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Creating a character in Rifts is a straight-forward process
as described in the Rifts main book. Little has been changed regarding
the creation process, except some random tables have been added for those
who want to quickly get some background on their character.
At this point the GM must set down ground rules. The GM
must decide if he/she wants the adventure to be a gory blood-shed, an intriguing
covert story etc. When it comes to the more battle-oriented campaigns/adventures,
I would generally allow any RCC that players may choose.
| NB: When it comes to optional RCCs or RCCs of great power (demigod / godling / cosmo-knights etc.) the GM has the absolute final say. |
In a measure to keep the level of the players at a reasonable
level, I use a three count rule. Each player may roll three columns of
attributes (three complete sets of attributes, not complete characters
with HP etc.) and select one column for his/her character. Note that all
results within 4 points of max for that race get 1D6 bonus.
At this point the GM may opt to disallow the player to
look at the OCCs. This will in effect hinder the player to select the column
that gives him/her enough points to select that OCC.
Another rule that may be of interest is to restrict the
number of attributes above a set number (f. ex. not more than 3 attributes above 19 are allowed). This will ensure that the characters are more equal
to the general population.
If the attributes are particularly low, penalties are
adviceable.
| Attribute | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Applies to |
| IQ | -9% | -8% | -7% | -6% | -5% | -4% | -3% | To all skills |
| ME | -5 | -4 | -4 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -1 | Psionics / Insanity |
| MA | -50% | -43% | -36% | -29% | -23% | -15% | -9% | Befriend / Intimidate |
| PS | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | To damage |
| PP | -5 | -5 | -4 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | To strike / parry / dodge |
| PE | -16% | -14% | -12% | -10% | -8% | -6% | -4% | Coma / Death |
| -5 | -5 | -4 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | Magic / Poisons | |
| PB | 17% | 15% | 13% | 10% | 9% | 7% | 3% | Chance of being attacked |
I've found that through the 6 years of playing Rifts,
only once has the player ever used the mutation option. When considering
that how a person is born (with maybe physical deformation/handicap) is
outside of that persons control, a players characters "appearance"
aught to be approximately the same.
| Roll | Effect |
| 01 - 08 | Roll twice on the random mutation table |
| 09 - 15 | Roll once on the random mutation table |
| 16 - 00 | No mutation |
Alignments are generally formed during the characters
adolescence. Determining the alignment now will simulate the kind of childhood
the character has had. The character can freely select the alignment as
long as it doesn't conflict with the RCC.
Here the main book is as good as any other. Unless the
RCC specifies that it cannot have psionics or that it has psionics, the
player should roll on the table. If psionics is not desired, jump over
this step.
| Roll | Effect |
| 01 - 09 | Major Psionics |
| 10 - 25 | Minor Psionics |
| 26 - 00 | No psionic powers |
For a description of what the powers mean, look to page 12 in the Rifts RPG main book.
The first step to consider is the RCC. Some RCCs don't
have the possibility to select OCCs (dragons etc.) while others have a
list of OCCs that can be selected (generally only humans can have CS education/training).
The second step is to check if the character has high
enough attribute levels to be what he wants. In many cases, when the player
isn't that familiar with the different OCCs, he/she may find that the character
can't be what they wanted it to be. This is only another aspect that gives
more background to the character.
At this point there are a couple of things that have to
be taken into account.
From here there are two ways to proceed. You can either
follow the main book regarding skill distribution or you may opt to use
Edward Pauls excellent, although time consuming, skill selection system.
Selecting / adding up on skills in the usual way is quite
straight forwards and isn't representative of what kind of skills the character
has been training on.
OCC skills are part of the formal training the character gets. These are obligatory subjects that must be had in order to become that OCC. This list refers to specific skills, not categories. Often a bonus in a parenthesis is added behind the skill, indicating that the characters start level in that skill is equal to the base skill level +
the number in parenthesis. So at first level, a CS grunt would have Radio: Basic (+10%) at 45% + 10% = 55%. Note the skills with OCC, since OCC skills are of a higher quality than related (Rel) and secondary (Sec) skills.
OCC related skills are the next to be selected. OCC related
skills represent courses that the character had to take while studying
to become the OCC. Smart players will only select skills from categories
in which they get bonuses, using the other and secondary skills for physical
/ WP skills and skills in which they don't get any bonus. The skill bonus
written in the parenthesis is applied only during character creation (when
the character is at level 1!) and not at every level.
OCC related skills available are denoted in categories
marked with all, only or none. This limit of skill selection is present
only during character generation. The number of related skills is written
in the text.
