Dystopia Rising: Los Angeles
Dystopia Rising: L.A. is a member of the Dystopia Rising LARP Network with events that take place in the fictional, zombie infested, post-apocalyptic setting of the "Shattered Coast."Join us as we build a new world and story in an alternate version of Los Angeles County set several hundred years after the world as we know it has ended.Our 21+ events feature simulated combat in a survival horror setting with fictional narratives of class and faith warfare during a fully immersive LARP event.
Gamer Glossary
TTRPG (Table Top Role-Playing Game) - What most people associate with round table gaming, like Dungeons & Dragons. A tactile experience with miniatures, maps, and dice. You have a character sheet that tells you what all of
your character's powers are and their statistics and the action takes place only in each other’s minds.
Players take turns stating their character's actions after the DungeonMaster/Storyteller provides a scenario. Dice are rolled for the harrowing results.
LARP (Live Action Role-Playing) - What the Dystopia Rising network contains that you'll be immersing yourself in for a day or a weekend. You cosplay and act a role and wield combat-safe weapons in your struggle to survive the zombie post-apocalypse. You still have a character sheet that lists
Skills, Body, etc., but it stays hidden to maintain immersion and not throw off everybody's sense of genre.
Instead of a turn-based experience, everything in LARP happens in real-time and you don't state character actions; they/you simply do the thing in "live action."
Hit Points/Body - The amount/number of times your character can take a physical/supernatural blow before you go unconscious, into Bleed Out, etc.
Everyone has a form of hit points, including the NPCs/bad guys, and everyone has a limit to how many times they can get hit and stay up. Skills and items can replenish Body.
Mana/Mind - The amount/number of times your character can exert itself using an ability or Skill before becoming, essentially, too tired. Almost everyone has some expendable limit in games, including the NPCs/bad guys, dictating how many times they can do A Thing before they just... can't. Some Skills, Meals, etc. replenish Mind.
Lives/Infection - The amount/number of times your character can "die" and come back. This is traditionally associated with video game (console, PC, etc.) deaths, before you have to restart the level, the chapter, etc. and lose progress.
In most role-playing games if your character loses their one life, they will often be permanently dead and you have to "re-roll" (make a brand new character), to continue playing.
In Dystopia Rising, your Infection is the codified potency of the shared zombie fungus in every character. Everyone starts with a set amount and they can only “lose lives” that many times. Once your character's physical body has become too damaged (lost all of your Infection) to be re-stitched enough to resemble “you”, it becomes a zombie version of your character which is now completely unplayable. There are ways to restore Infection, but they are extremely rare.
You’ve been warned.
Willpower/Resolve - The amount/number of times your character can perform extraordinary actions, such as miracles, defying death, resisting damage, etc. These normally take a very heavy toll and only replenish in due time (refresh each game.)
Armor - Cosplay covering of post-apoc armor pieces with its own "hit points" that prevents "damage" going to your Body by it taking the hit's damage first.
Can be repaired.
NSFW -
Not Safe For The Wastes
While the owners of DR: L.A. like to look forward, due to its licensees being demonized in the past for having been involved in adult work, we’re choosing to be completely transparent about sex in relation to our events. What we licensees do for work to pay Uncle Merica’s taxes does not cross over to DR: L.A. While we’re on this topic, let's go over some rules. We wish this wasn’t necessary:No sex of any kind on site. Including simulated.Yes, you're paying for a day/weekend away. You shouldn't be told no to anything as consenting adults. It's 100% about liability. No more, no less. We shouldn't have to go into it further, and we hope that you've learned that there's a time and place for everything. We’re not your dormmates. It's also best to avoid sex in-character, simulated (e.g., physical back rubs) as it may be.
Necessary ongoing consent aside, you never know where someone is mentally or emotionally. And there's no reason to expect that you won't be “seen.” (Not kinkshaming anyone, it’s just not for everyone.)No NudityWe grew up with campy 90's horror movies with gratuitous bare breasts like many others.
But not everyone wants to see others' body parts for reasons that are 100% NOT our role to question why. Please express yourself via your cosplay as risqué as you’d like, but we ask that you cover sexual characteristics (including secondary sexual characteristics, like nipples.) Thank you everyone!No story, mods, discussion, jokes, or mentions of sexual assault or rape. Ever.Dystopia Rising: Los Angeles and the Dystopia Rising network do not allow the above. Ever.
F.A.Q.
Q: What is Dystopia Rising?
A: A zombie post-apocalypse shared experience (LARP) with safe simulated combat, where survivors band together at weekend events to build a better future. Each branch across the nation has its own local flavor, as does ours!
It's also an ongoing story decades in the shaping, brought to us by Most Improbable. Visit the publishers' core Dystopia Rising Live page.
Q: Do I need to read the material linked above or own the digital or physical copies to play immediately?
A: No, but we HIGHLY recommend reading the DR: Live - Players' Guide. Our staff will do their best to incorporate you into play, including with less roleplaying, if you don't consider yourself a “gamer.” It helps if you read the Players' Guide though by not constantly breaking character during game (halting immersion) to have to ask "How?" While our staff is there to help, out-of-character breaks disturb play for others. (Trust me, we've all been there.) Until you get a chance to read the material between games, feel free to do what we did at our first Dystopia Rising event and cosplay, smile, and watch. Maybe you'll also meet a helpful Jeff Thelen in the wild!
Q: When is DR: L.A.’s next event?
A: After hosting our first three Live games at our “warehouse on the docks”, a charity event skills workshop benefitting The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, our first Virtual (Discord) game also benefitting The Center (as well as the San Clemente Island Goat Breeders Association), and our first fundraiser benefitting Long Beach LGBTQIA+ locals (sponsored by the Port of Long Beach with raffle prizes donated by local businesses), we took a bit of a break! We’d like to host another Virtual game, or Live game, in November or December! Or one of each! If Live, will we see you there as a zombie or a survivor, setting a new course for the besieged docks?
Q: Can I base my DR: Live LARP Network characters in or transfer to your branch?
A: Yes, based on network standards and with restrictions (some below).
Q: Why is DR: L.A. age 21+ to attend?
A: We acknowledge that those under 21 can handle mature themes. DR: L.A. has decided to
make the California legal drinking and marijuana smoking age our requirement for event liability purposes. While DRINKING AND DRUGS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT OUR EVENTS (including vape pens and edibles), we do not want those tempted to break rules doing so with people "underage." No exceptions to this age restriction will be considered and we
apologize for any sense of exclusion or exclusivity. IDs will be checked at entry, and liability waivers must also be signed first.
Q: Is DR: L.A. part of an existing story?
A: Only in that it exists within the Dystopia Rising network. DR: L.A. is a standalone story with a background inspired by Echoes of Celluloid Dreams. Any L.A. stories told outside our settlement (also: real-life county or branch boundaries) do not apply to our local narrative.
When in doubt, if L.A.’s been mentioned narratively before, it didn't happen. (i.e., post-apoc trauma and radiation poisoning amirite?)
Q: Is this branch right for me and my patronage? I work hard for my money!
A: Our branch will narratively feature class warfare and fictional fascist theocracy. We'll discuss collaboratively with players and staff what direction satisfies the majority as we go. We aim to leave nobody out of having an amazing time regardless of their style of fun!
Our branch will not encourage CvC (Character-versus-Character) combat much as we give new players time to learn the ropes. We'll discuss this collaboratively with players and staff also.
Charity events, such as our post-apoc skills workshops, will support other local charities!
Q: I'm LGBTQIA+/open/poly/SW/non-traditionally recognized. Am I welcome?
A: Our apologies for misnaming or not including your identity above. You are more than welcome and we'll do our best to protect your safety and comfort at our events.
Sexuality/gender identities/relationship models aren't our focus in our narrative or online spaces, and staff will treat you respectfully. If anybody misnames you or are disrespectful in an intentional way, we will address it privately with you and ask what resolution you feel can be respectfully reached.
On the same topic, more traditionally recognized ways of life are also protected at our events. At no time should anybody discuss others’ matters of birth or choice that have no bearing to DR:LA, especially if not consented to.
Remember, freedom of speech is a right protected by the government from government censorship; not private companies. Please moderate your discussion of any matters you are ignorant of or don't have a personal stake in.
Regardless of all the different valid means of living your life, if you enjoy the X-Men saga and recognize that they're the heroes of the story and not the bigoted, genocidal villains they fight, you'll fit in just fine with our community!
