Rules You Should Know - November
Howdy Vados!
It’s Jonathan here with another signature DR:TX Rules Ramble, leading up to next Dystopia Rising Live event THE MENAGERIE! This game will be led by Bishop and Lucas Robinson. Each post, 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 Logistics Updates and some Rules You Should Know for this event.
TICKETS FOR OUR NOVEMber EVENT ARE ON SALE at the door!
If you had a great experience during our DR:TX events over the summer or last season, 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. We give ourselves a few days after game to decompress, but we read every bit of feedback you submit!
Fill out our Feedback Form!
The national event DOWNFALL has been announced for November 13-16! This will be hosted by our friends at DR Washington and will be the next opportunity to earn some unique rewards and faction items from the Ossuary Society and the Arbiters of Bond. If you are fortunate enough to be able to travel, this could be a cool way to visit another chapter!
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, and Max Pohlmeier. Social Media images are designed by Noah Goodman.
November logistics update
We have a few changes to our site this month from our camp rangers for Bluebonnet Shores!
You may still see a big pile of lumber and building materials in the Meadows near the Farming Zone. We hope this will be moved by time our event starts, but in case it doesn’t, let’s assume this is simply Junkerpunk Supplies for rebuilding their fleet. Please don’t mess with these materials, and make sure you stay safe nearby!
We will have new SOLAR LIGHTS by the signs along the main roads. This may help navigate a bit easier in the darkness and find those major paths while exploring at night. Please be careful not to damage these new fixtures! We will likely see some new lights added about the camp soon as part of recent Texas legislation as well, so be prepared for changes.
Bluebonnet has a new electronic gate! This gate will be shut during the course of the event, so if you need to leave during the event, we will have a custom GATE CODE just for our group. It’ll be easy to remember for the folks that remember old B-R-A-V-O, or 2-7-2-8-6. We will share this code with our players via email and during Opening Announcements.
Bell County may still be under a Burn Ban. This means we will have limited options for campfires or open flames on site, lest we incur the wrath of the Fire Marshal. We will update you if this gets lifted or modified as the camp rangers notify us. Plan accordingly for cooking if an outside fire was a part of your solution. The last Ban was set to expire on 11/3, but we should hear something this week if it is lifted.
There’s a new edition of the Player’s Guide, dated 9/1! This edit didn’t add much, except for new information on p. 78. This is a shift in how we handle Non-Combat Characters in accordance with ADA regulations and guidelines. Basically, instead of having firm rules for the whole network, we can create a bit more customized accommodations for players in each game on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions on this policy, send us an email!
Frequently Asked Questions & Clarifications
We have a vibrant community on our Discord server, and you can feel free to ask some questions about common rule interactions. We will do our best to answer, or if we don’t have an answer I’ll ask in our Owner’s Forum for a more direct response. Here’s a few important questions and reminders that came up during our conversations online this month:
Basic Biokinesis does NOT detect the use of Master Biokinesis. This skill detects ‘lingering psionic effects’, but also specifies this with an example of short-term Upsurges. There are no ways of detecting a Mental Block on a target at the moment, other than completing clearing all Mental Blocks from there at once with the Memory Reset ability of Master Biokinesis.
The Terror ability of some weapons and Threat skills CANNOT be resisted with Mental Endurance. The Targets of Terror must try to flee from the source of Terror, even if it’s unsafe to do so in character for a minimum of 30 seconds (or as specified). If escape is impossible, they’ll cower but can still defend themselves from incoming attacks. Fleeing is always prioritized over fighting though!
If you use the Momentum Profession skill with a Florentine firearm, you can take 10 additional shots before a pause to Reload, not 12. You can find the rules for Florentine weapons on p. 74 of the Player’s Guide. The 12-shot use of Momentum is possible when using a single gun!
The threat ability Betrayal has very few ways to stop it if you fail to use Mental Endurance. However, one weird interaction introduced into the discussion was the Scales of Ezra. This gizmo prevents you from attacking fellow members of your faith and offers protection from Terror.
If you have questions, please let us know! Next, let’s consider a few prominent skills that are useful in CVC as well as ones you might see on a few unique local threats.
rules you should know - NOVEMBER
During our November game, THE MENAGERIE, one of the primary dangers will be CRITTER THREATS. During the weekend, you’ll be encounter strange and deadly creatures that inhabit the San Saba wasteland, including some old favorites and new creations we’re bringing into play for the first time. While critters may not be as intelligent as the usual Strain threats, they can be clever in some surprising ways. Let’s first something you might find during a mod or while exploring the site this weekend.
