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

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Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Rifts Northern Gun One

Post by Jabroniville »

RIFTS WORLD BOOK 33- NORTHERN GUN 1 (2013):
-Amazingly, Ishpeming (Northern Gun) was part of the setting for like 25 years before they actually gave it a book of its own... but they gave it TWO! Turns out all you need is a superstar artist with designs that even the dumbest person would insist go in their book and get write-ups about. Chuck Walton shows up and produces some of the most insane, super-detailed suits of armor ever seen in these books, and they pretty much "justify" themselves based off of that. This is the first book in a WHILE that I bought myself. Matthew Clements shares the writing byline with Kevin S himself.

As the main setting in the former United States on Rifts Earth is based around where the creators live, the Chicago-centric Coalition States are fairly close to the Michigan city of Ishpeming, which is the source of the "Northern Gun" company. NG becomes one of the big "Mercenary Suppliers" in the setting, as it's goods are found in North America and won't immediately get you shot elsewhere. It's also the most notable example of a "Human Kingdom" that's supposed to pop up occasionally in the setting. Most are basically city-states and this is no exception. NG is right next to the Manistique Imperium (and I'm still not sure why the setting chose to include two, as they're hardly different enough to note- maybe for variety?), another example.

NG is of course a "Company Town"- the book even says it. The corporation controls everything. A shocking 75+ pages is devoted JUST to Ishpeming and the surrounding region, the inner workings of the city, certain individuals within, etc. Like it's the infinitessimal details that KS LOVES and is probably his doing. Or just Clements cleverly latching onto Kevin's love of it and putting it in his manuscript. A big section is devoted to the Loss Prevention Office (LPO), which is a combination of secret police, paramilitary force and spies, working locally and internationally. Manistique is a rival (who hates the LPOs) while Titan Robotics is mistrusted for having crazy-weird tech. Bandito Arms is seen as the most serious threat.

There's a port city, a "Pirate Bay" full of illicit goods, and a post set up to observe and hunt the Xiticix coming from Canada.

The book is set up with about 80 pages of "Northern Gun Stuff", six O.C.C.s based around NG's personnel, much of which you've seen in other books but is differentiated here by... by having "NG" placed in front of the names, and then a MASSIVE remainder of the book is just robots. Endless Chuck Walton-drawn beatifully ludicrous robots. The old NG designs in the Main Rulebook like the Explorer Bot and that round-headed one with the dick laser are given HUGE redesigns with more details than you could possibly imagine, and it basically rules. It's the reason anyone would BUY the book, and it takes up more than 60% of it. It's ridiculously over-detailed and nobody could EVER need this many robots, but it's one of the most "Our Artist Drew It, So..." books out there cuz they wasted NOTHING.
Jabroniville
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Northern Gun Bush Pilot

Post by Jabroniville »

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NORTHERN GUN BUSH PILOT O.C.C.
Role:
Pilots, Future Truckers, Stunt-Pilots
PL 8 (80)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Spy) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 1 (+2)
Perception 7 (+8)
Technology 5 (+6)
Vehicles 8 (+12)

Advantages:
Benefit (+20% to all unfamiliar vehicles, short takeoffs and emergency landings), Equipment 10 (Laser Guns, Electronics, Vehicles, Armor +5), Fearless, Skill Mastery (Vehicles), Ultimate Vehicles Skill

Powers:
"Small Cybernetics"
Senses 1 (Infravision) [1]

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

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+7 Jumpsuit), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The Current Boss)- Bush Pilots will work for anyone, though most steer clear of demons and despots. But their current employer is who they're most loyal towards.
Motivation (Thrills & Challenge)- Bush Pilots are most interested in what are said to be "suicide missions".

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 8 (80)

-Bush Pilots are more or less "Futuristic Truckers", meant to transport shipments to varoius remote places. They combine aspects of Operators (the forgotten O.C.C. from the Main Rulebook that's all about fixing stuff), Mercenaries and Wilderness Scouts, able to survive in many areas and fight it out if attacked, always defending their cargo. They are described as thrill-seeking adventurers who find the challenge more attractive than the high pay. They intend to make deliveries come hell or high water, and are not loyal to any one group- they will supply Tolkeen, the Coalition, or anyone else, and each new mission is a whole new loyalty.

