DR: Live Item Conversion and YOU

Photo by Black Sky Photography/Allana Marie

Hey there Req-ers!

We’ll be moving completely into the DR: Live system in March 2025, but the network wide change over has begun February 1st!

In order to make March more about the narrative and less about bureaucracy, We’re hoping to get some of those item conversions done ahead of time so we can have the new item cards ready to go when turning in old cards. In the instance the name of the item hasn't changed, we will try and provide a sticker to update the mechanics to save on card waste! DRMA has graciously allowed the use of their spreadsheet, who have been graciously allowed to use the spreadsheet from DRTX as well!

[Link To Spreadsheet]

• Instructions for use, as DRMA had posted:
  
  Right click on the tab at the bottom of the screen titled “TEMPLATE: DUPLICATE THIS”, and click DUPLICATE

• For each character, you’ll create a NEW TAB, formatted as “[PLAYER NUMBER] [CHARACTER NAME]” (I.e. “19496 Kyle”)

Blueprints - Convert to its nearest analog, if the print no longer exists you may select another print of the same type, that is not a Necrology Print. Alternatively you may opt to take the resources needed to make the blueprint (according to Live resources, not 3.0)
Similar to DRMA, Criminal/Murder Inc based prints will find their nearest analog, provided you will have the appropriate level of related skill.

Items - Armor, Weapons, Shields, Gizmos, Brews/Meals, Traps, Vehicles and Area Augments will be converted to their Live variants.

Herb & Scrap need no conversion, scrap will instead be assumed to expire Feb 2026 if blank. Try to use older versions and blank versions first, as we want to cycle those out over time.

For items that restore Body and/or Mind, we will try to match the output to the closest analog, favoring the player in cases of rounding.

e.g. 3.0 Basic Uncle Todd’s recovers 10 Body, 4 of these would equal 1 Live Uncle Todd’s which recovers 40 Body. 3.0 Proficient St John’s recovers 20 Mind but could result in a Lineage specific brew that regains 20 mind, or 2 of the Proficient St John’s Brews could become 1 Live St John’s Brew (which restores 40 mind)

Similarly, we will try to honor Armor points in order to match as closely as possible.

Local Plot, Forage and Salvage cards won’t carry over, but exceptions may be made for items of sentimental value, which will be strictly non-mechanical. (Get a cool phys rep to show off!)

The spreadsheet should show the conversion as closely as possible, if the item isn’t sparking joy, you may exchange it for an item of the same type. Alternatively you may receive the Live Resources that make the item, except for Necrology Resources, a chapter’s game runners may not provide Necrology resources, that’s all up to players!

Expiration dates will carry over or convert to the lesser if the item in question has an expiration change in Live. 

e.g. Vehicle lasting 5 years, will convert to a Vehicle lasting 2 years.

Spreadsheet Organization

Below is what your sheet tabs should look like, with a drop down menu to keep the item types clear.

Here is the formatting you’ll need to follow for Item Card Conversions:

• ITEM TYPE

• ITEM NAME 

• # OF USES (IF NEEDED)

• EXPIRATION DATE

• NUMBER OF ITEMS (ie, how many Red Mist do you have with the same expiration date)

• This should be based on having the same expiration date - If you have two brews with the same name, and different dates, create TWO separate lines

An IMPORTANT NOTE for Item Formatting: Please use the FULL NAME of the item that you are turning in and receiving when you document them! This is immensely helpful for sorting purposes. Short hand versions (I.e “Todd’s” versus “Uncle Todd’s Healing Brew”) can slow down our process a lot. (Image taken from DRMA’s blog post)

A little transparency here: the reasoning behind limited blueprint transfers to Criminal adjacent prints (Called Dubious Directions) as well as the restriction on Necrology items, resources and prints is so that the game runners can seed these blueprints into the world (while you, the player, generate the Necrology resources needed for Necro-related fun-times). Regarding the Brew conversions, we want to try and balance the output of Body and Mind as closely as possible to the Live system so that everyone has an even playing field. We have a chance here at a fun and decent soft genre reset to get back into playing in a resource scarcity dystopian wasteland full of friendly player faces (and not so friendly character faces maybe!) so we want to try and keep the flow of items, resources and blueprints at a steady but controlled pace. Lastly, currently Sasha’s got the cards and some free time, so they are heading this up on their own for now, so it’s likely that they will hit a few conversions per person before moving to the next, so that everyone has a chance to get stuff converted. Classic “everyone gets served firsts, before anyone else gets seconds”.