Note related skills as Rel, indicating a level of knowledge
generally better/higher than a self-leaned person.
| NB: additional skills gained at other levels (f. ex. select 2 skills at level 3, 5 and 6....) are treated as other skills and not related skills. The reason being that related skills are tutored skills, gained through intensive study/participating in lectures etc. |
Secondary skills are hobbies and things learned without
any formal training. Secondary skills are only available at first level
and indicate hobbies the character has had in the past before finishing
his/her tuition.
Secondary skills are not restricted in the same way as
related skills. They are however restricted by the following table:
| Category | Selectable skills |
| Communications | Radio basic, cryptography, laser, TV/Video |
| Domestic | All |
| Electrical | Basic Electronics |
| Espionage | Detect ambush, detect concealment, escape artist, pick locks, pick pockets, wilderness survival |
| Mechanical | Automotive mechanics, basic mechanics |
| Medical | First aid, paramedic, holistic medicine |
| Military | None |
| Physical | HTH, athletics, body building, boxing, climbing, prowl, running, swimming, wrestling. |
| Pilot Skills | Automobile, Boat: sail type, Boat: motor / hydrofoils, horsemanship, exotic animals, hover craft (ground), motorcycle, truck. |
| Pilot related | Navigation, read sensory equipment |
| Rogue skills | All |
| Science | Mathematics: basic |
| Technical | All + lore (* See note) |
| W. P. | All - (except) W.P. heavy, W.P. heavy energy |
| Wilderness | All |
| *Note on Lore: The character isn't likely to have as good a knowledge of mythology as one that has been studying mythology actively. Thus reduce the base skill proficiency to 1/2 of original. |
Edward Paul is the creator of a skill system that in my
humble opinion surpasses the standard palladium system manyfold. It does
however have a drawback. It takes a lot of time to complete! Its a great
advantage to use a computer.
Pick all skills for the characters appropriate level.
Do not add the skill bonuses yet! Create a "point pool" in which
you add all applicable OCC skill bonuses, OCC related skill bonuses and
secondary skill bonuses (e.g. Carpentry adds 5% to Boat Building etc.).
Do not forget to add the IQ bonus times the number of skills selected.
Now the player can distribute the points as he/she sees fit, but remember
the 98% skill limit.
| NOTE: The IQ bonus is only applied on the level where the new skills are acquired, and then only for those skills. |
Sum up the level increase bonus for all skills one level
old. If appropriate select new skills (these skills add to the point pool
only at the level after you have selected them!). Add the IQ bonus times
the number of "new" skills* to the old point pool number.
| * Skills must be newly acquired to be accountable. |
E.x.1 Catherine is a 2nd level scholar with 13 skills that give +5%
each in level increase bonus. Her IQ is 23 that gives her a 9% skill bonus.
The skill pool at level one was 40 + the one time IQ bonus of (13 x 9)
= 117. This gave her a pool of 157 points at level 1. At her new level,
she gets (13 x 5) = 65 skill pool points.
E.x.2 Catherine didn't get any more skills at level 3, but gets to
select 3 new skills at level 4. Since the new skills aren't over one level
old, she does not get a level bonus on account of them. She does however
get the IQ bonus since it works from the moment the skill is gained. 3
x 9 + 65 = 92.
E.x.3 We will now look at how much the point pool evolves through
the levels:
| Level: | Points: | Event: |
| 1 | 157 | Just starting out. Gets IQ bonus on all new skills |
| 2 | 65 | Gained level increase points, but no IQ bonus |
| 3 | 65 | - |
| 4 | 92 | Gained three new skills. IQ bonus |
| 5 | 80 | Gained level increase points for the three skills |
| 6 | 80 | - |
Some skills haven't got a level increase cost in the normal
system (f. ex. HTH combat). Thus we have to use the following table to
determine the level increase value of those skills:
| Skill / Skill category | Cost / gain |
| Weapon Proficiency | 30 points |
| Robot HTH Basic | 35 points |
| Robot Combat Elite | 40 points |
| HTH Basic | 40 points |
| HTH Expert | 45 points |
| HTH Martial Arts / Assassin | 50 points |
| HTH Commando | 50 points |
| HTH Judo / Aikido | 45 points |
| HTH Jujitsu / Karate / Kendo | 55 points |
| HTH Ninjitsu / Tai-Jutsu | 55 points |
| HTH Teng-Jutsu | 60 points |
| HTH Zanji Shinjinken-Ryo | 50 points |
| Most non-percentage Physical Skills | 25 points |
| Boxing / Wrestling | 35 points |
| W.P. Sharpshooting | 40 points |
Now that the (sometimes) most time consuming part is finished,
you can start adding up the total bonuses to the physical attributes and
calculating the HP and SDC or MDC.
