It’s Jonathan here again with another Rules Ramble! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic that will be important in an upcoming game, explain some new mechanic or system for DR:TX, or discuss a particular rule from the DR Corebook. In each ramble, I’ll focus on explaining that topic in more detail than the book alone can provide and help provide one place to reference all the various errata or rulings that might be relevant. Sometimes I’ll even drop a few Story Teasers or provide a summary of the last game in a Game Recap.
This week, we are continuing with our countdown to our first in-person NATIONAL EVENT of 3.0 - THE NECROPHAGE! This week, we are going to discuss Rules You Should Know for the upcoming game this weekend, including Abyssal Discharge, Devour, Poison, Murder, Mysterious Ore, and more!
Tickets are still on sale at the door for PYROCLASM! See you this weekend!
I also did a few website updates this week, and if you are a Blueprint hound like me, I added a great resource to our website: The Blueprint Checklist. This page collects the names of all currently released blueprints in game in one place and provides a handy way to keep track of your collection. I hope you find it useful!
Photos used in this post are from the talented Lainey Weiss and Max Pohlmeier, from our September event, VALLEY OF FEAR. You can also submit official Feedback about our events through our Feedback Form.
rules you should know
The week before game I like to release a series of specific rules that might come up during the PYROCLASM event. We will talk about some common rules that might be important, new Zones of Mechanics, new Plot Items, and new Threat Skills you should save some Mind points to Avoid!
The Necrophage
Your guide to your doom!
The most obvious rule you should know is that there is a DISEASE called “Necrophage” in play this weekend. A few of our players got to experience the Necrophage first hand during the virtual event this weekend, but suffice it to say it is… spreading.
We’ve also had some resources for Disease in Dystopia Rising posted for the last few months, and we mentioned this in our content warning after last game.
The good news is that we have a nifty Disease Pamphlet designed by the talented Aesa Garcia that will be available this weekend. If you end up contracting this plague, it will contain all the rules you need to know on one sheet, much like a big item card or blueprint.
I covered the specific details of this a few weeks ago in my blog post, and you can read it in my Anatomy of Disease Plotkit post. Be warned, this has direct SPOILERS for how the disease works, so if you want it to be a surprise, then wait until you get to game!
There is also an easy way to simply OPT OUT of the plot, by declaring that you have a Natural Immunity to Necrophage. The unique conditions of Bravado have made the residents hardier than most versus disease. I’ve included the rules for this condition here.
mysterious ore
This weekend will be the second game where you can acquire this new type of limited currency in DR:TX. There will be a finite amount of these items in play, so they will have some value by scarcity alone. Mysterious Ore has no specific function by itself, and is the only Illustrated Item Card this weekend without rules on the card.
People that attend our NECROPHAGE National Event will have even more opportunities to gather Mysterious Ore as well. In fact, every person that pre-registered for PYROCLASM will get one of these items at Check-In!
The primary way to find Mysterious ore this weekend is by interacting with a zone of mechanics, posted near the morgue
Guides, STs, and Players alike can participate in a new Zone of Mechanics that will be in the world for Pyroclasm. The ZOM: A Vein of Mysterious Ore has a few changes from last month. While there will still be ways to go out of character and spend additional time as an NPC while you are “mining” inside the Morgue, now that the vein has been opened the mining came be done a bit easier. Hopefully, you can get your share before the vein runs dry!
redfield invention exchange
One of my favorite ZOMs is making a glorious return, just in time for several shiny new blueprints! The Redfield Invention Exchange allows you simply draw a picture of what you THINK a blueprint item looks like and how it works, and you’ll get a brand new blueprint in return. No mind cost, no herbs, just a new blueprint.
It doesn’t have to be an actual item in game so if you have a nifty idea for a new gizmo, show me what you got! We got some simply fantastic submissions last month and I can’t wait to see what you turn in this month.
Here’s the rules for how it works:
Effect: Spend 1 Resolve, and spend 20 minutes drawing a picture of an Blueprint item or describing how you believe a blueprint item would function. At the end of this time, you may submit your invention idea to the Post Office in exchange for a copy of a Blueprint of your choice. This ZOM may only be completed once per event, per character.
