What have you changed?

[Preacher]

Running water does squat to Vampires. It has to be holy water.

[Crazy Lou]

I make new OCCs for fun. None in particular come to mind right now but... I don't get enough chance to play to change much.

[glitterboy2098]

i haven't had a chance to run many games, but i've lots of notes on idea's i wanted to use.

minor changes are mostly things like ignoring the existance of the laserbow, or allowing players to use existing stats with orginal appreances (like the brahnagan MDC duster the mindmelter in my group wears, he wanted a matrix like trenchcoat style, so i told him ot use the one and say it looks like a trenchcoat)


major changes include undersea colonies, a west coast kingdom, a scandinavian tech nation.... of course, most of those are also projects of mine for the rifter

[Crazy Lou]

Epic, just wondering, how come the vampire kingdoms dont just start wiping the floor with the rest of palladia (minus holy ground places, which can't be that common), or are there no Rifts Mexico type kingdoms of vamps like cannon? Afterall, a couple million of your beefed up vamps could squish most things (CS included) in a couple years max.

[gaby]

Well first No Xiticx.

Archie-3 das not go mad,he release Nema sleeping army in 150 years after the coming of the Rifts.
they make secret cities in Mountains of Pennsylvania,they realized if they reveald themselves too soon,the Splugorth can just whip them out.

They wait and Watch,tring to manipulate things so that a Human majorty can take over North America some where in the Future.

[Aramanthus]

That's interesting I had hidden facilities in the Applachan Mts in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. Those are now controlled by my "Federated States of America".

[Nightmaster]

Well, like many here, I too have make changes to the game. Here they are:

1°- MDC ratio is 1 MD = 20 SDC.

2°- The CS have just 50% of the descripted army.

3°- Tolkeen never made any pact with demons of any kind. His army was composed of local people and were equiped both with normal equipment/weapons and with TechnoWizard devices that gived then a lot of advantages over CS forces on a man-by-man comparission. Examples: Armor of Ithan/Impervious to Energy talismans, TW Grenades (lots of effects to describe here), etc. The point is that Tolkeen like the CS had time to build up his army and unlike the CS, their creations were much more easy to come and fast to build than a single Power Armor. By the way they defeated the CS but were greatly devastated as well. It was a Pyrrhic victory (see wikipedia for details) but sufficient to make the CS regret even going to war against then.

4°- The NGR never expelled their D-bee population and instead allocated the humans refugees in the western borders of the nation, occuping portions of France to settle the new population. The point is that expelling 3.4 million D-bees (all educated, trained and produtive citizens) to accept 5 million humans (most iliterate and untrained) is the ultimate nonsense and a good recipe to doom.

5°- The numbers of Vampires in mexico is only 30% of the given numbers in the book and the vampires dont "degrade" when making others. That means that asside from the Master Vampire there is no secondary or Wild vampires. A vampire is a vampire, the difference is in age. The defense of the Kingdom northern borders is in the hands of minions and undeads summoned by the VI in the south.

6°- Karl Prosek have indeed a half-brother in the Magic Zone. That brother happened after Joseph the first raped a captured sorcerer during the Blood Campaign while drunk. After he was sober again the guilt of the act he commited forced him to spare the sorcerer life and send the woman to the north, outside the area of main conflict. The only person alive that knows that history is Cabot because he was the officer that delivered the woman to her destination. This lost brother is a sorcerer of some ability and knows that he is son of Joseph Prosek the first but dont wish to come to light for fear of what would happen if he do so (he is somewhat like Erin Tarn). He actually lives in on of the shade towns of the Magic Zone, have 3 children and already 2 grandchilds.

7°- The New Roman Republic have stabilished contact with the NGR in 103 PA and now by 109 PA the NRR have a ambasador in Berlin and the NGR have some military advisors in Rome to help form a joint campaign on the Gargoyle Empire. The actual chances of that campaign to succeed is 62%.

8°- Guinevere in New Camelot is not a fragment essence os Zazshan. Instead she is a girl that was ressurect by him and now is under his control. The problem is that she knows what happened and tries always to escape from his control. If she ever manages to come near a Millenium Tree she would have great chances of being freed from Zazshan control.


Well that is what I have changed in Rifts Earth for my campaigns. There is probably more but right now I am a bit lazy

[Aramanthus]

Those are some serious changes.

Another change is the "Federated States" know about the Janus Atlanteans. They captured one and made him talk under Zone of truth.

[Nightmaster]

Those are some serious changes.

Another change is the "Federated States" know about the Janus Atlanteans. They captured one and made him talk under Zone of truth.

hmmm... Can you elaborate more onf the subject of the "Federated States"? and by the way, the Janus Atlanteans... who they are?

[Aramanthus]

They are the Arieman clan. (i need to check on the spelling.)

About the Federated States. They are an advanced group of Humans who came thru a Rift in large numbers when a series of nukes opend a doorway for them to get to Post golden age Rifts. They arrived about 40 PA. About their tech. I'd have to have you PM me. There are things best left unsaid on the forums.

[Phadeout]

Those are some serious changes.

Another change is the "Federated States" know about the Janus Atlanteans. They captured one and made him talk under Zone of truth.

hmmm... Can you elaborate more onf the subject of the "Federated States"? and by the way, the Janus Atlanteans... who they are?

Think Sunaj

[Phadeout]

They are the Arieman clan. (i need to check on the spelling.)

About the Federated States. They are an advanced group of Humans who came thru a Rift in large numbers when a series of nukes opend a doorway for them to get to Post golden age Rifts. They arrived about 40 PA. About their tech. I'd have to have you PM me. There are things best left unsaid on the forums.

You are bringing the Megaversal Legion to my mind...

[Aramanthus]

Nope, not them! Although the Megaversal Legions has had a few contracts with the "Federated States" in the recent past. So has the "New Navy".

[Vrykolas2k]

Running water does squat to Vampires. It has to be holy water.

Holy water and ffffffire.
The CS victory at Tolkeen was also Pyrhic, and the cities took a beating from dragons and magi 'porting in and out.
The Devastator is actually an effective robot in my games, as I've upped its damage.

[lather]

If someone ever plays a dog boy they will get to replace the Sense Magic psi power with something else, or I will choose. They get the ability naturally, right? I have to read it closer.

[Zer0 Kay]

Geez this question has been asked so many times in different ways.

THE WORLD
-The world is the same as KS's world, though I do have one where God NEVER existed which I created as sarcasm toward PB's stance on religion.
-I just came up with the CS, and most major cities, having a law that makes it illegal to carry Military Developed (MD) fire arms within the city. Can aid in making adventures inside Chi-Town far more cyberpunkish.