Q: Do you allow other games' house rules and mechanics in DR: L.A.?
A: No. For genre and rules consistency across the Wastes during the first year of Live there should be no differentiation from the published rules between branches in the network.
Q: (Quoted from DR: CT) - My character is a robot, part robot, werewolf, cyborg, wizard, alien. Can they attend?
A: No. DR: L.A. embraces a strict adherence to the original story/genre players came to love. We encourage players to reach out if uncertain regarding character backstories and cosplay and we'll guide you on local story/genre consistency.
LIFESTYLE
The world government implemented a gradual population control measure. Unintentionally and unbeknownst to all, this fungal bioweapon mutated all living matter's genetic building blocks and the environment itself well before the first zombie attacks were reported. The infection that produced the hungry dead spread globally while society was
distracted with personal technology and governmental disinformation. The major cities were nuked... and that only exacerbated things.The characters you play exist 400+ years after the Fall. Every survivor of the apocalypse had to evolve with the zombie fungus infection, which caused the remnants of humanity to supernaturally heal and come back to life many times before eventually becoming undead. It also transformed your predecessors differently based on specific survival traits; or Lineages. Depending on your ancestors’ apocalyptic environment, such as exposure to nukes and radiation, group mobility, fierce faith, etc, you choose a Lineage. Like most games, this initial choice affects how you interact with the living world and how it engages you. If you want to go all in on local post-Fall flavor we’ve written specifically for this branch, read below. But for us filthy casuals just looking to get into the game, Lineages are simply a specific character flavor, cosplay, and advantage you can utilize without needing to dive further into Dystopia Rising lore.You can find the relevant Dystopia Rising reference material here.
Advice Column
Should I give DR: L.A. a chance? I’ve been hurt before…Hello DR: L.A.,My favorite LARPs fall apart just as I get super invested, EVERY time. It starts off great, but the honeymoon ends too quickly. Is it me? Or is the LARP to blame?
- Lost & LARPlornHello Lost,
Thank you for being vulnerable enough to ask. The good news is, it isn’t you!
After a combined 50+ years of LARPing, we can confidently say a lot of game runners succumb to false hubris and sudden burnout (us included!), which harms the relationship.
Lucky for you, with Dystopia Rising: Los Angeles we all have a fresh start in a fictional world setting and very real community! This is your chance to reclaim your love of LARP by being open to helping us grow with you, not apart. If you feel mistreated by us, let’s work together to maintain a truly
respectful relationship!
If you are concerned about your own actions, it never hurts to check your reason for attending our events so you know you’re showing up with community first in mind. If you feel, "I'm paying. Cater to MY needs" then take a step back for a bit. None are immune. We’ll see each other when returning with healthier mindsets!
Our goal in this relationship is to help you forget real-world woes, enhance your life, and provide a platform to pay it forward to your faithful community.
— DR: L.A.
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the
Same
NOTE: Events before our settlement’s founding offer no relevance to survivors in DR: L.A., just like how we don’t dwell on how we traveled before Google Maps or smart phones.
It's one less existential worry now, so fuck it. But for the Jones out there, and folx who like to read world canon to get in the gaming mood, this is for you. We did our best to keep L.A.’s local flavor alive!What we do know: when surface missiles launched to contain the zombie infection spilling out of the greater Los Angeles area, the impact on a single military weapons depot cascaded to maximum effect. One well-placed strike sent coastal living into oceanic oblivion by triggering an earthquake that cratered our seaside home. The San Andreas Fault, decades overdue to reap our destruction, turned what we know as the South Bay into fractured islands overnight. Luckily, coastal breezes and our brand new beachfront property diffused and diluted the radiation. Mostly.Once the local Lineages and their diverged Strains evolved to their current state, the tribes of humanity did what they always do and held to their regions. The cloistered
Landsmen of Isla Verde eventually tolerated each other enough to thrive as an agricultural community. The Townies of Isla Gardena struggled to secure limited natural resources now that they were cut off from their supply chains, and discovered devolved neighbors gone insane from the apocalypse, known as Raiders. The Elitariats of Lost Angels, whose predecessors had the means to comfortably lock themselves away from the chaos of the apocalypse, stayed in their ivory towers and preserved the Pre-Fall lifestyles they valued as if nothing happened. This left L.A.’s poorer surrounding communities to reclaim their homes from the undead with only bullets and bats at first. But something incredible happened; they had faith on their side. The newly-emerged Devoted Lineage wielded tangible miracles of healing and blessings to push back the hungry hordes and pluck their loved ones from certain death. These inner-city soldiers of faith banded together to achieve victory only to divide again afterwards based on their beliefs. Those who escaped the terror of the Fall by migrating en masse until reaching the Shattered Coast evolved into the mobile Nomad Lineage.When the Pure Bloods of the Holy Wood Hills finally shuffled out of their opulent strongholds to squint at the scorching sun, they immediately craved decadent postapocalyptic luxuries from across the Wastes. But as they were far too ancestrally sheltered from the new environmental hazards to travel themselves, trade and transportation remained crucial. And so Wetside and Dock's End (Long Beach as we knew it) once again thrived as a melting pot port town of survivors.The population of the Shattered Coast soon became cultural slaves to the Elitariat and Devoted of the Hills. They brandished absolute control of the new Telling Visionaries faith, and generations of laborers got to work satiating their greed. All Post-Fall wealth traveled north to the rich. Again. The only thing preventing the Hills from wielding total commercialist control over the unwashed masses…was having to personally interact with them. Thus upper-class coveting servants of the Pure Bloods and self-proclaimed labor leaders rose from Lost Angel’s ashes to do the Hills' dirty work. These opportunistic “Solestros” eagerly reaped the leftover luxuries of their betters, and lorded undue influence over their perceived lessers. So long as the nouveaux pauvres provided for the Hills, the old status quo was settled. And with the emergence of the working class Light of Hedon faith, those laborers remained content in their holy task of pursuing earthly pleasures to counter daily toils. The only wealth that belongs to the Have Nots now are pop culture trinkets unearthed from coastal landslide landfills, and the supplies they manufacture and trade to thrive.Many justified rebellions have raged and subsided. There have been natural and unnatural disasters, both geological and undead. Distant settlements have risen and fallen with no word as to why. The Hills’ religious influence spreads with the Light, and nobody would think to question the Word of the Sponsor. The beleaguered survivors of the Shattered Coast still worship its surreal sunsets as they did before, party hard at the end of the week, and await the day they don't have to struggle to survive. <Your character is of the
working class, unless approved as a Pure Blood.>Rumor has it that a new settlement is in construction on idyllic Isla Verdes and welcomes all eager to serve the Light. Vista del Soul™ will soon be a manufacturing and trading post that will serve as a hub of commerce for Dock’s End, the disparate Nomads of the Shattered Coast, and as a coastal vacation resort of The Hills. That's where you come in to discover and affect the local story.Want to know who the power players and movers-and-shakers are along the Shattered Coast, and possibly be a part of their inner circle? Want to learn which factions secretly and not-so-secretly vie for financial and cultural dominance? Create a character in our branch that's from our new L.A. setting (i.e., not from any previous/existing branches) and learn at creation!
The Docks
The Docks, as they’re known along the Shattered Coast, belong to the working class and wasteland wanderers looking to do business way from the watchful eye of the Hills. With their Red Star resettlers and supervisors keeping everyone (mostly) honest, all Strains or faiths are allowed to prove their worth as maritime merchants or dockhands moving coastal commerce. While lovingly referred to as “where the sewer meets the sea” or
“a sunny place for shady people”, Wetside, and Dock’s End specifically, are where you go to get lost and never be found. As the residents’ lofty goals and origins are no longer relevant, they only hope to work hard and play harder. Proud dwellers of the docks can feed their families and find their true calling.
<PCs are either from the docks, “work” there now, or are visiting for…reasons, without prior story approval. All “Standard” Lineages/Strains are tolerated.>
Faiths accepted without story approval:
ALL faiths accepted (as long as they put fruitful labor over beliefs).
ACCENSORITE:
Sure, I've worked with some of the holy rollers. They can spout whatever faithfilled nonsense they want--hell, I'd even listen to 'em if it sounded good--as long as they keep working. Preach at me why I'm a lost soul for all I care, as long as we can still feed all our families that week.
