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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Rifts Africa- Rain Maker! Medicine Man! Priest!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Oh, neat! What’s in the updated version?
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Necro-Magic

Post by Jabroniville »

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NECRO-MAGIC:
* The spells of the Necromancers actually aren't that bad, but mostly rely on controlling alread-available undead, Summoning things, doing minor stuff like detection & reading dead bodies, etc. Anything that's really good is quite costly.

"Control Ghouls" Controls 2d4 Ghouls.
"Consume Power & Knowledge" Gaints temporary boosts to stats by eating the body parts of an enemy. Courage (heart), Comprehend (tongue), Recognize things the victim had seen (eyes), etc.
"Death Mask" Mask that disguises face- Morph & Intimidation boost, plus Immunity 2 (Poison, Disease)
"Death Strike" Every melee attack does double-damage- upgraded to Mega-Damage if the target is M.D.C.! 1 minute per level, which is quite a lot.
"Divining: Tombs & Graves" Detects Graves using a wishbone.
"Kill Plants" Kills plant life.
"Maggots (insects)" Infests things with maggots by touch.
"Object Read the Dead" Analytical Sense about a dead body- race, cause of death, nature of suffering, time of death, etc.
"Recognize the Undead" Automatically recognize all types of undead, even through illusions.
"Shadows of Death" Creates a shadow that gives extra Intimidation and -2 to all combat bonuses of targets. Alternatively, can be a curse that causes sleeplessness and a -1 to combat bonuses of a target.
"Shadow of Doom (curse)" Causes depression- -2 to Initiative, -1 to combat bonuses, -20% to skills.
"Stench of the Dead" Reaction Area Affliction (Impaired/Disabled).
"Strength of the Dead" Protection- gives half the bonus of a nearby dead creature- even an M.D.C. one!
"Summon Insect Swarm" Creates a 100-foot insect swarm that clouds vision, sensors, and abilities (halves attacks, etc.).
"Summon Magot (monster)" Spelled "Maggot" repeatedly, and is apparently a unique kind of demon. They have 1D4x1000 M.D.C. (+17-19 Toughness!), do Damage 14 & Paralyzing Affliction 10. Insane cost (320 P.P.E.) means that usually blood sacrifices are required- a lot of them.
"Summon Vampires" 1d4 Vampires come to the necromancer, and will obey them. Ones who like the Necromancer will stay longer.
"Summon Worms of Taut" Summons one Worm per level from the Palladium RPG.
"Transfer Life Force" Possesses a dead body, resembling them but being controlled.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Wed Jan 01, 2020 1:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Sidious
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Rifts Africa- Rain Maker! Medicine Man! Priest!)

Post by Sidious »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:59 pm Oh, neat! What’s in the updated version?
Not a bloody clue. LOL
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PYGMIES, swear to god

Post by Jabroniville »

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THE JUNGLE PEOPLE R.C.C.:
PYGMY HUNTER R.C.C.: STA +2, +1 Will & Fort (Limited to vs. Magic), Athletics +6, Expertise (Survival) +6 [11]
PYGMY SHAMAN R.C.C.: STA +2, +1 Will & Fort (Limited to vs. Magic), Athletics +4, Expertise (Survival) +6, Expertise (Magic) 6, Ritualist [14]

-ahahahahahaahahah OHHHHHH JESUS. So they decided to make a RACIAL CHARACTER CLASS about an actual ethnic group of people living in equatorial Africa- the famously-short Pygmies (a name, possibly pejorative, detailing several different peoples). Like, they have bonuses to S.D.C. and stuff, and are literal spear-wielding jungle people with shamans and horrendous skill choices- almost all Physical/Survival-Based and VERY few extra selections- among the worst I've ever seen in the game. It's hilariously cringe-y.

-And then there's their Talisman creation, which is the only magic Shamans get- it allows for the creation of one-off devices that Shamans can recharge. Pygmies are "Mistrustful" of large people, D-Bees, etc., but get along well with the Tree People.

-Fatal & Friends calls this, quite fairly, the worst class in the entire game- even worse than the Vagabond O.C.C.
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Agogwe

Post by Jabroniville »

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It's both phallic AND looks like an ass.

AGOGWE R.C.C.: ST +2, STA +1, INT -1, Athletics +4, Expertise (Survival) +6, Low-Light Vision, Fort +1, Will +2, "Psionics" (Minor w/ 3 Sensitive powers; Major w/ 6 Healing or Sensitive powers + Sense Evil, Sixth Sense & Mind Block; or Master with 4 from Physical, Healing & Major) [11 + Psionics]

-Taking their names from the hairy wildmen of African myth (most nations have such cryptids in their mythology), the Agogwe have gone from a few thousand hidden folks to 250,000 ever since the Rifts came, because of course the global cataclysm is only ever healthy to wild creatures. Short, quick anthropoids, they are fuzzy and use S.D.C. gear, but a number may have some Mega-Damage stuff, because reasons- their stats are very unimpressive (they don't have Rain Makers, but do have Priests & Medicine Men), and their art is classic "Kevin S"- simple and ugly. They like the Pygmies and Tree People, but are very shy and do not interact with others.
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Tree People