[Zer0 Kay]

The People
-Blind Warrior Women are an engineered version of true Altarians.
-ARCHIE's Shemarrian's and Monstrex's are copies of flesh and blood alien warriors... Haggan claimed they were an idea, but they are a memory.
-A portion of the Splycer's dimension was D-ported to Rifts in Antarctica and an equivalent portion of Rifts to Splycer's, this also changes Splycer's as there is now a location extremely strong in magic. The S-Zone is devoid of magic in Rifts there is one house that is underground and a machine production plant above ground. The machines only have materials to repair their equipment and their last instructions were to make sure nothing leaves the area. The "virus" also is operating on limited commands, don't let it touch metal. They are not self replicating or infesting others.
-The SDF-3 on its way back from "The End of the Circle" mis-folded into Rifts and were damaged by the space debre and the sats but managed to land safely near where the Grand Cannons were supposed to be. A fully loaded horizont crashed in Oregon and the CS managed to be the first on sight!
-The Regis was also caused to mis-jump into this dimension and has struck a straigned alliance with the REF and is currently based under the ice cap. (I don't know if I'll change the last two once... strike that IF Shadow Chronicles comes out.)
-There is a concealed NEMA base under a butte near Merctown who's inhabitants have been awakened from their cryogenic slumber and have started a corporation named "Northern Eagle Military Alliance Arms" based out of a fortress that they have built on top the butte.
-There is a Nightspawn Gizzoid Gizmoteer who has an Astral realm where its exits now are linked to Rifts Earth. To make matters more munchy her "mercenary" army is equiped with Macross II mecha and veritechs, no ships... yet.
-After the PCs get to England Zashan, his aspects and King Arthuu have been de-throned and replaced with Arthur Pendragon and a young Merlin (more details else where in this forum).

[Zer0 Kay]

THE RULES
Character Creation


-When rolling up a character use the number of dice based on the characters race.
-A result of 1 on any dice, except bonus die, is rerolled.
-If two stats use the same dice, not including bonuses/deductions, the results of the rolls may be swapped before application of the bonuses/deductions.
-FEMALES: Unless the species states that the females are generally stronger than the males it tends to be the opposite way. Females can CHOOSE to do everything a male can… except get a female pregnant. However, females are often smarter, able to handle more pain, are more graceful and generally considered more attractive, but are often physically weaker. To represent this if playing a female character the player may CHOOSE to reduce PS, PE and Spd by up to two each for a total of six. These points may be distributed among IQ, ME, PP or PB. This is the ONLY way to trade point for point. NO bonus die roll may be made if qualified for using this method.
-Roll an additional dice used for the stat if the result is greater than (x+b)-n, where x is the max possible score, n is the number of die rolled and b is any bonus or deductions.
EXAMPLE: Stat die 7d8+3. If a result greater than (56+3)-7=59-7=(52) is rolled then an additional d8 would be rolled. If the bonus dice =x then roll another die, a total of two bonus die may be rolled.
Any die rolls resulting in a one that are used for health scores are rerolled
Combat:

1. First turn; of first round is the only turn not considered simultaneous.

I. Character with the highest CR rolls for group.

a. If a 1 is rolled the entire group rolls on phobia effects.
b. If a 20 is rolled the entire group may use all it’s actions in the first turn.
2. Combat turn:

A. Declare Action: If the attack table says a character has an action this round they must declare an action. All actions take place in the order they are declared. They can:

I. Move (Spd.x5/# of attacks).
II. Attack
III. Draw/Holster item (Dropping takes no action, unless used as an attack, it still has to be aimed).IV. Talking signaling etc. doesn’t take any actions, unless concentration or manual use of an item is required to do so.
V. Performance of most skills requires an action.

a. Unless a 2% or lower skill roll is made.
b. Critical failure (99-100%) of even the most basic skills costs an action.
VI. A stall may be performed in order to declare action last. May not attempt again, even if someone else declares a stall.
VII. Holding instead of performing an action a character can hold one for use in a later turn. The reservoir must be used first. Only one action may be held at a time.
B. Roll for action: If the action requires a roll, roll the appropriate die.

I. If more than one N.P.C. is firing at the same target the attack roll is combined.

a. for each attacker +1 to hit roll
II. If a 1 is rolled it is a fumble.

a. Roll dx where x is the number of characters surrounding the fumbler. This is the “victim”.
b. Roll attack again (only to see if it is a critical fumble!) and apply damage as normal to victim.
III. If a natural 20 is rolled double damage and/or weapon special effects are applied.
C. Counter action:

I. If attacked an “auto” parry or auto dodge may be rolled.
II. IF an action was held in a previous round or is assigned in the current round then a dodge may be made.
III. A Counterstrike may only be performed if you have a held action and a fixed action in the same turn or a reservoir action available.
IV. If more than one N.P.C. is being attacked dodge is rolled on an individual basis unless damage is an area effect than use average dodge bonus –1 for every unit over ½ the area of effect (i.e. 20’ AoE 14 units in a group accrues a –4 to dodge.)
D. Roll damage: If an attack is performed roll appropriate die for damage.

I. If a miss was scored this is the time to think about collateral damage to the surroundings.
If more than one N.P.C. is firing at the same target the damage roll is combined.

a. for each attacker +1 die(i.e. weapon does 4d6 then add 1d6 to damage. If 2d10 then add 1d10 etc.) to the highest damaging weapons attack.
E. Damage reduction: The character may use any talents to reduce damage (i.e. Roll w/ punch/fall)

I. If more than one N.P.C. is being attacked roll is rolled on an individual basis unless damage is an area effect than use average roll –1 for every unit over ¼ the area of affect (i.e. 16’ AoE 7 units in group accrues a –3 to roll.)
F. Lather, rinse and repeat… until no actions are left.

Combat Glossary

-Combat Readiness (CR): is a stat. that represents how capable you character is in combat. It is derived by taking I.Q. (the ability to know something needs to be done and how fast you can do it), M.A. (the ability that defines imagination, in this case what needs to be done), Spd. (to determine how fast you can get there), P.P. (capability to deliver) and getting an average of their sum, then adding initiative bonus.
-Attack Table: is a graph divided into 15 columns to represent each second of the combat round. Each row represents a number of attacks per turn. Cross-referencing both shows during what second a character may act.
-Reservoir: Any attacks a character has in excess of 15.
-Round: 15 seconds or 15 turns.
-Turn: 1 second often 1 action.
-Fixed Action: Any attacks under 15 which is assigned a turn.
-Initiative: No longer rolled.
Fire Arms Rules


Fire Arms

-Can’t be dodged unless the weapon can be seen. It is the weapon not the projectile you dodge.
-Are fast, all dodges are done as straight rolls (no bonuses, unless stated specifically for ranged combat).
-Are loud and move the target in the opposite direction of the impact. Because of this the attacker may be traced by following the noise and the direction from which the shot came.
-Damage caused by a combination of blunt trauma (hydrostatic shock) and piercing. Criticals cause double damage.
-Range reduced to 1/3 underwater. There are several methods to alleviate this problem.
Ion (blaster1, bolt2, beam3)

