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The Last Hurrah

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Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our December Premiere event FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK! This will be the last game under the 3.0 system, led by Andrew Harper. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering the wrap up of our 3.0 mechanics during the last game of this edition, and the Last Hurrah Zone of Mechanics.

  • If you had a great experience at our last event THE FUTILITY OF EVIL or had some suggestions for how we can improve, we’d love to hear from you! We appreciate your high-fives and suggestions, and always want to seek ways to improve our events.

  • Buy Back for 3.0 Events ends on December 15th!

    Any local DR:TX player can still retroactively buy tickets for past events they missed, or for any past XP you didn’t add to the ticket since your character has been created. Travelers can still purchase for old DR:TX Premiere events too! If you missed an event there’s still time to make sure you don’t miss out on the XP! This is a great way to both support our game and add some XP to your roster before the transition to DR Live. After December 15th, our new contract will prevent this purchase and you will no longer be able to buy XP for any past 3.0 events. Don’t miss out!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Lily-Jay Jones, Miranda Farmer, Noah Goodman, Seth Kahler, and Max Pohlmeier.

The Last Hurrah!

The last game of the 3.0 era will take place during our December event. This is an exciting time for DR as we are on the cusp of a new rule set but we still get to say goodbye to the system we’ve had for the past 7 years. As the world gets a bit more dangerous and the enemies grow more numerous, you’ll need to rely more on your natural abilities in the months to come than some special trick or item. During this last event, we will have some ways to ‘cash out’ on some items you might still have in your supply bags from previous events.

REMINDER: All custom DR:TX Local Item Cards and DR:TX Local Blueprints will be removed from the game as of January 1st, 2025, unless these cards specifically state they may be used with the DR Live ruleset. This includes items like Leviathan Salts, Grave Dust, Reckoner Gauntlets, and any other LPC used during the 3.0 era.

A custom Zone of Mechanics called “The Last Hurrah” will be posted at the Post Office for this event, allowing you to part with a few key items in exchange for currency, scrap, and herb. Let’s cover how you can use it for this event:

The first ability of this Zone of Mechanics deals with the humble SES Credit. You might have earned these by participating in the Survival Ethos System, but if you were not one of the many players that spent their remaining credits during the September event, you’ll have one last opportunity to trade in.

Reputation Farming

SES Credits were formerly the purview of the elite Strikers of the Red Ledger.  With their influence waning after the fall of the San Saba Board, the doors their reputation once opened are swiftly closing.

Each remaining SES Credit may be exchanged for the following:

1 SES Credit - 1 Blueprint, 5 Brass or 1 Lineage-Specific Intoxication Brew

2 SES Credits - a single Basic-tier crafted Weapon, Gizmo, or Augment of your choice with a 1 year expiration date.

The previous Red Ledger Buylist ultimately allowed you to purchase certain Blueprints, Augments, or other useful items for the combat elite, so this trade in is meant to echo that one last time. This can be a great way to outfit your new crew members before DR Live

Next up is the Mysterious Ore and the War Supplies used during our War of Antlers events last season. While these were used in many of our Local Blueprints, these will be going away in the new edition. While we might eventually get to revisit local items like this, for now this is your last chance to trade in. The rate here is a much less than it took to make the items originally, but it’s a better value than just storing the item cards in a binder somewhere.

Amaranthite Investments & War Profiteering

The mysterious ore known as Amaranthite may yet have uses, if you are patient.  For those wanting more immediate gratification, the RRC is willing to take the risk (and eventual reward) in your place, for a much smaller profit than before.

The Militia has requested any remaining War Supplies from the war to outfit their soldiers.  They have offered scrap and herb in exchange for the valuable bandages, ammo, and resources in the kits once gathered by Vados.

You may exchange five (5) Amaranthite OR one (1) War Supplies for one choice from the following resources:

3 Basic Scrap

1 Uncommon Scrap

2 Basic Herb

1 Uncommon or Rare Herb

1 Named Herb or Produce

The final note on this Zone of Mechanics isn’t a way to trade in an item, but rather a note for the future. The local currency known as the Shard of the Red Crown isn’t quite done. During the last season, this has mostly functioned as a temporary 20-note currency with NPCs, and it’s been used in several Local Blueprints as a resource.

This card is still a neat collectible for currency collectors, but we will eventually creating an official DR:TX 20-note that matches our aesthetic of Brass, Lead, and Tin. This still needs to be approved by National, but our plan is to swap out Shards for STEEL NOTES at a later event in the season. This won’t be a 1-to-1 trade, but it should still be lucrative for those that are patient.

Shards of the Red Crown:

These strange items have been diminished after the disappearance of the Prince Undying, but there are rumors of a new 20-note, the STEEL NOTE, that will soon replace this currency.  Those that are patient will be able to swap their Shards for this new currency, or keep them as collector’s items.

New Work Orders for a New Age

Along with the upcoming sun setting and changes to our Local Blueprints and Local Plot Cards, we have one last change on the horizon for this event and beyond. One local Zone of Mechanics that will continue into the new world of DR Live is the popular WORK ORDER.

We’ve had these available for new players and veterans alike, and you can complete one of these task lists during each event. You don’t have to complete every task on the Work Order, but it does represent a way to put some currency and scrap into your pocket when you first arrive at game if you are willing to do work to get paid.

Take a look:

Each task of the WORK ORDER can be completed by anyone, regardless of XP levels or skills. While there are some abilities that reward certain Skill choices that have less immediate use for a new player, the majority of these rewards are accessible with a bit of role play, exploration, and commerce.

In total, if you finish every step of the WORK ORDER you can earn up to 10 Brass, 2 Basic Herb or Scrap, a Blueprint to get you started, and a themed FACTION bonus depending on what faction you choose to support.

If you’ve completed a WORK ORDER during a past event, one change you might notice right away is the removal of the SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP perk that used to be on Task 6. While we are hopeful that a similar mechanic will return in the future of DR Live, it will likely be next season before the book detailing this mechanic arrives, Apocalyptic Control, in Summer 2025. Until then, we’ve chosen to remove all of these mechanics until such time they return.

For now, these work orders will continue to influence to popularity and influence of the major San Saba Factions, so make sure you select the one you want to thrive and prosper as your final task.

Wrap Up

That’s it for today Vados!

We hope that you will come join us for our next event, our last DR:TX event using the 3.0 rules for Dystopia Rising. We have some fun surprises in store for you during this game, and we hope that you are ready to try and survive the looming Long Night. Will your memories fail you as you wander the lonely woods of Bravado? Will something terrible find you in the shadows, or will you discover the answer to the strange happenings and disappearances? Will you be forgotten in the dark?

Next week we will cover some last minute RULES YOU SHOULD KNOW and a few logistics reminders before the event. See you soon, Vados!

Tickets are on sale for our DECEMBER event now! Don’t miss THE LAST GAME of 3.0!

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Caught Alone

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Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our December Premiere event FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK! This will be the last game under the 3.0 system, led by Andrew Harper. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering a key mechanic of the event, being caught ALONE IN THE DARK!

  • If you had a great experience at our last event THE FUTILITY OF EVIL or had some suggestions for how we can improve, we’d love to hear from you! We appreciate your high-fives and suggestions, and always want to seek ways to improve our events.

  • Buy Back for 3.0 Events ends on December 15th!