Opposite to some beliefs, the attributes have limits.
| Attribute: | Limit: |
| IQ: | 70 |
| ME: | 70 |
| MA: | 70 |
| PS: | Non-supernatural creatures have a top at 50. Supernatural creatures have a top at 100. |
| PP: | 45 |
| PE: | 100. |
| PB: | 40 |
| SPD: | Non-supernatural creatures have a top at 150 Supernatural creatures have a top at 500 |
Most attributes are peaked at 30, meaning that attributes
above that level have absolutely no effect counting bonuses. There is however
simple attribute bonus functions / procedures to calculate the bonuses
that exist above 30.
| Attribute: | Effect: |
| PS: | For each damage point above 30 add 1 point damage bonus. |
| PP: | The bonus to strike/parry/dodge stops at 30, however, for every 3 point above 30 the character gets +1 to his/her initiative (33, 36, 39, 42 etc.) |
| PE: | The save vs magic / poison stops at 30, but the save vs coma / death gets +1% for each point above 30. |
| All other attribute bonuses are maxed out at lever 30. |
All creatures have a P.P.E base. This is the native /
inherent level of magic of that creature. Practitioners of magic add the
following P.P.E base to that of their OCC.
| Race | Age | P.P.E |
| Human | 13 and under | 6D6+6 |
| Human | 14 to 19 | 4D6 |
| Human | 20 + | 3D6 |
| Cyborg | - | 1D4 |
| Goblins, faeries, algor | - | 6D6 |
| Elf, changeling, gnome | - | 5D6 |
| Wolfen, coyles, and most mutant animals | - | 4D6 |
| Dwarf, ogre, troll, and most other races | - | 3D6 |
| Most gigants | - | 1D4 x 10 |
There are several saving throws in Rifts. Some of them
are effective against only one type of attack (e.g. +4 to save vs mind
control of a vampire). There are however 7 major saving throws that all
characters have.
| Save: | Save Roll: | |
| Save vs Lethal Poison | 14+ | |
| Save vs Non-lethal Poison | 16+ | |
| Save vs Harmful Drugs | 15+ | |
| Save vs Insanity | 12+ | |
| Save vs Psionics | Non-psionic | 15+ |
| Major/minor psionic | 12+ | |
| Master | 10+ | |
| Save vs Magic | Spell | 12+ |
| Ritual | 16+ |
Skill listThe following skill list is revised and includes several
new skills including all skills from the books I have available.
Category Skill % +%
Communications
Cryptography 25 5
Electronic Countermeasures 30 5
Laser 30 5
Optic Systems 30 5
Performance 30 5
Radio: Basic 45 5
Radio: Scramblers 35 5
Satellite Systems 20 5
Surveillance Systems 30 5
TV/Video 25 4
Domestic
Bonsai 50 4
Calligraphy 35 5
Cook 35 5
Dance 30 5
Fishing 40 5
Floral Arrangement (Ikebana) 30 3
Gardening 34 4
Go 30 5
Play musical instrument 35 5
Poetry (Haiku) 35 5
Sewing 40 5
Sing 35 5
Electrical
Basic Electronics 30 5
Computer Repair 25 5
Electrical Engineer 30 5
Electricity Generation 30 5
Robot Electronics 30 5
Espionage
Detect Ambush 30 5 +
Detect Concealment 25 5 +
Disguise 25 5
Escape Artist 30 5
Forgery 20 5
Imitate Voices & Impersonation 36/16 4
Intelligence 32 4
Interrogation Techniques 30 5
Pick Locks 30 5
Pick Pockets 25 5
Sniper - -
Tracking 25 5
Wilderness Survival 30 5
Mechanical
Aircraft Mechanics 25 5
Automotive Mechanics 25 5
Basic Mechanics 30 5
Bioware Mechanics 30 5
Locksmith 25 5
Mechanical Engineer 25 5 +
Robot Mechanics 20 5
Spaceship Mechanics 22 5
Submersible Vehicle Mechanics 25 5
Weapons Engineer 25 5
Medical
Criminal Sciences & Forensics 35 5
Entomological Medicine 40 5
Field Surgery 16 4