-May be seen as a sphere1, short beam2 or arc of electricity3.
-Produces a crackling sound while traveling1&2 or a crack of thunder3.
-Is visible and can be tracked back to the attacker 1&2. Is visible but difficult to track to attacker because it happens at the speed of light3.
-Damage is electricity based.20% chance of overloading electrical systems; including force fields (unless description specifically says it’s hardened against this type of attack). On a critical hit vs. a bio system (animal or machine) it does 1.5 damage roll again if a natural 20 is rolled shot equivalent to a death strike, per HtH.
-Can not be used underwater.
Plasma

-Is very hot, it’s extreme leaves behind a “con-trail”. The contrail is easy to spot and track back to the attacker.
-Is very bright, and therefore easy to see as it travels toward the target. +4 to dodge if target is at M or M-.05M where M is the maximum range.
-No matter the size of the weapon the launch is quiet. However since it only damage the side it touches it limits the search area.
-Is contained in a magnetic field called a bottle. When the plasma strikes an electronic device that is not shielded against EMP it as a 5% chance of disabling any component in the immediate area. If 5 or less on a percentile is rolled then roll again on the following table:
-01-40%- A weapon system down
-41-70%- Weapon Systems Down
-71-94%- Power Output 50% (effects everything, speed, built in weapon damage and range, etc.) 95-00%- Complete Shutdown
-*Note: effects are cumulative
-Also due to the magnetic bottle the plasma shot may be redirected by sudden large magnetic anomalies (i.e. a Boom gun firing, some sort of magnetic shield that is the same polarity as the bottle, [select polarity before game]).
-Is a superheated gas. When the plasma strikes a solid object the bottle collapses, releasing the plasma. When released the plasma will act like a fluid and splash. This creates a small splash radius that is 10% of the weapons max damage rounded to the nearest whole number, in feet.
-Damage is surface heat. It will not penetrate anything unless it is completely burned way. Because of this no critical damage is done. On the bright side (no pun intended) the intense heat will cauterize large areas making natural regeneration of the area impossible, unless the creature is immune to fire.
-Can not be used underwater.
Lasers

-Are invisible, so can’t be visually tracked back to the attacker, unless passing through a mass of particulate matter, like smoke.
-Are silent, so can’t be audibly tracked back to the attacker.
-Large “caliber” lasers (i.e. vehicle mounted or ATLs) produce the classic laser sound as their capacitor discharges, but the noise produced can only be heard in the immediate area of the weapon.
-Depending on damage the shot may be traced back in the direction of the hole. If the shot went all the way through then there’s two directions to search.
-Are light therefore they can be reflected. However, different frequencies of light can pass through different reflective mediums. The armors owner chooses a number from 1-10, before combat begins. The attacker must roll this number on a d10 to negate the effectiveness of the reflective /refractive/absorbing armor.
-Are really fast, hmmm a laser travels at the speed of uh…light! Because of this the target is –10 to dodge. If there are any arguments about “I can see the light when it’s fired.” They’re invisible but even if you can that means the beam is already there.
-Damage is piercing heat. It will penetrate armor and flesh, but cauterizes wounds causing no blood loss (causing damage an a half on critical hits.)
-Range reduced to 1/3 underwater unless using a spectrum complimentary to the fluid it is passing through.
Particle Beams

-Fire a laser beam nanoseconds before firing the particle beam. This is done to produce an ionized path for the beam that is clear of particulate matter.
-Are not completely cohesive it has a dense core surrounded by a periphery of less dense particles that were traveling slower, or ran into anomalous particulate matter, and get deflected out of the core. Due to this even a near miss up to 2 points off causes damage at one quarter of the roll.
-Depending on damage the shot may be traced to the attacker. Low damage or a near miss results in tiny micro punctures that can’t be seen. Median damage results in a hole on one side, easy to discern which way the blast came from. High damage causes a clean hole to go through the target making for two possible directions from which the shot could have come.
-Are invisible, so can’t be visually tracked back to the attacker, unless the laser passes through a mass of particulate matter, like smoke.
-Are silent, so can’t be audibly tracked back to the attacker.
-Large “caliber” PB weapons (i.e. vehicle mounted or PBCs) produce an audible energy pulse as the accelerator magnets fire this can only be heard in the immediate area as a low accelerating thrum to a low whine.
-If something manages to alter the course of the laser beam before it’s intended target (without getting hit by the particle beam) the PB will drastically loose range and damage. One half of the remaining range and damage (i.e. if a weapon’s rates are 200’ @ 2D6MD and it’s traveled 150’ already it can only travel an additional 25’ doing 1D6MD).
-Even though PB weapons fire a laser, laser resistant armor does not effect the damage.
-Damage is penetration. The weapon does damage by shoving billions of particles through a body at near light speed thereby creating an equal number of microholes in your flesh. Critical hits cause 2x damage.
-Damage is explosive. Against hardened targets (vehicles & armor) the damage is greater because the metal doesn’t give as much as flesh the impacts actually cause micro explosions. Critical hits cause 4x damage.
-Range reduced to 1/3 underwater. If the lasers spectrum is complimentary to the fluid the range is increased to ½.


Buffing Magic (I'm still working on this and melding another authors rules into mine)

Spell Mod: This skill allows you to pump spells. A success allows the caster to apply a number of buffs equal to the caster's level minus the spell's level.

A critical success means you can use an additional pump at no cost.
A critical failure means the spell fails, all PPE used for the spell is lost.

Spell mag: damage
Spell amp: duration
Spell ex: range
Spell cloak: PPE mask

[Zer0 Kay]

Running water does squat to Vampires. It has to be holy water.

Amen preacher tell us the gospel!!

[Jason Richards]

PPE channeling

ALWAYS makes me smile.

[Aramanthus]

That's an interesting one!

[Zer0 Kay]

PPE channeling

ALWAYS makes me smile.

Geez just because you actually published doesn't mean that others didn't think about it before you... granted in a much clunkier, harder to manage fashion.

[Zer0 Kay]

I think it was in the original BtS that when you rolled HF and failed there was a random table to see what you did. Either that or maybe we just used the what you do when your confronted with your phobia table. Well we still do that.

[Marrowlight]

In restarting RIFTS last month, I picked up where my group left off 6 years ago. The is now a D-Bee friendly collections of cities and towns called the Midgard Kingdoms that occupy most of VA, NC and SC.

This affected quite a bit. Larsen actually met and befriended them and that what caused him to be cast as a traitor by the CS.

So how does your world differ from KevSim?

Atlantis isn't Atlantis. There is no dimensionally shifting continent. Instead Splynn's forces are located where the Phoenix Empire would normally be and a good bit more.

Because a big continent didn't displace half the world's water supply, the continents aren't so reshaped, which is especially beneficial for the US. As such, everything of importance and its mother isn't within a 20 minute drive of the Palladium Office.

