China Book 2, was it really worth it?

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

the only thing that really bugs me about china 2 is the lack of world information. There were big gaps in the first book that i was expecting to be covered, but they never were. Like Free Yunan. Free Yunan covers a large portion of Rifts China, and yet I can't find any info on what's there. As well as the Forbidden City. I know it's probably just rubble, but come on, with a name like "FORBIDDEN CITY", you just KNOW something is there. plus it's on the map. And what's with Korea? The Hermit Kingdom? Care to elaborate? And where are the stats on the Toaist Immortals? How about just one, as an example?
thats really my only beef. i wanted more world info. The rest of it I love. I can't wait to start incorporating this into our game.

[The Galactus Kid]

I can't wait until you incorporate it into our game. But in the end, it doesn't really matter, because I'm going to go over there with my Hundred Handed cosmo-knight and destroy every one.

[Shades of Eternity]

A few things

1. I think they're assuming base damage on the punches and kicks, unless listed otherwise. I think it was an attempt to make it streamlined.

2. They finally have classes, other then practitioners of magic, that are dynamic as they progress in levels. Not too shabby.

3. The geofront feels a tad rushed. It's a neat idea, but I was kinda liking the idea that china was pretty much demon infested and had a "rommance of the three kingdoms" feel. It kinda doens't fit.

4. A better way to do the lightning warrior would have been to have them volunteering for genetic alterations (that was hinted at in the dog boys reference in the rifts rpg), and have them messed up because of it. If they had to do crazy's, they should have taken a page out of rifts japan, and give them a meditation to helop control their actions.

4. I kinda like the "recharge magical item per year" concept, but it definately makes it difficult to travel outside of China because of it. There should be a way of doing so while your away, much like tw equipment.

5. Initially, I was kinda disappointed for the lack of chinese practitioners of magic, till I realized that we could either use the standard classes, or use mystic chinaa and rifter #3 for the authentic ones. Still a few new spells would have been kewl.

6. Am I the only one that stat wise, the black tiger is almost identical to the ultimax (save a few minor tweaks), with a new picture to represent it?

7. A map of major dragon lines would be nice.

8. I haven't checked yet, but is there any similarity in stats of the Spirit host and spirit west totem warriors?

9. The Green Scarf is totally fictitious, but kinda fun, and it's kinda neat how they made a normally evil organization one of the good guys...sorta

[Hystrix]

I don't have China 2 so I can't vouch for most of this argument. However...

If Chi is I.S.P. Then why do Ley Lines even matter as they are purely P.P.E. based and have NO AFFECT on I.S.P.

Actually Ley Lines affect ISP as well. Psionic powers have increased range and effect. also Psychics regenerate ISP faster at ley lines...

[Preacher]

I like it.
Go read Therumancers review and then pretty much think of me as being his polar oppisite and you have my feelings on the book minus the 15 page review/aimless ramblings.

[Shades of Eternity]

Can't wait until I fight an NPC demon slayer who is half dog-demon and half human.....

I'm pretty sure that if I don't run into that sword wielding kid, somebody in my group of fellow gamers will make him up.

Yeah, all you anime buffs know who I'm talking about, and after reading this book (DESPITE MISSING PIECES, WHICH MAKE A PUZZLE MORE FUN!! ) I totally know it can work out, as long as he has a chick in a school girl uniform following him around!

fudge that
I'd rather have my orange hairball with six inch teeths, a natural electrical charge, and keeps trying to eat a rather aggressive kid, whose hair grows long spontaneously, with a really big spear

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

i hate anime. i wish there wasn't so much of it in Rifts China.

[Tinker Dragoon]

I might be remembering incorrectly but doesn't it state that machine guns, large caliber weapons, and/or weapons that cannot be held in one hand cannot be used with the SDC>MDC power. Plus doesn't the gunmaster have to expend like 4-6 I.S.P. every round for the power to work. While that doesn't seem like a lot (if I'm correct), couple that with using other cool powers at the same time and I don't think they could go very long.

Gunmasters (and anybody else for that matter) cannot use heavy weapons with W.P. Sharpshooting, but rifles and light grenade launchers are still allowed. Their other powers (including Mega Damage conversion)are not similarly limited. Scary...

[Shades of Eternity]

A few things

Bear in mind, sir, I am not attacking you personally, so if ANY of this sounds insulting, I sincerely apologize in advance. It is not my intention. I was just REALLY looking forward to this book.

1. I think they're assuming base damage on the punches and kicks, unless listed otherwise. I think it was an attempt to make it streamlined.

So 1d4 per punch and maybe 2d4 or 1d8 per kick (Due to Acrobatics or the Gymanstics skill)? And only having ONE striking style each? So... What you're saying is that Kung Fu specialists are going to be out damaged by Japanese fighters? As a former practitioner of the martial arts, this strikes me as inefficient and martial arts are not.

Just a comment on what was said in a previous magazine. Nothing more

2. They finally have classes, other then practitioners of magic, that are dynamic as they progress in levels. Not too shabby.

They are stripped out of Mystic China and altered. That's it. No originality, and the ones that are 'new' you can tell they were added as a backhanded attempted. Not as detailed as the others.

Well, not a surprise considering the same man wrote the book

3. The geofront feels a tad rushed. It's a neat idea, but I was kinda liking the idea that china was pretty much demon infested and had a "rommance of the three kingdoms" feel. It kinda doens't fit.

