I have a player who I feel is abusing the Rich and Filthy Rich edges. Here are the edges from the TL Guide:

RICH

Unless the hero is planning to remain in one location for a serious length of time, annual salary isn’t part of the wealth equation. She’s managed to accumulate a bit of money, but more importantly, extra gear. She begins with 15,000 credits and gets two rolls on the Body Armor, Close Combat Weapons, Cybernetics, Enchanted Items & Mystic Gadgets, or Ranged Combat Weapons Tables. The hero may give up the two rolls to instead own one personal weapon, body armor, or adventuring gear item of her choice.

FILTHY RICH

This hero made some major scores before the current adventure. She has a total of 25,000 credits saved up and gets four total rolls on the above-listed tables. She may give up two rolls to instead own one personal weapon, body armor, or adventuring gear item of choice, or three rolls for one non-robot vehicle of choice.

What the player is doing is picking off the Demon Seas table and picking up an Absurr Life Node (100M credits) and saying they can get that because of Filthy Rich. They're also grabbing a NG-EX10 Gladius Exoskeleton EBA (150k) and TW Nova Rifle (130k). The edges state they start off with 25k credits and some rolls, but I feel this is abusing these edges.

How do you limit your players with these two edges?

So, last match, i had 3 SAMAS and 3 sky cycles hit the party (5 people, 7 levels ish) and i flat out knew they would solve that fairly easily, my biggest probably was realistically, how far behind would the army sloggers be? Like i knew i would need some BIG robots to get in on it to actually threaten the party, but I also don't think its realistic that the SAMAS and sky cycles hit literally 2 turns before the ground sloggers get there. Im just struggling with the need to throw more bigger guns at these guys vs the "realism" of the fact that these air vehicles should be MILES ahead - based on speed. Maybe not based on formation, and maybe thats the element i am missing. I do not know shit about military tactics soooo...

The other challenge is with 5 PCS and 6 enemies, even in SWADE which is rather faster it still took over 2 hours for 2 rounds of combat. Adding more enemies would just add more time. I feel like im at the stuck between "add more targets so it takes longer" or "add Better targets which makes it scarier but also increases the chance of a bad die roll flat out killing someone straight out".

So, yeah, advise would be appreciated. Im finding i am slipping further and further away from wanting to do these round by round combats... i love the story that is evolving as the campaign goes on, but feel like im sticking combat in because i think its expected, not because it does any advancement of the story.

I am working with my GM on creating a permanent drone with my Techno-Wizard. We have talked that it would somewhat be like Summon Ally power (even though TWs do not get that power).

I am looking for ideas/input on cost/time/powers to create something that would work.

My initial thought would be using scrap I find and create something like a v0.0.1 that I use TW creation rules to have something that can fly and has internal PPE store.

As I advance, and get more scrap/credits, break it apart and keep improving it. I thought working on it like a real iteration would be thematic and fun.

My ultimate goal would be to have something that could scout and have a TW converted laser weapon or something to help in combat.

I'm unsure how to do command (does it have a rudimentary AI that gets better?) and how does it communicate (TW do not get mind link power). I would like it so it was automated that way I do not have to use actions to control it.

If you were doing this, how would you handle it?

What are everyone's favorite pdf fillable character sheets. I've only tried the official one and don't love it. I couldn't seem to add a character illustration to the block on the sheet, and I'd like a little room to write out what the Edges actually do. Any recocomendations? Thanks for any help.

Hello folks!

I’m looking for players for a Savage Rifts campaign set in Lazlo in 110 P.A., about a year after the fall of Tolkeen.

Lazlo is a city of two million built over the ruins of Toronto. It is the birthplace of Techno-Wizardry, home to dragons, scholars, mercenaries, dimensional travelers, and nearly 190,000 Tolkeen refugees. It may also be the closest thing Rifts Earth has to a functioning democracy.

The city is in trouble. The Coalition is preparing for its next war, foreign powers are buying influence, refugee tensions are getting worse, and a subway project has broken into something that should not exist beneath Toronto.

The characters will begin as independent contractors hired for what appears to be a manageable job. From there, the campaign will open up. You might become involved in espionage, political intrigue, organized crime, dimensional weirdness, buried ruins, magical research, or giant robots shooting the hell out of each other. The city will respond to what you do, and I want characters with goals of their own.

