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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NG Combat Robots 3

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Gunbot Robot-Killer"- Toughness +13, 75 mph, Dual-Cannon Nose Guns +15 (Split), Underbarrel Ion Cannon +13, Mini-Missiles, Grenade Cannon +10-12, ST 9, Dodge +1, 18 feet tall.

-The Gunbot is another "Walking Artillery" robot, with twin cockpits packing massive cannons on them. It's designed as a "Robot Fighter" but really it's just a "thing killer" since it does tons of damage and has multiple gunners allowing it to gun down everything in range. It's said to have good defenses owing to new stabilizers that help in bob and weave- enemies are all at -1 to hit.

Image

"Gunwolf"- Toughness +14, 60 mph, Dual Rail Guns +15 (Split, Wood/Silver Ammo optional), Chest Rail Gun +12, Ion Cannon +12, Mouth Flamethrower +13 (Area- 10 feet), Eye Lasers +11, Wolf's Howl (Reaction Area Affliction: -3 to attacks & defenses to anything with enhanced hearing; scrambles electronic sensors/comms), Mini-Missiles, Silver-Lined Bite +9, Claws +10, 26 feet tall.

-Probably the most "OMG I want to PLAY THIS" thing in the NG1 book is the GUNWOLF- a gigantic wolf-headed super-mech designed to kill monsters. It was based around the looming threat of having to face an entire NATION of monsters- not unprecedented given how the New German Republic is surrounded by Gargoyles and how Tolkeen fought using armies of Daemonix and other demons. The Gunwolf thus has a lot of anti-monster hardware with wood or silver-lined weapons, as well as things that harm their enhanced hearing by disabling some accuracy and defenses.

-Gunwolves' specialty is allowing monsters to leap in, grapple them, and then bite down to prevent escape, unloading with the Ion Cannon or Rail Guns while fighting. However, they are said to have poor ammo. Gunwolves are doing well in the field (with large "Wolf Packs" being sent out), but usually require faster-moving backup in case of ammo losses.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun May 14, 2023 9:18 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NG Combat Robots 4

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Grizzly"- Toughness +16, 35 mph, Top-Mounted Weapon Turret/Ion Cannons +12 (Split)/Rail Guns +15 (Split), Armor Buster +14, Mini-Missiles, Chaff Launchers, Smoke Grenades, Hydrochloric Acid Grenades, Flamethrower +13 (Area)/Multiple-Target Laser +7 (Multiattack, only on different targets), Stake-Thrower/Grenade Launcher, ST 9, 32 feet tall.

-The Grizzly is an absolute UNIT, sporting 700 M.D.C., but its focus is on variable weapons- every weapon is given another option, with different kinds of armaments (or sometimes sensors). It's another monster-killer, but primarily meant to be sat down in a strategic location and just kill EVERYTHING that comes after it. It's a brand-new robot and said to be wildly popular to the point of NG having difficulties keeping it stocked. It's so potent they were worried the Coalition would take issue with Grizzlies being sold to just anyone who could afford one (like neighboring kingdoms), but it's said to be a combination of Grizzlies being very slow and easy to avoid/overrun, and the recognition of the Xiticix threat.

Image

"Hunter Mobile Gun"- Toughness +14, 70 mph, Howitzer Rail Gun +14 (Multiattack), Forearm Rocket Launchers, Penis Laser +12, ST 9, 32 feet tall.

-An iconic "Early Rifts" robot, the Hunter Mobile Gun has a classic "Kevin Long" design- probably swiped from anime, with a distinctive appearance- in this case, it's dome head with a long gun sticking out of it. It's shown again here and treated like an old faithful kind of combat robot that's lasted decades. It's versatile, has great weapons, and is very tough- the humanoid hands let it be even more helpful, as it can carry equipment, build fortifications, and more. A huge secondary market of "used Hunters" now exists, and even the upgrade is deliberately made to look the same as the popular original. Notably, the Hunter is one of the pricier single robots in the book- moreso than even the Gunwolf.

Image

"Hunter Mobile Gun- Block IV Upgrade"- Toughness +15, 70 mph, Howitzer Rail Gun +14 (Multiattack)/Rail Cannon +15/Ion Cannon +14, Forearm Mini-Missiles, Penis Cannon +12/Flamethrower +13 (Area)/Chest Rail Gun +12, Light Laser Chest Gun +9, ST 9, 32 feet tall.