[Zer0 Kay]

In restarting RIFTS last month, I picked up where my group left off 6 years ago. The is now a D-Bee friendly collections of cities and towns called the Midgard Kingdoms that occupy most of VA, NC and SC.

This affected quite a bit. Larsen actually met and befriended them and that what caused him to be cast as a traitor by the CS.

So how does your world differ from KevSim?

Atlantis isn't Atlantis. There is no dimensionally shifting continent. Instead Splynn's forces are located where the Phoenix Empire would normally be and a good bit more.

Because a big continent didn't displace half the world's water supply, the continents aren't so reshaped, which is especially beneficial for the US. As such, everything of importance and its mother isn't within a 20 minute drive of the Palladium Office.

So how much other mythology did you remove?

[Marrowlight]

In restarting RIFTS last month, I picked up where my group left off 6 years ago. The is now a D-Bee friendly collections of cities and towns called the Midgard Kingdoms that occupy most of VA, NC and SC.

This affected quite a bit. Larsen actually met and befriended them and that what caused him to be cast as a traitor by the CS.

So how does your world differ from KevSim?

Atlantis isn't Atlantis. There is no dimensionally shifting continent. Instead Splynn's forces are located where the Phoenix Empire would normally be and a good bit more.

Because a big continent didn't displace half the world's water supply, the continents aren't so reshaped, which is especially beneficial for the US. As such, everything of importance and its mother isn't within a 20 minute drive of the Palladium Office.

So how much other mythology did you remove?

There's no mythology around Atlantis being stored in another dimension, nor is there any mythology around a chinese dragon ruling an empire in Egypt.

With that said, I enjoy the old gods and goddesses, so I didn't remove any of them, most of them got increased roles in fact.

[Crazy Lou]

I recently added to my games a funky sort of outpost of martial arts in North America that was started by a group of traditionalist adventurers from Japan. They finally stopped adventurering and founded a temple there and now a couple generations later it's become the center of a small, new community. I realize that it's somewhat out of place, but it's my excuse to introduce a new class I'm toying with that's a sort of melding of several different classes and backgrounds (Sohei Monk, Bishamon Monk, Demon Queller, Samurai, Psi-Warrior, and a few others). Not all of those classes were a part of the original founders but martial arts and style of combat evolve, so that's where the other non-japanese classes came from I figured. It starts w/ Chi-Gung and Stone Ox, daisho training with jodo type bonuses but w/ swords (minus the jodo strike). And the martial arts powers are powered by ISP because I think it makes more sense that those sort of powers draw their abilities more from within and inner focus, etc than just be magical. Of course this probably seems a bit overpowered, but the class isn't done yet and is still only a rough idea that I'm refining.

Also, in a rather unrelated note, I'm working on some way of taking undeveloped Master Psychics (potential mind melters) and making rules to let them specialize in a certain area. For instance you take a potential mind melter with some pyrokinetic abilities and they use that a lot more and develop a lot more control and they wind up a burster instead of a mind melter b/c they specialized. Or you look at Psi-Ghosts with their heightened presence sense, it's an example of an ordinary sensitive power taken to a whole new level of mastery. So I thought it'd be cool if a player could just pick to be a master of telekinesis or some other more ordinary power or be very good with but not masters of 2 different powers and then have just have only a few others. I haven't really started working it out yet, but it's something I'll eventually change.

[Zer0 Kay]

In restarting RIFTS last month, I picked up where my group left off 6 years ago. The is now a D-Bee friendly collections of cities and towns called the Midgard Kingdoms that occupy most of VA, NC and SC.

This affected quite a bit. Larsen actually met and befriended them and that what caused him to be cast as a traitor by the CS.

So how does your world differ from KevSim?

Atlantis isn't Atlantis. There is no dimensionally shifting continent. Instead Splynn's forces are located where the Phoenix Empire would normally be and a good bit more.

Because a big continent didn't displace half the world's water supply, the continents aren't so reshaped, which is especially beneficial for the US. As such, everything of importance and its mother isn't within a 20 minute drive of the Palladium Office.

So how much other mythology did you remove?

There's no mythology around Atlantis being stored in another dimension, nor is there any mythology around a chinese dragon ruling an empire in Egypt.

With that said, I enjoy the old gods and goddesses, so I didn't remove any of them, most of them got increased roles in fact.

There is also no mythology about Arthuu. Besides 9000 years before Plato the myth could have changed from disappeared to disappeared beneath the waves to sunk. Last I checked dragons are shape changers, who better to come up with a falcon headed human? Maybe he only decided to now reveal his dragon form. Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology? But Atlantis disappearing beneath the waves being the description of someone who was escaping and between waves saw a flash then nothing could is closer to the myth then the dragon.

[Zer0 Kay]

Oh I forgot that I also have System Failure being fought within Cheyenne Mountain, which was greatly enlarged (something akin to Geo-Front) before the time of chaos by NEMA but everyone sheltered within were replaced by their SF counterparts when the coming of the rifts happened.

[Marrowlight]

Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology?

you did, when you questioned me about whether I had removed any "other" mythology.

[Zer0 Kay]

Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology?

you did, when you questioned me about whether I had removed any "other" mythology.

Oh... ok so why did you just pull this one quote out and not comment on anything else?

[Marrowlight]

Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology?

you did, when you questioned me about whether I had removed any "other" mythology.

Oh... ok so why did you just pull this one quote out and not comment on anything else?

'cause I had no interest in commenting on the rest of it and was only setting the record straight for you on that one issue.

[Zer0 Kay]

Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology?

you did, when you questioned me about whether I had removed any "other" mythology.

Oh... ok so why did you just pull this one quote out and not comment on anything else?

'cause I had no interest in commenting on the rest of it and was only setting the record straight for you on that one issue.

Selective thought processes are illegal.

Does that make it Invalid Code?:D

[Zer0 Kay]

Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology?

you did, when you questioned me about whether I had removed any "other" mythology.

Oh... ok so why did you just pull this one quote out and not comment on anything else?

'cause I had no interest in commenting on the rest of it and was only setting the record straight for you on that one issue.

So then you agree that the myth of Plato's Atlantis could have been bent through time and what could have happend to Rifts Atlantis could have happened to Plato's?

[Marrowlight]

Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology?

you did, when you questioned me about whether I had removed any "other" mythology.

Oh... ok so why did you just pull this one quote out and not comment on anything else?

'cause I had no interest in commenting on the rest of it and was only setting the record straight for you on that one issue.

So then you agree that the myth of Plato's Atlantis could have been bent through time and what could have happend to Rifts Atlantis could have happened to Plato's?

not really. But with stuff like this I'm not really in the habit of starting something just because I think an idea sounds bad, so I tried to just move on.

[Zer0 Kay]

Besides where did they say that had anything to do with the mythology?

you did, when you questioned me about whether I had removed any "other" mythology.

