Palladium Games and RIFTS(tm)!
In Rifts the world is a broken, post-apocalyptic wasteland destroyed by the corruption of humanity, the eruption of the Rifts and Ley Lines and the demonic & alien invasions that followed. Now the wasteland has had 300 years to partially recover, and civilization has returned in dribs & drabs to the world; but not just human civilization. Alien empires, monster kingdoms, lands of mutants and wizards have arisen from the ashes, all trying to rebuild the world in their own image!
Talk about:
>Rifts
>Heroes Unlimited
>Palladium Fantasy
>Beyond the Supernatural
>Dead Reign
>Robotech (lol)
>TMNT & Other Strangeness + After the Bomb
>Splicers
>Nightbane
>Resources, PDFs, links, podcasts, etc.:
https://pastebin.com/uZrmSbfj (embed)
>official (highly-moderated) discord:
https://discord.gg/xGkk75Z
Thread Question: What do you think is the next big Palladium kickstarter that's supposed to be launching in October?
Free previews of:
>Creature Feature
>https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_info.php?products_id=417156&src=palladium&affiliate_id=246835
>Dead Reign
>https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_info.php?products_id=111050&src=palladium&affiliate_id=246835
>Coalition Manhunters
>https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_info.php?products_id=400567&src=palladium&affiliate_id=246835
>Yin-Sloth Jungles 2nd Ed.
>https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_info.php?products_id=447220&src=palladium&affiliate_id=246835
I mean you can get most of them in the Sharethread too but if you feel like being an upstanding citizen.
Legion of myth cover Rifts: Lonestar
?si=iFHqsY9DzxhNOd-k
?si=P7O8Q1VFHrcyYawa
?si=EdBYloaxCiR-2mLZ
>Ghost in the Machine Rifts Liveplay:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9OKt2SBYwybo_sV8zmdOBSQ1eaJP3rj9
>Coalition manhunters
I didnt like that book much. I dont know if any CS heads did either.
Is it truly the new psionics sourcebook?
It pretty much is. As long as you're okay with "and by the way this really strong and effective psychic ability? CS only."
"This set of abilities for fighting supernatural enemies that seems like the Cyber knights should have it? SUPER SECRET CS ONLY"
Fuuuuck that kind of shit really pisses me off. Cyber-knights screwed over once again.
That's what happens when Lord Coake embezzles
I'm surprised he hasnt made cyberknights worse.
I would have made the cyberknights with the armor mesh be a secret plot by demons. A memetic demon metal that was an attempt by demons or some other evil force, to create their own "evil cosmic knight" but much less powerful. What it does do is make every cyberknight with the mantle ready to become a steel legion of puppet soldiers once the Minion Wars kicked off.
Then have the ascetic ones rename themselves & be heroes
Brilliant idea
The ascetic ones can sign up with the CS and be called Coalition Knights.
Yes. Cyber nights doesnt fit, anyway. The break away group would probably call themselves PsiKnights.
Psi-Knights would be cool. They could change their name but I don't think they would join the Coalition States. The CS wouldn't accept their unbiased heroics either
Yeah, they should be like most juicers and glitterboys and be disorganized vigilantes just to piss off the CS. If every PSIKnight is independent then the CS cant roll a tank over a city and say the threat is over. Also it means that every Psiknight is a different case and challenge which means the CS has to think more, they hate thinking.
Psionics is like buying a Riven. Seemed like a good idea at the time, once or twice it works well, then 6 months later you discover the huge mistake you made.
In Rifts? Very rarely, only when encountering stuff like vampires at night in your bed or splugorth minions who are a surprise or bio-wizardry abominations. For regular monsters it's kind of a given you'll be encountering scary stuff in the post-apoc wilderness.
Well color me surprised that Rifts Bestiary Vol. 2 is going to come out soon. I would have bet it was going to be vaporware for the next 5 years.
Wow.
Maybe once volume 4 comes out and they all get discounted they'll be worth buying.
There is going to be so many sweet dinos in it, I bet!
I still have to ask them about an all-dinosaur campaign.
This image immediately made me lose any possible interest.
