The Rifts™ Difiicult/Weird Questions Thread

[cornholioprime]

Okay say my brain needs a body...now I want an organic (or near organic) body. I have more money than god and can afford all the Bio-systems...Would I be able to get one for my bodiless spine and brain?

Now THAT is a good Question.

[rat_bastard]

What happens if a pre-pubescent Sea Titan is chosen by the Cosmic Forge and accepts...and Puberty comes upon him just a short time later??

(remember, pre-pubescent Sea Titans are identical to humans in almost every way.)

He is now a Cosmo-knight, not a sea titan, so nothing happens.

And a dog boy can detect an anti-magic cloud, as it is a magical emanation.

talk about beinmg gifted by the fates! not only do you get a one in a million enhancement like sea titan juice, but the c osmic forge choo choo chooses you?

[Subjugator]

not truly a rifts question, just an old roleplaying question from back in the day.

If I swing at you with a sword that always strikes true and you block with a shield that always intercepts incoming blows, what happens?

You strike the shield.

/Sub

[DocS]

One burster wants to burst into flames,

A second dburster wants to extinguish the first burster....


Or

You polymorph someone into a glass of water, drink the water, then turn them back.... (now there's one from days of gaming yore)

[The Beast]

New question: Can you write a scroll in brail, so that you can "read" it in the dark? My current GM lets me get away with it, provided I take Litteracy: Brail beforehand.

A problem occurs if you must be able to see your target though.

[The Beast]

Take 2 mutants, with the exact same level, and both have the power to negate super powers. They're both fighting each other, and they both have the exact same initiative (same die roll as well), and they both activate their power at the same time. Who wins?

[Subjugator]

Take 2 mutants, with the exact same level, and both have the power to negate super powers. They're both fighting each other, and they both have the exact same initiative (same die roll as well), and they both activate their power at the same time. Who wins?

I'd say they both win and negate each other for 2d6 days.

/Sub

[cornholioprime]

not truly a rifts question, just an old roleplaying question from back in the day.

If I swing at you with a sword that always strikes true and you block with a shield that always intercepts incoming blows, what happens?

You strike the shield.

/Sub

Agreed.

I never quite saw what the "difficulty" or "weirdness" of that question was supposed to be myself.

[Necrite]

Duplication process takes 30 seconds.

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -8 Zavor
3 minutes -32 Zavor
4 minutes -128 Zavor
5 minutes -512 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

576 TRILLION Zavor!!!

After the first iteration, you're quadrupling the group each time, when it should be doubled. It should be:

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -4 Zavor
3 minutes -8 Zavor
4 minutes -16 Zavor
5 minutes -32 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

1.07 BILLION Zavor!!!

As a rough estimate based off the numbers in the book, they're about 5 cubic feet and 60 lbs on average, making that 5.35 billion cubic feet of Zavor, and 64.2 billion pounds. However, after a full day, you have 3.04x10^433 Zavor, totaling 1.52x10^434 cubic feet or 1.82x10^435 pounds of Zavor.

Continuing on (and not showing my work because there's too much to show), after one day, the Zavor fill an insignificant (astronomically speaking) space, but after 2 days, they fill a sphere 4.38x10^284 light years across, or approximately 438,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
times the width of the Milky Way galaxy.

Isn't exponential expansion fun?

Now, here's a thought... What happens if you put a Zavor inside a Technowizard matter/antimatter drive that, once per (whatever time period), energy bolts the Zavor, then vents 5 cubic feet of magically created antimatter? Wouldn't this be the perfect energy source, especially if it was placed on, and powered by, a nexus?

[Toc Rat]

Try this one out...
1...scrolls...as long as you can read it you can cast it but the spell disapears from the page.
2...a silver rune on parchment renders both the rune and the parchment indestructible.

so what happens if the spell on the scroll (of parchment) is written in silver runes?

Good one

[Toc Rat]

Sea Titan gets it on with an Amazon. What's the offspring?

Eh, too easy. If it's a girl child, it becomes an Amazon. If it's a male child, it becomes a Sea-Titan.

