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I sponsor a high school gaming club for boys and girls from 14-19 and have been doing this for 15 years. I have recently re-discovered RIFTS and found myself wanting to do something with this system and with those kids.

Now I have most of the books but have started reading about the 'burbs and want to do something in Firetown, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, looks like my current batch of players are young, closer to the 14 side this year.

I am far from new to GMing BUT need some help with RIFTS and the environment as well as what OCC's might be a good mix and of course appropriate for kids.

Thanks in advance for ANY help...

It would probably be easiest to let them play Coalition soldiers patroling the burbs. Introduce them together as if they are forming a new unit. That way they get ot know their characters and the game. Then you slowly introduce the wild and wonderful world of Rifts to them.

I agree with Aramanthus. It gives you a good hook, and lets you introduce the weirder elements of the setting in a more controlled fashion.

but, is the Idea of making your Highschoolers play the Equivilant of Future-Nazo's really a good Idea?

I would say go with Merctown as your setting.

Almost any OCC can be represented there. The town has resources for the GM (hints for stories, power factions, mission assignments, equipment purchasing, magic etc).

It's in a prime location to tap into any number of RIFTS books right out of the chute.

Between Mercenaries, Merc Ops and Merc Town, almost any campaign is good to go.

Just my two cents.

Colonel Wolfe wrote:but, is the Idea of making your Highschoolers play the Equivilant of Future-Nazo's really a good Idea?

Yes.

Killer Cyborg wrote:

Colonel Wolfe wrote:but, is the Idea of making your Highschoolers play the Equivilant of Future-Nazo's really a good Idea?

Yes.

Gives them perspective.

As the cover says, if you can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, don't play.

Plus for newbys, humans are the easiest to play. And soldiers have to follow orders. Plus once they get out there exploring interacting with various other races they can make their own minds up if their charactrers will stay with the CS or jump ship and go their seperate path from the CS.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions...I am going to make use of the Banner Orphanage in Firetown as an introduction. Having them not directly exposed to the "above" world but having read about it will have special meaning once they are exposed.

Sort of "The Island" meets X-men....well sort of....

Nekira Sudacne wrote:As the cover says, if you can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, don't play.

Wouldn't someone who couldn't tell the difference between fantasy and reality not realize that they couldn't - thus making that disclaimer more to protect the company rather than dissuade the delusional?

Plus, I'm pretty sure that what you speak of is on one of the first few pages, not "the cover."

Steve President George W. Bush wrote: Plus, I'm pretty sure that what you speak of is on one of the first few pages, not "the cover."

Thou putting it on the cover would be a superb idea... "Palladium books, if you cant tell this isnt reality, Dont buy it (moron)"

Nekira Sudacne wrote:

Killer Cyborg wrote:

Colonel Wolfe wrote:but, is the Idea of making your Highschoolers play the Equivilant of Future-Nazo's really a good Idea?

Yes.

Gives them perspective.

As the cover says, if you can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, don't play.

I think it is a great idea.

In addition to playing a great game. Your forcing them to look at the perspective of racism and intolerance and what it dose to a sociaty. So in addition to fun it is educational and if a question come up about the game from a school staff member or parent you can use that argument on showing the students the consinquences of behavior such as the NAZI'S.

Sci-fi and fantasy been use to talk about such things for decades (just look at the original Star Trek and you can see why).

Again I do like the suggestion of playing Coalition Soldiers BUT I need to clarify something. My school is made up of a diverse population over 65% of our students speak a second language at home as their PRIMARY language and most of out parents do not even speak English.

We have kids who have lived through a lot of rough times and sometimes the best thing they have is to go to school to escape their home lifes. In the past I have had more female members in the club then male, though this year is different I will admit.

The Ne0-Nazi idea is good but I would like them to escape for the 90 minutes a week I have with them, so I think I will be going in a different direction.

Then what you could do is change the flavor of the Coalition. Instead of them being a Neo-Nazi organization. Make them the scions of Freedom of North America. Change their basic beliefs for your game. There is nothing to say you can't rewrite your game world.

If this is a school sanctioned thing...I'd avoid the Coalition type game...if only because it's centered on oppression, killing, ignorance, and intolerance.

You'd probably be better off having something from the following list...

City Rat
Operator
Mystic
Ley Line Walker
Burster
Scholar
Scout
etc.

Though you can also change it up with a couple D-Bees and play into the whole prejudice thing...showing how being different makes people afraid of you...etc.

But overall...I FULLY believe that you should avoid having them be part of the Coalition...

Play Call of Cthulhu.

Play a Rifts game that is humano centric.

Nemo235 wrote:Play Call of Cthulhu.

I think he's trying to avoid warping young minds.


Daniel Stoker

Ronin84 wrote:The Ne0-Nazi idea is good but I would like them to escape for the 90 minutes a week I have with them, so I think I will be going in a different direction.

Might I suggest placing your players in a not so familiar setting such as Phase World? The environment is different enough for your players to escape to.

Another is maybe choose a no man's land such as the West Worldbooks where it is alien enough and the OCCs/RCCs are really cool to play as.