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

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Woodclaw
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Lord Magus! High Magus! Controller! Automatons!)

Post by Woodclaw »

catsi563 wrote: Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:33 am mostly I imagine the same reason you don't just carpet bomb and area or send in battle ships or tanks for a confrontation sometimes you have to let the boots on the ground do their thing
"There can be circumstances when it's just as foolish to hit an enemy with an H-Bomb as it would be to spank a baby with an ax. War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government's decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him . . . but to make him do what you want him to do. Not killing . . . but controlled and purposeful violence. But it's not your business or mine to decide the purpose of the control. It's never a soldier's business to decide when or where or how--or why--he fights; that belongs to the statesmen and the generals. The statesmen decide why and how much; the generals take it from there and tell us where and when and how. We supply the violence; other people--"older and wiser heads," as they say--supply the control."
(Robet Heinlein Starship Troopers)
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

WareHouse W (main build thread for M&M)
Jabroniville
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Infiltrator Automaton

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

INFILTRATOR AUTOMATON
Role:
Magic Super-Golem, Espionage-Bot
PL 10 (88 + Magic)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -- AWARENESS -- PRESENCE --

Skills:
None

Advantages:
Close Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Magic Construct"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 11 [11]
Speed 4 (30 mph) [4]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"See Through the Controller's Eyes" Remote Sensing 2 (Vision, Hearing) (Flaws: Limited to Controller) [4]
Regeneration 6 (Flaws: Ranks 3-6 Limited to if Controller Spends Own PPE, Limited to Staggered Recovery) [3]

"Espionage Agent"
Insubstantial 4 (Flaws: Limited to Short Bursts) [16]

"Magic Spells" (Chameleon, Concealment, Detect Concealment, Reflection, Electric Arc, Shadow Meld, Deflect, Ricochet Strike, House of Glass, Frequency Jamming, Mask of Deceit, Negate Mechanics, Phantom Mount, Mystic Portal)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +11, Fortitude --, Will --

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Inert)- An Automaton may not move without a Magus riding it, or a Controller Linked to it being at most 500 feet away. A Linked Automaton cannot move without their personal Controller, or the High Magus who created them.
Responsibility (Orders)- If the pilot or Controller is unconscious or grievously injured, the Automaton will automatically attempt to flee, fighting at half-strength.
Power Loss (Spells)- Only a Controller, its creator, or the Lords of Magic may utilize the Magic Spells of an Automoton.
Disabled (Mute)

Total: Abilities: -6 / Skills: 00--0 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 70 + Magic / Defenses: 9 (88 + Magic)

-The Infiltrator is the only Automaton not designed for front-line combat; instead, this humanoid thing made of glass (or other shiny stuff like crystal) is meant for espionage. Hilariously, the thing is only capable of moving FIVE-HUNDRED FEET out of range of its Controller, making it absolutely useless unless the Controller comes along to help. A key advantage is that this Automaton can fire regular weapons. And will fit inside buildings, I guess. Despite it's small size, it's comparable in PL to many others, and is PL 10 to Dodge.
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Conjurer

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

CONJURER O.C.C.
Role:
Creators, Summoners
PL 7 (177 + Magic)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Demons & Monsters) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+4)
Technology 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 8 (Gear- Body Armor +5, Sword, Gun)

Powers:
"Conjuring Magic"
Create 8 (Feats: Innate, Precise, Subtle) (Extras: Continuous) (Flaws: Ranks 5-8 are Unreliable) (Quirks: Complex Objects Require Complete Schematics/Knowledge, Lasts 1 Hour/Level, Larger Sizes are Unreliable) [16]
"Create Weapons" Variable 4 (Extras: Continuous, Affects Others) (Flaws: Unreliable) (Flaws: Lasts 1 Hour/Level) [32]
"Conjuring Animals" Summon 7 (Extras: Controlled, Heroic +2, Multiple +2) [49]

"Read Ley Lines" Senses 7 (Ley Line Awareness- Ranged 2, Analytical, Acute, Distance Sense) [7]
"Sense Magic" Senses 2 (Magic Awareness- Ranged) [2]

"Initial Spell List" (Lantern Light, Globe of Daylight, Fool's Gold, Ignite Fire, Water to Wine, Purification, Spoil, Super-Human Strength)
(One "Create" Spell Every Other Level)

Equipment:
"Body Armor"
Protection 5 (Impervious 5) (10)

"Laser Pistol" Blast 6 (12)
"Assorted Gear" Gas Masks, Radios, etc. (4)
Knife +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Laser Pistol +5 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Reputation (Weaker)- Conjurers are looked down upon by other Mages, who view their art as overly-focused and weak.
Power Loss (Magic)- Magic requires personal energy to utilize- bigger spells with drain Wizards of their power much faster.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 106 + Magic / Defenses: 8 (177 + Magic)

-Conjurers are Mages who specialize in creating objects and creatures from thin air. Perez's art is among the more "DungeonPunk" pieces of the setting, with an armored guy sporting six braids in his hair and a chin goatee wielding a transparent blade. For some reason, the entire O.C.C. is said to be "cocky and mischievous", matching the smirking guy in the art- it's a "cutting edge" magical practice, making them rebellious stand-outs, you see. Old-school Mages look down on them, finding them "unproven" and prone to weakness- they get off on being underdogs as a result.

