for consideration my house rules character creation

[Rahmota]

Okay here is what I have managed to type up for my house rules. Some of it will be recognizeable as coming from the Quality in Rifts page and some of it from other places that I forget.
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Palladium House Rules.

Roll 3d6 for each attribute: IQ, ME, MA, PS, PP, PE, PB, and Spd. Do NOT roll another dice if the roll is 16,17,or 18. the maximum attribute for an untrained or un-augmented human is 18. The maximum with physical training alone is 25 unless otherwise stated. The absolute maximum for any attribute is 100. There are no separate tables for augmented, robotic or supernatural strengths. All attributes continue to climb based on the appropriate pattern for that attribute.
This rule is for human and near human beings. Non-human characters follow the appropriate rules for their races but still use the following table to determine their attribute modifiers.
A characters maximum un-augmented speed is their PP + their PE. This is including physical training.

There is supposed to be a chart showing modifiers for high and low stats but I am not quite sure how to get it to transfer over.

Different Types of Strength
Mundane strength
This is the normal strength for un-augmented beings. The maximum for un-augmented beings is 30. Character with strengths of 20 or less may carry 10 times their strength score in pounds and lift twice that amount. Characters with 21 or higher strengths may carry 20 times their PS in pounds and still lift twice as much.

Extraordinary Strength
This is Strength that is enhanced due to chemical or mutant means. The maximum for this is 40.
Robotic Strength
Robotic Strength must be bought for each individual robot. The maximum for this is 20 for small robots, 40 for medium sized humanoid robots, 60 for large sized robots, and 80 for giant sized robots. The carrying capacity for both robotic and extraordinary strength is 100 times the PS score and can lift twice as much as usual.

Supernatural Strength
Creatures with supernatural strength roll for their strength as normal. They then add 30+2d6 points to this score. The minimum strength is 35 while the maximum is 60. Physical training does not add any benefits to supernatural strength. The being can carry 300 times his PS in pounds and lift 500 times. They also fatigue at only 1/10th the rate of mundane humans.

Skills:
Tasks are broken down into three basic categories. Easy, Average and Difficult. If the task is easy the character has a base chance of twice their skill level before any other modifiers, Average tasks are rolled against the base skill level and Difficult tasks are rolled against ½ the skill level. This means that for an easy task the skill percentage could be well over 100%.
Modifiers for tasks will reduce the percentage chance for success. The following modifiers are all cumulative.
Alien or Super advanced technology: -40% This assumes that the technology shares at least some basic elements with that the character is familiar.
Magical Devices: -60% Again this is if the magical device shares some basic elements.
Low Pressure situation: -10% Minor penalties for failure.
High Pressure situation: -15% Major penalties for failure.
Deadly Pressure situation: -30% In a true life and death situation.
Countermeasures, Traps or Alarms are in place: -15% If the character knows they are there.
Complex task: -15%
Rushed Task: -20%
Trying to perform task while moving: -30%
Frightened or Jumpy: -10%
Minorly wounded: SDC depleted but still above ½ hit points. -5%
Seriously wounded: -15% If hit points are below half.
If the character succeeds at the task and their roll is below 10% there is an additional unintended benefit. If the character fails a skill roll by 90 points or more then there is a critical failure with unintended negative consequences as well as the normal skill failure.


Combat
Damage Consists of 4 different levels of destructive power. Structural Damage Capacity which is the ability of normal common items and lifeforms to withstand damage or injury. Enhanced Damage Capacity which is a slightly stronger material. For every 20 SDC there is 1 EDC point. Mega damage Capacity which is considerably stronger materials, mostly military grade. There are 100 SDC, 5 EDC in each point of Mega Damage. Giga Damage is an extremely rare and thus far the most powerful materials. There are 1,000 points of Mega Damage in each Giga Damage point.

Weapons now have different range modifiers.

