England as "Typical" Fantasy

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England as "Typical" Fantasy

Unread post by 1970 »

As well as my Warlords of Russia game, I'm contemplating a Rifts England game. I'd be rewriting a good deal of it while still keeping the general Arthurian feel (for better or worse). Mainly I want to do this to take a load off myself and use some of those fantasy supplements and adventures from other fantasy games that I'll probably never use otherwise.

My main rewrite is to knock Mrrlyn down to a Demigod Ley Line Walker and actual good guy. Well mostly good. He's bestowed the surname of Pendragon on his chosen royal line and coaxed the Lady of the Lake into giving up Excalibur (a Holy Sword as written up in Atlantis 1). Now the King is busy creating his Kingdom from the woodlands around New Camelot. Meanwhile, aside from the Splugorth (whom I'm kind of loathe to include in such a prominent location), my main threat to New Camelot and its neighbors is Bres the Beautiful and his Fomorians. He's more of a coming threat than an immediate one, but he's moving South faster than the source material would indicate.

The more pressing threat are the fey. I'm taking my cues from what little I know about faeries and not relying on the version presented in a typical fantasy game. The Fey Noble of Faerievale has the equivalent power level of a Godling and is Aberrant Evil. She has plans for New Camelot, especially since King Pendragon attempted to enter her domain during his initial push to establish his Kingdom. It was an innocent mistake (well, as innocent as military campaigns are), but the Lady of the Wood hasn't forgotten nor forgiven. She's familiar with Merlin and doesn't want to cross him directly (or, perhaps an oath prevents her from doing so), so she amuses herself with causing mischief along their shared border. Of course, this means blighting crops, kidnapping farmers, stealing children, and so on. There's a war brewing, but no one really wants to pull the trigger.

Anyway, has anyone created what amounts to a fantasy campaign with guns? I'd like to try it once I get my ducks in a row, but am interested in anyone else's experience with England.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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That's an interesting take.

While I'm also not a big fan of Camelot as presented in Rifts, I think it could be interesting to adjust Mrrlyn and the other supernatural figures in the court. If I were given free rein to re-work them, I'd change the underlying supernatural intelligence to something somewhat more well-intentioned. It would be interesting to see a good supernatural intelligence in canon and explore how an entity like that might try to play kingmaker and helper while still being kind of scary and mysterious.

Alternately, Mrrlyn and the Lady of the Lake could simply belong to a group of Chiang-Ku who prefer to push for a more authoritarian, order-focused approach to making the world a better place than the Nog Henge druids. The Vorlons from B5 capture this concept pretty well, empowering and guiding mortal pawns to resist the influence of other forces and embrace their own ideals. Mrrlyn as a Kosh-like figure could be a lot of fun to explore.

You could also explore using the Nog Henge druids as an anti-authoritarian foil to the ideals of Camelot, empowering individuals to resist oppression and valuing freedom over order.

As written, Faerie folk around the Megaverse, they're a weird bunch in canon, and they seem designed to range between annoying sources of mischief to murderous thugs (depending on how cute they are). They're also some of the favorite prey for Splugorth slaving parties since they're handy for powering bio-wizard weapons. If their aberrant ruler represents their overall outlook, I could see them being less fun-loving and more ambitious about building up their own kingdom and xenophobic towards non-faerie sentient folk.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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I think when I first read England my first thought was another Alien Intelligence? I'd like a (relatively) good monarchy instead of yet more supernatural evil. There have to be some places of peace and such in the world that doesn't hate everything around it, right?

Alternately, Mrrlyn and the Lady of the Lake could simply belong to a group of Chiang-Ku who prefer to push for a more authoritarian, order-focused approach to making the world a better place than the Nog Henge druids. The Vorlons from B5 capture this concept pretty well, empowering and guiding mortal pawns to resist the influence of other forces and embrace their own ideals. Mrrlyn as a Kosh-like figure could be a lot of fun to explore.


I really like this idea. I don't know if I'd make them both Dragons, but I wouldn't have thought of it in the first place. Making the Lady of the Lake an Adult Dragon solves my problem of what to do with her, as I didn't have any ideas whatsoever. Thanks!
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Hotrod wrote:Alternately, Mrrlyn and the Lady of the Lake could simply belong to a group of Chiang-Ku who prefer to push for a more authoritarian, order-focused approach to making the world a better place than the Nog Henge druids. The Vorlons from B5 capture this concept pretty well, empowering and guiding mortal pawns to resist the influence of other forces and embrace their own ideals. Mrrlyn as a Kosh-like figure could be a lot of fun to explore. .



