psi-stalker cyber-knights?

[dataweaver]

According to Coalition Wars 4: the Cyber-Knights, a percentage of the Cyber-Knights are psi-stalkers. In game terms, how does this work? Do you take the psi-stalker RCC, remove the skills, and add the cyber-knight OCC in their place? Or is there something else involved?

Likewise, what exists (house rules or otherwise) to handle multi-OCC characters, such as a CS Ranger who goes rogue and joins the Cyber-Knights? I know I've seen "official" rules for multi-classing somewhere in the various Palladium books, but I'm pretty sure that it isn't in Rifts.

[dataweaver]

I missed that bit about nega-psychic psi-stalkers. [shudder]

[(SHIFTY)]

I have read on these boards multi-classing is only used in palladium fantasy.

[Athos]

I have read on these boards multi-classing is only used in palladium fantasy.

Not so. The Rifts books specifically talk about reclassing to a borg from a juicer and from getting too many bionics, so they do have "official" authorization to reclass. As for the rules, there aren't many, I believe you just freeze your skills and start the new class's skills at level 1. It is inadequately discussed in the books, but it is there.

[Nekira Sudacne]

I missed that bit about nega-psychic psi-stalkers. [shudder]

I think the prospect of Psi-Stalker Juicers are even scarrier...

how about that the psyco stalkers can make themselves MDC with supernatrual strength

[Killer Cyborg]

According to Coalition Wars 4: the Cyber-Knights, a percentage of the Cyber-Knights are psi-stalkers. In game terms, how does this work? Do you take the psi-stalker RCC, remove the skills, and add the cyber-knight OCC in their place? Or is there something else involved?

I don't think it does work.
When the books state things like that, then never clarify or back it up in any way, I tend to blame crack, meth, and other ghetto drugs.
In fact, that's where I place the blame for 90% of the Cyberknight rewrite in the SoT book.

Likewise, what exists (house rules or otherwise) to handle multi-OCC characters, such as a CS Ranger who goes rogue and joins the Cyber-Knights? I know I've seen "official" rules for multi-classing somewhere in the various Palladium books, but I'm pretty sure that it isn't in Rifts.

Palladium Fantasy has the official rules.
If you want to make multi-classing easy, just do it like this:

A character can buy a level in any OCC as soon as he has all of the OCC skills for that class.
The cost of gaining a level in an OCC is the same as the cost for reaching the next level in that class.
Switching OCCs does not grant the player any new skills, although it does grant them OCC abilities.
Then allow people to switch OCCs as much as they want.

So if a 1st level Headhunter decides that he wants to bum around for a while as a Vagabond, and he already speaks 2 languages, can cook, and can drive a car, then as soon as he has 1900 xp he is a Level 1 Headhunter, and a Level 1 Vagabond.
Switching to magic OCCs should require a teacher and/or special circumstances.

[Dr. Doom III]

Cyber-knights are overpowered, they were given their new powers only to fight the Coalition States.

They are not overpowered.
They are wrong powered.

An order of knights created to protect people from monsters an demons during the dark ages after the rifts developing powers to fight technological enemies is WRONG.

[Dr. Doom III]

The problem is Doom, the demons became technological. I.e. the CS.

So yes, it does make sense that they adapted to the change in power of their enemy.

No.
They never fought the CS.
They fought demons from the Rifts.

Adapted apparently the day before a bunch of them went off to join fight the CS.

[Killer Cyborg]

I agree 100% with Doom's statement that the Cyberknights are "Wrong Powered".
They're called cyberknights for God's sake!

The SoT book gives them funky psychic powers.
Not only that, but it takes the only actual cybernetics they have and make them LESS CYBER by having their cyber armor become a living part of them.

That's like revising the Mind Mage class so that their mental powers all stem from MOM implants, and giving them power armor.

Or like making a Battle Mage that can't use magic for crap, but that is better with guns than any man-at-arms OCC...
(No, wait... they frickin' DID THAT ALREADY!!)

Or like revising Full Conversion Borgs so that they could cast magic spells.

It's just stupidity.

Regarding the "Cyberknights vs. the CS" concept, check this out:
Rifts Main Book, p. 62
"Nobody knows exactly where they came from or why, but about 80 years ago the cyber-knight emerged. Some believe the cyber-knights came into being to oppose the ever growing and corrupt Coalition. Others say that they came to fight the hordes of supernatural beings that terrorize the land. The truth is that they are the champions of all who are oppressed, weak, and innocent, whether they be threatened by the Coalition or monsters from a rift."

So there you have it; the cyberknights are there to fight the CS, but they're also there to fight demons.
Their new powers don't fit with this, as their new powers work ONLY against technology.
Also, their new powers are NEW... huh???!?
Suddenly, with no explanation, cyberknights across the megaverse suddenly have super-funky anti-tech powers!?