New-to-Rifts DM looking for advice

[Mewens]

Hi all!

Our group will be playing Rifts soon. One problem — I'll be the GM and I only have a passing knowledge of the setting. I played it about 20 years ago with some friends, and I only remember the broad strokes — human supremacist Midwest, creepy bug invaders, glitterboys and dogboys, etc. I've been reviewing the core rulebook and I have the GM's guide and the book of magic.

The players seem down for a Mad Max mercenary setting — I was envisioning something in which the Coalition and some D-Bees of North America would be their foes, with the Federation of Magic and the actors in Madhaven acting as allies/neutral parties (or even foes ...) while the players try to achieve generally selfish goals. (Assume most of my players will be selfish, with some principled.)

Given these restrictions, which world books would you suggest? Madhaven and Federation of Magic seem like shoo-ins, but I'm a little confused by the lack of a Coalition sourcebook. Alternatively, is there a better location for these adventures than the East(ish) Coast? Note that the rich underwater world of Rifts is off limits for now.

Thanks in advance!

[TheEvilDM]

Hey maybe this old topic might give you some help, it has helped me in the past for book suggestions and it REALLY lists things out
https://www.palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=119563

[Curbludgeon]

Unless you're specifically using Manhattan as a setting, and explicitly want characters to be Madhaven mutants, I'd lower the priority on that book. Psi-Stalkers are essentially War-boys at birth, are often arranged in social groups with low overall but limited high technology, and are engaged with the Xiticix. If the bugs/stalkers are to prove a larger part of the campaign WB23 is worth a look, particularly if the core book being used is RMB and not RUE.

As for really pushing the Mad Max buttons, I'd consider setting it in either southern Canada, the warlord controlled parts of Russia, or Australia, the last of which requiring substantial fleshing out. As a question to everyone: are psi-stalkers mentioned as being in Australia at all? The Madhaven mutants would fit right in with the other mutants (Phreakers?), and the desert dwellers in New West.

There is a fair amount of CS stuff in Coalition Navy, Coalition War Campaign, and Heroes of Humanity, the last being pretty new.

[Mewens]

Thank you guys!

That list is a huge help. (There are so many books for Rifts that it's easy to get lost looking around.)