I'm now picturing the peasants from Monty Python explaining how they've formed a commune, and getting the snot beaten out of them by knights in power armor.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:I think when I first read England my first thought was another Alien Intelligence? I'd like a (relatively) good monarchy instead of yet more supernatural evil. There have to be some places of peace and such in the world that doesn't hate everything around it, right?

I had a conversation with Kevin about five years back in which he said, "There are no utopias in Rifts." Even in the stories about Camelot, its heydays were underscored by underlying problems like the queen's infidelity, the king's infidelity, Mordred being bad, Morgan Le Fay being bad, et cetera. Plus they had wars and things like that going on from time to time, even if they rarely directly affected the city itself.

Thus, I think it's important to keep some fundamental tension going in Camelot (and any other location on the planet). Now, it's entirely possible for good people to disagree, fight, and kill each other without becoming evil, and you don't have to resort to evil supernatural forces to have some existential conflicts looming within your version of Camelot. Authoritarianism vs individual freedom works, but so do plenty of other conflicts (faith vs science, punishment vs rehabilitation, pacifism vs the need to confront evil, development vs conservation, duty vs love, the law vs justice, pick your ethical dilemma and run with it!). Or you could take a cue from the original Arthurian legend and make the central conflicts interpersonal.

1970 wrote:
Alternately, Mrrlyn and the Lady of the Lake could simply belong to a group of Chiang-Ku who prefer to push for a more authoritarian, order-focused approach to making the world a better place than the Nog Henge druids. The Vorlons from B5 capture this concept pretty well, empowering and guiding mortal pawns to resist the influence of other forces and embrace their own ideals. Mrrlyn as a Kosh-like figure could be a lot of fun to explore.


I really like this idea. I don't know if I'd make them both Dragons, but I wouldn't have thought of it in the first place. Making the Lady of the Lake an Adult Dragon solves my problem of what to do with her, as I didn't have any ideas whatsoever. Thanks!


My pleasure! To be sure, you should use whatever you like, and there are plenty of options out there besides Chiang-Ku. All you really need are some long-lived supernatural beings who like to play kingmaker, look human (or can shapeshift), and give off a mysterious vibe. Though Chiang-Ku are a personal favorite of mine, many different dragons fit that bill, as do demi-gods, godlings, the gods themselves, alien intelligences of many varieties, many angels, some demons/dyvals, and plenty of other debees.

The idea of a dragon being Excalibur's keeper seems fitting, along with the Lady of the Lake being very choosy about who gets to wield it. That said, I suggest that you make your version of Excalibur unique, or at least unique in the setting of Rifts Earth. Think about how a magic sword might help its wielder become king and rule effectively in a way that attracts attention to itself. This sword was a far more potent symbol of King Arthur's authority than any crown, mantle, or scepter ever could have been, as well as a tool that helped him be nearly invincible in combat.

Excalibur itself could also be a potent plot device for adventures or your campaign depending on what you make of it. Caliber-X in England-as-written is a nifty idea that's pretty under-powered and underwhelming.

Some ideas for you:
+Make Excalibur into a Living Rune Weapon that grows in power with its wielder and ultimately harvests the wielder's soul upon his or her death, becoming a true rune weapon at that point.
+Alternately, have Excalibur contain the souls, memories, and personalities of those who have wielded it before, providing their wisdom, insight, and advice to the king.
+Give Excalibur some kind of leadership/inspiration magic from spell magic or psionics that tends to uplift the spirits of those loyal to its wielder.
+Give Excalibur some kind of potent combat abilities and defenses that don't make it an "I win" button but do make its wielder very difficult to kill by assassination or in personal combat. Perhaps it's great at breaking weapons that try to parry it?
Last edited by Hotrod on Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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I had a conversation with Kevin about five years back in which he said, "There are no utopias in Rifts." Even in the stories about Camelot, its heydays were underscored by underlying problems like the queen's infidelity, the king's infidelity, Mordred being bad, Morgan Le Fay being bad, et cetera. Plus they had wars and things like that going on from time to time, even if they rarely directly affected the city itself.

Thus, I think it's important to keep some fundamental tension going in Camelot (and any other location on the planet). Now, it's entirely possible for good people to disagree, fight, and kill each other without becoming evil, and you don't have to resort to evil supernatural forces to have some existential conflicts looming within your version of Camelot.


