper, as her mental domination swayed several of her Regents and their Champions to fight for her instead.

The shield wall broke, but the mind controlled fighters were taken down before they could press the attack further and reach the medics sheltering behind the line. Once those impacted by her Veneration were taken into Bleed Out, the effect ended and they could return to the fight with their wits intact. However, as the fight progressed, each of the 13 Tribes was impacted by her calls for loyalty beyond death, and when those that had chosen powerful Champions were turned, it was a challenge to deal with both the undead Queen Jasper, the many Tanks sieging the Depot, and those controlled by the psionic influence. In the chaos, after being taken down by Queen Jasper, Sky Captain Bliss was drug out into the night and devoured by a pack of Gorehounds.

Thirteen times the corpse of Queen Jasper rose from the dead, and thirteen times the new Queen, Boss Debs struck her down, even despite the tears in her eyes. With the final blow, it was as if a sigh of relief was felt by the Gravemind in a moment of quiet. The lights flickered once more, but when the tranquility of that final blow passed, all that remained was the zed that should have emerged after Jasper’s death - a lowly shambler. Gone was her maddened cries, gone was the psionic mind control, and the greatsword she had nearly killed so many with hung limply in her hands.

Through the tears, Queen Deb accepted the mantle of the Antlered Crown as she showed one final mercy to the former Queen, striking the head off of her zombie in a killing blow one last time. The Regents of the Tribes Disparate knelt before their new Queen, as the town breathed a collective sigh of relief. But that brief moment of peace was not long lasting, as the infighting between the Regents continued after the death of Jasper.

A tumultuous future for the tribes

Boss Debs had made an effort to settle the rivalry with Lord Hush over the weekend, even seeking to return the lost Oxkiller Tribe to the fold. Prince Shale of the Antler Tribes, favoring wits over brawn, made his own move by seeking an alliance with the Oxkillers for himself, and not the Tribes as a whole. Lord Hush swore fealty to the Prince of the Antlers instead of the new Antlered Queen, in direct opposition to the new Queen. Hush appealed to the Prince’s famed jealousy of his sister, and declared his fealty by saying “let me swear to you and become your strength, and let us together build the Tribe your sister would have wanted.”

Prince Shale, portrayed by Josh Jones

For the insult, Boss Deb’s demand was that Lord Hush submit to a death at the hands of the new Queen, before she could forgive his trespasses or accept his fealty. Prince Shale refused to order his vassal to kneel, and declined to acknowledge the new Queen.

Prince Shale and Lord Hush left Bravado in disgust, turning their backs on the new Queen and began the exodus, taking the vast military might of their Tribes with them. Without those forces, the Tribes Disparate would be hard pressed to defend the capital of Essex from outside enemies.

This shocking threat of violence from the Queen was also considered a hypocrisy by Colonel Jacinto — it echoed of the fierce unfairness of Queen Jasper’s rule by force. Screaming in anger at the new Queen, the betrayal was too much for the Fallow Hope commander to accept and she left the Depot in anger, ordering her soldiers to follow after the Antlers and Oxkillers.

The 13 Tribes of the Disparate were no more, broken to the remaining 10. However, the exodus of three Tribes from the fold of the faction leaves many unanswered questions and a challenge to the new Queen. The elite soldiers of the Torchlights curiously remained in support of Queen Debs for now, but because the agreement was for only one month there is still a chance that other Tribes might make the decision to leave the Tribes for good.

A fragile peace has been brokered for a moment, but it remains to be seen how the Tribes weather this new challenge, and if they can accept a new leader after the fall of Queen Jasper. For now, with a large portion of their military might gone and their hold on Essex in question, the Tribes will need to spend some time regrouping and renegotiating contracts before their story is done. The faction will ultimately survive in some form thanks to the efforts of their new Queen, her Regents, and the support of the town of Bravado, even if they are a bit wounded by the turmoil.

Wrap up

The story of QUEENSGRACE was a story we waited two years to tell, and I hope you got a chance to attend this event. We decided the future of the Tribes Disparate, but it was surprising how far the resolution went from where we expected.

Let’s look at some of the major plot points that were decided during the Summit:

Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi (played by Riva Amyett)

• The Tribes Disparate will remain a Faction in the San Saba.

• The Tribes Disparate will not be a Financial Institution for April. This is a temporary effect unless the financial security of the faction is not settled by the Regents.

• “Boss” Lucy Frances Debs of the Local 727 was elected as the new Antlered Queen, under a contract for one month.