-A Conjurer can create simple objects just by thinking about it- this includes weapons and armor, though as that's all useless S.D.C. stuff. Which is unfortunate, because these guys can actually create GUNS and the like (bullets, the book points out, are separate)! With an expenditure of P.P.E., they can turn the stuff to M.D.C., albeit at the level of the S.D.C., divided by half- Mega-Damage weapons only do light damage. Sixth-level Conjurers can expend more P.P.E. to make their conjurings PERMANENT, though they can still be destroyed. This overall makes Conjurers weak, with little ability to dish out real damage, but versatile enough to always have tricks handy- though they'll blow themselves out quickly by creating too much Mega-Damage stuff, it's something.

-Weapon Creation on this level is difficult to mimic in M&M appropriately, as it's effectively permanently creating guns and the like.
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The Corrupt

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

THE CORRUPT O.C.C.
Role:
Corrupted Monsters
PL 10 (115 + Magic)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+8)
Deception 6 (+5)
Expertise (Espionage) 8 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 6 (+9)

Advantages:
Benefit (Ambidexterity), Equipment 8 (Gear- Body Armor +2, Sword, Gun), Great Endurance, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 3, Startle

Powers:
"Monstrous Mega-Damage Creatures"
Enhanced Strength 5 [10]
Enhanced Agility 1 [2]
Enhanced Stamina 6 [12]
Enhanced Fighting 4 [8]
Regeneration 4 [4]

"Diminished Mental Capacity"
Reduced Intelligence 2 [-4]
Reduced Presence 2 [-4]

Immunity 2 (Disease, Poison) [2]
Senses 6 (Low-Light Vision, Tracking- Scent, Vision Counters Concealment) [6]

"Initial Spell List" (Shadow Melt, Levitate, Agony, Blind, Shatter, Mystic Fulcrum, +1 Spell From Level 1-2- as 3rd Level Mage)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Vibro-Blade +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Laser Pistol +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8 (+10 Armor), Fortitude +10, Will +6

Complications:
Power Loss (Magic)- Magic requires personal energy to utilize- bigger spells with drain Wizards of their power much faster.
Vulnerable (Anti-Magic Stuff)- Demon & Devil-Slaying Weapons do double-damage, as do Millennium Tree & Holy Weapons.

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 36 + Magic / Defenses: 8 (115 + Magic)

-Looking humorously like Speedball's turn as "Penance", The Corrupt are beings who've fully turned themselves over to a demonic evil force that they call "The Liberator". And this helpfully turns them into that exact kind of "Evil for the sake of Evil" that populates so much of Palladium's books, going out to cause as much suffering as possible. They lose intelligence and all positive thoughts, and instead become predatory animals, killing people in order to feed off of the P.P.E. eruption that occurs from their deaths.

-The true purpose of the Corrupt O.C.C. is to become a Mega-Damage creature, thus becoming an un-wimpy Mage (though they only have a few spells). Their strength isn't overly impressive, nor is their baseline M.D.C. (PEx4 is only Toughness +8-ish), but they have an INSANE bonus to their number of attacks and their Parry, meaning they hit PL 10 simply through offensive and defensive output, pushing them into Juicer territory in combat.
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Mystic Knight

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

Admit it- the Edgelord part of you wants to play this.

MYSTIC KNIGHT O.C.C.
Role:
Black Knight
PL 9 (128 + Magic & Psionics)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Demons & Monsters) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Knight) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 8 (Magic Gear, etc.), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 2

Powers:
"Read Ley Lines" Senses 7 (Ley Line Awareness- Ranged 2, Analytical, Acute, Distance Sense) [7]
"Sense Magic" Senses 2 (Magic Awareness- Ranged) [2]
"Power Electronics" Features 2: May Power Simple Electronics By Holding Them, Recharge Batteries & E-Clips With P.P.E. Spent [2]
"Impervious to Energy" Immunity 20 (Energy Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Non-Magical Energy Doing Half-Damage & Full From Rune Stuff -1/2) [15]

"Energy Bolts" Blast 11 (Feats: Extended Reach 2) (24) -- [27]
  • AE: "Ley Line Phasing" Teleport 10 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (Flaws: Limited to Along Ley Lines, Source- 15-60 Second Ritual -1/2, Unreliable- 4/hour -1/2) (20)
  • AE: "Ley Line Rejuvenation" Healing 6 (Flaws: Limited to Self, Limited to Within Ley Lines) (3)
  • AE: "Steal & Redict P.P.E." Weaken Magical Powers 8 (Extras: Perception-Ranged +2) (24)
"Initial Spell List" (Magic Shield, Armor of Ithan, Aura of Death, Tongues, Energize Spell, Fists of Fury, Power Weapon)
(Add Two Spells Per Level from Levels 1-6)

"Psionics" (See the Invisible, Sixth Sense, Resist Fatigue, Mind Block, +3 from Sensitive or Physical)
(Add One Power Per Level; may select from Super at Levels 4 & 9)

Equipment:
"Body Armor"
Protection 6 (Impervious 5) (11)
"Assorted Gear" Gas Masks, Radios, etc. (4)
Knife +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)
Techno-Wizard Items (Blast 8-11, Strength-Damage +6+, etc.)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Laser Pistol +7 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Energy Bolts +7 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Weaken -- (+8 Perception-Ranged Weaken, DC 18)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +2 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Power Loss (Magic)- Magic requires personal energy to utilize- bigger spells with drain Wizards of their power much faster.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 53 + Magic & Psionics / Defenses: 10 (128 + Magic & Psionics)