To be sure New Camelot isn't a utopian Kingdom. When Merlin says that the Pendragon family will be King of the Britons, he means it. Right now they're expanding to the North, bringing autonomous Kingdoms and communities into the fold so long as they can maintain their military resources. The armies of New Camelot seem good enough, defending the weak and offering protection in exchange from monsters, but refusal isn't taken well, and, in instances where they can get away with it, they take by force, for the eventual good, of course. How this will play out with Bath and my version of Cambridge has yet to be decided. The Monarchy hopes they'll come into the fold willingly, but if not, well, Merlin knows best.

Excalibur itself could also be a potent plot device for adventures or your campaign depending on what you make of it. Caliber-X in England-as-written is a nifty idea that's pretty under-powered and underwhelming.

Some ideas for you:
+Make Excalibur into a Living Rune Weapon that grows in power with its wielder and ultimately harvests the wielder's soul upon his or her death, becoming a true rune weapon at that point.
+Alternately, have Excalibur contain the souls, memories, and personalities of those who have wielded it before, providing their wisdom, insight, and advice to the king.
+Give Excalibur some kind of leadership/inspiration magic from spell magic or psionics that tends to uplift the spirits of those loyal to its wielder.
+Give Excalibur some kind of potent combat abilities and defenses that don't make it an "I win" button but do make its wielder very difficult to kill by assassination or in personal combat. Perhaps it's great at breaking weapons that try to parry it?


You've given me a lot to think about regarding Excalibur. I'll have to chew on that for a while, but you've got some great ideas there. Thanks!
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Shameless plug here. You also might find my Rifts British Isles map useful.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Hotrod wrote:
1970 wrote:I think when I first read England my first thought was another Alien Intelligence? I'd like a (relatively) good monarchy instead of yet more supernatural evil. There have to be some places of peace and such in the world that doesn't hate everything around it, right?

I had a conversation with Kevin about five years back in which he said, "There are no utopias in Rifts." Even in the stories about Camelot, its heydays were underscored by underlying problems like the queen's infidelity, the king's infidelity, Mordred being bad, Morgan Le Fay being bad, et cetera. Plus they had wars and things like that going on from time to time, even if they rarely directly affected the city itself.


Actually....I suddenly wonder if this isn't why Kevin keeps putting off writing anything about Lazlo forever. If that's the case he kind of wrote himself into a Corner. Erin Tarin from the first day has done nothing but Praise Lazlo as a bastion of tolerance, respect, learning and peaceful commerse with never a bad thing to say. So subconiously he CAN'T write Lazlo into Rifts because if he did he'd have to shatter the dream. The Lazlo book cannot exist beucase Lazlo cannot exist, he cant' write Utopias, so he'd have to shatter the dream that Lazlo IS all it's said to be. Because then Erin Tarn would be wrong or a fool and he can't have that!
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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These are all really interesting ideas and I might pilfer a few for other settings but I have to say I really like Camelot as is. When my players first here of Merlin they can meet an NPC named Anna Gorm, a very powerful wizard who was born long before the coming of the Rifts. When they discover Merlin is evil, they find out Anna is actually Morganna. It's fun and I am good with supernatural intelligences being everywhere as there are sort of a unifying lore for the Palladium Megavers.

Hotrod wrote:I had a conversation with Kevin about five years back in which he said, "There are no utopias in Rifts." Even in the stories about Camelot, its heydays were underscored by underlying problems like the queen's infidelity, the king's infidelity, Mordred being bad, Morgan Le Fay being bad, et cetera. Plus they had wars and things like that going on from time to time, even if they rarely directly affected the city itself.

Thus, I think it's important to keep some fundamental tension going in Camelot (and any other location on the planet). Now, it's entirely possible for good people to disagree, fight, and kill each other without becoming evil, and you don't have to resort to evil supernatural forces to have some existential conflicts looming within your version of Camelot. Authoritarianism vs individual freedom works, but so do plenty of other conflicts (faith vs science, punishment vs rehabilitation, pacifism vs the need to confront evil, development vs conservation, duty vs love, the law vs justice, pick your ethical dilemma and run with it!). Or you could take a cue from the original Arthurian legend and make the central conflicts interpersonal.

