Resetting Chaos Earth for a campaign
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:50 am
Ok,
I managed to get a copy of Rifts: Chaos Earth in my X-mas Grab Bag this year. While I like some of the material presented, I find that I'm not sure I like the idea that its Rifts Earth in the past. I thought the original idea that its an alternate dimension set some 50 years after The Chaos Event was more compelling. It sounded less gonzo/over-the-top than what I've read so far. Also, given that much of the material appeared in revamped form as the equipment of The Republicans, I decided that resetting it for campaign use fits my purposes better anyway. Besides, I've never been too hot on The Coalition War Campaign and Tolkeen War timeline events, so I don't have The Coalition ever get past the initial equipment presented in the first few books (no Super-SAMAS etc) cause I don't like the power creep for Rifts itself (more on that in a moment).
So...what to flesh out and what to do. The year is circa 2148, a full half-century after The Chaos Event. Half the world's population is dead by now. Large cities/heavily urbanized areas, for the most part, no longer exist as population centers but as dead zones where only monsters and scavengers live. While some communication is capable (thanks to the efforts of those in orbit), reception can be spotty at times. What few mass media outlets that exist try their best to give what information they can about combating the monsters plaguing the world.
1.) NEMA is an elite paranatural deterent task force composed of operatives from the Coalition of North America: United States, Mexico (those that didn't get eaten by the Vampires) and Canada. Given the cultural climate and the idea of scaring the ever-loving bajeezus out of the monsters, NEMA has adopted the 'Skeleton Warrior' motif as a matter of psychological warfare (keeping with an old theory that the Skeleton Warriors were Coalition soldiers from an alternate reality). Teams are often deployed into zones of heavy infestation to not only combat monsters but also stamp out rebels and marauders.
a.) Mexico and Central America is almost completely sealed off from the rest of North America via a 7m tall containment wall called The New Hadrian's Wall by some. The wall is fully manned at all times by the vast majority of the troops of The Coalition Army as well as supplemented by local militia. Guard towers and garrisons are placed at intervals all along the length (1 guard tower per every 1 mile and 1 garrison every 25 miles). This setup necessitated the creation of NEMA as Army troops try prevent the vampire hordes from crossing into the United States. The Army uses the standard pattern NEMA armour from the book, while NEMA uses the Skeleton Warrior armour from Coalition War Campaign.
2.) The Coalition of North America started off as a good idea in theory, but has turned increasingly tyrannical in its effort to combat the crisis. As two full generations of humans have grown up after The Chaos Event, citizens of The Coalition are mostly willing to follow the commands of the government in order to survive. Though magic is not banned, per se, its frowned upon. Psychic powers, as well, are not illegal but they can lead to trouble. NEMA, as the elite forces, includes two special formations of psychics and mages to combat the terrors of the night.
3.) Secret Societies/Conspiracies have become more prevalent. The two most noteworthy (who generally dislike one another):
a.) The Lazlo Society - Observers of the arcane who collect, catalogue and store for posterity. They do not believe in getting involved, though, except as self-defense. Mostly composed of scholars and scientists, though a few bonafide paranatural practicioners are members.
b.) NOSTRODOM - Arcane warriors on a holy crusade. They recruit paranatural practicioners (mages, psychics) whenever they can in an effort to combat the monsters.
4.) The United States and Canada, while in tatters, are not the burning craters as on Rifts Earth just after the start of The Great Cataclysm. Certainly, society is grinding to a halt as many of the methods of 'modern living' (as of 2098) are gone or on the verge of going. Technology, mostly, has regressed to a point similar to the late 20th Century. There is still a wireless network for computers and an analogue to cellphones are still accessible (mostly for military/NEMA use only), but the integration of society is just not there anymore. More and more barter and/or Real Money (Gold, Silver, Platinum etc) are needed for transactions. Most people have started to grow their own food instead to survive. The world has mostly become Local again, as people living one hundred miles away might as well be on the Moon for most.
5.) Several large swaths of North America are completely dominated by monsters, mostly the undead (Dead Reign-style Zombies) and the like. Isolated pockets of humanity inside these zones cling to whatever hope they can, often alternating from crying for help to screaming profanities at callous Coalition bureacrats for leaving them to their fates.