    Any local DR:TX player can still retroactively buy tickets for past events they missed, or for any past XP you didn’t add to the ticket since your character has been created. Travelers can still purchase for old DR:TX Premiere events too! If you missed an event there’s still time to make sure you don’t miss out on the XP! This is a great way to both support our game and add some XP to your roster before the transition to DR Live. After December 15th, our new contract will prevent this purchase and you will no longer be able to buy XP for any past 3.0 events. Don’t miss out!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Lily-Jay Jones, Miranda Farmer, Noah Goodman, Seth Kahler, and Max Pohlmeier.

Caught Alone

We’ve touched a bit on some spooky mechanics for the winter months during previous DR:TX events. This year, these mechanics are back for a final time with a bit of a twist. When people go missing in the early hours of the Long Night, they often come back missing something important. For some, it’s just a few hours of their time while others forget things more significant. Some haven’t even returned at all if they were caught alone, as the night is dark and full of terrors.

Let’s talk about what this will mean for your character. The mechanics for getting caught are simple:

  • If you are caught alone in the dark after sunset in a place where you can no longer see another person, you might find yourself CAUGHT ALONE.

  • You can either choose to self-report this as a means of opting into the story of the weekend, or a Guide or Storyteller might catch you out in the darkness and send to you Ops if they catch you.

  • You should report to Ops at your next convenience to determine what happens next. If it’s late at night after Ops has closed, you can just come back in the morning to determine what happened.

  • Characters using Basic Stealth can move freely in the darkness while alone, but if a [REDACTED] calls “Alert!”, you’ll suffer the consequences of the Caught Alone mechanic. It’s better to be quiet and unseen, when the unknown things are prowling the darkness.

  • If a player uses “Never Here” and leaves you alone in the dark as they vanish, you could be Caught Alone. Make sure you trust your walking buddy to get you safely to your cabin!

  • There will be actual Threats wandering in the darkness throughout the evenings for this event, so this mechanic isn’t the only danger after sunset.

Let’s talk about what happens next. Don’t read ahead if you want this to be a surprise.

++[SPOILER WARNING!]++

What Happens Next…

If you get Caught Alone during the December event, you’ll proceed to Ops and check on the chart below for what happens next. We’ve chosen to make this a roll of a D6, to mimic several abilities of this sort in the upcoming DR Live ruleset, as well as the Advantage and Disadvantage keywords.

Here’s the specifics of this mechanic:

A LC reporting to Ops for the Caught Alone mechanic should roll one d6 and use the result on the chart below:

Non Aberrant Travelers and Duster roll with Advantage, rolling two d6s and choosing the result they want from the two rolls.

Aberrants roll with Disadvantage, rolling two d6s and must take the lower roll. 

Items may not be used to reroll this roll.

So, let’s cover a few frequently asked questions here.

  • You are an Aberrant if you have ANY psionic or faithful skill on your sheet.

    • In DR Live, being an Aberrant will also mess with rolls for various Grave Mind procedures and increase the number of abilities that can be used against you by monsters.

  • Advantage and Disadvantage work similarly to D&D and other RPGs. Roll two dice, and pick the highest if you have Advantage, or pick the lowest if you have Disadvantage.

  • You can’t use items like the Wasteland Hauler to reroll this dice, as it’s not a function of the Post Office. Think of this like a camp-wide Zone of Mechanics.

  • You can always choose to opt out of the memory loss mechanic below if you don’t enjoy that role play. If you choose this option, you’ll take some damage and a Mangle from the things in the dark, and you can return to play wounded but alive.

  • You can choose to be killed by the things in the darkness if you prefer, but you may be asked to come back later for a Grave Mind scene if the death is happening at the same time as other events in the Morgue.

What is Forgotten in the Dark

When you roll the dice for the Caught Alone mechanic, a few things can happen:

[1] A broad memory is lost.  Pick a broad memory (such as a small group, a settlement, a chain of related events, or a grouping of related skills).  That memory is gone.

[2] A narrow memory is lost.  Pick a narrow memory (such as a single person, a single location in a settlement, a short event, or one skill).  That memory is gone.

[3] A narrow memory is lost.  Pick a narrow memory (such as a single person, a single location in a settlement, a short event, or one skill).  That memory is gone.

[4] A recent memory grows distant.  Pick a recent memory (such as changes in a small group, a settlement, a chain of recent events, or a recently learned skill) and the next time that memory is relevant, spend a scene roleplaying struggling to remember the chosen memory while slowly reclaiming it.

[5] A narrow memory grows distant.  Pick a narrow memory (such as a single person, a single location in a settlement, a short event, or one skill) and the next time that memory is relevant, spend a scene roleplaying struggling to remember the chosen memory while slowly reclaiming it.

[6] The cold presses in and you can feel an alien feral hunger searching for you.  But you make your escape before it finds you.

Our Storytellers can you help you pick a memory that is impacted, but it’s entirely up to you. You can always opt for a lower roll than you actually made, and you can also opt-out of this memory loss, as listed below:

[Optional] If a LC does not wish to RP memory loss, instead of rolling on the table they may escape from a Longwalker.  Lose half your current body and mind in the process, and a limb of your choice is mangled. 

As you can see, a few of the options are repeated on the chart, and the lower rolls generally have a more severe effect. This means that Aberrants will be more likely to suffer the memory loss than other survivors, but most of these effects are targeted at specific role play scenarios.

As with any key mechanic, let’s cover a few basics:

  • The memories chosen should be important and impactful to roleplay.  They should not be trivial to work around.

    • In the spirit of the story, we hope that you will choose something meaningful and important to your character. If you just forget an unimportant memory, your friends probably won’t be able to notice that something happened to you. Steer a bit into the story, and miss out on something major!

  • Memories related to CvC or Criminal actions with potential consequences may not be lost. You can’t game this system to accidentally ‘forget’ that crime you just committed. Sorry!

  • Lost memories will NOT return on their own, but may be restored with Master Biokinesis (in the DR Live ruleset).  A plot card will be written for lost memories if a player wishes to regain them later. This lost memory will function as a “Mental Block Item Card”, and can be restored using the rules in the DRL Player’s Guide on page 56 starting in February.

  • As a story tool for transitioning to DR Live,  a lower roll result may always be chosen if desired to explain large character changes.

Memory Loss & DR Live

One of the big reasons we were drawn to this mechanic once more is the chance to give our players permission to make some big changes as we move into a new edition. As you get ready for this change, you might see fit to update some aspects of your character’s story to better match the new world of DR Live.

The memory loss from the Caught Alone mechanic could be an excellent catalyst to change important parts of your story. Here’s a few examples and ideas:

  • Forget parts of your backstory that never made it into play. Good backstories find ways to make it into your roleplay or in-character stories, but sometimes that bit you wrote a few years ago doesn’t make much sense. Maybe your character forgot that brother they once had, or forgot their time in another settlement. Maybe they forget everything about Bravado, a new victim of the Fog of Memories, and you’ll get to cause some angst with your friends in the new world.

  • Forget a crew or character group. With several factions changing for DRL, it might be time to explore some new opportunities with the Militia or the RRC for DR Live. Maybe your crew has since scattered, and it’s time to find a new family or friends to gather together for safety. This is a great time to set up new alliances, forge new bonds with new characters, and explain away some narrative changes for your player faction.

  • Forget lores or other bits of in-character legends so you can update your character for live. Was your character a Grave Head, or a master of Raider Lore? What if they weren’t anymore? Changes to Lores can be a cool way to explore a new specialty or focus on your character.