[Toc Rat]

If you launch a Palladium Books/Rifts™ Vampire (in a sealed, lightproof coffin with soil of the homeland in it, of course) into orbit around the sun, would it sleep forever WITHOUT going hungry and insane??

Wow, that would be an interesting threat to use on one.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Duplication process takes 30 seconds.

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -8 Zavor
3 minutes -32 Zavor
4 minutes -128 Zavor
5 minutes -512 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

576 TRILLION Zavor!!!

After the first iteration, you're quadrupling the group each time, when it should be doubled. It should be:

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -4 Zavor
3 minutes -8 Zavor
4 minutes -16 Zavor
5 minutes -32 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

1.07 BILLION Zavor!!!

As a rough estimate based off the numbers in the book, they're about 5 cubic feet and 60 lbs on average, making that 5.35 billion cubic feet of Zavor, and 64.2 billion pounds. However, after a full day, you have 3.04x10^433 Zavor, totaling 1.52x10^434 cubic feet or 1.82x10^435 pounds of Zavor.

Continuing on (and not showing my work because there's too much to show), after one day, the Zavor fill an insignificant (astronomically speaking) space, but after 2 days, they fill a sphere 4.38x10^284 light years across, or approximately 438,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
times the width of the Milky Way galaxy.

Isn't exponential expansion fun?

Now, here's a thought... What happens if you put a Zavor inside a Technowizard matter/antimatter drive that, once per (whatever time period), energy bolts the Zavor, then vents 5 cubic feet of magically created antimatter? Wouldn't this be the perfect energy source, especially if it was placed on, and powered by, a nexus?

I have to aplaud you for doing all that math

[Necrite]

I have to aplaud you for doing all that math

Calculating the total number of Zavor was easy. Getting reasonable size/weight estimates was too. Wikipedia provided the formulae I needed for to figure out the rest, as well as the size of the Milky Way. The rest was just punching in numbers. And going back to correct mistakes. And going back to correct mistakes. And going back to... You get the idea...

[Toc Rat]

Ok, I got one but it's a litte...well a little gross if you sit and think about it's effects.

Rifts main book, pg 181, Stone to Flesh spell. It says and I quote, "This spell tranforms stone to flesh AND can restore people who have been turned to stone back to normal." Note the use and placement of the word "and". That means this spell can turn regular stones and stone object in to flesh, not just people that have been turned to stone. Oh I would like to take a moment to say that I did not come up with that use for this spell. I read it here on a thread I had started called "Creative Spell Use" and someone posted it.

Ok, here is the question, what happens if you use this spell to turn some stone in to flesh and then make some nice flesh burgers. Then a rather sick and evil shifter decides to hit you with Negate Magic before your body has fully digested the food?

Does the GM decide that's just to sick (or maybe too much of a medical headache to look up) and simply not allow it? Do you allow it? What would happen if you did allow it?

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Ok, here is the question, what happens if you use this spell to turn some stone in to flesh and then make some nice flesh burgers. Then a rather sick and evil shifter decides to hit you with Negate Magic before your body has fully digested the food?

Does the GM decide that's just to sick (or maybe too much of a medical headache to look up) and simply not allow it? Do you allow it? What would happen if you did allow it?

Wow...

What would happen, indeed?

Yeesh.

Good question, TR.

~ Josh

[Necrite]

Negating the spell will not unbreak the rock. Since the food had been thoroughly chewed (hopefully), the person will have a stomach full of sald and gravel. It will be extremely uncomfortable coming out, and could cause illness for a day or two until it leaves the system, but it's not like you'll end up with fist-sized rocks in your stomach.

[Toc Rat]

Negating the spell will not unbreak the rock. Since the food had been thoroughly chewed (hopefully), the person will have a stomach full of sald and gravel. It will be extremely uncomfortable coming out, and could cause illness for a day or two until it leaves the system, but it's not like you'll end up with fist-sized rocks in your stomach.

Never said you would.

Hmm, here is something else to consider. What if you weren't just making normal burgers but 1/2 or even full pounders? I think that would cause more then a little um, discomfort coming out.

[Toc Rat]

Good question, TR.

~ Josh

Wow! Josh complimented me! Must write this down in my journal...