Fricking furgays...
are there any good stl's for CS stuff?
Some of my friends want to do a one-shot since I sold them on the meme-potential of the game, but some wanted to go full Gundum-sized gameplay and others wanted the hobo route, any advice for a long-term GM/DM but someone who has never ran RIFTS (tm) before?
You as the GM have to set the power level of the party, and players have to adapt their OCC choices to match it. You can't have a Hobo alongside a Glitter Boy or Dragon Hatchling, it just doesn't work. Tell the players what your desired power level is and then which OCCs are in-scope and which are out-of-bounds.
Also, for a one-shot I would recommend making PCs before the session starts and only using the core book book RUE.
Thanks, I think pre-genning some characters based on stuff they want to play, while giving them a few options for customization at the end may work best. Was going go keep it to the UE book since that's the one I own.
>You can't have a Hobo alongside a Glitter Boy or Dragon Hatchling
You absolutely can if you do the work to mix in enough intrigue to make use of the things the Vagabond can do out of combat (and tbh with a decent H2H and the right equipment they're not useless in combat, either). That's what makes Rifts so hilarious.
Nah, go for it. Hobos and robot pilots. What, did the bum with the gun he found in a trash can think he is the party tank now?
Do two one shots! One in the burbs and one in the burbs as a team of power armored mercs blow it to shit!
Tell me about the juicers, daddy.
They have a lot of roid rage and die young.
But they burn so very, very brightly!
Let's play a game. Give me a d100 and we'll make a biomechanical monsters, stats and all.
Rolled 72 (1d100)
Sure, but I have to sleep soon.
Sure sure.
>71-80% Assymentrical freak. Can choose torso or quadrapedal torso. 50% it has a head then roll once on table 4. Roll 2d4+8 times on tables 5,6,7 gym chooses how many where. 5 times on table 8.
This thing is going to be a pile of limbs and guns. I need two rolls now:
2d100 to determine head and which.
1d200 to determine torso,
then 2d4+8 to figure out the cluster of limbs.
Rolled 26, 45 = 71 (2d100)
Rolled 146 (1d200)
Rolled 2, 1 + 8 = 11 (2d4 + 8)
Zephyr War Mount. This aerial cavalry War Mount
now serves as a nightmarish steed for Legion’s elite humanoid
Amalgams or her prized traitors towards the Resistance. Legion
generally just lops off the insect-like head and wings and installs
thrusters from the Flying Strike Ship (see Splicers RPG page 43).
She also replaces the War Mount’s Scorpion Heat Cannon tail
with a Collector Tail (see Table Seven: Additional Appendages).
Base Stats: 290 M.D.C. Splicer P.S. of 25.
Height: 5 feet
(1.5 m).
Length: 14 feet (4.3 m) with an additional 25 foot (7.6 m)
tail.
Weight: 2.6 tons.
Running Speed: 50 mph (88 km).
Leaping:
20 feet (6.1 m).
Digging Speed: Not applicable.
Flying Speed: The wings have been replaced with Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) thrusters providing a maximum of 450 mph (720
km).
Horror Factor of 10.
Damage: Full Strength Punch with the
forelimbs: 2D6 M.D.,
Tail Lash/Strike: 3D6 M.D.,
Full Strength
Kick: 2D6 M.D.,
Stomp: 1D4 M.D.,
Ram Butt: 1D8 M.D.,
Flying Body Block/Ram: 4D8 M.D. and has a 01-80% likelihood
of knocking an opponent as large as 20 feet (6.1 m) tall off his
feet and onto his back. If knocked off his feet, the victim loses
initiative and two attacks per melee. Counts as two melee attacks
for the War Mount, not from any Legion unit riding the Zephyr
amalgam. Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +2 to strike in hand to hand
combat, +2 to parry, +2 to dodge, +5 to dodge when flying, +3 to
roll with punch, and +2 to disarm
Head: Yes
Reinforced Carnivorous Host Armor. The head
from the Host Armor receives the same upgrades to the teeth
and jaw typically given to Gorehounds, plus additional armor is
added to protect the Amalgam’s head. M.D.C.: 180. Additional
Weight: 80 pounds (36 kg).
