Character Creation in DRL

DR Live will launch in Texas during our February 2025 event, “Cradle’s Lullaby”

As you get ready for next edition of Dystopia Rising, DR LIVE, the best thing you can do to get ready is pre-build your character BEFORE arriving on site in February. Let’s walk through how to create a character sheet for the new edition and a step-by-step guide for using the new DRL Database.

NOTE: This was our character creation guide for our DOWNFALL event in October 2024, but will still be useful as we approach the launch of the new edition.

If this isn’t something you’ll be able to complete before the event, that’s fine. We will help you write your character on site, but you’ll end up using having a paper character sheet and a calculator to figure out your sheet if you don’t have phone access. If you want a fancy printed sheet available at check-in, let’s make sure you have the sheet ready in time!

Let’s get started with how to update your character sheet for DR Live:

Checking Into the DR Live Event

Step 1: Access the Juno Database

First, make sure you have the right link! During the first Owner’s Meeting, a link was circulated that is no longer active. Basically, if the word “staging” is in the link at all, it’s the wrong one. Check the URL on your browser to make sure, as this is the single most common error we’ve heard folks have encountered.

• Here’s the correct link: https://juno.dystopiarisingnetwork.com/

Optional: Generic Character Builder

NOTE: If you click the link for DYSTOPIA RISING near the bottom of the page before signing in, you will be brought to a generic character builder page. This link is great for planning out your builds with friends, but it’s only a local link.

If you use this version of the character builder, the URL link will change as you edit the sheet. As soon as you add a skill or anything else, you’ll have a custom link for that character build. This can be great for planning, but we really want to focus on the actual builder for the first DR Live event. It won’t actually update your actual character sheet for the game, and you’ll lose any changes you make when you leave the page, so make sure to save the link!

In case this option sounds interesting, here’s the link to the blank Generic Character Creator:

• https://juno.dystopiarisingnetwork.com/dystopia-rising/characters?h=0000000

Step 2: Click the “SIGN IN” button and log in

To start the process, let’s click the blue SIGN IN button. This will bring up the Sign Up box for your email address and password. One of the cool things about the new database is that it uses all the same info as the 3.0 Character Database.

If you are a new player and this is your first game, then you will have an account created for you after you register using the ticket purchase system. Usually new player accounts are created once pre-reg for the event closes, and we will check you in manually to the shifts you want, so you do not need to self-check in your first game.

If you are a pre-existing player, and this is your first time using the new check-in system, then you may need to reset your password to log in.

If you are still unable to log-in, email us at info@dystopiarisingtx.com

Step 3: Click the Event calendar link

Because the Juno system uses our existing character data, namely XP Totals, it’s important that you first check in to the National Event to create a character.

After you’ve logged in, click on the EVENT CALENDAR tab on the left hand column of the page. This will open up the list of months with a drop down menu beside each one marked by a ‘down arrow’.

You’ll need to click the ENTER symbol that shows up under the game you are checking into. Look for the February event labeled “Cradle’s Lullaby”.

step 4: Check into the National Event

If you haven’t logged in yet, it will prompt you to do so at this point. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll need to complete a few tasks:

• Select your ticket type. Choose the down arrow where it says “Select a Ticket” and it will show you several choices.

  • For most folks this will be “$85 Standard Casting [4H]”.

• Choose the Extra XP you paid for. You’ll select the amount from 0-3 that you purchased for the event. Remember, purchasing additional XP is a great way to support DR:TX in investing in better props and covering our costs for game.

• Select which characters you want printed at the event. If you won’t be playing that character for that event, you can unselect the character on the right hand column.

  • You can play as many characters as you like at an event, but you must play each character for at least four hours.

• Choose your Casting Shift and Cleanup Shift. Each Casting Shift is broke into a 2-Hour Time, so for most normal tickets you’ll need to choose TWO (2) Casting Shift times. If you mess this up, we can fix it later during check-in, don’t worry! The final Clean Up Shift will largely be selected for you at game, but you can pick your preference.

• Click the “Check-In” Button at the bottom of the page. Once you’ve completed all the selections, finish up the Check In.

Step 4: Wait until your characters are migrated

The next step is the hardest, to be honest. You gotta WAIT, up to 12 hours.