[Subjugator]

Negating the spell will not unbreak the rock. Since the food had been thoroughly chewed (hopefully), the person will have a stomach full of sald and gravel. It will be extremely uncomfortable coming out, and could cause illness for a day or two until it leaves the system, but it's not like you'll end up with fist-sized rocks in your stomach.

Extremely uncomfortable is not the word.

Agonizing pain is the word.

/Sub

[The Beast]

Ok, I got one but it's a litte...well a little gross if you sit and think about it's effects.

Rifts main book, pg 181, Stone to Flesh spell. It says and I quote, "This spell tranforms stone to flesh AND can restore people who have been turned to stone back to normal." Note the use and placement of the word "and". That means this spell can turn regular stones and stone object in to flesh, not just people that have been turned to stone. Oh I would like to take a moment to say that I did not come up with that use for this spell. I read it here on a thread I had started called "Creative Spell Use" and someone posted it.

Ok, here is the question, what happens if you use this spell to turn some stone in to flesh and then make some nice flesh burgers. Then a rather sick and evil shifter decides to hit you with Negate Magic before your body has fully digested the food?
Does the GM decide that's just to sick (or maybe too much of a medical headache to look up) and simply not allow it? Do you allow it? What would happen if you did allow it?

At least now if you break someone turned to stone you can repair them before removing the curse.

Gives new meaning to kidney stones.

[Nikoli]

And they thought they had chiseled features before...

[Toc Rat]

And they thought they had chiseled features before...

But I do have to admit....

[Qev]

Duplication process takes 30 seconds.

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -8 Zavor
3 minutes -32 Zavor
4 minutes -128 Zavor
5 minutes -512 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

576 TRILLION Zavor!!!

After the first iteration, you're quadrupling the group each time, when it should be doubled. It should be:

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -4 Zavor
3 minutes -8 Zavor
4 minutes -16 Zavor
5 minutes -32 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

1.07 BILLION Zavor!!!

Actually, since thirty minutes is sixty iterations (at 30 seconds per iteration), doesn't that mean you end up with 2^60 Zavor after 30 minutes? That's some ridiculous number like 1.153 quintillion (1.152e18) Zavor.

Mind you (assuming Zavor can't undergo nuclear fusion), after only 48 minutes this spherical mass of Zavor will collapse into a black hole, rendering the entire problem moot.

[Necrite]

Duplication process takes 30 seconds.

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -8 Zavor
3 minutes -32 Zavor
4 minutes -128 Zavor
5 minutes -512 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

576 TRILLION Zavor!!!

After the first iteration, you're quadrupling the group each time, when it should be doubled. It should be:

1 minute -2 Zavor
2 minutes -4 Zavor
3 minutes -8 Zavor
4 minutes -16 Zavor
5 minutes -32 Zavor

After just 30 minutes.......

1.07 BILLION Zavor!!!

Actually, since thirty minutes is sixty iterations (at 30 seconds per iteration), doesn't that mean you end up with 2^60 Zavor after 30 minutes? That's some ridiculous number like 1.153 quintillion (1.152e18) Zavor.

Mind you (assuming Zavor can't undergo nuclear fusion), after only 48 minutes this spherical mass of Zavor will collapse into a black hole, rendering the entire problem moot.

Wow... I was thinking 1 min per iteration, so my scenario would take place after one day, not 2. All my times should be halved.

[cornholioprime]

***whole lotta math***

I believe that I have to correct you on your math, sir Necrite.

Zavor split TWICE each minute ("...the duplication process takes aout 30 seconds...").

So in the first 30 seconds, 1 Zavor splits into two.

HOWEVER.....

According to the Book, those TWO Zavor also split in the next 30 seconds.

Therefore, you don't get two Zavor in one minute; you get four.

ANd in the second minute, you don't get 8 Zavor, you get 16.

And so on and so forth.

Which leads us back to that larger number that I came up with earlier.

[cornholioprime]

Mind you (assuming Zavor can't undergo nuclear fusion), after only 48 minutes this spherical mass of Zavor will collapse into a black hole, rendering the entire problem moot.

They can't collapse; they're magically vulnerable only to Psionics, wood, and iron/silver.