  • Forget old characters that have moved on, so you can focus on new connections. It’s no secret that sometimes folks move on from DR or a character might meet their final death. This could be an excellent time to change how those memories impacted your character and try something new. What new ties might you be able to make without the shackles of the past?

  • Forget skills or abilities that you won’t have in DR Live. This is a great time to explain away your changes to your character sheet. Your character forgot how to cook? Must have been the Long Night. Your character suddenly can’t remember their psionic abilities? That was sure some spooky Longwalker you encountered. Got a cool new weapon or armor prop? Time to ‘find’ that new gear just in time for the next edition.

  • Forget Lineage abilities or backgrounds. While this is probably the most extreme example, you could even forget a Lineage or Strain! When we complete the transition to DR Live, you’ll be able to reset all the aspects of your character, including their Lineage. Is your city-bound Nomad now being called to the road as a Wastelander Nomad? Did your Townie forget their home in Old York, and suddenly realized a different calling in their faith? This is a great way to explain away some major changes!

How will you use being Caught Alone to update your story for DR Live?

Wrap Up

That’s it for today, Vados.

We hope that you will come join us for our next event, our last DR:TX event using the 3.0 rules for Dystopia Rising. We have some fun surprises in store for you during this game, and we hope that you are ready to try and survive the looming Long Night. Will your memories fail you as you wander the lonely woods of Bravado? Will something terrible find you in the shadows, or will you discover the answer to the strange happenings and disappearances? Will you be forgotten in the dark?

Next week we will cover some of the Last Hurrah mechanics of 3.0, and some ways to cash out on your SES Points, Local Plot Cards, and more. See you soon, Vados!

Tickets are on sale for our DECEMBER event now! Don’t miss THE LAST GAME of 3.0!

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Forgotten in the Dark

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Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our December Premiere event FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK! This will be the last game under the 3.0 system, led by Andrew Harper. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering the premise of our event, some content warnings, and some themes of our upcoming event!

  • If you had a great experience at our last event THE FUTILITY OF EVIL or had some suggestions for how we can improve, we’d love to hear from you! We appreciate your high-fives and suggestions, and always want to seek ways to improve our events.

  • Buy Back for 3.0 Events ends on December 15th!

    Any local DR:TX player can still retroactively buy tickets for past events they missed, or for any past XP you didn’t add to the ticket since your character has been created. If you missed an event there’s still time to make sure you don’t miss out on the XP! This is a great way to both support our game and add some XP to your roster before the transition to DR Live. After December 15th, our new contract will prevent this purchase and you will no longer be able to buy XP for any past 3.0 events. Don’t miss out!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Lily-Jay Jones, Miranda Farmer, Noah Goodman, Seth Kahler, and Max Pohlmeier.

PREMIERE EVENT TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!

First off, FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK is a DR:TX PREMIERE EVENT.

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

WHAT DO THEY OFFER?

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

  • NATIONAL CONTENT— National items like Wells Society Favors, ABCs, ARKs, and other National-level currency can be distributed during these events. Premiere events give out less of these items than a National game, but they will still be available through mods and events. We will also continue the story we introduced during DOWNFALL of the Illusions of Civility plotkit!

  • BIGGER PLOTS, BIGGER THREATS — In general you can expect a more intense threat than a normal DR:TX event during a Premiere game, including our very own breed of mysterious threat - the LONGWALKERS.

  • LAST HURRAH! — You gain the ability to Self Teach ANY PFA or Skill that you are able to learn, on each of your characters that are checked in. That’s right, if you always wanted that PFA, you can just add it to your sheet for this game. If you have an Advanced Membership, you can Self Teach a Skill or PFA for each of your three characters! Get one last use of that PFA before the world changes in February!

    • This is the last event that sunsetted items like SES Credits or Local Blueprints can be used. Don’t miss your last chance to use these unique resources before we move to DR Live!

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

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

DR Live start date!

During the 3rd Quarter, the Network Advisory Board met to discuss and vote on the upcoming transition to Dystopia Rising: Live. After thorough discussions and collaboration across all branches, a unanimous decision was made regarding the following key dates:

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

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

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

We will meet once more before Thanksgiving to iron out the details of the transition process, including character builds, item trade ins, and more. We will have more details on this process soon.

Mark your calendars for February 7-9, 2025, as "Cradle's Lullaby" will officially kick off Dystopia Rising: Live for the Texas chapter! With those details out of the way, let’s take a look at the story of FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK!

THE PREMISE - FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK

As we approach the threshold of Winter’s door, thoughts turn to the plans, solidarity, remembrance, and rituals needed to see Survivors through the Long Night.  The past year has been full of upheaval and change. The Winter Lights tradition normally remembers those lost and no longer able to join us at the table, and it is also a time of reflecting on the future.

But that future is uncertain and ever changing.  The unified structure of the San Saba has collapsed into constellations of independent settlements each trying to claw prosperity from the anarchy of an uncaring wasteland.  The once great factions retreat to attempt to rebuild and reshape their future.  To the north a great warband of Raiders scours these settlements from the map.  Zombies everywhere grow more fell and tenacious.

But reaching that future requires first surviving the Long Night.  For something is wrong in Bravado as the days grow shorter.  Time tested plans fall apart leaving a scramble for necessities.  Rituals of comfort and assurance waver and leave only feelings of insecurity and doubt.  And worst yet, suddenly empty homes and farms leave phantom disappearances in place of community and solidarity to see through the challenges of winter.  Survivors sense an alien, feral hunger just out of sight, gnawing at the edges of their memories.

The Long Night approaches and waits for no one. What can be done when the ways that worked before wander where the memory can’t recall them?  How does a community survive when members go missing, memory is stolen, and the lost cease to exist to those that should miss them?  Where do you go when you don’t remember where home is anymore?  
When memories fade and the lost vanish… will Bravado endure, or be Forgotten in the Dark?

Sounds like this will be a Long Night to remember!

INSPIRATION & TROPES

This season in Bravado we have focused on bringing some new elements of Survival Horror to the forefront of the story. In our tradition of Radical Trust, we want to share some of the inspirational bits of media and movie magic that we feel help capture the themes and feelings of our upcoming event. If you are looking for a movie or show to inspire your role play for this event, here’s a list of our favorites to get ready for FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK:

  • Star Trek: the Next Generation, S4 E5 “Remember Me”

  • 30 Days of Night

  • Darkness Falls

During this next event, there will be many things going “bump” in the night. Much like in the movie 30 Days of Night, darkness will equal death. Venturing away from the protective light of community risks meeting the fell things that stalk the darkness. As the winter approaches, our survivors must hole up for a dangerous winter, though we might need to worry more about zombies than vampires.

Like in one of Andrew’s favorite Star Trek episodes, “Remember Me”, the Long Night brings with it the creeping horror of knowing something is going wrong but everyone else just can’t remember the things that have gone missing.  How will your characters deal with the emptiness and the certainty of the people just disappearing around you? Will you remember them or will your memory fade away?

Lastly, the things out in the dark are not survivors. Like the eldritch abomination of Darkness Falls, they are stories and legends that speak to a much more sinister truth. They are the OTHER, the monstrous, and they cannot be reasoned with. When fell things stalk the dark and memory is unexpectedly fleeting, is it justified to look over your should and check every shadow? Will you be properly paranoid, or is it just a figment of your imagination?

