It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to our December live event THE RED DEATH! This is our next Premiere Event game, led by Heather Halstead and Jonathan Loyd. Each week, I’ll discuss in detail an aspect of the upcoming event, compiling the rules and lore into one easy place to read! This week, we are covering some last-minute Rules You Should Know, featuring some Threat Skills that might be useful to prepare for as the red mist of the Prince Undying settles over Bravado…
TICKET SALES ARE CLOSED ONLINE, BUT YOU CAN STILL GET A TICKET AT THE GATE!
We’ve updated our New Player Corner with a lot of great resources for new and returning players alike. Thanks to DR: Michigan and DR: New York for paving the way with excellent similar content!
We’ve updated the SES Buy List, and we’ve allowed it to use your San Saba Society Memberships instead of requiring involvement with the Red Ledger. Check out what your Marks can earn you if you sign up for the Survival Ethos System last month!
You might have missed it, but we updated our Local CAPS list last season. There are some brand new shiny rewards if you bought some items from our Wish List, or if you help our game with extra NPC shifts or spend time as a Guide. Check it out!
Our photos for this post were taken from previous DR:TX events by our talented Photo Team, by Max Pohlmeier, Lauren Guzaldo, Jason Dumas, and Maddeax Khole.
Threat Skills of Note for December
Let’s cover some of the common Threat skills you’ll see during THE RED DEATH. Several of these are Skills not originally included in the DR Corebook, but they are published online as part of the National Lexicon.
AGONY
Countered by Basic Mental Endurance if delivered by an AOE or Sound of Voice call, or by Avoid if delivered by a Strike or Ranged Attack. Agony is an ability that causes intense physical and/or mental pain in the character affected, making it difficult if not impossible to act through the torment. This effect normally lasts ten (10) seconds if not otherwise specified, and during that time, the character cannot use Skills or items but can move at a slow pace and defend themselves. Agony Interrupts skills being used when it is called.
Agony is a versatile skill used by several different entities during THE RED DEATH. While affected by this ability, you may not use Skills (including weapon skills!) or items, but can move slowly and act defensively. This means no brews, no gizmos, no armor, no weapons, nothing!
This attack interrupts all Skills being used, including Crafting. Remember, if you start using a new Skill while working on that expensive Artisan project, you will also be Interrupted. If you use Mental Endurance to resist the effect, you will Interrupt yourself. Best be careful about crafting while [REDACTED] are about.
Agony is often a precursor to more dangerous attacks like Break and Mangle, so remember you can’t Avoid while under the effects of Agony. 10 seconds is a LONG time in the heat of combat!
The Candlepin Survival Pack can protect you from this attack, but remember this is a Supply Bag item and cannot be stacked with a Freeiron Dry Pack. You can use either or, but not both!
The Battle Hymn is probably the best single defense against Agony, as it gives you an Upsurge protect and simply makes you immune. This is the only way to avoid interruption from Agony, as the effect simply doesn’t happen. Remember, an Upsurge only lasts one hour, so make it worth it!
Often, the best use of Agony by our NPCs is just finding out who to target next! If someone starts screaming in pain, it’s hard to stay stealthy behind that tree!
ATTRACT
Countered by Basic Mental Endurance for a five-minute period. Attract is an ability that lures those creatures or people with a certain keyword towards the user. Those affected by it must move when possible in the direction of the call, although if attacked they can stop to defend themselves – if an assailant withdraws, the effect reasserts itself. While they are not required to attack the source of the effect, most zed and raiders will, and critters will if their natural instinct is to do so. Player characters affected can make their own decisions as to what to do once attracted.
Sometimes, the bumps in the night are just too damn interesting. You feel compelled to walk into the darkness to investigate, but don’t worry — you’ll be right back! (probably)
Attract has few counters other than Basic Mental Endurance, but once you’ve used it you are protected for 5 minutes, even against other uses of the ability.
Many times this skill is used by [REDACTED], it will be targeted with an AOE or By My Voice modifier, and it might be targeted against specific people. If the target doesn’t apply, then the Attract doesn’t work on you.
Once you get to the creature that used Attract, you aren’t required to stay or even attack or interact with the target. However, getting within arm’s reach of a [REDACTED] is probably enough to lead to a bad time, or to set up the use of another attack like Agony.
