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. Treat it like a scratch pad while referencing the guidebooks! When you’re done, send us a 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 gameday! 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 Body 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: 1/same category until 10 spent, then 3 per category until 20 spent
Everyone starts with the same (3) Infection and Resolve that resurrect or fuel great abilities.
Point cost to add Infection/Resolve: 20
GROWTH:
Any ticketed event attended by purchase or volunteering time grants Experience Points. As your character grows you’ll be able to build a more complete persona!
The event takes place at a warehouse in Long Beach (Join us on Facebook for more information!). Survivors will be provided snacks, drinks, and photos in costume. (Digital photos, individual or solo, uploaded soon after event.) Post-apoc cosplay (DR: L.A. has no association with Wasteland Weekend) is a player responsibility.
The cost to cover entry for one-day attendance as a survivor is $45. That’s it. (Admit it, you’ve gotten into FAR worse trouble on a Saturday night 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 so.
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 chapter 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!