Assistant Design By: Kevin Kirsten
Maryann Siembieda
Original Game Rules and Text By: Kevin Siembieda
Special Thanks to our beta-testers: Roger and Randi Cartier, Eric Duckworth, Kevin Rau, Tim Longacre, Adam Clere, Damon Rymer, Adam Donald, and of course, Maryann "bug fixing is no fun" Siembieda, Kevin "well, its got to be done" Kirsten and C.J. Carella, who would not let us give up on the godling.
Program Copyright © 1995 Palladium Books.
RIFTS Game Master Companion is Copyright © 1995
Palladium Books and Kevin Siembieda.
RIFTS RPG rules and text Copyright © 1983, 1987,
1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Palladium Books and Kevin Siembieda.
All rights reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention,
World Wide. No part of this program may be reproduced in part or while,
in any form or by and means, without permission from the publisher, except
for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, institutions,
governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric
intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental.
Palladium Books®, Rifts®,
The Mechanoids®, and Megaverse® are registered
trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.
Erin Tarn, Cyber-Knight, Psi-Stalker, Ley Line Walker, Techno-Wizard, SAMAS,
Emperor Prosek, Coalitions States, Triax, NGR, and other names and titles,
as well as the likenesses of robots, vehicles and characters are trademarks
owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.
Published by Palladium Books® Inc.,
12455 Universal Drive, Taylor, MI 48180.
The RGMC (RIFTS Game Master Companion) comes with three diskettes labeled consecutively 1 through 3. In order to install the RGMC, you need all three diskettes. Insert the disk labeled "Disk 1/3" into your 3 1/2" floppy disk drive. If you are running a Windows version prior to Windows 95, click on the File menu, and select run. If you are using Windows 95, click on the Start menu, and select run. From the command line, type "A:\Setup" (or "B:\Setup"). The RGMC Installation program will begin.
The installation program will ask for your name, then move into the installation process. By default, setup will copy the RGMC files to the C:\RGMC path on your hard disk drive. If this is acceptable, select continue. If you would like to change where the Game master companion is installed, select "Change Directory".
The RGMC Setup program will then copy all of the necessary files to your HDD. Twice during this process it will prompt you for the next diskette. When it does, insert the appropriate diskette and press enter. When the program is finished copying all files, it will prompt you to create a Program Manager Group. You can create the new group, or select to install the program icon in another group.
Congratulations, installation is complete!
To start the program, just click on the Rifts Game Master Companion Icon from the Program Manager/Start Menu.
Welcome to the Palladium® Megaverse®! When you start the Game Master Companion, you are greeted with the Banner screen. This screen displays the RIFTS Logo, and informs you of the copyrights regarding this and all Palladium Products. After you have read the dialog, press enter. You are now greeted with a top-line menu.
On the top line, you see the three options File,Campaign, and Databases. Each menu item opens into another sub-menu, Figure 1.1 shows the expanded version of the File menu with the Create option highlighted. As you can see, the Create option is one menu item that allows you to begin character generation. If you click on either Character or NPC here, proceed to the Character/NPC Generation section of this manual.
The two other options listed include Game Master Screen and Print
Blank Character Sheet. For explanations refer to the Game Master
Screen and Blank Character Sheets sections of the manual, respectively.
Figure 1.2
Figure 1.3
The Campaign Menu Option contains options to control your campaign. Credits, Background and Setting are individual options to enter basic campaign information. The Associate options are used to link a character/NPC to a particular campaign. When associated with a campaign, the characters will be listed with the appropriate campaign, and the characters will be printed with the campaign.
The Encounters menu option will lead you to the encounter manager.
The Databases menu controls the RGMC Database structure. Everything
used in these menus is also used in Character Generation, as well as the
Game Master Reference screen, for use during game play. Example:
If you were to add a new weapon into the database, it would become an option
any time weapon selection came up. The RIFTS Index and the RIFTS
Appendix are comprehensive indexes of the RIFTS line. They are further
explained in the Index/Appendix section of this manual.
Figure CG.1
The Character Manager and NPC Manager are identical in all respects except that they display either NPCs or Player characters. The Character/NPC Managers are explained in the Character/NPC Management section of this manual.
Figure CG.2 shows the Race/RCC Selection dialog. You need to choose either a Race or a Racial Character Class. If you select a Race, you will later be prompted to select your O.C.C. Keep in mind that racial/statistical restrictions are in effect. (i.e. if you select a Wolfen as a race, you will not be able to select a Glitter Boy O.C.C. Similiarly, if a statistic does not meet eligibilty requirements for an O.C.C., it will not be available.