This ZOM will be posted inside of the General Store, in the Kiva Lodge.
Threat Skills of Note
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that I’m describing these completely unrelated Threat abilities before the game. You probably won’t encounter monsters with these abilities. Probably.
murder
Damage Modifier. Countered as the accompanied call; Avoid if a Strike or Ranged Attack. Murder is an effect that can be added to a damage call. An example call would be ‘10 Body, Murder’. If the damage attached to a Murder effect is sufficient to put a target into bleedout, it is also considered a killing blow. Effects that would normally trigger on either bleedout or a killing blow will trigger on a Murder effect in this situation.
Good ol’ Murder. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Hope you have a Striker’s Coat!
Unrelated image. I promise.
abyssal discharge
This is a horrific power possessed by those that have nearly succumbed to the NECROPHAGE disease
The character may call “By the Sound of my Voice, Abyssal Discharge, 500 Body.” Following this call the character has 1 minute during which their body is torn apart from the inside out, consumed by their own inner Mortis until all that remains is a desiccated corpse. After 1 minute, the character is reduced to 0 Infection and is permanently dead. They cannot be returned to life by any means and the Mutant strain advantage to avoid death from disease does not apply.
This power is tied to Necrophage, but for some reason it seems familiar…
CONSUME
Skill Call. This creature will spend 15 seconds roleplaying draining a nailed, stunned, or otherwise restrained target. This attack reduces their Body to zero, and starts a 1-minute Bleed Out. The attacking creature then heals all Body. This attack has no effect on a character that is not subdued or restrained.
Things that tie you up and drain your fluids? Definitely none of those in Bravado.
Devour
Skill Call. This delivery modifier causes the attacker to be healed for an equal of Body as the attack deals. For instance, a creature might call “Devour 50 Body!”, which will deal 50 Body as the attack and heal them for 50 Body. This call can drain Body, Mind, Resolve, or Infection.
This is a terrifying skill, as it can even drain your very Infection! Yikes!
Compulsion
Effect. When an NPC calls “Psionic: Compulsion, All <KEYWORD>, [Insert Command]”, the affected target must follow the next single command until the task is completed or nullified (such as being compelled to defend someone who then dies). The target must complete the command to the best of their ability. When the target enters Bleed Out, the effect immediately ends. Characters under the effects of Compulsion remember the actions they take, but are not in control of them. This ability is normally resisted by Mental Endurance, but some effects may prevent this resistance.
Hope you have Mental Endurance, or you’ve bought one of those fancy Grave-Bell Shards!
Mind damage (Poison)
Damage Modifier. This is type of damage normally associated with POISON and poisonous creatures. Regardless of the source, a successful hit with Mind Damage causes you to lose that amount of Mind instead of taking damage. So, if a monster swings for “5 Mind Damage!”, you would lose 5 Mind!
The insidious thing about this ability is that’s the same amount as an Avoid, so even if you jumped out of the way you would still be down the same amount of Mind. Yikes!
sound of my voice
This is an effect that targets EVERYONE within a 50-foot radius who can hear the call. Sound of my Voice ignores walls, doors, and all other barriers, and may represent gas, shrapnel, psionics, or other effects that ignore barriers. Sound of my Voice cannot be Avoided. The only effect that can prevent a Sound of my Voice call is the Phalanx Doyen PFA use of the OOPH Barrier. This is the largest range of most Threat abilities in the game.
And remember, that’s 50-feet in every direction from the Threat, so that’s a HUGE area to impact.
Mark of mammon
Keyword. A character with this trait is vulnerable to skills, abilities, and items that specifically target the Mark of Mammon keyword. This is a condition gained by interacting with a particular series of unique items in the play space.
That’s all you get. If you get this Keyword, you know what you did.
Unrelated Final Knight bullshit.
wrap up
That’s it for today!. Tomorrow, we will have some Logistics reminders and last minute details to help you get into game easier. We will also release the last part of our story teasers for the weekend! See you soon Vados!