Excluding the Church of Darwin, Final Knights, Tribes of the Seasons
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderRED STAR:
Was a time when Dock's End and Wetside were lawless and only a handful of workers got to eat and find shelter from the elements. Or were offered safety indoors when zed attacked. Then we moved in and showed the locals how everyone benefits from their work, as a community.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderUNBORN:
Sure, their dead eyes and green veins take some getting used to. But, buddy, we'll all look like that in the end. At least they don't whine about the Haves of the Hills the way most dockhands do one drink in after a day's work. I just wish they'd ask us for help when they truly need it.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderPURE BLOOD:
What use do I have for puddle hoppers who won't get their boots wet? If the damn locals didn't buy into their Merchandising, they'd be helpless in their empty compounds. They're too damn arrogant to even realize they ran out of essential supplies long ago. But if they ever do....
• Variants: WastelanderDIGITARIAN:
"Digitarians", huh? Sounds smugger than calling yourself a Pure Blood if ya ask me. Fancy know-it-alls think they're better than a hard day's work using wooden pulleys and elbow grease? More likely to lose a couple "digits" strolling the docks if they're not careful to hide their tech.
• Variants: WastelanderSOLESTROS:
The Solestros natives are a mixed bag. Most of them value labor and community almost as much as we do, but with more familial trappings. Others would gladly hang wanted posters of you at Vista del Soul™ for daring to imply that their masters might not respect their mother.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderIRONS:
It used to be so damn dark on the docks. Sure, pockets of torchlit bars and the occasional workplace bonfire dotted the landscape to let ya know the living still ran Dock's End. Now I look over the orange glow of Wetside and realize we did something real good employing the Irons.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderRECLAIMERS:
If I ever meet one, I'd love to ask what they did different up north to spare themselves the nukes during the Fall. But our foggy warmth doesn't lend to seeing one of em. Still, there's hard work to be had for everyone, including some rugged lumberjocks looking for a decent living.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderUNSTABLE:
We never could've imagined how much we'd count on the Unstable for our security and, funny enough, our stability. They got no fear walking past our dead brothers and sisters to open a gate or signal a ship into port. We still check 'em when they get too full of 'emselves. It’s how they know we care.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderFULL DEAD:
Do I look like I'd employ a zombie? Well I would. At first I was nervous when a group o' talking zed shambled up to me asking for work and lodging, knowing what I know about their...diet. But, hey, sometimes we lose shipments deep in the water that only they can retrieve for us.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderSEMPER MORT:
Of all the Strains, I trust the bloodsuckers the least. Something about how much they try to hide how they eat, unlike the other Gorgers. Just doesn't sit right with me. I appreciate having one less mouth to feed, but they better find somewhere else to have a drink than at the docks.
• Variants: Standard Lineage onlyLASCARIAN:
Not gonna lie, it's harder to do business with the settlement by putting Lascarians to work at the docks. Few know why the Host hates them, and vice versa. Not our fault, not our fight. They work mostly at night and find ways to
eat I'm not at liberty to discuss in mixed company.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderMERICAN:
Give me a dozen of these badasses riled up and ready to fight versus cryin' in their cups over an L any day. It’s even harder for 'em to stay focused on their duties when a' hootin' and a hollerin'. But I'll always put good ol' Merican spirit to the test in a pinch over most Solestros slicksters.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderNATURAL ONE:
We don't have work for folx who don't want it. I'm sure they're hardy and hardworking, but they don't care to join us on the docks. Probably too busy leading the resistance or whatever with their Tribes of Seasons allies. I'm interested to see who wins that turf war. VERY interested.
• Variants: Civic, StandardQUIET FOLK:
I'm not sure I've ever met one, just heard of em. Secretive community, big eyes, yeah? I hear they mostly stick to the bluffs of Isla Verde in their "sub-urban" houses, whatever that means. What they're doing for Vista del Soul™ and why, I dunno. I'm not sure we'll ever find out either.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderREMNANT:
If only there were more of em still to work beside. Reds, Retrogrades, and Remnants helped rebuild the docks after its previous "managers" bailed. We shared a purpose, and didn't judge each other for our wildly different backgrounds or beliefs. I wish em well in their new purpose.
• Variants: WastelanderRETROGRADE:
Ask them their names, it's that easy. "But they look like zed!" And? Imagine how they feel, rotting away. Maybe it's cause we spent years rebuilding the docks that I've got a soft spot for em. Or maybe cause they care enough about their loved ones to muzzle their mouths before…
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderTAINTED:
Why we even talking about this? Your guess is as good as mine as to their...condition. Rougher around the edges, yeah. Quick to temper, so I just don't put em on jobs that require an even keel. End of day, they're as loyal as loyal can be to their "tribe", just like we are to our clusters.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderDIESEL JOCK:
Roads being what they are, DJs either gotta drive through the inner city zed and raider hordes from the north, or a LONG way through the same in every other direction...but with ginormous cracks in the ground. Some still do it for the right goods and thrills. Just buy a boat already.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderROVER:
Easy come, easy go. Every time one strolls into town, they break my crew's hearts or get em pregnant. (Looking at you Doc Hala.) Even though they're upfront about it, same result. I broke one’s heart and hurt their pride myself once. Can't help but think they fucked all our trade for a good while.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderSALTWISE:
Get outta here. "What do I think about the Saltwise?" That's like asking what I think about water versus hooch. I prefer one, but the other's necessary to live. We feed our families with the goods they bring in that we trade to Vista del Soul™ and the Hills. Always have, always will.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderBAYWALKER:
Like Saltwise who stick around. At the docks we call em Beachcombers. Most of us are too afraid of what's below to ever leave the gangways, but not them. They take shelter along the coast, closer to the waves and the trinkets that
wash up that they trade to us or sell to the Hills.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderYORKER:
Sure, we've got some. Usually too dangerous to make the trip all this way, and there's never enough of em to pass on their genes if ya know whatta mean. The ones who made it here say how alike Wetside and Dock's End are to Old York and figured staying was safer than the return journey.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderVEGASIAN:
Not if there was one body left I needed to fight back-to-back with against a horde. They missed the "work hard" part that earns you respect around here. Sure, sometimes they flourish into the bars and con my crew at bones who thank em for the pleasure, but I can't stand any of em.
• Variants: Wastelander
The Light
The Light, as it is known on Isla Verdes and its settlement of Vista del Soul™, was once just a more commercialized brand of Hedonites. Bored and enamored by the wealth and luxury of the Hills, with its “limited-time offers” of Merchandising, eventually this group culturally consumed the Have Nots of the coast. Not as feared for radical theology like the local Telling Visionaries, their “Sinfluencers” actively market their wares to the starving masses who feel they deserve…more. Want to massage the same fancy creams onto your face as the Pure Bloods of the Hills? Or eat the same Devoted delicacies of the Telling Visionaries? By all means…go towards the Light.
Faiths accepted at Vista del Soul™ without prior story approval:
Light of Hedon, Telling Visionaries, Kings & Queens Court, The Nuclear Family
ACCENSORITE:
As long as true believers follow the tenets of Sinfluence and the Sponsor, they're welcome at Vista del Soul™. We always need wielders of faith to help keep the dead clear from our holy paradise. Those—other beliefs—can still find a place amongst us by, I dunno, copying our benedictions or something?
Light of Hedon, Telling Visionaries
• Variants: Civic, StandardRED STAR:
I thank the Seven every day I wake up and don't have to deal with the shudders actual dockhands. If it weren't for the Red Star of Wetside,
misguided as they are, we would never have access to the finest of imports the Wastes have to offer. Their means of security, however— shudders again
• Variants: NOT INVITEDUNBORN:
Their mere Mortis-worshipping presence makes me queasy. Imagine thinking you can draw breath in the same holy Hedonite settlement that I oversee. It's probably for the best that they don't. Unless they're the Son of fuckin Frankenstein come to glorious life, let them all die silent.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDPURE BLOOD:
Pfft! As if we ever lost a step in the evolutionary ladder like our lessers claim. So we didn't grow horns or slough off our skin. Doesn't mean we weren't born for great things! Show me a Solestros or Red Star who can balance business and pleasure the way only our blessed kind can!
