Dystopia Rising: New Jersey
Dystopia Rising: New Jersey
Long ago the dead returned to life. Long ago mankind scorched the sky trying to prevent the infection from spreading. Long ago, we failed.
- Location
- Camp Sacajawea- Sparta, NJ
- Genre
- Post-apocalyptic horror
- Conflict resolution system
- Light touch boffer combat
- Duration
- Full Weekend
- Games per year
- 12
- Credits
- Michael Pucci, Ashley Zdeb
- Participation fee
- $45.00 ($25.00 for newcomers)
- Rule system
- Custom rulebook available for download on website
- Website
- Dystopia Rising NJ
Setting
Dystopia Rising is a role playing game that takes place in a post apocalyptic world, long after the fall of civilization to a worldwide zombie plague. This world, many generations after the Fall, takes place in a new dark age where the remains of lost cultures linger in a world without direction. No global governments survived, no armed police to serve and protect, no organized educational systems, and no guidance to pull the world out of the spiral it has fallen into. The world is a dark, dangerous place where humanity is as much of a threat to existence as the undead horde is.
There are, however, some glimmers of light in the darkness of this grim future. On occasion a person manages to hold onto their moral compass, and uses it to navigate in this hopeless world. Sometimes a small spark of humanity shows itself in the most irradiated of survivors trying to piece together the mysteries lost to he wastelands. You may find a new purpose or establish a role in someone else’s life, and because of that you find it hard to simply go it alone.
Dystopia Rising is a game that is not centered on the undead. It is a game that is centered on what becomes of the human condition when forced into an environment where survival could very well be your only concern. Do you decide to become a ruthless warlord, an amoral sociopath, or a monster much uglier inside than any zombie is on the outside? Perhaps you take the high road as a nameless wanderer, find higher purpose in faith, or do everything you can to force civility into a chaotic world. No one can tell you what you will do once the bombs drop and the dead rise. No one will guide you but your own conscience.
The world died many generations ago, and it is your turn to build the new world from the ashes.
History
Season One
The town of Havyn was a small civilization in the wooded territories to the East of Old York. Originally a small settlement no greater than forty people, this town survived due to the fact that this location had a un-radiated well water, electricity from a small hydro-electric plant, and enough farmed food to provide for the town as a whole. Governed by a small group of town Elders, the township of Havyn survived for two generations without much in the way of outside contact.
Most of this changed when a communication was received from a large caravan that was traveling north by north east. This caravan, lost and pinned down, called out for help via an antiquated radio broadcast device that was repaired with local scrap. The original settlers of Havyn recovered the lost caravan, and little did they know, that the caravan of hundreds would come to live at Havyn.
As the settlement expanded, so did the issues. Political strife due to conflicting viewpoints, power hungry newcomers, religious differences, and limited supplies caused a great deal of attention to be brought to what was once a small town settlement. In the coming months many of the town elders were killed, vanishes, or were chased out of their positions. The ground swell of the new towns growth drew the attention of would be traders, outside threats, and neighboring settlements. It was not long before other towns came to Havyn looking to either promote trade, or in the instance of the 5th Reich, demand servitude in exchange for a future of slavery.
Within months the town of Havyn was at war with a more technologically advanced settlement controlled by a civilization of Pure Blood. The battle against the 5th Reich waged for months until a strike was landed against Havyn that it would not recover from; the power plant and the water supply was lost. Without much in the way of hope, the township of Havyn packed up their supplies and began the two month hike westward to press a siege against New Berlin.
Season Two
The timing of the attack of New Berlin came at a fortuitous time for the survivors of Havyn. Having traveled for months on end the starving remains of Havyn found most of New Berlin empty due. After a siege that lasted days, the towns folk found that the majority of the residents of New Berlin had left to continuing an ongoing war with another settlement known only as ‘The Compound’ and a trade federation known as ‘The Kingdom of Herod’.
Facing the very real threat of losing the newly acquired home in a counter attack, the town of Havyn (now New Havyn or Second Havyn) looked southward to Herod’s Kingdom for an alliance. Accepting the alliance, Herod’s Kingdom mobilized their natural one tribes known as the ‘Centurions’ to move to protect the new territory. The officials that had brought Havyn to victory against the 5th Reich were given senatorial seats within the Kingdom, and for the first time, an election was held for a local town government.
With tense relations to Herod’s Kingdom due to internal desires of complete independence, the threat of another war, undead onslaughts, and a township that still has technological secrets abound the civilization of Second Havyn moved into the coming winter as a growing City-State facing all of the trials and tribulations of post apocalyptic re-civilization. Laws and law enforces began to form. Holy war was declared as the Final Knights were banned from the territory. The world of the settlers of Second Havyn had become easier and much more complex at the same time.
Season Three
Has just begun...
Game history
Dystopia Rising: New Jersey is the headquarters game of the Dystopia Rising franchise. The game began 3 years ago in Connecticut and moved to New Jersey after a year of play. The game has been running strong with 200+ players for the last year.