And on a side not, whichever Poster wanted to use these guys to create a TW Antimatter Drive forgot that they would magically be immune to Anti-Matter, too.

Which means that that Zavor Singularity would keep getting bigger potentially forever...which would eventually crowd out the entire dimension that the splitting starts off in.



By the by, Qev, good to see ya back.

And when you read this, PM me.

I have a question about Black Hole Evaporation that I'd like to float past you....

[cornholioprime]

Here's one for you all:

A Necromancer starts the ritual called "Return from the Grave" (Necromancy Magic, Level 14; Documented in Rifts: Book of Magic, page 198.

He perfors the year-long Ritual perfectly, and afterwards NEVER misses a single instance of reciting the required nightly mantra ever afterward.

However, he is captured one day and subjected to the Slow Kill process (during all this, the Necromancer still manages to faithfully recite the mantra on each of the three nights required to 'turn' him).

Per the 'rules' of the Slow Kill he is killed by draining all his blood on the third night.

Upon death, the "Return from the Grave" Spell kicks in.
However, the Slow Kill process also kicks in and starts magically transforming the character into a Vampire.

What happens to this particular Necromancer if somewhere down the line the Vampire Intelligence (whose Vampire performed the Slow Kill on the Necromancer) is somehow destroyed???

[cornholioprime]

Here's another:

What happens to a True Atlantean's SDC body if Nxla steals his/her soul??

(Soulless Xombies have MDC bodies regardless of the original state of the body whose soul was stolen.)


Rune Swords -at least the Greater and Greatest ones -have personality, sentience, and alignment.

Can a Rune Weapon's alignment be reversed by bathing it in the light of the Azlum Asylum??

[Necrite]

***whole lotta math***

I believe that I have to correct you on your math, sir Necrite.

Zavor split TWICE each minute ("...the duplication process takes aout 30 seconds...").

So in the first 30 seconds, 1 Zavor splits into two.

HOWEVER.....

According to the Book, those TWO Zavor also split in the next 30 seconds.

Therefore, you don't get two Zavor in one minute; you get four.

ANd in the second minute, you don't get 8 Zavor, you get 16.

And so on and so forth.

Which leads us back to that larger number that I came up with earlier.

Yes, I see that now. And I admitted my error in the post directly above yours.

[The Beast]

What if someone who's immune to the effects of the vampire's bite does the Return From the Grave ritual? Like a True Atlantean, or a Nightbane?

[cornholioprime]

What if someone who's immune to the effects of the vampire's bite does the Return From the Grave ritual? Like a True Atlantean, or a Nightbane?

That's a good one, too.

Does your body "stay" True Atalntean and invulnerable to change after your death??

[cornholioprime]

Yo!!

Whichever one of you is stretching the Thread out too far, please fix it.

[Subjugator]

They can't collapse; they're magically vulnerable only to Psionics, wood, and iron/silver.

I got a ruling from Maryann a long time ago (i.e. when still official) that invulnerabilities can be overwhelmed by amazing force. I'd say this would be one of 'em.

/Sub

[Subjugator]

I tried to ask this on another thread, and no one responded, so we'll see if I have better luck here.

What happens when you put a Permanence Ward on an activated TW device (e.g. a Supernatural Strength TW mod on a suit of Dead Boy armor)?

Does it:
A. Bestow the power permanently on the present wearer,
B. Make the device permanently bestow the power on whoever is wearing it,
or
C. Nothing. You just wasted a lot of time and a perfectly good demon bone.

D. The TW device now has a ward on it, but nothing changes regarding its actual functionality. It's like taking a gun made of iron and remaking it out of steel. More durable, but does the exact same thing.

As for the Maryann ruling on "invulnerable can be overwhelmed," that has just solved the "Macross Cannon vs Rune Weapon" debate.

Ironically enough, the SDF1 main reflex cannon was the topic of discussion at the time.

/Sub

[cornholioprime]

Can one sacrifice a non-sentient creature's life force to make a Rune Weapon??

(or....."What, exactly are those non-sentient Holy Rune Weapons 'made' of?)

'Cause if that's the case, I'll just use the Family Dog to create an eternally lovable Rune Sword or something, that Soul Sucks pieces of steak once a week......