-NG Bush Pilots are packed with skills, mixing Piloting with Spycraft and Survival (most have the ability to forge papers and do computer stuff), with light gear and weapons, plus a free truck or aircraft for their deliveries. They get bonuses to certain kinds of piloting tricks, well beyond the norm for pilots, so they're most focused towards that.
Jabroniville
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NG Loss Prevention Officer

Post by Jabroniville »

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NORTHERN GUN LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER O.C.C.
Role:
Secret Police
PL 8 (86)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Spy) 8 (+9)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Investigation 6 (+8)
Perception 6 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Technology 5 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (Status- Elite LPO), Equipment 7 (Laser Guns, Electronics, Vehicles, Armor +6)

Powers:
"Small Cybernetics"
Senses 1 (Infravision) [1]
Features 1: Lockpick [1]

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

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Northern Gun)- LPOs answer only to the top NG brass.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 7 (86)

-The frightening "secret police" of Northern Gun, the LPOs are spies who stalk NG's rivals (especially the Naruni and other aliens), ferret out industrial espionage, and more. They will gather mercenaries to work on NG's behalf, and will especially target anyone who steals their trade secrets. They outrank nearly everyone in Ishpeming and have access to nearly all of NG's gear. They're also incredibly skilled and have a wide assortment of abilities.
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Monster Responder

Post by Jabroniville »

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MONSTER RESPONDER O.C.C.
Role:
Monster Hunters
PL 9 (87), PL 10 vs. Monsters
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Demon & Monster Lore) 7 (+8)
Expertise (Magic) 3 (+4)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Perception 6 (+7)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Technology 7 (+8)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 10 (Laser Guns, Electronics, Vehicles, Armor +5), Skill Mastery (Monster Lore), Ultimate Monster Lore

Powers:
"Exterminator"
Enhanced Fighting 2 (Flaws: Limited to vs. Monsters) [2]
Enhanced Dodge 2 (Flaws: Limited to vs. Monsters) [1]
Enhanced Ranged Attack 2 (Flaws: Limited to vs. Monsters) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Laser Guns +5 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Rail Gun +5 (+13 Ranged Damage, DC 28)
vs. Monsters +7 (+10-13 Ranged Damage, DC 25-28)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +2 (+9 Armor), Fortitude +4, Will +5
"vs. Monsters" Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +2 (+9 Armor), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Upper Michigan)- Monster Responders are hired on to defend the entire region from animals and monsters of all kinds.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 8 (87)

-Monster Responders are Northern Gun's small band of monster hunters who inevestigate large footprints, mutilated cattle, etc. It's actually a solid idea I don't see used as much in this setting to have specific units in place for the insane threats of this universe- it's like "Animal Control" on a larger scale. These guys are seen as heroes by the people of Upper Michigan- moreso than NG police, soldiers or LPOs.

-Monster Responders are generalists of a sort, able to live in the wilds and not just blow up monsters, but track them, hide from them, and more. Most monsters have learned to recognize human scents, sounds and vehicles, and so MRs will mask their scents with those of animals and ride animals into combat. They get +2 to hit and defend against Monsters (which here qualifies as animals, monsters, Xiticix in particular, Zombies, Vampires, and Magical creatures, though not D-Bees or aliens. This makes them pretty much what you'd expect- good Monster Hunters (PL 9 normally and PL 10 vs. Monsters).
Jabroniville
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Northern Gun Police Officer

Post by Jabroniville »

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NORTHERN GUN POLICE OFFICER O.C.C.
Role:
Fighting Crime in a Future Time
PL 8 (75)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Expertise (Police Officer) 6 (+7)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Investigation 5 (+6)
Perception 4 (+5)
Technology 3 (+4)
Treatment 2 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Benefit (NG Police Officer), Equipment 10 (Laser Guns, Electronics, Vehicles, Armor +8)

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 (+10 NG Police Light Power Armor), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Northern Gun)- NG Police Officers are typically loyal Ishpeming citizens, but Northern Gun's profits come first.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (75)

