Eclipse in Rifts

[desrocfc]

The Bazaar #55: Eclipse in Rifts. I thought I’d present a quick testimonial to the celestial event of 08 April 2024, as well as a reminder to sum, a review for others, of how certain in-game rules can be leveraged by GMs or Players. I know I completely forgot about some of them! Some observations leading up to and during the totality of the eclipse, which just happened to travel right above my house; had a great view, right from the front porch.

https://www.scholarlyadventures.com/pos ... an-eclipse

Were you able to experience this event? Have you ever employed these rules in your games?

[slade2501]

This is a great blog, more of a solid news article really. I found it extremely informative with some great rules that reflect the going on.

[desrocfc]

This is a great blog, more of a solid news article really. I found it extremely informative with some great rules that reflect the going on.

Thanks slade2501!

I try to keep things relatively topical, current, and always positive (despite sometimes critical) to inform and help along newer GMs and Players. I'll admit I was a little stunned after calculating how much PPE a LLW could absorb from a Nexus during an eclipse. Suddenly a lot of those Spells of Legend become a lot more manageable......

[taalismn]

Excellent essay and rules. A quality post.

[Grazzik]

Great post.

I'd add that BoM pg 21 has a Q&A re how long the PPE can be held - it's PE in minutes. With a physically buff mage, that could be a substantial amount of time. Imagine what such a PC must go through to contain 2000 PPE for 15-20 minutes - probably like a balloon about to burst.

Still an eclipse is a major event and I'm sure dragons and the like get a tad feisty. It looks like in April, PA 110, the Pacific Ocean should be avoided...

A question I always had was whether supernatural PE should let a mage hold onto PPE even longer. Depending on the game, as a GM, I might be convinced to double the time for creatures of magic or those with supernatural PE, since magic is part of their very nature.

[desrocfc]

Great post.

I'd add that BoM pg 21 has a Q&A re how long the PPE can be held - it's PE in minutes. With a physically buff mage, that could be a substantial amount of time. Imagine what such a PC must go through to contain 2000 PPE for 15-20 minutes - probably like a balloon about to burst.

<snip>

A question I always had was whether supernatural PE should let a mage hold onto PPE even longer. Depending on the game, as a GM, I might be convinced to double the time for creatures of magic or those with supernatural PE, since magic is part of their very nature.

Thanks Grazzik, and great catch on the BoM. I read it, and **completely** fanned on that FAQ response. So, technically, a LLW with a "measly" P.E. of 10, at a nexus during an eclipse, could "soak up" almost 20,000 PPE (woah....). I honestly think mages should have a baseline magical attack spell with a wider range of "insert PPE to upgrade damage profile," and yet can't imagine these levels of PPE in a single body being 'healthy.'

I'd also qualify Supernatural P.E. as having a wider scale of keeping the PPE available. Personally I'd link a multiplication modifier based on the P.E. stat (e.g. Supernatural P.E. of 20 provides +3 Save versus Magic, but would equate to a x3 duration to the holding of extra PPE; Supernatural P.E. of 24 provides a +5 Save versus Magic, ergo a x5 duration).

Now, to update the post on the BoM issue.

[taalismn]

Thanks Grazzik, and great catch on the BoM. I read it, and **completely** fanned on that FAQ response. So, technically, a LLW with a "measly" P.E. of 10, at a nexus during an eclipse, could "soak up" almost 20,000 PPE (woah....). I honestly think mages should have a baseline magical attack spell with a wider range of "insert PPE to upgrade damage profile," and yet can't imagine these levels of PPE in a single body being 'healthy.'

(Imagines a LLW lighting up like a Christmas tree with an oscillating scream of AAIIIIAAAIIIAAAAIIIAAAIIIIAIIIIIAAAIII before turning into a puff of sparkly rainbow-colored smoke)
Nope, I'd think not.

(Though I'll keep a copy of the original flawed post for power-gamer giggles)

Of course, now I'm tempted to do a 'Random PPE Absorption Overload' table.

[Grazzik]

Thanks Grazzik, and great catch on the BoM. I read it, and **completely** fanned on that FAQ response. So, technically, a LLW with a "measly" P.E. of 10, at a nexus during an eclipse, could "soak up" almost 20,000 PPE (woah....). I honestly think mages should have a baseline magical attack spell with a wider range of "insert PPE to upgrade damage profile," and yet can't imagine these levels of PPE in a single body being 'healthy.'

