Bit of Analysis: Rifts

[Ahriman238]

Angel Herrenisel: Angel of Death, Death Witch

No psionics or magic. But she's a ful conversion borg with a lot of money to make the most of her form. With her armor on she's tougher than some tanks, or sometimes she trades it for a fleshy covering and a wig, to pretend to be an ordinary human. She has an internal radio, hearing amplification, multi-optic eyes, molecular analyzer, gyro-compass, clock-calender, geiger counter and, of course, her unique Eternal Brain MOM implant. She has blades in all her fingers, except one with a laser scalpel, a vibro-blade in her right arm and a series of needles and drug wells in her left. Plus an ion-gun in a hidden leg compartment.



She's a psychopath with a god-complex, and obsessed with revenge to boot. But she is also very smart, and a natural leader. It is her skills and brain that make her one of the most dangerous characters in the game, not her straight out combat skills, which are pretty subpar for a campaign boss. But why would she need direct combat abilities when she has-


Bridget Herrenisel: Angel of Vengeance

The little girl from the orphanage is all grown up... into a psychotic cyborg assassin. Angel gave her the Eternal Brain chip too, and it seems a God Complex is a side effect because Bridget actually thinks she is a demi-goddess of vengeance sent to Earth to punish all wrong-doing particularly against her and her mother. Gods help if you manage to kill Angel, because Bridget will hunt you to the ends of the Earth.



Bridget is 10 ft tall and has light armor, or heavy armor that puts her just about in the Glitter Boy's weight class. She has a Greater Rune Sword with a fire affinity she acquired somehow. Radio, amplified hearing, molecular analyzer, loudspeaker, translator, headjack, multi-optic eyes, gyro-compass, clock-calender, geiger counter and Eternal Brain. Her right upper armor has a port to recharge E-clips from her own nuclear supply, a particle beam, utility laser in the index finger and the other fingers have blades. Upper left has a forearm blade, finger blades, knuckle spikes that shoot out a short distance, and a grappling hook with 100 ft of line. Lower right has a chemical sprayer, garrote wire, and shooting knuckle spikes. Lower left has a chemical sprayer, a laser rifle and 2 cameras. The spikes on her head can be shot at close range targets, the tail is 12 feet long and agile enough to wrap around your neck. She has secret compartments in her legs, and usually carries a cross (vampires in central Europe) a fusion block, spare grenades and E-Clips and 50,000 in local currency.

Bridget is highly skilled in all Triax weapons, and is particularly fond of a variable frequency laser pistol. She is one of the foremost hand-to-hand experts in the world (until we get to Heroes of the Celestial Court and Geofront, anyway) and very cunning and devious, though those probably aren't words you would normally associate with "giant crazed cyborg assassin" she IS Angel's adopted daughter, and Angel prizes patience and cunning foremost.

[SAMAS]

A few notes/corrections/Additions:

1: The Tarantula Glitter Boy is not a Triax/NGR creation, but was designed and deployed by Free Quebec. Triax did however make their own variants later.

2:
A Jager with the particle cannon mount can be seen here:


3: The Gargoyles, by all the information I have, do now occupy Italy. I'll have to double-check when I get the chance.

4: The Leopard III can carry the Terror Mini-Tank. In fact, it has an open rear bay for just that purpose.


The XM-350 Leopard III is 70 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 15 feet high. It has a maximum speed of 80 Mph and weighs 89 tons unloaded.

The Main turret mounts a pair of Ion cannons with a range of 3000 feet and two racks of eight medium-range missiles each. The four turrets in front are double-barreled pulse laser guns with a range of 2000 feet. The railgun turrets mounted above both side hatches fire in 30-round bursts and have a payload of 6000 rounds per turret. While mounted, the Terror Mini-Tank can fight using every gun except the rear-mounted flamethrowers.


5: Most Phoenixi are actually the servants/followers of the Egyptian/Palladium (The Egyptian pantheon has as of late set up shop in the Palladium Fantasy world) Goddess Bennu.


And some of the pictures you missed:
Black Knight


Dragonwing


Phantom Hover Tank



And a few vehicles you missed as well:


X-622 "Khaefer" Bug

The Bug is a light Infantry Support Vehicle/APC. The four legs not only allow it to move across broken and forest terrain, but they also contain part of a ballast system that lets it skim across the surface of the water or swim under it like a water-beetle. It has a crew of two, and can seat four other passengers. The Bug is 13 feet tall when standing (body is only 7'), seventeen feet long, and six feet wide. It has a top speed of 60 Mph on the open road, but slows down to about half when going through rough terrain or on the surface of the water. Underwater, it can propel itself like a submarine up to 30mph or walk on the bottom at 20. It has a maximum depth of 600 feet (300' if you're concerned about decompression sickness). It weighs only eight tons.

The main gatling rail gun has a range of 4000 feet and fires in 30-round bursts. The rear turret is a pulse laser with the same range, and a mini-missile launcher holding eight missiles is hidden on top.