-Another Setting Book, another Cop O.C.C. Rifts has something like ten of these assholes by now, and this... is yet another. The Ishpeming Police Department is somewhat unique in that they do not hire mercenaries- the ranks are made up entirely of Ishpeming-born citizens. Somewhat unusual are that these Police are generally liked by the public, as the people of NG are typically "educated gentry" and find outsiders to be a crude, aggressive lot, and the cops stand in the way of their worse nature.
-Ishpeming Police aren't really that great overall, with pretty basic skills (and only TWO O.C.C. related skills!), but have very solid gear. 120 M.D.C. Power Armor is the default!

Area of Specialty:
-Yes, it's another "M.O.S." thing where you pick what you're good at.

Crisis Response Officer- PL 8 (83): Expertise (Demolitions) 5 (+6), Expertise (D-Bee Lore) 5 (+6), Vehicles 2 (+9), Ranged Attack +2 [8]
-Effectively a SWAT team, sent to deal with Juicers, Crazies, Monsters and D-Bees that attack NG cities. They use the NG Grenade Launchers (+10-13 Area Attacks).

Highway Patrol- PL 8 (79): Technology 2 (+3), Vehicles 2 (+9), Favored Environment- On Vehicles, Dodge +1 [4]
-The "Rocket Cops" zip up and down Ishpeming roadways, monitoring traffic flow and responding to accidents. They use the Police Interceptor Rocket Bike, with +10 Toughness, Flight 7, Speed 6, Missiles, and +10 Lasers.

Investigator- PL 8 (80): Intimidation 4 (+5), Investigation 4 (+10), Perception 2 (+7), most are Psionics [5]
-These are the detectives who investigate murders and the like. The book emphasizes that while they are Ishpeming loyalists, they are NG employees first and profit for the company is held above all else (ie. they'll probably ignore higher-ups or good earners killing people- it's not said but I figre that's how it works). 90% will have Psionics of varying degrees- Minor (2 Sensitive powers), Major (8 Sensitive), Major (3 Sensitive/3 Physical), Major (8 Healing), Master O.C.C. (choose). The rest will have Perception +2.

Undercover Agent- PL 8 (82): Deception 7 (+8), Insight 4 (+8), Perception 4 (+8) [7]
-Ishpeming lacks the surveillance of the Coalition States, and instead focuses on huge networks of spies, scouts, crooks, con-men & mercs, the best of whom get recruited for this.
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Robot Control

Post by Jabroniville »

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NORTHERN GUN ROBOT CONTROL O.C.C.
Role:
Futuristic Robot Fighters
PL 8 (76)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Expertise (Demolitions) 6 (+7)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+7)
Technology 5 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Daze (Persuasion), Equipment 10 (Laser Guns, Electronics, Vehicles, Armor +8)

Powers:
"Disable Robot Operating Systems" Enhanced Skills 6: Technology 6 (+12) (Flaws: Limited to Disabling Tech) [2]

"Psionics"
Robot Battler (Master; 1st: Telemechanics, TM Mental Paralysis, Electro-Kinesis, 2nd: Psi-Shield, Object Read, Psi-Ghost, Summon Inner ST, Resist Fatigue, 3rd: Hydrokinesis, Intuitive Combat, Mind Block, +2/level)
Robot Whisperer (Master; 1st: TM, TM Mental Operation, TM Mental Paralysis, 2nd: TM Possession, Object Read, Psi-Ghost, Sense Time, Resist Fatigue, 3rd: Group Trance, Remote Viewing, Meditation, Mind Block, +2/level)
Robo Slammer (Master; 1st: TM, TK Super, TK Acceleration Attack, 2nd: Bio-Manipulation, TK, TK Leap, TK Lift, TK Punch, 3rd: TK Force Field, TK Push, Resist Fatigue, Ectoplasm, +2/level)
Robot Responder- Major (Major; TK,l TK Leap, TK Lift, TK Push, +4 Physical)
Robot Responder- Minor (Machine Ghost, Object Read, Athletics +2)
Robot Responder- Gut Instincts (Athletics +2, Perception +2).