CONTENT WARNINGS

The themes of Dystopia Rising often touch close to our real world in ways we cannot always avoid. The DR:TX team believes that we can still tell these stories about challenging topics, but we also believe we need to be transparent about our intentions and set proper expectations for our content. In our tradition of radical trust, we want to also trust in each player that attends our game to know their own limits and be able to choose to avoid topics and situations that make them uncomfortable.

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

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

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

SUDDEN VIOLENCE, JUMP SCARES, DEADLY SURPRISES

  • The strange threats during this event will will be “killing blow active”, capable of killing your characters without need for quarter. They will have dangerous abilities that can make traveling by yourself in the darkness very dangerous indeed.

  • These stealthy threats will hunt anyone that makes noise or strays from the light, so you can avoid the sudden violence by avoiding their attention. You’ll need to stay quiet and hope they find other prey elsewhere.

  • When the fell terrors in the night attack, these will be deadly, quick, and sudden attacks out of nowhere. These threats will primarily operate at nighttime, but some will also be active during the day as well. You’ll need to be prepared to suddenly stop a conversation, silence a musical instrument, or stick to well-lit areas to prevent an attack.

Heavy Ritual themes (not linked to any religion)

  • One aspect of the upcoming event is the use of rituals, and ritualistic themes. During the holiday season, these themes might come up during our resolution of the event and as part of several in-game rituals and events, including Grave Mind scenes. These are not tied to any specific religion, in-game or out, but we understand the sanctity of the season and how these might connect in unexpected ways.

  • You can also read a bit more about our particular take on holiday traditions, Winter Lights.

Memory Loss

  • This event will touch on the strange aspects of the Fog of Memories and a more pervasive plot effect tied with the Long Night, through several opportunities to experience memory loss. This role play will generally be optional and mostly contained in the “Caught Alone” mechanic I cover below, but you may also encounter this phenomenon in other characters or through interacting with their role play around the effect.

  • Characters may forget where they are or how they got there, losing track of important memories, places, or people, get lost in places they've been many times before or have trouble with tasks that were once familiar, or asking the same question or repeating the same story over and over.

  • The primary function of this memory loss mechanic is to allow characters to prepare for the new edition. We want to empower characters to be able to change, edit, or update parts of their background, remember things differently or learn new skills, and generally prepare for the seismic shifts of canon stories as we move towards DR Live.

The Night is dark and full of terrors

Speaking of being forgotten in the dark, we will be once more using a global mechanic for this event, first borrowed from our friends in DR: Virginia, originally designed by Phil Grau. This mechanic also saw use in DR: Michigan, and we will be including our own DR:TX take on the concept below:

ALONE IN THE DARK

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

That player must, at their next convenience, drop out of character and report to Ops. Results for being Caught Alone vary wildly and could be a slight scare or a grievous consequence.

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

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

Worse yet, some report their memories of loved ones or things they should remember are fleeting and forgotten after an encounter in the dark of the night. This memory loss seems to effect different survivors in different ways, but it is certainly tied with the looming approach of the Long Night. In a world that is changed by the choices we have made over the past few seasons, how will this new and terrifying darkness change your characters?

However, the candle lights and Quiet Folk family altars of Bravado are said to protect you from the darkness, provided you can convince them to part with their lanterns to protect you. Stay in the light, lest you be FORGOTTEN IN THE DARK!

Wrap Up

That’s it for today, Vados.

We hope that you will come join us for our next event, our last DR:TX event using the 3.0 rules for Dystopia Rising. We have some fun surprises in store for you during this game, and we hope that you are ready to try and survive the looming Long Night. Will your memories fail you as you wander the lonely woods of Bravado? Will something terrible find you in the shadows, or will you discover the answer to the strange happenings and disappearances? Will you be forgotten in the dark?

Next week we will cover some of the specific memory loss mechanics you’ll encounter during this event! See you soon, Vados!

Tickets are on sale for our DECEMBER event now! Don’t miss THE LAST GAME of 3.0!

Rules You Should Know - November

Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our penultimate 3.0 event THE FUTILITY OF EVIL! This is one of the last events of the 3.0 rules system before we launch DR Live, led by Jared Schlabra. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering the last minute Rules You Should Know before you arrive on site on Friday!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including Lily-Jay Jones, Miranda Farmer, Noah Goodman, Seth Kahler, and Max Pohlmeier.

The Penultimate 3.0 Game

November is a stressful time for most of us. With an election looming, holidays close by, Black Friday craziness, it’s going to be a relief to get back to the stability of the zombie apocalypse. This game will be a great opportunity to prepare for the upcoming edition change, as well as an opportunity to earn some XP, farm some herbs, or craft those last minute items before DR Live. For this event, we have a few key transition pieces we are planning for the game that you should watch out for during this event.

We will be transitioning a few DR Live Rules into our 3.0 games, starting with THE FUTILITY OF EVIL.

  • During these next two events, you can expect to see a few familiar rules from the DR Live books. You’ll see a few threat skills you might recognize, maybe some item mechanics, or abilities from certain blueprints. Our goal during this time of transition is to familiarize you with a few key rules from the upcoming edition, and what better time to start than right now?

  • You will see some DR Live Threat Skills in play. As such, you might start to find familiar loot from monsters similar to DR Live, hear calls like ABERRANT SUFFERING, or even see strange Benedictions in play. More of our zombies may suddenly start to RISE AGAIN, and you might encounter some strange FAITH abilities that feel familiar. We want to incorporate some of the most common new items from DR Live, and pave the way for the new year.

  • We started this last season, actually. We introduced LINGERING DAMAGE last season with some local blueprints, so remember you still have a few months to use those fancy Local Plot Cards and custom items before the changeover to DR Live.

As we get ready for DR Live, our goal is to help ease the transition to the new rules by keeping them the same over the next two games. We’d rather keep these major bits similar, rather than force you to unlearn and relearn items for February.

Lastly, remember that because this is the last few events of 3.0, it’s a perfect time to take some risks, and try something new.

  • At the start of the new edition, everyone will be allowed to completely remake their characters. This also means you’ll start with at least three Infection, no matter what you ended with in 3.0. This means that as long as you don’t use your last Infection, you’ll get a new lease on life in the next edition as you suddenly regain some Infection for the new world. It’s not so bad to die over the next few games!

  • Try something new, take some risks, and step outside of your comfort zones. For the next few games, very little changes to your character will continue past the December event, so take advantage to try some new things or explore some fun new experiences like a grave mind scene, or CVC.

  • Some PFAs or items may not exist in the new edition, so enjoy them while they last! These are the last few games to do some cool Techno Savant stories, to use some Local Items, and to build certain blueprint items. Not everything will make the change to DR Live, so take advantage of this last hurrah to have some cool moments and stories with your friends.

Intelligent threats & choice Points

As the Cannibal Crown approaches Bravado, we will be facing a somewhat unique enemy threat that we haven’t dealt with in a while. The Cannibals are survivors, just like your characters. While some of their rules will resemble some common Raider enemies, they will be thinking, breathing, intelligent threats that aren’t necessarily willing to be martyrs and zealots throwing themselves into the fray.

Simply put, the Cannibals will act much like your characters will. They might fall back from a fight where they are outnumbered, or they might use treachery or subterfuge to get close to their prey. They can hold conversations, espouse their own twisted philosophies, and even maybe try to recruit a few of you into the cannibal horde. While the survival tactics of the horde are ultimately doomed to failure, the dumb cannibals died off long ago. The ones that are left are smart, cruel, and clever. They know what they want, and they’ve had a lot of practice eating people.