• Variants: Civic, StandardDIGITARIAN:
The Maytags! I cannot express how thrilled I am that they evolved to service our aging tech and remind us why the Holy Wood Hills had it all before the Fall. If it weren't for them, we'd still be living in the Dark Ages of fireside folk tales. Where do they get such wonderful toys...?
• Variants: Civic, StandardSOLESTROS:
Well, who doesn't need a good Solestros when it all goes tits up? And they so greedily serve the needs of Vista del Soul™ we didn't even have to ask twice. Still. Sometimes I see their family elders look at me like I should lock my door when pissing at home around the help.
• Variants: Civic, StandardIRONS:
I don't understand why they're so angry. I didn't enslave their people or wage war with them. The standard-issue ones work hard at least, moving that from this to there. I do worry that so many have gone missing. I have nightmares now of red glows rising from green grass like flames.
• Variants: StandardRECLAIMERS:
A what now? Anything that's left to claim we already have. I jest. I know what they are. Eyes to get lost in and muscles for days. We've only seen a couple come through here, but they don't sign on to the system well. It may be because--just kidding, I don't care why.
• Variants: StandardUNSTABLE:
Absolutely NOT. You think harboring some leaky psions who don't see zombies as a threat lends to lasting prosperity at Vista del Soul™? I wasn't assigned by the hallowed Hierophant to oversee a settlement full of failed experiments! They may still be of some use. Hmm…
• Variants: NOT INVITEDFULL DEAD:
The Full Dead on the other hand, I don't mind so much. Sure, some are truly disgusting to see. And smell. And they're as close to zombies as I've ever gotten. But they have a knack for knowing what's of real value to the Sponsor and Merchandising as if they remember the actual Signal.
• Variants: Civic, WastelanderSEMPER MORT:
A few have approached me during my stay, covered in veils or gloves to not scare the straights, and offered to provide long-term medical services. We have our share of workplace incidents like any other settlement, after all. And they all obey our laws like their lives depend on it.
• Variants: Civic, Standard, WastelanderLASCARIAN:
One more mention of those cave dwelling anarchists and my Accensorites of War--ning will have a word with you. I'd cover this entire agricultural accolade in concrete if it meant never having to worry about one of—them— bursting out from the ground beneath my expensive shoes.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDMERICAN:
I see why The Hills call Mericans the Viewing Audience. In one silly moral puppet play I witnessed their entire range of emotions...and lived to tell the tale. If only they weren't so unpredictable as laborers, or susceptible to the lies of the infidels and rebels. Yee-fuckin-haw: PASS.
• Variants: CivicNATURAL ONE:
Where?! By the Seven, don't do that. Those ungrateful saboteurs spat in our faces when we offered them an opportunity to build this settlement. Now they hunt the local game to extinction and poach our livestock. Watch the shadows. Look for their symbols. Report all sightings. Hmph!
• Variants: NOT INVITEDQUIET FOLK:
Aren't they the absolute best? They show up eager to perform and produce, they mind their manners better than most, then they go home. Even if they're mostly loyal to the Family, they give praise to the Seven and the Sponsor and will come to our defense. Great listeners too!
• Variants: Civic, Standard, WastelanderREMNANT:
Siiigh. Okay, okay. I adore Remnants. No, I do. Once you get past their...unsightly and useless mutations, their barely subdued addictions, and
their--no. That's it really. You make a "friend" with one of these needful mutants and you've got a devoted follower and worker for life!
• Variants: Civic, Standard, WastelanderRETROGRADE:
Fakes retching Have they never heard of aloe? Or treating themselves to a facial? shudders Tell you what, you ever find one that doesn't sweat rads or slough its face off while I watch, AND can enjoy a drunken Revel, send them my way. Until then, they can go die over there.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDTAINTED:
Backs up slowly, signaling their Accensorite bodyguards to advance You think that's funny? Do you know what just one of those raging Raider rejects could do to Vista del Soul™ if it lost its temper? They're the poster Strain for why you should give your Remnants a forever home.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDDIESEL JOCK:
They're kind of sexy, in that rugged, leather-y smelling way, aren't they? Greased up, tattoos, strong hands, rolling up in their fast rides then taking their helmets off to reveal—not in my settlement! Great for a quick transaction, sure, but you wouldn't let them sleep over or settle in.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDROVER:
Nosy, self-righteous gang of extortionists if I've ever met one. You won't find them here unless they've pulled one over on me. Which is impossible. Even so, I've got twenty eyes on the lips of all of my workers at all times. They won't corrupt my assets with their faraway gossips.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDSALTWISE:
Blech. Is it me, or do they always smell like low tide and sadness? I'll admit, if it weren't for them and the docks we wouldn't have nearly as many riches from across the wastes that we do now. But they have no reason to deal with me or my settlement directly, shady as they are.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDBAYWALKER:
A what now? Those are the snooty know-it-alls from the East, right? For all I know we have some here, but it's not like I'm asking the workers their life stories. I'm sure we're too high up from the ocean for them anyway. But if they're as scarred and muscly as you say, I'm conducting... private interviews.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDYORKER:
Like Old York? How quaint! What happens when the city they're named after falls into the sea though? Awkward. If they're anything like those oldcestor sports fanatics on Isla Gardena, let them stay on that violent island. Keep the attention of all the Raiders there on them please and thank you.
• Variants: NOT INVITEDVEGASIAN:
I can respect those who don't enjoy laboring and choose to manage people instead. Next to the Solestros, who you can't shake a stick without finding a designated "leader", the Vegasians have risen in the ranks of Sinfluence and Vista del Soul™ the most. Enemies closer, and all that.
• Variants: Civic, Standard
The Road So Far
It started with a Revolution, as all necessary acts of progress do. Previously, The Hills enjoyed the docks' self-serving Solestros and Retrograde overseers bending to their favor. Pure Bloods took all of the dirty business they didn't want to sully their exotic rugs with to
Dock's End, away from the watchful eyes of their nosy neighbors and seditious families. Everyone but the workers came out on top of that former arrangement. Then a lone Red Star, hungry for change and a place to call home for her cluster, ignited the first spark. It didn't take much. With the Have Nots of the docks eager to eat and shelter their loved ones, and a little forceful nudging from "unseen parties", the Retrograde and Solestros counted their losses and fled to the Hills. But the Haves didn't want them either, especially the unsightly Mutants. The Rotties who survived the hostile takeover took their chance back at the docks, begging forgiveness and blaming the Solestros. Those same innovative Elitariats, chastised by the Hills for the coup, came up with a plan to make themselves useful again. Their eyes were set on idyllic Isla Verdes and a new settlement that didn't depend on docks trade from the Wastes to meet the Pure Blood and newly-arrived Accensorites' needs. All they asked for was a small army of idle priests eager to prove their devotion to the Sponsor. The Solestros merged their own Light of Hedon beliefs with Telling Visionary
Merchandising to recruit new island laborers. Fast-forward to Vista del Soul™, a settlement suddenly formed by disturbing the peace between the Tribes of the Seasons priestess, her Natural One and Lascarian flock, and the Quiet Ones of the bluffs of Isla Verdes.Isla Verde, a lush paradise whose natives honored the balance of the seasons for growing, harvesting and hunting game, was suddenly the agricultural mecca of the Shattered Coast... but only for The Hills and the new Hedon heresy, The Light. Vista del Soul™ still regrettably needed the docks for other goods, and the elected Red Star dock supervisor needed more Devoted medicine, fast. A new deal was struck between The Host of Vista del Soul™, who introduced The Light’s rewards-based Hedon heresy of "Sinfluence" to the swayed island natives, and the docks. As long as The Light kept its "faith" and corrupting currency of The Hills to itself, the docks would function independent of outside influence. Done deal. Then calamity struck immediately after the agreement, as if on cue.