X-821 Landeskrabbe (Landcrab)

The Bug's bigger, badder brother. It is twenty-four feet long, stands eighteen feet tall, and ten feet wide. It weighs 14 tons. The weapon arms mount a powerful but short-ranged particle-beam cannon and a longer-ranged Railgun each. Two small laser turrets defend the rear, and like the Bug it has a hidden mini-missile launcher, but with twice the capacity.

[SAMAS]

More NGR vehicles and Aircraft

XM-140 Infantry Support Platform


This hover platform can provide fire support to infantry platoons and other troops, but not for very long. It mounts a single long-range missile with a mini-missile launcher (12 missiles) hidden underneath. Two laser turrets, two railguns, and a forcefield give it protection until it can launch it's payload. It may have little ammunition, but with a ceiling of 1000 feet, it can get almost anywhere it needs to go.


XM-250 Medical Hover Station


The Gargoyles and Brodkil don't respect any rules of warfare, and to them a medic or ambulance is as valid a target as any. Consequently, NGR field medical stations are both armed and heavily armored. Their only allowance to present-day codes is that they will not shoot unless attacked first.


XM-270 "Mosquito" APC/Airship


The Mosquito is pretty much an NGR Dropship, except it can't leave the atmosphere. Like the helmets of the NGR troops, the entire cockpit is covered in armor, with the pilots navigating by instruments and holographic displays. It has a crew of five (Pilot, Co-Pilot, Communciations, and two gunners), and can carry up to 24 troops. It has a normal top speed of 450 mph, but a rocket in the back can be engaged to push it up to Mach 2-2.5. It has a ceiling of 20,000 feet, but can go twice as high (50,000) with the booster.

The Mosquito is armed with a nose-mounted laser, twin railgun turrets, and two ion cannons, as well as 20 mini-missiles in hidden compartments next to the ion cannons. As an added defense, the Mosquito (and most NGR aircraft) also mounts a chaff dispenser to throw off enemy missiles.

XM-180 Dragonfly Dropship


The Dragonfly is a dropship designed to carry power-armored troops into battle and drop them immediately into the combat/patrol zone. It is armed with a double-barreled railgun in the chin, a top-mounted laser turret, and carries sixteen mini-missiles and two medium-range missiles on the wings. It can cruise up to 50,000 feet high, at Mach 1.5, but slows down to 300 mph when dropping troops.


XM-275 "Lightning" VTOL Combat Jet


The Lightning certainly lives up to it's name. It can act as an attack helicopter or zoom up to Mach 2 like a fighter. And in addition to the laser mounted in the nose, each wing carries a lighting gun called the Arc Blaster. The Arc Blaster is not only fairly powerful, but also as painfully debilitating to both vehicles and living creatures as you'd expect getting hit by a super-charged bolt of lighting to be. The only downside is that the Lighting must slow down to Mach 1 or less or risk catching itself in it's own blast.

[Ahriman238]

Thank you, Samas. I have read here that the Gargoyles are in Italy, I still seem to recall something about dwarves in the Alps, and it seems there's a New Roman Republic made up mostly of Wulfen (Wolf Men, not werewolves.)

[Jub]

You know, we can read the source books ourselves, what would be helpful is actually analyzing something and letting us know why it's good or bad and what flaws it has. How different weapons systems stack up and the like. This thread is really pointless if you're just copy pasting stuff from the books with no additional insight.

[Simon_Jester]

Jub, I don't own the sourcebooks and don't intend to buy them; reading Ahriman's commentary is interesting and amuses me.

I doubt I'm the only one.

[SAMAS]

You know, we can read the source books ourselves, what would be helpful is actually analyzing something and letting us know why it's good or bad and what flaws it has. How different weapons systems stack up and the like. This thread is really pointless if you're just copy pasting stuff from the books with no additional insight.

Like what did you have in mind? I've done a few comparisons on their weapons on Palladium's own forums (and plan to do a few more later), and with Ahriman's permission I could do that here. But what particularly were you looking for? In this board, I would specifically avoid talking about game stats.

[Jub]

I guess with games it's a bit harder to quantify things, but there really isn't much going on in this thread besides reposting bits of game books. When I think of an analysis thread I tend to think of what Connor does with 40k. I was hoping to see a bit quantification, or even talk about why the equipment might be built the way it is.

For example, why are their best fliers also mechs instead of dedicated aircraft, does having claws give you some advantage versus firing guns at long range? Or are we simply to accept that mechs are the best way without even looking at alternatives. The same could go for the Glitterboy; why mount the boomgun on a mech that has to brace instead of a tank that would be better able to handle the recoil?

The answers to these questions are likely 'rule of cool' but you can't really do an analysis if that's the case. I guess my main gripe is the title of the thread given that it really isn't accurate. Something better might be 'Rifts: Re-posts for the rule books'.

[SAMAS]

For example, why are their best fliers also mechs instead of dedicated aircraft,

They're not, actually.


Their go-to supersonic fighter used to be this: the XM-280 Max speed of Mach 3, Service Ceiling of 60,000 feet. Armament consists of two nose-mounted Medium-power lasers with a range of 2000 feet, eight wing-mounted Mini-Missiles, and a payload of sixteen bombs with the option of Plasma and Micro-nuclear warheads. For the usual stuff jet fighters do, they used to turn to this. And the only reason they're stopping is because they came up with better Jets. Much better jets. With cyborg pilots hard-wired into them.