-Given some INCREDIBLE, epic art by Ramon Perez, the Mystic Knight is everything Rifts had been missing- an evil "Black Knight" kind of character. Malevolent, bad-ass, magical warriors committed to the cause of darkness. Rifts Earth is so, SO full of Goodly Knights doing Goodly Deeds, what with Kevin S's fetish for knighly orders and "Lists of Copy/Pasted Rules"... but curiously lacking in their fallen, evil brethren. And so here's the Mystic Knight. However, the group is more organized that most, being simple mercenaries who sell their services to anyone. There is a rumor of an "Order of the White Rose" of GOOD Mystic Knights, but the Mystic Knights deny that any survived; this is your obvious "Player Character" hint. Otherwise these guys dress like demons.

-Despite all the hullabaloo over how dangerous they are, they're only standard-issue PCs, with a small assortment of Magic & Psionics common to everyone in the O.C.C.- their key advantage is the in-born "Energy Bolt" power, which creates a +11 Blast with a modicum of P.P.E. spent (5, which means most can hit a full E-Clips' worth at least- not bad when weapons may be fragile). Oh, and also the fact that they are IMMUNE TO ENERGY DAMAGE, meaning that a large number of attacks are completely useless unless they're from a Wizard.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ares
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Automatons! Corrupt! Mystic Knight!)

Post by Ares »

They did eventually release a book called Madhaven (formerly Manhattan) that made it clear that the Order of the White Rose was not only alive, but thriving. They got further supplements in Rifter, and the guys seemed like they'd make solid PCs, especially with some of the gear they could get. It's possible that the fleshed out versions are more powerful than the ones presented here, since Mystics Knights are considered one of the more OP classes on Rifts forums.
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Automatons! Corrupt! Mystic Knight!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2019 5:09 am They did eventually release a book called Madhaven (formerly Manhattan) that made it clear that the Order of the White Rose was not only alive, but thriving. They got further supplements in Rifter, and the guys seemed like they'd make solid PCs, especially with some of the gear they could get. It's possible that the fleshed out versions are more powerful than the ones presented here, since Mystics Knights are considered one of the more OP classes on Rifts forums.
One of the more O.P. classes in RIFTS!?!? That sounds positively insane.

Though their Immunity to Energy Damage is killer, given how many/most of the high-damage classes will have some form of Laser Weapon.
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Automatons! Corrupt! Mystic Knight!)

Post by Sidious »

there was a supplement in a Rifter for the Sunaj that remind me a lot of Mystic Knights. Would make for a great team up. But I think the second Atlantean book contradicts almost all of the Rifter stuff.
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Grey Seer

Post by Jabroniville »

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“oh FUCK I left the oven on!”

GREY SEER O.C.C.
Role:
Future-Teller, Wandering Helper
PL 9 (96 + Magic & Psionics)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Demons & Monsters) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+7)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 4 (Very Little)

Powers:
"Sense Evil" Senses 4 (Evil Awareness- Ranged 2, Radius) [4]
"Sense Enchantment" Senses 2 (Mind Control Awareness- Ranged) [2]
"Sense Death" Senses 6 (Postcognition- Limited to Approach To & Engaging in Death, Undead Awareness- Ranged) [4]
"Sense Life" Senses 5 (Good Awareness- Ranged & Radius, Sense Pregnancy- Acute) [5]
"See Future Possibilities" Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Limited to Vague Hints) [2]
Features 1: May Become a Medium For Another Being [1]

"Shockingly-Good Defenses"
Enhanced Advantages 3: Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Uncanny Dodge [3]
Enhanced Dodge 4 [4]
Enhanced Parry 3 [3]

"Initial Spell List" (Oracle, Sustain, Life Source, Magic Shield, Armor of Ithan, Tongues, +2 From Level 1-2)
(Add Two Spells From Levels 1-5 per Level)

"Psionics" (Clairvoyance, Sixth Sense, Empathy, Mind Block)

Equipment:
"Body Armor"
Protection 6 (Impervious 5) (11)
"Assorted Gear" Gas Masks, Radios, etc. (4)
Knife +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Laser Pistol +5 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +2 (+8 Armor), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Neutrality)- The Grey Seers acknowledge no master, and are a loose band that attempts to see things down the middle.
Power Loss (Magic)- Magic requires personal energy to utilize- bigger spells with drain Wizards of their power much faster.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 28 + Magic * Psionics / Defenses: 10 (96 + Magic & Psionics)

-A small faction compared to the others, the Grey Seers are future-telling psychics who typically wander North America, giving help wherever offered. Pacifists, they fight only in self-defense. Philosophical, they tend to avoid "too much education", as it stunts their appreciation of the "true world" and other hippie stuff. They're pretty wimpy overall... but only if you miss that last bit at the end, where they actually gain O.C.C. bonuses to dodge, parry, initiative and even the God Stat of Palladium- "Automatic Dodge"! This suddenly boosts the PL 7-ish guys to PL 8.5 defensively.
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Automatons! Corrupt! Mystic Knight!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And that's it for the new O.C.C.s and character bits of Federation of Magic! Now I just have to post all of the spells and gear.