Okay, I had to go back to the maths as I got a bit of a munchkin vibe here...

Let's say an excellently rolled Level 1 LLW with 4 Attacks, PE 20, and PPE of 220 standing on a nexus during a solar eclipse.

During the eclipse, they can draw 40 x 30 PPE every melee (RUE pg 186) - that's 1200 PPE every melee. But it has to be used immediately, just as it is drawn that melee. Why? The LLW can only absorb and hold up to 3x of their normal limit (BoM pg 21) - that's 220 x 3 PPE - that's only 660 PPE extra total. Unless used, 540 PPE goes to waste in the first melee assuming the mage absorbs and holds their max allowable.

So, a mage doesn't become a walking magical battery - they are more like a conduit - they get a substantial (!) amount of PPE for immediate use every melee of the eclipse, but can only hold onto a small percentage of what's available which you'd probably only do so in the last melee. Instead, I see them as just spitting spells as fast as they can to use up the available PPE as it becomes available to them. But this only lasts as long as the eclipse (max 8 minutes) before they have to dip into the extra 660 PPE they absorbed in the last melee (which they can hold for up to 20 mins).

RUE pg 189 says a Spell of Legend takes three attacks, so at best if you were power gaming, I'd say the above LLW could absorb 660 PPE, combine it with their own PPE, cast a few spells totaling 540 PPE, and the next melee draw another 1200 PPE for a total of 2080 PPE (220 + 660 + 1200 PPE). This would have to be used then and there to cast a SoL and maybe another low level spell if there is any PPE left over. Rinse, repeat. Up to 16 SoL per 8 min eclipse - though note that the LLW's personal PPE would not be available for any subsequent SoL, so the limit after the first one would be 1860 PPE.

So, no walking PPE battery of 20000 PPE! Nice try though...

[taalismn]

Now imagine standing on a dimensional pyramid during an eclipse...
Or does that take us back into frying-mages territory?

[desrocfc]

Okay, I had to go back to the maths as I got a bit of a munchkin vibe here...

You and me both!

And I'm embarrassed to say that even with you citing the reference, it took me minutes to find the 3x limitation. Phew! That makes more sense.

Also supports the case why PB should be re-releasing a compiled and edited rules set to compensate for this hodgepodge of rules and clarifications across games and books within the games themselves. <shrug>

So, no walking PPE battery of 20000 PPE! Nice try though...

I would NEVER try to pull this one in a game, LMAO. Though from the two gaffs, it should be rather obvious, I'm not big on playing mages. I'm going to have to review the BoM in more detail again, soon.

Cheers!

[taalismn]

Magic Overload Effects Tables
“For a moment there I could...smell purple in C Minor.”
Sometimes a magic-user lucks into a motherlode of mystic power. Sometimes a LOT of power. Sometimes TOO MUCH power. But ever receptive to the energy of the megaverse, the magic user throws themselves wide open to the intoxicating power flowing into them...and winds up taking in too much all at once.
A mage facing an overload situation rolls a save versus magic. On a save, they roll on the Non-Lethal table below. On a failure, they roll on the Lethal Table.

Note: The threshold for magic overload may be determined by the GM, but should not be for PPE quantities less than 10 x over the mage’s normal ‘safe’ limit.

