Retro RPG: Rifts

Please Subscribe to our Channel: / @rpggamer
Please help support the channel, here's our Patreon:
/ _rpggamer
Top Five: RPG's on the Atari ST
• Top Five: RPG's on the...
Retro RPG: De Profundis
• Retro RPG: De Profundis
Description: Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in August 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. Rifts takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, mythology and many other genres.
Rifts serves as a cross-over environment for a variety of other Palladium games with different universes connected through "rifts" on Earth that lead to different spaces, times, and realities that Palladium calls the "Rifts Megaverse". Rifts describes itself as an "advanced" role-playing game and not an introduction for those new to the concept.

[@kronisius6718]

I have been running Rifts since the mid-90s. Everyone I have played with really loved the setting and the possibilities of characters and stories.

[@RPGGamer]

Within arms reach of me I've got a shelf full of Rifts books, the setting is absolutely great and packed with so many ideas and possibilities. Definitely one of my favourite settings.

[@Susanmugen]

I loved these books. I didn't even have a group to play with during the 90s, I just bought the books and read them. Later I played with my little sister, my brothers and my boyfriend in a VERY loose interpretation of the game. I didn't like looking up rules or anything that might slow down the story-telling, so I often just made up on the fly whatever roll was needed for any action imaginable. If I thought something very difficult like a trick-shot, I might say you need a 19 out of 20 to pull it off. The party was very unbalanced, but each person was playing what they wanted to play and enjoyed it. Players could go anywhere in the world they wanted without needing to wait for a hook, so if one person wanted to go to Mexico just because they liked the vampire artwork on the cover of the Vampires of Mexico book, they could. The story moved quickly and had so many funny or exciting moments. Sometimes we would just sit around and recap from memory the events of the adventure like it was a silly movie. The Rifts setting just lent itself so well to this type of gameplay, even if the actual ruleset did not. I have very fond memories of this game.

[@RPGGamer]

The Rifts background is just so amazing, so full of ideas, and even if there was a book or country you didn't like (I personally wasn't keen on Rifts England), you'd just get the next book, and it'd be full of new amazing stuff (Rifts Japan was truly awesome along with the Triax NGR, Coalition and Underseas books).

[@chrisboone2755]

I was fortunate enough to be able to play in the 90s when I came across this. We also enjoyed just reading the books for story sake!

[@wyldfantasies]

This is by far the best role playing game to ever exist. You sounded like someone afraid of the "over the top" style but this is what made it so cool. It's all about having a good game master who sends you on an adventure that fits the character group. If you're a gang member with just a knife and sdc weapons you do gang/street adventures that don't expose you to a bunch of mega damage bad guys and danger. If you're a Glitter Boy you need serious bad guys to come after you. The Game Master is the key to a good time.

[@RPGGamer]

I hope it didn't come across as I don't like Rifts, I've got around 30 books in my collection, and anything I'm willing to invest around £500 in I must really like. It's just that I do think it would have benefited from a second edition. And I completely agree, the Games Master is always the key to a good time. I was studying up on the latest version of the Warhammer 40k RPG a week or two ago, and that has the system where you can set a level for your campaign. So certain more powerful classes/races require a certain level limit. So Space Marines are 7th level, where as gang members are 1st. So if the GM decides to run a 7th level campaign, then the Space Marine will be 1st level, and the Gang Member will be 7th. Powering them up and balancing the classes somewhat. I really feel like something along those lines would benefit Rifts, as there is no balance. For example the Trashman in Rifts Manhunter starts with a gun that does Megadamage, but ignores all armour. So can one shot kill Glitterboys and SAMAS, sounds to me that it could cause some balance problems. Or an Atlantean Juicer, who's life still measures in the centuries. There's just too much cool stuff for it all to be balanced, especially in a mixed party where it can be difficult to write an adventure which suits everyone.

[@andropple1013]

I too am a super fan of this game and love it. I have played it for 28 years

[@howardbridge3rd]

I agree, the best RPG out there

[@SkullyTheHypnoSkull]

Yes!

[@saldanamoreno]

I was so into this as a kid in the 90's this sparked my imagination to no end. I went away to the military and when I came home my mom got rid of all my books. I need to find them again to read through for fun.

[@RPGGamer]

When I moved out, my mum took all my Warhammer 40k miniatures and just put them in a carrier bag, so my Space Marine army just became a collection of well painted arms and legs in a bag. I learned that day to not trust Mum's with gaming stuff, as they don't value it.

[@mascisken]

Along with both Warhammer 40k and Fantasy, the world of Rifts have always fascinated me. And like the other two, not a world I would want to visit at all. Cheers.

[@RPGGamer]

I know what you mean. Love reading about it, wouldn't want to live there.

[@delsolman24]

This game took over my gaming world from 1990-1994, I had moved on but all these years later I’m still drawn to it.

[@RPGGamer]

The Rifts world is full of amazing and cool ideas, and I do find myself browsing the books over the years as there's so many great things in there.