Thanks for understanding!

Four Things Players Can Do To Help the Staff

Photo by Allana Marie

At Dystopia Rising New York, we have an amazing player base who’s always asking us “How can we help out?” Unfortunately, at events we’re often so busy we don’t have a good answer other than “Um, pick that thing up and put it down over there.” So between events, we came up with four things our players can do if they want to help out the staff.

Phys Reps

We’ve had this come up multiple times and it’s actually caused a couple of larger issues: you have to phys rep any item not stored in your supply bag. Further, some items need phys reps - typically weapons and armor, and some of these require specific phys reps. In addition, you have to have a phys rep for any injectable or brew you use. If you don’t have a phys rep for an item, it can be “stored” in your supply bag, but you still have to take the item card out to use it. We’ve gotten lax on this, because honestly, it doesn’t ruin the staff’s game if you don’t use a phys rep… but when other players are watching and reacting to what you do… they need to know you did something. 

Mess Up, Fess Up

Whenever we do card checks after a big fight, there’s a tremendous number of characters who happen to have used exactly all their Mind. In a way, this makes sense - you use Mind until you’re out - but we’re also pretty sure some people are losing count and afraid of getting “in trouble.” Please, if you make a mistake, it’s a mistake… you’re not a bad person or a cheater. Let us know, and we’ll make a note and try to help you out (perhaps with coaching, if you want it, on how to keep track of skills during combat). If you tell us “Hey, I messed up” we’re not going to give you a warning, unless it’s particularly egregious (i.e. “Hey, I messed up and accidentally spent 12 Resolve in that fight).

Light Discipline

We emphasize the use of red flashlights and everyone is pretty good about using them… but every now and then we have a problem. Red light doesn’t interfere with night vision, but having a light shined in your eyes still interferes with your ability to focus on anything other than that light. Please, carry a flashlight, use a flashlight, but never shine a flashlight at another person's face. (We don’t know if our guides get flashlights shined at them more often than other people… maybe it’s to see the green headband… but it happens a lot). 

Read This Chart

We have five calls that confuse players more than any others… so we made a chart. Remember, if something is delivered via a strike, you can call Avoid, so the counters on the chart below are in addition to Avoiding a physical strike.

Thank You! Using Your CAPs

Photo by Shawn Smith

Dystopia Rising New York relies on you, the players, to make our events happen. Without your help, we wouldn’t be able to bring a hundred larpers to Forestburg nine times a year and make these amazing games. We often want to thank you for what you do, not just with words, but with something to enhance your play experience. Luckily, we have a way to do this… Community Action Points, or CAPs. You can spend these CAPs on a number of cool rewards, from Mind refreshes to extra resource production. But there’s a problem:

You never use them.

Every game we give out thousands of CAPs, and they just sit there accumulating in the database. For the #readytoreq campaign alone, a dozen people get enough CAPs to buy a “Blue Plate Special” (a meal that will refresh you to full Mind), only to see players never cash them in. So to fix that, we’re going to explain what you can buy with CAPs, how to know how many CAPs you have, and finally, make using them easier.

Bottom line up-front - You can now spend CAPs without ever going to the Post Office, just by writing on your character sheet that you used them for certain effects. 

What Can CAPs Do For You?

The Dystopia Rising main website describes Community Action Points, including how you earn them, and what you can do with them. Basically, they’re awarded by Guides and other staff members as a “thank you” for helping us. You can use CAPs for story rewards, to find teachers (or unlearn skills), and to establish play spaces such as Culinary or Agricultural zones throughout the site. However, there are three things you can do for your character at game, all for 50 CAPs or less:

• You can spend 40 CAPs on a Blue Plate Special. This is a meal that takes 10 minutes to eat and works as a full Mind refresh. You can only use this twice per event, they are non-transferable, and they expire at the end of the event.

