Setting Update!

[apocalypsehowmods]

↬ Main Navigation

Setting Updates

Welcome to one of our major setting updates for Arc 2. We've had a player plot conclude that has made significant improvements to Bonnie's Flophouse, and for those looking for a little bit more meaty exploration and puzzling, we have a new mechanic offering.

Bonnie's Flophouse Improvements - The following improvements have been made:

• Roof and Exterior Repair - the Flophouse is now no longer a leaky mess when it rains! It's also less drafty than it was last winter.
• Plumbing Repairs - Fewer clogged drains and sinks! Plus no leaking inside the building and no more floods for Bonnie and the VIsionary now that there are sump pumps in the basement.
• Electrical Repairs and Generator - The lights and heating are far more reliable in the flophouse. In addition, a small generator has been installed. It's second hand and could probably use a little tender love and care from the Flophouse residents to keep it in good repair, but if the city electrical grid goes down, you'll probably have your power here for a little longer than you might otherwise.
• Interior Repairs - Much of the Flophouse's interior has been improved with new insulation and repairs to walls, doors, and windows that need it. Some of the rooms have had walls knocked down to create bigger rooms. There aren't many of those, but there are some. If things get too crowded, these might be required to hold four people instead of two, but there's a little more space for some for now. In addition to repairs and remodeling, there are new coats of paint on the walls and even some new, colorful murals that enhance the Bohemian atmosphere.

Specific setting updates for Bonnie's Flophouse are included at the end of this notice.

Dogtown Searches - A new search mechanic based on a grid map.

Figuring out what is happening with Dogtown Commons and its growing threat has become a major focus for everyone at ADI. NPC leadership have sanctioned searching the park as long as people provide reports on what they've found. With how challenging travel through the park has become, going any distance without knowing the threats you might face or what safe passages exist proves difficult, which means searching and mapping out the very changed park is slow-going.

ADI has opened up two specific points in the fencing around Dogtown to facilitate sanctioned searches.

OOCly, this is a new interactive search mechanic that will give characters with an interest and willingness to face additional dangers a chance to uncover the mystery of Dogtown Commons. Searches will be done by grid squares. There are two kinds of squares: Danger and Safe.

Danger squares are where characters will encounter different supernatural phenomenon. Effects may extend across multiple adjacent squares. None of these squares will contain immediately fatal effects, but many of them will contain potentially fatal or 'fate worse than death' type effects. It is strongly recommended on an OOC level for players to plan to pair up so their characters don't fall prey to something they can't handle on their own.

Safe squares are where nothing seems to be amiss. No ill effects are here.

And then there are Landmarks that may appear in either Danger or Safe squares. Landmarks may simply be features of note that will help characters ICly navigate Dogtown, or they may represent points where puzzles can be found. Characters who uncover the square/discover the puzzle do not necessarily have to be the ones to solve it.

Dogtown Searches will begin on 1 December 2022. Searches submitted before that date will be removed and players sent a reminder about the opening date via PM.

New FAQ Entries:
➥ What is the Dogtown Search mechanic?

To facilitate players who may want a more direct chance to assist in investigations outside of events, Apocalypse How has the Dogtown Search mechanic. This is a grid search that allows PCs to discover new pieces of Dogtown on a map and solve puzzles or experience horrors related to various Entities within the park. Players are not required to engage in this mechanic, but anyone who would like to can do so. You can visit the page itself for more details on this optional mechanic.

Updated Setting Information:

➥Bonnie's Flophouse

Bonnie's Flophouse is a pair of connected townhouses in one of the more rundown neighborhoods at the outskirts of Gloucester. Many of the other townhouses and buildings around the neighborhood are perpetually abandoned and the area is blighted with petty crime. It is a place those who refuse ADI's strict housing policies will be directed. Rooms house up to two people and are small and cramped due to limited space but well-loved in their decor. There is one communal space on the ground floor along with a few communal bathrooms for each floor. In Room 1 on the first floor, a memorial wall has been set up. The room is painted a simple, soft blue and the name of each missing or dead person from another world is painted in blocky brown letters from the ceiling down to the base board. The current list takes up nearly one wall, but there's plenty of room for other names. In the center of the wall, there are a few lines:

Those spoken of and to are never dead
Simply past us on the road ahead

On either wall next to the one with the names, there are narrow tables kept stocked with cheap tealights. There are more within one of the table drawers. There's also vases that can be filled with a small bunch of flowers. There aren't any chairs, but there are some mismatched floor pillows in a basket near the door. This is a place for contemplation and sharing stories of those found in this place and passed on to elsewhere.

Bonnie tries to keep the place comfortable The place is kept comfortable with the addition of colorful patterned rugs she's managed to scrounge up, fanciful wall murals, and various potted plants that somewhat overwhelm the common areas. Thanks to the efforts of tenants of the flophouse and others, this isn't a bad place to live. It's in decent repair and while it's not the high life of ADI housing, it's comfortable, well-insulated, and doesn't leak or flood. It even has a back-up generator if there are city power issues.