[@RogueScholarMDC]

This may come as a surprise, but I too love Rifts :D

[@RPGGamer]

Lot of love for Rifts out there. And I hope no one thinks because I'm critical of it, that I don't like it. I've spent many hundreds of pounds on an entire shelf-full of Rifts books, which should prove that I've got a lot of love for this game.

[@RogueScholarMDC]

@@RPGGamer I don't think it's possible to know and understand Rifts without expressing some of the shortfalls. Usually, i can tell pretty quickly whether someone is a player who "loves the game, but.." and someone who just talks about how terrible it is without actually understanding what they're talking about.

[@rkirwan5511]

Best game I have played so far... been into it since 1991 and have gotten my kids into it as well.

[@RPGGamer]

One of the finest backgrounds ever released, so much imagination and so many ideas, it's just great.

[@chrisboone2755]

I remember coming across this in a local gaming store while I was in highschool in the 90s. At the time I had played mostly DnD and some Robotech! I was unfamiliar with rest of Palladium books products till I came across this. I was like wow at the cover and description of that world! Many years of fun gaming followed, course with some of our eventual homebrew rules :D

[@RPGGamer]

It's such a lovely world to play in, so many ideas, and craziness to have fun with.

[@Mandalore06]

The first thing I noticed was the big monster on the cover....the second thing I noticed was butts.

[@RPGGamer]

Well, fantasy art usually fulfils more than one description of fantasy.

[@bt3779]

I always felt Rift's was a great jump off point from D&D of the era to try something new. It's mecha, sci fi and fantasy, in a destroyed world with various enclaves, and hidden, old technology to find, often felt like a D&D with stompy robots. It worked very well IMO. And the rules were a stretch of original D&D, but you can still see the genesis, so it wasnt that hard to learn. Only real downside, is that while yes...the rules can beaten into shape...they were pretty creaky, even by standards of the time. I would love to see an updated iteration of the game...I know there is a savage worlds edition, but I just cant get into that ruleset. I think either a 5E modern/future variant would ring closest to Rifts roots, or something more modern, with enough crunch to be interesting,like Genesys, or maybe along the line of Modiphius's Fallout 2D20

[@RPGGamer]

100% agree, and I do take a bunch of flack for hinting that Rifts might not be perfect, and could have done with a rewrite and a large hammer taken to game balance. But it's an astoundingly fun setting, and filled with a load of great ideas.

[@ezzerharden]

Savage Worlds created a conversion that plays smoothly and really makes the game play fast!

[@RPGGamer]

Savage Worlds is a system I've not had any contact with, but it seems to be the D20 of the teens decade, as just about everything has a "Savage" version of it.

[@wynfrithnichtwo8423]

I do not understand balancing issues. Reality is if you are running around with a Browning Hi Power 9x19mm (Luger/Parabellum/NATO [all the same cartridge]) and a M1 Abrams main battle tank is facing you . . . You move butt out the area as fast as can be because you are powerless against it. Unless you sneak up while the crew is outside the tank sleeping, which is how Yugo Partazanis schwacked Nazi tankers in WWII. Real life has no balance. In real life folks deal with what they know how to deal with and not things outside their capacities to handle.

[@RPGGamer]

I totally get that monsters and opponents shouldn't be totally balanced against the players, there's got to be a challenge. But the fact that a City Rat starts play with a Knife (okay a MD one, but still a knife), and a Glitterboy starts play with a super high tech Mecha suit equipped with a boom gun, isn't balanced. I think an updated version where the OCC's which don't get super equipment, instead get to start play with more skills would make a lot of sense, so you can get the fancy toys of a Glitterboy, or abilities of a Juicer, or you can start play as an experienced and skilled human. I believe one of the 40k RPG's works this way, where humans start play at level 4, but Marines start play at level 1.

[@dubuyajay9964]

Cover Palladium Fantasy please.

[@RPGGamer]

Oh, yes, I must cover it, had so much fun with our party where we shared no common language, so the Dwarf and Elf could speak to each other, the Elf and Goblin could speak to each other, and the Dwarf and Human could speak to each other, so we communicated through a game of Chinese whispers. Great game, I'll dig my copy out of storage when I'm next at my mums house.

[@davinperry5648]

The major difference between D&D and Rifts in two ways. Rifts is far simpler and instead of advancing through combat (ie slaying monsters). In Rifts you gain experience living the life (using skills and facing challenges). You can win, lose, slay, hide, run away, trick, or turncoat. As long as find a way survive you gain experience points and levels in Rifts. Rifts has combat mechanics but its experience point reward system means that characters don't have to face a trial by combat like D&D.

[@RPGGamer]

I think that's how most Gamesmasters issue experience these days for every game, I've had entire D&D games go by without any combat, and still levelled at the end. I am old enough however to remember when you used to get XP based on the Value of the treasure you looted, so grabbing more stuff helped you level quicker, and rewarded competition between players to grab the most stuff.