So we have a 3 ton bug body with rockets for wings and a robo tail and this little head upfront with teeth like that James Bond henchman Jaws. Let's roll limbs.
Oop forgot the most important part of the head stats:
>Damage: Bite 3D8+10 M.D. Bonuses: +1 to Horror Factor
So our horror factor is 11
Our bug body comes with a collector tail instead of the standard heat cannon:
Collector Tail. This versatile appendage is equipped
with a long-range laser cannon, chemical sprayer, and razor sharp blade. It also possesses a camera that the Amalgam can use
to see around corners or peek over obstacles without exposing
itself. M.D.C.: 150. Additional Weight: 600 pounds (270 kg).
Damage:
Laser Blast: 6D6 M.D.. Range: 4,000 feet (1,219 m).
Tail Blade: 5D6 M.D. See description of the Factory Walker for
details on the effects of Amnesic Gas or Creeping Death Nerve
Gas.
Range: Can spray the concentrated liquid compound up to
500 feet (152.4 m). Most of these compounds aerosolize on impact to form a chemical cloud that covers a 50 foot (15.2 m) radius. Payload: Enough for 5 blasts. Spent chemicals are replaced
by the Factory Walker. Bonuses: +4 on initiative, +1 to strike, +2
to parry, and +1 to Horror Factor
So our horror factor is now 12. The effects of the nerve gas is a mouthful so I'll post that separate.
We have 11 limbs. 11 completely random limbs. Let's have 3 arms, 3 legs, and gosh darn 5 additional limbs:
>3 1d100 rolls for arms
>3 1d100 rolls for legs
>5 1d100 rolls for "additional Limbs"
Effects of the amnesiac gas:
Depends on the type of chemicals used. Knockout gas or paralysis gas does not inflict any damage. However,
anyone exposed to either of these compounds must make a save
vs non-lethal poison of 16 or higher or else be incapacitated for 4D4 minutes.
Le Creeping Death gas:
Anyone exposed to Creeping Death nerve gas must make
a save vs lethal poison of 14 or higher or else suffer severe
damage. On a failed roll, the victim suffers 2D6 S.D.C. and
3D6 points of damage directly to H.P. every melee round for
2D4 melees. The target’s body spasms uncontrollably and is
wracked with mind-numbing pain. Attacks per melee are reduced to one, all combat bonuses are gone plus the victim suffers additional penalties of -10 to strike, parry, and dodge, and
Spd. is reduced to 1D4 while the gas eats away at his or her
flesh. If the poor soul is lucky enough to survive, he or she will
be extremely weak (reduce P.E., P.S., and Spd. to 1D4) for 1D6
days. Furthermore, the victim only has two attacks per melee
and suffers penalties of -5 to strike, parry, and dodge. On a successful save, damage is reduced by half, P.S, P.E., and Spd. are
only reduced by 1D6, and the victim suffers penalties of -2 to
strike, parry, and dodge for 4D4 minutes.
This brutal nerve gas is also strong enough to harm Mega Damage beings, but the damage is not nearly as severe. BioTech devices and Mega-Damage beings must also make a save
vs lethal poison of 14 or higher. On a failed roll, the target suffers 3D6 M.D. per melee round for 1D6 melees. Bio-Tech creations like Host Armor, War Mounts, and Gorehounds will also
experience intense pain and muscle spasms. These victims lose
4 attacks per melee round and are -6 to strike, parry, and dodge
for 1D4 minutes. On a successful save, the target only suffers
1D4 M.D. per melee round for 1D6 melees and all penalties are
reduced by half
So if it breaths we can fudge it right up.
Rolled 13, 80, 19, 47, 8, 59, 16, 4, 4, 99, 20 = 369 (11d100)
Wow, that's absolutely horrifying. I don't even know if I should be rolling for all these limbs. I don't want to visualize the results.
>Arms
Host armor 90 lbsMDC 130: PS+2
Host armor 90 lbs. MDC 130: PS+2
Reinforced Scarecrow 75 lbs MDC 75 PS +4
So we got lucky and a matching pair of host armor arms. Basically the kind on each side over every host armor and that doubles the bonus. We also have a steel plated mummy arm that can crush like a mothertrucker.