You may find that some character classes you recognize as R.C.C.s are
listed as Races. This is because they act more like Races than R.C.C.s,
at least as far as Character Generation goes. The DemiGod R.C.C., although
an R.C.C., does choose an O.C.C., so it is listed as a Race.
Figure CG.2
The Random button will randomly select a race/R.C.C. from the lists above.
After you have selected an item from one list, click on Select.
Figure CG.3 shows statistics. These were randomly rolled using the guidelines
for your Race/R.C.C. Statistics often change during the character creation
process, due to O.C.C. bonuses and/or physical skill bonuses. Because of
this, some bonuses, such as adding your P.E. to the Hit Points, are added
later. We add
Figure CG.3
the P.E. to your Hit Points at the end of character creation to ensure you get every bonus you deserve.
The Reroll command button allows you to get a new set of randomly rolled statistics. This can be used in any number of ways, hopefully in a way that is similiar to how you used to do things on paper. (If you let the player roll their stats twice and choose the best set, let them roll four times here. The catch being that if you pass up a roll that the player considers okay, they might end up with something truly horrific for their final roll. G.M.s may decide not to let players reroll at all, its up to the Game Master.)
Figure CG.4
Note: Any time during character generation, if you select the Cancel button, you will be asked if you want to abort character generation. If you select this option, your character is not saved.
Figure CG4 shows O.C.C. Selection. This dialog will appear only if you selected a race. R.C.C. selections will skip this dialog.
The list shows only O.C.C.s that meet attribute and racial requirements. Click on the desired O.C.C. and click OK.
Figure CG.5
Note: The initial release has all of the Occupational Character
Classes from the RIFTS RPG, RIFTS Conversion Book I, RIFTS
Conversion Book II: Pantheons, and RIFTS Mercenaries.
Figure CG5 shows the Random Psionics dialog. When your stats are rolled,
the Character Generator rolls percentile dice to decide whether or not
you get psionics. The result of this roll is the selected radio button
on the dialog. If No Psionics is selected, you failed the roll.
Figure CG.6
Note: If you roll and accept Major Psionics, all skill bonuses are reduced by half, and the number of "other" skills are also reduced by half. If you roll Major Psionics, and you don't want them, click on the I don't want Psionics check box. This will have the same effect as if you rolled No Psionics.
The options on this dialog are not user modifiable unless the character being created is an NPC. When making an NPC, the GM may choose whatever level of Psionic ability he desires.
Figure CG.6 simply shows you more statistics rolled for your character. Once again, not all modifiers are present here, as skills and racial powers have not yet been selected. This is simply your base roll.
After you have looked over the rolls, click OK to continue character
generation.
Figure CG.8
Figure CG.7
Figure CG.7 shows Alignment selection. Simply click on the alignment you desire, and click OK to continue.
Figure CG.8 shows the skill selection dialog. This again is often varied according to character class or racial character class selection. The skill pool lists all skills that are available to your character class. The Character Class Skills list shows all skills your character receives by default. At the bottom of the dialog are instructions that tell you what you still need to select. To select a related skill, you would select the skill from the skill pool, then select the Add button next to the related skills list. The procedure for secondary skills is similiar, just select the skill, then click the Add button next to the secondary skill list. For items such as languages, W.P.s and piloting skills, you can use either Add button. Languages, W.P.s and piloting skills assigned to you by your character class are placed in the character class skill list. Example: The Juicer gets 3 languages to start off. He selects his three languages, and they go to the character class skill list. After this, the Juicer can still select languages by using related or secondary skill selections.
The program does keep track of skills that will cost you two skill selections,
like Paramedic for some O.C.C.s. If you would like to change your Hand
to Hand selection, just choose the Hand to Hand you desire from the skill
pool. Select add. The program will remove the old hand to hand, select
the new, and deduct/award the number of skill selections appropriate. Keep
in mind that some O.C.C.s will not allow you to change your Hand to Hand
skills.
Figure CG.9
Basic Equipment Selection, Figure CG.9, allows you to select what equipment
you start with. This is not buying equipment, that comes later. Your character
class starts with a specified set of equipment. Often times, it will say
"1 Energy Sidearm". This dialog allows you to select which energy sidearm
you own. This way your stats will be printed later with your weapon.
To make your selections, click on the quantities and categories list, and highlight the item you wish to choose. The available items list will be updated automatically. You can then make your selections from the available items list. Double clicking on this list is the fastest and easiest way to select your items. After you select an item, it is moved down with your given equipment in the bottom list. You then repeat the procedure as necessary. When you are finished, click OK to continue.
