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I am looking for skills or a way to boost IQ. I saw there's an article in Rifter #19 but cant find a way to read it without signing up on a sketchy website. Can anyone help me out here?

Tou could buy a digital copy of it through DriveThru RPG, unless that is the website you were talking about.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php ... from=&pto=

Welcome to the forum!

I put together a hopefully comprehensive list of ways to increase that attribute. Some of the wording could stand a bit of polish, so if you have any questions please feel free to ask!

DirkGently42 wrote:I am looking for skills or a way to boost IQ. I saw there's an article in Rifter #19 but cant find a way to read it without signing up on a sketchy website. Can anyone help me out here?

While Physical orientated attributes (PS, PP, PE, Spd) are easy to beefup, the mental attributes (IQ, ME) are alot harder to beef up.

Methods to raise the IQ attribute:
-1. Genetic Modification. This can be done via tech (Gene Splicers, maybe a few other genetics's facilities) or by magic (Bio-Wizardry available only from the Splugorth in Atlantis)
-2. IF you are a Robot RCC (SB1) IIRC you can purchase additional IQ points. This would be a house rule, but if you can use Bionic Implant for the Robot RCC you could in theory allow 'bot options as an implant. Technically there is a Skills implant (SB3 Mindwerks), which sort of mimics the 'Bots purchasing a new skill program that gives some precedent (as SB1 came out before SB3), but you would have to talk to the GM.
-3. Select an OCC that gives an IQ bonus (they do exist)
-4. Depending on your OCC, and books available (CB1r has the rules for this) you might be able to gain super powers, and IINM there is a super power that can boost the IQ score. In the TMNT: Transdimensional Turtles (pg18) line there is a human mutant power known as "Extraordinary Intelligence (IQ)", aside from this one example the rest of the powers on this list appear as regular Super Powers (Heroes Unlimited, though this particular one is NOT in the main book and I'm not sure if it was repeated elsewhere)

As far as Rifter19 goes, can't help you there.

DirkGently42 wrote:I am looking for skills or a way to boost IQ. I saw there's an article in Rifter #19 but cant find a way to read it without signing up on a sketchy website. Can anyone help me out here?

Are you looking to improve an existing character, or to make a new character who’s super intelligent?
Because mutant hominids from Transdimensional TMNT are THE kings of boosted IQ, if you pump bio-e into it.

Let me ask the question this way. Does anyone know an OCC skill that raises IQ, I see a few that do PE and ME but nothig that raises IQ and I'm trying to boost mine one point.

DirkGently42 wrote:Let me ask the question this way. Does anyone know an OCC skill that raises IQ, I see a few that do PE and ME but nothig that raises IQ and I'm trying to boost mine one point.

Outside of the Rifter 19 article I don't think there are any.

EDIT: You might be able to find a HtH form from Ninjas & Superspies that raises one of the mental attributes, but AFAIK there aren't any official skills.

DirkGently42 wrote:Let me ask the question this way. Does anyone know an OCC skill that raises IQ, I see a few that do PE and ME but nothig that raises IQ and I'm trying to boost mine one point.

No, there is no skill in Rifts that can raise the IQ attribute that I have seen (incomplete Rifts library) nor anywhere in the Megaverse (titles I checked RT 1E, RT 2E, N&SS, TMNT, HU2E, PF2E).

There are ways to raise the IQ attribute as I mentioned previously, but none of them are skills orientated.

Why do you need to raise the IQ attribute 1 point?

From my list linked above, arguably the simplest way to gain one point in "IQ" without using "optional" material is via the Boot Camp detailed in Rifts: Mercenary Adventures. Pages 40-41 list specific bonuses.

Alternatively, if the character's origin is still open, they can be a Nexus-Born, which is "official" material found in Rifter 73. Essentially kids born near ley lines sometimes get a bit of a bonus to PPE, which among other things can be channeled into increasing an attribute.

Smiling_Bandit wrote:Unofficial stuff in Rifter #19 pg. 37

...snip

The R19 "Go Mental" text is Officially Optional for every PB game.