Does having claws give you some advantage versus firing guns at long range? Or are we simply to accept that mechs are the best way without even looking at alternatives.

One of the reasons there are so many Mechs and Powered Armor in the setting is because combat is a whole lot different than it is now. You can't be guaranteed that you'll be able to make an opponent at long range, nor that you'll kill them even on a direct hit. And that goes double for the NGR, whose chief enemy is as big and tough as one of your best Powered armors before they start putting on weapons and armor, at least half of them can fly, and they tend to outnumber you in combat.

The same could go for the Glitterboy; why mount the boomgun on a mech that has to brace instead of a tank that would be better able to handle the recoil?

Who says they didn't? Palladium has yet to get into what kind of Main Battle tank the American Empire used (they have an Amphibious tank which we'll get to later).

That said, some of the books that will come later have some truly monstrous tanks (one of which is actually an enhanced Abrams with alien tech, and another actually has an equivalent to the Boom Gun... as a secondary weapon.). True, they came out at the beginning of a time when the game was going through some serious power creep, but nothing else made since then comes close.

[Torben]

Jub, I don't own the sourcebooks and don't intend to buy them; reading Ahriman's commentary is interesting and amuses me.

I doubt I'm the only one.

I agree. I have actually owned several of the sourcebooks (though they have been lost to the sands of time) and briefly played a campaign in Rifts, and yet I am intrigued and would like to know MOAR!!

[Ahriman238]

I guess with games it's a bit harder to quantify things, but there really isn't much going on in this thread besides reposting bits of game books. When I think of an analysis thread I tend to think of what Connor does with 40k. I was hoping to see a bit quantification, or even talk about why the equipment might be built the way it is.

For example, why are their best fliers also mechs instead of dedicated aircraft, does having claws give you some advantage versus firing guns at long range? Or are we simply to accept that mechs are the best way without even looking at alternatives. The same could go for the Glitterboy; why mount the boomgun on a mech that has to brace instead of a tank that would be better able to handle the recoil?

The answers to these questions are likely 'rule of cool' but you can't really do an analysis if that's the case. I guess my main gripe is the title of the thread given that it really isn't accurate. Something better might be 'Rifts: Re-posts for the rule books'.

I comment on associations and connections as I make them, something I admit has been a bit lacking of late. Questions and feedback are always welcome in my analysis threads. They much improve the quality where I have to look for answers to questions I hadn't thought to ask.

Triax covers their vehicles and mechs with mini-missile launchers because it's a relatively compact AA weapon strong enough to actually injure Gargoyles in a meaningful way. It's not that power armor makes the best flyers, it's that flying power armor lets infantry stay relevant in a world with dragons and demon lords. Now they're highly mobile, armored enough to survive contact in most cases, and can lug around heavy weapons. As far as flight performance goes, the CS has just recently, with Smiling Jack and the Super SAMAS, created suits with abilities that would be acceptable for WWII fighters. I'm pretty sure that flying suits are also a lot cheaper than proper planes, particularly in MDC materials, and don't need dedicated bases or (seem to need) extensive maintenance like a warplane. Remember the main things the CS uses SAMAS for are recon, long-ranging patrols, low altitude cover for important bases (like their airbases and aircraft carriers) and swarming tough targets like dragons or squads of GBs.

Mechs, on the other hand are pretty much pure rule of cool. It's hard to imagine any way to make them really practical and even if they didn't collapse under the weight of their absurdity, they'd be a magnet for fire.

Pure speculation on the GB, I haven't seen SAMAS' tank with boom gun secondaries, but the fluff for the Tarantula suggests that the GB is really suited to recoil in a way tracked vehicles aren't. and not even that it's a way relating to all the impressive measures a GB needs, like pitons and rockets. It doesn't ring particularly true to my thinking, but as I'm freshly reminded every time I do one of these threads, I'm not an expert in physics or military design.

Quantification for a lot of this series is a bit of a pain. Missiles, I get, lasers and railguns to. I have a fair idea how a particle beam would work, but it seems to be it would be inefficient as an anti-tank weapon, which seems to be it's primary role, though smaller ones are used as assault weapons. I can get new devices easily with just a germ of explanation "this is a pump gun. It shoots exploding bullets." Got it. Got a couple questions for clarification but I feel good on the basics. But what's a Valendamned Ion Blaster? How does it work? Is it primarily an antipersonnel or anti-armor weapon? Answer, it varies. What difference is there between the Forager's belly guns and the Super Ion Cannon of the Devastator? I can rattle of dice rolls and damage mechanics, but I feel like the difference should be greater than the numbers say.

Heh. Sorry. /rant.

[SAMAS]

A size comparison between the various Gargoyle broods and a human:


Lemme see what I can do to give an idea of the general power level of Rifts.

The old M48A3 Patton medium tank, with 120mm thick armor, is given about 1000-1200 S.D.C. It's 90mm cannon is given a score off about 2D4X10 SDC damage, and it;s .30 and .50 cal machineguns are rated as 5 (5-30)- and 7D6 (7-35) SDC damage respectively.