After having selected your basic equipment, you can buy whatever remaining equipment desired. Note that equipment you already own is listed in the purchased box. All available equipment is listed on the left with prices. The total credits you have are listed on the bottom left of the dialog. This number changes as you purchase items, keeping you up-to-date on your current money status. The weapons, vehicles and power armor tabs work exactly the same. The weapon/vehicle/power armor would be listed to the left, anything you already own, listed to the right.
Note: Only items within your price range are listed. Example, for most characters, the power armor section will not list any suits of power armor. The character simply can't afford it. Later, as the character gains more money can purchase additional equipment.
At this point, you may be asked questions concerning your specific character class. The format of each dialog is similiar to dialogs already discussed. Use the same instructions to complete your character.
The Character/NPC Manager (Figure CM.1) allows you to keep your characters and NPCs up-to-date. You can print extra copies, award experience and credits, change your characters history, even buy new weapons and equipment.
Note that the title of the box represents what is currently being listed. When the box reads "Character Manager", characters are being listed, and alternatively, when the box reads "NPC Manager", NPCs are being listed.
Create is used to create a new character. Refer to the Character/NPC creation section.
Existing Character is used to enter a character into the computer that already exists; a character you have already created and played on paper. The form for pre-existing character entry is very simple. Simply type-in the characters stats, abilities, etc. as well as selecting new spells, psionics and equipment.
The Update character button is used to assign experience and credits, etc. When you award experience in this section, the Character Manager will determine whether or not you have attained the next experience level. If you have, the character manager will ask you to select new skills, spells, psionics, and whatever else is appropriate for your character at your newly acquired level. The Character Manager will also update skill percentages, Hit Points, physical skill bonuses, Hand to hand bonuses, etc..
The Erase command button, very simply, will completely erase the highlighted character. Be very careful with this option!
The Print option will print your character. If the configuration is set to print the optional third page, the it will print as well. The third page contains the characters history and goal information. The Print Details option will print only the character history and goal information.
To View a Character you have created you must use the GM Screen option on the main menu.
GM Options include removal and addition of weapons/equipment, with credits. This allows the GM to add to a character's equipment, any weapons he acquired in a brawl, or remove an e-clip that was dropped during a chase.
Both characters and NPCs are handled the same way. This setup gives the GM a lot of flexibility.
The OK button is used to exit the Character/NPC Manager.
Campaign Creation begins with the Campaign Creation Dialog (Figure CC.1). The Campaign Creator asks a few questions, such as the title, the GM name, and the date created.
Note: Tabs, like those pictured below, are used to access several screens of data. For Example, clicking on the Credits tab will bring up another dialog in place of the General Info Dialog, that pertains to credits.
Using the tabs, you can also fill out an optional credits section, the campaign background and the setting. When you are finished, click on Done and a campaign is saved in the database. You then have to Open the new campaign using the Open option on the Campaign menu.
Figure CM.1 displays the Encounter Manager. Your tool for Campaign Management.
Campaigns are made up of, or can be broken down into a series of encounters. The encounter manager lists the encounters associated to the currently open campaign. You can click on an encounter and the Edit command, or simply double-click on the encounter name to bring up the Encounter Editor.
From the Encounter Manager, you can add a new encounter or edit existing encounters. The procedure for editing encounters and adding new encounters is the same.
Figure CM.2 shows the Encounter Editor. Tabs are used to access multiple
properties, and the standard OK and Cancel buttons are present.
Figure CM.2
As you can see, the GM Screen has tabs for everything from the RIFTS Appendix to the Vehicles Database. This puts everything about the game at your fingertips! During playtest, use of the GMs screen had players nodding in appreciation. When a character asked a question about a spell, naturally the rules lawyer of the group reached for his book. At the same time, I began to look the spell up on my laptop computer. In half the time it took the rules lawyer to look up the rules, I had already answered the question. What about the books that aren't included in the initial release? I can already hear the question. Enter the RIFTS Index and the RIFTS Appendix. Built into the RIFTS Game Master Screen (RGMS), you need but type in what you are looking for, and the computer will tell you which book(s) and what page(s) the information is found on.
Using the RGMS is simple. Along the left hand side of the screen is a list of all the appropriate information, whether it be skills, weapons, power armor or characters. Simple click on the desired item, and to the right you instantly get all the stats and the description!
The RIFTS Game Master Screen
To further simplify things, you can oftentimes edit the information right there on the screen! However, be careful with this feature. If you change the % per level on a skill, it will use the new value for updating characters! The same is true of skill pre-requisites, psionic categories, etc.
That's the basics! You are ready to build a campaign! Please feel free to send Palladium you comments and suggestions about the RGMCTM. Its only with your feedback and constructive criticism that we can determine what players and GMs like, dislike and want. For example, what would you like to see in RGMCTM supplements?