The Green Ghast, a shelled and shuddering ship of ancient origins covered in algae and shuffling zed, became active again. The docks rarely paid it any mind, its shadow too farafield to be of concern. Shamblers had always circled above deck in a parody of luxury. Nobody questioned why its horn blew multiple times a day like clockwork, and the workers timed their daily schedule to its bellows. Until the appearance of Vista del Soul™. Suddenly, the dead were no longer satisfied strolling the upper decks. While nobody ever ventured onto the ship to gauge its depths or its residents, there were now far more dead spewing forth from its bowels. As more and more emerged from within the ship it reached more than maximum occupancy and the standing-room-only dead spilled overboard at daily intervals… in time with the ship’s bellows. And with every horn blast, major earthquakes unrecorded since the Fall shook Wetside again. The ship's souls, falling overboard from the Green Ghast on schedule as if arriving at a Pre-Fall cruise liner destination, floated towards Wetside climbing anchor chains, seafood traps, and ancient concrete ramps in a grisly exodus to their next tourist spot. The Light, again as if on cue, began extolling the safety of Vista del Soul™ over the docks and poached more skilled Wetside laborers to its hallowed settlement. Dock's End became too unsafe to accept any shipments, thus Vista del Soul™’s claim to fame of suffering no zed, no Raiders, and no reported deaths.The new dock supervisor, seeing everything they worked for crashing down, began
recruiting of her own. Unstable and Irons, previously disregarded as freaks or mere laborers, were given a seat at the table to discuss the future of Dock's End and its surrounding Wetside. But first, there was a small issue of the floating dead. In a master stroke of urban innovation, the Unstable of the Wastes were able to herd the daily encroaching zed through non-trafficked avenues and alleyways, which protected the workers and their families. And should the dead ever shift their single-minded focus passing through the docks, the Irons built fortifications that funneled and impaled the shamblers long enough to send for more help. But there was no local help coming.
Wetside’s neighbor, Isla Gardena, had for hundreds of years lost all access to the outside world when its Pre-Fall roads collapsed into the new bay during the Fall. While this was the best result for most concerned as the Raiders who devolved into existence at Isla Gardena were legion, the island’s Yorkers, Vegasians, Tainted, and Accensorites suffered their own daily battles and need for aid themselves. The rocky chasms surrounding Wetside also made arrival to the docks by land impossible. And Vista del Soul™ removed all welcome from any
who didn't vehemently choose The Light. So the dock supervisor rolled up her sleeves and got to work.A gradual homeostasis was found of closing up shop when the Green Ghast blew its horn, the resulting zed and earthquakes struck, and when to get right back to coastal commerce.
But the morgue that existed at the docks became overburdened in the war of attrition with the migrating dead and groaned under its new strain. So the same interested parties who nudged the workers revolution stepped in to “safely” collapse it before it became corrupted.
This left the only morgue nearby aboard the Green Ghast, surrounded by its shambling inhabitants forever waiting to welcome new permanent passengers. To retrieve those newly reformed souls lucky enough to actually escape the zed onboard, Unstable ferrymen were
recruited to patrol along the ship's outskirts at all times using scrap metal dinghies to bring them all back. It wasn't ideal, but the docks returned to supplying the Shattered Coast and the Wastes. And while the docks’ criminal element maintained its trafficking with The Hillsand its currency, the supervisor picked her battles and chose to look the other way. So the black market thrived and maintained its hold.
Game One: A Rehearsal at the Docks
As more and more of the docks' protectors fell to the migratory dead, less and less escaped the Green Ghast's morgue after reconstituting. It was still far safer than creating a new morgue in their families’ midst that risked spewing out more zed than they already
managed. A frantic call went out to any listening to aid the docks. Enter survivors. It was a tough sell not paying in currency, but many outsiders had their reasons to not question a complementary signing bonus scrap metal shanty or free sustenance provided with hard
work. And most had pasts they needed to atone for. When the docks actually delivered on its promise of purpose, privacy, and dignity, very few new arrivals along the Shattered Coast chose The Light. But Vista del Soul™’s surreal allure of instant wealth and guarantee of
complete safety wasn't entirely devoid of draw...
…some new arrivals came from nothing, or wealth, and sought more than community handouts.On the year anniversary of Reclamation Day, which celebrated the Revolution's end, the docks invited any willing to share in its story. Even The Light. Rumors of deaths at Vista del
Soul™ had surfaced and the settlement had lost its untouchable luster. It was time for counter-recruitment.
But on that day the dock supervisor was nowhere to be found.Orders were abruptly given to Riff Raff, her Unstable second-in-command, to instruct the workers to celebrate by being with their families. This was unheard of since the Revolution, but the Red Star had earned the docks' respect and took her advice. The Light became
acutely aware of its unchallenged opportunity to put Sinfluence on full display. The attending Pure Bloods, normally unwelcome at the docks, began peddling The Light's virtues and circulating The Hills' currency. The "Yacht Club", a shady bar with a not-so subtle dig at the ruling class, became an actual yacht club of The Haves overnight. The illicit entrepreneurs of the docks, forced to stay in the shadows after the Revolution, began to act publicly with impunity again. Currency was back in play, and with it new opportunities for control of criminal enterprise. The newly-arrived Red Star refused the currency though, turning away The Light's ostentatious overtures. Had anybody who usually did business along the waterways been present, they would’ve informed the visitors that a morgue was just installed earlier that day. Something that the
dock supervisor would have never allowed. To make matters worse, strange glowing blue mushrooms had sprung up in the new morgue, as well as on the shambling dead who wandered off-course. None knew the source of the fungus. Was it purposely propagated
from some far off land? Was it a new species the Wastes had never seen? Were spores on the zed from the Green Ghast? When the new arrivals were beset upon by shamblers more robust than normal, especially those with Glow-Shrooms growing on their rotting flesh, there were not enough fighters to save everyone. A lone Retrograde, who raised a shield in defense of his new dwelling, was consumed alive in front of all present. And when he returned reformed, not only did he have a new glee in his eyes, he was unnaturally fatigued. The morgue had left him a parting gift.
Finally on that fateful night, when a permanently departed Red Star shambled idly into the warehouse, it seemed the result of yet another routine occupational hazard. And while a newly-arrived Red Star acted quickly in securing his sister-in-Strain before others
dispatched her, the uneasy feeling that something sinister had just occurred at the docks sank in. Risk of senseless death at the docks having been put on full display, Vista del Soul™ recruitment flyers went up immediately.
And The Light shined all the brighter for it.
Game Two: The Hills Have Eyes
Time passed. The ever-absent supervisor gave sparse directives to Riff Raff to maintain the docks status quo, leaving nobody in-the-know. Even the Unstable's facade of arrogance in advancing their leader's mission showed cracks of uncertainty. The Light had expanded its reach into the docks. The once well-oiled maritime machine of trade risked becoming almost nothing more than a rutting haven of Light of Hedon heretics plying Sinfluence, littering like tactless tourists.
Drugs, solely allowed as a means of medicine after the workers’ revolution (and a wellknown secret of underground trade), found their way into the local populace again. Without guidance, the docks’ residents lost hope and sought chemical solace. Discarded syringes dotted the wooden gangways and became part of the local landscape and the Yacht Club.
Pure Bloods of The Hills, satisfied that The Light's middle-managers had secured its safety, flooded to Dock's End like the centuries before the Revolution. They brought with them showy Merchandising via Signal Boosts. These live promotional relics, previously known as "commercials" in the Pre-Fall, advertised products that The Hills found value in others producing for them. Just as their initial performances were served to Isla Verdes natives before Vista del Soul™ dominated. The Hills reclaimed their old haunt, free from their riches. At the docks, they could truly "slum it" in style.But not everyone let what transpired on Reclamation Day go unchallenged nor uninvestigated. With the flyers of Vista del Soul™ along the docks serving as flags of discovery and conquest came new counter-programming. Another faction, previously unwelcome at the docks, saw its chance and posted its own banners of resistance and recruitment. Still, commerce carried on as the supervisor had intended, having instilled
lasting purpose despite her sudden disappearance. The new docks residents ingrained themselves into the old routine and helped pick up the slack.Meanwhile, upon visiting the newly dead Red's home to redistribute her belongings, Riff Raff found a letter hastily written to her cluster. The industrious Red Star claimed in her letter that she saw... something she shouldn't have. And she was scared. A design had been hidden in the departed’s belongings detailing a hydroponics tower that would help Wetside break its agricultural dependence from the monopoly of Vista del Soul™. But having gone into hiding suddenly she left her implements scattered across the docks, a project never to be realized. If not for Martin the Red taking up her project, along with the aid of the rest of Dock's End, none would have been the wiser. Even worse, after another Signal Boost was hosted at the Yacht Club's "premiere eatery", it was clear that The Light and The Hills were never going to leave. With the new temporary morgue glowing even brighter from faster Glow Shroom propagation, and the Retrograde who died last suffering from a new condition known as Spore Sickness, it became clear that more research was required. The infested morgue had, in fact, infected the visiting Rottie on his way through. The docks needed a cure before a contagion. By dissecting and digging through a disturbingly full-grown Glow-Shroom, and with the proper application of Big Words, the disease was stopped in its tracks and the Retrograde recovered. But how does one treat Glow-Shroom infected morgues? Could a stabilized morgue ever be safely installed? By the time the supervisor made her unannounced return to discover all that had transpired, The Light's litter had been mostly removed and the hydroponics tower was built to... near-exact specifications.