I heard a similar conversation at one of the early POHs but it was more along the lines of why some early freelance submissions were being rejected, specifically I think it was an early book on California which had at it's heart a sort of peaceful, inclusive Coalition with advanced tech and magic. He said it didn't fit with his vision of Rifts so not surprised this had an impact on England too.

Nekira Sudacne wrote:Actually....I suddenly wonder if this isn't why Kevin keeps putting off writing anything about Lazlo forever. If that's the case he kind of wrote himself into a Corner. Erin Tarin from the first day has done nothing but Praise Lazlo as a bastion of tolerance, respect, learning and peaceful commerse with never a bad thing to say. So subconiously he CAN'T write Lazlo into Rifts because if he did he'd have to shatter the dream. The Lazlo book cannot exist beucase Lazlo cannot exist, he cant' write Utopias, so he'd have to shatter the dream that Lazlo IS all it's said to be. Because then Erin Tarn would be wrong or a fool and he can't have that!

This might be part of it but when I have asked KS about this, and I have asked a few times over the years, I always get some variation on "he has so many competing ideas on what Lazlo should be that he can't narrow it down" and "since Lazlo has gone so many years without being described it would now be difficult to do so without angering a large portion of the fan base".

Side note: When I went to create the actual Excalibur I wanted to avoid Rune weapons at all costs. Mutants in Avalon on pg. 73 has some pretty interesting stats that focus on MA bonuses and save vs. magic & psi. Ultimately though in my games I went with was a campaign were a few of the PCs helped Arr'thuu acquire Golden Age tech that juiced up Caliber X significantly. I always liked the idea of technology being able to mimic magic or psi.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Side note: When I went to create the actual Excalibur I wanted to avoid Rune weapons at all costs. Mutants in Avalon on pg. 73 has some pretty interesting stats that focus on MA bonuses and save vs. magic & psi. Ultimately though in my games I went with was a campaign were a few of the PCs helped Arr'thuu acquire Golden Age tech that juiced up Caliber X significantly. I always liked the idea of technology being able to mimic magic or psi.


I had thought about using Mutants of Avalon as source material but eventually dismissed it without really ever looking through it. Maybe I should dig it out and see what it says.

As for Excalibur, I may try creating something like the Mystic Weapon power category from Heroes Unlimited. I could think of a few powers I'd like to add to a magic sword (Divine Aura comes to mind).
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:
Side note: When I went to create the actual Excalibur I wanted to avoid Rune weapons at all costs. Mutants in Avalon on pg. 73 has some pretty interesting stats that focus on MA bonuses and save vs. magic & psi. Ultimately though in my games I went with was a campaign were a few of the PCs helped Arr'thuu acquire Golden Age tech that juiced up Caliber X significantly. I always liked the idea of technology being able to mimic magic or psi.


I had thought about using Mutants of Avalon as source material but eventually dismissed it without really ever looking through it. Maybe I should dig it out and see what it says.

Mutants in Avalon is a great source for Arthurian legend for PB. Lots of character notes and ideas that can be easily converted to other settings, just get rid of the mutant animals.

1970 wrote:As for Excalibur, I may try creating something like the Mystic Weapon power category from Heroes Unlimited. I could think of a few powers I'd like to add to a magic sword (Divine Aura comes to mind).

This is not a bad idea truthfully I just tried to avoid any sword that would have it's own personality.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:I had thought about using Mutants of Avalon as source material but eventually dismissed it without really ever looking through it. Maybe I should dig it out and see what it says.

As for Excalibur, I may try creating something like the Mystic Weapon power category from Heroes Unlimited. I could think of a few powers I'd like to add to a magic sword (Divine Aura comes to mind).


I recommend it, there is even a version of Excalibur in it you can soup up some if you want for your game. Plus I mean... war snail mounts, who doesn't want war snails?


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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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I recommend it, there is even a version of Excalibur in it you can soup up some if you want for your game. Plus I mean... war snail mounts, who doesn't want war snails?


I totally forgot about the War Snails!

Thanks for pointing me in this direction. Mutants in Avalon is pretty great. I think it was the map and gazetteer that got me. Yeah, a lot of this is going into my New Camelot game. Thanks!
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Hotrod wrote:Shameless plug here. You also might find my Rifts British Isles map useful.