>Legs
Reinforced host armor running legs MDC 200. Run: 130mph leap 20 feet. Swim 20 mph, dig 20mph. PS +1
Strider leg MDC 220. Run 80 mph leap 20ft. Dog and swim 4 mph. 450 lbs. Damage sickle kick: 5d6. Leaping sickle kick: 1d6*10 (2 melees). Bonus: -1 strike and parry (you read that right). +1 dodge.
Abomination leg MDC 200: run 150mph leap 40 feet 350 lbs. 6d6 kick. 10d6+20 leap kickbonus: +3 PS +1 intiative. +1 strike parry dodge
We did not get lucky this time. We have three digigrade legs of different thicknesses and sizes. Worse, our best leg would be the strider but it apparently flails wildly without a matching strider leg and penalizes us. At least it has a cool claw.
>Addies
Slicer scythe arm MDC 110 40: lbs damage 4d6 +2 strike, +1 parry, +1 horror
Slicer scythe armMDC 110: 40 lbs. Damage 4d6 +2 strike, +1 parry, +1 horror
Reinforced Mantis cannon blade limb MDC 165: 80 lbs. Strike 7d8, power strike: 2d4*10+30. +1 strike. +2 parry, +2 horror
Cable snake MDC 30. 100lbs bite1d6+2. Laser: 1d6, range 40 feet bonus: +2 strike +2 parry. +1 horror. +4 intiative, cant be surprised.
This is the FRIENDS of robot tentacle limbs. We got two wirey spazz with blades on the end, we got one that is a thick pick with a lot of muscle, and we got lucky with the cable snake as it gives us a second set of eyes and sweet bonuses. Also it can eat rats.
We have a horror rating of 16. A PS of 37. By now we are around 4 tons.
Time for guns I need 5 rolls of 1d100!
Rolled 58, 16, 58, 32, 20 = 184 (5d100)
This thing must look like a spaghetti ball of arms and legs.
Frame it to look similar to a splugorth
>Mantis Omega Cannon
M.D.C.: 150. Additional Weight: 250 pounds (113 kg). Damage: 2D10x10 M.D. with a
blast radius of 10 feet (3 m). Range: 6,000 feet (1,829 m). Rate
of Fire: 2 attacks per melee. Bonus: +2 to strike.
>Mantis Omega Cannon
M.D.C.: 150. Additional Weight: 250 pounds (113 kg). Damage: 2D10x10 M.D. with a
blast radius of 10 feet (3 m). Range: 6,000 feet (1,829 m). Rate
of Fire: 2 attacks per melee. Bonus: +2 to strike.
>Box Mini-Missile Launcher.
350 pounds (158 kg). Damage: Fragmentation: 5D6 M.D. with a 20 foot (6.1 m) blast radius, Armor Piercing: 1D4x10, and Plasma: 1D6x10 M.D. Range: About one mile (1.6 km). Payload: 30 mini-missiles
>Box Mini-Missile Launcher
350 pounds (158 kg). Damage: Fragmentation: 5D6 M.D. with a 20 foot (6.1 m) blast radius, Armor Piercing: 1D4x10, and Plasma: 1D6x10 M.D. Range: About one mile (1.6 km). Payload: 30 mini-missiles
>Long Range Laser cannon
M.D.C.:150. Additional Weight: 30 pounds (13.5 kg). Damage: 6D6
M.D. Range: 6000 feet (1828.8 m). Bonus: +3 to strike.
The limbs might be a hot mess but the guns sure aint! By random chance have TWO artillery cannons that are so heavy duty they can only fire a limited number of times. So we can fire alternating shots or big dick energy and volley fire, kinda. We also have two mini missile launchers which gives us even more one-round ejaculatory firepower. Then we have the laser for... whatever happens after round 1. With this and our flight capabilities we are essentially a long range fighter, a spaghetti monster that kills before you get a mile close.
Right now we look like Metamorphasis if it was directed by James Cameron.