Smiling_Bandit wrote:EDIT - Pallladium Fantasy World Book 08, pg. 159. Granted it's from Palladium Fantasy, but you shouldn't have too much trouble sneaking it in past a GM.

PF World Book 08 is Western Empire (if anyone is interested in which book that is specifically for ease of search).

Kille rCyborg wrote:Because mutant hominids from Transdimensional TMNT are THE kings of boosted IQ, if you pump bio-e into it.

Well if we are invoking this title and using its rules of time travel, in theory anyone just needs to be subjected to time travel of sufficient magnitude and then they would gain BIO-E to spend on mutations, so you don't even have to go the Hominids route. Though off-hand I'm not sure how much TE you need to get enough BIO-E.

This also requires the GM to have access to this title.

TMNT hominids get the most favorable exchange rate, and can expressly stack it. TMNT Adventures has a table by which a character with a specific percentile roll gets one of the animal qualities powers and 50 bonus BIO-E, which although the mutant hominid isn't one of the animals listed on the table next to the pertinent one is sometimes brought up as potentially applicable.

The arguably highest IQ still has to stretch to get the amount required for a native 98% bonus (which I might be misremembering as 235), but it would be something like a 1 pound mutant hominid whose parents intentionally travelled to Rifts Earth orbit from another dimension so they might deliver the baby near a nexus, whom was then raised at Outcast Station getting further mutations, and among other things takes some weird drugs, is subjected to medical procedures, and is the recipient of soulmancy involving the sacrifice of a god.

A good second choice is the Mental Giant Psychic Gestalt from Powers Unlimited 2, where each member of the gestalt is subjected to genetic manipulation out of whichever Aliens Unlimited book.

Thanks for all the great info everyone

Smiling_Bandit wrote:Unofficial stuff in Rifter #19 pg. 37

EDIT - Pallladium Fantasy World Book 08, pg. 159. Granted it's from Palladium Fantasy, but you shouldn't have too much trouble sneaking it in past a GM.

Smiling_Bandit - Won't admit to spending entirely too much time on this little tidbit

He’s not sneaking it past this GM *evil chuckle*

IIRC, you can get magic rings or other items in PFRPG that can boost IQ by up to 3 points.

Killer Cyborg wrote:IIRC, you can get magic rings or other items in PFRPG that can boost IQ by up to 3 points.

While I do not wish to dispute this, the question does have to be considered if the boost in this case would satisfy the initial reasons the OP is looking to boost their IQ attribute.

And I don't think the OP really elaborated on why they wanted to raise their IQ. If it's just to get the IQ skill bonus or is it for an attribute requirement (for OCC selection or switching)? If the attribute magic ring boost can be considered temporary (ie gone if I take it off) then I can't see it working for meeting an attribute requirement for a class (an item I could see, like a Larhold (SA2) composite bow needing a SN PS to use, a temporary granting of SN PS would be fine), but if it was just for the IQ skill bonus I don't see a problem with it per say applying.

FWIW, my default is 3 points in an attribute for an Other skill, 2 points for a secondary. You spent a couple months doing Sudoku, now you're smarter.

ShadowLogan wrote:

Killer Cyborg wrote:IIRC, you can get magic rings or other items in PFRPG that can boost IQ by up to 3 points.

While I do not wish to dispute this, the question does have to be considered if the boost in this case would satisfy the initial reasons the OP is looking to boost their IQ attribute.

And I don't think the OP really elaborated on why they wanted to raise their IQ. If it's just to get the IQ skill bonus or is it for an attribute requirement (for OCC selection or switching)? If the attribute magic ring boost can be considered temporary (ie gone if I take it off) then I can't see it working for meeting an attribute requirement for a class (an item I could see, like a Larhold (SA2) composite bow needing a SN PS to use, a temporary granting of SN PS would be fine), but if it was just for the IQ skill bonus I don't see a problem with it per say applying.

Ask a question with vague parameters, get answers that may or may not be helpful.