The Rifts™ Difiicult/Weird Questions Thread

[cornholioprime]

Can Psynetic Blocker/Negation Implants be used on a Mega-Juicer to short-circuit his internal absorption of Psionic Energy, and thereby give him a special sort of Juicer Detox?? On a related note, if you say "yes they can," then do you envision the possibility of this type of Juicer completely avoiding their own version of Last Call as well, since this particular form of Last Call is Psionic-related, not physiological like the others??

(Was reading the description of the Mega-J OCC and the logical question of the possibility of Detox for this Juicer just came to me).

-Cornholioprime. Bringing quasi-legal Munchkinism to your world one Weird Question at a time.

[LostOne]

Can Psynetic Blocker/Negation Implants be used on a Mega-Juicer to short-circuit his internal absorption of Psionic Energy, and thereby give him a special sort of Juicer Detox?? On a related note, if you say "yes they can," then do you envision the possibility of this type of Juicer completely avoiding their own version of Last Call as well, since this particular form of Last Call is Psionic-related, not physiological like the others??

I would say no, they go into that type of juicer conversion knowing they can't detox. (Which made the mega juicer I played more fun, he had it forced on him against his will as a gladiator slave who of course escaped, he had to deal with his shortened lifespan and often referred to himself as a walking murder victim, dead man walking, taking vengeance from a shallow grave, etc)

My theory is this: the psynetic implants are necessary in the beginning to stimulate the brain to produce the psionic energy that empowers the mega juicer. This is kinda like using electrode implants in the Matrix to rebuild Neo's muscles that have atrophied (only this would be building psychic powers that might never have been present in the first place, awakening parts of the brain that wouldn't otherwise be used). But after a short time, the psynetic implant has served its purpose and the brain is churning out the psychic energy needed on its own. It's always on, can't be turned off, and I would suspect that forcing it to turn off could cause severe brain damage if not death. Forcibly shutting it down could require a lobotomy, or it might be by that point the entire brain is psychically charged and the only way to detox is to kill the juicer.

[Lenwen]

Couple questions about magic fast ..

Question the First ... Teleport lesser , only teleports none living matter so if a mage cast it upon a suit of Armor (with some one inside it ) does it
A-- Teleport the suit with out taking the person
0r ..
B-- Teleport the entire thing armor and person as well ?

Question the second Armored foe is made FEATHERLIGHT .you can then throw that person into the air but how high would that person go ?

Question the third meteor , Call lightning , Fireball , Firebolt ,energy bolt Do they make any sounds what so ever when they are cast other then the mage's incantations ?

Question the fourth Does any of the self MDC armor styled spells make any noise what so ever after thier cast ?

Thanks for your time ..

-Lenwen.

[LostOne]

Good questions, but most of them I'd say are subjective and left up to the GM.

Question the First ... Teleport lesser , only teleports none living matter so if a mage cast it upon a suit of Armor (with some one inside it ) does it
A-- Teleport the suit with out taking the person
0r ..
B-- Teleport the entire thing armor and person as well ?

I would say it doesn't work at all since the armor is an attended object (worn/held item).

Question the second Armored foe is made FEATHERLIGHT .you can then throw that person into the air but how high would that person go ?

I'd say not as high as you would like. Hard to tell really, but air friction will slow them down faster than a feather because there is more of them to force through the air. On the other hand, if they retain the same mass, they might fly farther than your opponent would like.

Question the third meteor , Call lightning , Fireball , Firebolt ,energy bolt Do they make any sounds what so ever when they are cast other then the mage's incantations ?

Meteor I can't remember the specifics on, but if it's coming from space it's likely traveling faster than the speed of sound, so it's silent until it hits. If it's thrown from your hands, I like my offensive spells flashy, so it would make a whistling sound as it traveled. Call lightning = lightning, self explanatory. Fireball and firebolt will make a burning/crackling sound like a fire...the bigger the damage the louder the sound. Energy bolt I'd have making a humming/static electricity type sound.

Question the fourth Does any of the self MDC armor styled spells make any noise what so ever after thier cast ?