An M75 40mm Grenade Launcher inflicts about 3D4x10 SDC (30-120). This is typically rounded off to a single Mega-Damage point if you were to shoot one at an MDC target in a game.

By contrast, your typical Mega-Damage Pistol inflicts between 1D4 and 2d6 MD, depending on the weapon. If they hit an unarmored person, they will generally vaporize a big chunk of their torso.

Rifles generally inflict 2D6-4D6 damage.

Incedentally, the punches/claws of many basic supernatural creatures typically fall between 1-4D6, depending on the strength of the monster in question.

Most heavy infantry/Power Armor anti-vehicle weapons range between 5D6 or 1D6x10 MD. They could core/shred the Patton with little to no effort.

Vehicle-mounted Antipersonnel weapons tend to run from 4D6 to 1D4x10. They are also deadly to the old tank.

Vehicle-mounted Heavy Weapons tend to run from 1D4x10 all the way to 4-5D6x10 at the very highest. I brought the issue of the lower limits up on one of my threads, and the answer I got was because most vehicles have a dedicated gunner, and thus tend to fire 4-6 times in a Melee round (fifteen seconds) no matter what the pilot/driver is doing.

[SAMAS]

Pure speculation on the GB, I haven't seen SAMAS' tank with boom gun secondaries, but the fluff for the Tarantula suggests that the GB is really suited to recoil in a way tracked vehicles aren't. and not even that it's a way relating to all the impressive measures a GB needs, like pitons and rockets. It doesn't ring particularly true to my thinking, but as I'm freshly reminded every time I do one of these threads, I'm not an expert in physics or military design.

According to the recent Black Market book, the secret is apparently in the construction itself. They have the plans for the GB but not for the armor, and they found that just strapping a Boom Gun to one armored with regular armor tends to shake the armor and pilot apart if you fire it too many times.

However, some larger vehicles seem to be able to handle it just fine. The Naruni Juggernaut tank is the one with a gun similar to the Boom Gun, and the Merc Ops book actually has one with an actual Boom Gun mounted on it. Also, the Devestator II from Triax 2 mounts a Boom Gun in each arm.

[Ahriman238]

Then there's the part where SAMAS, gigabytelord, Crossroads and others know way, way more about Rifts then I do. But that's part of the fun. When I started this I had only ever read the new Ultimate Edition main book, Atlantis and England, so a part of this is that I'm learning a lot of the material as I go along, which is unlike my previous analysis threads.

Speaking of which, I have about three open windows of Rifts stuff right now. I suppose the best way to cut down is get the New Rome tangent stuff out of the way, before getting back to Mindwerks and back to England. freaking Druids.



Neo Roma

Rome has been occupied by wolf-men called the Wulfen, who happen to have a very ancient Roman culture and even the Latin language owing to... wait for it, parallel development. *snicker* They have humans and elves in their Republic to, they're even full citizens but together they make up maybe 0.5% of the population, so they're not terribly politically relevant. New Rome maintains a substantial library of wulfen and human pre-Cataclysm works, and has one of the world's greatest universities offering programs in Science, Humanities, Engineering, and Magic, with a student body of 160,000 at any given time.



Neo Roma embraces the city of Rome, naturally, also Naples, Sicily (Sicily is above sea level?) and the great northern outpost of Milan. The city-state of Trieste, also called New Venice is an ally/client state of Rome. Apparently they had to drive fresh pilings into Old Venice, which is now home to many kappa, kree-lokk and mere-people. New Rome is a firm enemy of the Gargoyles and Brodkil, and violently ideologically opposed to Splynncryth's Atlantis and all it stands for. In theory this would make them good allies of the NGR, as they sometimes have been. However, the wulfen do not like the human supremacist angle of the NGR, even as they understand where it comes from, and have a standing policy of aiding D-Bees in the NGR whenever they can.



Okay, military stuff. The Romans have 3 legions, one each stationed in Rome, Milan and Sicily, plus a very healthy militia. Each legion has 5,000 men in 10 cohorts of 500. In the Legions of New Rome, that's 9 cohorts of infantry and one of tanks/mechs. Each infantry cohort has 20 maniples of 25 men. 18 maniples will be infantry while 2 will be cataria (power armor.)

The standard legionaire is equipped with MDC that sure looks like a traditional Roman legionaire's. This is the same level of protection enjoyed by Coalition Deadboys and NGR Cyclops, it's just not environmental armor and doesn't have any of the computer options. They have an MDC material scutum (Roman shield) that nearly or more tough than their armor, a short spear that fires plasma blasts (100 ft range, 12 shots per E-clip) and a vibro-gladius for a backup weapon.

Now, the legion does have riflemen with NGR standard issue rifles, and they seem to have artillery though it's not explored in any kind of detail. They do have a tank, an APC, and a mech with detailed specs, no pictures I'm afraid.