When the Juno database was first revealed, players were eager to build new characters in DRL and it created an unfortunate side effect. When folks simply edited characters that existed in 3.0, it ended up corrupting the data of that XP log and character. To fix this issue, the network admin simply disabled any 3.0 character from being edited in the Juno system.

In order to truly start character creation you’ll have to be checked in and a brand new EXPERIMENTAL character slot needs to be created for your character. If you don’t see an character on the left hand side of the page marked with the (Experimental) tag, your account still needs to be updated.

If you try to access a 3.0 character slot, you’ll just see a note that reads “This Character has not been migrated and is incompatible with DR:Live Rule Set.”

There’s no further action you need to do other than Check In to create this slot and migrate your XP totals for DRL.

Gloria and the Network Support Team have been getting this done pretty quickly, but you can expect up to 12 hours until this slot is added on your account. If you still don’t see something after a few days, send us an email at info@dystopiarisingtx.com and we will help you resolve the issue.

Remember, you can still plan out your character using the Generic Character Builder until your Experimental slot is ready.

Step 5: Access the Right Character & Unlock it

Once you can see an (Experimental) tag by your character slot, you can start brewing up your DR Live Build! You’ll be able to see a similar “Share Build” link in the middle that works the same as the generic character sheet builder. This is a handy link to share with your crew as you are planning out your team’s build for the DOWNFALL event.

To get started, make sure you UNLOCK the character. You’ll find the lock button on the top right of the page, marked with a little LOCK icon.

Once you are unlocked, you’ll be able to edit the character sheet sections.

Step 6: Choose Your Strain, Strain Type, and Faith first

You might see an error if you don’t select a Strain, so make sure you select this option first!

You can also choose a Strain Variant in the builder, and while this will offer a tantalizing sneak peek at the final Strained Ancestry DR Live book and the names of the variant disadvantages and advantages.

Each character will still use the Standard Strain mechanics found in the DR Live Corebook for our National event, even if you choose Wastelander or Civilized on your character sheet.

If you’ve been inducted into a Faith, you can choose from the menu or you can leave it as “Faithless” if you’d rather leave this for later or make a decision in-game.

Step 7: Complete Your Character

This next part is mostly self-explanatory, but you can find further details in the Player’s Guide on the specifics of character creation. I’ll cover the basics and new additions of character creation here just in case.

Here’s a few helpful page numbers to reference during Character Creation:

• Character Creation Quick List (p. 8)

• Earning and Spending XP Points (p. 13-14)

• Default Skills (p. 30)

• Impact Skills (p. 33)

• Development Skills (p. 41)

• Lores (p. 53)

• Professions (p. 55)

Keep track of your total purchases with the new XP Wheel.

• This is an awesome new tool that shows where you’ve spent your XP on the character. Each section from Development Skills to Impact Skills will show up in a different color.

  • Green - Stats (Body, Mind, etc.)

  • Orange - Impact Skills

  • Purple - Development Skills

  • Blue - Aberrant Skills

  • Yellow - Professions

  • Red - Total XP in Skills

• When in doubt, we recommend trying to balance out how many XP you spend on Skills vs Stats. There’s no real rule for what your ratio should be, but spending about 1/3 of your total build is a good mark to aim for. Body and Mind are important in game, so don’t forget to save XP!

Resolve & Infection Pools

• Each character starts with three (3) Resolve and Infection (p. 15-16, Player’s Guide). This is no longer tied to your Strain and you can raise your permanent stat with spent XP. Keep in mind this is pretty expensive, so this might be a later goal if you are just starting out.

• Remember these stats are simply the MAX of what you can have in the appropriate POOL. Resolve is also much more precious in DR Live, especially for using certain crafted items and Skills, and Infection determines how many times you can come back after a death.

• If you reach ZERO Resolve, that character gains a Fracture (p. 71, Player’s Guide) which can reduce your total Mind Points and even kill your character if you get too many. Plus, you won’t be able to use any mechanics or items that need you to spend Resolve.

• If you reach ZERO Infection your character will be permanently DEAD so this is a great stat to spend some precious XP on, especially if you want to delve into dangerous Necrology procedures. There are ways for players to have a chance to regain Current Infection via in-game mechanics (like Necrology-related medical procedures), but you are limited to how many times you can do this per year (p. 16, Player’s Guide).