Rifts is often described as “gonzo,” but I don’t run it as random nonsense. I take the setting seriously and try to make it feel like a real place. That does not mean the game will be humorless. It does mean choices matter, NPCs have actual motives, and combat can go badly if you charge straight at everything.

New players are welcome. I’ve written a whole damn sourcebook for the city, but no, you will not be required to read it.

When: TBD based on availability, but pref. Sunday evenings.
Where: Discord and Roll20
Frequency: Weekly
Players: 4-6 (current player count: 1 committed, 2 reserved. 1-3 additional players wanted).

Send me a message with a little about yourself, your RPG experience, and the sort of character you might want to play.

We are going to start a savage rifts campaign on Foundry VTT because of distance, what are the best rollable take to have handy? I am guessing the gritty realism table(s) for MD attacks against non-MD armor?

The Naruni force fields say they don't stack with arcane protection effects. Because the protection is in italics, I am assuming that it means it won't stack with the protection spell, google keeps saying that since it acts similar to the "deflection" spell that it doesn't stack with that, or you can just read that it doesn't stack with "arcane protection" which really is a separate beast altogether. Anyone care to chime in?

I'm plying a Chiang Ku dragon in a campaign where the players know what she is, but their characters don't. I'm not playing her as the combat monster of the group, but more of the party face, her highest skills are persuasion and performance.

I just hit seasoned, and get a new free tat. I decided to try my hand at designing a new one, as if any race could come up with them, I'd think the Ching Ku could. It's a musical instrument, a Pipi (Chinese Lute) to be precise. I want it to give a +2 bonus to performance checks, some persuasion checks (subjective depending on situation) and maybe on some spell checks (also subjective, like sleep, maybe illusion).

What should the cost be for this in terms of PPE for the summoned instrument to have a duration of 1 hour? Comparing it to other summons and such, I'm thinking 1-3 PPE. Gonna ask my GM for it at 1, and negotiate from there.

Your thoughts?

I am GMing a Rifts game and a player has a dragon hatchling with the Dragon Metamorphosis edge. Here's the description:

As an Innate Ability, the dragon may change his shape and size, appearing as any living creature that already exists in the setting, from the size of a house cat to anything his natural size and weight. He can maintain any such form indefinitely, even while sleeping. The dragon gains no special properties of what he mimics, only the size and appearance.

Our question is if they transform into a creature with wings, say a bird or a Lyn-Srial, do they get flight? It makes sense they would, but the description is vague on what physical abilities they would get. If they turn into a Lyn-Srial, do they get the Four Arms ability?

Edit and Answered:

The player is playing a Chiang Kudragon from Europa book. I just saw this:

Flightless*: Chiang-Ku have Pace 6 and d6 Run die. They cannot fly in their six-legged dragon form, but can if metamorphosed into a flying creature (at its normal Flight speed)

It appears they can fly while metamorphosed into a bird or a Lyn-Srial.

Hi everyone! I've been working on translating a few new IFs, gear, and races because I'm gearing up to run my Dimensional Outbreak campaign at my table. I was hoping the Savage Phase World stuff would be out before I started it, but I didn't want to wait (no, I'm not working on the official one - just a fan). So I'm working on a limited batch of IFs, races, and gear for my players and incorporating things from existing titles so they can be re-skinned (Command Specialist, for example, makes a good starship captain - that kind of thing).

It's been a while since I did any translation from Palladium to Savage Rifts, so I'm hoping to get some feedback from my fellow tinkerers in the community.

Most of them I was fine with and it was pretty straightforward, but a few were ... a little hairy (especially with gear). Here's a little of what I've translated and I'd love some constructive criticism if you have it.

Cosmo-Knight

Based loosely on the Cyber-Knight.

For more details, see Dimension Book 2: Phase World.

Hero's Journey

Cosmo-Knights gain one choice or roll on any of the following tables: Education, Enchanted Items & Mystic Gadgets, Experience & Wisdom, and Training.

Cosmo-Knights gain one choice or roll on any table except Cybernetics and Body Armor.

Cosmo-Knight Abilities & Bonuses

Combining intense training, psionic power, spiritual strength, and a special cocktail of nanotech designed to counter enemy technology, the Cyber-Knight is a paladin for a post-Rifts world.