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 (+10 NG Light Power Armor), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Northern Gun)- Robot Control are typically loyal, if cowboy-ish, agents.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 8 (76 + Psionics)

-Oh my god now THIS O.C.C. screams of "I Want To Play This"! Robot Control are professional ROBOT FIGHTERS whose job is to wrangle out of control robots. Acting as part-cowboy and part-Operator, they either fight robots that've gone nuts, or PILOTS that have gone nuts, bringing them down fast and minimizing property damage. Visitors (ie. PCs) in power armor who attack NG stuff are bound to run into these guys, too. A specialty is to distract a pilot or draw their fire while a colleague sneaks around back to disable their power supply and the like- Rifts doesn't really have a robust enough combat system to make use of a lot of this I'd imagine, but as a GM I'd gladly let players attempt to disable robots and power armor (especially Equipment, but Devices, too- otherwise gamers get a huge discount in points for "Removable" that doesn't come up very much).

-Robot Control O.C.C.s get good Skill choices and gear- they also get various Psychic options- you can roll or simply PICK ONE (!! does Kevin S know about this?):
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Northern Gun Sales Rep

Post by Jabroniville »

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NORTHERN GUN SALES REP O.C.C.
Role:
Fighting Crime in a Future Time
PL 8 (77)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4)
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Business) 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+5)
Investigation 2 (+3)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion 5 (+8)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 10 (Laser Guns, Electronics, Vehicles, Armor +6)

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 NG Light Armor), Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (Northern Gun)- NG Police Officers are typically loyal Ishpeming citizens, but Northern Gun's profits come first.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 8 (77)

-Humorously, the SALES REPS are incredibly well-armed people in this world. Working in a grocery store, I see sales reps come in all the time, and they're usually fine but some are notoriously pushy, acting like they're the most important people the manager could possibly meet that day, all "No, no, you HAVE to carry all of these products!" even though we know perfectly well some don't sell. Most of the time they just come off super-dorky advertising their latest display case and going ga-ga over it when stores see that stuff all the time.

-Of course, on Rifts Earth these guys have to be savvy and well-armed, travelling with NG gear to various wild places and selling them to all manner of clients. And as NG is primarily a weapons manufacturer, Sales Reps are trained in the use of nearly all NG hardware and can fight their way out of places. They are pretty basic in terms of stats, having little unique beyond "Salesmanship" (ie. how to sell things; Persuasion in M&M terms) and "NG Sales Skills" (like knowing where the best Bush Pilots are and how to keep stuff off the record).
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Northern Gun Vehicles

Post by Jabroniville »

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NORTHERN GUN VEHICLES:
-Oddly, there's a small section on NG's Hovertrains. These are highly-defended floating trains containing all their gear, and are armed to the teeth and super-durable. Hovertrains' main bodies are over 900 M.D.C. (about Toughness +17!), with individual cars being +12 (Flatbed/Passenger Cars) and +14 (Weapon Cars). All are well-defended, as Weapon Cars are disguised as normal ones and have 2-6 turrets per car, each manned by a separate gunner. Blasts go from +10-14, with Missile Turrets as well (+14-ish). Here I'll also mention the Police Interceptor Rocket Bike, with +10 Toughness, Flight 7, Speed 6, Missiles, and +10 Lasers.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun May 14, 2023 9:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Northern Gun Robots

Post by Jabroniville »

NORTHERN GUN ROBOTS:
-So the ENTIRE REST OF THE BOOK is now just a list of Robot Power Armor up "for sale", with the whole thing reading like a Sears Catalogue but for kill-o-bots. They give you the names of the designers (some of which are just the guys who worked on the book). And it's like 20+ suits. Thankfully these are mostly done by Chuck Walton, who very quickly becomes the new "Muse" of Palladium with all his crazy-ass, super-complicated designs. Near as I can tell, these aren't anime rip-offs, either (NOBODY could animate all this shit). But it's detail upon detail, with a variety of robots outlined.