• The Tribes will choose a Triumvirate next month to lead their Faction, a compromise to keep the many factions in check and to honor their support.

• Three Tribes left the Disparate, the Antlers, the Oxkillers, and the Jacintos. Their combined military might is now a significant threat to the San Saba and loss to the Tribes, but whether they remain enemies or potential allies is yet to be decided.

• The Tribes lack of a military force could mean their control of Essex could be threatened and the Fountainheart tree that was declared holy by Queen Jasper could fall into other hands.

• Tribes Regents can choose to leave the Disparate and forge their own paths. While only 3 Tribes have left so far, others could choose this path in the future unless something is done to ensure their loyalty or consolidate the remaining Tribes.

• The Tribes retain a seat on the San Saba Board, but will not have the strength to negotiate additional seats with the Chair. The lack of a single leader or significant military makes it challenging for them to demand additional representation.

• The Tribes have chosen an alliance with the Junkerpunks and the neighboring settlement of Drywater. They will be a strong ally for the Junkerpunks in the future.

That’s it for today! Tickets are on sale for our next event, COLLECTION DAY, so make sure you get a chance to see the resolution of this event as the Tribes decide who exactly will lead their Faction and they resolve the fragile one-month peace they negotiated during the Summit.

The 10 Foot Rule

It’s time for another Rules Ramble with Jonathan! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic in the DR rulebook in a deep dive that focuses on explaining it in more detail than the book alone can provide. There are four core pillars of the DR game in my mind: Combat, Roleplay, CvC, and Economy, and today’s blog post will touch on a bit of things concerning Roleplay. This week is a final discussion on STEERING in practice. We will cover one of these techniques, the 10 FOOT RULE, and how you can use these behaviors to create a better game for everyone.

Tickets for our next event, COLLECTION DAY, are live now!

You can find my previous blog post on Steering here:

• Steering for Better Roleplay — Dystopia Rising: Texas (idratherbeinbravo.com)

We also previously covered some similar topics in a blog post, specifically dealing with some best practices for how to be involved in plot. A lot of these suggestions will be similar to my suggestions below. This was published in a series of guest blog posts by Heather Halstead, which you can find here:

• Chasing Plot, Part 1

• Chasing Plot, Part 2

So let’s get into one of my favorite ways to Steer:

The 10 Foot Rule

First, the 10 Foot Rule isn’t really a rule in the book, but it’s more of a Best Practice that I recommend heartily. I’d consider this a form of Ethical Steering, for those that read my last blog post. Some might call this “good metagaming”, but I prefer the term Ethical Steering as it kind of separates all the negative associations of the dreaded M-word. This is just a way of purposefully making an effort out of character to impact your in-character roleplay with a positive behavior.

What is the 10 Foot Rule?

It’s simple, and it’s one easy step:

• Make an effort to roleplay with Everyone Within 10 Feet of You that is not already engaged.

Two upstanding gentlemen having fun. Definitely not doing anything illegal, officer.

There are are few good outside blog posts on this topic, but like last week I’m going to try to talk a bit more from my perspective. The first time I heard of this rule was in retail sales. It was pitched as a way to make sure that you were greeting customers that got within 10 feet of you on the salesfloor. A little boring, but it’s a solid concept, like running zone defense in basketball. My first encounter with it in gaming was listening to some best practices from other veteran players at a Vampire: the Masquerade convention. I’ve read some other articles on the topic since then, and I worked to include it into my own game. Since adapting this steering concept to my own roleplay I’ve seen a positive impact on the people around me, so I’m a firm believer.

The concept is simple enough.

It’s hard in a game that involves a LOT of people to really interact with EVERYONE. It’s not practical, and you’ll probably never have enough time to meet every person at game, much less have a great scene with them. We run game on a big site, and there’s lots of places to explore, and sometimes it can be challenging to figure out what to do as a new player much less even finding other players to engage with.

But, since you can’t control all of those people at the game, one thing you CAN control is yourself.

The 10 Foot Rule is a mantra that keeps me focused on my friends and the other people around me, and it reminds me that most of us are a bit socially awkward. Even the best role players can have moments of crippling anxiety and self doubt, and it’s not always easy to “turn on” the switch for energy and excitement in a scene. Some of us are introverts and don’t have the spoons, or just don’t know what to do to be involved.

