Thistleknot
First Post
First, here's a wonderful website that gives good alternate rules, clarifications, links to other sites, and even erratas.
http://www.rifts-rpg.com
Some of the most fun I have ever had is in a Rifts game. There is a whole lot of work that goes in on the part of the GM, but with a few firm rules, then players know what they can expect.
I have played in several Rifts games, it was the new system to try out when I first came to college. Most everyone I found here to game with had never heard of it. We all played D&D. It is a unique setting, and a lot of things are possible.
Many of the Rifts books represent different settings. The Dimension Books and the World Books represent the rest of the Megaverse and Rifts Earth, respectively.
The Dimension Books and the World Books aren't supposed to mix, for the most part. Phase World, with its Cosmo Knights and starships, isn't really supposed to mix with the main Rifts Earth setting.
Characters from the Phase World campaign I played in would have trounced most everyone in our New West Campaign, and that's okay, because the technology is more advanced, and there is higher magic potential out in the Megaverse than on Rifts Earth. Consequently, most of the optional races available are M.D.C. beings and some of the weapons do enough damage to blow the body armor off of just about any Rifts Earth character in one or two hits. It is readily apparent that the two aren't really supposed to mix unless the GM is doing something odd, or the player wants the challenge of playing a character from Rifts Earth in the Phase World setting. I, myself, wouldn't let someone play a character from Phase World in a Rifts Earth setting, but that is entirely a GM call.
The best way I've found to make a campaign is to pick a book to base the campaign around (which sets the power level) and make rulings about what you allow in the world from there.
For example, there are these interdimensional arms dealers known as Naruni that are starting a market in Rifts Earth, and our GM ruled that we have no knowledge of how to acquire these weapons or that they even exist. We have never really heard of anything in Russia, South America, Africa, England, or Japan, and we wouldn't touch Atlantis with a 10 meter cattle prod. Our GM does occasionally use some of these books for odd, unique rewards in adventures, and rare items.
Game balance is entirely in the hands of the GM. Which is where it should be, rather than in a rulebook. After everything was decided, the issue of game balance never came up again. Everyone could do their part and we had a lot of fun.
These are the books we use for the most part.
The Main Rifts Book (OCC's and skills)
New West (Where most of our character OCC's and weapons come from),
Vampire Kingdoms (because we were right next to them in Southern Arizona and for Vampire fighting weapons),
Triax and the NGR (power armor and weapons),
Psyscape (Psionic Powers and an OCC)
Coalition War Campaign (eapons and armor, some skills),
Federation of Magic (Spells and an OCC),
Rifts Mercenaries(OCC'S and items),
Rifts Underseas (the GM uses this for Marines and stuff we don't know about),
Coalition Navy (for things we don't know about, and a few weapons we do know about),
Atlantis (for an item, one of the characters is a Knight rifted from medieval England who has a lesser rune sword).
Beyond the Supernatural (one of the characters is a rifted Arcanist)
All of our characters work very well together in one capacity or another: I play a Gunfighter, there is a Psi-Slinger, an Arcanist, a Psionic Super-Spy, a Knight, a Psi-Mechanic, a Conjurer, and a Ley Line Walker. Previous characters played have been a Techno-Wizard and a Justice Ranger.
Once again, it's all about what the GM allows in the world. But it's highly fun to play in.
These books have mixed well in our games. The Rifts Conversion Book One does give conversions for other settings into Rifts like Robotech, and Heroes Unlimited, as well as suggestions for making the world entirely S.D.C. based if you don't like the concept of M.D.C.. (100 S.D.C. = 1 M.D.C. and M.D. weapons inflict 100 S.D.C. per 1 M.D.. Most player characters are S.D.C. (all of them in our games) so getting hit with an M.D. weapon once is lethal. Body armor is a must for most players.)
The rules are a little different from what people here are probably used to. Skills are based off percentages which never go above 98% (everyone can screw up). Roll under percentage with GM appropriated penalties (if applicable) to suceeed.
Combat is based off a d20 and makes use of strike and dodge rolls and modifiers. A combat round is 15 seconds, and you get a number of actions/attacks based on your hand to hand combat skill and other skills. It's explained in the Rifts Main Campaign Setting. It takes a little to get used to, and it takes a long time if you don't know what you're doing. But a few mock combats should get you to into the swing of things.
If you don't like the Main Rifts Book combat rules, there are what some say to be better combat rules in Revised Heroes Unlimited.
Psionics are neat, letting people do lots of unusual things. Psionics draw off of a power point system and people can use multiple powers if they have enough points. Psionics are nicely balanced with magic.
Magic users are not that underpowered compared to the technologically enhanced, they just fill a different role. The magicians tend to excel at being able to do everything, but not one thing well, which can be just as powerful as any Cyborg or Juicer if you have an inventive player. The magic system is very flexible using power points to cast spells, and with the right spells, you can do just about anything.
Also, a girl in a hayloft can be a credible threat to the party if she's got an M.D. rifle with a scope. Likewise, the players can be a credible threat to people as much as 3 or 4 levels above them, and vice-versa when the players gain levels.