The Phalanx battle tank is 15x14x20 feet and 70 tons. It can go 60 mph (100 k) on land and can neither jump nor fly, but it is amphibious and despite getting along on traditional tracks has a hovercraft mode that can be used for 10 minutes at a time and float the tank 2 feet above any obstacle on the ground. That's one unusual thing about the tank, the other is that the main gun is a 120mm railgun that fires solid rounds, none of this birdshot or 40 round burst business, and it does 66% the damage of a boom gun. The tank carries 40 rounds in an auto-loader, some can be HE, HEAT, incendiary or gyro-jet hypervelocity rounds. For additional weaponry it has a co-ax laser rifle and 8 mini-missiles in 2 pods.

The Scutum APC is pretty much a WWII half-track with a couple of upgrades. 12x12x35 feet, unknown weight. It carries 25 troops, goes 75 mph and also has an amphibious mode, but not hover. Unlike the nuclear driven Phalanx tank, the Scutum runs on diesel. A full tank gets you 300 miles. It has a single laser turret, and some firing slits in the sides for troops.



Finally we have the Republic Wolf-Rider Mech, which is shaped as a wolf. 25x10x25 feet, discounting the 6-foot tail, unknown weight again, not that it really bothers me. Fluff piece says this is what they rebuilt the Phalanx tank into to make it work in mountainous terrain. 60 mph (100 k) running speed can jump 20 feet high and 50 long, thanks to thrusters installed to assist. Can use hover more and thrusters to "fly" for 20 minutes, 10 feet above the ground. Armament is the same 120 mm railgun as the phalanx, now fixed forward, though the Wolf can carry only 20 rounds. Plus two laser cannons on the side, also fixed forward. The Wolf's mouth contains a Mega-Damage plasma-based flamethrower and vibro-blade teeth. Also, the eyes are spotlights and the ears serve as amplified audio-pickups and radio units.


So there are the Wolves of Rome. And if you didn't believe me about this series getting pretty silly despite my warnings...

[SAMAS]

IIRC, the New Roma stuff is from The Rifter (a Quarterly magazine/sourcebook), and as such is "only" Optional.

Which seems to basically mean: "Go ahead and use this, but when we get around to actually doing that area in a World Book, there's a chance it will be different." I wouldn't go as far as to say it's non-canon, though. Rifter stuff has a fairly good record of being codified when a future World Book on the subject comes out.

[Ahriman238]

IIRC, the New Roma stuff is from The Rifter (a Quarterly magazine/sourcebook), and as such is "only" Optional.

Which seems to basically mean: "Go ahead and use this, but when we get around to actually doing that area in a World Book, there's a chance it will be different." I wouldn't go as far as to say it's non-canon, though. Rifter stuff has a fairly good record of being codified when a future World Book on the subject comes out.

Yeah, but I like them. Rifts could use a few more 'good guys' who don't have a secret agenda.


Okay, Mindwerks and some of the things they do to people. Most people who go through Mindwerks get 2-4 of the following, a brain-wave identifier that lets scanners at Mindwerks determine if you're authorized in an area and record your movements, a tracking chip, a remote-detonated explosive in case of escape, and a control chip that disables the victim if certain parameters are met, usually trying to raise a hand against the two Angels or any Mindwerks personnel.

Now for some of their wacky brain implants. There is a decent chance of insanity any time one is installed naturally, but you can have up to 2 implants (besides the control ones above) and not be counted as a Crazy, mostly meaning that if you beat insanity on installation you beat it and you're not going to inevitably go mad.

So one by one, you can ,without becoming a Crazy, take on a Crazy's:

Enhanced Healing
Enhanced Speed
Enhanced Strength
Enhanced Endurance
Hyper Senses

And two new treats unique to Mindwerks. They have discovered a way to program data directly into the brain. The technology is still in it's infancy, but if you take the implant you can learn 5 new skills right away. There are also rules for Angel Herrenisel's Eternal Brain chip, though she only ever made the two. It will double your lifespan (unless you're a Juicer) but has a 40% chance of turning you into a raving megalomaniac.

But, wait! There's more! When some of the first Crazies developed psychic powers it was an unintentional side effect. But Herrenisel in particular has invested a lot of time and resources into figuring out how to do it on purpose, creating a range of brain implants to enhance or give psychic powers. She has labeled this field and these devices psynetics. By the by, if you remember the Mega-Juicer and Delphi Juicer from back when? Those two variants were created by an escaped/defected Mindwerks researcher. Because Angel Herrenisel is paranoid about her work being duplicated by lesser men, every psynetic implant has an explosive anti-tampering mechanism.