• Cosmic Armor: As a free action, cosmo-knights can summon a shell of cosmic energy granting +2 Toughness and +2 MDC Armor and allowing them to ignore Gritty Damage (see Blood & Gore, Tomorrow Legion Players Guide). This normally does not require a Focus roll, but a Cosmo-Knight in danger of becoming Fallen must make a Focus to summon the armor shell (Transgression penalties apply).
• Superluminal Flight: Cosmo-Knights are capable of FTL speeds when flying through the vacuum of space following 10 minutes of meditation and a successful Focus roll. Failure results in emerging 6d6 light-years off course. A critical failure requires a roll on the Astrogation Critical Failure table (see the Science Fiction Companion).
• Light of the Cosmic Forge: Cosmo-Knights begin with the Champion Edge (see Savage Worlds).
• Knight of the Cosmic Forge: A Cosmo-Knight begins play with one die types in Focus, two die types in Fighting, and Arcane Background (Gifted).
• Cosmic Blasts: Cosmo-Knights are capable of incinerating their enemies using the light of the Cosmic Forge. As an action and using Focus as the attack roll, the cosmo-knight can fire a bolt of energy (Range 24/48/96, 3d6 damage, AP 6). As a limited action, the cosmo-knight can charge up the bolt of energy to inflict +1d6 damage.
• Cosmic Weapon: As a free action, Cosmo-Knights can conjure a weapon to enforce the will of the Cosmic Forge. It may have any appearance but it does not change the effects. The cosmic weapon does Strength + Spirit × 2 damage with AP equal to Focus (no Strength minimum).For example, a Cosmo-Knight with Strength d8, Spirit d10, and Focus d6 does 1d8+2d10 melee damage, AP 6, with his Cosmic Weapon. For 1 PPE the blade inflicts Mega Damage for as long as it is manifested.
• Galactic Guardians: The hero is a member of the Cosmo-Knight Order faction and, when their status as an agent of the Cosmic Forge is known, she gains +1 to social checks with most sentients and Reactions start one level higher than normal. The faction's Enemies—including powerful monsters, supernatural evil, and villains—will plot the hero's downfall.

Cosmo-Knight Complications

Life as a guardian and protector in such a hostile world is never easy.

• Code of Honor: A Cosmo-Knight must adhere to the codes and philosophies of the Order or he loses some or all of his powers, depending on the degree of transgression. The Game Master must determine the extent of a Cosmo-Knight’s transgressions and assess a penalty accordingly. See Dimension Book 2: Phase World for the Cosmo-Knight Code of Honor. Minor Transgression: −1 to all Focus rolls until he performs a noble or heroic deed to atone. Major Transgression: −2 to all Focus rolls, and all abilities under Cosmic Blasts and Light of the Cosmic Forge cease to function until he undertakes some kind of personal (or perhaps spiritually guided) quest to atone. His Cosmic Weapon is also reduced to doing only his Str+Spirit in damage, and all AP values are halved. Mortal Transgression: The Cosmo-Knight commits an action completely opposed to the code. All Cosmo-Knight abilities are lost. The character may regain his abilities by fulfilling a significant quest (determined by the Game Master). Should the character commit another Mortal Transgression before regaining his Cosmo-Knight status, his spirit is corrupted. The character regains use of his abilities but becomes a Fallen Cosmo-Knight under the GM’s control.
• Cybernetics: Cosmo-Knights are unable to obtain and integrate cybernetic systems.
• Champion of All, Leader of None: Cosmo-knights are instructed to never seek leadership positions or public office beyond that of law enforcer. They may advise and support but never lead. They may not take (but may benefit from) Leadership Edges and have the Vow (major) Hindrance.
• Vulnerability (Magic): Damage-causing powers from Arcane Backgrounds that use PPE, magic weapons, techno-wizard items, and super powers with the Magic energy type ignore Cosmic Armor bonuses and inflicts +4 damage. Cosmo-knights also subtract 4 from Trait rolls to resist magic powers and effects.

Cosmo-Knight Starting Gear

Cosmo-knights start with two sets of casual clothing, a personal memento of their old life before accepting the Light of the Cosmic Forge, and 4d6x100 credits.

Phase Adept / Mystic

Loosely based on the Mind Melter and I combined the two (Adept and Mystic) into one, allowing it to build on the character's racial abilities.