The cannibals can use equipment and brews, just like your characters will. Some of the cannibals will use crafted items against you, leverage unique Benedictions to empower their horde, or psionic tricks to mark their chosen champions. They are organized, deadly, and ready to take on the challenge that is Bravado — or so they think.

Despite this intelligent threat, the big unknown is YOU. The leader of the Cannibal Crown is coming with a proposition — help him escape his choices, and he’ll give you intel to take about the cannibal horde in a way that they can’t threaten other settlements again. But you’ll have some BIG CHOICES to make as we face THE FUTILITY OF EVIL.

choice points & Consequences

  • There will be several key modules during the event that will require you to make a choice. What decision you reach in these moments will depend on the folks that choose to attend the mod, and these decisions may have lasting consequences for the cannibal hordes attacking
    Bravado. Will you be able to end their threat for good, or will you chose to save your own skin instead?

  • These choices will be telegraphed in advance, usually with an OOC sign that reads “CHOICE POINT” and will generally consist of an EASY choice, and a HARD choice. While violence is Bravado’s usual answer to their problems, it’s not always the best solution. Facing the cannibals with violence probably won’t end their threat, but if you can undermine the things keeping the horde united, you may be able to answer the larger looming threat. Much like completing a challenge or achievement in the game, the harder decision will require some coordination from your group and incur a much higher risk if you fail.

  • The big choice is simple — If the horde is defeated at Bravado, they will simply emerge from the Morgue ready to hunt and eat other easier targets in towns close by. Will you be willing to risk others safety for your own ease? Or will you try to stop the Cannibal Crown for good? Will you face the Malefactors and break the will of the cannibal horde?

We will be tracking these choice points over the weekend, and you’ll be able to check in with the cannibal leader as the weekend progresses. Depending on the decisions you make, the outcome of this event will be entirely in your hands.

Rules You Should Know

With the intelligent threat of the cannibals looming, let’s talk about some different rules we will be telegraphing. If you’ve read the DR Live books, you’ll recognize most of these. We’ve selected a handful of rules that will be common in DR Live to preview during this event, and we will introduce a few more during our December event.

Let’s take a look at what you will face this weekend:

Aberrant Suffering

Call “Aberrant Suffering”. Suffering is a mechanical effect that prevents an affected Target from using Any Skills, Upsurge, or Resolve for 10 seconds. This specific skill only effects Aberrants and requires a Brawling strike. This can be Avoided like any other strike.

This is a skill that will be unlocked for players by the new Mind Killer Profession in DR Live, and it’s common skill on Aberrant Undead threats. This is a powerful control ability that will shut down an psion’s ability to use Skills, take advantage of any Upsurge abilities, or even power skills and items with Resolve. If this lands, you’ll be in a pretty dangerous situation for the next 10 seconds.

This attack can be Avoided, but it’s often used after another form of attack that leaves you helpless like a Stun, Blinding, or Take Down. If you are hit by this attack and you do not have the Aberrant keyword, it has no effect. This functions kind of like a Blinding attack that only affects psions.

betrayal

An Aberrant attack that causes the Target to attack, without holding back, the next Target the user of this skill gestures to. This skill can only be used in the Wasteland and is resisted with Mental Endurance. Use of this skill can lead to increased CvC tensions and role-play after the fact, but does not count as CvC directly as neither character Target has agency in the moment. This skill lasts for 10 minutes or until Target enters Bleed Out.

This powerful skill will only be seen on a few select zombies and maybe a few other spicy threats, but it’s sure to make an impact. When Betrayal is used, the targets will turn on their allies and fight until they enter Bleed Out or 10 minutes has passed. The only counter to this ability is Mental Endurance, but this threat skill lets you have a bit of CVC as a treat. Remember, most of the DR: Texas site is considered Wasteland, so this can be a dangerous attack basically anywhere on the campsite.

This skill functionally replaces the old ‘Compulsion’ unique DR:TX ability we’ve used throughout 3.0, and will be the face of this type of effect as we move to DR Live.

Cannibalism

A unique form of Killing Blow that takes a 10 count instead of the normal 3 count. Cannibalism causes most Zombies to regain all of their Body and Skills. Visually, cannibalism is the act of being eaten alive. Cannibalism is role-played via making active movement and sounds of consuming while crouched down next to the Target in Bleed out. If a Target was not in bleed out but instead immobilized, Cannibalism cause Agony and 5 Body Damage per second per threat using Cannibalism

The staple threat of zombies in DR Live is that every single zombie, from the lowliest of shamblers to the scariest of Maulers is functionally capable of killing you quickly. If a zombie successfully completes this call of “GNAW!!!” ten (10) times while roleplaying ripping and tearing at your bleeding body, not only will they fully heal and reset their skills, but it will also count as a Killing Blow. The NPC will call the Killing Blow after the last call, just in case you lose track of how close you are to death.

For the remainder of games in 3.0, we will be adopting this form on Cannibalism for our events. It was an awesome way to add a bit of tension to fights, remove a bit of the meta thinking around leaving people for too long during a zombie fight, and it’s a change we want some time to get used to.

remember - There is no “gnaw 1, gnaw 2, gnaw 3..” style count any longer, simply multiple calls of “GNAW!”, with a silent count for the victim being eaten.

This change is an active and intentional design choice by the author to break up a bit of the ‘meta’ around cannibalism in previous editions. There is no audible timer while you are being devoured, nor do you have the ability to gauge exactly how much longer you have until your friend is dead. If you weren’t nearby when that person hit the ground, you’ll need to act fast and make the decision to charge into the fray with a use of Rescue or an emergency brew!

This new Cannibalize threat skill will probably be the number one cause of death by zombies, so if you hear zombies gnawing on a corpse you better hurry!

Cannibalism - Modified (cannibal Autopsy)

A unique form of Killing Blow that takes a 60 count instead of the normal 3 count. Modified Cannibalism causes the [REDACTED] to regain all of their Body and Skills. Visually, cannibalism is the act of being the subject of a living autopsy where key parts are harvested and spliced with the [REDACTED] to create new [REDACTED].

Some threats this weekend will be capable of consuming you much like a zombie, but they like to take their time and SAVOR the taste while they eat you alive. The cannibal horde enjoys the grotesque act of consuming their prey, and they sometimes like to take a few souvenirs and left overs for later. This will use the same rules as above, inflicting AGONY and damage over time if you aren’t in Bleed Out, but being a slower form of the zombie cannibalism.

Victims that die in this way are sure to have a bit more trauma in the Grave Mind, as this will be a terrible way to suffer before your death at the hands of our terrifying cannibals.

Rise Again

10 seconds after being dropped to 0 health, or with both legs Mangled, a zombie regains full Body, all Impact Skills (except Rise Again), and is immune to damage for 5 seconds. A verbal growl/moan signals reanimation. If a “Double Tap” skill is used, Rise Again is negated.

Robust rise Again (x)

A zombie with a Robust Rise Again requires multiple uses (X) of Double Tap to be used in order to have Rise Again negated. All uses of Double Tap must be on the same instance of using Rise Again, and if the zombie returns to its feet, the counter resets. On each use of Double Tap less than X, the zombie NPC calls “Resisted” and groans to signify that more than one Double Tap is required to keep the zombie down.

Almost all zombies in DR Live have the ability to stand back up after being defeated, the undead corpse lifelessly rising again to devour the living. The Rise Again ability is a powerful ability you will see throughout any DR Live event, and this skill lets the zombie stand back up with full health, all of their skills, and a 5 second damage immunity. This gives the zombie time to stand back up and get back into the fray without being simply beaten down before they regenerate.