If you are Attracted out of line of sight of your friends, you can be CAUGHT ALONE. If this happens and is called on a Guide or you realize you are alone in the dark, then you will proceed to Ops, and find out what happens next.
Be careful when you get called by the music of the spheres into the darkness. You may not like what you find when you are CAUGHT ALONE.
TERROR
Countered by Basic Mental Endurance. Often delivered as an area or Line of Sight effect, those affected by Terror are overcome by an urge to flee from the source of it. For at least 30 seconds (default; some uses may specify a different duration in the call) they must attempt to flee from the presence of the source of Terror, regardless of (IG) safety. If they cannot for some reason escape, they will cower as best as possible. The target may still defend themselves, but fleeing will always be a priority when possible. Effects and items that give immunity to Fear do not give immunity to Terror unless noted otherwise.
This skill often gets confused with Fear, but the simple instruction for Terror is to RUN AWAY! If you don’t counter this with Mental Endurance or an item, you simply need to move away from the creature for at least 30 seconds. Pick and direction and move!
Terror is a separate ability than Fear. Many items that protect from Fear do not often the same protection from Terror, and often the two defenses are mutually exclusive.
Like Agony, the Battle Hymn is an excellent defense against this ability, and if the right Upsurge is chosen it protects from both Fear AND Terror.
One of the items purchased from the Master Sailing buy list can be used to defend against this ability, the Crew’s Cabin Flag.
The item Scales of Ezra makes the wearer immune to Fear and Terror, provided you can use a Faithful Anomaly skill and two baptized members of your faith are in sight.
If you are chased out of line of sight of your friends by Terror, you can be CAUGHT ALONE. If this happens and is called on a Guide or you realize you are alone in the dark, then you will proceed to Ops, and find out what happens next.
Sounds terrifying!
Fear
Fear is a mechanical effect that prevents a Target from attacking the source of the Fear. Fear is broken if the Target is attacked by a foe, affected by other non-Fear mechanics with the aim of harming the Target, or forced to attack by another effect that comes after the use of Fear. Fear does not make you leave the battlefield, but it does prevent you from crossing the line from verbal and secondary support to engaging combatant. While under the effects of Fear, you can still attack others on the battlefield who were not the source of the Fear.
Fear is an insidious ability, as it can be used by intelligent threats to lock you out of a combat and there are not many ways to prevent it from affecting you. Be careful while walking in a pair, because if the predator is particularly cunning, you might have to just watch your friend die while you are stricken in fear and unable to help them.
Unlike Terror, you cannot use Mental Endurance against Fear. The only thing that really breaks Fear is that creature attacking you by mistake.
Remember, being an ‘engaging combatant’ is a bit vague, but if you try to use a Skill on a friend or otherwise involve yourself in the battle against that creature you may not be able to intervene. This means you can’t really use skills like Interfere or and you can’t make an attack on an enemy to prevent a Killing Blow. It doesn’t stop secondary support like healing through Biogenetics, but it does stop most active skills that could stop the enemy.
Like Agony, the Battle Hymn is an excellent defense against this ability, and if the right Upsurge is chosen it protects from both Fear AND Terror.
Sometimes, a big fucking gun can give you the courage to fight back against paralyzing fear, particularly if you have a Rebel’s Ridiculous Receiver. A solid shield like the Freeiron Guard can be handy in a pinch, and can be used on others. You can also rely on chemical stimulation with a Glitter Gulch Dartgun, if you have the right PFA. For everyone else, you can always use a Trophy Room too to resist fear, if you can get a bedtime story from an Avontuur.
A new blueprint from up north that’s handy against Nemesis works in a pinch versus fear, the Cullingwood Blade, if you are Bad Ass enough..
There are many items purchased from every level of the Sailing buy list can be used to defend against this ability, such as Grog, Crew’s Raiding Flag, Crew’s Cabin Flag, and Keg O’ Grog. This is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get immunity to Fear.
Can you master your fear in face of living Nightmares?
Nightmare Bane
When a character with the Nightmares keyword is hit by this attack, they take DOUBLE the damage called. If the Target of the appropriate type Bane damage would normally take reduced damage from the source of the attack, Bane damage the reduction cancel each other out and the Target would take the standard base damage. If the Target would be normally immune to damage due to the nature of the source, the Target of the Bane damage takes no damage and is still immune.