-Chuck Walton did a heck of a job redesigning Long's iconic, but somewhat "1980s anime" (ie. traced) original Hunter, adding more details, blockier feet, a more prominent Cock Gun (it's joked about in the writing here, as they're clearly aware of how funny it looks), and a LOT more details, vents and extra bits to the torso and head. The M.D.C. is drastically increased from 490 to 600, putting it in the "Glitter Boy Tier". The guns are now highly variable and just as potent as before, but more versatile.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun May 14, 2023 9:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Davies
Posts: 5081
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:37 pm
Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Combat Robots- Blocker! Bison! Gunwolf!)

Post by Davies »

... ironically, I think Walton's design, with its rounded head and tread-like feet, looks more like an extant mecha, the Scopedog of Armored Trooper Votoms.

Image

There are obvious differences, such as the Hunter's ... interestingly placed lower torso weapon, but on the whole ...
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NG Combat Robots 5

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Multibot- Original"- Toughness +14, 60 mph, Heavy Ion Cannon +12, Light Rail Gun +13, Missiles, Mini-Missiles, Detaches a Toughness +11 Hovercraft w/ Flight 7, 26 feet tall.

-The original Multibot from the Main Rulebook reappears, notably an unusual design with a skinny-legged robot with a broad torso that looks like a head, a cock laser, and twin "scissor launchers". It's most notable for the pilot compartment being able to launch off as a fast hovercraft. Humorously, this book derides "some genius" for assuming this would be a hot seller and the definitive robot of the future, but it "never won customer acceptance". It has now been discontinued for the latter model. It's noticeably lightly armored if you count the two parts separately, though damage is divided between the two sections, meaning it functionally has more toughness.

Image
Image

"Megabot"- Toughness +14, 55 mph, Heavy Ion Cannon +13, Tri-Barrel Heavy Laser Cannon +14, Missile Launcher, Mini-Missiles (x2), Detaches a Toughness +13 Hovercraft w/ Flight 7, 37 feet tall.

-Now THIS is an upgrade! Chuck Walton knocks it out of the park again with this gigantic robot that is less silly-looking, though it sports a "nose-cone" of a fighter jet as a nose for the head-torso. Now the vehicle is more durable and allows it to make easier exits should the robot meet trouble. It still has the same flaws as the Multibot, and tactically the giant nose-cone is an easy target, especially in melee. However it's got its fans, appealing to "speed junkies, robot aces" and more. The "Combat Racer" is easy to launch off and make quick recon or support ground troops then fly back, too. It's also one of the largest NG robots available and has a LOT of missiles.
User avatar
catsi563
Posts: 4130
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:29 pm
Location: Dark Side of the Moon
Contact:

Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Combat Robots- Blocker! Bison! Gunwolf!)

Post by catsi563 »

See what NGr shoudlve done is called the original the Elephant. then even if it looks a bit goofy it has a cool name which it matches appearance wise then upgrade it to the mamoth or mastadon for the new version

calling something the MEGA bot when it looks like a bloody woodpecker is a bit of a bad joke
Dr. Silverback has wryly observed that this is like trying to teach lolcats about Shakespeare

Showdown at the Litterbox

Catsi stories
User avatar
OwOMotaros
Posts: 592
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 3:20 am

Re: NG Combat Robots 5

Post by OwOMotaros »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 12:27 am Image

"Multibot- Original"- Toughness +14, 60 mph, Heavy Ion Cannon +12, Light Rail Gun +13, Missiles, Mini-Missiles, Detaches a Toughness +11 Hovercraft w/ Flight 7, 26 feet tall.
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe...
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: NG Combat Robots 5

Post by Jabroniville »

OwOMotaros wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 1:05 am
Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 12:27 am "Multibot- Original"- Toughness +14, 60 mph, Heavy Ion Cannon +12, Light Rail Gun +13, Missiles, Mini-Missiles, Detaches a Toughness +11 Hovercraft w/ Flight 7, 26 feet tall.
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe...
Mock thee not the Light Rail Gun.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NG Combat Robots 6

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Scorpion Battler"- Toughness +13, 60 mph, Tail Ion Cannon & Lasers +14, Top-Mounted Weapon Turret +14/Missiles, Laser +10/Ion Blaster +12, Mini-Missiles, Chainsaw +14, Pincer +10, 22 feet long.

-The only purely animal-themed robot in the line, the Scorpion was designed to compete with the CS Scorpion Skull-Walker and Bandito Arms Tarantula ATR. It has actual barracks, small kitchen, a bathroom and more. It's completely bad-ass, with a clamp-like left pincer and a CHAINSAW for a right pincer (doing Rail Gun-tier damage!), along with a huge tail for extreme amounts of weapons. This is actually the most bad-ass melee fighter of the lot, as the Chainsaw is doing 1D6x10 damage in melee- equivalent to the best guns of everything else (most Robots do a wimpy +9-10 damage at best).