Sweet map! It really drives home how far away the Fomorians are. If I'm using New Camelot as my starting point I may have to rethink my campaign's direction.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Nekira Sudacne wrote:Actually....I suddenly wonder if this isn't why Kevin keeps putting off writing anything about Lazlo forever. If that's the case he kind of wrote himself into a Corner. Erin Tarin from the first day has done nothing but Praise Lazlo as a bastion of tolerance, respect, learning and peaceful commerse with never a bad thing to say. So subconiously he CAN'T write Lazlo into Rifts because if he did he'd have to shatter the dream. The Lazlo book cannot exist beucase Lazlo cannot exist, he cant' write Utopias, so he'd have to shatter the dream that Lazlo IS all it's said to be. Because then Erin Tarn would be wrong or a fool and he can't have that!


One of the freelance writers (I forget which) said something similar. To create drama, tension, etc, you need to have something dark to contrast the light against. He said he didn't know how to write a Lazlo book without including some sort of dark underside. Otherwise he felt it would be a pretty boring book.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

Unread post by eliakon »

Which is silly.
You don't have to make everyone idiots with secret villains to have your darkness.
Lazlo as a beacon of light works perfectly well if you compare and contrast it against something else dark.
The CS.
The painful ethical debates in council about what to do about the Xictic (they can't be reasoned with, but they are still sentient)
The complicated ethical tensions of the Lazlo Shifter corps that is out scouring the Megaverse looking for D-bees lost homes... are they doing the right thing or not
The Ethical quandaries of how do you handle providing aid with out making those that you aid targets for the CS... is it better to provide NO aid at all?

You don't have to say "Lazlo is secretly a bastion of evil too". The challenges can be "too much good" or "ethical battles" or "internal light vs external dark"
The idea that everyone has to be a flawed anti-hero is bad 90s comic writing.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

Unread post by Nekira Sudacne »

Mack wrote:
Nekira Sudacne wrote:Actually....I suddenly wonder if this isn't why Kevin keeps putting off writing anything about Lazlo forever. If that's the case he kind of wrote himself into a Corner. Erin Tarin from the first day has done nothing but Praise Lazlo as a bastion of tolerance, respect, learning and peaceful commerse with never a bad thing to say. So subconiously he CAN'T write Lazlo into Rifts because if he did he'd have to shatter the dream. The Lazlo book cannot exist beucase Lazlo cannot exist, he cant' write Utopias, so he'd have to shatter the dream that Lazlo IS all it's said to be. Because then Erin Tarn would be wrong or a fool and he can't have that!


One of the freelance writers (I forget which) said something similar. To create drama, tension, etc, you need to have something dark to contrast the light against. He said he didn't know how to write a Lazlo book without including some sort of dark underside. Otherwise he felt it would be a pretty boring book.


Of course, this still doesn't explain the lack of a Chi-Town sourcebook. No trouble with darkness and tension there...
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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So I stated out Excalibur, and for what it is I'm a little afraid of it: I may need to nerf it in the end, but I'd like to solicit opinions before I do.

Excalibur is a Long Sword that deals 8D6 Mega-Damage plus Supernatural Strength (see below). It's powers are granted after a three day ceremony and afterward the bond can only be broken by the death of the wielder. Excalibur's powers will not work for anyone other than the wielder, ever!

It adds 100SDC/MDC to its wielder. In addition it adds 8 points to Mental Endurance and Mental Affinity, 10 points to Physical Beauty, and 42 points to Physical Strength, which is considered Supernatural when used in combat.

It grants a bonus of +1 to Strike and Parry.

Adds +3 to Magic and Enchantment Saving Throws.

Grants Resistance to Fire and Cold (deals half damage)

It has a 50% chance of Removing Curses (one attempt per Curse).

Can Turn 4D6 Undead with an 80% chance of success by holding it aloft over the wielder's head.

Heals 3D6 HP/SDC/MDC 10 times per day.

Provides Nightvision up to 300ft and allows the wielder to see the invisible.

The wielder gains an Awe/Horror Factor of 14. They can choose which reaction to invoke.

Allows the wielder to issue simple commands to all with hearing distance. These must be obeyed (save vs psionics to resist). Those who have sworn fealty to the wielder gain +1 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge as well as an additional attack per melee while carrying out these commands. The wielder can issue one command every 3 melee rounds, and each command counts as one melee action.

The wielder can amplify their voice to be heard up to 1600ft away.

Can create the illusion of being twice as big as the wielder actually it, adding +2 to their Awe/Horror factor.