But we're not done. All this is just the 'blueprint.' We need 3 d100 rolls to figure out the programming, construction, quality, and repair systems.
Rolled 81, 16, 74 = 171 (3d100)
>2D10x10 M.D. with a
>blast radius of 10 feet (3 m). Range: 6,000 feet (1,829 m).
>2d10x10
Blasted Balls this absolutely fricks.
>Programming: Hunter. Programmed to track down and capture splicers. Accompanied by combat units to ensure the job is done.
Skills: climb 90% (lol) tracking 95%
Bonus: +2 intiative, +3 to strike parry dodge, +2 to long range attacks.
Attacks per melee:4
>construction quality: Disposable
made as poorly as possible. No life support so organic parts rot in 24-36 hours. No repair system so dont roll on table 11.
Construction time: 4d4 minutes
"Bonus:" reduce MDC by 50% attacks per melee by half, speed by half, remove all bonuses. +4 horror.
>Repair system (If we were allowed) Nanite repair system.
Organics heal 1d6 main body per hour and limbs 1d4. Inorganic parts heal 1d6 per melee round but needs 2 pounds of metal per 5 MD healed pressed against the damaged area for the nanite to harvest it. I thought that bit was cool.
Oof, man. Just oof! We were shaping up to be a hardcore hunter killer air unit with heavy long range to knock em down and our tail to knock them out but the Legion decided to make us with staples, shoestring, and bubblegum! The only silver lining here is that our horror factor is 20! Yes, as the 4 ton bug is a death cloud that rains its body parts and thunders missiles and Omega beams.
Keep the thread alive and I'll put all this on a pdf. It's actually a long of data!
>No life support so organic parts rot in 24-36 hours. No repair system
....aaaand it's totally screwed now, lol. What a TWEEEST!
>Former combat monster falls apart after 7 minutes in the field
Rolled 45 (1d100)
I advocate a mulligan
Alright, Mulligan! Give me another 1d100 and pray it's not 1-20!
I gave ya a 45 tell me what that does
I missed that!
>45 mixed quality some appendages are attached with microscopic precision others with others crude stitching. construction time: 4d4 hours. Bonuses: -1 melee. -10% MDC, -10% speed. +2 horror factor.
Let's keep the nanite repair system.
Alright alright. We arent dying on the vine and we can still doll out about 300 MD with our bug cannons. Our horror is 18 which is enough to send everyone but hardened soldiers doing the scooby run.
So much power it's bursting its seams
fricking landsharks in power armor
Your Rifts campaign gets invaded.
>"JFK tower, this is Flight 33. Mayday, mayday! We're running low on fuel and requesting permission to land."
>We're getting a call from someone claiming to be called the Coalition?
>Fricking New Yorkers. It's the United States, how had is that to grasp.
>They want us to land.
>Where? Phone them and say we cant see an air strip. We havent even seen a highway. We must be like in Burbank, it's all valleys and weird women sports teams.
>What?
>Right there, they are holding the sticks and riding those weird horses.
>Look fellas' another plane... wait! It's like a man. A man on a little plane! And its black!
>A flying black man? Shoot! They learned to fly! Sit down, I'm dropping the throttle! We have women on board! Shoot! Shoot shoot shoot!
The CS would probably be far more understandable to 1950s Americans than current-year America.
>"Help. There is. Something on the. Plane's. Wing! You have to. Believe me. It's... Ugly. It's... Abominable... You gotta help. Me. Operator!"
>"Goddamn D-Bees. Who the hell is this?"
Anyone know where I can find a bunch of good little drone robots that isn't Archie BuiltABots?
Are they worth it? I'm gonna be playing a 1 man game (wife is running) as a Techno-Wizard for hire, & I'm looking for ways to punch up & maybe some adv8ce for not eating Death for breakfast. Open to suggestions for weapons, armor, vehicles & equipment. Currently debating between taking a wing board for style & compactness, or a skyboat to have a place to sleep
Now do you mean robot companions or TW ones?
I'm talking about drones. Flying guns, knock off skelebots, etc. I need force multipliers
Basic ass noob here, going to have my first game in savage rifts soon. I built a burster not knowing much about the framework, and after a session 0 with the other players I feel very much out-stripped in defense and offense. Are my worries unfounded or is there a better way to build the class?