• You can spend 25 CAPs on a G.O.G.O Gatherer: <skill name> for any gathering skills (Agriculture, Foraging, Hunting, Salvaging, or Trailblazing). You can use this when you perform the skill for one more of any single item you gathered (i.e. a one-time buy one, get one free). These expire at the end of the event, and you can purchase two G.O.G.O Gatherers per skill, and they are non-transferable.

• You can spend 50 CAPs for 3 Local Currency. There’s no limit on how many times you can do this.

These are cool, but we really want you to enjoy your CAPs. So here are some Requiem-Specific Uses for Community Action Points. 

• If you’re using a crafting or gathering skill, and are interrupted, you can spend 100 CAPs to call “Not Today.” You can ignore the interruption, and take up to a 5-minute break from the task. As long as you return to using the skill within 5 minutes, you may continue where you left off. You can use this ability once per event. 

• If you use a combat skill and that skill is countered (i.e. your attack is Avoided) you can spend 100 CAPs and call “Nothing Ventured.” You regain the mind you spent to use the skill. You can use this ability once per event. 

• If you’re an Aberrant, and you’re in an Area of Effect or By My Voice call that targets Aberrants or does Aberrant Bane damage, you can spend 100 CAPs and call “Just Say No.” For the sake of that one effect or call, you do not count as an Aberrant. You can use this ability once per event. 

You might notice these uses of CAPs are calls you would make in the middle of a fight, and not items you get from the Post Office. This is because we’re now letting you use CAPs and log it on your sheet, to make it easier for you (read on for more details).

How Many CAPs Do You Have?

All Community Action Points are associated with individual chapters, or with National (which can be used at any chapter). You can find your CAPs for all chapters (and National) on the Database. However, you don’t need to worry about that at an event, because your local CAPs will be on your sheet. Right below the boxes that record your Lores and Fractures, it should list the CAPs for the chapter that printed your sheet (picture in the next section). 

How Can I Use My CAPs?

Normally, you have to go to the Post Office, stand in line, and ask them to spend your CAPs. They’ll then give you an item card with the item you requested. Some uses require you to contact the Directors and take more time. However, we’ve realized that this is a barrier to use, so we have a local rule about using CAPs, to make it easier:

If you’re using NY CAPs, you can spend CAPs on Blue Plate Specials, G.O.G.O Gatherers, and any local CAPs calls simply by recording them on your sheet.

All other rules still apply: you have to spend 10 minutes eating a Blue Plate Special, for example, and you still have to go to the Post Office to use your G.O.G.O Gatherer. However, for any of the Requiem-specific Calls (Last Ditch Effort, Not Today, Nothing Ventured, and Just Say No), you can simply use them and record them on your sheet.

To record CAPs usage, write them on the front of your sheet, under your skills (the red circle shows you where you can find your local CAPs). 

We have one caveat: you can’t spend National CAPs this way, as National CAPs don’t show up on the character sheets. If you like, you can contact the staff or visit the Post Office, and they’ll convert your National CAPs to local. 

Why Are We Doing This?

Community Action Points are supposed to be our way of saying thank you to you… if you can’t use them, they don’t mean anything. We’re hoping by giving you more ways of using them (and seeing others use them as well), they’ll become more desirable and make our gratitude more meaningful to you.

We will be adding excerpts from this blog to the website under Local Mechanics.

Cold Weather Larping

Cold-weather larping requires more work than just carrying extra socks: while larping in the heat can be rough, the cold offers unique problems that can wear you down. Huddling together in the dark can make for great role-play, but not if the player is uncomfortable or unhappy. Here’s some tips for staying warm enough to enjoy a cold-weather larp.