I created Excalibur mostly with the Heroes Unlimited Magic Weapon rules, with a couple of abilities from the Holy Weapon category from the Book of Magic. Whenever I was given the option of rolling for something (Attribute Points, SDC bonuses) I generally provided the maximum bonus. On the one hand, it should be a sword to be feared, and currently it is, but on the other it's pretty much game-breaking. Like I said before, any comments are welcome.

ETA: The Consecration Ceremony mentioned above must be conducted by the Lady of the Lake to be effective.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

Unread post by dreicunan »

1970 wrote:So I stated out Excalibur, and for what it is I'm a little afraid of it: I may need to nerf it in the end, but I'd like to solicit opinions before I do.

Excalibur is a Long Sword that deals 8D6 Mega-Damage plus Supernatural Strength (see below). It's powers are granted after a three day ceremony and afterward the bond can only be broken by the death of the wielder. Excalibur's powers will not work for anyone other than the wielder, ever!

It adds 100SDC/MDC to its wielder. In addition it adds 8 points to Mental Endurance and Mental Affinity, 10 points to Physical Beauty, and 42 points to Physical Strength, which is considered Supernatural when used in combat.

It grants a bonus of +1 to Strike and Parry.

Adds +3 to Magic and Enchantment Saving Throws.

Grants Resistance to Fire and Cold (deals half damage)

It has a 50% chance of Removing Curses (one attempt per Curse).

Can Turn 4D6 Undead with an 80% chance of success by holding it aloft over the wielder's head.

Heals 3D6 HP/SDC/MDC 10 times per day.

Provides Nightvision up to 300ft and allows the wielder to see the invisible.

The wielder gains an Awe/Horror Factor of 14. They can choose which reaction to invoke.

Allows the wielder to issue simple commands to all with hearing distance. These must be obeyed (save vs psionics to resist). Those who have sworn fealty to the wielder gain +1 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge as well as an additional attack per melee while carrying out these commands. The wielder can issue one command every 3 melee rounds, and each command counts as one melee action.

The wielder can amplify their voice to be heard up to 1600ft away.

Can create the illusion of being twice as big as the wielder actually it, adding +2 to their Awe/Horror factor.

I created Excalibur mostly with the Heroes Unlimited Magic Weapon rules, with a couple of abilities from the Holy Weapon category from the Book of Magic. Whenever I was given the option of rolling for something (Attribute Points, SDC bonuses) I generally provided the maximum bonus. On the one hand, it should be a sword to be feared, and currently it is, but on the other it's pretty much game-breaking. Like I said before, any comments are welcome.

ETA: The Consecration Ceremony mentioned above must be conducted by the Lady of the Lake to be effective.

Unless a player character is going to be wielding it, I wouldn't worry about it (also, whether it is actually game-breaking woukd really depends on your game). That said, an easy fix would just be to have the sword do 1d6x10 but merely convert the weilders strength to supernatural without adding any points to it (or not convert it at all).
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Unless a player character is going to be wielding it, I wouldn't worry about it (also, whether it is actually game-breaking woukd really depends on your game). That said, an easy fix would just be to have the sword do 1d6x10 but merely convert the weilders strength to supernatural without adding any points to it (or not convert it at all).


I can't conceive of a player ever getting a hold of of Excalibur and having it consecrated by the Lady of the Lake, so that's no worry. I may lower the bonus to Physical Strength, and your idea of giving the damage output a multiplier rather than rolling endless dice is definitely a good one. One of the limitations of Excalibur as I see it is that it doesn't have any ability to attack at range. Its command ability kind of makes up for it, so it may not be as game breaking as I originally thought. Thanks for your input!
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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A rift opening between ATB's Mutants and Avalon and the Rifts England continent would be pretty cool.

I might be wrong, but wasn't Merlin in that a Time Lord ala Lord Simultaneous from Transdimensional TMNT?
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Axelmania wrote:A rift opening between ATB's Mutants and Avalon and the Rifts England continent would be pretty cool.

I might be wrong, but wasn't Merlin in that a Time Lord ala Lord Simultaneous from Transdimensional TMNT?