Image

"Sunfire"- Toughness +12, 70 mph, Solar-Powered Rail Gun +13, Variable Bore Rail Gun +13, Holographic Decoys, 19 feet tall.

-Many of the final robots in the book are drawn by other artists, who aren't anywhere near as detailed as Walton- three are by Mark Dudley, who still manages to use shading and proper line-width. His stuff is quite same-y, though. The Sunfire is a "compact" robot vehicle that patrols borders and has holographic decoys to fool the enemy into thinking patrols are larger than they really are, and shockingly has SOLAR POWER instead of nuclear energy. This is all meant to keep costs down- it's lighter in armor (barely more than a man-sized SAMAS suit). It's apparently "surprisingly popular" because of the cost and the unique power system.

Image

"Super Max"- Toughness +13, 60 mph, Swimming 25 mph, Leaping 3, Handheld Rifle +14/Particle Beam Rifle +13, Laser +10/Mini-Missiles/Plasma Ejector +11/Ion Blaster +13, Missile Pod, ST 8, Extra Sensors, 17 feet tall.

-The Super Max is drawn by yet another artist, and is a tall-looking, skinny robot with a narrow torso and long arms. The two large piston-like structures on the shoulders are the most unique feature. It's a response to the Triax Ulti-Max robot (man how are North Americans even that familiar with those?). This is apparently wildly popular with clients (NG can't even keep up with demand), as the robot is agile, fast and dynamic, able to leap, roll and climb, and has hands small enough to use Combat Cyborg weapons, allowing it greater versatility than larger suits. It can leap across rooftops, making it more mobile than other robots and not a slave to traffic or debris, either.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NG Combat Robots 7

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Thundercaster"- Toughness +13, 55 mph, Variable Projectile Cannon +14, Rail Gun +13, Double-Barrelled Laser +13, 17 feet tall.

-Looking only 2.5 times as tall as a man in the picture, the Thundercaster is another Walton design, and extremely thickly-built, with huge limbs and a GIGANTIC shoulder-cannon. In fact, it looks like someone told Walton to design a "Bigger, More Detailed Glitter Boy", because it has the same silhouette. It's Rail Guns are designed to use ANYTHING for ammunition- even wood, rocks & bricks. This seems "idiotic" to some, but is meant to allow the Thundercaster to go for long trips in the wilderness and never be "out of ammo".

Image

"Viking"- Toughness +16, 45 mph, Automatic Grenade Launcher +9-13 Area, Missile Launchers, Heavy Plasma Cannon +14, Concealed Arm Lasers +9, Vibro-Claws +11, ST 11, 29 feet tall.

-The Viking & Volcano are both drawn by Mark Dudley, and given the same general design- it's clear one was used as a template for the other, though the silhouettes, limbs, and even detailed bits are all different. Bizarrely, despite being an almost throwaway design put in at the end of the book (yes I know it's alphabetical) and not drawn by the superstar Chuck Walton... this has the MOST TOUGHNESS IN THE ENTIRE BOOK, sporting a gigantic 745 M.D.C.! This is effectively a huge, dinosaur-stomping brute of a machine, though it can absolutely NOT hold its own with 1-3 Glitter Boys like the book says, unless it manages to stay far, far away- Boom Guns that can fire multiple times per round will easily destroy even this, and it does 1/3 the damage in return. The price is in accordance with its size- only the Explorers cost more.

Image

"Volcano"- Toughness +13, 60 mph, Heavy Flamethrower +13, Plasma Ejector +13, Heatwave +4 Area, ST 9, 24 feet tall.

-Also drawn by Dudley, the Volcano is shorter than the Viking and about half as tough. It's design as a fire-caster, as many of its enemies are vulnerable to fire. I forget what's vulnerable to fire, but they're designed to kill Xiticix and burn down their hives.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Northern Gun Gear

Post by Jabroniville »

NORTHERN GUN GEAR:
-And of course there are more guns. Thankfully just a small section. Pistols and Laser Rifles go from Blast 8-10. The Laser Pulse Submachine Gun is Blast 12. The Sniper Rifle is Blast 11 and can to for 2,400 feet! A Triax knock-off is the same (but 3K feet) and is +3 to aim. The Super-Sniper is even better than THAT, doing Blast 13, but with 2,000 feet and with only +1 to shoot. "Seasnake" guns are designed to be waterproof and don't even look like NG gear, and do aaround Blast 9-10. Solar-Powered Lasers are low-yeild, doing Blast 7-9 tops. Heavy Energy Pistols do Blast 9-10, with an Ion Pulse Rifle hitting Blast 13. Particle Beam Rifles are Blast 12, a Pulse Plasma Ejector is Blast 13, and a Mega-Crossbow can be Blast 9-10. A Mini-Railgun is Blast 11, and most regular ones are Blast 13- one is the most common Rail Gun in North America, loved by all. The Heavy Rail Gun, Cannon & Rail Rifle are the most damaging at +14- these are all way too heavy to be used by anything but Robot Armors and the strongest beings.