Sometimes its a bit self inflicted too. Like I mentioned in my Steering blog post, a lot of character concepts seem cool on paper but don’t really give you a reason to engage with other characters once you are at game. I’ll go into this a bit more in a future Ramble on ways to improve your character backstory, but for now remember that this is just one tool in the toolbox for better role playing. Sure, that person sitting alone in the corner may be taking a break or roleplaying an Accensorite meditation, but they may just not know what to do or how to be involved.

The 10 Foot Rule is designed to fix that.

Sure, you may not have an in-character reason to talk to that person. They may not be in your crew, they may be someone you don’t know, or they could even be an NPC. You might be the meanest badass in the San Saba, the person with no friends that is quick on the draw and quicker to kill, and even quicker to push pesky emotions away. You might be the crazed Final Knight preacher literally posting random religious fan fiction disguised as propaganda like a tabloid. You might be a doe-eyed Quiet Folk that is so very polite and neighborly in character that they wouldn’t even think of interrupting another person’s conversation.

So what?

YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR CHARACTER. THE CHARACTER IS NOT IN CONTROL OF YOU.

You have a choice.

For me, it’s about remembering my first awkward time attending a new game, and feeling a bit of social anxiety, a bit of imposter syndrome, but mostly just feeling inexperienced and nervous. I remember fondly those people that engaged with me, gave me a reason to feel like I belonged, and bought into my character. It gave me the encouragement to come back, and the confidence to keep playing. And I want everyone at a DR:TX game with me to feel like they want to come back, and to feel like they are welcome.

We have a mantra at DR:TX that “it’s everyone’s first game.” We repeat this at the start of every NPC shift. We include it in our opening announcements. It’s just a great reminder to be gentle, forgiving, and most of all, to remember the other people that we are playing with.

The 10 Foot Rule is taking that mindset, and applying it to the concept of Ethical Steering. It’s a challenge to yourself to make sure that you are involving EVERYONE nearby, even someone you don’t really have a reason to engage with. If everyone adopts this kind of mindset, then it will just help everyone feel more included and more involved. And that just sounds neat.

The 10 foot Rule Corollary

Now, I have a few personal addendums to the 10 Foot Rule, and the first is a reminder that one of the operating words of the 10 Foot Rule is about EFFORT.

The corollary: the 10 Foot Rule is a goal, not a requirement.

It’s not going to be something you do successfully all the time. You’re human. It would be silly to expect someone to keep this effort up the entire game, and it would be even sillier to judge folks for not doing it. But the main thing is to TRY. If you have a chance to make the game a better place for everyone, then I think it’s worth the effort.

You aren’t going to always be the best at including people nearby. You might be distracted, engaged in something you don’t want outsiders involved in, or just didn’t notice them. It’s okay to be forgiving of your own missteps and mistakes too. They might have their own scene they are involved in, or they might be waiting on an NPC to come back for the next part of their PFA trial. You won’t be able to include everyone all the time, and that’s okay. That’s why the rule says ‘everyone not already engaged’.

This rule is less about always being “on” all the time, but rather being purposeful with your in-character actions. It’s about the effort. If there’s someone sitting nearby that’s not involved, DO SOMETHING about it. Find a reason to engage them, and bring them into the conversation.

if you practice, and work at including the people around you into your story, I promise that you’ll make friends, experience better roleplay, and have a better time.

My last addendum to the rule: the 10 Foot Rule is ALSO about making sure that “EVERYONE” near you is engaged, and that includes YOURSELF.

It’s hard to be engaged in a game when you are tired, hungry, upset, in pain, etc. If you are the one having a bad time and not being included, you might need to practice self care first. Get some food. Drink some water. Change your socks. Ask for help. Take your meds. DR can be an incredibly fulfilling immersive experience, but it’s easy to push yourself a bit too far. You can’t practice the 10 Foot Rule and help include others if you don’t take care of yourself first.

Remember, if you are ever feeling excluded or don’t know what to do at the game, you can ask for help. Come up to Ops and ask for assistance. Try out a STARTER WORK ORDER, and see what you can do around the site.

examples of the 10 Foot Rule

So I’ve ranted enough, now let’s talk about some practical applications of the 10 Foot Rule. These are a few examples of what this might look like in game, or ideas to spark your own use of the rule in game.

• Jonathan’s BEST PRACTICE: People GENERALLY like to talk about themselves, so just ASK a question and let them talk.

Just like in real life, this can be a bit challenging if you aren’t naturally outgoing, so let’s consider some more specific icebreakers as examples.

• Start a conversation with an introduction. This can be a simple greeting, or just letting them know your name. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

  • “Hello there, Stranger!”