Range Category
% of Maximum Range
Base Chance to Hit
Point Blank
Within 10 feet
Nominal
Short
10%
-1
Medium
25%
-2
Long
50%
-3
Extreme
100%
-4

So for a rifle with a maximum range of 2000' Point blank is 0-10 feet away. Short range is 11-200 feet, Medium range is 21-500 feet, Long range is 501- 1,000 feet, and Extreme range is 1,001 to 2,000 feet. A target that is beyond maximum range for a weapon cannot be hit by that weapon no matter how many bonuses the character has.

Armor, including power armor and robots as well as vehicles all now have damage reduction of 10% of their total Damage Capacity. This is the same whether the armor is SDC, EDC, MDC, or GDC. An armor with a Damage Capacity of 100 would have a DR of 10 points. This means that the first 10 points of damage from the same level of damage would be ignored per shot. Armor is immune to damage from a level lower and does not get reduction against a higher level.

Example: EDC armor with 100 EDC has DR 10 against other EDC weapons. Ignores SDC weapons. And does not receive Damage Reduction against Mega and Giga Damage weapons.

Further there is Damage spillage for Body Armors. 10% of any damage that makes it through the damage reduction is taken as SDC by the person wearing the armor from kinetic attacks. Energy blasts are absorbed unless they have some kinetic component.

Some weapons are declared to be armor piercing in their function. Not all weapons are. Generally special purpose military weapons receive this designation. Armor Piercing weapons ignore damage reduction.



For Cybernetics:

_N_egligible
Required: Walk-in clinic, standard legal clinic
Surgical Time: 1 hour
Surgical Damage: 1 S.D.C.
Surgical Costs: Included in augment price
Surgical Difficulty: Simple (20%)
_M_inor
Required: Medical center, standard illegal clinic
Surgical Time: 2 hours
Surgical Damage: 1D6+1 S.D.C.
Surgical Costs: 1,000 Credits
Surgical Difficulty: Easy (40%)
_MA_jor
Required: Hospital, large illegal clinic
Surgical Time: 4 hours
Surgical Damage: 2D6+2 S.D.C.
Surgical Costs: 5,000 Credits
Surgical Difficulty: Medium (60%)
_CR_itical
Required: Full Hospital, major illegal clinic
Surgical Time: 6 hours
Surgical Damage: 3D6+3 S.D.C.
Surgical Costs: 10,000 Credits (no one said life was cheap)
Surgical Difficulty: Hard (80%)
_S_pecial
Required: Psychic or Magical surgery
Surgical Time, Damage, Costs, and Difficulties all vary by the nature of the case.
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Required refers to the minimum facility needed for the surgical process.
Time refers to the minimum amount of time needed for the surgery; this can rise with failed medical rolls at a rate of 1 minute per percent beneath the target number that was rolled. Other complications may arise.
Damage refers to the minimum damage that is taken for the surgery. It may not seem like much, but check out Palladium's healing rates for SDC. Longer surgery causes more damage at the rate of 1D6 S.D.C. per hour.
Cost refers to the flat rate for the surgery, reflecting medical expenditures and the lack of subsidized health care. They may seem steep, but most organizations (armies, guilds, etc.) will pay some or all if the accident was work related.
Difficulty refers to the MINIMUM skill needed by a doctor to perform the surgery in question. As you advance up the ladder, it becomes increasingly hard outside of the military to find knowledgeable individuals, so the GM should feel free to levy a surcharge on the characters for trying to find Ph.D's -- and don't forget that the authorities are usually watching for such activities...
Any non supernatural race is SDC. It does not matter where they come from if they started SDC they remain SDC. Forever and always.

Any and all conversions from other games, other settings and other materials must be approved before being allowed into play and may be revoked at any time by the GM at his discretion.

There are O.C.C. Restrictions in each setting. Characters must be approved by the GM before they may be played.

[everloss]

i like the armor rules; specifically the different levels of damage (SDC, EDC, MDC, and GDC) and the damage ratings.

i also like the special rule for Armor Piercing weapons and how they ignore the damage soak.

a lot of the other stuff I've either seen before or came up with something similar on my own


i have some questions though:

would you still include Armor Ratings for SDC?