For Power Levels, this shakes out a bit oddly:


POWER LEVELS BY BOOK:
Main Rulebook: PL 3 (1), PL 6 (6), PL 7 (4), PL 8 (4), PL 9 (5), PL 10 (2), PL 11 (4), PL 12 (2)
Triax & NGR: PL 4 (4), PL 7 (10), PL 8 (1), PL 9 (1), PL 10 (3), PL 11 (1), PL 12 (1), PL 13 (1)
Rifts Atlantis: PL 7 (5), PL 8 (6), PL 9 (4), PL 10 (2), PL 11 (2), PL 12 (3), PL 13 (2), PL 14 (1), PL 15 (1), PL 16 (1)
South America: PL 3 (1), PL 4 (1), PL 6 (1), PL 7 (3), PL 8 (4), PL 9 (4), PL 11 (4), PL 12 (2), PL 14 (1)
South America 2: PL 7 (3), PL 8 (5), PL 9 (4), PL 10 (5), PL 11 (3), PL 12 (2), PL 14 (1)
Rifts Mercenaries: PL 7 (4), PL 8 (3), PL 9 (1)
Rifts Underseas: PL 2 (1), PL 7 (2), PL 8 (6), PL 9 (4), PL 10 (6), PL 11 (6), PL 12 (1), PL 14 (1), PL 18 (1)
Coalition War Campaign: PL 8 (4), PL 9 (2), PL 10 (6), PL 11 (8), PL 12 (2)
Free Quebec: PL 9 (1), PL 10 (5), PL 11 (2), PL 12 (6)
Juicer Uprising: PL 7 (3), PL 8 (1), PL 9 (8), PL 10 (1), PL 11 (3)
Rifts Japan: PL 7 (5), PL 8 (1), PL 9 (8), PL 10 (6), PL 11 (7), PL 12 (1), PL 14 (1)
Rifts New West: PL 2 (1), PL 6 (2), PL 7 (6), PL 8 (11), PL 9 (10), PL 10 (5), PL 11 (4), PL 12 (2)
Phase World: PL 5 (1), PL 6 (5), PL 7 (4), PL 8 (7), PL 9 (7), PL 10 (2), PL 12 (1), PL 13 (2), PL 14 (1)
Federation of Magic: PL 7 (1), PL 8 (2), PL 9 (2), PL 10 (3), PL 11 (3), PL 12 (1), PL 14 (1), PL 16 (1)

It's got WAY fewer O.C.C.s & R.C.C.s than most books, having only a few of each. The power of the Automatons increases the higher PLs by a lot- the Colossus matches a Splugorth! Though I still find it hilarious that the book stands out as "Mages aren't WIMPS!" followed by "Here's some less-wimpy Mages".
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New Spells

Post by Jabroniville »

NEW SPELLS (aka "Magic Sucks Less Now!"):
* So with the Federation of Magic book, they decided to increase the number of spells (Kevin admits they came from his co-writer, but "half" were changed completely). To their credit, the designers seem to have increased the potential hitting power of their Wizards, as even early levels gain some fairly potent abilities (Magic Shield gives a +8 bonus to unarmored people, and Orb of Cold is a Blast 10 effect equivalent to solid laser weapons). Level Four adds some good blasts and an Affliction. Level Five is where you finally start to see the real changes spring forth, as it gives us Power Bolt, which is explicitly Power Armor-level in damage (Blast 12) with 1600 feet of range! They can also use Frostblade (+11 Sword), Fire Giant (+13 Line Damage), Lightblade (+13 Sword), Sonic Blast (+11 Burst Damage/Dazzle), and Spinning Blades (which can allow a 10th level Mage *10D6* Damage with their blasts!).

The middle levels give us some very high-powered things... but notably these are still worse than many regularly-available guns and Power Armor suits. Invincible Armor is pretty good if you're experienced (a top-level Mage can mimic Power Armor's durability easily). Power Weapon boosts weapons tremendously. Sorcerous Fury & Magical-Adrenal Surge both give you great boosts temporarily, though the drawbacks are vast. The "Giant" spell could turn a very tough S.D.C. character into a nigh-invincible titan, and Speed Weapon turns them into a complete demon for a while.

You get Blast 12-14 stuff fairly often, but the cost is REALLY high. Armorbane seems like it SHOULD be good, but the cost is so high and the status so minor (10% reduction? Even against a Glitter Boy a single round of shooting can drop that for a few E-Clip charges) that it's worthless. Enemy Mind is good for being utilitarian.

As usual, the higher levels are too pricey or specific to ever be used- "Swap Places" is incredibly expensive for such a weak effect, for example (it's good tactically, but at hundreds of PPE?).

Level One:
* 1 PPE.

"Lantern Light" Creates tiny Environment effect that lasts for 30 minutes per level.

Level Two:
* Typically 4-5 PPE in cost.

"Aura of Power" Makes you seem more experienced and powerful (boost to PRE & messes with Assesment).
"Cleanse" Instantly cleans body & gear.
"Cloak of Darkness" Concealment in conspicuous darkness that follows you around (4 min. per level).
"Manipulate Objects" Move Object (Objects Only)
"Shatter" Destroys brittle, fragile objects.
"Throwing Stones" Creates stone ball that does Blast 7 (Accurate).

Level Three:
* Typically 2-10 PPE in cost.