Oh... ok so why did you just pull this one quote out and not comment on anything else?

'cause I had no interest in commenting on the rest of it and was only setting the record straight for you on that one issue.

So then you agree that the myth of Plato's Atlantis could have been bent through time and what could have happend to Rifts Atlantis could have happened to Plato's?

not really. But with stuff like this I'm not really in the habit of starting something just because I think an idea sounds bad, so I tried to just move on.

Start... something?? I don't really think Atlantis is worth arguing over I just wanted to know your opinion... guess I got it.

[Colt47]

Well, I haven't changed anything in Rifts yet. The things I don't like about Rifts as it stands is the overwhelming feeling that no one is going to be able to defeat the coalition states, despite what is stated in the book that they are not invincible. My biggest peve in the multiverse is that the CS has psychics other than Dog boys and Psi stalkers. They don't need bloody psychics, the average coalition citizen is supposed to be fearful and prejudiced against psychics, and it seems like someone is trying to counter some sort of player power rush to compensate for something.

As for the setting, I normally start out in the year 103 P.A. in order to have time to get my starting character some actual experience before being thrown into the battle of the Titans.

[GaredBattlespike]

I have not run a Rift's Game in quite a while, but here is what I'd like to change:

1) The reason that the North American East Coast is not re-populated is simply because of all the Infected Dead hordes that wander the East Coast, looking to eat any animal matter they can catch. The nature of the Infection is unknown(Magic/Viral/Retro-Virus/Bacteria????) but it animates the infected remains of the recently deceased(if the brain is basically intact) and can be transmitted through bites/scratches from the Infected(Save VS Disease or join the Infected Dead within 4D6 Hours).
Is there a cure? No one knows. What will happen if my Mind Melter uses Psychic Purification on an captured Infected? <---- Insert Maniacal Laughter Here-------|
NOTE: These are NOT "Night of the Living Dead" wannabe's, but rather my own sick idea.(More Evil Laughter is heard)

2) The England in MY Rifts is NOT a "King Arthur" style affair, but is much more like England in WWII! The Brits have there own PA's and a few Robots, but mostly just a tough, proud people who refuse to conquered, especially not by DEMONS! This set-up has a few unusual elements in that the British Commoners are not against Magic/Psionics automatically, but gaudy/excessive displays of either will garner frowns, and a lack of good will. The Lords have real Legal Power as they had centuries ago, and still serve the Crown-the King in my version is just 16 (King Eric the 1st) and so has a Regent, who is his deceased Parents' best friend; "Lord James of Cumberland".

3) The Russians are Coming! I have a plan to have the Russian Warlords start to offer their Warriors in the fight against the Gargoyle & Brokil Empires in exchange for NGR Food and other supplies! The Romonov Camp will be the first to do this and will make a vicious suprise attack on the Brodkil forces at the European/Russian Border!!!

4) The Vampires of Mexico are getting restless...They are looking for more territory, more slaves/blood and are now showing an odd variant that has never been seen before; The Spectrals...

[Kagashi]

High End magic items and bots vehicals black market values are 25% listed price. JA-12 are 800,000 credits. The economic values in Rifts is jacked.

Ive been toying with (but have not implemented) an armor absorbsion system.

I like the Juicer, Crazy, Borg not being an OCC suggestion. I dont see them any different than a dude getting a bunch of cybernetics which dont change OCCs...

I am currently running one setting where all the different games have melded into one Earth. All human societies share the same Earth and are at war with one another. Robotech vs Macross II vs Coalition vs NEMA vs EBSIS vs China...and so on. Aliens and Demons are about to invade Earth too, but the characters dont know that.

[slade the sniper]

Hmm, I made this post in a Robotech thread a bit ago:

Baseline setting is 2050-ish, I just plop Rifts Earth good stuff (a lot of the actual setting in fact) and add Invid to taste.

The REF is pretty much where they were in Invid Invasion, running around trying to not get killed. Plus that allows me to have galactic level stuff with the REF, three galaxies and Regent (who I brought back to life for the sake of storyline) as well as good old fashioned ultra powered destruction on Earth.

Part of the rationale I had to use for why the REF hasn't just "re-liberated" Earth is that 1) the invid are still at war and as such most of the REF is involved in that, 2) all of the scrap from the RoD, all the space battles from SC and Invid Invasion is still in orbit and makes getting on or off Earth a task with about a 80% failure rate (the REF is the only people capable of doing it) and 3) about 70% of the REF were born in space and don't really have the emotional connection to care anymore. Their allies and friends are the alien races they have met and that has far more impact than Earth which has been curb stomped three+ times and is run by feudal, high tech or high magic warlords.

The one "bright spot" for Earth is the Rifts, which in my world are treated as basically permanent/temporary space fold doors and that is something that would be very important for the REF to have.

The REF stuff I use is primarily Cyclones and they are basically doing recon and harrassment and interdiction missions against everyone. That is how I combine the megaverse for my games (Rifts + Robotech).

That is how I run RIFTS. I also replace a lot of the alien intelligences with more Lovecraftian baddies.

That way I can have space stuff, Earth stuff, horror stuff and still be somewhat more connected IMO. The RIFTS populace is the same as in RIFTS, but the Coalition knows about the REF and really doesn't want to be liberated. The NGR and the EBSIS are also major players.

I have Atlantis exist, but a bit smaller so that the continents are not as jacked up as they are in RIFTS.

Just a small sampling of stuff I have changed setting wise.

-STS

[SkyeFyre]

- The mechanoids were never completely forced from the planet and are constantly trying to get the rest of their buddies to earth.
- There's a new arms company named Helix Industries which is still low tech, but beginning to become a larger player in the market.
- MDC is very uncommon.
- Energy weapons are burst capable

Copy and Paste of my 4 main houserules:

Bursts
Energy weapons as well as conventional weapons are capable of performing bursts. The breakdown is as follows.
3 shot burst inflicts x2 damage
6 shot burst inflicts x3 damage and takes up two actions

SDC Damage Through MDC Armor
In addition to the rules presented in the books, sometimes if a character takes damage in a certain way additional SDC damage may apply. For example if a character wearing Coalition Deadboy Armor with 50MDC is hit by an L-20 rifle which inflicts 30 damage with a laser burst the character may take an additional 3D6SDC damage through the armor due to the burn. The same shot hitting a SAMAS however would not inflict the damage.Inspired by the novels

GI-Joe Rule
If the attack does more damage than what the armor's maximum is, it goes through and full MDC damage hits the character.
Example:
Deadboy with 50MDC maximum on armor but only has 12 remaining is hit by an ion blast which does 16MDC. The remaining armor absorbs the blast and the Deadboy is still alive. Even if he is hit by a mini-missile inflicting 40MDC he will survive. However if that same Deadboy is struck by a Boom-gun round or missile inflicting 51 or more MDC he recieves the full MDC damage applied to him.The armor could have been hit in an area that was not necessarily all that weak or damaged at all, that is why I generally use the maximum armor of the armor as a guideline

- Vehicles with low PS can lift their own weight + whatever the PS allows. (It's broken, but more fixed than the rules as they're written)
- A bunch more, I'll either edit them in later or just add another post.