Post by Jabroniville »

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TREE PEOPLE R.C.C.: ST -1, STA +1, FIGHTING +2, AWA +2, Athletics +4, Expertise (Survival) +6, Flight 3 (Gliding Only)- AE: Leaping 3, Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands, Low-Light Vision, Extended Hearing & Scent, Acute Scent, Supernatural Being Awareness- Ranged & Acute) [29]

-Three-foot ape-men D-Bees with wings like flying squirrels, the Tree People are other forest lovers who number in the millions and get along with Pygmies & Agogwe, but view others as possibly unfriendly invaders. They are your classic "peaceful, but if you kill one of them, the rest will hunt you down and massacre you" race, who worship freedom and oppose Rama-Set and other evil creatures. So much is written about their culture and beliefs that they actually have to reduce the friggin' print size for their bio- the only time I can recall seeing anything other than the usual Palladium font size in any of these books. Apparently this is a function of the later edition, as Kevin has to jam them in somehow.

-Their stats are unimpressive, and mainly based around gliding quickly, though many carry Pygmy Charms and the like- they have no Prists or Rain Makers, but many are effectively Druids, and rare ones are Master Psionics with healing powers.
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Demonic Cannibals

Post by Jabroniville »

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God the early books had such bad art.

DEMONIC CANNIBALS
Role:
Mouthy-Fingered Monsters
PL 9 (112)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Deception 5 (+4)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+8)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimdiation 6 (+5)
Perception 3 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 1 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed)

Powers:
Immunity 3 (Poison, Disease, Aging) [3]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Comprehend 3 (Languages) [6]
Regeneration 2 [2]
"Mega-Damage Attacks" Strength-Damage +3 [3]

Morph 1 (Vulture) (Feats: Metamorph) (6) -- [7]
  • AE: Morph 1 (Human Form) (5)
Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +7, Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Eating People)

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 22 / Defenses: 10 (112)

-Cannibals in African myths (though this book is such nonsense I have no idea how accurate that is), these things are notable for Kevin's art showing cartoony, sharp-toothed smiling mouths on the fingertips of an ugly guy. They often abduct human childrern and raise them as their own- these loyal cannibals join the demons and are just as bad. Though dumb-looking and being low-M.D.C., they are remarkably good fighters (+5 to hit and +7 to defenses in Palladium stats!), making them PL 9 mini-powerhouses.
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Buti-Fa

Post by Jabroniville »

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THE BUTI-FAS
Role:
Evil Forest Spirits, Anti-Human Monsters
PL 8 (78 + Psionics)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+2)
Perception 4 (+4)
Stealth 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Languages (A Few)

Powers:
Immunity 10 (Magical Damage) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [5]
Immunity 11 (Fire & Heat Effects, Aging) [11]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
Morph 1 (Owl) (Feats: Metamorph) [6]
Protection 2 [2]

"Psionics" (Detect Psionics, Induce Sleep, Psychic Diagnosis & Surgery, See the Invisible, Mind Block, Empathy, Empathic Transmission & Empathy With Animals- special power)

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +8, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Complications:
Hatred (Humans)- The Buti-Fas hunt humans wherever they find them, hating all of them. They even hate humanoid D-Bees.

Total: Abilities: 34 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 23 + Psionics / Defenses: 8 (78 + Psionics)

-The Buti-Fas are humanoid creatures that love animals, but fight all humans and human-looking D-Bees. As such, they will help trapped animals, lure animals into human camps, slit the throats of sleeping people, etc. Their skills are worthless and they have slight bonuses to attack & defenses, but humorously enough are low-strength M.D.C. creatures that would therefore be completely unable to harm each other. They can transform into owls, which the books explains have a frightening, mistrustful nature in African superstition. They also accidentally reprint that for the Demonic Cannibal bio.
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Mokole-Mbembe

Post by Jabroniville »

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Mokole-Mbembe is given no art in the book.

MOKOLE-MBEMBE (Erythrusuchus)
Role:
Dreaded River Predator
PL 8 (72)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 9 (+8 Size)
Perception 6 (+7)
Stealth 7 (+6, +5 Size)

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

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent & Extended Scent 2) [4]
Swimming 4 (4) -- [5]
AE: Speed 3 (16 mph) (3)

"Dino-Sized" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +5

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

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 17 / Defenses: 13 (72)

-The Mokole-Mbembe is probably Africa's most famous cryptid, and is typically depicted as a Sauropod-like creature that inhabits rivers, so of course Rifts Africa calls it a carnivorous hippo/croc that weighs one ton, and based it off of a short-necked, large-headed reptile (a distant ancestor of the archosaurs, including crocodilians, birds & most dinosaurs). I used the stats for my Carnotaurus build, as the sizes line up, as does the Toughness, oddly enough (because Mega-Damage is Dumb!).
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Pygmies! Agogwe! Tree People! Mokole-Mbembe!)

