Starting Rifts : What to get ?

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Warzoner
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Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by Warzoner »

Hi people. Me and my friends would like to give Rifts a try. What are the books we need to have the minimum to begin ?

Thanks for your advices.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

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Warzoner wrote:Hi people. Me and my friends would like to give Rifts a try. What are the books we need to have the minimum to begin ?

Thanks for your advices.

All Palladium books only require one book to play.
Rifts: Ultimate Edition is all you need to play rifts.
That book should cost around $40 new.
Price wise it is fairly cheep compared to some other games start up cost.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by HWalsh »

Blue_Lion wrote:
Warzoner wrote:Hi people. Me and my friends would like to give Rifts a try. What are the books we need to have the minimum to begin ?

Thanks for your advices.

All Palladium books only require one book to play.
Rifts: Ultimate Edition is all you need to play rifts.
That book should cost around $40 new.
Price wise it is fairly cheep compared to some other games start up cost.


While this is technically a true statement...

There are problems with it.

Certain OCCs, such as Power Armor Pilot need additional books. There are only 3 (non-Glitterboy) Power Armors in RUE. The Samson, the Flying Titan, and the SAMAS. For a class who's primary feature is getting Elite Combat with 2 armors to start and addition ones at level up it can be frustrating.

So it is a good idea to look into Northern Gun 1 and/or 2.

The other book you sort of need is "Coalition War Campaign" as RUE loves to point out that the CS armors and weapons they list aren't actually in wide use anymore.

RUE also doesn't really give any good stat blocks for "enemies" meaning the "weird stuff" that comes out of Rifts. Things like Vampires, Demons, etc.

So to really do it you want:

Rifts Ultimate Edition
2-3 ancillary books for gear/enemies
Coalition War Campaign
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by Killer Cyborg »

Warzoner wrote:Hi people. Me and my friends would like to give Rifts a try. What are the books we need to have the minimum to begin ?

Thanks for your advices.


It's a tricky question, because Rifts covers a very large spectrum of stuff.
Most people have books that they love and books that they hate, and each group that plays Rifts has its own version of the game in many ways.
So the answer depends pretty heavily on what draws you to the game in the first place.

If you want a more gritty, post-apocalyptic feel to things, go with the original Rifts main book, and the original Sourcebook 1.

If you want more of a semi-post-apocalyptic super-powery vibe, then go with the Rifts Ultimate Edition and revised Sourcebook 1.

If you want a kind of Starship Troopers feel to things, then pick up the Coalition War Campaign and Xiticix Invasion.
If you want more of a cartoony sci-fi-western feel, pick up New West and Spirit West.

And so forth.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by Blue_Lion »

HWalsh wrote:
Blue_Lion wrote:
Warzoner wrote:Hi people. Me and my friends would like to give Rifts a try. What are the books we need to have the minimum to begin ?

Thanks for your advices.

All Palladium books only require one book to play.
Rifts: Ultimate Edition is all you need to play rifts.
That book should cost around $40 new.
Price wise it is fairly cheep compared to some other games start up cost.


While this is technically a true statement...

There are problems with it.

Certain OCCs, such as Power Armor Pilot need additional books. There are only 3 (non-Glitterboy) Power Armors in RUE. The Samson, the Flying Titan, and the SAMAS. For a class who's primary feature is getting Elite Combat with 2 armors to start and addition ones at level up it can be frustrating.

So it is a good idea to look into Northern Gun 1 and/or 2.

The other book you sort of need is "Coalition War Campaign" as RUE loves to point out that the CS armors and weapons they list aren't actually in wide use anymore.

RUE also doesn't really give any good stat blocks for "enemies" meaning the "weird stuff" that comes out of Rifts. Things like Vampires, Demons, etc.

So to really do it you want:

Rifts Ultimate Edition
2-3 ancillary books for gear/enemies
Coalition War Campaign

His question was "minimal you need" not the amount you would want to have what you think is fleshed out game.
So while other books are good they are not required.
As he is just in the give it a try stage the minimal is what he would want to start with. It does make it a $40 try adding 3-4 books pushes it up to 100 not something good to be facing at the start of playing a new game. Typically I would recommend at his stage start with the core book then if they keep playing add 1-2 books every so often based on budget.

As to what books to would be good to get after the core, that can be subjective, what you did was list books for NA campaign that is where most books are focused, however lets say he wanted to play in Japan he would only need the Japan(CS book would be useless to such a location) setting and the core book.
Rifts has several single or two book sub setting locations using those reduces the total number of books needed.

Limiting the books you get to just 1 starting out also reduces the getting over whelmed by the shear amount of stuff when new to a game like rifts.
The Clones are coming you shall all be replaced, but who is to say you have not been replaced already.

Master of Type-O and the obvios.

Soon my army oc clones and winged-monkies will rule the world but first, must .......

I may debate canon and RAW, but the games I run are highly house ruled. So I am not debating for how I play but about how the system works as written.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

Warzoner wrote:Hi people. Me and my friends would like to give Rifts a try. What are the books we need to have the minimum to begin ?

Thanks for your advices.

The Bare Minimum?