[T-Willard]

My Rifts Earth has been heavily modified. I have a long time player, a former GM, and one newbie in the group, so I had to completely redo the setting to make sure everyone had fun.

So, we went for something different. For example, THIS is the Pre-Rifts timeline:

Known Timeline
1939-1945-World War II
1945 First Detonation of Atomic Weaponry
1951-1990 First Cold War
2001-2063 War on Terror
2008-First use of tactical thermonuclear weapon
2079-2084-Andriod Rebellion
2124-2129-AI War
2162-2171-Amplified War
2192-2202-Unification War
2235-2251-Colony War
2260-2261-Outsider War
2267-2294-Second Cold War
2294-Apocalypse
76 PA-Now

There were foes, and the players got to experience the world before the coming of the Rifts.

Known Players
Reunified Russian Republic (3R)
Pan Asian Pact (PAP)
African DisUnion (ADU)
European Union (EU)
SouthAM (South American and Central America to South side of Panama Canal)
NorAm (North America and Central America to North Side of Panama Canal)
Caribbean League (Caribbean Islands)
Middle Eastern Anarchy Zone
Sol Colonies
Apha-Beta-Epsilon Centauri Colonies
Betelgeuse Colonies
Orion Colonies
Coreward Rim Federation
Spinward Republic

Colonel Paulette Hawthorn, a highly educated and cyber implanted doctor/scientist, who is 135 years old can expect to live as long as 350 years, maybe even more. Enhanced IQ of 31.

Major Sam Elliot is a fourth generation Auto-G, one of Hawthorn's brain children, and while only 5 years old, has already performed over a dozen covert missions. He has 8 additional DNA template storages, the temporary one, and his base form. Two of his ID's have been tagged by the CS, one his base form, the other a Siana Pact general.

Sergeant First Class Mary Elliston is a Juicer IV. She doesn't have a harness, all the tubing beneath the armorskin (100 MDC) and the dermal armor (50MDC) and has strength augmentation, wired reflexes, cyber-eyes, a combat computer, etc. Pound for pound, she outclasses a Rifts Earth Juicer by at least 2.1x. She took on 2 other juicers and killed them both, despite her being only 3rd level and they being 5th level. Thanks to cryo-stasis and the fact she's a Generation IV juicer, she has 15 years left before burnout.

They left the bunker with themselves, some recovered "junk" equipment, a 45 man UN Marine contingent and a 13 man Ranger Team.

The armor and weaponry are considered "junk" by the PC's, but without orbital factories, advanced facilities, and the like, they know they are stuck with what they have scavenged.

They have come to the logical conclusion that the world is built on the discovery of "Event Recovery Lockers" and depot equipment. Old War Stock bunkers where the military stored stuff too dangerous to sell, but not good enough to send to the colonies or keep on the line.

They consider THEMSELVES the inheritors of NorAm, and that the CS has very little claim, only that Senator Prosek (T-IL) was the interm NorAm president after the cataclysm.

They wiped out GAW at Red Stone Arsenal to gain access to the underground weapons labs and the underground bunkers at Huntsville AL, they took over Groom Lake, wiping out the Black Market facility there and siezing control of the area.

They've made friends with the Native Americans, surrounding communities, and searched out all the "Squiddies" (From DB's of NA) and invited them to support the "Real NorAm", and are currently nation building.

They screwed up early in their career, using a mat-trans and ending up in Lone Star, where the facility recorded their implanted chips, meaning that Doctor Bradford has found out who they are, and is upset. Doctor Hawthorn was responsible for about 1/3 of the genetic research he's seen at Lone Star.

They just finished the initial skirmishes of the Second Android War. Right now, they are trying to convince the Native Americans and the Colorado Baronies to assist them wiping out the last of the Android Nation. They've already fought on the orbital facilities, destroying their facilities, and destroying Nightside Base (on the dark side of Luna), as well as shutting off the counter-grav on the Jovian Deep Pressure Mine 34, but now have the old "OnStar System" at their use.

They also know there is another threat. Something bad, something evil, waiting for them. Their two teams that they have sent to NORAD I haven't reported back, one a 4 man Ranger Team who last reported they'd located the area, and never reported again.

So what's changed?

Everything. The PC's produce advanced power armor, welcome mages and psychics, but are still VERY DB unfriendly with the exception of Squiddies and "Hawthorn's Children"

The Black Market got crushed.
Golden Age Weaponsmiths is gone.
It's 78 PA and the grassroots campaign to elect Prosek Emperor has picked up steam after the video of Senator Prosek (T-IL) fighting with NEMA forces was released.
The CS was forced to acknowledge the PC's claim to everything West of the Rockies
The PC's have been providing Free Quebec with reactors and next-generation GB's.
Nanites have been upgraded to the size of 3 atoms and capable of "alchemy"
ARCHIE III is still asleep, but they know that the HQ ECC (Head Quarters East Coast Command) is still online, but aren't sure what to do.
NORAD is there, but the PC's are worried, it was supposedly mothballed after the AI War, but there's a carrier signal emenating from it. (If you've ever played Fallout Tactics, you know what's about to happen)
I use a modified version of the Allengheny Valley.
We use mutations from Gamma World
The Dark Ages were only 120 years.
Ruins are more like Gamma World ruins
I added:
Mat-Trans (The PC's only have 11 codes, and still can't find Bravo-Nine, the biggest and most advance bunker. Trust me, they want it bad)
A reasonable background for the power armor and weaponry
ARCHIE III has been moved from Aberdeen Proving Grounds to HQ-ECC
Lone Star Labs was taken offline from a bioweapon leak in 2098
"Advanced Cybernetics" (Taken from Shadowrun)
Weapons and Armors taken from various editions of Gamma World
Added in ECM/ECCM rules
Made up tech creation rules
Creation Engines (Nanite production forges)
Nanite Forges (Only 2 have been found)


The ruleset had to be modified to make the vets happy (All of whom have IRL combat experience in various theaters) and to throw off the former GM, which makes him happy.

Rules for APDSFSDU rounds, for mortar rounds, for atillery rounds, for smart weapons, for smart-frames, for a limited internet in CS territory and the PC's territory, rules for modern ammunition types, rules for directed auto-fire, all kinds of rule additions.

For example, the "standard" GB round is actually an APERS round (Anti-PERSonnel) round, while the PC's routinely arm their GB Mk II's with APDSFSDU rounds. The SAMAS armor uses "BB Attack" which is wierd to the players and PC's both, so their SAMAS armor ("Golden Eagle") uses APDSFS rounds rather than BB attacks.

