Jab's Rifts Builds (Rifts- A Final Summation!)

[catsi563]

Yeah i basically replace them with Skaven and use them as such a lot of wild tech and Techwizard stuff

[Jabroniville]

FORT HAWKINS WILDERNESS SCOUT O.C.C.
Role: Alternate Scout
PL 8 (84)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+11)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 8 (+10)
Expertise (Demon & Monster Lore) 8 (+10)
Perception 5 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+8)
Technology 2 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 12 (Gear)

Equipment:
"Body Armor"
Protection 5 (Impervious 5) (11)
Immunity 6 (Radiation, Vacuum, Hot, Cold, Suffocation 2) (6)
Mini-Computer (2)
Tinted Visor, Loudspeaker, etc. (3)

"Laser Rifle" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 3) (27)
"Laser Pistol" Blast 6 (12)
"Assorted Gear" Gas Masks, Radios, etc. (4)
Knife +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Vibro-Blade +5 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
NG Rifle +5 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Adventure)
Responsibility (Outdoorsmen)- Scouts such as these are rarely at home in civilization.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (84)

-Weirdly, there's an "Optional O.C.C." set late in the book, as a pair of Elves set up shop at the Fort Hawkins base in Georgia to establish a "new frontier", and give training to apprentices. They focus on stealth, traps and noticing things, and have options for Demon/Monster Lore OR Jury-Rigging Repairs. The Elves, Pennent & Gran (a pair of wanderlust adventurers tamed by marriage to mature Elven ladies and focusing on practical matters now) focus on training new generations to oversee the ruins of the area when they are gone- they consider themselves protectors of the region. Training is "paid for" by serving the community.

[Jabroniville]

RIFTS DINOSAUR SWAMP OVERVIEW:
-Okay so THIS? This was a "proper Rifts book". None of the "endless boring-ass pages of near-identical Demons" like Mystic Russia or Rifts China. No "Ridiculously overpowered martial arts" (China), weird and boring niche sorcery pages (Russia, China, Australia, Spirit West... basically 50% of the line, really), or 50 pages of vehicles because they had a good artist draw a bunch. This just went "Monsters, Classes, Culture, Setting" and the most superfluous you got was five different variants of the Wilderness Scout, most of whom stat out the same in Rifts but are slightly different enough in Rifts. Key to the point is that nothing here is overpowered- the worst you get are dinosaurs no more powerful than the ones in Rifts New West, and the new O.C.C.s shockingly contain NOTHING that's game-breaking.

This book sort of reads like what Rifts SHOULD have been from the beginning, as it avoids the worst of the early books (England, Africa), and doesn't even have to rely on the "take a stereotype or cultural element and jack it up" like Rifts Australia or even books I liked such as Rifts Japan did. It's just a nice, simple description of a setting and the stuff involved there, with enough plot hooks (Char, SteelTrees, Rat Men, hidden Atlanteans and those hunting them) that players could reasonably stay in this setting for a while. "Human Barbarians" feels a lot more natural and fitting to the setting than "We found a perfectly in order SAMAS factory and built an army and a huge Mega-Damage city" stuff that glosses over the apocalypse. So it stands out even for that.

Though while I agree with BatgirlIII in that Rifts would be a lot different if this book had come out first... this book probably couldn't exist WITHOUT the early books, particularly CJ Carella's expansions, as overpowered as they were. THis book reads like an old-school Rifts fan who was AWARE of those books and knew what worked and what didn't, and knew what to look out for.

Hype over this book was big enough that it immediately led to a sequel, which I will detail next: Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp. Though if that one's just "story hooks" it's gonna be a short one cuz I'll just skim it, lol.

[Jabroniville]

RIFTS WORLD BOOK 27- ADVENTURES IN DINOSAUR SWAMP (2006):
-So 2004 was a busy time for Rifts, releasing 1 World Book and 2 Dimension Books, but then they only release one minor thing in 2005 (Mercenary Adventures Adventure Sourcebook), which is pretty quiet by their standards- 2006 is a return to form, with THREE World Books coming out the same year their infamous embezzlement scandal was reported (looks like the man responsible stole nearly a million dollars and was ordered to pay only $47K and didn't even serve much time? Way to, uh, make embezzlement look FREAKING AMAZING, justice system).

And it looks like Dinosaur Swamp was a big hit, because the book immediately following it was Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp, and obvious sequel book. This one is also by Todd Yoho, but now has Kevin S's name on the front as well. uh-oh.