Should say in the descriptions I'd think. But as a general rule I'd say if it conjures a temporary metal armor, then it'll make noise, if the spell reads more like a shaped personal force field, then no.

[Lenwen]

How do they repair body armor?

I always picture it as some king of liquid form kevlar based stuff that gets injected into the holes or molded into the form of whatever the suit got damaged off, and then by some chemical process hardens and is MDC.

I like this question .. I've personall envisioned it as being sorta putty-esque ( think Drywall hole Repairing ) an they apply the putty to damaged area's an what not an then they add perhaps another compound that does the molecular thing with the putty there by creating new MDC repaired armor .

-Lenwen.

[bigbobsr6000]

X + Y = t
..a/c

X is # of cans of Mountain Dew
Y is # of bags of Cheeztoes
a is # of gamers
t is # minutes before needing replenishing "X" and "Y"
c is the cash variable which must be the known quanity per "b" variable to sustain the contiuation of the formula.

The topic is "Difficult and Wierd Questions". Haven't we all been faced with this formula? Subsitute your groups favorite bevarage and snack. I just went with the stereotypical geek/nerd gamer's drink and snack. No....wait! That's what all my gaming groups have.......Dang It!

[LostOne]

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?

Paradox, the megaverse implodes, roll up a new character in a new megaverse.

How do they repair body armor?

I always picture it as some king of liquid form kevlar based stuff that gets injected into the holes or molded into the form of whatever the suit got damaged off, and then by some chemical process hardens and is MDC.

MDC Bondo. The cheap mercs end up with power armor that has little white spots all over it, whereas the high class mercs buff the bondo and repaint it.

What would happen if you used Nazca Line magic Make Ley Line to make a six pointed star (two triangles inverted to each other) and stuck a pyramid in the middle of it? or rather made the pyramid first, then the ley lines...

I have no idea, but I like the question. This seems like the location of an end-game battle where the pyramid was designed strictly to resurrect a dead god or summon the four horsemen or something like that.

[cornholioprime]

What would happen if you used Nazca Line magic Make Ley Line to make a six pointed star (two triangles inverted to each other) and stuck a pyramid in the middle of it? or rather made the pyramid first, then the ley lines...

Ummm.....Kosher Hebrew Magic???
(And no, I don't think that you'd have to say the spells with a Jackie Mason-style Yiddish accent to get them to work...)

[Lenwen]

What would happen if you used Nazca Line magic Make Ley Line to make a six pointed star (two triangles inverted to each other) and stuck a pyramid in the middle of it? or rather made the pyramid first, then the ley lines...

Ummm.....Kosher Hebrew Magic???
(And no, I don't think that you'd have to say the spells with a Jackie Mason-style Yiddish accent to get them to work...)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Lenwen]

Damn forgot to sign the last post .. was laughing to hard . anyways Was curious about something Does it flat out state anywhere what the total population of Rifts Japan is by chance anywhere ?

-Lenwen.

P.S.

Does a Psi-Stalker become the minor mega damage being when going toe to toe against a Cyber Knight ?

Sorry had to include this one as I just thought of it .. lol

[LostOne]

psi-stalkers turn into mega damage being against supernatatural creatures? is this a new ruling in RUE?

Yes, new in RUE. Basically if they're fighting supernatural or near a ley-line or nexus they're MDC, but PS is unchanged.

Although it does give a (unnecessary) basis for where the Psycho-stalker gets their MDC transformation ability.

[Lenwen]

psi-stalkers turn into mega damage being against supernatatural creatures? is this a new ruling in RUE?

Yes, new in RUE. Basically if they're fighting supernatural or near a ley-line or nexus they're MDC, but PS is unchanged.

Although it does give a (unnecessary) basis for where the Psycho-stalker gets their MDC transformation ability.

Well said .

-Lenwen.

[Library Ogre]

Not a difficult question but just can't remember right now........when firing a weapon or grenade launcher that is part of a weapons system that's on your forearm, do you use your PP bonuses to hit and not WP?? can't remember how that goes??