Stay Dry

Unlike hot weather, you’re unlikely to get a serious injury in the cold… unless you get wet. Your body can produce heat much more efficiently than it can cool you down, but if you’re wet, it can’t keep up. Not only will you be more comfortable if you stay dry, you’ll also avoid hypothermia and frostbite. 

While you hear the advice, “change your socks” often, what you’re actually doing is removing sweaty clothing and replacing it with dry clothing. Sweat is your biggest enemy in the cold; if you’re warm walking around, you’re probably sweating as soon as you start fighting. You need a base layer of clothing that wicks sweat away from the skin, and it’s essential to stay hydrated. Be hyper aware of any damp clothing, and change it immediately.

If You’re Cold, You’re Thirsty; If You’re Tired, You’re Hungry

Your body regulates temperature with fluids: your blood warms your extremities, and your sweat cools you off. If you’re not well-hydrated, this system doesn’t work as efficiently. You need to drink as much water when the temperature is below freezing as you do when it’s hot… only it’s harder to do so because you’re probably not as thirsty. Similarly, it’s a lot of work to keep you warm, and your body needs fuel to do it. If you feel tired or rundown, it’s probably because you didn’t eat enough.

A common scenario in cold-weather larp: early in the evening (about 8 pm), people start going to bed early, exhausted. Usually, it’s because they didn’t eat enough throughout the day. Without food, no amount of rest is going to refresh you. Make sure that if you’re tired, you get some calories in you.

More Layers Does Not Equal More Comfort

You only need your clothes to do three things in the cold: keep the moisture away from your skin, trap the heat around your body, and protect you from the elements. Generally, this means three layers of clothing: a base layer to wick sweat away from the skin, an insulating layer to create pockets of warm air around your body, and an outer layer to keep the wind and precipitation from stripping that warm air away. A good pair of thermal underwear is designed to do the first two, but generally, you want to add a loose layer of warm clothes around your arms, leg, and torso as well. Then protect that layer with a waterproof (and windproof) outer garment, and ensure you have as little exposed skin as possible. 

Adding additional layers doesn’t really help, especially if there is no air between layers. For example, two pairs of socks aren’t really warmer than one pair of socks (there’s no space between them). Further, constricting your blood flow will make your hands and feet cold, and might make you vulnerable to frostbite. You should look “puffy” when you go out in the cold, as you surround yourself with air pockets your body will warm up. Don’t add layers that don’t have space between them; they’re just more likely to make you sweat when you come inside.

Also: when you come inside, take the outer layer off, and open up your insulating layer. You don’t want to overheat. Remember, sweat is your number one enemy.

Why You Wear Your Hat & Gloves

You don’t lose most of your body heat through your head (that’s a myth). Instead, your head and hands are the most likely parts to be left uncovered, and exposure is the second easiest way to lose body heat (the first is moisture). Your wool hat probably isn’t that much warmer than your baseball cap: it just covers more of your head. 

You do lose a lot of heat by breathing, which is why a face covering is a good idea for more than just the pandemic. Also, be careful what you touch with your bare skin. You can probably put your hands in your pockets and be fine (they’re close to your body and pockets trap heat), but when you take them out, they’re going to get cold quick when you touch something. 

Think Systemically

Your clothes, your hydration and nutrition, and your location… these all work together. Limit your time outside, and when you are, make sure you have as little exposed skin as possible, and all your layers are zipped up. Once you go inside, realize your location has changed. Now you want the heat to get to your body, and you don’t want to overheat and start sweating. Drink water before you go outside to hydrate, and eat when you come back in to refuel.

Sleeping

Last, but most important: the time you’re most vulnerable to the cold is when you’re sleeping. Your body temperature naturally drops, and you produce less warm air around you to regulate your temperature. It’s imperative that your bedding is warm enough for the weather. Luckily, the cabins at our site are heated, but make sure you can cover your arms and neck, and consider an extra blanket for your feet.

What do you wear? Just your base layer. Your sleeping bag is your insulating layer; your cabin is your protection from the elements. You don’t want to wear much more or you’ll cut off circulation, or worse, start sweating.