Post by Woodclaw »

I really can't get over how uneven Rifts is. On one hand, it's one of the best kitchen sink setting I know of and it fully embraced the madness of it. On the other, you have these bland character classes and creatures that are a pain to look at.
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

WareHouse W (main build thread for M&M)
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Pygmies! Agogwe! Tree People! Mokole-Mbembe!)

Post by Jabroniville »

The early books are some of their worst- it's like night and day once CJ Carella joined and went crazy with the setting. I think the books after and around him joining ended up being improved by his work, as people went "oh yeah, you can do ANYTHING".

Rifts England is apparently legendarily bad. And Rifts Africa is probably the worst book I've ever read in the setting- it's just this boring collection of useless classes so far, with Godlike NPC Villains and then a knockoff of Atlantis with the elites (though I haven't read all the way through there just yet). Kevin S, despite coming up with much of the setting, largely has no imagination here, beyond "let's take a real thing and decide to make a completely useless class, because it's Role Playing, not Roll Playing".
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Pygmies! Agogwe! Tree People! Mokole-Mbembe!)

Post by Spectrum »

Bundle of Holding has two collections for Rifts right now. One of them is lots of war of the demons stuff, the other is more generic.
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
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Massospondylus

Post by Jabroniville »

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MASSOSPONDYLUS
Role:
River Herbivore
PL 6 (75)
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 9 (+8 Size)
Perception 6 (+7)
Stealth 7 (+6, +5 Size)

Advantages:
Close Attack 1, Improved Hold

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent & Extended Scent 2) [4]
Swimming 4 (4) -- [5]
  • AE: Speed 3 (16 mph) (3)
"Dino-Sized" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +5

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

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 17 / Defenses: 13 (59)

-Rifts Africa describes the Massospondylus as an herbivorous sauropod, and this is largely true- they're very early sauropodomorphs, and very delicately-built by comparison to others of their kind. Of course the book describes them as "likely alien", probably brought here by the Splugorth.
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Pygmies! Agogwe! Tree People! Mokole-Mbembe!)

Post by Curbludgeon »

I just caught up on Jab's build threads, and am of course delighted. As someone that actually posts on Palladium forums it's nice to see some of the worst offenses receive the derision they really deserve.

Africa is right up there as one of the worst Palladium books. In addition to the racial cariacatures and dehumanizing, it also presents some of the largest populations on the planet in a couple of paragraphs per country. Several sub-Saharan regions have populations in excess of 100 million, presumably all living as hunter-gatherers. The Phoenix Empire is just as bad, with a population so large that the idea of Triax successfully struggling against the Gargoyle Empire is laughable. The only book that is nearly as sweeping in its population demographics is China 1, and that can be partially excused in that a majority of the non-demon populace are "dead and damned" near-automata. England, as mentioned above, is not good due to its slipshod nature, combining Palladium's response to d&d's druids by making any version they've published quite weak, with a half-hearted Arthurian revamp. The book would have done far better by focusing on Ireland and Scotland, countries overrun by Faeries and Formorians. Spirit West could have been salvaged if it had been presented as "Mystic variants, the book" instead of doing some 1990's public library "research" before claiming Native Americans have inherent spirit potential due to alliances with the Cherokee Nunnehi. If I were to vote, the two worst books Palladium put out were first Heroes of the Megaverse, wherein Kevin S. decided he should stat up himself, other writers, and I think his wife (which was just as oblivious as you'd guess). Second is Dark Designs for Nightbane, which was more than half reprinted tables spliced together impressively inefficiently with tables cut out of Rifters just different enough that the "author" got bent out of shape when the obvious similarity was mentioned, and topped with 2 quarter pages of marginalia clearly busted out in 20 minutes 20 years ago.

I thought, Jabroniville, that you mentioned in one post which books you're interested in covering and a tentative order, but I'll be darned if I've seen it. As someone that has pdfs of just about everything I thought I might look at things with which you are disinterested.
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Re: Jab's Rifts Builds (Pygmies! Agogwe! Tree People! Mokole-Mbembe!)

Post by Sidious »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Jan 07, 2020 9:25 pm The early books are some of their worst- it's like night and day once CJ Carella joined and went crazy with the setting. I think the books after and around him joining ended up being improved by his work, as people went "oh yeah, you can do ANYTHING".

Rifts England is apparently legendarily bad. And Rifts Africa is probably the worst book I've ever read in the setting- it's just this boring collection of useless classes so far, with Godlike NPC Villains and then a knockoff of Atlantis with the elites (though I haven't read all the way through there just yet). Kevin S, despite coming up with much of the setting, largely has no imagination here, beyond "let's take a real thing and decide to make a completely useless class, because it's Role Playing, not Roll Playing".
The only book worse than Africa is Manhunters. I like to swap the big bad in that book for the Intruders and just basically ignore 90% of it.

England has it's ups and downs (RCC Dabuggh?). I did like the idea of an inept Alien Intelligence that can't really manipulate people. It's got the rules for Temporal Wizards and Raiders. And Nexus knights make great Storm Troopers (disposable faceless enemies you don't care about killing). Millennium Trees are just plain weird, and I could have done without the in depth chapter on Fae Food.

Early books are defiantly hit or miss.
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