The only way to stop this is to use Double Tap in the 10 seconds before they reanimate. Certain powerful threats like Flesh Tanks and worse will even have Robust Rise Again, and this version of Rise Again will require multiple uses in that 10 second window to keep them down. Make sure you invest some XP in Double Tap!

For these next few games, you’ll see this ability more and more on Undead as they adapt to an ever changing wasteland. While Double Tap is a bit easier to use in the 3.0 rules, costing Mind Points instead of Impact Skill uses, it will still be a valuable skill to keep ready against the undead.

Wrap Up

That’s it for today. I hope you are ready to face the cannibals this weekend!

We have some fun surprises in store for you as you are ready to try and survive the cannibal hordes of THE FUTILITY OF EVIL. Will you help the Cannibal Crown escape from the choices he’s made for power? Will you help the Malefactors recognize the folly of their philosophy, or will you answer their threat with violence? Will you survive being eaten alive by vicious cannibals?

Let’s find out together!

Tickets are on sale at the door this weekend!

See you soon Vados!

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Themes & Stories of Season 6

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Howdy Vados!

It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our penultimate 3.0 event THE FUTILITY OF EVIL! This is one of the last events of the 3.0 rules system before we launch DR Live, led by Jared Schlabra. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering some of the settings updates and THEMES of Season 6 in a bit more detail.

  • TICKETS FOR OUR November EVENT ARE ON SALE NOW! Will you make the right choice?

  • If you had a great experience at our last event DOWNFALL or had some suggestions for how we can improve, we’d love to hear from you! We appreciate your high-fives and suggestions, and always want to seek ways to improve our events.

  • Downfall pictures are live! Check to see if you had the camera’s favor during Downfall!

    • We’ve posted Seth’s pictures, but have several more sets of photos coming soon!

  • As we approach the launch of DR Live, our last opportunity to offer BUYBACK XP is December 15th. This is your chance to top off your XP pool before the new edition, so make sure you don’t miss out!

Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, including our guest photographer Seth Kahler.

Picking up the pieces

Last season during our May event, the San Saba Board was stopped at the Battle of Essex. In a brutal battle, the forces of the Bravado Militia crushed the last remnants of resistance and ushered the San Saba into a new era. While the Burning Season delayed some of the collapse, the final defeat of Arthur Lovelace in September ended any chance of a territory-wide government setting roots in the area any time soon. With the wasteland growing into a harsher place, and as settlements become more isolated, our story has shifted to our hometown of Bravado. While areas outside of our town still have a bit of a story of their own, we’ve focused our narrative on the immediate area around Bravado.

Let’s cover the major updates after the end of the season and as we move into our stories of Season 6:

  • Essex was seriously damaged during the final days of the war. As the Chairman fled the armies of the Bravado Militia, he turned his gunship on the city itself, bombing innocent civilians in a display of carnage not seen in the town since the Fountainhead Incident. Buildings were destroyed, the Grave Bureau was nearly collapsed, but the Fountainhead stood strong despite the fires that swept through the forest-city. Boss Debs of the San Saba Republic has vowed to rebuild, but it will be months and years before the damage is truly recovered.

  • The Battle of Bravado was won by the forces of Bravado and their militia, turning the tide again and again against the last attacks of the San Saba Board. The town held the armies at bay at the Devil’s Gorge Bridge, protected their solar panel system against sabotage, defended their morgue from collapse, and fought back against the combined forces of the Red Ledger and the Chairman’s personal Praetorian Guard.

  • Arthur Lovelace was killed, and an elaborate murder ritual was enacted in Bravado to make sure he stayed dead. When the Chairman’s remaining forces met the Militia at Bravado, they were held at bay while the town dealt with the villain personally. His imprint was scattered, his reason for living was destroyed, and the last walk of Arthur Lovelace was witnessed. The villain is no more, his loyal assistant, Lawrence Graves suffered his final death, and there is none to take up the banner of the Board after his death.

  • The Breaker of Crowns stayed behind during the final ritual, her revenge satisfied. In a shocking turn, the Breaker of Crowns did not emerge from the Morgue after the final death of Arthur Lovelace. Some said that she had come to terms with the monstrous acts she committed in the name of the War of Antlers, but others suggest that she didn’t have a reason to leave after the death of her hated enemy. The San Saba Republic is still reeling from the loss, and have promised a memorial will be made in her honor in Essex.

  • The Red Ledger was paid a hefty ransom to betray the Chairman, and they turned on the remaining forces of the Board during the final conflict. Over 1000 Brass was collected to pay a bounty to Red Ledger in September. The conflict decimated the mercenary company, and their remaining soldiers have scattered to the winds. Without the coffers of the Board, some have joined with the Militia while others have returned to the mercenary life in towns across the Lone Star.

  • A new Bravado Charter has been signed. The Justices have approached each settlement around Bravado, offering their services, not as overlords, but as arbiters, a neutral party to help diffuse tensions before they flare into outright conflict again. Both Bastion with its strict military code, and Drywater with its descent into anarchy have declined this offer, but Bravado has opted to take a chance with this new approach and formulated a Town Charter.

  • The Wells Society Initiative has begun in the San Saba. The Wells Society has proven that their new glow shrooms can be a valuable resource during their presentations at Bastion. While there was some complications with the morgue, the agents of the Wells Society under Dr. Ezekiel Abbott have begun to offer their unique resource to more settlements near Bravado.

  • The Bastion Morgue was stabilized, and the population was kept safe by the efforts of the visitors and the Loyalists during a mighty siege of the Hall of Inventions. The zombie horde was dispatched and the morgue’s corruption was cleansed through the efforts of several dedicated necrologists and grave heads that rebuilt the morgue virtually from scratch. While the danger of these strange new dead has passed for the moment, it’s unlikely that the new zombie threat will remain pacified forever.

Let’s talk a bit more about the themes of our new story.

Themes of Season 6

Each season, we’ve focused on a central theme, such as “Renaissance” or “Rebellion”. The primary theme of our new Season 6 story is “Reconstruction”. In the aftermath of the War of Antlers, there’s been a few changes, and I’d like to remind y’all of these updates as we prepare to move into our full story for the season. I’ve posted some of this back in August, but I figured it would be worth a bit of a refresher on where we stand. This season is about new beginnings, particularly as we launch the 4th edition of our game, Dystopia Rising Live.

Our story of season 6 is one of conflict and drama, and at the heart of that drama is the struggle to survive in a cruel and hostile world after the collapse of the San Saba Board. Here’s a few of the questions and concepts we hope to explore over the coming seasons. I’ve broken these down into a few common narrative conflicts.

The Death of a Future (Man vs. Fate)

When the Board fell, their vision for the future fell with them.  Without a central force encouraging trade, repairing the rails, and helping keep lines of communication open, the San Saba has quickly collapsed into a series of city-states.  Without a greater incentive or need to care about other towns, this inward focus has ended much of the technological advancement that the Board once promised.  This loss will help drive the change to the genre and technological setting materials of DR Live.

New threats have emerged, particularly Natural Born Raiders and strange new undead variants.  Most connection is lost with the north, the southern coast, and even the settlements near Bravado are hard pressed by raiders.  Rail lines are only reliable closer to the main area around Bravado, and generally only for the wealthy or fool-hardy.  Most telegraph lines are gone, salvaged for scrap or destroyed as sabotage during the war.  The RRC has abandoned the outer rail systems towards Gatorland or Hell Dorado, and virtually no one can make a trip into the Dune Sea any longer.  The fleet of locomotives that connected the region is dwindling, and the RRC and others are reluctant to risk the Ox on anything but the safest and most patrolled routes.