Weapon Proficiency bonuses.

[LostOne]

If the forcefield says it'll take it all, fine. Otherwise any damage over what the forcefield can take I let half-damage through to the inside of the forcefield. The rest is absorbed by the forcefield that is still collapsing. (Cuz I'm a nice GM and if a big damage blast hits a nearly dead forcefield sometimes full strength might still be enough to kill the character in one hit...seen it happen in one of the games I was a player in).

The other reason for that is if the forcefield is down to having 1 MDC left, it still makes it a potential lifesaver, whereas if full damage came through a wise player might shut it off (because most forcefields regenerate damage faster when they are just damaged rather than completely gone).

[bigbobsr6000]

How do you guys handle force fields and damage over the force field capacity...........unless the force field states it will take all extra damage before going away, I let the leftover damage go through. But if it's missles or grenades of explosive in nature I make the explosio leftover blow away from the form of the force field.....so the blast radius only applies to teh opposite directio due to the initial stopping force.......

Does that make sense?

Makes sense to me. I carry over the damage above the force field protection to target behind it. I only allow kenitic energy of a nearby blast to be deflected by a depleting force field. Any energy type damage from said blast carries over to target.

Hope this helps, Big Bob....................

[Dog_O_War]

Here's a question for you; beyond the glitterboy (which clearly shows how for that model) how does a person "put on" of "get in" a suit of powered armour, specifically the SAMAS, SAMSON, and FLYING TITAN models?

A friend of mine asked KS's wife this years ago (like 10 now) and couldn't get a straight answer from her.

[LostOne]

I pictured it the way I've seen in animes (maybe Appleseed, can't remember).

The front chestplate flips up, the front legs swing open, you step in, slide in your arms and head into place and it closes.

[bigbobsr6000]

Here's a question for you; beyond the glitterboy (which clearly shows how for that model) how does a person "put on" of "get in" a suit of powered armour, specifically the SAMAS, SAMSON, and FLYING TITAN models?

A friend of mine asked KS's wife this years ago (like 10 now) and couldn't get a straight answer from her.

I got the quote below from this Thread.

It'd probably vary a fair bit for power armor though. A lot of PA units are gonna have to be put on like a suit of armor, and the ones at the heavier end of the man-sized Power Armor spectrum probably require lifting equipment or a team of helpers to put on.

The bigger stuff which blurs the line between PA and robot though (eg Glitter Boy, Ulti-Max, Jager), they're just gonna be a matter of climbing in, closing the hatch, and fastening your seatbelt. If you've got one of them things sitting around on standby and you're in your piloting suit and ready to go, you could probably be suited up and moving out in well under a minute.

[Library Ogre]

Here's a question for you; beyond the glitterboy (which clearly shows how for that model) how does a person "put on" of "get in" a suit of powered armour, specifically the SAMAS, SAMSON, and FLYING TITAN models?

A friend of mine asked KS's wife this years ago (like 10 now) and couldn't get a straight answer from her.

I'd guess that most suits open at the chest and thighs, allowing the pilot to put it on like a very thick coverall... feet in each leg, arms through each shoulder, then the chest either flips down or swings closed, and you put on and seal the helmet.

[Lenwen]

So does anyone know if it flat out gives the overall population of Rifts Japan anywhere then ?


-Lenwen.

[Klaus027]

Can a techno-wizard engine or tw ppe battery be created to run off of the P.P.E. from dying creatures, such as in a slaughterhouse/beef packaging plant?

[Lenwen]

Can a techno-wizard engine or tw ppe battery be created to run off of the P.P.E. from dying creatures, such as in a slaughterhouse/beef packaging plant?

In effect becomming the very first Texas Chainsaw Techno Wizard ? Now there is unlimited halarity !!!

-Lenwen.

[Library Ogre]

Can a techno-wizard engine or tw ppe battery be created to run off of the P.P.E. from dying creatures, such as in a slaughterhouse/beef packaging plant?