"Create Wood" Create.
"Life Source" Turns S.D.C. (health) into PPE.
"Light Healing" Healing (low-level).
"Light Target" Creates bright light to single someone out, lasting 2 min. per level.
"Magic Shield" Force Field (60 M.D.C.), Parry +1.
"Mystic Fulcrum" Power-Lifting (50% above limits).
"Orb of Cold" Blast 10 & Affliction (Dazed & Impaired/Stunned & Disabled Attacks- Fades Quickly).
"Wave of Frost" Creates plant-killing frost in small area.

Level Four:
* Typically 8-12 PPE in cost.

"Chromatic Protection" Visual Dazzle (Reaction +3) (even against people wearing protective gear if it isn't magical!)/
"Deflect" Deflect all Ranged Attacks (may hit bystanders).
"Electric Arc" Blast 9 (Accurate).
"Fireblast" Damage 10 (60 ft. Line +2)
"Fist of Fury" +7 damage punches (Affects Others at far greater cost)
"Reflection" Freezes reflections in mirrors, or appears in multiple reflective surfaces at once (confusion/intimidation).
"Ricochet Strike" Gains Ricochet & Multiattack on all thrown weapons.
"Watchguard" Creates automatic, invisible warning system in an area (1 hour per level).
"Weight of Duty" Ranged Affliction (Lowered Resolve- Impaired & Disabled)- only on honorable, non-magical beings.

Level Five:
* Typically 10-15 PPE in cost.

"Aura of Death" Morph (Dead Body) (fools all people, psionics and technology)
"Armor Bizarre" Protection (15 M.D.C./level) (opponents much save every round or suffer pentalties to attack)
"Death Curse" Curses person who killed the wizard- lowered Will, Fort, halves combat bonuses in serious fights, death-related beings know he's cursed.
"Distant Voice" Communication over 2000 feet/level (500 max if they can't see each other, and only between those who know each other well).
"Featherlight" Makes objects as light as a feather.
"Horror" Creates a radius of horror (Affliction) around something.
"House of Glass" Makes victim take equal damage to the caster if they fight.
"Implosion Neutralizer" Halves radius & damage of explosions.
"Influence the Beast" Mind Controls 1 animal per 2 levels (Shifters half that).
"Instill Knowledge" Briefly bestows one of the caster's skill or piece of information upon another.
"Lifeblast" Gives motivation & +1 to all rolls. Can fend off Undead.
"Mend the Broken" Heals Objects (too weak to be of any good).
"Mental Blast" Powerful Will-Based Damage/Affliction (victims are maddened, -2 to all rolls, and more), Subtle 2. No effect on Power or Robot Armor guys.
"Superhuman Endurance" Power-Lifting, Great Endurance, +2 Fort.
"Sustain" Immunity (Starvation & Thirst, Suffocation 2), 1 day per level.

Level Six:
* Typically 12-20 PPE in cost.

"Barrage" Blast 5 (Multiattack)- wimpy Blast spell.
"Create Water"
"Crushing Fist" Either Damage 9 (Accurate 2) punches for a while, or Blast 9 (Accurate).
"Energize Spell" Restarts duration of spells.
"Fire Blossom" Portable instantly-activated fire.
"Fortify Against Disease" Boosted Fortitude Against Disease & Poison.
"Frequency Jamming" Afflicts Communications or Sensors.
"Frostblade" Damage 11 Blade from any sliver of metal. More to fire creatures.
"Ice" Create, Freeze Water, or Ice Slick (Affliction affecting attacks).
"Illusion Booster" Doubles duration of Illusion or Apparition spell.
"Illusory Wall" Creates fake wall.
"Power Bolt" Blast 12 (Accurate, Increased Range 4).
"Targeted Deflection" Temporarily gains Deflect (Reflection) against energy blasts.
"Sheltering Force" Creates temporary shelter for hours w/ light cover.

Level Seven:
* Typically 20-25 PPE in cost.

"Ballistic Fire" Blast 7 (Increased Range 3, Multiattack at later levels).
"Fire Giant" Line Damage 13.
"Heal Self" Healing after long meditation.
"Lightblade" Damage 13 Sword for a minute per level.
"Mental Shock" Ranged Affliction (Disabled Fighting or Complete Amnesia).
"Negate Mechanics" Temporarily stop any technology from working.
"Sonic Blast" Burst Damage & Auditory Dazzle 11.
"Spinning Blades" Allows a Knife +6 to Parry and Blast 9 (2D6 MD per level).
"Sub-Particle Acceleration" Blast 14 & recharges E-Clips.

Level Eight:
* Typically 25-40 PPE in cost.

"Fire Globe" Blast 12 (Ext. Range 1), Burns for the same damage every round thereafter for 1D4 minutes.
"Forcebonds" Turns regular materials into M.D.C. restrains; takes ST 13-ish to break free.
"Greater Healing" Healing 4-ish. (seriously, these are always so low)
"Invincible Armor" 25 M.D.C. per level (so +7-12, mostly), Regenerates from harm, Full Environmental Protection.
"Lifeward" Turns Mega-Damage to S.D.C. Damage after their armor is destroyed- Triggered. (so... Toughness boost?)
"Lightning Arc" Blast 11 (Ranged 2).
"Magical-Adrenal Surge" Juicer-level abilities +. Supernatural Strength, Mega-Damage punches, +2 Attacks (Fighting boost), Speed by 50%, no Fatigue, Immunity (Drugs, Mind Control, etc.). 1 round/level, with exhaustion setting in for 1D4 minutes.
"Power Weapon" Turns S.D.C. Weapons into Mega-Damage weapons of equal die-damage, or Mega-Damage weapons boosted by 25%. 2 Rounds/Level.
"Shockwave" 1D4 Mega-Damage Burst per level. 10 feet/level. Knockdown bonuses.
"Sorcerous Fury" Transforms into a berserk, Godlike being with 50 M.D.C./level with Blast 14 Lightning (Ranged 2), Improved Initiative & better Intimidation. Only uses offensive spells and will attack anyone in their way. Down to half-attacks for an hour. One minute/level. (70 P.P.E.)
"Wall of Wind" Makes 10x6 wall per level; only ST 11 and higher creatures can walk through, and are slowed. 5 minutes/level.
"World Bizarre" Creates a terrifying space- people must pass tests to enter, and those who pass are afflicted with lowered skills. So Transform/Affliction, I guess.
"Winged Flight" Gains wings with Flight dependent on base Strength, 20 minutes/level.