  • “Hi. Do you require medical assistance?”

  • “I’m Turbo Six, the Mountain That Rides. Who the fuck are you?”

• Talk about their costume. People put a lot of work into their kit, and it’s a great way to involve someone by asking about the outfit they are wearing.”

  • “Where did you get that cool hat? Can I have it?”

  • “Oh man, that’s a badass gun. Is that a Big Hate? What does it do?”

  • “Cool face paint. What does it mean?”

• Talk about the game site. There’s lots to do on Camp Kachina during a game. Exploring the camp is a big part of our Work Orders too!

  • “Oh man, have you walked down to the lake yet?”

  • “Did you check out Rikki’s junk shop in the Depot? They gave me a membership card!”

  • “The Post Office line is long, so I’m waiting for it to go down. What about you?”

• Talk about player-run spaces or events. You can always start a conversation about the different events at the various social gathering points in town. We also have an excellent food culture in Bravado and everyone has to eat sometime.

  • “Are you going to attend the King’s Court event at 3 PM?”

  • “Did you hear that Donnie was seen at that Pureblood party without Rajah? Scandalous!”

  • “The hooch at the Swaying Anker is the best I’ve tried in town, and I definitely haven’t been paid to say that to you..”

• Ask about their backstory. Ask them about where they are from, or when they got to town. You can also recognize a Duster by the blue bandanna too!

  • “Did you come into town on the Oxline, or did you come through Drywater?”

  • “What brings you to Bravado, friend?”

  • “Are your parents still alive, or are you an orphan like me?”

• Ask them for help with a Skill or service. It’s hard for a character to have every skill. Find out what that person can do, and maybe you can find a reason to need their help.

  • “What do you do for a living, pal?”

  • “Can you fix my armor at this workbench?”

  • “You look like you know your way around a boat. Is your name Captain Nemo?”

  • “Can you teach me how to Avoid?”

• Ask them about their friends or crew. Surviving the apocalypse is best with friends, and many players have formed crews. There are all kinds of flags, patches, banners, and more that mark the different groups, and simply finding out if they are part of a team is a great start.

  • “What does that clover patch on your armor mean?”

  • “You sure got a lot of XXX’s on you mister. Is that a Hedon thing?”

  • “Is it true that the Road Royals have every blueprint?”

• Ask about the weekend’s plot. Have they seen the new scary monster or new critter? Think about some of the big plot points we tease in our blog posts before game, and talk about a current event that’s happening during the game.

  • “Have you seen the new Work Orders that came out this weekend?”

  • “Did you survive the attack on the Depot?”

  • “What do you think of the capitalistic hellscape that the San Saba Board has created?”

• Ask about the various NPC factions. The San Saba is filled with several powerful factions and NPC faces. Do they have an opinion on the various factions, or have they joined up as a Contracted Partner? Do they have a favorite faction?

  • “What do you think the Tribes Disparate should do now that Queen Jasper is gone?”

  • “It’s almost time for Collection Day. Have you settled up your Grave Tax?

  • “Is Felicity Redfield a great CEO of the RRC, or the greatest CEO of the RRC?”

“Yup, that cow just shit out a Brass note..”

• Bring people along on adventures. Mods are more enjoyable when you have people at your side. Why not find a reason to include that person in your plot hook?

  • We’ve adopted this rule in my local crew, the ROAD ROYALS, as an in-game tradition we call “Lucky Duster”. Anytime we are about to go out on a mod or about to go do something interesting, we try to grab one random new player to drag along with us. We give them some lucky fuzzy dice, and we make sure they are going to have a memorable time. Everyone has survived so far, so the lucky dice are 100% effective!

• Engage in some casual violence. Hold up the “C” for Conflict. While murder and theft are illegal in the San Saba, assault is NOT! Sometimes the best way to make friends is to get your ass kicked! We even reward this behavior through the SES System and the Red Ledger.

  • “That was my seat pardner. I don’t take kindly to strangers at my workbench.”

  • “Did you just say something to me? Do you want to take this outside?”

  • “What does SAME RULES APPLY mean? Why are you meowing?”

That’s it for today folks! Tune in next time as we continue some best practices to enhance your game, like building a better character backstory or best ways to submit an Action Request! Make sure you get your ticket for COLLECTION DAY before ticket sales close!!!