A line of "Bangsticks" have shells in them that do around +8, and can be modded to have wood or silver bullets.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Rifts Northern Gun 1 Finished

Post by Jabroniville »

RIFTS NORTHERN GUN 1 FINISHED:
-And so we come to another book finished- this one has only a pittance of O.C.C.s and is mostly about GEAR- this and NG2 are cut from the same cloth in that regard. This one is entirely about giant Robot Armor, as you are I guess supposed to play Operators piloting these gigantic things. Oddly most of them require TEAMS of men to use properly, though, so maybe they're mostly NPCs? Or your Headhunter players are supposed to use them? All the "Mobile Bunker" stuff cries "this is how you're actually supposed to play this" but a lot of it's quite impractical.

The rules and stats for Robot Armors are of course kind of amusing here. Everything is pretty high-tier, but it's universally Toughness +13-15, with only the biggest of the big being anything close to a Glitter Boy, which is only a little bit taller than a man and has a better gun than ANYTHING in this entire book. It's as if they made two books in a row with "Shittier Than a Glitter Boy" stuff to re-establish its status as the top-tier thing in North America.

Overall, of course, this book sells itself with Chuck Walton's tremendous art. This is stuff you would NEVER see in a comic book- it's just way too complex to draw more than a couple of times. Hell, I can't imagine drawing it ONCE.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Rifts Northern Gun 2

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

RIFTS WORLD BOOK 34- NORTHERN GUN 2 (2013):
-Northern Gun gets itself a SECOND World Book, following right after the first. In this case, it's only ONE O.C.C. (the Robo-Gladiator, first mentioned in NG1), then... page after page of gear. ALL THE GEAR. Here it's suit upon suit of regular Power Armor- while NG1 was all about the gigantic Robot Armors, this is about man-sized, single-pilots suits. Chuck Walton is again the hero of the day, with his style now fit around entirely humanoid suits, often with animal heads (like the Red Hawk, most notably). The book is just more pretty pictures, but... it's really same-y. There's not many ways to make super-suits unique from one nation, and these are ALL below Coalition technology, meaning you're buying a 240-page book to read about armor that's worse than a regular SAMAS.
User avatar
catsi563
Posts: 4130
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:29 pm
Location: Dark Side of the Moon
Contact:

Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Northern Gun 1 Finished!)

Post by catsi563 »

an Interesting note is that the robot in that picture is a near carbon copy of the CS IAR 4 Hellraiser robot
Dr. Silverback has wryly observed that this is like trying to teach lolcats about Shakespeare

Showdown at the Litterbox

Catsi stories
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Northern Gun 1 Finished!)

Post by Jabroniville »

catsi563 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:12 pm an Interesting note is that the robot in that picture is a near carbon copy of the CS IAR 4 Hellraiser robot
Oh, that's interesting- obviously deliberate but did they announce it in the book somewhere and I missed it?
Jabroniville
Posts: 24693
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Robo-Gladiator

Post by Jabroniville »

ROBO-GLADIATOR O.C.C.
Role:
Futuristic Robot Fighters
PL 8 (77)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Expertise (Showman) 4 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Technology 5 (+5)
Vehicles 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Daze (Persuasion), Equipment 10 (Armor +5, Vehicle, Guns), Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Power Armor +5 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Laser Guns +5 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Money & Fame)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (77)

-A huge chunk of Rifts Northern Gun Two is devoted to the Robodome and its Robo-Gladiators. Here, men pilot suits against each other in violent combat until time is over or one suit is destroyed. There are tons of rules brought up, details about the fame of the pilots, etc. There are three weight classes: Lightweight (light power armor, cyborgs), Middleweight (heavy power armor and robots under 18 tons) and Heavyweight (robots above 18 tons). No Techno-Wizard Devices, Magic, Coalition or Naruni tech is allowed- they want good relations with the CS and the Naruni are hated by every technology manufacturer in North America.

-Robo-Gladiators are the specialized O.C.C. for this, training daily to fight in the arena. They are often rich and famous, and the best ones can make incompetent opponents look good to keep up the spectacle. Robo-Gladiators are big, showy and exciting, and often draw fire or psyche out enemies. They are otherwise under-skilled, but anyone getting essentially a free robot is pretty good regardless.
Post Reply