Level Nine:
* Typically 40-70 PPE in cost.

"Aura of Doom" Creates aura around victim that halves attacks, -4 to attack/parry, and carries an aura of doom about them. 2 minutes/level.
"Beat Insurmountable Odds" Lets almost impossible odds be beaten on an 8+ roll. +40% to save vs. coma/death. +4 to half their attacks & +1 to half defensive actions for one round.
"Create Steel" Turn scraps into useful S.D.C. metal, or a tiny bit of M.D.C. metal.
"D-Step" Shifts into a side-dimension for 1 round/level. Can see the regular world.
"Desiccate the Supernatural" Blast 14-ish moisture-absorbing attack to "supernatural" creatures (arbitrarily includes Gargoyles & Demons but not Dragons).
"Dragon Fire" Blast 14 Fire Breath for 1 round/level.
"Illusion Manipulation" Can further modify illusions to look more real by reacting in real-time. Only 25 P.P.E., thankfully.
"Phantom Mount" Summons Toughness 8 Horse w/ Damage 13 hoof attacks for 10 minutes/level.
"Purge Self" Eliminates all foreign substances, including diseases, poisons, cybernetics, Bio-Wizard Implants, and more. Self only.
"Realm of Chaos" Teleports everyone within 100 feet to a different dimension for one minute/level. They will each fight their worst enemy, with full attacks, for the duration.
"Tame Beast" Turns animals or non-supernatural "monstrous predators" into tamed creatures that will be treated like loyal pets thereafter. The mage is allowed 1 animal per 2 levels.
"Wall of Defense" Makes 10x6 wall per level; all attacks & individuals will stop instantly for the duration. 1 round/level.

Level Ten:
* Typically 60-100 PPE in cost.

"Armorbane" Reduces M.D.C. of armor by 10%. Which is utterly useless considering this costs ONE-HUNDRED P.P.E.
"Deathword" Audio-Perception Blast 9, or Blast 4-ish directly to Hit Points, ignoring all armor. Victim lapses into a coma for 1D4 hours, and save or die!
"Enemy Mind" Mind Control- Turns the enemies of the spellcaster into enemies of the victim.
"Giant" Turns self or another into a 3-meter tall giant or GIANTESS (!!!), with M.D.C. equal to S.D.C. & HP times three, Regeneration, +1 Attack, +1 to hit & parry, -3 to dodge. One round/level. Could conceivably give a Juicer thousands of M.D.C.
"Illusory Forest" Illusion (Scent, Vision, Hearing)- Creates 3000 square feet of forest for 30 minutes/level.
"Magic Warrior" Summons Toughness 8 Warrior w/ Damage 10-11 attacks & +7 Fighting.
"Meteor" Burst Damage 14.
"Plane Skip" Changes current course in a portal to a random, different dimension. Typically to avoid Teleport Attacks.
"Purge Other" As Purge Self, but works on others. If unwilling, they get +8 to save.
"Reality Flux" Neuters Mega-Damage weapons to equivalent S.D.C. damage for 1 round/level.
"Restore Limb" Reattaches recently-severed limbs. But not regrows them- oh no, that's too powerful.
"Speed Weapon" Infuses a Magic Weapon so the user has twice as many attacks (ie. boost to accuracy in M&M). 1 round/level.
"Super-Healing" Healing 8-ish.
"Wall of Not" Turns a 15-foot length of wall invisible (... this costs 70 P.P.E.?).
"Warped Space" Distorts everything in 10 feet/level for one round. -9 to blast into this area. Very random effects, M.D.C./S.D.C. swap, time moves faster, Energy stuff won't work, etc.

Level Eleven:
* Typically 100-180 PPE in cost.

"Astral Hole" Creates mobile, invisible portal for 1 round/level. May sidestep to avoid blasts at any time.
"Bottomless Pit" Dimensional Travel Attack 7- victim disappears for 2 rounds/level.
"Curse of the World Bizarre" Transformation Affliction- Victim sees insane things wherever they look for 1D4 days/level. May be afflicted with permanent insanity (naturally, there is a table for this).
"Disharmonize" Affliction (slowed thoughts, lessened attacks, initiative, etc.)- 50ft. Radius/level for 5 minutes/level.
"Energy Sphere" Creates a sphere with 100 P.P.E. to be used within two days/level by anyone. Often given to servants of powerful beings.
"Firequake" Affliction (Dazzle/Defenseless/Hindered), Environment & Blast 12 all combined, for a 100ft. Burst.
"Id Alter Ego" Summons duplicate of the victim with the opposite alignment & Toughness 8, but likely no spells, and can't copy complex or magical equipment. 3 minutes/level.
"Illusory Terrain" Illusory Forest, but for any kind of terrain.
"Mindshatter" Affliction/Weaken that reduces the victim to a near-mindless zombie for days if they fail enough times.
"Re-Open Gateway" Temporarily re-opens a closed dimensional/teleporting gateway.
"See in Magic Darkness" Nullfies all invisibility effects whatsoever.