1 of these 2 core books:
1. Rifts RPG (this is the original)
2. Rifts Ultimate Edition

Now the two core books are pretty much similar, but each has content that the other doesn't. Ultimate Edition is the current standard, but if you start with the older main book transitioning isn't to difficult (and if you have questions from this period make sure you specify to avoid confusion). I'd personally recommend getting the older book to try out the setting (unless UE works out cheaper). Keep in mind that neither book has a pre-generated adventures in it, so if you want something like that another book is going to be required (and it is a feature that a lot of Rifts books lack).

Other titles in the line aren't really necessary to give it a try.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

After getting the one of the core books (RUE , Rifts mainbook) I would suggest getting the Rifts GM Guide and then the Rifts Conversion book 1 revised and the PF: Monsters and Animals book (both for the monsters listed in them and for the player races in the RCB1r and the normal animals in the PF:M&A.)

Then once you start exploring the world get the worldbooks as you get to other places.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

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Rifts Unlimited Edition is a Must Have.

Now a setting.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

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As much as I prefer the updated rules from the RUE, if you are just starting off and are wanting to only buy one book to try it, I personally would suggest the original Rifts Main Book for a few reasons.

It has more vehicles/robot vehicles (the RUE dropped two robot vehicles and a flying vehicle, the Sky King, from it's pages)

It has stats for enemies (the Xitixix).

It has a random monster generator.

It has quick enemy stats for a few enemies on the last page of the book.

Now, after you and your friends have played a few sessions and decide to expand your collection, I would recommend going for the RUE. It has two new Man-at-Arms classes (the Merc Soldier which is the non-CS version of a Technical Officer, and the Robot Pilot which as two MOS', one for power armor, and one for robot vehicles), and a new magic class (the Elemental Fusionist, think like a combination Air/Earth Bender, or Water/Fire Bender as a friend of mine had described them), a set of guidelines for making TW items, and a few other things that I feel like I am forgetting at the moment.

Once you have played a few games and feel like this is a game you would like to keep playing, then I would suggest coming back to the forums to find out what world or dimension books (yes, there are books to take your adventures into other dimensions) would be worth considering.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by Killer Cyborg »



Huh.
I haven't gotten copies of those yet, but it's probably a good call.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by HWalsh »

Killer Cyborg wrote:


Huh.
I haven't gotten copies of those yet, but it's probably a good call.


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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by mercedogre »

Game master guide is a good one to get also, lots of everything
D-B's of N America is a great source for characters
The Northern Gun books for alot of gear
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by blackwingedheaven »



I concur with this. I'd also recommend picking up a Classic Rifts corebook and Sourcebook 1 for setting information, though. The Savage Rifts Game Master's Handbook and Savage Foes of North America are also good purchases.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by J_cobbers »

Killer Cyborg wrote:


Huh.
I haven't gotten copies of those yet, but it's probably a good call.


KC, you wouldn't like them, the rules make too much sense and they provide cannon answers on their web forums on a weekly basis. :angel:

But seriously I backed the Kickstarter, and bought a copy of SW deluxe last year, and I got my physical books from my order last month. It's a nice quality product, clear consistent rules, formatting and writing. It is a different take on Rifts, and combat tends to be more lethal and quick from what I can tell, but I likes it. Hopefully it drives more sales of PB rifts products as people look for ideas to pull into their new RSW games.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by Warzoner »

If I'd like to run a series of game largely inspired by anime/ mangas like MD Geist, Cyber City and AD Police files (so, mostly Power Armours, Cyborgs, Death robots), would the Ultimate Sourcebook and the Coalition War Campaign book be enough ?
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by dragonfett »

Just barely, but only for fighting the CS or as the CS. NG1/2 Would be much better for that role as the 'bots and power armor are not tied to any one particular faction.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by Warzoner »

Hi ! What is NG 1 and NG 2 ?
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by eliakon »

I would go with these as my "Core"
Rifts Ultimate Edition
GMs Guide
Book of Magic
Conversion Book #1

After that you will have "a bit of everything" and can figure out what you like...
...and when you do, then you can buy more books that specialize in that field, branching out as you go.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by dragonfett »

Warzoner wrote:Hi ! What is NG 1 and NG 2 ?


Northern Gun 1 and Northern Gun 2. They were recently released a couple of years ago.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by J_cobbers »

dragonfett wrote:
Warzoner wrote:Hi ! What is NG 1 and NG 2 ?


Northern Gun 1 and Northern Gun 2. They were recently released a couple of years ago.


And the are full of tons of guns, gear, power armor and Robot vehicles.
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Re: Starting Rifts : What to get ?

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

eliakon wrote:I would go with these as my "Core"
Rifts Ultimate Edition
GMs Guide
Book of Magic
Conversion Book #1

After that you will have "a bit of everything" and can figure out what you like...
...and when you do, then you can buy more books that specialize in that field, branching out as you go.

i generally advise Conversion book 3 "Dark Conversions" instead of CB1.. ever since CB1 got revised and CB3 came out, all the monsters and demons and stuff are in CB3. between RUE, BoM, and the GMG you have a good base for the player side of things. CB3 covers the stuff you throw at players.
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