Lore cards
We’ve had Lore Cards (sometimes referred to as Plot Cards) in play before, but we are introducing a more standardized template of what to expect. Remember, you get several choices of Lores by taking the BASIC EDUCATION skill. Not only does this represent your character being literate, but it also provides a few in game uses related to plot!
Basic Education - Target Self / Other (p. 45, Player’s Guide)
With this skill, an individual has been educated in reading, writing, mathematics, and received minor training in more specialized fields of study. This skill is not required for understanding basic knowledge such as simple addition, subtraction, or reading. However, players may choose to forego these base skills if appropriate for their character’s background.
Unlocking Plot Information: By spending 1 Mind point and accessing available Lore cards/envelopes, the player can unlock extra information from plot cards in play.
Lore Cards will require you spend generally 1 Mind point, and qualify to “unlock” the Lore Card. These Lore Cards will generally be printed on YELLOW paper and have two sides. There are a few ways to be able to read the back side of the Plot Card, depending on your Skills, Lores, Strain, Faith, or even important parts of your Backstory, but the most common way will be a LORE.
Lore cards will generally need at least one Lore to access. Some rarer Lore Cards might need multiple Lores to unlock!
Some lore cards might require Basic Wasteland Lore, which is a free skill that EVERY character gets. If you see one with this skill required, it’s one that any character can access.
Each level of Education gives you three choices from the list of 15 different Lores in the Player’s Guide, so no one character will be able to have EVERY lore. You’ll need to rely on your friends or find another player with the appropriate Lores.
One particular Profession, Jones, allows you to access Lores you don’t normally have using the skill I Forgot More Than You Know, or specialized equipment like the Engineer’s Field Journal or the Research Center.
Once it’s been unlocked, the player that spend the Mind can choose to share that information with their allies, but the back side of the card is considered “out of character” unless you have the appropriate qualifier.
Some more common or easily accessed Lores will only require the Basic Education Skill, or another Basic skill that any starting player could potentially access. Remember, new players can instantly learn a new Skill and use it during their first event!
Some less common Plot Cards will require a certain condition or character trait, like being an Inducted member of a certain Faith, being part of a particular Strain, or even referencing a part of your Backstory. These Backstory prompts will be things that might be part of your character’s history, like “Born in Essex”, or “Veteran of the Hiway War”. If these things are true about your character, you can spend the Mind and access the plot information. More reason to submit your Backstory!
A character with Basic Education can also do Limited Research. After putting together actual notes, research, and a hypothesis, you can spend 5 Mind and go to Ops to ask some related questions to one of your Lores. This isn’t as specific as Master Education’s Research ability, but it might point you in the right direction of more information!
critter Threat Skills You Should Know
Critters have access to a whole host of new abilities that can be found in the Animal Almanac. Critters are made mechanically by choosing a Scale (how big or dangerous they are), their Scope (what kind of abilities they have), and their Environment (more abilities based on where they live). Every critter has a Scale, on a range from 1-5, from a Nuisance up to an Apocalyptic threat. Many dangerous local critters will have multiple Scales, depending on how big and scary they are. For instance, a smaller Leviathan might only be a Nuisance, while a bigger one might be a Menace. Generally, the more impressive the props, the more likely they are to be mean and nasty. Critters can also be made with two choices of Scope instead of choosing an Environment, but this will limit how much loot can be found on them when they are defeated.
We’ve developed our own DR:TX Critter Threat Guide for the creatures, and if you paid attention to my last blog post you might have an idea on what some of these things can do. We still have some surprises in store that are [REDACTED], but let’s cover some of the skills that your enemies might use during this event:
torn asunder (Animal Almanac, p. 33)
A brawling or melee strike. Call “50 body, mangle 4 limbs.” Countered by “Avoid.” 1 use of Avoid counters the full attack.
This is a terrible and deadly strike from a critter that should probably be Avoided. If you don’t get out of the way, not only is this a deadly strike that punches straight through Armor with Body damage, but it also renders you helpless with four Mangled limbs in the same strike. There’s not many defenses against this type of effect if it’s allowed to land, but a Combat Medic can use “I’ve Seen Worse” to fix a single Mangled limb for 10 minutes.
Special note, most Critter attacks are considered BRAWLING STRIKES, so that means that the Riposte ability cannot be used against a Torn Asunder as it’s not generally a Melee Strike. Remember a Mangle lasts for 30 minutes, so if you get Torn Asunder you’ll probably not be a position to survive that whole time. Watch out!
Advanced Healing (Animal Almanac, p. 29)
Critter heals all wounds, heals all mangled limbs, refreshes all skills except for Advanced Healing and Regenerative, and becomes immune to all damage, stuns, mangles, nails, and knockout mechanics for 30 seconds. This skill may be used in Bleed Out or while Stunned, but does not require waiting until Bleed Out or Stun to trigger.