[@zlandicar4482]

Retro... they still making books for Rifts. No 2nd, 3rd, 4th remake BS still Rifts still going.

[@RPGGamer]

I started this channel to show my kids (and nephews and nieces) who'd just got into D&D that there were loads of other RPG's out there. So yes to kids who were born in the early 2000's, Rifts is positively retro. And I'm afraid I'm one of those people who think that Rift's really could have done with a 2nd Edition to balance it a little. It's loads of fun, but kinda crazy.

[@macklu7571]

RIFTs, a mish-mash of Heros Unlimited, TMNT After the Bomb, Robotech, and Palladium Fantasy. Thank Goodness they didn't try to incorporate anything from 'Nam. Fav character class was the Juicer, cause they got nothing to lose.

[@RPGGamer]

I would guarantee that they never included stuff from Nam, the sourcebooks were so varied that there's likely some influence in there somewhere.

[@wynfrithnichtwo8423]

I was just thinking about incorporating their Recon game. Lol

[@Sgt_Mushroom]

Rifts is a fun game.

[@joecoo4615]

Love RIFTS been hacking around with Index Card RPG and the Cepheues 2D6 engine. The Palladium Megaverse is superb the Rules do need streamlining. Wish an O.G.L was available however filing the changing names. Just created A.S.S O.C's Aleterd Super Soldiers On Chems Heavily inspired by Juicers but some of my own ideas in the background.

[@RPGGamer]

I totally ripped off the idea of Juicers for a home brew game I've run for years. The world of Rifts has so many great ideas, but totally needs a bit of a tidy up and streamlining to make it really playable.

[@joecoo4615]

Here's the Cepheus Rules I've been messing with www.dropbox.com/s/ydcx16wj5o8jbks/Homebrews%20For%20Cepheus%20.doc?dl=0

[@joecoo4615]

This is a D20 system You can use this for all sorts both doc files are simply done and are tool kits www.dropbox.com/s/e5irygede22pycf/I.C%20RPG%20Thoughts%20%26%20Musings%20.doc?dl=0

[@robintunkel4717]

If you are looking for Rifts, but more streamlined you should check out Savage Worlds Rifts by Pinnacle. Same company that brought you Deadlands and Necessary Evil. www.peginc.com/product-category/rifts/

[@korecomputers]

Literally every class starts with mega damage tier body armor and weapons. SDC weapons are more for secured areas where MDC weapons and armor are not allowed for obvious reasons. The game requires a competent DM that is good at balancing. You dont have to use the extremes that the game allows. The game isnt without its learning curve being a more broad and unique system compared to most rpgs, especially today. But it is definitely one of the top sci fi table top games out there.

[@RPGGamer]

The problem isn't that everyone can't get MDC, it's that MDC can't be taken away from some. So while everyone else gets disarmed when going into a secure area, the Juicer (among many others, Psi-Stalker, etc) remain capable of doing MDC, and resisting it.

[@thomasakatidalforce7987]

A good setting, but horrible rules. There is absolutely no attempt at any balance for the character classes and the rules are awkward. I do like the material though, which I use in my own RPG.

[@RPGGamer]

I'm definitely an advocate for a 2nd edition to Rifts, as I think a lot of the problems with the rules could be ironed out. But I agree it's an amazing setting, well worth raiding for other RPG's.

[@thomasakatidalforce7987]

@@RPGGamer I just use my own system now, developed from years of trying other games and seeing what I liked and disliked. I used to like D&D but it got too boring because of the combat. Having feats later on helped but I got sick of basically just rolling common attacks. I like when characters have a variety of offensive and defensive abilities they can use. I also prefer mana based magic as opposed to daily memorizing of spells. I also grew tired of the level based character progression. It never made sense to me that you can be 2 experience points away from level 15 for example and not be better than when you just reached level 14.

[@RPGGamer]

@@thomasakatidalforce7987 I know what you mean about D&D combat, but fortunately we had a GM who let us try stupid stuff, so combats involved bungie jumping down on top of beholders, and diving under monsters to stab them in the belly rather than just roll to hit. We also tended to do a level per adventure rather than xp based progression, which made everyone feel as if they were improving all the time, although it caused problems back in 2nd edition where the power levels weren't balanced.

[@thomasakatidalforce7987]

@@RPGGamer A good DM can make up for a lot. I go back far enough to have played D&D with THACO lol. I guess you could say that Rifts balances if you play the right classes together but I wish they'd divide it for the players and GM. For example each class could have a rating from 1 to 5 or something and then the GM would quickly know what classes were balanced with each other. Then you'd know a Wilderness Scout should be played with a Rogue Scholar and an Apok or something could match to a Dragon Juicer etc. I use a spending experience points system for my game. What I did is max out the damage characters can actually do and give powerful monsters attacks that can, for example cut hit points of the character in half etc some even a player that spends a bunch of experience on hit points could always face a challenge. I also wrote up some monster modifications so you could make crappier enemies tougher or make boss versions(kind of like Diablo unique enemies). All in all it's worked well so far.