I don't know Savage Worlds at all, but the Burster's whole thing in Rifts was that they were a soft squishy mother fricker but they can just spontaneously make fire armor to protect themselves as good as light armor or blow someone up like they had a laser cannon, and if they already had a fire started they could melt power armors.
Savage Rifts is both swingy as frick & at the same time neutered RIFTS. If I were you I'd reroll. If you lack the system mastery to recognize a powerful combo or if the OCC/"framework" just doesn't have one you can find, then switch now, rather than trying to struggle along with something you're gonna hate.
Play a Glitterboy. Glitterboys are the best
Glitterboy looks amazing, but someone else is playing one and I just wanted to try something different. I'll just try to play smart and rely on the dragon and mech for cover.
Techno-Wizard or Juicer then
>I'll just try to play smart and rely on the dragon and mech for cover.
That's what they're there for!
Okay, tell me what's in the party. Also, shame on you for not wanting to play Glitterbros. You want to know what's better than a Boomgun? Two Boomguns!
>Two Boomguns
That's not fair!
Look up the Fatboy triax variant my friend. It's basically a double Boomgun, if only we could steal a couple Ineria beam tech from the Megaversal Legion... The thought of recoiless Boomguns makes me hard. Plus you can use I-Beams to fly too...
Its the price it pays for being so fat it can't actually close it's hands.
If I had the triax double boomgun with goddamn I-Beam tech, I'd slap it on a classic G-10, but install Naruni thermokinetic armor & then install some anti energy TW/Alchemist stuff. Tough & resistant as shit, plus the biggest gun in the room. Flying too!
That is literally what we just made, just stickier.
Alright, here is the PDF what do we call this baby?
Thessalhydra would be spot on
Thessalhydra unit it is! I wonder if we should make a companion unit to compensate for it's low melees and low MDC.
Rolled 81 (1d100)
Here's your first roll
Rolled 40 (1d100)
>Symetrical multiple heads: roll again on table 1 for boyd type and add 1d4 identical heads
Rolled 5 + 1 (1d100 + 1)
>Symetrical biped. Roll once on tables 2, 4, 5, 6, and 3 times on table 8.
Let's just say we rolled a 4 on the number of heads. Now I need 7 d100 rolls. Let's chug this thing!
Rolled 75, 91, 27, 50, 60, 6, 54 = 363 (7d100)
By Thoth, will we have victory
Rolled 95 (1d100)
>Griffin upper body
>4 liquid metal injector heads
>Reinforced host armor arms
>Strider legs (a pair this time)
>Mantis cannon!
>Light cell laser pistol cluster
>Mantis cannon!
Let's go ahead and choose trooper to balance his close range capabilities and long range cannons. He's a little tougher than the thessalhydra unit but he is a mean guy with a tactic. The Griffin body has these tentacles designed to fire and stick to targets while it melees away. With this guy he can inject liquid metal all the live long day into targets or kick with his strider feet, which also allow him to run faster than the thessahydra at 330mph.
One more roll for his repair but I'll wrap up the stats next thread.
Rolled 76 (1d100)
Thoth delivers
Rolled 99 (1d100)
This thing should not live!
Nice digits
Africa honestly seems like a tabletopstratdgy game event they throw on Tourney nights.
>Alright guys. Get your 200 pts armies and we all try to take out this broken giant unit that just came out. We are selling him in the back after the thing.
Your Rifts game gets invaded
>"This is the coolest movie. I tell you that the story begins when three space outlaws crashland on a Robot planet. Chocorama. And they have to fight off the robots. But they have to make it back to Earth or the Robots will crush their bones to bits. When the three space men lose control of their ship and hurdle into a field of asteroids that almost turns them into space dust..."
>"They're sucked into a dimensional time portal that transports them to another planet-"
Would Eddie be a MDC being?
Probably. He gets stronger with failure.
Left to right
>Rogue Scholar
>Black Marketeer
>Crazy
Ah. Were autosaging. Who will make the new bread?