For that, they removed the Enlightened Immortals and the Chiang-Ku... FEEL MY PAIN!!!

Meh, Chiang-ku are overrated and over done. England and Africa say my opinion better then words.

Although the book needed a more riftish feel.

4. A better way to do the lightning warrior would have been to have them volunteering for genetic alterations (that was hinted at in the dog boys reference in the rifts rpg), and have them messed up because of it. If they had to do crazy's, they should have taken a page out of rifts japan, and give them a meditation to helop control their actions.

Or make them into Juicers, (Which I don't like either, but that different rant.) or simply make them genetically engineered super soldier as per your idea and leave it at that.
[/quote]

Also, a touch more of sinister feel like was mentioned in the first paragraph would be good.

4. I kinda like the "recharge magical item per year" concept, but it definately makes it difficult to travel outside of China because of it. There should be a way of doing so while your away, much like tw equipment.

I will grant that it is original, and unique, but when you can get items that last forever, the Green Scarves are already out of business and don't exist.

Can you get items that last forever? China is isolated, and the Demons are more likely to confisgate your toys if they are permanent.

5. Initially, I was kinda disappointed for the lack of chinese practitioners of magic, till I realized that we could either use the standard classes, or use mystic chinaa and rifter #3 for the authentic ones. Still a few new spells would have been kewl.

I WANT MY CHIANG-KU!!! I don't need the Tattooes that were supposedly promised, just them... *SOB*

Again, I repeat Chiang-ku are overrated :P

6. Am I the only one that stat wise, the black tiger is almost identical to the ultimax (save a few minor tweaks), with a new picture to represent it?

Just you, man. Kidding, but yeah, now that I look at it...

I rest my case

7. A map of major dragon lines would be nice.

The way it's implied, you'd have a map of China with lines through EVERYTHING. Which simply begs the question now that I am thinking about it... If Chi is I.S.P. Then why do Ley Lines even matter as they are purely P.P.E. based and have NO AFFECT on I.S.P.

I'll have to check on that one.

8. I haven't checked yet, but is there any similarity in stats of the Spirit host and spirit west totem warriors?

No. None what's so ever. Spirit Warriors do not get half of the funkiness that the Spirit Hosts do.

Good to know

9. The Green Scarf is totally fictitious, but kinda fun, and it's kinda neat how they made a normally evil organization one of the good guys...sorta

But when you have GOOD alchemists, how don't make items that fade, where is the market for theirs? Don't you think there would a counter organization that'd do that because if you can't find a GS regeneration station, and you are fighting a Demon... There goes the Hero. And I don't know about you but I am assuming that the Celestial Court don't want their heroes using badly designed equipment that could fail at anytime past a year. But that's just me.

In the end this book needs [/quote]

bah, good organizations succeeding in rifts rarely occurs. Hell, people grumble about lazlo which is about as close as a white knight there is in the rifts environment.

Evil will triumph cause good is dumb.

[Sureshot]

Well then I totally agree that Gunmaster is out of whack. On to a completely different complaint, if the book was going for an anime feel, why is there no Wushu? I wanna be flipping my little Geofront heart out.

Because, and this is my best guess, Kevin is trying to be 'realistic', see the -10 dodge rule. DESPITE having a world where magic is 'real'.

Could someone PLEASE get him off the crack he's been inhaling since 1984?

You may want to be careful how you post. Writing stuff like that can get you banned. I understand yourt frustration just tone it down a little.

Back to topic. I have to say China 2 was a big disappointment for me. A book called Heroes of the Celestial Court with hardly a mention of the Celestial court. Big suprise.I suppose we will have to wait for Rifts China 3 "The missing parts" to come out in about 5-6 years from now.

[Svartalf]

Well... so they removed

a) the Enlightened Immortals

b) the Chinese Chiang Ku and the promised new tattoos

c) the Celestial Court...

and they left out the authentic Chinese mage types, letting the player use the classics or do some half baked adaptation stuff from N&SS : Mystic China... if they have it in the first place.

All that cries out of a Rifts China 3 ... I think I remember reading somewher that it was planned from the start anyway... but does anybody know whether it is in any state of advancement that we can expect it before Xmas 2006 if ever?

With E W going back to China, I must admit that my hopes are very low

[Syndicate]

Well... so they removed

a) the Enlightened Immortals

b) the Chinese Chiang Ku and the promised new tattoos

c) the Celestial Court...

and they left out the authentic Chinese mage types, letting the player use the classics or do some half baked adaptation stuff from N&SS : Mystic China... if they have it in the first place.

All that cries out of a Rifts China 3 ... I think I remember reading somewher that it was planned from the start anyway... but does anybody know whether it is in any state of advancement that we can expect it before Xmas 2006 if ever?

With E W going back to China, I must admit that my hopes are very low

a) Enlightened Immortals-Rifter #3 pg. 55

b) promise of new tattoos...sorry...

c) Celestial Court-World Book 25: China 2 Celestial Court pg 8. Need more info...wait for upcoming title Rifts: Gods (or something like that... )

[AlexM]

Poster Nagisawa Takumi asked "...what damage do your strikes do? What strikes CAN you do?"

Most puzzling questions. The O.C.C.s indicate which Hand to Hand: Martial Arts Skills are available, and they are described (damage, etc.) elsewhere.

Alex Marciniszyn,
Editor