Steering for Better Roleplay

It’s time for another Rules Ramble with Jonathan! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic in the DR rulebook in a deep dive that focuses on explaining it in more detail than the book alone can provide. There are four core pillars of the DR game in my mind: Combat, Roleplay, CvC, and Economy, and today’s blog post will touch on a bit of things concerning Roleplay. This week is a continuation of our discussion on how you can “take the wheel” of your role play to be more immersed, have a better experience, and build better behaviors in game through the use of STEERING.

Tickets for our next event, COLLECTION DAY, are live now!

• A quick aside, for those that might have been expecting a Story Recap this week. During our last game, QUEENSGRACE, we gave players a few examples of how we saw the SUMMIT ending for the Tribes Disparate. We prepared some ideas for options A, B, and C but in true Bravado fashion y’all found a way to choose option D instead. We will be working with the players that played our Regents and our ST team over the next few weeks to craft a story resolution that honors the decisions that were made in character, and still feels good. We’ll have more on this soon!

We also previously covered some similar topics on Steering, specifically dealing with some best practices for how to be involved in plot. This was published in a series of guest blog posts by Heather Halstead, which you can find here:

• Chasing Plot, Part 1

• Chasing Plot, Part 2

An unfamiliar vocabulary

Before we begin on our topic today, let’s first look at some words and phrases we will be using during this blog post. Several of these definitions are included in the DR Corebook, but I’ll include a short description here. A lot of these terms are used in “Nordic” larps, which I normally associate with low rules and heavy roleplay (most of these larps are in Sweden, but more options have been available in the US over the last few years). Dystopia Rising is definitely inspired by some Nordic concepts, but sticks to a more American ideal of rules-centric escapism gaming.

Not that kind of Nordic!

• Bleed (p. 13) - This is the concept that the mind-set and emotional state of our characters can cross into our actual emotions as a player. You can have positive bleed (such as being happy about something your character would enjoy) and negative bleed (such as feeling depressed because your character experienced a sad moment). There a bunch of articles on managing bleed out there, but one I particularly enjoyed can be found here.

• Negotiation (p. 16) - We touched a bit on this in my articles on CvC, but this is a technique that allows ALL players to have agency, to compromise, and build with one another to turn conflict into a positive aspect. Good negotiation and communication can reduce negative bleed.

• Transparency (p. 16) - We practice this a bunch in DR:TX, but the goal is to clearly communicate as much as possible prior to an event (or action) to make sure that everyone involved can make an informed decision to be involved. Radical Honesty is a goal we strive towards every day as we put our trust in our players to choose what is best for them.

• Steering (p. 17) - Steering is the process in which a player influences the behavior of her character. This is our main topic today, but it is simply making in-character decisions based on out-of-game reasons. Steering can help you be more aware of bleed, and ensures that everyone has a more enjoyable experience.

• Immersion - This refers to a state of mind where a player does not need to actively suspend disbelief in the fictional universe, and where role-playing flows as naturally and easily as if you really were the character. When you are immersed, you can quickly find yourself acting as your character would in the moment. Immersion is often the goal of intense roleplay experiences.

• Coherence - This is a bit more advanced topic in Nordic larp theory, but it is effectively just how your character ‘makes sense’ and your actions back up your character background, strain, motivations, and more. Most players try to at least maintain an outward appearance of coherence, while also trying to staying true to the their internal coherence of “what the character would do”..

Now that we have a baseline for the language I’ll use, let’s look at what the book says about Steering, with a little emphasis of my own. This is a RULES RAMBLE after all!

Steering and you!

The book outlines a definition of STEERING on p. 17. There’s not a lot of actual RULES for this, so we are going to focus primarily on Best Practices.

Steering is a concept that players individually, as groups, and in relation to staff use to help improve potential quality of their own experience and the experience of participants and staff around them. Steering uses both negotiation and transparency to allow a participant to direct the actions of their character, to negotiate a mutually agreed upon direction for a character with another player or staff member, and to identify that the actions and a direction that a character takes are under the purview of the participants who are portraying the characters. […] Steering not only functions as a means to be aware of potential bleed and ensuring that all involved have a more enjoyable experience, but also facilitates both shared storytelling and the opt-in culture that makes for healthy larp experiences. (p. 17, DR Corebook)

Steering is simply the process in which a player influences the behavior of their character. Any time you make a decision that impacts the game, you are probably engaging in a bit of steering. When we talk about role play, we often tend to separate the player from their character. This helps you remember to not associate negative traits with your friend, helps reduce bleed, and helps you remember that it is just a game we play with our friends.