If so, would you give all levels of armor an armor rating? as in, a character is wearing armor, see if it hits the armor or not. if it does, then do the damage as you described. if it doesn't, then the character takes a hit.

are creatures (living things) able to be made of MDC or GDC? one of my biggest problems with the MDC system is the fact that a living thing can be absolutely impervious to damage. a piece of military grade armor is easy to imagine, but a bullet-proof animal?


one observation:

i didn't realize that GM discretion was a house rule. i never thought about it before. i've always ran my games with a list of OCCs and RCCs that the players could choose from, based on how i wanted the game to be. i just assumed everyone did that until i saw some palladium-hate on a different forum about game balance.

[Rahmota]

Okay first off I realized jsut now that I had posted this a while back and forgot about it. (Early Alzenheimers I guess) So moderators can dow hat they will with the earlier one I guess. Sorry about that.

Now to answer your questions everloss:
1: Yes SDC Armors all retain their AR values. Basically very little changes about them. DR is for if the armor is not penetrated outright or otherwise missed. Sort of like a protective armor vest. The main chest is protected from penetration but the force of the bullet still can break ribs and such. While the arms and legs are totally unprotected and can be shot off or grazed or whatever. So it sort of ups the reality while still letting the GM flavor things according to how much damage.

Tony you got hit for 3 sdc which means the bullet just barely grazed you. Frank you took 30 sdc which blows your frakkin arm off!!!!

2: Living beings may not be GDC in my universe except for maybe somethign special like Galactus or equivalent types of creatures. MDC beings are around but they have a special reason for existing such as ultra-high magic environments are servants of deities or otherwise some sort of uber reason and they can still take damage like armor as the DR rules still apply to them. Most beings available for player character to actually play are not MDC. I do not like players playing MDC beings.

To me the GM is always the final word on what goes on in his world. I have taken and thrown player's characters in the stove before because thye pissed me off and refused to stop trying to play that character. I have thrown a person out of the house before because they tried to argue with me about some rule in the book that I didn't like but they wanted to use. I am the one who determiens what the flavor of that world is and what the rules are. If you say in your world that all power armor makes whirring chunking noises negating all prowl bonuses then well I guess my guy with 98% prowl is not gonna be using power armor. I am not gonna argue about it. Game balance is what it takes to make the game fun, interesting and worth playign. IF this means that everyone can pack a pistol that can bring down the galactica with one shot then fine. Or if it means that the biggest weapon availabel to the characters is a bb gun then fine.

Sorry if that last seemed like a rant but I get a bit peeved with peopel who are absolute slaves to the book and cannot seem to use their own mind and imagination to make the world their own unique impression.

[everloss]

To me the GM is always the final word on what goes on in his world. I have taken and thrown player's characters in the stove before because thye pissed me off and refused to stop trying to play that character. I have thrown a person out of the house before because they tried to argue with me about some rule in the book that I didn't like but they wanted to use. I am the one who determiens what the flavor of that world is and what the rules are. If you say in your world that all power armor makes whirring chunking noises negating all prowl bonuses then well I guess my guy with 98% prowl is not gonna be using power armor. I am not gonna argue about it. Game balance is what it takes to make the game fun, interesting and worth playign. IF this means that everyone can pack a pistol that can bring down the galactica with one shot then fine. Or if it means that the biggest weapon availabel to the characters is a bb gun then fine.

absolutely.

i GM'd a Rifts game where a player was playing a mind melter. he decided, in the middle of a battle against a pair of giants (gigantes maybe), that his character sucked and couldn't fight so he hid in a car.
So, because he was whining, left his friends to die, and didn't even try to play in character (he was mad because he only had an energy pistol, completely ignoring his psychic powers) i had one of the giants step on the car and crush him. Don't **** off the GM.