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So most of my Rifts adventures feature post apocalyptic settings with regular and mech combat. I haven't used much magic except for in the sidelines..

Can you all give me examples of magic use, magical NPCs, etc?

Strategies? How it works in game play? Any info would be great. Nothing would be too basic.

Thanks a head of time!


D

I have often heard magic described as "the poor man's technology". This is a reference to the fact that basically anyone with the right focus and dedication to the arts can perform it.This is, of course a horribly broad and relatively inaccurate description of the arts of magic, but it does serve the general purpose for description. After all, take an average CS soldier in full environmental body armor armed with a rifle, a side arm and a couple of grenades and compare him to a mage using Armor of Ithan, Fireball, Call Lightning, and a couple of area effect spells such as Cloud of Slumber or Wisps of Confusion and, from a relative standpoint, you've got a fairly even match, at least in terms of overall protection and firepower. This is not to say they'd fight each other to a standstill (as I am CERTAIN most here would agree) but just a broad generalization in terms of what both magic and technology could provide. Add in other factors such as cybernetic augmentation, bigger guns, better armor or even power armor and robots and technology certainly seems to gain a distinct advantage. This is compensated for with more powerful spells such as River of Lava, Fleet Feet and Invulnerability, and powerful mystic artifacts like Cloaks of Invisibility, various TW devices and weapons and the legendary Rune Weapons.
Overall, the applications of magic in a setting like Rifts are just as widespread and universal as the applications of technology. Are you hurt and in need of a medic? Find a mage with a Heal Wounds spell. Need to get somewhere far away in a hurry? That Line Walker might be able to use Teleport on you. Big bad monster charging at you with blood in its eye? Armor of Ithan for protection and start pounding it with Fireballs and Call Lightning. Maybe even use Fleet Feet to enhance your own fighting abilities if it gets up close and personal.
Simply put, go over the lists of spell descriptions in whatever books you have and you'll probably start to get a good idea of just how much magic can augment and enhance the capabilities of a mage or the abilities of a mage's allies. From there, it's a simple matter of making the mage character and giving it a test run. Don't get discouraged or disapponted if it doesn't work out right the first time. As with all things, playing a mage can take practice and may cost you a few hours of time in creating characters again and again until you're comfortable with what you can and can't do with a Magic OCC. But in time, it can really prove to be worth it.
Good Luck!