Hmmm... maybe an injector, which runs Life Source on the creature? Jab it in the neck, draw out as much P.P.E. as possible (fueled by a PPE battery which is, itself, fueled by the death it causes), and then take the dead animals off to be processed.

I'd have to sit down and run the numbers, but that seems like it would turn a profit, energy-wise.

[Lenwen]

I would say it is more then profitable ... Considering ..

the unholy lord of hosts uses something extreamly similar to it just chech out wormwood mate .

-Lenwen.

[cornholioprime]

Can a techno-wizard engine or tw ppe battery be created to run off of the P.P.E. from dying creatures, such as in a slaughterhouse/beef packaging plant?

Hmmm... maybe an injector, which runs Life Source on the creature? Jab it in the neck, draw out as much P.P.E. as possible (fueled by a PPE battery which is, itself, fueled by the death it causes), and then take the dead animals off to be processed.

I'd have to sit down and run the numbers, but that seems like it would turn a profit, energy-wise.

Either that, or just pay a Mage to do the whole draw-down of PPE thing -absorb the PPE, then transfer it to nearby PPE Batteries.

Lotsa ways for an enterprising fool to make a good bit o' coin in the world of Rifts....

[Klaus027]

Actually...

My plan was to put a Zavor in a room, force fielded walls, cast a few area effect spells to duplicat him until the room is full, put the iron grate over the room, hook up the tw ppe battery, start overflowing the room with zavor, hook a tw area effect spell to the battery, and create near limitless magical energy. P.P.E. per zavor is 3d6 averaging about 10 per zavor, the room could hold 80 or 100 before they start duplicating and pushing out the grate at the top. 800 to 1000 P.P.E. per 30 seconds.

But I think I now like the Techno-wizard chainsaw massacre better.

[Library Ogre]

Actually...

My plan was to put a Zavor in a room, force fielded walls, cast a few area effect spells to duplicat him until the room is full, put the iron grate over the room, hook up the tw ppe battery, start overflowing the room with zavor, hook a tw area effect spell to the battery, and create near limitless magical energy. P.P.E. per zavor is 3d6 averaging about 10 per zavor, the room could hold 80 or 100 before they start duplicating and pushing out the grate at the top. 800 to 1000 P.P.E. per 30 seconds.

But I think I now like the Techno-wizard chainsaw massacre better.

Not sure I understand this... are you then suggesting you kill the zavor except your original).

[Klaus027]

Actually, the original and the roomful would all remain alive. Only the excess ones created by the most recent application of magic damage would push up through the iron grate, killing them.

[Library Ogre]

Actually, the original and the roomful would all remain alive. Only the excess ones created by the most recent application of magic damage would push up through the iron grate, killing them.

Ahh, I see.

[Lenwen]

If you got a Rune Master to put runes on each piece an then constructed the Cyborg would that Cyborg then become indestructable ?

-Lenwen.

[Library Ogre]

If you got a Rune Master to put runes on each piece an then constructed the Cyborg would that Cyborg then become indestructable ?

-Lenwen.

Not unless the Cyborg itself was somehow made into a rune item; just putting runes on things, even by Rune Masters, doesn't make them rune items.

[Lenwen]

If you got a Rune Master to put runes on each piece an then constructed the Cyborg would that Cyborg then become indestructable ?

-Lenwen.

Not unless the Cyborg itself was somehow made into a rune item; just putting runes on things, even by Rune Masters, doesn't make them rune items.

Aye already knew that bro was asking if he did the entire process on each individual piece then thier all hooked together after .. ( obivously thier prefab an ready to put together ) just waitin for the particular Rune Master to do that then they place each item where it belongs attach the cables , connect the arms , legs , what not an then would each piece then be indstructable ?

-Lenwen.

[Library Ogre]

I would say no. There are no provisions for it, and tech and magic generally do not mix.

[Library Ogre]

When a dragon has Teleport self ability, how long does it take him to do so? how much damage would you have to hit him with every action in order to disturb that process? how much damage would you have to cuase to a dragon for them to lose the next action? ie would a 400+ md explosion make them lose their next turn?