Steering is often subtle and can happen in the moment. It’s important to note that not every decision you make as a character is informed by your player decisions, and you can still do several things as your character without it necessarily being “steering”. But in actual games, your player decisions seep into your roleplay constantly and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Not that kind of steering, silly!

Steering can look like changing up some aggressive roleplay during a scene when you notice the other person isn’t enjoying the experience, or it can be as simple as slowing down or posing when you see our wonderful camera folks nearby so you can capture a dramatic shot for your Facebook profile. It might look like seeking out something to do when you are bored out of character, choosing to heal your friend as they are in Bleed Out despite the danger of the fight, or even simply accepting that the guy across the field with two white boffers and makeup is actually a “zombie” and not your buddy in a costume.

• Steering happens naturally, but it is ALWAYS intentional.

You can never steer by accident, and it requires you to make a conscious choice to change your behavior. Steering can be used to create good behaviors, but it can also be used to justify bad behaviors as well. We often practice steering in ways that we forget about once the scene is over, and it can happen without you really thinking about it. But you can generally identify it later, even if you didn’t realize it in the moment.

It’s important to note that Steering is something you do to your OWN character, not to someone else’s character.

Even if you are Steering on behalf of another character, or changing your behaviors to adjust for a scene, YOU are still in control of that behavior. You can’t really control the actions of another player, so it’s up to you to be in control of steering for yourself while you trust your fellow player to control the steering for themselves. Steering can definitely benefit another player, but it’s still something YOU do.

Types of Steering

Steering can address a few needs in game. Generally, this can be grouped into some general categories: practical needs, smoother play, aesthetic choices, personal experiences, or even ethical (and unfortunately, unethical) behaviors. (Art of Steering, Montola, Stenros, Saitta)

Self-Care is the best form of steering..

Steering for practical needs might be looking for someone in game so you can get the keys for the car, or making up a reason to go to the Depot because you are hungry and haven’t eaten, or filling up a water bottle because you need to hydrate. It might mean going into the Wasteland because that’s where the nearest toilet is, or not running into the pitch-black darkness at night, even when the Hunter is fleeing because your night-vision isn’t adjusted yet. These weren't decisions your character necessarily made, but ones that the PLAYER made. These are some of the most overt examples of steering, and often the easiest to forget about in game.

Steering for smoother play might mean exaggerating your roleplay to clearly communicate your character’s feelings in the moment, like loudly crying when you are upset or actively playing up your Fracture so others realize something is wrong. This might look like agreeing to help that RRC employee with their lost luggage, even though you the player realize this is simply a hook for a mod, or pretending not to see someone that is using the Stealth symbol. Most importantly in my mind, this includes steering to include Dusters into your roleplay, such as reacting when they call out “I’m too young to die!”, or involving them in a mod or plot even when you don’t really have much reason to do so in-character. This type of steering requires more active behaviors, but can still happen in the moment.

Steering for aesthetic needs can be simply fulfilling your need for a better story for yourself, like using CAPS and submitting a personal plot request or sending the STs a background submission. It can be purposefully seeking out good Bleed by picking a “fight” and arguing with your friend over their character actions, or getting involved in deep roleplay. This might look like finding reasons to hang out with that character who shares your faith in game so you can have them use Faithful Patterns to baptize you and to engage in some faith-based roleplay. It can even involve “playing to lose” by seeking a character death in game, so you can experience a Grave Mind scene, or even just embracing your need for success by wanting to WIN a fight and feel like a badass hero. But remember - even in the most intense scene, you can always use the OK Check-In System to make sure that EVERYONE is still having a good time.

Steering for personal experiences can often be close to the need for aesthetic experiences, and these two categories tend to blend together in my mind. You might simply decide to say “yes” to that mod hook because you are bored and want something to do, even if you have no reason to care about that poor farmer. This can look like getting closer to the weekend plot arc, by actively engaging with mechanics or roleplay that is related to the key events of the game, or it can even be a way to address a change you want to see in your personal game, like seeking out different characters or crews to engage with, changing your character roleplay to give you more opportunities to engage, or just avoiding the same things you’ve been doing. After all, that loner character seems interesting as you write your background, but it can be lonely brooding in a corner and not interacting with your friends.

Some steering behaviors including STOPPING a behavior.