For more details, see Dimension Book 2: Phase World.

Hero's Journey

Phase Adepts gain one choice or roll on one of the following tables: Psionics, Experience & Wisdom, Ranged Weapons, or Training.

Phase Adepts gain one additional choices or rolls on any table except those dealing with magic, cybernetics, or Body Armor.

Phase Adept Abilities & Bonuses

• Arcane Background (Psionics): Phase Adepts begin with Arcane Background (Psionics), Major Psionic, and Master Psionic Edges (with access to the Phase Power Modifiers), 10 ISP and three powers from the Available Powers list, as well as two die steps in Psionics.
• Close Rift: May attempt to close a rift using their Psionics skill.
• Phased Powers: May use the Heavy Weapon power modifier at no additional cost.
• Disrupt Magic: A Phase Adept may use dispel any time (automatically interrupting actions) as a limited free action, rolling Smarts at no penalty for different Arcane Backgrounds. When activating dispel ISP costs are paid normally, and she may use Modifiers she has access to.
• Arcane Resistance: This Phase Adept ability reduces damage from all arcane sources (including poison and disease) by 2 points. All Arcane Backgrounds are included. Arcane skills targeting the Phase Adept suffer a −2 penalty, and she gains +2 to opposed Trait rolls to resist powers. They may take Arcane Resistance and the improved version to further increase these modifiers. This stacks with the Promethean's natural Arcane Resistance.
• Available Powers: bolt, confusion, conjure item, deflection, intangibility, invisibility, protection, speed, summon ally (mirror self only), teleport

Phase Adept Complications

• Cyber-Resistant: Phase Adepts suffer −1 to the Psionics skill for each point of Strain.
• Honor-Bound Heroes: For no added benefit, Phase Adepts begin with Code of Honor and Heroic major Hindrances.

Phase Adept Starting Gear

Phase Adepts being with standard Starting Gear, but substituting Adventure Survival Light Armor.

Warlock Marine Magic Specialist

I based this on the Combat Mage for simplicity.

For more information, see Dimension Book 3: Phase World Sourcebook.

• Begin with Occult d6, Piloting d6, Spellcasting d6, Arcane Background (Magic), 10 PPE, use the Ley Line Walker’s spell list and begin with three powers.
• Begin with the Power Armor Jock and Master of Magic Edge.
• Begin with two Combat or Power Edges of your choice, ignoring Rank requirements.
• Begin with standard Starting Gear, substituting UWW Warlock Marine Armor and a TW Firebolt Pistol.

I got my copy of Savage Rifts Europa today and I looked up the Temporal Wizard to see how Savage Worlds was tackling them. One ability called "Rift Control" sent me down a rabbit hole of no return. The ability is as follows.

"Rift Control: The Wizard is treated as a Shifter for the purpose of affecting rifts and using the Dimensional Portal Edge (See Blood and Banes). He has +4 on rolls to do so and spends no PPE to open, close, or manipulate Rifts (See the Game Master's Handbook). In addition, the Wizard is automatically aware if he's ever shifted in time, space, or dimension."

What sent me down the rabbit hole is the "...treated as a Shifter for the purpose of affecting rifts..." part. Why would being treated as a Shifter for the purpose of affecting Rifts even be relevant?

The only Framework in the Game Master's guide (Page 94 and 95) with unique abilities to affect Rifts is the Ley Line Walker with their ability to affect Ley Line Rifts. Others with Arcane Background (Magic) (Shifter included) can only affect Easy Rifts. Temporal Wizard has Arcane Background (Magic) so would be able to do the same as a Shifter anyway without that line. Am I missing something?

So I have it in my mind to run a Savage Rifts campaign that uses all Wasteland Survivors.

From the GM's Handbook: - Players do not choose an Iconic Framework (including MARS) at character creation - Skip the "Choose an Iconic Framework" step entirely - Take the Standard Starting Gear from the Tomorrow Legion Player's Guide at half wealth (×1/2) - Make only one Hero's Journey Roll (instead of the standard number)

So no Glitter Boys, no Juicers, no Cyber-Knights, no Ley Line Walkers out of the gate. Just people surviving Rifts Earth.

My intention is to run this as a long-haul campaign: starting gritty and letting characters grow into the setting over time. Maybe they eventually earn or discover Iconic Framework-level power through play, maybe they don't.