Yoho says openly it's a "companion book" to the first one, and filled with the stuff he didn't have room for. A "B-Sides", more or less. Which is usually a sign that the best ideas all went into the first one, but we'll see! Kevin just adds that he had his own ideas, and also wanted to reprint the dinosaurs from New West into this one to have "one dinosaur compendium", which is pretty openly admitting to laziness and re-posting. Granted that book was like ten years old by this point, but still.

Okay, it becomes immediately clear here that the book is a compendium of "Our artist drew it, so...", as the works of a couple of artists show up repeatedly in a "Monster Manual" which takes up about 1/3 of the book. One is the "lumpy monsters" guy, who draws every creature as modifications of the same "melted candle" design. Another is a new guy who draws thin linework and greyscale shading on everything. As Rifts is almost 100% comic book-style "hard blacks" over linework it's pretty jarring to see a more modern black & white shading technique suddenly pop up. This guy draws a lot of bug-eyed creatures and borderline "body horror" stuff with freaky alien beasts. It's not a bad look and makes some things look unique, but he ends up with about a dozen different monsters and the same mouths and eyes pop up on most of them, so they all kinda look related, too.

The first 20 or so pages is just environmental hazards and storytelling concepts of Dinosaur Swamp. Stuff like how morality works when there's no governing authority- stuff like that. Then it's a "Wraith Brigade" threat and about 50 pages of monsters- dinosaurs, New West reprints and alien monsters. Then 10 pages on Native Americans (no new O.C.C.s or spells, thank Christ) and a whole new section on the City of Char. Jesus, no wonder Kevin OK'd Yoho doing multiple books- he LOVES this level of "persnickety detail" as BatgirlIII called it once, as ass-tons of NPCs from the town are detailed. That's another 15 pages down, and we finally come to Deearn Neenok, the big "Erin Tarn" of this setting, who does most of the investigating, exploring and commentating on stuff. Palladium loves NPCs like this giving their take on everything. And man his expedition is MASSIVE and has tons of NPCs laid out- far more than you usually get in this setting.

Like it's about 30 pages of this stuff, then we go into the "Hook Link & Sinker" RPing plots... and then OH GOD MORE REPRINTS! The Horune Pirates get their statblocks and gear laid out again. Well again, that's an ancient book (you know it's bad when Kevin Long's stuff is getting reprinted in 2006) and they ARE recurring foes, so it's good to have access to it sometimes. But like... at least put some new art out there! Give us Perez or someone's take on the Horune if they're such a recurring coastal nemesis!

So it's a BIG book just for extra information on a setting, helping it feel more alive, which is usually better than just tossing ass-tons of demons and near-identical cyborgs at us (LOOKING AT YOU, RUSSIA!). Notably no O.C.C.s at all and just a trio of alien races- the entirety of the book's "meat" is made up of setting info and monsters for you to deal with.

So overall this will be a quick one- 17 beasties, the Wraiths and then I'll skim 3-4 huge chunks of text on things. If anyone has any great memories of this one, please let me know!

[Batgirl III]

If you found the art in Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp jarring, wait ‘til you get a load of Madhaven!

[Jabroniville]

WRAITH BRIGADE ENTITY
Role: Civil War-Era Ghost
PL 11 (133)
STRENGTH -- STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS -3 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Intimidation 10 (+7)
Perception 8 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Entity"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 7 [7]
Insubstantial 4 [20]
Speed 4 (30 mph) [4]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

"TK Firearm" Blast 8 (Extras: Affects Corporeal) (24) -- [26]

• AE: "Psi-Sword Bayonet" Damage 10 (Extras: Affect Corporeal) (20)
• AE: "Rebel Yell/Yankee Rally" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed & Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Controlled) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- Hearing Perception) (Flaws: Limited to Fear) (16)

"Psionics" (Ectoplasm, Empathy, Empathic Transmission, Mind Block, Presence Sense, See the Invisible, Sixth Sense, Telekinesis)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (-- Damage, DC 0)
Bayonet +11 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
TK Firearm +11 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Yell/Rally +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Defense of Their Land)- Wraith Brigades fight only to defend their "land", which is an invisible patch of territory. Anyone come in is attacked immediately until they leave whatever boundaries there are.
Weakness (Energy Weapons)- Wraith Brigades are vulnerable only to energy weapons, but these do half-damage. Psi-Swords do double-damage.

Total: Abilities: 10 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 88 + Psionics / Defenses: 16 (133)

-The Wraith Brigades are given a section of focus ahead of the Bestiary for some reason, and act like the Haunting Children from Dinosaur Swamp, in that they ignore the "Entity" stuff and just do their own thing (lol I bet Yoho thought they were dumb). The Brigades are actually ghosts from the Civil War era, representing Union & Confederate soldiers. The Brigades appear in groups of 6-8 (but can go up to 20) and fight in "defense" of their land, which is hard to determine- they disperse as soon as one leaves, but as the "land" in question is more or less based off of invisible boundaries, people don't know which way to flee. But the Brigades will kill anyone who wanders in, and cannot be dissuaded.