Lastly, steering can be both ethical and unethical. This type of steering can be used to create both good behaviors and bad behaviors. One example of good ethical steering is using the OK Check-In System to make sure the scene is still ok with everyone involved, or asking for consent to touch another player before beginning medical roleplay on someone in Bleed Out. Other examples of ethical steering is involving a Duster in a scene even when they have no real reason to be there, or setting good boundaries about what type of roleplay you enjoy by working it into the conversation or negotiation of the scene.

Some examples of unethical steering are using your character to stalk another player for out of character reasons, treating a character poorly because you don’t like the player, seeking out romantic role play with someone you are attracted to out of character without telling them about that interest, or seeking revenge on another character because you recognized their player when they killed you or stole something from you despite their use of a Disguise. Most of these examples are also Community Guideline violations, meta-gaming, or cheating, and can be a clear reason for you to receive a Refusal of Service.

By using these types of positive Steering, you can have direct influence on ways to make the game better for everyone. YOU have the power to make your game better by actively seeking out ways to be involved.

“But it’s what my character would do…”

The last part of our Steering discussion is going to involve a phrase that always makes me cringe a little bit — “but, it’s what my character would do!”.

“I can’t steer - the steering wheel is locked!”

It’s a common enough idea: good roleplaying means that you should act in a way that your character would. This is a concept known as Coherence. After all, that’s how you become immersed — by reaching a point where you start to act like your character. You take actions as your character because it’s something that helps maintain that illusion that your character is real and the outward appearance of their actions are consistent with how you’ve been roleplaying. Keeping this internal and external consistency is the key concept of Coherence, as it helps tell a better story.

Sometimes, good steering is taking actions that you know are not a good idea out of character, like continuing to walk into the darkness with a Hunter following you, because you don’t have Basic Awareness. Your character in this example is known to not be good at seeing things hiding in Stealth, so you should continue to act as you were before even though you, the PLAYER, knows it’s about to be a bad time when you get Mangled from behind.

However, sometimes this kind of thinking and desire to maintain Coherence gets people to start justifying bad behaviors in the name of their character. It’s not that you are an asshole out of character, your CHARACTER is the asshole so he can’t modify his screaming at you because the other player feels uncomfortable out of character. You stole that critical plot item because your character is Fractured, so clearly we can’t be mad at the player for derailing a scene. You simply HAVE to murder that character in the Wasteland or because they are on the SES List, it’s not something personal — it’s just something “your character would do.”

They never even saw that Hunter behind them…

All of these examples are simply excuses to avoid consequences for your choices as a player, by blaming the action on your character instead.

These character concepts or actions aren't inherently bad for gameplay by themselves, but any sort of character concept or action can be misused to “justify” non-cooperative behavior.

The challenge of this phrase, used to justify behaviors, comes in when you consider a key part of the STEERING definition from the DR Corebook above - that you want to ensure that “all involved have a more enjoyable experience”. Remember, Steering is something you do to YOUR character, not to someone else’s character.

You can play a character that is part of Murder, Inc. and still involve another character in a steering discussion before character deadly CvC. You can play a quirky gremlin character that steals things constantly, but keep it to inconsequential things like tools from the workbench, or minor props that have no cards. You can still play a bad guy character without taking actions that are harmful to other players. You can respond properly to a OK Check In thumbs down and simply end the scene, no matter if you still had a reason to be involved. These types of steering behaviors are ways to improve the game for EVERYONE, even if it means acting in a way that’s against the idea of Coherence.

• you ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR CHARACTER. tHE CHARACTER IS NOT IN CONTROL OF YOU.

Period.

You always have a choice when it comes to your character decisions.

Remember the Sainthood of Ashes tenet: “Choose for good, always.” When you prioritize the safety and wellbeing of EVERYONE (including yourself!) involved in your roleplay, you will have a better time. Try to find ways to say “Yes, and..” instead of “but it’s what my character would do.” While it’s important to take responsibility for ways you can steer for your yourself, you should never forget that this game includes more than just you and your immediate circle of friends.

I’ll leave you with a final quote that really stuck with me:

Whenever we see interesting developments that will enhance our story, our experience and our character immersion, we have to jump at the chance to engage with them. Otherwise we’re not doing anyone any favors. In a larp you should be your own game master and help your own character immersion by building a better game for yourself.

- Mike Pohjola, You’re in Charge of You

That’s it for today, Vados! My next article will cover some cool ideas about how to include Steering into your game in a positive way, by submitting better plot requests and backgrounds, and using the 10 Foot Rule while you are in game. See you next week!

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References:

If you’d like to read more about Steering, I’d highly recommend this article. A lot of the terminology I used is clearly outlined here, and it was a great inspiration for my version of talking about this topic.