Advanced Sixth Sense- no ISP to activate, earlier warning, meditation reveals precise nature of danger.
Amplified Telemechanics- affords better control of machine, can now resist even a live operator.
Ectoplasmic Disguise- like the power
Kinesis Machine- grants power of telekinesis, hydrokinesis, pyrokinesis or electrokinesis.
Nano Amplifiers- nanites increase range and duration of all powers 50%, give bonus ISP, but eventually deteriorate.
Psionic Defense- immunity to most mind-reading or information gathering powers, lose any such powers you have.
Psionic Inducer- bonus ISP and 1-4 random new powers, physical, healing, and/or sensitive.
Psionic Nullifier- seal away any psychic powers the subject once had
Psychometric Amplifier- gain 3 normal or 1 super power of your choosing
Psychometric Booster- double range and duration of sensitive powers, physical and healing increase 50%.
Psynetic Eye- 6x telescope, laser rangefinding, light-amp, see invisible, see aura, commune with spirits, electric arc blaster
Telekinetic Extensions- artificial limbs moved with TK, frequently with weapons built-in.
TK Forcefield Auto Defense- throws up TK forcefield the moment danger is consciously or subconsciously sensed.
Telepathic Sender- telepathic radio, 20 foot range on anyone without an implant, 1000 feet (305 m) between people with this implant.

[Ahriman238]

So classes coming from the Mindwerks book. Obviously Mindwerks is very involved in producing Crazies, it's sort of what they do. They also turn some abductees into full-conversion borgs with extra skills thanks to the Brain Programming implant.

There's a Psynetic Crazy variant that gives up some of the boosted physical abilities to get a telepathic sender, auto TK forcefield, psynetic eye (or psychometric amplifier or booster) and 3 more psynetic implants, player's choice. Allegedly they're even more hyper and zany than normal Crazies.

Another unusual creation of Mindwerks is the Null Psyborg, a full conversion borg with all the bells and whistles, and some advanced variants on the Psionic Defense implant. Not only is the borg completely immune to psychic powers, it can with a touch disrupt any active powers and drain a good deal of ISP (or a small amount of PPE, and disrupt spellcasting) it can also burn a little PPE to create a 10 foot null zone in which no psionics or magic will function.

Probably the weirdest thing to come out of Mindwerks in a while is the Ecto-Traveler. This implant set leaves the subject a paraplegic, but grants advanced astral projection powers. Not only can the astral form go further and stay out longer, but it can create a body of ectoplasm to interact with the physical world. Granted, when you start out said projected body looks more like the Pillsbury Doughboy then anything. But with practice it can become entirely human, except for the color. And it can slip through cracks and out of bonds, doesn't feel pain and isn't much bothered by blunt impacts. You can blast it away, but the Traveler can make another in 12 hours, and at least while he has the body you know where he is. Mindwerks has made just under 50 Ecto-Travelers, it's their newest hot project, and half of them have been turned loose to see what they get up to.

[Ahriman238]

And missed the edit window.

One other thing Windwerks has figured out how to do is to jack up the psychic senses of Psi-stalkers and Dog Boys, doubling the range and sensitivity. Sadly, this process pretty much kills off higher thought processes and leaves them little better than highly aggressive animals, and extremely prone to berserker rages. The resulting being, regardless of origin, is called a Psi-Bloodhound or just Psi-Hound.

[gigabytelord]

I'd like to add the Wulfen of Neo Roma are probably the same as the Space Wulfen from the Three Galaxies, they probably fell through a rift into Italy and decided to help out the people they ran into, which sounds just like your average Space Wulfen.

Also there's some back story floating around that states that the wulfen actually got their roman like culture from the roman's themselves, this was a result of... wait for it... The lost Legion! Who would've thunk it? Apparently they where transported to the Wulfen home world via a rift storm.

On a more serious note, that would explain why the cultures are so close, in universe of course, because from what I know of the Romans there was nothing pleasant about their dealings with other nations in this one

[Ahriman238]

Appropriately enough, since I was just doing a mobile fortress in the Mechanoids thread.


NGR "Misfit" Mobile Infantry Strike Base

This particular landbattleship is one of Triax's newest toys (as of Mindwerks) a heavily armed and armored mobile command center. It has some serious opponents both in the Triax boardroom and NGR government, those who say the vehicle is too big, too slow, too expensive. Others just say that mass attacks by their enemies are inevitable and they really need every possible edge. Of a proposed 12, 3 have been built and the others are awaiting approval based on the combat service of the 3.

The Misfit is actually 5 vehicles, 4 troop carriers that link up to a mobile command center and tow/push said command center so it can maybe sort of keep up. It does not yet rise up to fight as a bipedal mecha, but all things are possible in time. Stats are given piecemeal for each contributing vehicle.



The first components are the 2 troop carriers up front. They each can carry 80 infantry or 40 light armor (Jaegers, Hunters, Super Troopers.) They are 20x30x80 feet and wiegh 10,000 tons apiece. They are also far more heavily armored than the common APC. They are armed with one double-barrel laser turret and two double barreled ion turrets. They can go 45 mph (72 k) on their own, when matched to the command center they can do 35 mph (56 k.)

The rear corners are seen to by 2 artillery troop carriers, which also carry 80 infantry or 40 light armor. They are somewhat larger than the troop carriers up front, 20x30x95, slightly better armored and a lot heavier, 15,000 tons. I presume most of the weight is due to weaponry. The artillery carrier has a topside turret with a double-barrel laser and 24 mini-missiles. 2 double barrel ion turrets on the side that's the outside when attached to the command center, and for the large drum a tank-killing laser cannon, 33 medium-range missiles and 21 mini-missiles. Top speed is 37 mph solo, 35 when part of the Misfit megazord.