Default Skills

• Every character has access to the Default Skills (p. 31, Player’s Guide), but this also includes your stats of Body and Mind on the character builder.

• As soon as you’ve acquired a total of thirty (30) extra Body and Mind beyond what you start with as your Strain, you’ll unlock the Default Professions (p. 56, Player’s Guide) of Battle Wall, Shock Trooper, and Violence Technician.

• These are probably the cheapest Professions to unlock on a character, but it’ll likely be out of range for brand new starting characters, since it still costs 10 XP to purchase your first Profession.

Impact Skills

• Impact Skills (p. 33, Player’s Guide) are the bread and butter of DR Live characters. These are quick use skills that reset every 20 minutes if you’ve not used other Impact skills or weapons in that time frame. This means these skills will get used a LOT in DR Live, and each time you purchase a use of an Impact Skill it increases the number of times you can use it before running out.

• If you purchase at least five (5) uses between two linked Impact Skills, you’ll be able to unlock the linked Impact Profession (p. 57, Player’s Guide). You can easily see the dependencies of these skills by following the lines next to the Impact Skill. Once you’ve unlocked the Profession (p. 55, Player’s Guide), you’ll be able to purchase the appropriate Profession Impact Skills. Remember, you can only have three (3) total professions split between both categories.

• Great Impact Skills to consider if you are starting out in DR Live for the first time are Avoid, First Aid, and Double Tap. Even one use of these skills will come up frequently during the average DR event.

Aberrant Skills

• Aberrant Skills come in both types, Impact (p. 39, Player’s Guide), and Development (p. 49, Player’s Guide).

• Any purchase of an Aberrant skill makes your character gain the keyword ABERRANT. You can find details of the penalties this includes on p. 25-26 of the Guide’s Guide, but it generally means Skills and items that target psions will have a greater effect on you, particularly certain zombie threat skills.

• Aberrant Skills can unlocked the linked Aberrant Professions (p. 62, Player’s Guide), and you can see the linked skills by following the blue lines that connect them to the appropriate Profession.

• Biogenetics is the stand out Aberrant Impact Skill for new players, allowing for quick emergency healing in the middle of a fight that is faster than skills like First Aid or Medical.

Development Skills

• Development Skills (p. 41, Player’s Guide) are the only Skills fueled by Mind Points. These offer powerful ways to interact with crafting and the in-game economy, as well as faith skills and other ways to interact with Grave Mind.

• Remember, Mind Points don’t refresh until the end of the event, so be careful about spending too much XP on Development Skills without also raising your amount of Mind Points.

• Development Skills have a different cost than Impact Skills, but can unlock Development Professions (p. 60, Player’s Guide) when you reach Master-tier on two linked skills. Like the Impact Professions, you can see the dependencies via the purple lines that connect the skills. Many of these Professions provide new ways to spend Resolve or Mind. Remember, you can only have three (3) total professions split between both categories.

• For new players, remember that every Strain starts with Mind Points, even if you choose not spend any further XP on this stat. As such, it’s always a good idea to reserve 5 XP in your build to give yourself a way to use those Mind Points before the end of the event. Some great choices are Agricultural, Foraging, Medical, or Travel.

Lores

• If you choose the Education Development Skill, you’ll unlock three (3) new Lores (p. 53, Player’s Guide) per level you purchase. Remember, the Education skill is generally needed to copy most Blueprints in the game.

• These Lores are frequently needed to craft certain Blueprints, interact with Zones of Mechanics in game, or on various Lore Cards you might find during an event.

• The Jones Profession offers several ways to interact with Lores via the Development Skill and certain crafted items.

Step 8: Lock the Character

Once you’ve finished all your edits to your character for your first DR Live event, make sure to select the LOCK button on the top right corner of the page. You can always tell if you are in edit mode by looking for the Pencil or Unlock icon near the top of the page.

Juno will automatically lock your character when you leave the page, but locking the character is helpful to prevent any accidental clicks while you are planning.

• TIP: If you accidentally overspend on your character, it will delete random skills and purchases to get your character under the XP totals after you save the character. Make sure you are following along on the XP Wheel as you plan out your character and save yourself some frustration trying to re-edit the sheet.

Character Sheets will need to be entered in the Juno Database before Saturday before the next game. After this point, you’ll get a hand written or printed sheet at game.