The returning supervisor, justifiably furious at the cultural cancer that had metastasized at Dock's End in her absence, sprang into the sudden action she’s widely known for. She rallied the new arrivals to defiantly remove The Hills’ red carpet, quite literally. But will The
Light and The Hills accept that they're not “on the list” anymore? And why did a local Pure Blood have plans for a custom zeppelin with no hangars nearby? Tune in next month Viewing Audience!
Travel & Experiences
Dystopia Rising events, like most role-playing games, ask a lot of socializing from you. What exhausts us the most in our own lives is crowds and public speaking, so we can't even imagine having those actual fears or phobias! For those of you like us who suffer from social anxiety via event uncertainty we have laid out "what to expect" to help mentally prepare for your post-apocalyptic journey. You can also take a look at our Community Guidelines & Codes of Conduct for more information!
PLEASE NOTE: EVEN IF YOUR MEDS ARE PRESCRIBED, YOU MUST MAINTAIN A SAFE EQUILIBRIUM WHILE AT OUR EVENTS.
VISIT THE SUNNY SHATTERED COAST!
Event Arrival:
When you arrive, you'll show your ID to a clearly identified staff member to verify that you're 21+. If you’re not, you'll be asked to leave, regardless of any carpool situation. After verification, find out where you're camping (if it's an overnight event) and when you can lay claim to your temporary home. Your tent/bunk/sleeping area is off-limits to player characters or NPCs, as “out-of-game." This gives you a protected place to rest and sleep.
You're expected to eat and drink in-character, with all modern wrapping removed before game to not break immersion. Pre-Fall name brands are okay if distressed, aged, etc. to not look brightly colored/mass produced.
Registration/(Combat-Safe) Weapons Inspection:
After you set up, you'll head to our operations section ("Ops") and receive the character sheet you'll use for the event. Players who bring combat-safe in-game “weapons” will have them inspected by staff for safety. We don’t expect everyone to already have them, and that’s okay.
If you need to borrow “boffer” weapons, (including those replicating fighting with fists), combat-safe Nerf guns (or packets to throw to represent ranged combat), we'll provide
what’s available first-come-first-serve and record what you borrowed on your character sheet. You must return the items before you leave and have a staff member sign off to receive your purchased XP for the event. We reserve the right to ask for your ID to hold as collateral until the items are returned. A lot of time, care, and donations were put into making those items so we need to get them back!
Sleeping Area Claiming/Game Prep:
Once you've received your character sheet and possibly borrowed some items, you can claim your temporary territory and safely get into character dress. People will be slowly arriving and loading in and there will be a LOT of chatting and catching up, so the sooner you get cosplay and makeup ready the better! Feel free to help your friends and strangers pack in to build trust and community right away. You'd be surprised how easily you'll get excited that you're all about to go all in!
Opening Announcement:
Before you know it, opening announcements will be made with everyone in one place. This area will most likely serve as the in-character meeting hall. Owners, directors, guides, and possibly location/site managers will go over safety, expectations, resolutions from past events, site instructions, etc. (Now is no longer the time to socialize; we’ll appreciate not being interrupted.)
When announcements are over, staff calls "game on." If not ready, indicate you're out-of-character and return to your area to get dressed to go in-character. Once ready, you're expected to adopt your character's role, voice, etc. until the end of the event. Yes, it can be intimidating your first time! Feel free to just watch. You're welcome to retreat from the game space to your personal out-of-character area any time. (We only ask that you not retreat to escape in-game consequences.)
Non-Player Character (NPC) Shift:
Everyone has to pitch in for a shared casting shift as the background characters (NPCs) to further the story! Your NPC shift and check-in location will be printed on your character sheet. (Opening announcements will cover where too.) Just before your shift, come up with an in-character reason to leave your social situation with enough time to switch from your
character's identifiable costume to some unidentifiable brown or black "distressed" clothes.
This clothing change allows you to be placed and dressed over as whatever role the Guides need you to be for your 4 hours of your NPC shift. (The shift may be split into x2 2-hour shifts.) You'll add costume layers onto your NPC clothes with the other NPCs after Guides show you where the nearby applicable costumes are. Once everyone’s ready, you'll be taken out to the game space as character allies or antagonists.
Your Guide will give you adequate instruction as to what you do when encountering player characters. Don't expect to remember it all! What's important is try to don the role given.
Feel free to ask dumb questions beforehand, as we all have, and most likely the other NPCs will want to help. Once you're all in the game space, you wait to reveal yourself until the Guide directs you to. You may be shambling zombies who get quickly dispatched but rise again. Or imbalanced Raiders who only know how to engage via chaotic combat. Or maybe friendly neighboring merchants at trade meets. Don't worry, we won't ask anything of you that you aren't comfortable with or able to do. We'll find another way for you to pitch in!
Once your Guide ends your shift, they'll initial your character sheet and return it to you. Go back to camp, redress, and re-enter as your character!
Some players may not be able to meet the donation requirements we've set. They can preregister online for free to be an NPC all weekend instead of adopting their player characters (PCs), but still get event XP. No shame in being a dedicated zombie to consume all your friends! NPC options are available based on your financial ability. We’ll also provide a donation option for others doing financially well enough to pay forward a normal XP (4-hour NPC shift) event!36-40 HOURS OF SURVIVING THE ZOMBIE POST-APOCALYPSE! (If full
weekend!)Closing Announcements/Game Ended:
Once noon rolls around on Sunday, everyone meets back at the same location as opening announcements. You’re no longer in-character and after closing announcements, you go back into your "civvies" and start packing up your stuff. If not already instructed where to meet after cleaning your camp, you’ll be expected to return with your character sheet to the meeting hall to be assigned site cleanup. (Unless you've purchased opt-out of cleaning requirements, you bougie scum.) Once you’ve finished your section of the site to clean up you will retire your character sheet to staff for them to initial that you're done. You’re free to chat as you pack up, help others, decide if you want to go somewhere to eat and talk, or
just...drive offsite. (We have set site cutoff times.)We'd like to discuss game/event drop, similar to subspace drop (IYKYK.): Much like returning to society from Burning Man, some decompression is suggested first. Going to "afters" with your peers is a great way to bridge the gap from character lives to real lives...while eating a big modern meal! This is completely optional. You won't be looked down upon or penalized for not going, and you're no longer officially at our events or subject to our site rules. Have fun!
Tour the Best Settlement in Southern
California!
Dystopia Rising: Los Angeles is narratively inspired by the intellectual property of Most Improbable, Inc, and centers on local post-apocalyptic horror with zombies and raiders that we've come to love and combat in TTRPGs (tabletop roleplaying games), video games, PC games, VR, etc. LARPing, or liveaction roleplaying, is the in-person cosplayed version of gaming where you take the role you imagine and represent it live as your character. Instead of saying, "My character does <this>!" then rolling dice at a table, you actually swing and
shoot at the cannibalistic zombies swinging at you, while doing imaginary "hit point" damage with combat-safe weapons! You embrace your character's life (rest/sleep/hydration/meals) for 12-40 hours! Sound dull? Stop here!For those familiar with LARPing and gaming, you know that avid gamers are serious and passionate about our hobbies. DR: L.A. is no exception. Gaming aside though, after attending many fictionally-themed, non-gaming weekends,
we feel that 21+ folx want more of a fun party in the wastes than always being in-character swinging foam. Our branch will provide more of a themed backdrop for what the players want to do. We feel this is a better option than constantly
being “in danger.”We also love at Dystopia Rising events that players are unapologetically free to be themselves. In the daily survival of the post-apocalypse, there is no room for gender or sex requirements, skin color bias, or modern societal facets that
serve nobody. So be who you are, play who you want, and trust that this is a welcoming play space!While there will be horror and combat at our events, our narrative focus is on constructs humans created that should exist to be made fun of, but instead are causing the fall of humanity now: class and faith warfare. ALL people should get to decide how they're seen and what to worship, not the Haves or only certain groups. If you don’t enjoy the prevailing culture of the Shattered Coast, rise up and change it!We have made the game 21+ due to state and federal laws, and private site rules. WE DO NOT ALLOW DRUGS OR ALCOHOL AT OUR EVENTS, including marijuana vape pens or edibles. This is due to liability for all involved. Those seeking to be disrespectful to the rules, site, staff, or other players would not enjoy our sober events.