The Regenerative template gives Critters a very familiar ability, just with a different name. Advanced Healing is functionally a “Raider Rage”, but for a Critter. It works very similarly, healing all their wounds and limbs, refreshing skills, and providing immunity for 30 seconds. It can be used even in Bleed Out, so these critters can be very difficult to stop. Once a critter hits this state, you’ll need to focus on surviving for next few seconds until you can damage them once more.
Note, this skill isn’t actually Raider Rage, so the skill Imprint Shaker doesn’t punch through this defense like it does on a Raider. However, the anti-healing effects of the "Perfectly Safe" Radium Rounds and Barbed Broadheads work similarly as it does on a Raider, stopping them from healing.
Infection Warp (Animal Almanac, p. 31)
Call “Area of Effect. Down Surge: Do Not Benefit from Healing Skills. 5 Minutes.” This causes targets within the area of effect to be unable to benefit from the use of any skills that would cause healing, including First Aide.
This is a sneakily powerful Critter skill, born from Psionic threats. This Downsurge prevents all Healing skills — period. This stops stuff like Biogenetics, First Aide, Medical, or other healing sources that would prevent them from bleeding out, making fighting a critter with this skill a deadly prospect. This means that if you get hit by an Infection Warp, you’ll need a brew or injectable to save yourself, as the infection just won’t react to normal healing. If someone tries to save you, they may be too late if simply try the usual methods of Healing. Ouch!
Burrow (Animal Almanac, p. 29)
Allows use of Enhanced Movement, representing the Critter going underground. When the effect ends or if the effect is broken by awareness, call “Area of Effect: 10 Body” as the Critter bursts from the ground.
Oldtimers may remember this skill, but it has made a return in a similar method in DR Live. The Burrow ability is a movement skill that allows the critter to take 5 steps under the Stealth symbol as they dig through the earth. When it ends, they explode from the ground in a burst of claws and rubble damaging everyone around them. This effect even triggers if you use the Awareness skill to break the movement early. Like other uses of Enhanced Movement, this skill can be stopped by Nail abilities, or simply using Awareness, though a Nail doesn’t trigger the AOE damage. However, keep in mind that some critters are mostly immune to the Nail ability, so that may not always be a reliable way to stop a Critter from Burrowing into a better position to attack.
Blood Scent (Animal Almanac, p. 33)
Call “Area of Effect: All Lineages, Betrayal.” This causes the Targets to attack, without holding back, the nearest other Lineage Target. 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 skill represents the use of pheromones or an infectious agent that causes Lineages to enter a frenzy.
This powerful Critter ability is carried by Infectious critters that use pheromones to provoke prey into a frenzy. When affected, Lineages attack any nearby Lineages over the next 10 minutes, or until they hit Bleed Out. While this skill does let you do a little CVC as a treat, it can be a powerful way to disrupt a fight. If you don’t have a Mental Endurance ready as a defense, you’ll probably force your friends to deal with a much bigger threat than the critter. Remember that the Shield Master ability (Player’s Guide, p. 63) can prevent AOE attacks, so it can be another method of resisting Blood Scent.
Parasitic Command (Animal Almanac, p. 32)
This represents a parasite taking control of an individual. This does not count as an Aberrant attack. This skill can only be used in the Wasteland and is resisted with Avoid. With a single, successful brawling strike to the torso, call “Parastic Command: X” X may be one of these two commands: Attack the closest Strain 10 minutes, Terror 2 minutes. If the Target is put into bleed out or dies, the effect ends.
This last ability is similar to Blood Scent, but on a one-on-one level. Parasitic Command can either make a subject flee in terror or send them into a Betrayal-style frenzy. Note that this is NOT actually the Betrayal Skill, and it’s delivered by a Brawling attack instead of a Psionic packet. This means you’ll need to resist this attack with Avoid instead of Mental Endurance. This effect represents tiny parasites taking control of you through contact and can be a terrifying loss of control. Because this is also normally a Brawling attack, this means that you can’t Riposte it away. Be careful!
That’s a high level look at some of the more common threat skills you might encounter during THE MENAGERIE. We hope that you can the deadly nocturnal threats this weekend!
Wrap Up
That’s it for today, Vados.
We hope that you will come join us for our next event, THE MENAGERIE. Will you get to experience the wonders of the Menagerie when it visits Bravado? Will those scary critters stay safely in captivity, or will they be a bigger nuisance for the town? Will you survive the deadly CARRION CROWS? Which critter will reign supreme in the wasteland, and will there be any safe place left for your survivors surrounded by hostile monsters? Let’s find out together!
See you soon, Vados!
