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I'm still working on and off on a Rifts City/Town using the rules in the Rifts Adventure Guide for the heck of it, and need Ideas (like where would you place it, Ideas for businesses, natural resources and NPCs and the like), also I want the player characters to eventually become the town's rulers (they have to EARN it first though) in a long term campain. This is an Industrial Town that can make more primitive versions of M.D.C. weapons, vehicles and 'bots/power armor. A capsule/Description will come later so people can plug and play this town/city into their games. Ok, Here goes:

The City/Town of Steel City (Population: 60,000):

Orientation and Disposition: Open and Friendly.

Type and Size of Community: Major Town or City (Grew out of a Militaristic Encampment); Points for Building: 500 points.

A. Weapons and Armor: Superior; Cost: 45 points.

B. Medicine: Unheard Of; Cost: 45 points.

C. Agriculture and Natural Resources: Abundant (large mineral deposites); Cost: 30 points.

D. Real Estate/Land: Bad; Cost: 1 point.

E. Vehicles and Fuel: Superior; Cost: 35 points.

F. Administration and Social Structure: Good/Sound Structure; Cost: 10 points.

G. Alignment: Mixed, Unprincipled & Scrupulous; Cost: 6 points.

H. Magic: Vast Knowledge; Cost: 15 points.

I. Racial Tolerance: Tolerant; Cost: 7 points.

J. Trade: Boomtown; Cost: 40 points.

K. Threats: Dangerous; Cost: 3 points.

L. Skill Levels & Professionalism: Cyber-Doc, Operator; cost: 18 points.

M. The Community Overall: Educated (54% of the townsfolk are literate in English/American and/or Spanish); Cost: 20 points.

N. Shelter: Fortified; Cost: 35 points.

O. Security and Fighting Force: Small Mechanized Army (DOUBLE all six options); Cost: 70 points.

P. Power/Energy: Good, Mixed (has a lot of nuclear batteries); Cost: 25 points.

Q. Special Features: Processing Plant x3, Manufacturing Plant x3 (extra), Old M.D.C. Ruins, Pre-Rifts Underground Complex, Hydroponics x2; Cost: 95 points.

Total Points Spent: 500.

Population Breakdown: 60,000 total.

35% Human

10% Dwarves

5% Nuhr Dwarves

10% Wolfen

10% Kremin Cyborgs

10% Vernulians

5% Trimadore

2% Amana

5% Rahu-Men

5% Grackle Tooth

3% Other (No more than 0.4% for any one race)

Notes: Has 14 Processing Plants/Factories as Follows:

1. Nuclear Power Cell/Engine Factory.

2. Electronics/Computer/Radio Factory.

3. Tool and Industrial Equipment Factory.

4. Bionics/Cybernetics Factory.

5. M.D.C. & S.D.C. Small Arms Factory.

6. Heavy Weapons Factory.

7. M.D.C. Body Armor Factory.

8. Civilian and Military Ground Vehicle Factory.

9. Aircraft and Hover Vehicle Factory.

10. Power Armor and Robot Vehicle Factory.

11. M.D.C. & S.D.C. Ammo, Explosives, and Missile Factory.

12. Synthetic Fuels and Lubricants Plant.

13. Ore Smelting Plant (For Various Metals).

14. Metal Foundry & Steel Mill (for various metals/alloys, both S.D.C. and M.D.C.).

Note: These Factories produce More Primitive but still HIGH QUALITY (and super reliable) goods copied from other North American Manufacturers with the Exceptions of Wilk's and Coalition Products.

I'm thinking of Applying the following rules to the local "Knock-Off" goods:

1. Small Arms Energy Weapons: Cost 30% LESS, Weighs 20% MORE and Range is 10% LESS then the original.

2. Heavy and Heavy Energy Weapons like Railguns, Missile Launchers, etc, etc: Cost 30% LESS, Weighs 20% MORE and Range is 10% LESS than the original.

3. Vehicles, Robot Vehicles and Power Armor: Cost 30% LESS, Has 10% LESS Main Body M.D.C., and Weighs 10% MORE and is 10% SLOWER than the original.