What our events will feature technically and narratively for
transparency:Social Commentary
Simulated, safe melee combat (if fully abled. Can make fun accommodations if not.)
Zombies • Raiders • Critters • Other survivors
Physical activity, possibly running (if abled. Can make fun accommodations if not.)
In-character roleplay intended to build community and influence the ongoing story
Simulated post-apoc in-character faith displays (set dressing and roleplay; NO REAL-WORLD RELIGIONS ALLOWED IN-GAME.)
Simulated post-apoc in-character politics (fictional local settlement or game network topics only; NO REAL-WORLD POLITICS ALLOWED.)
Simulated, safe post-apoc in-character criminal activity (NO ILLEGAL ACTIVITY ALLOWED. WEAPONS OF ANY KIND ARE PROHIBITED AT EVENTS.)
Real-life “post-apoc” skills workshops to help players survive an actual apocalypse
Simulated non-player character (NPC) strife to introduce story and social obstacles.As a post-apoc zombie horror LARP, it is our intent to introduce the following simulated elements to your player characters. (Trust us, the adrenaline is very real):Fear • Horror • Death/Rebirth
Bioweaponry • Isolation • Trauma
Violence • Low technology • Gore
Ego Death • Societal oppressionWhat we won't allow technically or narratively for the safety of all:Sexual Assault/Rape • Animal Cruelty
Player Character Pregnancy/Childbirth
Simulated representation of minors
Ableism • Sexism • Racism
Homophobia • Trans-phobia • Anti-SW speechWe trust that anybody 21+ is conscious of their existing limitations, physical and psychological. Please privately inform us of limits so we can try to accommodate you.Because it must be said: SEX WORK IS WORK, including in a fictional postapocalypse setting. This topic isn’t off-limits in-game to characters, and staff may approach it narratively. If we can be 21+ adults about this, great. If not, we’ll revisit it.
What to Pack For Your Trip
An eagerness to try a sober hobby or join a new settlement in the postapocalyptic network of Dystopia Rising. You're all starting fresh and are equally valid in our story!First thing’s first: get excited! If you've ever played before you KNOW how fun DR is. Like I always tell people, DR is the most sober fun I've ever had with clothes on. If you think it's impossible to be sober and have an adrenaline-junky good time, this game isn't for you. If you're willing to challenge yourself and your previous paradigm of sober hijinks, then know that the DR hype is 100% real!A willingness to learn both out-of-character and in-character. (i.e., "new rules system/settlement. who dis?")We get it. Nobody likes feeling new or uninformed. We’ll do our best to help, but we're counting on other players to kindly guide you on this journey. Be receptive to learning from everyone!
On that note, to those who’ve played DR for years or decades: be open to not knowing everything. DR: Live is new for everybody, and this branch is not based on anything previous. No other branches have bearing on this settlement's history, and there's no room for confusing players with bad information or narrative. With new players, please don’t infodump extinct, irrelevant world canon and past narratives for any reason, and please be mindful of others wanting to FOIG. (Social cues will always be missed. We won’t always nail it either.) Be kind and encourage new player surprises!A brief familiarization, however you acquire it, with the game world and genre. (e.g., friends, research, etc.)We promise we're not asking you to research the entirety of Dystopia Rising’s works. (We haven’t!) We'd also rather you not feel like you’re doing homework, so we're not expecting you to devote your busy lives to consume any rules and lore. All we ask is that you visit any number of instructional cosplay crafting websites/socials to inspire your own genre, distressed post-apoc costumed character.Your character costume, NPC clothing, game items, and applicable camping gear. All modern-day items (toiletries, technology, etc.) must be stowed prior to event start.This is a post-apocalypse hundreds of years “after.” In-game technology level is early Industrial Revolution. No one knows what a smart phone was. Please don’t bring modern tech/speech into game.For more information on what to pack, see Pg.12 of Player's Guide.
So You Chose… Death
Playing a post-apoc survivor in the zombie infested wastes is not for the weak. Every day (event) is a struggle for survival either through combat, disease, death and (if you’re lucky) rebirth, or even other survivors! None can stand alone with just their skills, and the
protection of your community comes with a price: what you contribute to it. If this is your first exposure to the ongoing story of hope and regrowth in the post-apocalypse, welcome!We’ve been waiting for you to realize this is the most (*sober) fun you’ll ever have (with
clothes on)! We made the below character creation rules as easy as possible…but still have to
link to game sourcebooks. For those who already LARP, are returning to LARP, or are returning to Dystopia Rising specifically, the below guidelines also apply to you. New year, new ruleset! If you’ve only ever played console games, PC games, or tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons &
Dragons, you’ll still have a blast dressing up as a post-apoc badass!
(For veterans of LARPs, visit the new database built for the brand new Live system. You’ll also want a scratch pad while referencing the guidebooks! When you’re done, send us a pic/screenshot of your 50 character creation point expenditures or copy and send us the “Share Build” link generated at the top of the page. We’ll find or assign your Player # to be ready to go on game day! You can also find us on Discord to get right in on the action and ask questions to your heart’s content!)QUICK CHARACTER CREATION FOR NEW PLAYERS:
Take a moment to decide the play style you want to experiment with and choose from below!
MOTIVATION:
Do you want to play a fighter of zombies, with post-apoc nerf guns and contact-safe weapons?
Do you want to play a crafter, medical expert, armor repairer or farmer to support your people?
Do you want to specialize in shady deals and shadier deeds via the black market, or assassins?
Do you want to wield psychic powers that evolved over time, or powerful manifestations of faith?
Do you follow any of the doctrines of the post-apocalyptic faiths that formed? No? Go faithless!
Is your name chosen/gifted like a nickname, or assigned based on profession? (Choose later!)
BENEFITS:
Choose a Lineage, which reflects how your Pre-Fall ancestors evolved to survive the Fall:
Devoted - Whether through faith, partnership, or a dedication to death, you can regain Mind.
Elitariat - Your ancestors held to the old ways, and passed on their ability to gain Currency.
Evolved - Environment or experiment gifted feats of strength, damage effect resistance.
Gorgers - Food vanished after the Fall, and ancient cannibalism lets you now regain Body.
Landsman - Community outlasted the Fall, and allows you to refresh physical action Skills.
Mutants - You no longer resemble humanity, and can resist negative effects and disease.
Nomads - Staying mobile led to dealing with strangers, so you can trade Network Currency.
Townie - Holing up in town teaches one to protect or steal, and to quickly arm/disarm traps.
To learn more about sub-Lineages (Strains), faiths, skills, and proper behavior/attire, visit here!
(Want to drill down more and roleplay the fun positives and negatives of a Strain’s
variants?)
You have 50 character creation points to spend now or later, and all Default Skills are free. Choose non-Default Skills you physically or socially roleplay to arrive at a fantastical result:
(Default - Physical actions that protect from or do physical damage, and use of general Lore.)
Impact - Versatile varied action abilities that enhance physical roleplay and refresh quickly.
Point cost per single use of Skill in combat: 5, 10, 15, 20
Development - Non-combat tasks with longer roleplay, and deplete valuable Mind/Resolve.
Point cost per level of ranked utility: 5, 10, 15
Everyone gets free points of Body and Mind (via Lineage), which prevent death or fuel skills.
Point cost to add Body/Mind: 1XP/same category until 10 spent, then 3XP per category until 10 spent.
Everyone starts with the same (3) Infection and Resolve that resurrect or fuel great
abilities.