Standard Robot Power Armor rules apply- you use "Robot Combat" fighting rules, which are annoying and complicated (you effectively add another attack by piloting stuff). Some are piloted by multiple people and can thus fire weapons simultaneously. Despite being ENORMOUS as a rule, nothing here has the durability of a single Glitter Boy, cuz those are still the sacred cow. So in terms of "Power Creep", it's not very bad- it's mostly a bunch of 300-500 M.D.C. Power Armors with basic Rail Guns... to the point where most of this stuff looks highly generic, as Palladium's game isn't remotely complicated enough to have "specialties" and "tactics" mean much in the long run. These things are largely just bundles of stats.

All Robots have Radar (30 miles!), Combat Computers (information readouts), Nuclear Power Cells (lasting effectively forever), Targeting Computers (track targets for miles), Radio, Loudspeakers, Independent Oxygen, Heat & Radiation Resistant Coating, Polarized Windows, Ejector Seats, Self-Destructs and a Laser Targeting System (+1 accuracy at long range). It's also worth noting that long-range attacks in Rifts can literally go for MILES- this is part of why Rail Guns & Combat Robots are so devastating and overpowered in the system, as Mages, Psionics and other lower-end O.C.C.s can't counteract this.

For these stats, I will lay out the two "types" of robots separately- as usual, the book is laid out alphabetically, which pushes some to the back when they might otherwise be grouped together.
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Davies
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Re: Northern Gun Robots

Post by Davies »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 07, 2023 12:33 am Near as I can tell, these aren't anime rip-offs, either (NOBODY could animate all this shit).
Careful, someone at Sunrise might take that as a challenge.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
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Explorer Robots

Post by Jabroniville »

NORTHERN GUN- EXPLORER ROBOTS:
* As early as the Main Rulebook, Palladium has statted out the utilitarian robot vehicles. This one includes some old models, plus new ones.

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"Behemoth Explorer"- Toughness +14, 40 mph, Mini-Missiles, Damage +9, Multiple Tools, 60 feet tall, 80 feet long.
-The Explorer appears in the Main Rulebook, and is a titanic, mobile LABORATORY, designed for exploration. It's more or less a giant lab on legs, with two huge arms sticking out to pick up stuff. These are so universally seen as non-hostile that even Simvan Monster Riders and XITICIX are known to leave them completely alone, which is funny. They are big and durable, but not that defended and are deliberately under-armed to make their peaceful missions more clear- they're too big to fight efficiently so most don't bother sticking that many armaments on them even if they could- there's better ways to do that.

-These things are so big they have living quarters, a med-bay, a storage bay that can hold FOUR vehicles, and more. These are seen as iconic vehicles, and have sold far outside of expectations. I kinda like the idea, though- something ideally situated for this crazy Crapsack World- a lab full of armor.

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"Bulldog Explorer"- Toughness +14, 50 mph, Swimming 20 mph, Main Gun +10-13, Rail Gun +13, Mini-Missiles, +9 Arms, 19 feet tall, 24 feet long.
-This is a much shorter, cheaper version of the Explorer, with four squat legs and two small, simple arms at the front and a HUGE robot hand in the front-center. Its stability probably doesn't have any real statistical benefit beyond what the GM RPs, but this is effectively a smaller version with equal toughness for half the price.

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"Behemoth Super-Explorer"- Toughness +17, 45 mph, Rail Gun +13, Laser Turrets +12/14, +11 Arms, +8 Cutting Tools, Four Arms, Sensor Array, Multiple Tools, 70 feet tall, 110 feet long.
-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand of course there's a massive version. The "Super-X" was designed as an upgrade that's 30 feet longer and much more durable, with bigger living quarters, room for 6-8 vehicles and more. These enjoy the same benefits the normal Explorer does as it looks similar (though Walton gives it MASSIVE details, four legs and two sets of arms), but is slightly more well-defended. It's about 50% more expensive than the regular Explorer and has much more comfortable living quarters and more stuff all-around. Overall, it's a walking base.