Non-Lethal
01-30% Lightweight----Passes right out. Wakes up 1d4x10 hours later with no memory of what happened. 30% chance of coming out of it with blue burn-like scars on their extremities.
31-40% Upside Down and Inside Out---The mage is temporarily turned inside out while still alive, a condition that is magically sustained for one melee(15 seconds). Anybody witnessing this rolls versus Horror Factor 17. The effect then ends and the mage reverts to normal, but is discombobulated for 2d4 melees(HALF Speed and all bonuses and skill proficiencies) and rolls versus Insanity. On a fail, roll for a random insanity.
41-50% Sexed Out---The mage shows every sign of being sexually overstimulated, a condition that will not go down for 2d10 hours. During this time the mage has an afterglow grin that cannot be wiped off their faces, walks funny(HALF speed), and is extremely distracted(HALF all bonuses and skill proficiencies).
51-60% Out of Adjustment----- The mage’s powers are out of whack for 1d4x10 hours; spells will cost TWICE as much PPE, casting a spell will take 2 APMs each as the mage struggles to control their abilities, projectile/ranged spells will be -1d4 to strike, and the mage is -1 on initiative because they can feel magic pressure waxing and waning on them.
61-70%Wired---The mage cannot sleep for 2d4 days, during which they act as if they have a caffeine IV on top of a meth habit. They will be hyperactive(+1d4 to Dodge), twitchy(-1d4 on initiative and is startled by just about EVERYTHING), and unable to rest(and thus replenish their PPE reserves). Then they will crash, falling asleep for a straight 48 hours.
71-80% Stoned---The mage turns to stone(SDC+HP=MDC).. The Stone to Flesh spell will reverse the petrification.
81-90% Mage Fever---The mage immediately falls ill with PPE poisoning. They will be bedridden(1 APM, Speed, all physical attributes except IQ and ME reduced to 1, -50% to skill proficiencies), feverish, and delusional, coughing and farting glowing blue vapor for 2d4 days while their body attempts to shed excess PPE(cannot absorb/regenerate PPE during this period). On the plus side, they become megadamage beings(SDC+HP=MDC, or increase MDC by 50% if already a megdamage being) while feeling under the weather.
91-00% Ascension---The mage glows, grows to a giant size radiating RAW POWER(Awe Factor of 14), and declares, in effect, that they are above mere earthy concerns. They then disappear...only to reappear 1d4 melees later, unconscious. When they regain consciousness, they will have no memory of assuming godhood, but DO remembers meeting a large blue glowing bald person with no nose, who immediately punched them in the face.

Lethal
01-10% Blue Beam Spam---The mage explodes in a burst of beams of blue energy. Bystanders in a 50 ft radius must roll to dodge or take 1d6x10 MD in damage as the beams blast out into eternity.
11-20% De-evolution---The mage seems to dissolve into a small puddle of water, filled with a scum of primitive single-celled organisms.
21-30% Explodes--The mage goes up in a sudden burst of blue fire that does 3d6x10 MD to a blast radius equal to the mages’s P.S. in ft.
31-40% Wiped Clean---The mage’s brain is wiped clean(ot even Resurrection can revive them), leaving the body a mindless shell that will last for the mage’s P.E. in days before expiring. Note that there is a danger of the husk being possessed by supernatural entities.
41-50% Meltdown--The mage starts burning with a blue flame that cannot be extinguished, eventually melting down into a small puddle of liquid and a puff of technicolor smoke
51-60% Storm---The mage becomes the center of their very own ley line storm, Everything magical within a radius equal in ft to the mage’s P.E. gets struck by magic lightning(4d6 MD) 1d6 times per melee, for 2d4 melees, while the mage is torn apart by supernatural winds, acid rain, and nonstop lightning blasts.
61-70% Story of Their Life----The mage is transformed into an enormous scroll. Anybody picking it up and reading it will be treated to a VERY detailed fine-print biography of the mage starting from conception. Unfortunately, the scroll is extremely fragile and quickly rips and tears into a fine dust within 4d6 minutes, and there is, short of unraveling the whole scroll and very quickly reading/scanning it, no way of skipping to any good/relevant parts. Generally there’s about 10 ft pf scroll to each year of the mage’s life, and that’s with near-microfilm sizing of the text(which is written in magic dragonese).
71-80% Stoned---The mage is turned into crystal. Stone to Flesh will not reverse the petrification. However, the mage has now been converted to 1d4x100 carats of pure blue diamond, if the other PCs can bring themselves to chip their ex-companion apart.
81-90% Ascension---The mage glows, grows to a giant size radiating RAW POWER(Awe Factor of 14), and declares, in effect, that they are above mere earthy concerns. They then disappear, never to be seen again.
91-00% Bad Ascension----The mage glows, grows to a giant size radiating RAW POWER(Awe Factor of 14), and declares, in effect, that they are a new god come to Earth. This will be attendant with a flipflop of alignment to its opposite and a boost in power(magic level jumps 10 levels and is range/damage/duration x10), all physical attributes DOUBLE and appropriate attributes become Supernatural, and the mage becomes a super-durable megadamage being(SDC+HP=MDC x100).. The new ‘god’s’ reign on earth will last only 1d6 melees before they suddenly writhe in agony and disintegrate.