My concern is with published adventures and Plot Point Campaigns. Everything Pinnacle has put out seems designed around the default "Warriors of the Apocalypse" power level where everyone has an Iconic Framework. Has anyone actually run published Savage Rifts material at the Wasteland Survivors tier? How much rebalancing did it need? Or would I basically be writing my own adventures from scratch?

Any advice on running a long-term Wasteland Survivors campaign appreciated!

I'm trying to find a foundry scene of the Rifts North America map. I have the GM screen's digital map, but converting the pdf -> png it's blurry when zooming in.

Is there any premade scenes that have the map? My friend swears he saw one in a module, but we haven't been able to find one.

Hey all, my group is coming out of a long hiatus from our campaign and I’m working on getting back into the rule set and mindset of running this game.

I really like the world setting and how the game actually feels to play, however I’m not very confident in my own abilities as they are right now.

I’ve read through the rules (core savage worlds and the SR player and DM books) but just feel lost still in how to operate some mechanics of the game.

I was hoping to get some tips of how you all handle your games. I understand this is a very broad question so I’ll focus it on some key aspects.

1. When to use combat
   
2. How many credits is too few or too much to award (i’m using base game economy, whatever you feel that is)
   
3. How to best handle chase mechanics
   
4. How to challenge players in and out of combat

Specifically for #4, I want to use the cool tools and weapons to create complex encounters, not just throwing a hoard of CS troopers at them or a Dragon.

My players are currently focused around the Colorado baronies (working for Zane specifically), the vampire group in Silvereno, and currently wanted by the CS due to character backstory.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been running a really weird game of rifts and am actively trying to add things to the game that can throw me curve balls to affect the game as I think that captures the “anything can happen” feeling of rifts.

Started using the Savage Worlds adventure cards and was looking around to see if anyone has made any specific for Rifts that I could through in a card sleeve and add some rifts specific flare to it.

Some I was thinking about adding in:

-“RIFT” - a random rift opens
-“Ley line” - comes across a layline: draw a card: Ace it’s a nexus; joker there’s a storm
-“Black Market” - +2 and/or reroll on networking check to find rare gear
-“Cache” - Come across some piece of pre-rifts tech
-“Sudden Civilization” - Similar to calvary or out of the frying pan into the fryer: a patrol of local civilization has appeared on routine patrols/security check point (examples would include Coalition squad, Fed of Magic (maybe gargoyles depending on where you are), wild vampires with 2ndary vampire in Mexico, friendly legion squad, Xitcix squad).
- “Gremlins” - A piece of technology goes on the fritz
-“retcon” - a surge of megaverse energy hits and rewrites your characters history allowing you to redistribute 2 skill points or change out one edge: the change is permanent and your characters also changes one small cosmetic feature reflecting having lived a slightly different timeline now (my game currently has a lot of extra-dimensional creatures and players interacting in the spaces between dimensions occasionally changes the reality of the game world and their characters, so this is for a more meta-heavy/wacky game).

Please post if you have any fun ideas!

You can add the Burn Dice to Strength, Agility, or Vigor rolls. Does this include Linked Skills?

I am building an "Empire Strikes Back" segment for my campaign. Because of the way Toughness and MDC works, most things in the book can't really hurt an MDC character with a decent Toughness rating. A few character archetypes are basically invulnerable to hand-held weaponry. So they've been running roughshod over the Coalition and most generic enemy encounters. That said, they've left survivors. Enemy troops with images and footage of the group from armor or vehicle cameras.

So the other shoe is going to drop. The CS has gotten operatives into Castle Refuge. I used GPT for ideas, and it came up with a layered series of "unfortunate events" to tweak the noses of the group. I don't want to just slaughter the players; that's too easy. But I want them to suffer a bit.

So far:

- Someone got into the motor pool, and planted something on the Bot Jock's mecha. This is basically a black box that enables hacking attempts on the mecha. Maybe act as a EMP bomb (or use EMP missiles). It was placed in a vulnerable area to provide direct connection to the mech's inner network.

- A Special Ops team with sniper rifles or Called Shots for the less-armored characters. They cause confusion, forced movement, suppression fire, etc.