With the PC's being able to manufacture stuff, some of their armors are frankly scary to the CS. For example, their missiles have "self-replicating fuel" and all of the armors have "self-replicating ammo" as well as onboard nanite repair systems.

Right now, as I said, they are playing what's called "The Secret Wars of North America", serious hands down all out warfare out of sight of the CS, who thinks they're just dealing with bandits. The CS is hoping that the "NorAm Federation" will get beaten, or at least weakened enough they can take them.

The PC's have two sats carrying "Thor Hammer" kinetic kill orbital weaponry, but unfortunately there were only 8 shots between the two of them, and only 3 mag-launchers between the two of them functional. They used one shot as a "demonstration" of their capability to the CS (not hitting a military or civilian target, just a demonstration) and the CS thinks they are in possession of at least 50 shots.

There's a lot more changed, but you get the gist.

[Devjannz]

The only changes that I have made to RIFTS when I run it are:

1.) Vampires - They are pretty much like BTVS Vamps in how they act and their powers. They all have the "Game Face" except Masters. They retain their normal features even when getting ready to feed. Wild Vamps tend to always have it on since they do not have as much control and are more instinctive. Water must be holy water to hurt them.

2.) Damage from MDC weapons against SDC targets does double the die damage to SDC and Hit Points. I think this scale works pretty good and does not require too much math.

3.) Wormwood symbiotes can be taken to other dimensions but must be fed PPE every 24 hours to keep them alive. If they are not fed then they go into a state of hybernation and offer no bonuses to the character. If they go another 24 hours without being fed, then they will die. The amount of PPE is as follows: 5 for small parasites, 10 for larger ones.

Thats it.

[Jockitch74]

My Rifts Earth has been heavily modified. I have a long time player, a former GM, and one newbie in the group, so I had to completely redo the setting to make sure everyone had fun.

So, we went for something different. For example, THIS is the Pre-Rifts timeline:

Known Timeline
1939-1945-World War II
1945 First Detonation of Atomic Weaponry
1951-1990 First Cold War
2001-2063 War on Terror
2008-First use of tactical thermonuclear weapon
2079-2084-Andriod Rebellion
2124-2129-AI War
2162-2171-Amplified War
2192-2202-Unification War
2235-2251-Colony War
2260-2261-Outsider War
2267-2294-Second Cold War
2294-Apocalypse
76 PA-Now

There were foes, and the players got to experience the world before the coming of the Rifts.

Known Players
Reunified Russian Republic (3R)
Pan Asian Pact (PAP)
African DisUnion (ADU)
European Union (EU)
SouthAM (South American and Central America to South side of Panama Canal)
NorAm (North America and Central America to North Side of Panama Canal)
Caribbean League (Caribbean Islands)
Middle Eastern Anarchy Zone
Sol Colonies
Apha-Beta-Epsilon Centauri Colonies
Betelgeuse Colonies
Orion Colonies
Coreward Rim Federation
Spinward Republic

Colonel Paulette Hawthorn, a highly educated and cyber implanted doctor/scientist, who is 135 years old can expect to live as long as 350 years, maybe even more. Enhanced IQ of 31.

Major Sam Elliot is a fourth generation Auto-G, one of Hawthorn's brain children, and while only 5 years old, has already performed over a dozen covert missions. He has 8 additional DNA template storages, the temporary one, and his base form. Two of his ID's have been tagged by the CS, one his base form, the other a Siana Pact general.

Sergeant First Class Mary Elliston is a Juicer IV. She doesn't have a harness, all the tubing beneath the armorskin (100 MDC) and the dermal armor (50MDC) and has strength augmentation, wired reflexes, cyber-eyes, a combat computer, etc. Pound for pound, she outclasses a Rifts Earth Juicer by at least 2.1x. She took on 2 other juicers and killed them both, despite her being only 3rd level and they being 5th level. Thanks to cryo-stasis and the fact she's a Generation IV juicer, she has 15 years left before burnout.

They left the bunker with themselves, some recovered "junk" equipment, a 45 man UN Marine contingent and a 13 man Ranger Team.

The armor and weaponry are considered "junk" by the PC's, but without orbital factories, advanced facilities, and the like, they know they are stuck with what they have scavenged.

They have come to the logical conclusion that the world is built on the discovery of "Event Recovery Lockers" and depot equipment. Old War Stock bunkers where the military stored stuff too dangerous to sell, but not good enough to send to the colonies or keep on the line.

They consider THEMSELVES the inheritors of NorAm, and that the CS has very little claim, only that Senator Prosek (T-IL) was the interm NorAm president after the cataclysm.

They wiped out GAW at Red Stone Arsenal to gain access to the underground weapons labs and the underground bunkers at Huntsville AL, they took over Groom Lake, wiping out the Black Market facility there and siezing control of the area.

They've made friends with the Native Americans, surrounding communities, and searched out all the "Squiddies" (From DB's of NA) and invited them to support the "Real NorAm", and are currently nation building.

They screwed up early in their career, using a mat-trans and ending up in Lone Star, where the facility recorded their implanted chips, meaning that Doctor Bradford has found out who they are, and is upset. Doctor Hawthorn was responsible for about 1/3 of the genetic research he's seen at Lone Star.

They just finished the initial skirmishes of the Second Android War. Right now, they are trying to convince the Native Americans and the Colorado Baronies to assist them wiping out the last of the Android Nation. They've already fought on the orbital facilities, destroying their facilities, and destroying Nightside Base (on the dark side of Luna), as well as shutting off the counter-grav on the Jovian Deep Pressure Mine 34, but now have the old "OnStar System" at their use.

They also know there is another threat. Something bad, something evil, waiting for them. Their two teams that they have sent to NORAD I haven't reported back, one a 4 man Ranger Team who last reported they'd located the area, and never reported again.

So what's changed?

Everything. The PC's produce advanced power armor, welcome mages and psychics, but are still VERY DB unfriendly with the exception of Squiddies and "Hawthorn's Children"

The Black Market got crushed.
Golden Age Weaponsmiths is gone.
It's 78 PA and the grassroots campaign to elect Prosek Emperor has picked up steam after the video of Senator Prosek (T-IL) fighting with NEMA forces was released.
The CS was forced to acknowledge the PC's claim to everything West of the Rockies
The PC's have been providing Free Quebec with reactors and next-generation GB's.
Nanites have been upgraded to the size of 3 atoms and capable of "alchemy"
ARCHIE III is still asleep, but they know that the HQ ECC (Head Quarters East Coast Command) is still online, but aren't sure what to do.
NORAD is there, but the PC's are worried, it was supposedly mothballed after the AI War, but there's a carrier signal emenating from it. (If you've ever played Fallout Tactics, you know what's about to happen)
I use a modified version of the Allengheny Valley.
We use mutations from Gamma World
The Dark Ages were only 120 years.
Ruins are more like Gamma World ruins
I added:
Mat-Trans (The PC's only have 11 codes, and still can't find Bravo-Nine, the biggest and most advance bunker. Trust me, they want it bad)
A reasonable background for the power armor and weaponry
ARCHIE III has been moved from Aberdeen Proving Grounds to HQ-ECC
Lone Star Labs was taken offline from a bioweapon leak in 2098
"Advanced Cybernetics" (Taken from Shadowrun)
Weapons and Armors taken from various editions of Gamma World
Added in ECM/ECCM rules
Made up tech creation rules
Creation Engines (Nanite production forges)
Nanite Forges (Only 2 have been found)


The ruleset had to be modified to make the vets happy (All of whom have IRL combat experience in various theaters) and to throw off the former GM, which makes him happy.