-Wraith Entities are actually very potent, having poor M.D.C. but incredible immunities, effectively being insubstantial ghosts that can only be harmed by one thing (which does half-damage). This is easier than the usual Rifts "Immune to Everything" monster because they're actually Insubstantial and I can just put a Complication on it. They have "Affects Corporeal" on all their other stuff, and PL 9-10.5 attacks otherwise.

[Batgirl III]

Haunted battlefields are just so thematically appropriate for Rifts’ intended mix of post-apocalyptic / near-future / all-myths-are-true / esoteric occult.

As you’ll all recall from my previous explanation of how ley lines work, the Potential Psychic Energy of a sapient being can increase during times of intense emotions and will double at the moment of death and can flow into any nearby ley line. Ley line nexuses are often the sites of hauntings… and the American South sits awful close to the “Devil’s Triangle” where numerous very powerful ley lines all intersect.

So, a bunch of soldiers dying in a war which “put brother against brother” were undoubtedly experiencing intense emotions. If some of those battlefields were on or near ley line nexuses it’s only natural (supernatural?) that they’d be haunted.

RIFTS is surprisingly internally consistent, if you can slog your way through the archaic and anarchic way the information is presented (and don’t get too caught up by the nine-foot tall demon-possessed cyborg with the chainsaw swords for an arms.)

[Jabroniville]

WRAITH SOLDIER R.C.C.
Role: Civil War-Era Ghost Player Character
PL 11 (156)
STRENGTH -- STAMINA -- AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+5)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Ranged Attack 6, Startle

Powers:
"Entity"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 7 [7]
Insubstantial 4 [20]
Speed 4 (30 mph) [4]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Communication (Mental) 2 (Extras: Area, Selective) [12]
Senses 4 (Wraith Brigade Awareness- Radius, Ranged & Tracking) [4]

"TK Firearm" Blast 8 (Extras: Affects Corporeal) (24) -- [26]

• AE: "Psi-Sword Bayonet" Damage 10 (Extras: Affect Corporeal) (20)
• AE: "Rebel Yell/Yankee Rally" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed & Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Controlled) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- Hearing Perception) (Flaws: Limited to Fear) (16)

"Psionics" (Ectoplasm, Empathy, Empathic Transmission, Mind Block, Presence Sense, See the Invisible, Sixth Sense, Telekinesis)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (-- Damage, DC 0)
Bayonet +11 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
TK Firearm +11 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Yell/Rally +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Weakness (Energy Weapons)- Wraith Soldiers are vulnerable only to energy weapons, but these do half-damage. Psi-Swords do double-damage.
Responsibility (Insanities)- Many Wraith Soldiers have 1-3 Insanities, but 42% do not.
Responsibility (Men Out Of Time)- Wraith Soldiers remember only their 19th Century lives and are ill at ease on Rifts Earth.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 104 + Psionics / Defenses: 10 (156)

-The Wraith SOLDIER is a playable version of the above Wraith Brigades. They remember their old lives and have been transplanted to this time period boundaries, leaving them true men out of time. They have actual proper Mental Abilities, but I'm not sure if they get the same number of attacks or not.

[Harnos]

THE NEURON BEAST
Role: Giant Demon, Shoulder Devil, Manipulator
PL 12 (147 + Magic & Psionics)
STRENGTH 9 STAMINA 14 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 7 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Expertise (Fae) 6 (+5)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+0 Size)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
Immunity 6 (Fire Damage, Heat) [6]
Regeneration 3 [3]
Extra Limbs 8 [8]
"Body Spines" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) [3]

Flight 4 (30 mph) (4) -- [5]

• AE: Speed 4 (30 mph) (4)

Growth 5 (Str & Sta +5, +5 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -5 Stealth) -- (18 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [11]

"Magic" (Globe of Daylight, Fingers of Wind, Invisibility- Simple, Levitate, Charismatic Aura, Multiple Image, Shadow Meld, Stone to Flesh, Calling, Eyes of Thoth, Tongues, Magic Pigeon, Tune Slip, Blinding Flash, Energy Bolt, Call Lightning, Domination, Turn Dead, Exorcism, Constrain Being, Simple Protection Circle)
"Psionics" (Total Recall, Telepathy, Empathy, Object Read, See Aura, See the Invisible, Sense Evil & magic, Bio-Manipulation, Empathic Transmission, Group Mind Block, Mind Block Auto-Defense, Mentally Possess Others, Mind Bolt, Mind Bond, P.P.E. Shield, Psi-Sword)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Body Spines +12 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +14, Fortitude +14, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Studying Others)- Neuron Beasts like to observe and figure things out- this often entails dissecting things, vivisecting living creatures, or seeing what will happen if they can manipulate people into fighting each other.
Disabled (Cold)- Neuron Beasts are said to "dislike" the cold.