[The Beast]

Can one sacrifice a non-sentient creature's life force to make a Rune Weapon??

Maybe a magic weapon that's less powerful as a lesser rune weapon. I think if it was that easy to make one PFRGP would still have people able to make them.

[Pronema]

As I asked in my topic what happens if a rune weapon is left in a dimensional envelope when the envelope collapses? Is the rune weapon destroyed?

[cornholioprime]

As I asked in my topic what happens if a rune weapon is left in a dimensional envelope when the envelope collapses? Is the rune weapon destroyed?

I'll have to look it up....

...but off the top of my head and AFAICR, items on the other side of Dimensional Pocket-type Spells are usually deposited harmlessly at the place where they entered into that other Dimension at spell's end.

My guess is that it's for Game Balance...

[Subjugator]

As I asked in my topic what happens if a rune weapon is left in a dimensional envelope when the envelope collapses? Is the rune weapon destroyed?

I'd have it floating...somewhere.

/Sub

[The Beast]

How does your normal person level up? Someone that doesn't go out on adventures, or serves a military that doesn't send him into battle? Or maybe they do have powers of some kind, but chose to fly an airplane, work in real estate, or clean houses for a living. Do those tough stains count as a major menace?

[The Beast]

And I'm not just asking that about Palladium Books' games, but all RPGs in general. Do any of them have a way for people who live normal, everyday lives to get better at their skills?

[Nxla666]

And I'm not just asking that about Palladium Books' games, but all RPGs in general. Do any of them have a way for people who live normal, everyday lives to get better at their skills?

Using PB system a "Norm" would gain about 300-500 XP a day.

50 for playing in character
25-50 for skill usage (when needed)
25 for each "clever, but futile idea"
50 for the "clever, useful idea"
50 for that odd moment of "Good Judgement"
and
100 for "Avoiding Unnecessary Violence"

[cornholioprime]

Two Vampires each cast "House of Glass" on themselves.

One Vampire then claws the other, thereby causing damage, thereby starting a chain reaction per the wording of the spell.

What happens after that??

[The Beast]

Does it continue like that? Seems like something Palladium would've blocked.

[cornholioprime]

Does it continue like that? Seems like something Palladium would've blocked.

I'm just reading the Spell, my friend.

ANY damage inflicted upon the caster is inflicted back upon his attacker.

My read on it:

Vampires can't kill one another by just claws and teeth alone.

But the spell causes magical damage.

OTOH, the magical damage of the first Vamp, is inflicted on his attacker, and in turn the magical damage inflicted on the Attacker Vamp, is in turn placed upon the Target Vamp.

I say that for the duration of the spell, virtually infinite damage is mutually inflicted onto the two Vamps......and they are both in a world of pain even by Vampire standards.

[cornholioprime]

Wait, if the damage was magical, wouldn't it start reducing itself by half, since vampires take 1/2 damage from magical attacks?

It would reduce itself to the infinity of nothing pretty quickly.

Wellllll......

That's why this Difficult Questions Thread exists.

From what I see of the Spell in question, the Magic of the spell immediately imparts the full damage of the Target back onto the Attacker regardless of normal immunities.

Unless, of course, you're a completely magic-impervious creature or species.

But that makes me wonder: what about the same thing with a couple of Nega-Psychics instead?

[cornholioprime]

If I hit NXLA with a Soul Drinker......


Will I have the potential of soul-sucking him.....or just one/some of his Captured Essences that are a aprt of him??

[Nxla666]

If I hit NXLA with a Soul Drinker......


Will I have the potential of soul-sucking him.....or just one/some of his Captured Essences that are a aprt of him??

Part of the essences.

Oh, and why you want to hit me with a soul drinker?

[cornholioprime]

Can a Harvester harvest a fellow Harvester??

And if so, what powers, if any, might (s)he get??

(I wonder if some sort of weird circular condition would be created if this ever happened....)

Can a Rune Weapon's Soul Drink attack work on a magically impervious creature like a Hawrk Ohl or Zavor?
For that matter, would it simultaneously drink the soul of the first Zavor while creating a second??