Local Items & Mechanics

Each Dystopia Rising chapter may, in addition to the Items, Blueprints, and Mechanics found across the Network, create additional Items and Mechanics that only apply to that chapter. These Items, Mechanics, and Rules Interpretations are only valid at Dystopia Rising: Wisconsin.

Research

Research into Plot or similar questions can be done in one of two ways, depending on your level of the Education Skill. If you choose to spend Mind, you may ask a series of Yes or No questions. If you choose to spend 1 Resolve, however, you may instead ask a series of short-answer questions. If your Character has less than 100XP, you get a free short-answer question. The specifics of Mind and Resolve costs are detailed on our Research Form, often found near the Research Center in Town Hall.

Once you fill out the Research Form, please take your form to Public Works and they will sign-off on your Mind/Resolve expenditures on your sheet. They will then take the Research Form until Ops comes to collect them. Ops will process Research Forms as quickly as possible, either returning them to you directly or leaving them inside the town Mailbox.

This method of Research allows characters to internally seek answers to questions they know only some things about, and speeds up the ability of Ops to facilitate answers. Answers to Research questions may be limited in their content at times, as they are based on topics that the character either already knows or can reasonably deduce from knowledge about the world.

Local Resources

Ginseng
Named Herb
A slow-growing, ivy-like perennial plant found commonly near Steel Horse Crossing, its root is rumored to have various medicinal qualities.

Trilobite Chitin
Named Scrap
This occasionally found piece of stone has a curious pre-Fall creature encased within it. It has been found to have a strange psionic resonance with those sensitive to it, although it appears to exhibit no dangerous or malicious psionic influence in others.

Local Items

Beer Batter
Gizmo, Single-Use
May be expended during the “Deep Cholesterol Fry” Procedure to add the following effect to the list of effects that may be chosen from: “Replace ‘Regain’ with ‘Upsurge’ (Healing Meals Only).” This effect applies to the original Meal’s effect; any supplemental Procedure or Ingredient Effects are applied additionally as normal. May not be combined with the “Curing and Preserving” Procedure.

Marefly Larval Extraction
Procedure
The only known method for curing Stage 5 Marefly Larval Parasite Disease. The Procedure details a toyetic process involving a prop and removing a physical representation of the parasite. May be done either solo, or with a small team, and requires 1 Month Advanced Notice.

Local Diseases

Radiation Sickness

Overview: A physical reaction to being exposed to too much concentrated radiation.
Stage 1: Mild Nausea, Headache, Disorientation, Itchy or Sensitive Skin. Mechanics at this Stage are limited to Roleplay.
Stage 2: 2: As Stage 1, but increased in intensity. Skin may develop a slightly burned look in places. Mechanics at this Stage are limited to Roleplay.
Stage 3: As Stage 2, but increased in intensity. Skin shows beginning signs of blistering and sores as well as bloody vomiting. Any Skill use that costs Mind also causes 5 Body damage to the User, which cannot be prevented.
Stage 4: As Stage 3, but increased in intensity. Mild hallucinations and hair loss occur. Blisters and Sores cover more area and begin to bleed. Additional to the Stage 3 Mechanic, the individual no longer receives any benefit from ingested Meals or Brews.
Stage 5: As Stage 4, but increased in intensity. Hallucinations are now vivid, and hair loss is extreme. In addition to the Stage 3 and 4 Mechanics, any Skill use that costs Resolve immediately drops the User to 0 Body and they enter Bleed Out. (Exception: A Free Radical using Master Biogenetics instead drops to 1 Body.) If not cured within 2 months of play, the individual dies.
Progression: None, although continual exposure to radiation sources may increase the Stage level.
Resolution: Identifiable through use of the Basic Medical Skill.
Treated at Stages 1 & 2 with Basic Medical, 10 Mind, and 10 minutes RP purging bodily fluids, forced hydration, and application of a Basic Pain Killer Crafting Component.
Treated at Stages 3 & 4 with Proficient Medical, 20 Mind, and 20 minutes RP purging bodily fluids, forced hydration, and application of a Proficient Pain Killer Crafting Component.
Treated at Stage 5 with Master Medical, 30 Mind, and 30 minutes RP purging bodily fluids, forced hydration, and application of a Master Pain Killer Crafting Component.

Marefly Larval Parasite

Overview: Eggs laid by a Marefly inside the eyes that hatch and feed off of the host’s brain tissue, until bursting forth painfully through the eye socket.
Stage 1: Mild headache and difficulty focusing. Mechanics at this Stage are limited to Roleplay.
Stage 2: As Stage 1, but increased in intensity. The headache is throbbing and impossible to ignore. Balance while moving is difficult. Mechanics at this Stage are limited to Roleplay.
Stage 3: As Stage 2, but increased in intensity. Vision is impaired, partial blindness in one eye. Any Skill use that costs Mind immediately inflicts Blinding on the User, which cannot be prevented.
Stage 4: As Stage 3, but increased in intensity. Opening the eyes causes excruciating pain and moving is difficult. As Stage 3, but any Skill use costs an additional 5 Mind.
Stage 5: As Stage 4, but increased in intensity. The host is permanently under the effect of Blinding. If left untreated, at some point during the Event the host will suffer, “60 Body, Murder, Unavoidable.” An unknown number of Marefly Hatchlings will immediately spawn, and the disease is considered cured.
Progression: Progresses one stage each month that the Character is attending. Players who do not attend every month will not be penalized.
Resolution:
At Any Stage, may consume 1 Local Named Herb: Ginseng to gain Upsurge: “Suppress the Mechanical Effects of Marefly Larval Parasite.”
Treated at Stages 1 & 2 with Basic Medical, feeding the patient 1 Local Named Herb: Ginseng, 10 Mind, and 10 minutes RP applying Basic Arsenic Serum to the eyes and ears to kill the parasite.
Treated at Stages 3 & 4 with Proficient Medical, feeding the patient 1 Local Named Herb: Ginseng, 20 Mind, and 10 minutes RP applying a Proficient Poison Brew of the Patient’s Lineage to the eyes and ears to kill the parasite.
Treated at Stage 5 with the Marefly Larval Extraction Procedure.