rifter 49 my thoughts

[johnkretzer]

Yeah I have to agree the article on vampires was awesome. I am hoping Rifts vampires become the same thing some how. Though the rest of the issue wasn't as bad as you say.

The article on Lazlo was nice...since how long have we waited? It is pretty cool article.

I like the Stage Magician stuff though I was hoping to see less mechanics and more flavor.

The Regiomancy was interesting...not great though.

The Evil GMs strat...I found a interesting trick but sometrhing as a player I would have felt cheated. Also as a GM I am not afraid to kill players...and as a player I hate it when the GM pulls punchs. It was well written though and entertaining to read.

MNy main question is though in the previews they said a new race was going to be included...The Wolf Blooded I believe...what happened to them?

[Lord Z]

I browsed the Nightbane: Vampire article based upon your recommendation,Munchkin. I love how the the author explained the goals and motivation of his article right up front. The rest of the article was good. Basically, the Vampire Intelligences get replaced by Vampire Lords, several variant R.C.C.s are introduced, a LOT of options for customizing vampires are included, and some common questions are answered. The customization options allows for vampires who are more inspired by Dracula or Interview with the Vampire (or probably Twilight, I'd have to take another look at the options). These traits coule also allow a GM to establish themed clans of vampires in the World of Darkness style. My favorite new RCC is the Vampire Ghoul. Some of the others seemed really redundant to each other.

[Anthar]

The vampire article is pure unadulterated awsomeness. It is the right mix of writing style and game mechanics that equal to some of the best of Palladium's canon material. It turns the vampires into a real theat and presents the possibility that if you kill the Vampire Lord, there is a very real possiblilty that vampires will survive and still be a pain in your side. The Age Point system to purchase powers and abilities is pure genius. I really hope that this article is validated and printed up in the revised vampire book. They can even keep the Vampire Intelligences as minor intelligences that invoke the "Vampire Curse" upon themselves in order to gain power and followers.

This also works perfectly into an evil NPC that I had put together for my own game, so thanks Ed.

[BookWyrm]

If things go well, I plan to check The Strat by Feb. 27th & see if Rifter 49 is in & can pick it up. I have a comic-book marketplace event on that day & I hope to sell my Batman-Legends of the Dark Knight comics.

[Lord Z]

Good luck with that, Bookwyrm. Since Amazon doesn't allow for reselling of traditional comic books, comic shops remain probably the best place for unloading.

[Gangrel44]

Couple questions I have to ask and hopefully some one will answer.....How does one become a vampire lord? and do vampires have access to more powers as they get older?

[Anthar]

Couple questions I have to ask and hopefully some one will answer.....How does one become a vampire lord? and do vampires have access to more powers as they get older?

First, do somthing so heinous that the very nature of the universe decides to give you the vampire curse and second, yes.

[Gangrel44]

Couple more things....do they give you optional rules to customise your vampires....and do they give you options to create other strains of vampires such as Nosferatu, Chiang-Shi, etc?........

[Anthar]

Couple more things....do they give you optional rules to customise your vampires....and do they give you options to create other strains of vampires such as Nosferatu, Chiang-Shi, etc?........

Pretty much yes, as well as it all being templates that you can just add on to any mortal creature.

[Gangrel44]

Gangrel44 wrote:
Couple more things....do they give you optional rules to customise your vampires....and do they give you options to create other strains of vampires such as Nosferatu, Chiang-Shi, etc?........
Anthar wrote:
Pretty much yes, as well as it all being templates that you can just add on to any mortal creature.

In the words of Emperor Zombie from The Amazing Screw on Head Comic/Cartoon:

" I'm so happy right now I'm making water in my pantaloons."

[Gangrel44]

I can't help myself but I got to ask one more time....What kind of extra powers can vampires get as they get older?

[Gangrel44]

Can they become invisible...and have superhuman speed as well?

[Gangrel44]

I am so getting this book

[BookWyrm]

Good luck with that, Bookwyrm. Since Amazon doesn't allow for reselling of traditional comic books, comic shops remain probably the best place for unloading.

Thanks, Lord Z. The last comic-book warehouse show I went to, I got rid of some comics that I hadn't been otherwise able to sell, and made a sweet deal for a true rarity; the RHPS Survival Kit, intact & in it's display box.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the LINK to the pics of it in my Photobucket.

[gaby]

What did they say about Stage Magic?

Was ther any New gimmicks for stage Magician?

[Gangrel44]

I got the book today and I am very impressed with what I see and oh happy day!!!

[gaby]

What are the New Gimmick weapons the Stage magician gets?

If ther good I may buy it?.