The Art of Steering - Bringing the Player and the Character Back Together – (nordiclarp.org)

Queensgrace: Last Minute Housekeeping!

So as a special treat, you have Amber coming at you with a last minute blog post this week so we can go over some housekeeping things! So hold on tight while I get you up to speed on some cool new stuff!

Cabin Raids

At it’s heart Dystopia Rising is a horror LARP, and no one wants to embrace that theme more than your current staff. One of the ways that we evoke this theme is by an age-old spook tactic known as ‘cabin raids.’ It’s pretty self explanatory right? A baddie comes into your sleeping space at way past stupid o’ clock in that morning intent to do your LC harm. That harm can range from giving you a good spook or attacking you, but the intent is to be exciting while telling a good story!  

Now, everyone who chooses to sleep in the Wasteland opts into cabin raids, because sleeping in the Wasteland is inherently more dangerous. However, with cabin raids ramping up it’s important to know who is the most willing to buy into that plot. So we will be doing a Cabin Raid Opt In procedure!

Cabin raid Opt In

Together your ENTIRE cabin must decide that they want to opt-in for Cabin Raids. Once you do, you may send ONE player to Check In at the Post Office to receive a glow stick and a piece of twine. Place that glow stick on the front of your cabin before playing on. Then you… wait. 

A few things to mention: if you are sleeping in Wasteland and don’t choose to put a glow stick on your cabin, it does not mean you are safe from cabin raids. It just means that the staff will put preference on the cabins that have been marked with a glow stick. This also means that sleeping spaces that are in non-Wasteland can opt into cabin raids too, only if the ENTIRE inhabitants of your sleep space agree. The only sleep space that cannot opt in is our Med Sleep cabin – Wigwam.

This is a cool new thing that will help staff deliver the most exciting nighttime experience, but it’s important that you go over our existing information on CvC, SES, and Wasteland/Non-Wasteland behaviors before engaging in the Cabin Raid Opt-In.

ICE WARNINGS

This announcement is cool too, just not the fun kind!

Once again, we’re expecting a cold weekend. Camp Kachina has asked that we keep the faucets dripping overnight—especially on Friday. We’ll have a staff member turn them after the first shift ends at 2pm. We’re asking that if you use them in the middle of the night that you keep them dripping.

Early Bird Caps Bonus!

The next thing on the agenda is a special offer and we want to put it on the table before the game, so you know the expectations:

We are offering 50 Caps to players that are on the 10pm-2am Friday NPC Shift who show up 30 minutes early.

So that basically will be right after Opening Announcements. We’ll offer this for the first 10 players that show up to help us. We need to be ready to start the game as soon as the bell rings and this will give us our best chance to do so. 50 Caps is enough to buy a FULL MIND REFRESH meal, which could be handy during the game!

Regents of the Tribes Disparate - Who’s Who?

The final thing is a list of faces you can expect to see play the Regents of the 13 Tribes Disparate. They have all been coached to help enhance your role playing experience this weekend, but keep in mind that most of these people are players and not staff so treat them with the same grace that you would treat yourself!

The Incumbent

• Prince Shale, Regent of the Antler Tribe - Josh Jones

The Unionists

• Mama Rabbit, Regent of the The Rabbit Family - Vincent Livingston

• Sky Captain Bliss, Regent of the The Cloudskippers - Harlow Ulmer 

• “Boss” Lucy Frances Debs, Regent of The Local 727 - Barbara Jermyn

• Colonel “Sabbath” Jacinto, Regent of The Jacintos Militia - Anastasia Mars

The Independents

• Captain Marina La’sander, Regent of The Longberths - Sadie Hawkins

• Brother Janus, Regent of The Hermits of Helios - Harold Wilson

• High Architect Lavender, Regent of The Curators - Kenzie Unger

• Matriarch Fawn Cervaxi, Regent of The Cervaxi Tribe - Riva Amyett (LC)

The Disparate

• The Lightbearer, Regent of The Torchlights - Zachary Ryan

• Sedan Fourd’or, Regent of The Sweetwater Clan - Clint Jaskier

• Malorous Mab, Regent of The Cali*Co Caravan - Merp Tastic

• King Hogon Clarkson, Regent of the SCAdians - Joshua Zimm (LC)

The Prodigal Son, The Exile

• Lord Hush, Exiled Regent of The Oxkillers - Sam Mars

That’s it for now Vados! See you in a few hours!