I require an action to enact the teleport. If you hit them with a simultaneous strike, you can attempt to disrupt it. A 400md explosion might make them lose their next turn if it did a knockdown; I'd have to go home for the knockdown rules, however.

[Lenwen]

Question: Impeneterable wall of Force
If cast into a large enough area ..
Could it stop a 7 mile large Astroid or would the astroid destroy the Wall of Force ?


-Lenwen.

[Library Ogre]

Question: Impeneterable wall of Force
If cast into a large enough area ..
Could it stop a 7 mile large Astroid or would the astroid destroy the Wall of Force ?


-Lenwen.

If it could cover an area as large as the asteroid, it would stop the asteroid... mostly. The asteroid would explode on impact (since all of its potential energy would immediately become kinetic and have nowhere to go but OUT), and it would shatter across a wide area... but they'd be falling slower, at least, and over a wider area.

Smaller wall of force, pretty much the same idea, only you'd have some that would crumble... they'd shear off with the impact, continue on close to their original trajectory, with a good chunk of their energy intact, while the center (or wherever hit) would explode.

[Lenwen]

Question: Impeneterable wall of Force
If cast into a large enough area ..
Could it stop a 7 mile large Astroid or would the astroid destroy the Wall of Force ?


-Lenwen.

If it could cover an area as large as the asteroid, it would stop the asteroid... mostly. The asteroid would explode on impact (since all of its potential energy would immediately become kinetic and have nowhere to go but OUT), and it would shatter across a wide area... but they'd be falling slower, at least, and over a wider area.

Smaller wall of force, pretty much the same idea, only you'd have some that would crumble... they'd shear off with the impact, continue on close to their original trajectory, with a good chunk of their energy intact, while the center (or wherever hit) would explode.

But the fact is the Wall would stand strong right ?

-Lenwen.

[cornholioprime]

Question: Impeneterable wall of Force
If cast into a large enough area ..
Could it stop a 7 mile large Astroid or would the astroid destroy the Wall of Force ?


-Lenwen.

The size of the asteroid in question doesn't matter.

In the Palladium setting, Magic generally trumps Physics in a head-to-head confrontation.

Unless Impenetrable Wall of Force says that it can be affected by physical, psionic or magical forces short of Psi-Nullification or Dispel Magic, then the Wall will hold.

Sure, there might be a mile-wide and mile-deep crater around the Wall, but it will hold without a scratch.

[glitterboy2098]

one mile crater? heh, we wish. more like 110 miles across. and more than a mile deep. creating an extinction event sufficent to wipe out most of life on earth.

but that wall of force would still be there.

even if the wall of force is big enough to keep the bolide from hitting the crust, the energy of the object hitting the wall of force would still create an extinction level event.

[Lenwen]

one mile crater? heh, we wish. more like 110 miles across. and more than a mile deep. creating an extinction event sufficent to wipe out most of life on earth.

but that wall of force would still be there.

even if the wall of force is big enough to keep the bolide from hitting the crust, the energy of the object hitting the wall of force would still create an extinction level event.

Thats not the point

The point being .. If cast high enough an in a large enough area ... the Wall would stop 100% any Thor shot from orbit or beyond ...

It has been proven to do such .. I thank you for your time

-Lenwen.

[glitterboy2098]

but the energy of the object would remain. energy cannot be created or destroyed, merely shifted around. so all that kinetic energy in the rock has to go somewhere. the wall of force doesn't slow the rock or redirect it, it stands in the way, the immoviable object against the near-irristable force.

and since the wall doesn't move, the rock breaks up, creating the same type of explosion and shockwave as if it had hit the ground.

sure you stopped the rock, but it wouldn't matter.

[Lenwen]

but the energy of the object would remain. energy cannot be created or destroyed, merely shifted around. so all that kinetic energy in the rock has to go somewhere. the wall of force doesn't slow the rock or redirect it, it stands in the way, the immoviable object against the near-irristable force.

and since the wall doesn't move, the rock breaks up, creating the same type of explosion and shockwave as if it had hit the ground.

sure you stopped the rock, but it wouldn't matter.

