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dnjscott wrote:Hey, when a RIFTS OCC grants super powers (its rare, but it happens) has anyone ever tried granting something like the Hardware or Natural Genius template (without education/secondary skills) instead of the super powers?

I'm not sure if this is a better RIFTS or HU question, so I put it in both... sorry for any inconvenience...

those arn't superpowers really.

those are OCCs. mearly arn't called that.

I think having the Nerdling Rogue Scientist and Scholars running around with superpowers is bad enough. I would allow a Hardware character to come through a Rift as is, or allow a Rift's Earth born Hardware character as a genius from the CS, NGR, NG ect. I agree with the above statement that Hardware Geniuses are not really a superpower. It is more of an Occ. I would come closer to allowing a Hardware Godling then a Hardware City Rat combo.


And about the Nerdling comment, I'm a grad student, so I fit nicely. I'm just wondering when I'm getting my super powers...

RockJock wrote:And about the Nerdling comment, I'm a grad student, so I fit nicely. I'm just wondering when I'm getting my super powers...

A&M issues them to you in a random lottery when you walk the stage and get that Masters diploma. Just got mine in May.

<sigh> I got "Corrosive Earwax". Stupid random power lottery.

I haven't imported many HU characters into Rifts, but I've done the reverse a few times. However, especially lately a lot of your HU categories and Rifts categories are beginning to come together... for instance, your HU Hardware: Weapons is very similar to a Gunfighter and two of the new Supersoldier variants are essentially renamed Juicers and Crazies.

What I do when taking a Rifts OCC and tweaking it for HU, I just strip away the skill selections/standard equipment and replace them with the HU education levels/any special equipment similar HU categories might have.

Most of the Hardware Categories could be easily imported IMO by simply giving them the skill selections/equipment from the Operator, Rogue Scientist, or Rogue Scholar. However, if I were to bring a Natural Genius from HU into Rifts, I'd probably take him 'as is' seeing as he's not a product of standard education... I'd probably list out what all the 'skill programs' entailed and plug in Rifts skills... and then base him somewhere like Lazlo or in the NGR so he'd logically have access to enough resources to gain said skills... and then give him starting equipment similar to either a Rogue Scholar or Rogue Scientist.

Yeah, I'd recommend just subbing in Rifts skills for the Natural Genius as they don't follow any set educational path anyway. As long as he can justify his extensive studies with sufficient resources of information, that is. Can't learn Astrophysics out in the wilderness unless you live in the ruins of a library. Lemme know how this Natural Genius works out in Rifts if you allow it.

As for supersoldiers... well, in PU2 they introduce the chemically enhanced and BIA variants, which in all actuality are merely Juicers and Crazies with some window dressing... so part of your supersoldier equation is already there.

On the other hand, if you want a bona fide supersoldier with super abilities and all, then just take any scholar/adventurer OCC from the main book and put 'em through the process. A variety of scenarios could be used here -- from the CS starting up its own answer to Juicers/Crazies to places like Lazlo/Kingsdale/Los Alamo trying to develop their own alternative process (without the fatal/insane side effects). Heck, for all we know Naruni Enterprises could be test-marketing their own enhancement method! There's money to be made in producing super-humans without the built-in side-effects of Juicers/Crazies...

Go with the Natural Genius, just beef up the usual skills you get with the Rogue Scholar.. its a pretty easy conversion.

Jason, I'm hoping I get magically empowered robes with my next degree.

If it seems your Genius is underpowered compared to the other characters in the group load him up with "super" technology like what is seen on Phase World. A vibrosword/laser pistol that converts into a computer would be of great use. As would EBA with a built in force field and an exoskeleton. Basically I would fit them with the best technology in the Megaverse and call it their own.

dnjscott wrote:Pffft. That's all I have to say about that-though, I begin to wonder, if the CK can be a super-powered mutant, the Super Spy from Mercs can have super powers, and the Zone Boy from that book that maybe isn't official anymore... Why not, say, Coalition Special Forces? Like, a Lone Star guy? Not necessarily endorsing it, just asking...

This was discussed in this thread -- Bradford already has a history of experimenting on human beings, and I'm sure most governments/organizations in Rifts would like to have a way of producing supersoldiers without the inherent death sentance or multiple insanities involved with the Juicer and Crazy processes. Therefore, a CS supersoldier program doesn't sound all that outlandish when you think about it. Maybe not plausible enough to bring into canon material, certainly, but might be worth a campaign or method of generating NPC bad guys...

dnjscott wrote:[
Yah, my buddy wants to run a Natural Genius in my wife's and my game... That's why I was asking, actually, but I suppose giving him RIFTS skills would be a good enough coversion, instead of trying to do an OCC on top of it, or what have you...

What about a Super Soldier? Same thing, skill programs with RIFTS equiv? I was thinking he'd be Coalition, and get the Super Soldier powers with a coalition OCC, but I guess that's too powerful...?

Just make sure of the genus' gizmoteering abilities, decide whether you'd allow him to come up with that kind of stuff, and talk with him about it ... would not do if he wanted the class so he could tinker up lots of kewl gadgets, and you either did not want to allow that, or regularly put him in situations where he just couldn't (away from the base/workshop, not time to work...)

As for the super soldier ... forget the CS, they sure have the capacity for it, but they would not tinker with a guy's precious humanity... it took them long enough just to admit the juicer, and then only because they really needed all the best firepower they could get ... Kingsdale or Northern Gun/Manistique are better candidates

Have you got the Powers Unlimited books? You can probably find what you are looking for between the new power categories and the new powers.. bookworm is a good option for a Rifts genius.
If you are just interested in the bonuses to understanding advanced or alien technology, then just grab that and use it in an existing O.C.C.