Essex is rebuilding, recovering from the devastating Battle of Essex at the end of the war.  While they are still a ready ally, they have their work cut out for them in the months and years to come.  Essex serves as a constant reminder of the damage caused by the war, and the rebuilding that is required afterwards.

The Threat of Bravado, aka What Happens Next? (Man vs. Self)

Bravado is an existential threat.  The world watched as Bravado led a rebellion that toppled the “lawful” government of the area through violence, and brought anarchy and chaos in the wake of the collapse.  Many respect what they did, but there is an undercurrent of fear on the minds of every other settlement in the San Saba.  Bravado now has the largest standing military force in the region.  What happens if Bravado decides that they are the new enemy of freedom in the wake of the collapse?

While hope after the war is still possible, there is a lot of uncertainty for the San Saba.  In the aftermath of violence, with no central leadership the various settlements of the area have been left to themselves.  There is a lot of need to rebuild and restructure, and there are many conflicting ideas of the best path forward.  Each town has their own opinions on what the right answer is but everyone is hyper-aware of what Bravado did.  If they choose for themselves, will the town of Bravado respect their autonomy or choice?

Cities and towns must decide how they define order from the anarchy of the wasteland. They must establish new laws, and find new ways to hold people accountable.  While the Justices of Sin and the Law Dogs can help enforce town charters, there is very little oversight or ability to institute rules without the consent of the governed in the towns.  And after the example of the Board, trust is at a premium.  The players must decide on a Bravado Charter that they can enforce, and they must decide if some larger form of organization for their town is necessary or needed. 

Bravado and the Oxkillers recruited countless soldiers, armed them, trained them, and whetted their appetites on war and violence.  Without a cause to fight for, what happens to those soldiers and weapons of war?  How does a soldier return to a life in their hometown?  Is there still a need for an active military presence, and who should lead them?  Who is responsible for providing funds for upkeep and salaries? What should be done about the militiamen that turn to banditry or set themselves up as petty warlords and tyrants?  It’s difficult to turn swords to plowshares in the apocalypse.

Should a town or its people atone for their sins?  Was it a sin at all if they won? Both sides “othered” their opponents, and war crimes were committed in the name of freedom, justice, law and order.  Enemy soldiers were killed, enemy settlements bombed, and infrastructure damaged.  Should there be accountability for the damage they caused, or should Bravado shoulder any responsibility for their role in the fall of the San Saba Board?  With no easy villain to blame for the damage or to assume responsibility, it’s easy to turn eyes towards Bravado.

A Tale of Two Cities, aka Rivalry with Bastion (Man vs. Man)

During our National Event in October, we had the chance to meet the residents of nearby BASTION, the fortress-city built atop the wreckage of Waking. With the infamous GENERAL MUSTANG at their lead, the town has presented itself as a serious contender and rival to Bravado, with differing philosophies of governance, capable soldiers and weapons to defend themselves, and a place the Mustang Loyalists can call home.

How do you deal with an enemy you can’t simply throw armies at?  The Loyalists have skilled soldiers on their side, a nearly unassailable fortress atop the wreck of the airship, and a surprisingly effective barrier against ground assault in the Exclusion Zone.  They cannot be easily intimidated by the forces of the Bravado Militia.  Bastion represents a source for political drama and ways to create a foil for the town of Bravado.

The Fallow Hope represents a rival settlement to our town, and a drain on potential resources for the area.  This is the first time we’ve really explored the idea of a nearby rival to our town, and it will provide ample opportunities for conflict.  Why would merchants or travelers go to Bravado when they can get better prices or safety in Bastion?  As Loyalists deploy the glow-shrooms to deal with radiation in the area, this provides a new resource in fresh, untainted land and water compared to our town.  The threat they represent is very real, but in a much more subtle way than simply guns or soldiers.

A map of the San Saba after the War of Antlers, PHW ‘08, by Jonathan Loyd

Story premise for Season 6

I shared this in August, but here it is once more:

Another deadly war has shook the foundations of Bravado, and the San Saba has settled into an uneasy and chaotic peace after the collapse of the San Saba Board.  Travel and communication across the area has grown more difficult, and towns turn their focus inward, towards their own fraught survival.  

It happened more quickly than many expected.  The outer rail lines that once reached as far as the Broken Coast and across the Dune Sea have been abandoned in favor of closer, safer routes between the immediate towns near Bravado and Essex.  Telegraph lines stripped for salvage and murdered postal runners mean that all but the most persistent communication between settlements has stopped, and the points of light at the edge of the map have dimmed.  Soldiers and mercenaries recruited for the war, now without a common cause, consider new allegiances, brutal banditry, or violent reckonings on rival settlements ill prepared for trained and well armed survivors at their gates.

In this new world, the implacable equilibrium of the wasteland churns onwards, reclaiming abandoned settlements in overgrowth, and damning once vibrant towns to destruction, returning the land once more to a lawless waste ruled only by what a survivor can claim for themselves.  Strange and dangerous raiders have overtaken the north, their war path marked by blood and the sounds of drum beats.  The dead have risen in even greater numbers, the Grave Mind turning the countless deaths of the War of Antlers into new and more deadly variants, bent on feasting on living flesh.

The factions of the San Saba have been broken and worn by the war, but each has consolidated what remains of their fortunes closer to the new heart of the San Saba, Bravado.  While it should be a new shining beacon on a hill, a pervasive sense of insignificance has rendered the town forgettable and alone, a ghost town tucked into a forgotten corner of the region.  A fog of memories, casting a shroud of forgetfulness and absence has settled over Bravado, perhaps a last dying gasp of an ancient terror trapped within or perhaps just the unfortunate reality of a world that has moved on after the fall of the Board.  As the town wanes in importance, new rivals flourish nearby, threatening to complete the fall into obscurity for our humble home.

Forgotten and left to decide their own future, our survivors face the harsh and horrific realities of survival in the wasteland.  Now, once easily secured resources like power, clean water, food, fuel, and scrap are in question, and the lean and hungry eyes of your fellow survivors seem not quite as friendly as before.  The future promised by the San Saba Board may be dead, but perhaps a new future can be forged from the ashes for the survivors that call Bravado home…

FACTION UPDATES & CHANGES

The War of Antlers had some big impacts on our story, and virtually every faction was impacted by the conflict in a pretty significant way. Our stories of season 6 will determine the fate of some of the factions, and even introduce some new characters to the story. In the same way this will be a bit of a season of transitions as we get ready for the launch of DR Live, this year’s story will continue with the aftermath of the war that nearly ended the town of Bravado.

We will be updating our Faction pages over the next few months, so here’s the major changes to expect:

  • The Factions of the San Saba have lost much of their influence in the region, and many of these groups have new NPC leadership, new headquarters, and new objectives. Money is tighter, and many have had to spend vast resources relocating or rebuilding after the events of the War of Antlers. This is one story reason the Faction Buy Lists will be sunsetted, but overall the ability of a faction to influence a wide area of the San Saba has been severely reduced following the war as part of our new license structure.

  • Two factions will be exiting our story, the Widows of the Lone Star and Prudence Penitentiary. These Society Memberships will be removed from character sheets going forward.