First Aid 45 5
Holistic Medicine 20 5
Paramedic 40 5
Medical Doctor 60/50 5
Medical Doctor Cybernetics 40/60 5
Pathology 40 5
Sea Holistic Medicine 20 5
Military
Armorer 40 5
Camouflage 20 5
Demolitions 60 3
Demolitions Disposal 60 3
Find Contraband/Weapons & Cybernetics 26 4
Military Etiquette 35 5
Military Fortification 30 5
Nuclear, Chemical, Biological warfare 35 5
Parachuting: HAHO/HALO/LALO 40 5
Recognize Weapon Quality 25 5
Trap Construction 20 4
Trap / Mine detection 20 5
Undersea Demolitions 56 3
Undersea Demolitions Disposal 56 3
Physical
HTH * Listed in Rifts main book, WB8 Japan and WB 11 CWC
Acrobatics * *
Athletics (general) * *
Body Building & Weight Lifting * *
Boxing * *
Climbing * *
Gymnastics * *
Oxygen Conservation 30 5
Prowl * *
Running * *
Swimming * *
S.C.U.B.A. * *
Wrestling * *
0-G Movement and Combat * 4
Pilot
Advanced Deep Sea Diving * *
Airplane 50 4
Automobile 60 2
Boat: Sail type 60 5
Boat: Motor and Hydrofoils 55 5 +
Boat: Motor driven ships 44 4 +
Boat: Sail driven ships 45 5
Combat Pod 40 4
Contragravity Pack 42 4
EVA 40 5
Helicopter 35 5
Horsemanship 40 4
Hover Craft (ground) 50 5
Jet Aircraft 40 4
Jet Fighter 40 4
Jet Packs 42 4
Motorcycle 60 4
Robots and Power armor 56 3
Robot Combat basic * *
Robot Combat elite * *
Space Fighter 50 3
Small Spacecraft 60 3
Starship 36 4
Submercibles 40 4
Truck 40 4
Tanks and APCs 36 4
Water-skiing & Surfing 40 4
Water Scooters 50 4
Warships / Patrol boats 40 4 +
Pilot Related
Interplanetary Navigations 45 5
Navigation 40 5
Navigation - Space 40 5
Parachuting: HAHO/HALO/LALO 40 5
Read Sensory Equipment 30 5
Weapon Systems 40 5
Rogue
Computer Hacking 45 5
Concealment 20 4
Cyberjacking 50 3 +
Find Contraband, Weapons / Cybernetics 26 4
Palming 20 5
Pick Locks 30 5
Pick Pockets 25 5
Prowl 25 5
Streetwise 20 4
Streetwise - Drugs 25 5
Science
Anthropology 20 5
Archaeology 20 5
Astronomy 25 5
Astrophysics 30 5
Biology 30 5
Botany 25 5
Chemistry 30 5
Chemistry: Analytical 25 5
Marine Biology 35/25 5
Mathematics: Basic 45 5
Mathematics: Advanced 40 3 +
Ocean Geographic Surveying 15 5
Undersea Farming 35 5
Xenology 30 5
Technical
Advanced Fishing 30 5
Art 35 5
Artificial Intelligence 30 5 +
Computer Operations 40 5
Computer Programming 30 5
Japanese Mythology 30 5
Language 50 5
Law: CCW 30 5
Literacy 30 5
Lore: D-Bee 25 5
Lore: Demons & Monsters 25 5
Lore: Faerie 25 5
Lore: Galactic / Alien 25 5
Lore: Magic * 5
Lore: Psychic 25 5
Photography 35 5
Undersea Salvage 30 5
Writing 25 5
Wilderness
Boat Building 25 5
Carpentry 25 5
Hunting 35 5
Identify Plants & Fruits 25 5
Land Navigation 36 4
Preserve Food 25 5
Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 30 5
Track Animals 20 5
Trap Construction 20 4
Trap / Mine detection 20 5
Undersea and sea Survival 25 5
Underwater Navigation 30 4
Weapon Proficiency
Paired Weapons * * +
Battleaxe * *
Blunt * *
Polearm / Staff * *
Forked / Trident * *
Spear * *
Chain * *
Whip * *
Knife * *
Sword * *
Small Thrown Weapons * *
Mouth Weapons * *
Bow * *
Crossbow * *
Slingshot * *
Revolver * *
Automatic Pistol * *
Harpoon Gun * *
Shotgun * *
Bolt Action Rifle * *
Automatic and S.Auto Rifles * *
Sub-Machinegun * *
Grenade Launcher * *
Heavy * *
Torpedo * *
Energy Pistol * *
Energy Rifle * *
Heavy Energy Weapons * *
Sharpshooting * *
Many of the skills in this list are not described in this compendium.
