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Hello all, after a long break my group is starting a Rifts campaign again and I have a few general questions that I'd like some input on. I saw the GM forum but these questions are more Rifts specific than GM.

1. So far I'm thinking of starting at around 104-105 PA in N America. Is there a published timeline anywhere that could help me get a better idea as to where the events and books fit in?

2. I haven't picked a starting town location other than it will be a Non CS city, does anyone have any recomendations on a good starting town?

3. I'm thinking of having a were-creature as an NPC for the party, and I was wondering if they would be picked up as a magic user/ Psychic by a Psi Stalker or if they'd count as a supernatural creature. Depending on what it would count as will affect the kinds of reations CS patrols, dogpacks, etc so it would be handy to know.

Thanks for any help!

Welcome to the boards.

In reply to your questions:
1. Siege on Tolkeen Book 1 has a timeline as well as some nifty items.

2. Take a look at either New El Paso/Ciudad Juarez in Vampire Kingdoms, Silvereno/Colorado Baronies in New West or Newtown/Kingsdale in Juicer Uprisings and finally Siege on Tolkeen Book 6 for Tolkeen itself (will need some slight adjustments as it is pre-war)

3. The were-creature would be a supernatural menace to the CS and killed, along with any party members for consorting with such filth.

1. There used to be a comprehensive timeline online somewhere. I suggest a Google search.

2. I'm partial to Colorado Baronies myself, with Newtown/Kingsdale in a close second. Both are reasonably neutral places with all sorts of trouble handy.

3. Were-creature = supernatural. The good news is that a random CS patrol may not be carrying anything that could hurt it. The rest of the party however....

Dejano wrote:3. I'm thinking of having a were-creature as an NPC for the party, and I was wondering if they would be picked up as a magic user/ Psychic by a Psi Stalker or if they'd count as a supernatural creature. Depending on what it would count as will affect the kinds of reations CS patrols, dogpacks, etc so it would be handy to know.

Thanks for any help!

A Psi-Stalker (or Dog Boy) would pick up it's scent as a supernatural creature, and would probably be able to tell it's a werecreature. Remember that if the Psi-Stalker is near a ley line it will nullify it's psychic senses, so you can keep the identitiy of the were-creature a sectret for at least a while.

Thanks very much for all the replies! My players still havent decided if they want to work with or for the CS so having an NPC that could force them into a fight isnt something that I want to do at this point. The setting ideas are great but the timeline will have to wait till I pick up that book.

PA 104-105. . . if i remember right, that's the time of the Juicer Uprosing, there's a whole book deicated to it.

Dejano wrote:Hello all, after a long break my group is starting a Rifts campaign again and I have a few general questions that I'd like some input on. I saw the GM forum but these questions are more Rifts specific than GM.

We're here to please.

1. So far I'm thinking of starting at around 104-105 PA in N America. Is there a published timeline anywhere that could help me get a better idea as to where the events and books fit in?

The Juicer Uprising book takes place in this time frame. It's alsoa good place to jump in to the game's story line as well for newbies and returning players alike.

2. I haven't picked a starting town location other than it will be a Non CS city, does anyone have any recomendations on a good starting town?

I'd go with Los Alamo. Its a good non-CS town that has everyting a starting group could ever ask for. And, by chance, it also happens to be detailed in the Juicer Uprising book, (that much less shopping to do ).

3. I'm thinking of having a were-creature as an NPC for the party, and I was wondering if they would be picked up as a magic user/ Psychic by a Psi Stalker or if they'd count as a supernatural creature. Depending on what it would count as will affect the kinds of reations CS patrols, dogpacks, etc so it would be handy to know.

He'd be classified as a Supernatural Creature bigger than $#!+ by the Psi Stalkers and Dog Boys alike. And if you do start out on Los Alamo, the Psi-Hound patrolls down in Texas are sure to have at least some weapons of silver, be they a back-up 9mm with silver bullets, knives, or what have you. And that's a good thing. Invincible, uber-bad NPCs that out-class the PCs tend to annoy the players.

Dead Boy wrote:
I'd go with Los Alamo. Its a good non-CS town that has everyting a starting group could ever ask for. And, by chance, it also happens to be detailed in the Juicer Uprising book, (that much less shopping to do ).

damnit!! I don't have Juicer uprising and i'm writing a campaign around Los Alamo - How integral is LA to the story line - will my version bugger up the story?

Shaka wrote:

Dead Boy wrote:
I'd go with Los Alamo. Its a good non-CS town that has everyting a starting group could ever ask for. And, by chance, it also happens to be detailed in the Juicer Uprising book, (that much less shopping to do ).

damnit!! I don't have Juicer uprising and i'm writing a campaign around Los Alamo - How integral is LA to the story line - will my version bugger up the story?

It's not to JU really. It has the Los Alamos defenses, history and other details. The cities of Kingsdale and Newtown are also mentioned and mapped, Fort El Dorado has a little more information as well. Then there is the new weapons, a merc unit detailed and of course there is several new Juicer types.

Thanks again for more replies, I've decided to go for Kingsdale or Los Alamos, but I need to read through the Juicer uprising book again to make my final decision.

I picked 104-105 PA as a start time as the Uprising starts in 105 according to the book. I'll probably start it in the summer/fall of 104 and have a few adventures to move things along before starting the Uprising campaign. Form my initail read thru of it, the Uprising seems more designed for characters that are a little more experienced.