Rules for APDSFSDU rounds, for mortar rounds, for atillery rounds, for smart weapons, for smart-frames, for a limited internet in CS territory and the PC's territory, rules for modern ammunition types, rules for directed auto-fire, all kinds of rule additions.

For example, the "standard" GB round is actually an APERS round (Anti-PERSonnel) round, while the PC's routinely arm their GB Mk II's with APDSFSDU rounds. The SAMAS armor uses "BB Attack" which is wierd to the players and PC's both, so their SAMAS armor ("Golden Eagle") uses APDSFS rounds rather than BB attacks.

With the PC's being able to manufacture stuff, some of their armors are frankly scary to the CS. For example, their missiles have "self-replicating fuel" and all of the armors have "self-replicating ammo" as well as onboard nanite repair systems.

Right now, as I said, they are playing what's called "The Secret Wars of North America", serious hands down all out warfare out of sight of the CS, who thinks they're just dealing with bandits. The CS is hoping that the "NorAm Federation" will get beaten, or at least weakened enough they can take them.

The PC's have two sats carrying "Thor Hammer" kinetic kill orbital weaponry, but unfortunately there were only 8 shots between the two of them, and only 3 mag-launchers between the two of them functional. They used one shot as a "demonstration" of their capability to the CS (not hitting a military or civilian target, just a demonstration) and the CS thinks they are in possession of at least 50 shots.

There's a lot more changed, but you get the gist.

That's one of the best ideas I've seen in years

[Phadeout]

So far I have only a couple changes (all to NA):

Free Quebec has Psychics, Psi-Stalkers and their own Psi-Battalion (to keep them alive and protected from supernatural/magic threats), just no Dog-Boys or other mutants beyond Psi-Stalkers. Also, as mentioned in Coalition War Campaign, FQ has their Liberty group in Old Bones which Does have Crazies as part of the military (this is contrary to FQ:WB22 - which says they don't have Crazies, I'll go with CWC:WB on this one, as least for their Liberty squads - these squads also make full use of Headhunters as part of the military).

During the Tolkien War (which, hasn't happened in my campaign yet), it will be effected directly by PC actions (doubtful to have much effect) with one more big change: when FQ and Coalition forces helped each other out rather than fighting each other, FQ High-Command decides that it's in their best interest to side with the Coalition against Tolkien. During the final battle, Tolkien will not just deal with the Coalition, but a surprise attack by FQ and their Glitterboy army. If it wasn't for this action, Tolkien would not have been crushed.

[T-Willard]

One interesting thing overlooked by everyone are the following things:

NORAD went offline. Nobody is sure why, but the Supervolcano theory is seriously flawed, as any explosion that would wipe out NORAD (capable of taking a 10 MT direct hit) would have cracked the plate, since they are 300 miles apart.

Lone Star Lab was offline, "as if someone had thrown the switch and walked away" from it.

NORAD II is tantalizingly listed, but completely unmentioned, except ARCHIE IV (IIRC) is there.

ARCHIE I is found, in the middle of a farmer's field, twisted wreckage.

So, let's look at that, shall we?

How did ARCHIE I get there? Why, elementary, my dear Watson. See, NORAD I went offline due to whatever reason, and survivor's from the location yanked the ARCHIE I nueral core, and headed across country. Along they way, they got ambushed and killed by the Apacolypse Demons or whatever.

Lone Star had no ARCHIE, but needed one for full operation, due to SOP at the time requiring an AI oversight on any genetic lab. (Think the Resident Evil movie)

So Lone Star couldn't be fired up, even though the initial scout team who made it inside after reporting the place looked intact died of starvation when the power suddenly died. No ARCHIE, only a 3 man recon inside, no way to radio for help, and no way to get to the reactors. Lone Star sits deserted.

NORAD II has been silent, all these years.

Yet, wait, what is that?

HQ-ECC? While Sourcebook One revised states it stands for "Headquarters, Emergency Central Command" what if that was what is was redesignated by the survivors who banded there. What if it really stood for "Head Quarters-EAST COAST Command!" Not NORAD II, but perhaps, buried somewhere in ARCHIE's vast data-files, is the location to NORAD II.

But what, why haven't the Republicans looted the place?

Because NORAD II has a secret. They consider THEMSELVES the future overlords of North America, but unfortunately ARCHIE IV refuses to release them due to "Hostile Radiation" (IE: RIfts/Ley Lines)

They need outside intervention, more crafty and heavily armed than the Republicans, to crack open their habitat.

Enter the PC's.

My NPC's have been finding code strings broadcast out of the Rockies, and are wondering if those code strings are part of this robot threat. It isn't. It's part of a cabal, old men still in love with power and death, who plan on taking over the Earth.

So, while all of that doesn't really come into play in my game (with the exception of the previous paragraph) it is something for you to think about.

My players read this board, so I'm not going to say what sits in the darkness of NORAD and broods, or what is trying to break out of their imprisonment at NORAD II.

But suffice to say, it'll be anything but boring.

[Lucas]

hmmm all i have really changed is that the phoenix empire has its own pa's and robots the dear happy pharaoh hates Splynn and the Gargoyles have found a pre-rifts factory that they are now using to make there own gear.....oh and my england thing which my players hate me for

[Jefram_denkar]

Dam just reading all the listed ideas is making my head spin.

Most of them are just plan great.

[Lucas]

We do combat initiative all at once,.. each player rolls his initiative for all attacks at the beginning of the combat round. They are then plotted on a graph with columns labled 1-20 and 20+..

oh oh oh i like this shadowrun right

[CyCo]

I changed the System to my "own" homebrewn KULT based RP-System...

When we were still playing Rifts, we ended up doing practically the same thing. We went through 4 stages, the 1st being the Pall engine with houserules and tweaks. Each stage had additional changes, requiring it's own book. Eventually, we hit the 4th stage. We finally decided that the Pall engine was crap (at least for us), and we then switched to Fuzion. We ran a few short campaigns with that, which rocked.

Then we went back to CP2020, our true love.

For the old hands, yes, this was the Fuzion version that floated around for a very short time, and the author was asked to remove it from his website (now long defunct).