Your right .. I give up ... Stopping the Hemilayen size metor in high Orbit will have the same exact lvl of Extinction lvl event as if it were to hit the earth directly ..


-Lenwen.

[glitterboy2098]

you didn't specify high orbit.

in any case, you just turn one falling rock into many. same damage, just more spread out.
if headed to earth, by the time the rock gets within the orbit of the moon, it's terminal. you can just choose which horrific death you prefer.

[Lenwen]

Actually I said simply if you could create Impeneterable Wall of Force HIGH enough an LARGE enough it would stop the metor ..

If you created one large enough it could (depending on the hight of the orbit you created it ) litterally stop the Metor dead from falling twords the earth an the ensueing kenetic energy would thusly force the explosion out sideways directly from the Wall itself ..

Meaning if the wall was large enough it would not allow anything even after the explosion to continue its trajectory twords the earth .. an it would in fact simply throw everything out sideways ..

-Lenwen.

[glitterboy2098]

Actually I said simply if you could create Impeneterable Wall of Force HIGH enough an LARGE enough it would stop the metor ..

If you created one large enough it could (depending on the hight of the orbit you created it ) litterally stop the Metor dead from falling twords the earth an the ensueing kenetic energy would thusly force the explosion out sideways directly from the Wall itself ..

Meaning if the wall was large enough it would not allow anything even after the explosion to continue its trajectory twords the earth .. an it would in fact simply throw everything out sideways ..

-Lenwen.

where earths gravity pulls it in.

unless you stopped it halfway to mars your generally going ot be out of luck.

[Lenwen]

Oh I dont know about all that personally ..

But I do know that if you stop it anywhere from half way between the earth an the moon or even further then that sorry but it has been diverted an will not do the

Extinction lvl event ... least not that I personally see it anyways ..

-Lenwen.

[Library Ogre]

If you stopped the boulder fairly high, I think you'd avoid an ELE; it would still suck, but not be an ELE. The energy of the explosion wouldn't be transmitted to the earth, it wouldn't be kicking up a cloud of debris from the ground (or, at least, not as high or as much), and so it would have a lesser chance of a nuclear winter.

[Lenwen]

If you stopped the boulder fairly high, I think you'd avoid an ELE; it would still suck, but not be an ELE. The energy of the explosion wouldn't be transmitted to the earth, it wouldn't be kicking up a cloud of debris from the ground (or, at least, not as high or as much), and so it would have a lesser chance of a nuclear winter.

100% agreed .


-Lenwen.

[Lenwen]

Does anyone else (aside from myself ) Believe that Archie 3 could easily reach an alliance with Free Quebec and in so doing completly change the powerstructer of the North American Continent ??

[Dog_O_War]

What does the damage; the ammo or the gun?

Before we start a "it's the gun! No, it's the ammo!" I'd state that this one is rhetorical. It's both, dependent on the firearm in question.

BUT the follow-up question is my real question; If Naruni manufactures plasma "cartridges", what's stopping me from just buying ammo and producing a knock-off gun for far cheaper than the 30+grand their products are costing me?

Why does a single round of a railgun often do only 1d4MD, but infact loses damage somewhere when it bursts for 20-30 rounds at 1d4x10MD?
Why would this same phenomina happen with bursting energy weapons, specifically laser pulse? I can see a burst of rail-rounds having some rounds miss (offering the lowered range), but against fixed targets that I cannot miss (ie: the broad side of a barn) why is my damage not increased to match single round damage?

Why does a "burst" from a pulsing laser weapon cut my bonus to strike in half (due to bursting), when it states that lasers and certain other energy weapons have no kick what-so ever, and make no sound?
Why is it impossible to make an aimed shot with this type of weaponry?


Now, as a disclaimer to your answers; I have my own theories and all involve poor writing and bad design mechanics.

Finally, why is there not a communal rules-logic update not on these boards? I know we all have our house-rules and rules fixes (I've posted some of mine in the GM forum), but has no one bothered to create and sticky such an effort?