likwitmc wrote:Hey All,
I've recently started running a RIFTS campaign. I'm planning on having an actual play thread in case anyone is interested in following the story. In the few sessions we've run, I'm come across a few rules that I've had questions about and was hoping I could get some advice from the pros!
In no particular order:
1. Paired Weapons: The way I'm interpreting it is that it lets you parry twice a round instead of once. Is that basically the main advantage of it?
No.
Anybody with HTH skills can parry as many times as they want per round (although they can't parry more than 3 attackers, iirc).
The main advantage of Paired Weapons is that...
-You can choose to parry an incoming attack,
and still make a simultaneous attack with your other weapon.
Which means that if you've got good bonuses, and you're fighting an opponent with only one weapon, the melee round ends up with the opponent getting stabbed/clubbed every time he tries to attack you,
and he doesn't even get to hit with his attack.
(Keep in mind that when you make a simultaneous attack, that uses your next attack)
-If you don't have to worry about parrying for some reason (like, you're a Juicer with auto-dodge, or you're invulnerable, or you just don't mind getting hit), then you can attack with both weapons at once on the same target, with one attack, and effectively inflict double damage.
-IF two opponents have the same initiative (or otherwise happen to attack you at the exact same time), you can parry both opponents
at the same time.
You can't do that with just one weapon, although generally one weapon can attempt to parry any number of attacks that don't happen at the exact same time.
-You can strike two different targets at once.
Although you lose your automatic parry when you do this, it's handy when taking down large numbers of weaker foes.
-You can parry a dual-attack by an opponent with Paired Weapons. (Otherwise, you'd end up in the first situation that I describe above)
2. Staking a Vampire: The rules are really all over the place. It says it's -4 to hit the heart, but it's an aimed action, giving you +2. So is it -2 to hit the heart and it takes two attacks?
Second part: Once you hit them, the vamp spends the rest of the turn pulling our the stake? Or are they incapacitated?
I dunno. I haven't looked over the new book. Just go with consensus on this one.
Although it'd be weird if a vampire could move when he was properly staked.
3. Is there any magical or psionic remedy to Bio-Manipulation? This power seems really strong. I've been running it that our Mind Melter can use diagnosis and then psychic surgery to negate the effects, otherwise, one of my players just sits there for the entire combat.
No.
4. Shooting. Between gray book and RUE, it seems like you have to get an 8, but you basically only get +1 for the WP at level one. Aside from aiming and situational modifiers, is there any other way to increase your chance to hit?
Some weapons get +1 to strike without having to Aim.
Some targeting systems might work the same way.
Other than that, you generally have to Aim in order to get good bonuses these days, or to be high level.
5. Is it ok to give out "loot"? As in, I'm trying to make missions appealing with dropping some magic items, etc. into the mix. Anyone have any experience with this going awry? I've been playing with my group for over 20 years, so we're all past the mid-max days and focus on story, but we do like tough challenges.
Thanks for the help!
Yes, it's perfectly fine to give out loot. That's kind of standard in RPGs.
In Rifts, how much you give out should depend on what kind of adventure/campaign you're trying to run. Keep in mind that the main balancing factor in the setting is money.
IMO, Rifts is at its best when you have to worry about the costs of repairs and ammunition, because that's when you have to think more instead of just hacking and slashing.
Unlike D&D and other games, with Rifts, your armor is (unless you're a MDC being) your life, and armor is expensive to repair.
If you have 80 MDC, and you get into a fight where you lose 10 MDC before killing the enemy, it will
seem like an easy battle because you're used to games where you get nearly killed every battle, then drink a potion or something afterward to get back up to full.
In Rifts, attrition can often be the main threat. You might only lose 1/8 of your MDC, but that means that if you can't find somebody to repair your armor, and you can't find a way to pay for those repairs, then
you're going to die 7 fights from now at this rate.
Of course, that depends on what you're going for. Personally, I like a kind of
Firefly feel to Rifts. I like it to feel like as long as you're still standing, and you're not actually behind where you started, then it's a pretty decent day.
Other people seem to like more of a Dragonball feel to things, in which they don't want to spend much time worrying about stuff like repairs or financing.