I'll update this as I go, from time to time.
I managed to get a copy of Rifts: Chaos Earth in my X-mas Grab Bag this year. While I like some of the material presented, I find that I'm not sure I like the idea that its Rifts Earth in the past. I thought the original idea that its an alternate dimension set some 50 years after The Chaos Event was more compelling. It sounded less gonzo/over-the-top than what I've read so far. Also, given that much of the material appeared in revamped form as the equipment of The Republicans, I decided that resetting it for campaign use fits my purposes better anyway. Besides, I've never been too hot on The Coalition War Campaign and Tolkeen War timeline events, so I don't have The Coalition ever get past the initial equipment presented in the first few books (no Super-SAMAS etc) cause I don't like the power creep for Rifts itself (more on that in a moment).
So...what to flesh out and what to do. The year is circa 2148, a full half-century after The Chaos Event. Half the world's population is dead by now. Large cities/heavily urbanized areas, for the most part, no longer exist as population centers but as dead zones where only monsters and scavengers live. While some communication is capable (thanks to the efforts of those in orbit), reception can be spotty at times. What few mass media outlets that exist try their best to give what information they can about combating the monsters plaguing the world.
1.) NEMA is an elite paranatural deterent task force composed of operatives from the Coalition of North America: United States, Mexico (those that didn't get eaten by the Vampires) and Canada. Given the cultural climate and the idea of scaring the ever-loving bajeezus out of the monsters, NEMA has adopted the 'Skeleton Warrior' motif as a matter of psychological warfare (keeping with an old theory that the Skeleton Warriors were Coalition soldiers from an alternate reality). Teams are often deployed into zones of heavy infestation to not only combat monsters but also stamp out rebels and marauders.
a.) Mexico and Central America is almost completely sealed off from the rest of North America via a 7m tall containment wall called The New Hadrian's Wall by some. The wall is fully manned at all times by the vast majority of the troops of The Coalition Army as well as supplemented by local militia. Guard towers and garrisons are placed at intervals all along the length (1 guard tower per every 1 mile and 1 garrison every 25 miles). This setup necessitated the creation of NEMA as Army troops try prevent the vampire hordes from crossing into the United States. The Army uses the standard pattern NEMA armour from the book, while NEMA uses the Skeleton Warrior armour from Coalition War Campaign.
2.) The Coalition of North America started off as a good idea in theory, but has turned increasingly tyrannical in its effort to combat the crisis. As two full generations of humans have grown up after The Chaos Event, citizens of The Coalition are mostly willing to follow the commands of the government in order to survive. Though magic is not banned, per se, its frowned upon. Psychic powers, as well, are not illegal but they can lead to trouble. NEMA, as the elite forces, includes two special formations of psychics and mages to combat the terrors of the night.
3.) Secret Societies/Conspiracies have become more prevalent. The two most noteworthy (who generally dislike one another):
a.) The Lazlo Society - Observers of the arcane who collect, catalogue and store for posterity. They do not believe in getting involved, though, except as self-defense. Mostly composed of scholars and scientists, though a few bonafide paranatural practicioners are members.
b.) NOSTRODOM - Arcane warriors on a holy crusade. They recruit paranatural practicioners (mages, psychics) whenever they can in an effort to combat the monsters.
4.) The United States and Canada, while in tatters, are not the burning craters as on Rifts Earth just after the start of The Great Cataclysm. Certainly, society is grinding to a halt as many of the methods of 'modern living' (as of 2098) are gone or on the verge of going. Technology, mostly, has regressed to a point similar to the late 20th Century. There is still a wireless network for computers and an analogue to cellphones are still accessible (mostly for military/NEMA use only), but the integration of society is just not there anymore. More and more barter and/or Real Money (Gold, Silver, Platinum etc) are needed for transactions. Most people have started to grow their own food instead to survive. The world has mostly become Local again, as people living one hundred miles away might as well be on the Moon for most.
5.) Several large swaths of North America are completely dominated by monsters, mostly the undead (Dead Reign-style Zombies) and the like. Isolated pockets of humanity inside these zones cling to whatever hope they can, often alternating from crying for help to screaming profanities at callous Coalition bureacrats for leaving them to their fates.
I'll update this as I go, from time to time.