A Time Lord and a Wizard of 15th Level who can't be killed by normal means! He's written up for the TMNT/Heroes Unlimited Revised rules, but I was going to rewrite him anyway, so it's not a big deal. I'm still leaning toward making him an immortal demigod, but this may take me in a new direction. Thanks!
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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I was looking through some old Rifters and found an article Called Britain in Chaos in #27. It's source material for Chaos Earth, some of which I'm kind of keen to use, like having an Egyptian Mummy Necromancer ruling over London (which I like a lot more than more Splugorth). Do any of you think a Republican-like organization could survive in England? It would be nice to have a technological counterpart to New Camelot and all the magic. They'd be a minority, so I'd still be able to keep the Arthurian flavor of the written setting, but they might yet be humanity's last hope against the dreams of manifest destiny espoused by Merlin and New Camelot.

ETA: This also gives me an opportunity to get some use out of my Chaos Earth and maybe my Dead Reign books. Would Chaos Earth Resurrection serve me better than Dead Reign if I wanted London to be a city of the dead, or would Dead Reign suffice?

ETA: It doesn't look like I'll get much use out of Chaos Earth, as it's focused entirely on North America. However, after perusing the Republicans portion of Sourcebook One it looks like I can use regular military OCCs for CE British characters. I think. Would they be Mercenaries or have CS equivalents?
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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The Necropolis of London is ruled by Kefrem, an Egyptian Mummy Necromancer and Priest of Set. Having ruled London since shortly after the Cataclysm, he's made headway into spreading the faith and conquering territory in the name of his dark god. He made a push against New Camelot within the past hundred years, and was repelled by Merlin and King Pendragon's armies. Retreating back to London, he's been licking his wounds and contemplating revenge against the Kingdom ever since.

Since then, Kefrem has courted allies from other evil nations, most notably the Phoenix Empire of his homeland, and, while both Kefrem and Pharaoh Rama-Set hold some allegiance to Set, the Lord of the Necropolis isn't comfortable with the idea of mass genocide of the Megaverse, so he keeps the Pharaoh at arms length. If the madman notices, he asn't let on. Other allies include the Island of Atlantis and the Gargoyle Empire, both for different reasons. The Gargoyles want revenge for New Camelot's involvement with their war with the NGR and therefore are willing to act as soldiers in the Mummy's war against the Kingdom, and Atlantis wants an ally in control of England who understands their nation and it's proclivities, allowing it full access to collect slaves at it's leisure.

In something of a coup, the Queen of Berwynmoore has been receptive to Kefrem's overtures as well. Since losing many trading partners to New Camelot and the Eternal City she's been desperate for revenge. She's never think of attacking them outright; New Camelot is too well armed and she's rightly afraid of Merlin, but with London's help she can strike blows against the Kingdom that she'd never be able to before, plus as long as their alliance is secret she has plausible deniability. This, however, pales in comparison of her true intentions: she longs for the secrets of immortality, and she thinks that with enough concessions Kefrem may give it to her. If her sons or daughter knew of the Queen's dealings with London they'd probably have her executed for treason, so for now she plays the quiet game and dreams of power and revenge.

ETA: I changed Kefrem's relationship with Pharaoh Rama-Set and the Phoenix Empire after a closer reading of Rifts Africa.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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If any group understands the danger of the Necropolis, it's the Golden Age remnants of the Special Forces Executive. They fought a losing war against Kefrem for control over London during the first days of the Catacysm, eventually retreating to the Northlands and adopting a containment stance against the new kingdom of the dead. So far it's worked fairly well, mainly due to the SFE's early alliance with the Department of Intelligence Nine, which consisted mostly of psychics of varying levels. With the coming of the rifts, these minor and major psychics exploded with power and, along with their mysterious Psi-Tech weapons and equipment have not only allowed their combined forces hold their line, but keep their territory fairly clear of spies reporting back to Kefrem.

London's new allies worry the SFE and DI9 significantly. The Board of Directors are considering attempting to broker an alliance with New Camelot to mount an offensive against the Necropolis, but suspect treachery. Unknown to many, the Executive has a glimmer of Merlin and Pendragon's plans for Britan, and they don't like what they know. Still, if opening themselves up to the danger of New Camelot's ambitions means the ultimate destruction of London and its new allies, the risk may be worth it.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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I hope this isn't too off topic, but I've had good luck making a competing "Camelot" using what is basically Palladium Psychic Crystals as a source for things like Excalibur and equipment for various knights and heroes.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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RockJock wrote:I hope this isn't too off topic, but I've had good luck making a competing "Camelot" using what is basically Palladium Psychic Crystals as a source for things like Excalibur and equipment for various knights and heroes.