Now the command center itself has more MDC than a light tank battalion, an 80 man crew that includes a well stocked hospital with 48 beds and 20 medics, and can carry 40 infantry or 20 armor. It is 70x60x170 feet and weighs 80,000 tons. Max is speed is 12 mph (19 k) without assist, with 4 troop carriers pushing and pulling it goes up to 35 (56 k.) It serves of course as a field headquarters, but also for kicking ass. The main weapon is called a Super PBA (Particle Beam Acclerator) and it is one of the most powerful particle beams in existence, and easily the best ranging at 10,000 ft (3050 m.) Secondary weapons include super laser and ion guns like the Devastator has, and 48 long range (1,000+ mile) missiles with such fun warhead options as heavy plasma bomb, multi-warhead nukes and proton torpedoes. Tertiary weapons include the 2 double laser cannon turrets at the front, 2 ion guns at the belly, 6 smaller laser turrets (no more powerful than ordinary rifles) at the sides of the hospital section, and a rear pointing turret with 3 heavy laser cannon and 24 mini-missiles.

[SAMAS]

And yes, it looks a whole lot like that Land Battleship in M.D. Geist.

Despite their misgivings about them being fire magnets, the Misfits actually acquitted themselves pretty well, with only one falling to enemy attack. Of the survivors, however, all but one were recycled to make their own successors.

Speaking of which, do you want me to go ahead and do the NGR's Naval and New gear?

[Ahriman238]

And yes, it looks a whole lot like that Land Battleship in M.D. Geist.

Despite their misgivings about them being fire magnets, the Misfits actually acquitted themselves pretty well, with only one falling to enemy attack. Of the survivors, however, all but one were recycled to make their own successors.

Speaking of which, do you want me to go ahead and do the NGR's Naval and New gear?

Knock yourself out. I don't have any of the new Triax stuff, and it seems unlikely I'll lay my hands on it. I'm curious.



Druids freaking Druids

Now, any of you who've played DnD know that Druids are pretty much the fury and grandeur of nature incarnate in man's flesh. But Rifts is a very different game from Dnd. In Rifts, Druids have the power to channel magic into a variety of ordinary plants and herbs to make magic potions and teas from them. Thrilling.

Okay, they can do a few things and one Druid class can make a handful of magic items (from a short list) but as a sacrifice they can't cast from the ordinary spell list. Now there are a few classes in Rifts built around making your own magic items, the Techno-Wizard, Weapon Mage and that Russian magic blacksmith class come to mind, the two differences are a.) none of the others require you to give up ALL spellcasting or combat usefulness, just most and b.) none of them are built around such limited, useless and regional dependent items! You can save us all from starvation with a few red-leafed clovers? Great, small problem in that it doesn't grow here.

Oh, and c.) none of the other classes are smug environmentally-OCD hippies who survived the end of the world thanks to the shelter of the Millenium Trees and continue to enjoy this sanctuary while the world burns around them, and instead of helping cower under a sentient Tree's skirts, congratulate themselves on their moral superiority and enjoy their "herbs." Screw you guys.

[Ahriman238]

Damn, cut off.

The one thing that keeps the Druids from being totally useless except to give you herb-gathering quests is their close connection to the Millenium Trees. Druids grow up around the Trees, prove themselves to the Trees and are rewarded. Any given Druid is certain to have at least one Millenium Wand, perhaps as many as 4 (you can find a description of Millenium wands/staves near the top of the last page) which gives them something like normal spellcasting, and may have other items like leaf or bark armor, healing blankets maybe a Stave.

A few Druid things are even useful magic that can't be simply cast instead of drunk. Like there's a potion that makes you 1-4 years younger, or a sprig of leaves that wards off elementals. A lot of herb magic is used to induce visions that may involve the past, future, or simply be ordinary drug trips.

There are 4 types of Druid, plus a Herbalist class that uses Druid herb magic but doesn't get any of the Millenium items. The first is the Filidh which focuses on the divination aspects of herb magic a bit more, along with protection from baleful spirits and crosses with that other timeless gamer annoyance, the Bard. They don't have any sort of bard powers it's just what they do in a story context, they start with one wand and staff. Next is the Dryad, which isn't a tree-person, but the Druid most focused on herb magic, knowing all of the potions and uses of herbs and having almost zero useful skills outside of that. Starts with 2 wands or a wand and a staff, and 16-19 herbs or potions.

Now the Scathach Druid is one I can sort of get behind. They stress being warriors of good, and if their herbal magic is a bit less varied than the others, they can craft a variety of useful magic items, including magic cauldrons, arrows, chains, even a magic sword if you don't expect a Rune Weapon.

The one pictured above is a Millenium Druid, the only one I actually approve of. Millenium Druids have proven themselves to multiple Millenium Trees and are thus more likely to be given admin privileges like visions and teleports. They have the most Millenium crap of anyone, starting with a wand or staff, leaf or bark armor, a throwing stick or javelin of Millenium wood and a blanket of healing. High level M-Druids can have up to 4 wands, a staff, 4 throwing sticks and javelins, armor, 4 blankets of healing.