Its fun to play and fun to run. It's wonderful for epic play. Its wonderful for roleplay. But it takes a lot of effort on the part of the GM, and even on the part of the players to try and use the abilities of the characters in new and interesting ways. It all depends on how you approach it.
http://www.rifts-rpg.com
Some of the most fun I have ever had is in a Rifts game. There is a whole lot of work that goes in on the part of the GM, but with a few firm rules, then players know what they can expect.
I have played in several Rifts games, it was the new system to try out when I first came to college. Most everyone I found here to game with had never heard of it. We all played D&D. It is a unique setting, and a lot of things are possible.
Many of the Rifts books represent different settings. The Dimension Books and the World Books represent the rest of the Megaverse and Rifts Earth, respectively.
The Dimension Books and the World Books aren't supposed to mix, for the most part. Phase World, with its Cosmo Knights and starships, isn't really supposed to mix with the main Rifts Earth setting.
Characters from the Phase World campaign I played in would have trounced most everyone in our New West Campaign, and that's okay, because the technology is more advanced, and there is higher magic potential out in the Megaverse than on Rifts Earth. Consequently, most of the optional races available are M.D.C. beings and some of the weapons do enough damage to blow the body armor off of just about any Rifts Earth character in one or two hits. It is readily apparent that the two aren't really supposed to mix unless the GM is doing something odd, or the player wants the challenge of playing a character from Rifts Earth in the Phase World setting. I, myself, wouldn't let someone play a character from Phase World in a Rifts Earth setting, but that is entirely a GM call.
The best way I've found to make a campaign is to pick a book to base the campaign around (which sets the power level) and make rulings about what you allow in the world from there.
For example, there are these interdimensional arms dealers known as Naruni that are starting a market in Rifts Earth, and our GM ruled that we have no knowledge of how to acquire these weapons or that they even exist. We have never really heard of anything in Russia, South America, Africa, England, or Japan, and we wouldn't touch Atlantis with a 10 meter cattle prod. Our GM does occasionally use some of these books for odd, unique rewards in adventures, and rare items.
Game balance is entirely in the hands of the GM. Which is where it should be, rather than in a rulebook. After everything was decided, the issue of game balance never came up again. Everyone could do their part and we had a lot of fun.
These are the books we use for the most part.
The Main Rifts Book (OCC's and skills)
New West (Where most of our character OCC's and weapons come from),
Vampire Kingdoms (because we were right next to them in Southern Arizona and for Vampire fighting weapons),
Triax and the NGR (power armor and weapons),
Psyscape (Psionic Powers and an OCC)
Coalition War Campaign (eapons and armor, some skills),
Federation of Magic (Spells and an OCC),
Rifts Mercenaries(OCC'S and items),
Rifts Underseas (the GM uses this for Marines and stuff we don't know about),
Coalition Navy (for things we don't know about, and a few weapons we do know about),
Atlantis (for an item, one of the characters is a Knight rifted from medieval England who has a lesser rune sword).
Beyond the Supernatural (one of the characters is a rifted Arcanist)
All of our characters work very well together in one capacity or another: I play a Gunfighter, there is a Psi-Slinger, an Arcanist, a Psionic Super-Spy, a Knight, a Psi-Mechanic, a Conjurer, and a Ley Line Walker. Previous characters played have been a Techno-Wizard and a Justice Ranger.
Once again, it's all about what the GM allows in the world. But it's highly fun to play in.
These books have mixed well in our games. The Rifts Conversion Book One does give conversions for other settings into Rifts like Robotech, and Heroes Unlimited, as well as suggestions for making the world entirely S.D.C. based if you don't like the concept of M.D.C.. (100 S.D.C. = 1 M.D.C. and M.D. weapons inflict 100 S.D.C. per 1 M.D.. Most player characters are S.D.C. (all of them in our games) so getting hit with an M.D. weapon once is lethal. Body armor is a must for most players.)
The rules are a little different from what people here are probably used to. Skills are based off percentages which never go above 98% (everyone can screw up). Roll under percentage with GM appropriated penalties (if applicable) to suceeed.
Combat is based off a d20 and makes use of strike and dodge rolls and modifiers. A combat round is 15 seconds, and you get a number of actions/attacks based on your hand to hand combat skill and other skills. It's explained in the Rifts Main Campaign Setting. It takes a little to get used to, and it takes a long time if you don't know what you're doing. But a few mock combats should get you to into the swing of things.
If you don't like the Main Rifts Book combat rules, there are what some say to be better combat rules in Revised Heroes Unlimited.
Psionics are neat, letting people do lots of unusual things. Psionics draw off of a power point system and people can use multiple powers if they have enough points. Psionics are nicely balanced with magic.
Magic users are not that underpowered compared to the technologically enhanced, they just fill a different role. The magicians tend to excel at being able to do everything, but not one thing well, which can be just as powerful as any Cyborg or Juicer if you have an inventive player. The magic system is very flexible using power points to cast spells, and with the right spells, you can do just about anything.
Also, a girl in a hayloft can be a credible threat to the party if she's got an M.D. rifle with a scope. Likewise, the players can be a credible threat to people as much as 3 or 4 levels above them, and vice-versa when the players gain levels.
Its fun to play and fun to run. It's wonderful for epic play. Its wonderful for roleplay. But it takes a lot of effort on the part of the GM, and even on the part of the players to try and use the abilities of the characters in new and interesting ways. It all depends on how you approach it.