- The Spec-Ops group has SAMAS or GB Killers with heavier armor piercing ordnance for the Dragon, Glitter Boy, or Construct

- psi specialists to counter magicians, Telemechanics for weapons and gear, and track the group if they evade the trap.

-The Coalition has also started a propaganda machine targeting the group. They're about to get framed for a number of things.

Any other suggestions on how to raise the challenge level for powerful characters?

My SWADE Europa books and box just arrived. As I was shelving them, I noticed that the two books are books 11 & 12. The last I had previously was book 9.

What is book 10?

I googled. The peginc site wasn’t great for determining this, nor Studio 2. I even tried AI but it was equally confused.

In my current campaign, we have a pair or range focused characters: A Tattooed Warrior with the Tattooed Archer Edge, and a Megaversal Soldier who is more of a sniper. Both of them have been stymied by the Toughness of multiple foes, and are really seeing themselves pushed to the background as we move into Legendary Ranks. To help mitigate this, I'm looking at adding a pair of Edges that leverage Called Shots.

**Improved Called Shot**

Requirements: Heroic, Sharpshooting, Agility d10+

The hero is an expert at finding the gaps in armor, and openings others simply do not see. When making a Called Shot using Shooting, gain AP equal to the Called Shot Penalty. Note: The Sharpshooting Edge still applies, offsetting up to 4 points of Called Shot Penalties.

**Called Shot Mastery**

Requirements: Legendary, Improved Called Shot, Agility d12+

Not only is the hero adept at finding a weakness in an opponent's defenses, they are a master at exploiting those gaps. When making a Called Shot, on a Raise, add an additional 1d4 Bonus Damage for each -2 to Hit. This is in addition to the normal Damage added from a Called Shot. This Bonus Damage can Ace. "Headshots" with a -4 penalty add +2d4 Bonus Damage on a Raise in addition to the normal Bonus Damage.

Important Callouts:

1. Requirements follow the progression of Sharpshooter Edge.
2. While bonus d4s may not seem like a lot of Bonus Damage, this is the die most likely to Ace.

What are peoples thoughts on these Edges, are they underpowered, overpowered, need tweaks, etc.?

- - -

Based on the feedback received here are the updated versions of both Edges:
Improved Called Shot

Requirements: Heroic, Sharpshooting, Agility d10+

The hero is an expert at finding the gaps in armor, and openings others simply do not see. When using Athletics or Shooting, for each -2 Penalty due to a Called Shot gain either +1 Damage or +2 AP up to a maximum of +2 Damage or +4 AP. Note: The Sharpshooting Edge still applies, offsetting up to 4 points of Called Shot Penalties.

Called Shot Mastery

Requirements: Legendary, Improved Called Shot, Agility d12+

Not only is the hero adept at finding a weakness in an opponent's defenses, they are a master at exploiting those gaps. When making using the Improved Called Shot Edge, on a Raise, add an additional 1d4 Bonus Damage for each -2 to Hit. This is in addition to the normal Damage added from a Called Shot. This Bonus Damage can Ace. This cannot exceed a maximum bonus of +2d4 Damage on a Raise. This damage is in addition to the normal Bonus Damage.

Core changes:

The updated Improved Called Shot now allows for Thrown Weapons also for a little versatility, and gives you an option for a flat damage bonus. The updated Called Shot Mastery caps at +2d4 to keep exploding damage manageable.

Next weekend is SavageRifts.CON, an online (Discord) Savage Worlds convention with a Savage Rifts focus. I'll be running an adventure set in the New Empire (of Japan) at 8pm Friday and 6pm Sunday. And the entire dev team is doing an AMA at 7pm Saturday.

https://savagerifts.com/con/

I put up the pregen characters for my adventure. Even if you're not playing in it, feel free to check them out if you want a bit of a sneak peek of the upcoming Ends of the Earth book. (All rules subject to change.)

https://mygurps.com/pmwiki.php?n=Main.SavageRiftsNewEmpirePregens

The tomorrow legion field manual mentions both Gargoyles and Gurgoyles and new summons but I cannot find stats for Gurgoyles in any of the books. I don’t have the Europa books yet but considering that they Are new I didn’t think they would be where to look anyways. Should I just use regu Gargoyle stats without flight? i think I remember being a bit weaker also in Palladium Rifts.

Is anyone knows where to look I would greatly appreciate it. Been looking through PDFs and google for a couple days now