Total: Abilities: 88 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 36 + Magic & Psionics / Defenses: 14 (147 + Magic & Psionics)

-These are "Random Rifts Demons", which I think was supposed to be more of a thing in the early stages of the game- they made a big deal out of how random Demons would show up and wreck house all over the world, preventing anyone from getting too comfortable. But every successive World Book created established cities & nations, established farmsteads, etc.- things that these, if common, would utterly disrupt a bit too much. In any case, these are enigmatic creatures who appear at random all over North & South America, and are curious about all living things, but in a disturbing way- fascinated by a human, for instance, it might vivisect them on the spot! They love instigating conflicts among humans, and will often be a "shoulder devil" to some, or a monarch to others.

-Neuron Beasts are incredibly powerful, durable, and versatile, having a ridiculous amount of Psionics and Spells, plus tons of attacks (eight in total!).

They look kinda goofy in that picture. Spikes around the head could be cool if it looked like an energy effect but they look like overgrown hair and gives the beast a little bit puppet vibe. This one below looks cooler, more adult with a slight Lovecraftian touch. Dissecting type of curiosity makes an interesting demon.

[Jabroniville]

-Neuron Beasts are incredibly powerful, durable, and versatile, having a ridiculous amount of Psionics and Spells, plus tons of attacks (eight in total!).

They look kinda goofy in that picture. Spikes around the head could be cool if it looked like an energy effect but they look like overgrown hair and gives the beast a little bit puppet vibe. This one below looks cooler, more adult with a slight Lovecraftian touch. Dissecting type of curiosity makes an interesting demon.

Woah! Where did THAT art come from? Because I agree that looks a ton better. Under-detailed art from the first books nearly always looks bad.

[Harnos]

-Neuron Beasts are incredibly powerful, durable, and versatile, having a ridiculous amount of Psionics and Spells, plus tons of attacks (eight in total!).

They look kinda goofy in that picture. Spikes around the head could be cool if it looked like an energy effect but they look like overgrown hair and gives the beast a little bit puppet vibe. This one below looks cooler, more adult with a slight Lovecraftian touch. Dissecting type of curiosity makes an interesting demon.

Woah! Where did THAT art come from? Because I agree that looks a ton better. Under-detailed art from the first books nearly always looks bad.

I didn't upload it. It is just on the first page of Google results.

[Batgirl III]

RIFTS® books always feels like I’m either reading a GM’s notes for a planned campaign or the very rough, first draft of a planned game supplement.

A lot of the artwork in the early books feels the same way, like something the GM sketched so his players would get an idea of the thing they were facing… and honestly, I’d wager that’s probably exactly what all the early art by Kevin® Siembedia® was.

[Harnos]

Jabroniville, this Jeff Russell guy have some more good looking stuff here. He seems to have done some work for Rifts and Lovecraftian Mythos. There are better looking fairie and thornhead too.

[Jabroniville]

ALIEN REX
Role: Mid-Sized Alien Theropod
PL 12 (117)
STRENGTH 11 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Close Combat (Bite) 1 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 13 (+12 Size)
Perception 6 (+7)
Stealth 14 (+17, +11 Size)

Advantages:
Close Attack 3, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Bite) 2, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent & Extended Scent 2) [4]
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
"Theropod Bite" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 5) [7]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (15 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Bite +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +12 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +12, Will +6

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 42--21 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 20 (117)

-The bestiary begins with the "Alien Rex", obviously a T-Rex drawn by the "lumpy creatures" artist, so it looks like it's from the same world as all his other lumpy designs. It's Allosaurus-sized but only about as durable as a solid suit of Power Armor- half as much as SAMAS. It does a fair bit of damage, but not as much as the Allosaurus or T-Rex, though it's a better fighter, with 5 attacks and +3 accuracy to its bite.

[Jabroniville]

Jabroniville, this Jeff Russell guy have some more good looking stuff here. He seems to have done some work for Rifts and Lovecraftian Mythos. There are better looking fairie and thornhead too.

ah, cool! Yeah, those are all definitely improvements. I mean, most RPG art was pretty bad in the late '80s and early '90s, but Rifts STILL PUBLISHES their Main Rulebook like that. The art is almost as archaic as the rules!