[BookWyrm]

I don't have a subscription to the Rifter (yet), but I plan to someday.

I picked up the last Rifter #49 at The Strat in NYC yesterday, and I had a skim-through on the train on the way home (I also picked up the newest Wild Cards novel, Suicide Kings, and the Borders on 32nd & 2nd--with my prefered customer card AND a 30% off online coupon, I only spend $17.80 for a $28 hardcover). I'm liking what I'm seeing, and will delve into more details later. Right now, I say major-kudos to all the contributors on another issue well done.

[Reagren Wright]

Yeah the vampire section was excellent. I have way to many reference materials on vampires
(use to be a hobbie of mine), and I must say its possible to create any version of a vampire
you want. You want traditional Eastern European, African, South Eastern Asia, or
Hollywood/Movie/TV like vampires this section provides them. I do like the non-vampire
intelligence idea. I guess I've gotten use to "running water" from water guns (Rifts) and rain
(Palladium Fantasy) being used to combat vampires. Its easy to understand with game
mechanics why Kevin made his view of running water become a dominant weapon used against
vampire. Will he go to this version when the updated vampire stuff comes out, who can
knows?

The only part I don't particularly like is the fact wood and silver doesn't inflict double damage.
It doesn't provide the fear factor the vampire should have when confronting someone with
such weapons. Meaning if a group of characters ran into a nest of vampires, they will be
quickly over run. How do you determine damage when staking a vampire? Fire should do double
damage not half damage because again it doesn't provide the fear factor needed to help fight
off a flock of vampires. I DO love the threshold asspect being reintroduced (barring entry). All
in all very cool and well done, but designed more or less to deal with small numbers or a Dracula
like villain, and not how vampires are viewed in Rifts.

[Ahulane]

just got a copy today and I'm pretty disappointed. I purchased this issue just for the Wolfblood RCC that was stated to be in it. After flipping through the book for a solid 30 minutes it's nowhere to be seen. While the vampire section is good, that isn't what I was looking forward too and feel ripped off...

[Tadrith]

I had a quick question. In the Article it states that Vampires are negative Chi beings and then gos on to state that they can use Mind Block to guard against Chi Attacks. My question is when did Mind Block the Psychic power protect against Chi atks? Is this something that is specific to vampires or what? I use Martial Arts and Chi in my game a lot and just wanted to get a opnioin on Psychic defenses vs Chi ability's.

[Lord Z]

What did folks think of the article about the Lazlo City-State?

At first, I didn't like it. I thought it had a lot of holes and infeasibilities. For example, carnivore life forms can eat anything they like so long as the prey isn't intelligent. Who decides what is or is not intelligent? Some of the criters with high animal intelligence have bigger IQ scores than a less smart than average human. Even then, a mutant animal snake cannot eat a mutant animal mouse, but it can eat the mouse's family and is instinctually driven to do so. This type of tricky ethical quandary inevitably happens in a diverse population of life forms, but gets completely ignored in this article.

Then I decided to view the article as a piece of fantasy literature. It's political fantasy. The social structure of the community is no more unrealistic than the dragon who unofficially rules it. After I crossed that threshold, I decided that I liked the article afterall.

Above and beyond this broad overview, there is also a little crunch towards the end. The last part of the article is a Lazlo Citizen Education Program. It's a good idea, but it's way too much. If you haven't read this program yet, it gives eight extra skills, bonuses to more skills, +2 to I.Q., a save versus bonus, a fat PPE bonus, the option of using techno-waird toys regardless of class, and extra spells if the character is a mage. The only parts marked as GM discretion are extra spells. This package is so generous, it could replace an entire O.C.C. -- but instead it gets stacked on top of the O.C.C. or R.C.C. for free.

I remember that I once designed a martial art form which granted a +1 bonus to the artist after seven to nine years of rigorous mental development. People who reviewed my m.a. form concluded that this I.Q. bonus was excessive.

Why does a Lazlo education grant such a sweet deal? Therein lies the crux of my problem with this package. The article reads, 'In Lazlo, a remnant of an earlier time has been remembered.' So the universities of Lazlo are emulating institutions from the Golden Age of Man. Characters who are actually from the sort of Pre-Rifts settings being copied aren't getting bonuses even comperable to this package. HU characters, Dead Reign characters, Nightbane characters, and even N&SS characters -- none of them get comperable bonuses just for going to college.

Although unbalanced for no clear reason and fanciful, there were good aspects. This article was clear and well written. It was also surprisingly thorough for a short 8 pages. I liked it.

[Lord Z]

Has anyone who frequents this thread read the HU short story? I observed that it could have really used a hard editing before publication, but overall I loved it.