Point cost to add Infection/Resolve: 20
GROWTH:
Ticketed events attended by purchase or volunteering NPC time grants Experience Points (XP). As your character gains XP you’ll build a more complete persona!In-person events take place at a warehouse in Long Beach (Join us on Facebook or Discord for more information!).Post-apoc cosplay is player responsibility, but we may help “distress” or “genre-fy” them.The cost to cover entry for only Saturday attendance as a survivor is $45. $75 for Friday night AND Saturday. (Admit it, you’ve gotten into FAR worse trouble on a weekend in Long Beach for a WHOLE lot more.) Contact us below to register beforehand as a Player.It is a 21+ event, but *no drugs, alcohol, or intoxication allowed. Parking is provided and local security will make its rounds. We’ll require you to sign a safety waiver and photography release (copies provided if requested). If you choose to just have fun and don’t wish to be photographed/filmed for promotional purposes, we’ll honor your request!But we ask that you not attend if you’re not willing to be photographed or filmed, as it’s impossible to record those near you who want to be while avoiding you. If differently abled, we’ll provide alternative means to participate. If being a survivor shooting with Nerf guns at the living dead sounds good, we got you covered!Should you decide to play a zombie instead, you can click here and we ask that you inform us ahead of time to refund you the $$. Or we’ll make it happen day of!Dystopia Rising is a nationwide network of connected LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing) weekends based in a world 400+ years after the Fall. Each branch has a different feel based on their location. This setting is brand new and L.A.’s very own! By taking part in this event, you’re making your mark on L.A.’s post-apoc story. Want to imagine being a zombie after the bombs fell, and nuclear winter finally ended? Play a zombie NPC and still collect Experience Points for attending!Get in on the cutting room floor of this exciting new chapter in the Dystopia Rising universe!
So You Chose Zombie…
In the original Night of the Living Dead, writer/director George Romero had exactly zero issue casting zombie extras (unlike us!) It’s in our DNA to imagine what our lives—err, undeath—would be like as walking cannibalistic cadavers. Real life is complicated, with bills and daily decisions that none of us asked for. So pretending to be dead and to swipe at gamers (like us) who themselves are pretending to be survivors of post-apocalyptic L.A. is all we’re asking of YOU!In the Dystopia Rising game world that takes place 400 years from now, zombies ate most of humanity during The Fall. They’re everywhere, and are a daily threat. We can never cast enough folx to be the undead antagonists that our LARP (live action role-playing) friends have to “fight”…and that’s probably for the best for them. But we want YOU to help us make their nightmare become a reality, by giving us your best groans and moans and lifeless lunges for human flesh. And make it scary!All Dystopia Rising events feature contact-safe, simulated combat and use foam weapons with solid bases to be able to “hit” someone without “hitting” them. It’s lightest touch striking, and the target only needs to acknowledge that you’ve tapped them. Same for you as a zombie! Eventually, your zombie will fall. Only to get right back up again. And again! Your zombie has plenty of other (easy) abilities and immunities that we’ll prep you with before calling “ACTION!” Just imagine you and 5 other undead “gnawing” on a fallen survivor while they scream for their friends to help…but there’s just too many of you. Until the next meal comes near.In our experience playing zombies for over a decade, it’s the most (*sober) fun we’ve ever had (with clothes on)! Give us even an hour and see that the hype is real! The event takes place at a warehouse in Long Beach (Join us on Facebook for more information!), starts at 7PM on Friday, ends at midnight, and picks up again on Saturday from 10AM to 8PM. Zombies will be provided snacks, drinks, and photos in zombie makeup. (Digital photos, individual or solo, uploaded soon after event.) Please wear simple black clothes to event. Wardrobe and foam weapons provided for the event, as well as zombie makeup. (Ask for assistance!)The cost for entry for as long as you want to play a zombie is $15, or free if you play a zombie the whole weekend! That’s it. (Admit it, you’ve gotten into FAR worse trouble on a weekend in Long Beach for a WHOLE lot more.) Contact us below to register and reserve your spot. It is a 21+ event, but no drugs, alcohol, or any intoxication allowed. Parking is provided and local security will make its rounds. We’ll require you to sign a safety waiver and photography release (copies provided if requested). If you choose to just have fun and don’t wish to be photographed/filmed for promotional purposes, we’ll honor your request!
But we ask that you not attend if you’re not willing to be photographed or filmed, as it’s impossible to record those near you who want to be while avoiding you.If differently abled, we’ll provide alternative means to participate. If being a zombie is not feasible you may just be an enemy survivor shooting with Nerf guns!Should you decide to play a fellow survivor, you can click here and follow the character creation process to submit ahead of time. Or we’ll make it happen on the day! Dystopia Rising is a nationwide network of connected LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing) weekends based in a world 400+ years after the Fall. Each branch has a different feel based on their location. This setting is brand new and L.A.’s very own! By taking part in this event, you’re making your mark on L.A.’s post-apoc story. Want to imagine who you’d be after the bombs fell, and nuclear winter finally ended? Create a survivor character (like you) and still play a zombie every event!Get in on the cutting room floor of this exciting new chapter in the Dystopia Rising universe!
Community Guidelines & Codes of Conduct
The greater Dystopia Rising community is a large part of the reason we moved forward with opening the Los Angeles branch. We ask that you do your part to foster and create a safe, open, and accepting community for your fellow players and yourself.By participating in DR: Los Angeles events you agree to the guidelines below. You will also need to fill out a liability waiver and a photography waiver at all official in-person events.Age RequirementDystopia Rising: Los Angeles is a 21+ branch of the Dystopia Rising Network. No one under the age of 21 will be admitted; ID’s will be verified at check-in.Network Community GuidelinesThe global network community guidelines regarding corrective actions can be found on the main Dystopia Rising Live page.RespectEveryone at our events deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. If you cannot respect others and treat them as fellow human beings than this isn’t the event for you. Los Angeles and Southern California are full of all kinds of people and some you may even recognize from various kinds of media, but in the post-apocalypse we’re all either the breathing or the undead.Personal PropertyCorrective Experience Entertainment, Inc. and Dystopia Rising: Los Angeles are not responsible for the safety of your property if it is broken or stolen. Please keep your important personal items secured.Alcohol & DrugsPlayers cannot bring or consume alcoholic beverages while on site, which includes the parking lot. Players may not abuse drugs, prescription drugs, or other illegal or controlled substances while on site, including the parking lot. Players may not show up intoxicated by any of the above. This is a zero-tolerance policy and you will be asked to leave or be barred from attending future events for violations of this policy.LARP/Boffer WeaponsPlease keep in mind these are guidelines for contact-safe weapons, but all weapons will be checked at every event for safety.Melee WeaponsBoffer weapons should be primarily made of foam.Allowed Cores: fiberglass, PVC, kitespar, and carbon fiber.Prohibited Cores: wood, bamboo, metal, or any other materials.There should be a minimum of 5/8 inch of foam between the striking edge and the core.A minimum of 1 inch of foam should cover the tip of the core.Longer weapons should not significantly bend or flex when swung.'Flail' type weapons are not allowed.The foam of a weapon is recommended to be no denser than 4lb (the density of a gray fatigue mat), and should compress with simple hand strength.Thrown WeaponsThrown weapons should be made of foam and have no core.Thrown weapons should be a minimum of 5 inches and no larger than 13 inches.While there are rules for javelins, we will not be allowing them at our current location.Shooters/”Bolt Action” weaponsCosmetic alterations are allowed and encouraged.Paint jobs should be genre-appropriate and the last half-inch of the functioning barrel should be bright orange, as per 15 U.S. Code § 5001 (b)(1)May only fire a single shot per pull of the trigger.May only shoot foam darts or foam balls.Foam darts and foam balls may not be modified in any fashion, and must be clearly labelled with your Player #. Only the same kind of foam projectiles used during the safety test may be used during the course of the event.Do not aim at eyes or face with a foam blaster or packets. Use of eyewear recommended for players and people within range.Repeated complaints about unsafe use of foam shooters will result in the privilege to use them being revoked.Players may get weapons tagged as non-striking or non-shooting and fire with packets for ranged combat.“Bows”Real-life bows are considered weapons in California, and are illegal to carry in public per Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 14, § 4313.Replicated game “bows” can only be represented by string-less, non-functioning props and are used with arrow packets.If you want to be able to block or hit with melee strikes then the bow must conform to safe
melee standards in construction and the requirements listed on page 31 of the Player’s Guide.ShieldsEdges and faces of shields should be padded by a minimum of 5/8“ of contact safe material
such as 4lb density foam.Shield cores can be foam, plastic or light weight wood.Shields should not be designed in a fashion to give them sharp edges or corners.Painting and decorating shields to be genre-appropriate is encouraged.