These designs come from Bandito Arms, Northern Gun, Titan Robotics, and Wellington Industries, Golden Age Weaponsmiths and Iron Heart Armaments.

NOTE: that the styling on these items has been changed slightly. Also Note that the local industries & locals just can't compete on the same level as the big companies like Northern Gun, Wellington or Wilk's (and know it) and so most of their customers are people who hate the CS and it's allies or do not wish to support them.

Placement looks like it should be near a large deposit of raw materials it uses to produce all that stuff. Or at least a secure rail line to it. I guess that's the US/Canada border area? I'm not familiar with North American deposits.

The only industrial town I created was in the Urals given their wealth of raw materials. In another setting I've used Irkutsk due to the nearby fossil fuels and water resources.

Natasha wrote:Placement looks like it should be near a large deposit of raw materials it uses to produce all that stuff. Or at least a secure rail line to it. I guess that's the US/Canada border area? I'm not familiar with North American deposits.

The only industrial town I created was in the Urals given their wealth of raw materials. In another setting I've used Irkutsk due to the nearby fossil fuels and water resources.

Well the deposites could of been rifted in or brought closer to the suface during the great cataclysm.... The two places I'm thinking of include the Colorado Baronies and South Alabama, though I'm open to others....

In that case I'd pick the place where I'd like to live. Of the two main candidates, it's Colorado.

Or built atop the ruins of a city. The old city, pre-Cataclysm, is now where they mine most of their materials? Population of 60,000, with bad real estate, means you'll find them off the beaten path, but at the same time, between a rock and a hard place (such as between the Magic Zone and Coalition territory, etc.).

Spend some time making quality NPCs, they are what really brings a town to life. I've had all kinds of fun with this in the past.

You can make someone like 'Aunt B', an old lady who likes baking things, is generaly nice and will drop off apple pies and such to the characters if they're doing good things, or give them a piece of her mind if they do something that makes her unhappy. A barber is a must (like Floyd), the players need to get their hair cut and the barber shop is a great place for frank talk and city rumors. Local law enforcement can be fun to flesh out, you've got to have Andy and Barney (or someone well defined) on patrol. Local mechanics can come in handy. Remember families, and how they all connect and interact with each other in populations. What are the motivations of the adult populace? Are they trying to make thing better for their kids? Is there a local 'School Marm?' For some reason I've had a good result basing NPC on characters from shows like cheers (My players home city of Ostwald has a Norm and a Sam at the bar all the time, the mailman's name is Cliff...). I recommend changing them a little, and giving them different names, but you can look to some TV shows for examples. Like I said, I've had great success with it thus far. The trick is to get the characters/players to feel like a part of the community, and feel like the community is alive. Give them emotional attatchments, maybe a stray kitten or dog, whatever your players weakness is, it never fails.

Also looking to real world aquaintances for inspiration on NPCs can be helpful I find. Co workers or old friends can inspire some good (or bad) NPCs, especially when your group doesn't know them, and no one suspects where your inspiration for the NPC comes from.

Then you go on-line or to the bar and brag to all your GM buddies about how you put one over on your players... j/k

Have fun with it mate. That's the best advice I can give.

Jerell wrote:Spend some time making quality NPCs, they are what really brings a town to life. I've had all kinds of fun with this in the past.

Oh I've almost a notebook full of them.

Yendor wrote:Or built atop the ruins of a city. The old city, pre-Cataclysm, is now where they mine most of their materials? Population of 60,000, with bad real estate, means you'll find them off the beaten path, but at the same time, between a rock and a hard place (such as between the Magic Zone and Coalition territory, etc.).

Well I've decided on basing it on the ruins of Montgomery Alabama, Close to GAW, there could be trouble from Dinosaur Swamp Barbarians, splugorth slavers and, now and then on occasion, Pecos Raiders. Also I want to have Archie 3 secretly helping the town/small city as a sort of experiment (one of the resons for their high (well relatively high for their location) level of tech). Hmmmm, I need to come up with another Argent Undercover Bot/NPC serving Archie in this community.