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"Okemos Explorer Robot"- Toughness +12, 72 mph, Main Gun Turret +11, Ion Cannon +14, Nose Turret +12, Laser +11, Mini-Missiles, 20 feet tall.
-The smallest Explorer in the line, these are named for the "Little Chief" Ojibwa chief John Okemos, who gave his name to a Michigan town (now ruins on Rifts Earth, but its status as a manufacturing region was known). These are more or less AT/AT walkers with a pilot's compartment and a huge manned gun on top- they're designed for "exploration on a budget". However, the pilot's compartment is particularly vulnerable- only 40 M.D.C. and visible from all sides with no penalties to hit it. It's big "selling point" is actually having four full rooms in this 17-foot-long robot. It's armed to the teeth but barely more durable than a SAMAS Power Armor.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun May 14, 2023 9:17 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Northern Gun Utility Robots

Post by Jabroniville »

NORTHERN GUN- UTILITY ROBOTS:
* As early as the Main Rulebook, Palladium has statted out the utilitarian robot vehicles. This one includes some old models, plus new ones.

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"Ogre"- Tougness +15, 35 mph, Ion Cannon +11, Punch +14, ST 10, Missiles, Defensive Chaff Launchers, Smoke Grenades, 33 feet tall.
-These look like huge brutes, with broad bodies, hunched shoulders and long arms. Like gigantic gorillas. It says they're "Exploration & Labor Robots", which looks to me like the writers struggled to find a spot for this design and just made them modified Explorers. They have room for four people to live comfortably and huge hands that are good at moving around rubble or stuff that needs building. It's one of the only things I've seen with "Chaff"- it blows up missiles en route (a big deal, since misisles are MASSIVELY overpowered in this system. They also have giant hands that do Rail Gun-tier damage in melee, but are weak at range.

Image

"Super Labor Robot"- Toughness +13, 60 mph, Laser Claw Hand +7-13, Claws +10, 20 feet tall.
-These are human-shaped utility robots intended for labor in mines and construction, but is also a favorite of explorers, adventurers & Headhunters. It's lightning fast compared to the others here and quite cheap ($16 million, compared to over $100 million for Explorers). It's quite good at hand-to-hand combat compared to most labor 'bots.
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Northern Gun Medical Robots

Post by Jabroniville »

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NORTHERN GUN- MEDICAL ROBOTS:
* A pair of medical robots are also created, greatly resembling the Explorers.

"Big Papa Mobile Medical Robot"- Toughness +15, 55 mph, Chainsaws +12, Laser Torch +8, Mini-Missiles, Sensors, 20-60 feet tall, 72 feet long.
-And now there's a portable Medical Robot. This is actually designed for rescuing fallen pilots, who are seen as the most important part of any Combat Robot. They have chainsaws that effectively act as the "jaws of life" and pry pilots free from wreckage. It has 16 beds for patients and an operating room, and is staffed by a full medical team. It has both three-toed feet and treads on the backs of the legs to allow for quicker and smoother movement if you don't need the all-terrain legs. These have become hot sellers, as they are quite useful- real medics would be easily killed on the battlefields of Rifts Earth, so a somewhat-defended 'bot heading out to rescue small pilots is a good idea.
-This has a MASSIVE amount of text given to it, explaining battlefield tactics, how the legs work, how the sensors work, etc. It's even more durable than an Explorer but has little in the way of combat skills, obviously. The sensor array is maybe the most advanced of the set in this book, able to do Ultravision, see through broken-down robots, etc. They're as expensive as Super-Explorers.

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"Junior Mini-Mobile Medical Robot"- Toughness +14, 45 mph, Jaws of Life/Chainsaw +9, 13-35 feet tall, 29 feet long.
-The smaller version, just lesser and cheaper in every way. Still costs as much as a regular Explorer tends to now. It's not very long at all for its job, fitting only eight beds. They literally use the same picture but print it smaller, lol.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NG Combat Robots 1

Post by Jabroniville »

NORTHERN GUN- COMBAT ROBOTS:
* The majority of the robots in the book are the "Combat Robot" types, designed for beating the asses of things. Most are pretty same-y in stats, and of very uniform heights- typically 26-30 feet tall.

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"Beachmaster"- Tougness +14, 60 mph, 30 mph Swimming, Optional Rail Cannon +14, Blue-Green Chest Lasers +13, Mini-Torpedos/Missiles, Flamethrower +13 Area in 10 feet, Chainsaw +12, Electrical Field Antenna (Disables or Paralyzes living creatures in water, -25% to sea monsters), 26 feet tall.