There’s several ways to use Bane damage against monsters, but sometimes they get to use it against YOU! This weekend, those few folks that have delved into the mysteries of the Nightmare of the Prince Undying will be particularly vulnerable to the threats at night.
Bane damage doubles the incoming damage, if you are an eligible target. For instance, if a [REDACTED] hits a player that has the Nightmares keyword with a “20 damage, Nightmare Bane!”, that player would instead take 40 damage. Ouch!
The Nightmares keyword had to be obtained from player action on a Zone of Mechanics or a plot effect. If you have this keyword, you know what you did.
Nightmares - Unique Threat Skills
The Long Night draws forth all manners of the creepy and unexplained, and they often have some peculiar abilities and dangerous skills to use against their prey. I hope you aren’t caught ALONE IN THE DARK.
The gallery of cryptids who, during the Long Night, once stalked the darkness of Widow’s Peak have been twisted and changed by THE RED DEATH. Some in search of prey, others absolution, most - with opaque motives. Are they strains gone mad in the blind eternity of the Long Night? Are they expressions of our terror made manifest in the chaos of sensory deprivation? Are they the Gravemind itself dreaming in the siesta between seasons? It depends on who you ask.
Some Longwalkers have strange tells that indicate they are present. Water running backwards, the scent of rotten fruit, a glowing will-o-wisp in the darkness, the sound of tinkling chimes. These mysterious entities stalk the Long Night looking for something. The Nowhere Man, the Behemoth, the Midnight Gardener, the Shadow People, the Lady of the Long Night, and The Click - these figures sometimes derive from folktale and myth - and others are the inspiration for the same.
The Longwalkers are strange and unknown entities, but one thing is certain - they CANNOT BE KILLED, only survived. You should either run if you can or hide if you can’T.
While virtually invulnerable, Longwalkers are more than capable of impacting YOU with their Skills and abilities. They can be quite deadly even during a normal Long Night, but now they have been corrupted by the Nightmare of the Prince Undying. Where as something as simple as candlelight might have kept you safe before, you’ll have to find out the hard way if the common Longwalker defenses still work against these new NIGHTMARE WALKERS.
Anomaly Response Healing: Any use of Psionic Abilities within earshot of the [REDACTED] declares “Anomaly Response: Healing”. Heal all Body.
Discorporate - [REDACTED] can declare “BLINK” and leave a scene as they fade out of reality. The [REDACTED] can leave an area at any time, even if someone uses a “No Escape” effect.
Invulnerable - In short, [REDACTED] can never truly be “killed” in any way that we can recognize. They have no Body, no Armor, or any other way to be physically harmed. They are threats to survive, not kill or defeat. However, doing enough damage to one can cause it to temporarily leave an area for a short time. It won’t be forever, but it may be long enough to get your friends and escape.
Ranged and Melee Immunity - Call “No Effect” or “Reduced” to any damage calls or similar effects.
Unnatural Creature - Call “No Effect” to any use of Mangle or Knockout. These creatures can never be killed, outside of plot effects
Alluring Visage (Psionic Mutation): The [REDACTED] can attract any Lineages near it, who must immediately proceed within melee range of the threat. Once they have reached that point, they may leave. Call “PSIONIC: By My Voice, Alluring Visage, Attract all Lineages”. Countered by Mental Endurance for a 5-minute period.
Devour: 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 or Mind, or even INFECTION. Yikes!
There will be a few more things you’ll have to discover in game, but rest assured, when the RED DEATH arrives, all sorts of deadly and spooky encounters are in store!
Wrap Up
We hope that you are ready for the challenge of THE RED DEATH. How can you stop the machinations of the Prince Undying? Can you survive a world where death itself is changed and the night is blanketed in red? Will you escape the Nightmare Walkers or worse? We have some some fun and exciting challenges planned for your characters in the nightmarish zombie apocalypse. But don’t worry, it’s not just all about the RED DEATH, you’ll still need to deal with (nightmare) zombies, (nightmare) Oxkillers, (nightmare) raiders and more!
TICKETS ARE ON SALE At the DOOR! SEe YOu ON FRIDAY!
Here’s one last sneak peek at the two new National blueprints being released during our upcoming Premiere Event!