Level Twelve:
* Typically 50-220 PPE in cost.

"Ensorcel" Victim becomes vulnerable to sorcerer's power and afraid to attack the caster, but invulnerable to everyone else's magic.
"Heavy Air" Fatiguing magic; all armor feels too hot and oppressive.
"Ironwood" Turns wood to M.D.C. material permanently.
"Null Sphere" 100 M.D.C. Sphere that prevents environmental effects. Lesser Demons cannot enter it.
"Soultwist" Blast 14/Affliction that wracks victim with doubt for weeks.
"Wall of the Weird" Creates durable wall with Damage 11 tentacles on each side.

Level Thirteen:
* Typically 70-400 PPE in cost.

"Collapse". Destroys an entire building (doing Damage 6 at least), collapsing it inwards.
"Restore Life" Resurrection (time after death depends on level, victims are usually weakened).
"Shadow Wall" Creates opaque wall that causes slow speeds (2 feet/round) and Weakens Strength & Stamina, draining energy weapon damage (5 min./level).
"Swap Places" Swaps two people visible to each other in space (1 min./level).

Level Fourteen:
* 350-600 PPE in cost.

"Annihilate" Blast 18 (Improved Range, Accurate) & Burst Area 15 (Improved Range).
"Summon & Control Sea Serpents" Summons & Controls 1D4 Sea Serpents within 10 miles (does not create them).

Level Fifteen:
* Typically 400-1,000 PPE in cost.

"Circle of Travel (Ritual)" Creates a Circle that can be used for instant teleport (Dimensions, Space, Distance).
"Enchant Weapon (Minor)" Weapons do Damage x2 (converting S.D.C. to Mega-Damage if so, likely Damage 11 at max). One month or permanent.
"Summon Ally" Creates Circle to magically teleport a person you've named to that spot, if they agree to it.
"Void" Dimensional Travel Attack (Ranged, One Week's Duration). Throws them into a pocket dimension for a week.
Jabroniville
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Federation of Magic Gear

Post by Jabroniville »

GEAR:
* As you might imagine, most of the gear in this book if Techno-Wizard stuff.

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GUNS & WEAPONS:
-Most of this gear is standard-issues Blasts, being more expensive than regular weapons and not really that much better. Most are Blast 10-11. A "Jammer" pistol specializes in wrecking the accuracy of other weapons, though- sort of a "Weaken Accuracy" trick. The TW Disruptor fires the "Energy Disruption" spell, the Nova Rifle hits with Blast 13 and is only ten pounds, while the Rail Gun-like TW Force Cannon hits at Blast 14 and is much heavier. The Storm Rifle (detailed with the Battle Magus) combines the "Wind Rush" & "Lightning" (Blast 12) spells into one thing. The Sonic Rifle fires the "Shockwave" spell. The Starfire Pulse Cannon can only be mounted on vehicles & robots, and hits with Blast 14 (Multiattack).

The Dragonfire Flamethrower is a Line Damage 14 weapon, Freeze Grenades use the "Ice" Spell as a thrown weapon, Firebombs are Burst Damage 13 ones, and the Shockstorm Landmine is a Damage 9 Triggered mine. The Whip of Pain deals S.D.C. damage and the "Agony" spell, and the Scepter of Command commands Ghouls, controls & animates Undead, and can cast "Domination" and "Repel Animals". The Firestaff takes months to create, and casts most of the Fire spells (Ignite & Fuel Flame, Fireblast & Ball, Fire Blossom, Ballistic Fire, Ten Foot Wheel of Fire & Extinguish Fire) as a 5th level wizard.

The Paralysis Staff is only Damage 7, but adds "Paralysis (Lesser)" with every strike. The Draining Blade does an impressive 11 Damage, and adds the "Life Drain" spell at 7th level, meaning you drain S.D.C. & Hit Points from non-magical beings! The Deathbringer Sword is a horrifying weapon doing Damage 14 (+1 to strike & parry!) and adding the "Spinning Blades", "Sub-Particle Acceleration" & "Invulnerability" spells, albeit at great cost- it's a death machine against a single opponent you REALLY want to bring down, though. The Battle Fury Blades do Damage 14 as well if you spend enough P.P.E., doubling the user's attacks (HUGE boosts to accuracy, as the weapon even degrades opponents' dodging) for 12 rounds. The Shadow Cloak gives you "Shadow Meld" and makes the opponent -2 to all combat bonuses.