-The Beachmaster is designed for amphibious assaults and sea defenses, often assisting ships by literally hanging off of them and blasting away at other ships. It also storms beaches or fights Sea Monsters (its antenna is variable in nature with percentages affecting things- the worst it can do to a sea monster is paralyze it for one round). Given that it's partially a Monster Fighter it's not THAT great at doing it, but does some solid damage and is durable. The tactics are mentioned more than anything- the chainsaw demolishes enemy defenses like barbed wire and the robot can actually help build fortifications and sand bridges for following troops.

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"Bigfoot"- Toughness +14, 45 mph, Plasma Cannons +14-15, Missile Launcher, Mini-Missiles, Laser Cannon +14, Enhanced Sensors & Communications, 26 feet tall.

-The Bigfoot is largely a huge artillery platform on legs. Two huge legs hold up a massive three-pronged artillery device, with two guns and an advanced sensor suite. Having no arms, it's not designed for melee combat- it typically hides behind a defense and fires from the high platform. This one is armed to the teeth, doing the most damage out of anything here.

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"Bison Battler"- Toughness +13, 60 mph, Shoulder-Mounted Plasma Cannon +14, Flamethrower +10, Ion Blaster +14, Eye Lasers +11, ST 8, Claws & Horns +9, 21 feet tall.

-The Bison Battler is the primary robot in something the book only briefly mentions (as it's featured in Rifts NG 2, the next book): Robot Gladiatorial Fighting. This is THE MOST AWESOME IDEA EVER. These hulks are more slender, being half the weight of the above two, and more humanoid- it's obviously designed to look cool and more "relatable". It has a ridiculous number of weapons and doesn't actually do much damage in melee combat- it would take something like five minutes to slowly whittle down another Bison Battler to 0 M.D.C. just using the claws they make a big deal of (they're said to be able to dig in and rend out a fistful of wires in a spectacular display)... but its guns are something else. It's also very cheap money-wise, which makes it popular.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun May 14, 2023 9:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NG Combat Robots 2

Post by Jabroniville »

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"Blocker Combat Robot"- Toughness +15, 65 mph, Laser Turret +14, Mini-Missiles, Ion Blasters +14 (Split), Blocker Shield (+2-3 to overall toughness to frontal attacks) +9, Interpose, 31 feet tall.

-One of the cooler Walton designs in the book, the Blocker is a generic mech with a gun in its head, but for the HUGE, segmented shield with lots of cool details on it. It's designed as a defensive robot which acts to block incoming attacks for other units, as the shields are 24 feet wide and disperse Area Attacks as well as packing 300 M.D.C. by themselves (enough to eat a couple Missile Salvos handily) with only the robot's head (which has the main gun on it) being visible over top. The combined Toughness of Shield & Robot is like 870 M.D.C., which is above even most Glitter Boys, so it's not for nothing... granted, you can just surround it. In M&M terms Shields typically provide bonuses to Defense.

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"Bruiser"- Toughness +13, 90 mph, ST 10, +2 Fighting in melee, Twin Ion Beam Turrets +14 (Split), Mini-Missiles, Most Vision Senses, 22 feet tall.

-Probably the most generic "This is a robot" designs in the book, this one has a basic "central eye with a helmet around it" look that's reflected in a few other designs in NG1, and a mostly basic appearance. It's primarily designed as a spectacular melee fighter... but does only +10 in combat. It was intentionally based off of the Bison Battler, with a focus on fighting monsters, particularly the Xiticix.

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"Buffalo"- Toughness +14, 55 mph, Twin Particle Beam Turrets +15 (Split), Forearm Plasma Ejectors +12, Mini-Missiles, +2 Parry, 25 feet tall.

-Another generic one, this is a frontline fighter and guard robot for cities, packing a lot of toughness and some high-powered blasts. Mostly it has TWO sets of Mini-Missile Launchers on it, meaning the opening salvo of these is arguably better than anyone else's, as each has its own gunner. The main issue the book gives is its "short range", as it can "only" shoot within 1,600 feet.
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