Those skills that are described have been changed from the main book. No
weapon proficiencies are listed in this compendium. Books describing some
of these skills are: Rifts Main Book, Mutants in Orbit, World Book 5, World
Book 7, World Book 8, World Book 10, World Book 11, Dimension Book 1 and
Dimension Book 2.
Training which develops an eye for spotting locations
and terrains suitable for setting up ambushes and being ambushed. This
skill only points out positions where ambushes can be made successfully.
Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.
This skill enables the individual to spot and recognize camouflage, concealed structures/buildings and vehicles. It also enables the character to hide/camouflage small objects (>8 ft. high or 30 square feet). Base Skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience.
Training, understanding, and knowledge of how machinery
is designed, operated, built and maintained. Characters can attempt to
redesign, modify, repair, construct, or sabotage mechanical devices (includes
nuclear reactor driven turbines and atomic engines). The player must first
roll to see if his character can figure out how to operate/analyze/design
a machine. When a successful diagnostic roll has been made, roll again
to determine if the character managed to fix/change/build the mechanism.
Base Skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience.
REQUIRES: Basic Mechanics, Advanced Mathematics, basic
electronics (or electrical engineer if possible) and literacy.
NOTE: The rest of the skill remains unchanged.
These include all types of small motor driven boats and
yachts (>120 ft.). Base Skill: 55% + 5% per level of experience.
NOTE: This skill does not give the character the ability
to pilot warships and/or patrol boats. These vessels are of a civilian
nature!
Includes all civilian large motor driven ships. Base Skill:
44% + 4% per level of experience. Add a bonus of 10% to Warships/Patrol
boats if this skill is taken.
Special training in the use of military warships, combat
hydrofoils, patrol boats and amphibious beachcraft / transports. Includes
a basic idea of how to use sonar and targeting equipment, depth charges,
torpedoes, and other common weapon systems, as well evasive maneuvers and
piloting. Base Skill: 40% + 4% per level of experience.
REQUIRES: Boat: Motor and Hydrofoils for patrol boats
and Boat: Motor driven ships for warships.
NOTE: This skill does not give the skills W.P. Torpedo,
read sensory equipment and weapon systems!
Some computers allow their users to go beyond the normal
interface of a keyboard, joystick, mouse, touch screen, voice command,
and to communicate directly to the machine via a socket ("dataplug"
or "headjack") implanted in the back of their necks. This means
that the computer operator's mind effectively enters the computer, seeing
its memory and processors as a kind of virtual reality. Once accessed,
the cyberjacker can alter data, add data, change files and redesign the
computer's programs, all with his mind. If the computer is linked to others
in a network, such as the Link that connects all the computers in and around
the Freedom (space) station, the user can communicate with other cyberjackers
within the network. There are however several dangers to cyberjacking.
Among which are that while in net-space, the user is completely immersed
in the computer VR world and totally ignorous to his/her surroundings.
Base Skill: 50% + 3% per level of experience
REQUIREMENTS: Need a headjack cybernetic implant and computer
operation.
NOTE: This skill is needed to successfully find/reach
files and to download/upload/pass/modify/delete the files.
Knowledge of all advanced and basic mathematics skills.
This skill is an add-on skill for the mathematics basic skill, representing
only time spent on higher mathematical learning. Base Skill: 40% + 3% per
level of experience
REQUIREMENTS: Mathematics: Basic, Literacy
There are a variety of artificial intelligences around
the world. From the most simple system (the automatic clock on a microwave)
to the most advanced system conceivable (the automaton with the ability
to reason, think, extrapolate and make decisions based on hunches and "feelings").
The artificial intelligence skill incorporates an understanding of the
most common artificial systems as used in household systems and up to CS/Triax
military robots. This skill in itself does not give the character the ability
to create A.I.s, but used in conjunction with computer programming it will
allow the character to design artificial intelligences based on his/her
tech-level. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.
REQUIREMENTS: Mathematics Advanced, Computer operation,
Computer Programming, Literacy.
NOTE: Characters from Rifts Earth will not be able
to create more advanced systems than Robot intelligences (CS / Triax).
Neural intelligences can only be constructed in societies that are more
advanced than most on Rifts Earth (exception: Kittani and ArmaTech*).
*ArmaTech has only just started creating neural intelligences
and is decades from creating one that doesn't deteriorate it's neural paths
within 1D6 hours of activation!
The Paired Weapons skill allows a character to use both
arms equally in combat. There is however a little catch. The character
can not have a PP lower than 10, meaning that clumsy characters
will never be able to learn this skill unless they do something to improve
their probess.