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VEHICLES:
There are only four vehicles listed. The Toughness +18 Battle Skimmer is a moving battle platform (only Flight 7) with Blast 14 (Multiattack) cannons. The TW Ley Streaker has a decent, futuristic look at moves at Flight 8, but is only Tougness +11 and no weapons. The TW Zone Ranger ATV is a cool-looking Punk Rock Monster Truck with huge wheels with unrealistic giant treads, Toughness +13, Speed 6, the ability to float on water, Chameleon abilities, Flight 6, a Blast 12 Fireball, and "Call Lightning"- most as P.P.E.-draining spells. The TW Trailblazer Assault ATV is Toughness +14, Speed 6, and has Blast 14 (Multiattack) Starfire Pulse Cannons, a Blast 13 Rifle, Mini-Missiles, and a +1 Force Field. All of these are given the options of specialized TW gear as add-ons, as you're expected to personalize these things.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Automatons! Corrupt! Mystic Knight!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And that does it for Federation of Magic! Possibly one of the last big "adding to the mythos" books in terms of major NPCs (Dunscon is a big name), with Kevin's most hilarious attack against his fans, and a large amount of classes that seem to ignore his "Mages aren't WIMPS!" argument in favor of "Well here's some non-wimpy ones!".

Next up, another Coalition-themed book, sort of- Rifts Lone Star!
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Lone Star

Post by Jabroniville »

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"Goddammit, look at this thing! Now Kevin is going to have to cobble together some stats for the cover monster!"

RIFTS WORLD BOOK 13- LONE STAR (1997):
-Yet ANOTHER book coming out in the huge surge that was 1997, Lone Star is a bit of an odd one in that it's very disjointed and varied. I would imagine this would annoy the hell out of GMs who only wanted one particular thing, but well, Palladium released a lot of content in the late '90s, and their editing was awful. I find it helpful to think of it as four different books in one.

1) It's a Character Class Expansion Book: This book's first third is made up of what is essentially "The Dog Boy Book". Sort of the Dog Boy version of what Juicer Uprising, The Federation of Magic and Cyber-Knights were about- it's a whole thing establishing the origins of Dog Boys, how Dog Boys are raised, how Dog Boys are trained and treated, and other kinds of Dog Boys. It naturally does the "Rifts" thing and expands upon it in various ways, adding Cats, Rats, Bats, Bears and other things to the mix. HOWEVER, Dog Boys are not themselves complex enough to be worth a whole expansion book, so....

2) It's a Book of NPCs: A few Rifts books are especially heavy on NPCs, and this is one of them. It contains a bio on Desmond Bradford, several Coalition cronies at the Lone Star facility, as well as individual Pecos Empire warlords.

3) It's a Sequel to New West: This one's a bit odd, and easily the most "disjointed" aspect of the book, which is otherwise a Coalition-themed expansion. The whole Pecos Empire, and it's cowboy-themed characters, just SCREAMS "Wild West", which is part of the New West book that was still BRAND-NEW at the time. Criminy, this book has the freaking SUNDANCE KID as an NPC- how is that not New West material? Given how much space that book wasted on unrelated stuff, and vague mentions of Coalition troops in the area, it's kind of funny that so much of the "meat" of the whole "Cyber-Cowboy-Punk" world they created in the Southwestern United States ended up in this book for whatever reason.

4) It's a World Book: If anything, it's more a "World Book" about one single area- the Lone Star genetic engineering factory/monolith in Coalition States territory, and the Pecos Empire to the south.

The book has pretty solid art- I've mentioned my dislike of Wayne Breaux's stuff repeatedly, but he's best at animal people (despite his Dog Boys looking stupid), and so it fits here. Ramon Perez handles the rest, with his unique "Dirty Wild West" art style being perfect for the Pecos Empire. Honestly, this book is as much Rifts New West as New West was, to the point where it feels like it must have taken a good chunk of that book's ideas- how on Earth is the book ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO WILD WEST MYTHOLOGY not the one that has the goddamn SUNDANCE KID as an NPC?
Jabroniville
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Lone Star

Post by Jabroniville »

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LONE STAR:
-Lone Star is known to the greater setting as "the place where Dog Boys come from", but this book details its psychotic leader, the various CS military goons beneath him, and the immediate threats to the facility.

The guy who runs the joint is a solid character- given how the CS runs itself like Nazi Germany, it makes sense they have their very own Mengele- one of the worst aspects of dictatorships is that they allow true monsters like this free reign. In a bit of sick irony, Desmond Bradford, who experiments upon thousands of living beings and espouses this Nazi-esque ideology, is a black man. Various CS agents either hate the man or steer clear of him, especially as one of the agents sent to investigate him turned up dead. Emperor Prosek is said to adore and respect the man, while the Emperor's son is mistrustful and thinks he's a madman- he turns out to be correct. It's an interesting addition to the meta-plot of the setting.

The Coalition NPCs seem like a solid bunch of characters- there's a fairly bloodthirsty, but not chaotically-so, general- a "Yes Man" out to go to war at the first provocation. Lone Star's security and military operations are run by an intelligent female officer in a nice bit- she's shown as cool, confident and one of the few people Bradford respects (which is how she's able to be successful- he won't work with people he doesn't respect). She's militaristic and genocidal like any good CS officer, but not wantonly so. Perez gives her art that actually makes her come off as mature and attractive without overdoing it with "boob armor" or whatever- she's in her 40s but looks 30-ish, given medical advances in this time period. Another guy is a nutjob that Bradford likes because he's a good attack dog, while another is a CS war hero who's become ravaged by the horrors of war, wondering what it's all about.

An extra bit is added on to the end about rivals to Lone Star- it's said that the Coalition's bragging about how much land they control is a falsehood- the facility is a mere portion of the Lone Star State- much of Texas is dominated by the lawless bands of the Pecos Empire, and other enemies are waiting in the wings, too.
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