More to the point, Millenium Druids wander all over, helping the innocent, educating the ignorant and generally being swell guys. They still follow the whole Druid code, are vegetarians who never litter, but they're also not smug assholes about it and never preach about their superiority or try to turn you to their ways. They also have a more specific mission than just, "wander around and do good" it is the sworn mission of each Millenium Druid to retrieve all lost, stolen or corrupted Millenium items and return them to the Trees to be reabsorbed and purified. A mission that can bring them into conflict with a lot of people, including basically decent adventurers who happen to have looted a wand from their enemies, or the Splugorth minions in Splynn's London.

[Ahriman238]

Blood Druids

Then there's the doomsday cult of crazy Druids obsessed with death and destruction. Blood Druids are active throughout Europe and North Africa, and have recently been expanding into the East, as well as to Atlantis and even the Americas, but their special place is the French wasteland, their holy city the village of Le Morte, near the ruins of Geneva.

Blood Druids get negligible PPE, so they use blood sacrifice to get the PPE to charge their herbs and make with the magic. In addition to the standard herb magic, BDs can sometimes glimpse the future from a sacrificial victim's entrails, can tell everything see aura does about a dead victim (age, alignment, health, psychic or magic, experience, any mutations or physical abnormalities( turn dead twice as powerfully as others, and heal, even regenerate limbs using the PPE from a sacrifice.

The Blood Druids have wide appeal, even elves, dwarves and dragons join up, and only about a third of the membership are human.

[SAMAS]

Don't be so hard on the druids. Admittedly, they are more "workman" classes that provide useful infrastructure to the people around them than going out and slaying Gargoyles and Bandits, but they are an important part of the culture of England. Even if you may never want to be one, engaging the services of any Druid in the area is generally a good thing. Plus, some of those magic plants and staves are surprisingly effective. Like the leaves that you can burn and instantly summon an Elemental.

Also, Red(and White) Clover refers to the color of the flowers, not the leaves. And they tend to be common as dirt.

In addition to normal plants, druids and Herbalists have learned to make potions and magic items from a number of alien plants:


The Brain Tree is an underground plant whose lobes glow and light up the darkness is caves, sewers and other underground places. The roots are edible, but it's the lobes that are the Brain Tree's true treasure. Unfortunately, getting them is another matter entirely. Trying to remove or destroy the lobes will cause the plant to lash out not only with electricity, but with psionic attacks as well (it's not called a Brain Tree for nothing). The lobes can be made into various potions that give magic or prophetic sight, or can be made into staves that can give the user control over various entities (ghosts and such) or the psionic power of electrokinesis. A particularly fine lobe can instead be crafted into a crystal ball that can view anybody the user knows for five minutes up to 300 miles away. Or you could sell it for enough money to by a small squad of mechs.


The Fairies' Cauldron is innately magical as is, even before an Herbalist or Druid gets their hands on it. The bowls themselves store magic energy which can be drained for spellcasting and such.

The rainwater that collects in its bowls has a narcotic effect, but also allows the drinker to see the invisible, heals some light wounds, and cures various stomach disorders. But that's nothing compared to what happens if blood gets into them. Humanoid blood becomes a deadly poison. Dragon's blood becomes a potion of metamorphosis that turns the drinker into any creature or plant for 2-8 hours (unfortunately, it can't be dispelled before time runs out). The blood of a Fairie (or Pixie, Sprite, Bogie, Brownie, or Leprechaun) turns into a potion that shrinks the drinker down to 12 inches and gives you butterfly wings. Also, a collection of six or more usually grow into a magic circle that protects anybody inside of it from various supernatural creatures, and can also be used to draw magic power by a wizard. Taking too much magic, however gets you struck by lightning.

Potions made from the plant involve every kind of metamorphosis, negating poison, or can turn a person to, or more importantly from stone.

Speaking of Cauldrons, something must be said of the Magic Cauldrons a Scathach can make. They range in size from a cooking pot up to five gallons.

Boiling Cauldron -- Any food or liquid placed in this pot is heated to boiling with no need for a fire. The outside of the cauldron will still be cool to the touch.

Cauldron of Endless Water -- This cauldron is empty, but any cup or container dipped into it will be filled with cool, drinkable water.

Cauldron of Purity -- Any food prepared in this cauldron is purged of any poisons, pollutants, magic, infection, or diseases that may have been present in the ingredients.

Cauldron of Plenty -- Food cooked in this cauldron will feed ten times the people its size could normally serve.

Cauldron of Destruction -- Unlike the other cauldrons, you don't put food in this rare, limited but powerful item. Any magic item placed in this cauldron will be melted down to slag/ash in just an hour of baking. Even the otherwise indestructible rune weapons mentioned earlier in this thread can be destroyed, but they may take up to five hours. The only limitation is that the magic can only be done on a Ley Line nexus and only during the Solstice (Summer or Winter) or a Solar (and it doesn't have to be total, either) or Lunar Eclipse.

It should also be noted that of all the Druids, The Scathach comes with the most combat-related skills, so if you really need to mix it up, he's your guy.