  • One new faction will be introduced, The Bravado Militia, representing the remaining soldiers and troops recruited during the War of Antlers. Players that served as commanders during the war can add this Society Membership to their sheets for free.

Here’s a bit of a story update on the various Factions, and we will expand on this on the website and during our Season 6 stories.

  • The Widows of the Lone Star have been driven out of Widow’s Peak and have now joined the Criminal Factions of Bravado. They are no longer a full faction, as their story really concluded in September with the final confrontation against Arthur Lovelace. While some stories will continue in the background, particularly for characters in Murder Inc, we won’t have regular events like Widow’s Tea and you won’t see characters like Clauthia Lovelace during our games.

  • Prudence Penitentiary has ceased to exist following the war. With the disappearance of Tabitha St. Mercy, taken into custody by the General during the last days of the war, the location once known as Killhouse has been well and truly finished. With no remaining function for the prison after the collapse of the San Saba Board, the fortress-prison has taken on new importance to the Militia and the Grave Council as a strategic fortification and not as a place of incarceration.

The remaining six factions of the San Saba have each experienced their own trials and tribulations following the War of Antlers.

  • The San Saba Republic has splintered further following the aftermath of civil war. The SSR is eager to return to a more peaceful life following war, the destruction at Essex, and the betrayals during the rebellion. With the Breaker of Crowns’ rage finally satiated with the collapse of the Board, many families that were broken and torn apart on the opposing sides of the rebellion are seeking reconciliation. With Boss Deb’s focus on rebuilding Essex, only a few of the Tribes remain in Essex, and many of their soldiers recruited during the war and their Houses have returned to their homes once more. With the Breaker dead, many of the factions have went their separate ways, still picking up the pieces of a vicious civil war.

  • The RRC is in crisis, as most of their fortunes were tied to the success of Felicity Redfield and the Board. Forced to abandon the outer Oxlines, they have taken a more conservative approach to survival after the collapse of the Board. A new CEO will need to be named in time, but the Ox is safe in Bravado for now. However, the families of Waking Prime have splintered with the rise of Bastion - some have joined the Mustang Loyalists in their new fortress-city, while others have remained in Essex and Bravado.

  • The Law Dog Union has established their relevance through the creation of several town charters across the area around Bravado. These new social contracts empower Marshals and Sheriffs to find new paths of redemption for criminals with the help of the Justices of Sin, and they have their work cut out for them. While Boss Wyatt has established an office for the Union in Essex, their agents roam the wasteland offering their services as investigators and beacons of stability in a lawless wilderness.

  • Following the death of General Rampart, Cassiopeia Stargazer has emerged as the leader of the Grave Council. With the help of the new Reckoner-General Solomon, the faction has diverted their expertise in necrology and the Grave Mind towards establishing a new Vault of Reckoning inside the strong walls of the fortress-prison formerly known as Killhouse. The new town charters have also redefined the grave tax for a new post-Board era, but the faction has a lot of work to do to rebuild their reputation.

  • The Junkerpunks are licking their wounds after the war, after being forced to retreat inland towards their new home of Drywater. After years of trying to appease the kinder elements of the Muddy Water Accord, the faction is ready for a clean break from law and order. Drywater has refused to sign a charter with the Law Dogs or the Grave Council, choosing to forge a new path ahead on their own. Will complete anarchy be a viable method of survival in the new lawless wasteland?

  • The Militia stands as the strongest military organization in the region, and has claimed the fortress-prison of Killhouse as their headquarters. Under the leadership of General Hargrave, the Militia now has to grapple with the unfortunate realities of a post-war landscape, including dealing with their veterans and the threat trained soldiers represent. How do they lay down their arms and return to a normal life without the purpose of serving in the rebellion? Who pays the bills now that the rebellion has been won? While many of their soldiers returned home, some remained behind to stand guard against the Mustang Loyalists, and others worry that the Militia will just find a new excuse to plunge Bravado into a new war against Bastion.

There’s still a few unknowns for how Factions and Society Memberships will function in a new DR Live world, but for now there are still plenty of stories to tell as we begin Season 6.

The Fog of Memories

One new story beat we’d like to introduce for Season 6 is the concept of the “Fog of Memories”. For our season of survival, we have added a new story effect to explain why the outside world no longer cares as much about Bravado as it did in seasons past.  This has no actual mechanical effect beyond what the players decide, but it is simply a cool narrative way to address continuity going forward.

Some suggest that the effects of capturing the Prince Undying within the Bravado Mortis appears to have created a strange phenomenon that is now impacting the residents of Bravado.  Others simply point out that without an organizing government like the San Saba Board, most folks tend to mind their own business. With travel being tougher across the San Saba, it’s easy for people not to want to risk a dangerous journey after all.

Regardless of the cause, it started small and sometime shortly after the Burning Season began. People began to forget Bravado unless they were actively living there or had some sympathetic tie to the town.  As it continues to worsen, people literally forget about the town unless they have a reason to remember it.  People with a strong connection or tie to the town like your characters are more resistant to the effect, but the effect increases the further you travel from Bravado. Every month, some new traveler arrives in town, surprised to find the town and even more surprised to find folks living there.

Much like something that is out of sight, or out of mind, it’s a subtle effect for most, and leads to small mistakes and forgetfulness that interrupts regular trade and commerce.  Repairmen forget to make the trip to check the rail lines leading into Bravado, and merchants accidentally miss the stop as they daydream about something else.  Important faction leaders focus on other settlements nearby, and don’t make it a priority to visit Bravado. For those that don’t live actively in the town, it’s as easy to forget as some small random town in another state could be in real life.  If someone brings it up, folks might have a spark of memory, but it quickly fades into obscurity when it fades from their attention.

  • There are no real mechanics for the Fog of Memories. This is simply a story element for how the town is being forgotten by the outside world. Think of elements like relationship decay, or nostalgia as a means to a story.  The themes here are not catastrophic, but just the distance that grows between ideas as time passes.

  • This is an optional story that your character can choose to have impact them, or simply choose to ignore it. If you don’t want it to affect your character, it doesn’t.  You get to decide if and how the Fog of Memories has affected your character. It’s entirely up to you, but this could be a great reason to update a back story, or wrap up some unfinished stories as you prepare for the new stories of DR Live. Maybe the amnesia you suffer can provoke some new character connections or let you start fresh as if you just arrived in town.

  • In general, this is not a problem that can be fixed. It’s simply a new part of life in Bravado, and it can have as much or as little impact as you want it to have on your character. It’s not something that research or a zone of mechanics will change.

  • You might encounter strange fog in Bravado from time to time, as we plan to use fog machines more in S6 as setting ephemera. The fog could have strange effects via certain zone of mechanics, but most of this effect is simply a background story.

I hope you are ready for some spooky stories in Season 6!

Wrap Up

That’s it for today. I hope you are ready to face the cannibals in November! We have some tough choices and deadly enemies to face as we finish out our last two games under the 3.0 ruleset.

We have some fun surprises in store for you as you are ready to try and survive the cannibal hordes of THE FUTILITY OF EVIL. Will you help the Cannibal Crown escape from the choices he’s made for power? Will you help the Malefactors recognize the folly of their philosophy, or will you answer their threat with violence? Will you survive being eaten alive by vicious cannibals?

Next week we will recap some of the Rules You Should Know, including a few familiar DR Live mechanics that will premiere a bit early during this event.

Tickets are on sale for our NOVEMBER event now! Don’t miss out!

See you soon Vados!