You lost me. What book are the Psychic Crystals in? Are they from Island at the Edge of the World?
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:
RockJock wrote:I hope this isn't too off topic, but I've had good luck making a competing "Camelot" using what is basically Palladium Psychic Crystals as a source for things like Excalibur and equipment for various knights and heroes.


You lost me. What book are the Psychic Crystals in? Are they from Island at the Edge of the World?


That would be my interpretation. Crystal magic is one of my favorite things that Palldium produced, and it's thematically consistent with the psychic enhancement vibe introduced in Rifts: England with Caliber-X.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Hotrod wrote:
1970 wrote:
RockJock wrote:I hope this isn't too off topic, but I've had good luck making a competing "Camelot" using what is basically Palladium Psychic Crystals as a source for things like Excalibur and equipment for various knights and heroes.


You lost me. What book are the Psychic Crystals in? Are they from Island at the Edge of the World?


That would be my interpretation. Crystal magic is one of my favorite things that Palldium produced, and it's thematically consistent with the psychic enhancement vibe introduced in Rifts: England with Caliber-X.


I gave it a glance and RAW, the secrets of Crystal Magic are lost or held solely by the Crystal King, I don't remember which. A hidden Crystal Sword would be aces though, and definitely a thematic, if weaker, contender with Excalibur as I have it written (though I'm going to tone that sword down). It's something I can have the PCs quest for if they cross New Camelot in a bad way. Thanks both of you!

As for Caliber-X, I'm using the Gun Swords from the Rifter article on Chaos Earth Britain, which are identical to the sword in Rifts England, but still attuned to the psychic signature of the various "Combat Spooks" of DI9, who are genetically modified psychic sensitives. As they've interbred within and without of their clique, that psychic signature might have changed, potentially making them mostly unusable except for the rare "pure breed" psychic. Of course, the gun swords aren't that incredibly powerful, so I let that slide as long as the psychic is descended from one of the original test subjects, assuming they still know how to make them. At least that's what I'm thinking right now.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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RockJock wrote:I hope this isn't too off topic, but I've had good luck making a competing "Camelot" using what is basically Palladium Psychic Crystals as a source for things like Excalibur and equipment for various knights and heroes.


If you don't mind me asking, what did your competing Camelot look like? Was it like the Crystal Kingdom or Mutants in Avalon or something else entirely?
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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My latest decision on New Camelot is that I'm actually moving it to the area around Salisbury and specifically Winchester, which was the capitol of England back in the day when Merlin would have been advising the Pendragons. It also puts it right in front of London, so I can unleash Kefrem's undead hordes on the Kingdom without them having to travel hella far and through other populated parts of Southern England.

It also makes another campaign idea work better: Cambridge is a city of learning, even in these times. It teaches all sorts of subjects, including medicine, chemistry, the humanities, and magic! In fact, most of New Camelot's Men of Magic study in Cambridge. As for the city itself, it's something like a democratic republic, where the Deans of the various departments vote every so many years to elect a President, who takes a leadership role over the military and leads diplomatic missions. The Deans, on the other hand, are chosen by retiring Deans, which leaves the system open to a certain amount of abuse, but on the whole it works as well as the enlightened feudalism of New Camelot does, and no one complains too loudly.

So how does a college town survive in today's post apocalyptic world? Aside from its Professors of Magic and all, it has a treaty with New Camelot, who patrol the area outside the city in exchange for student loan breaks for Camelot's budding sorcerers. Behind the wall the city is guarded by the Campus Police, who are trained professionals and second as a small military force should it need to, and it might if New Camelot decides the time is right to annex the University. King Pendragon knows it will eventually happen, most likely some time after the fall of London to Royal Forces. He hopes they'll see reason and join the Kingdom willingly, but seriously doubts it'll go down like that. It's unfortunate, but, like Merlin says, it's for the greater good.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Here are some new, powered down stats for Excalibur:

Excalibur is a Long Sword that deals 2D4x10 Mega-Damage. It's powers are granted after a three day ceremony culminating with the blessing of the Lady of the Lake. Afterwards the bond between Excalibur and its wielder can only be broken by the wielder's death. Excalibur's powers will not work for anyone other than the wielder, ever!

It adds +4 to Mental Endurance and Mental Affinity.

It grants a bonus of +1 to Strike and Parry.

Adds +3 to Magic and Psionic Saving Throws.

It has a 50% chance of Removing Curses (one attempt per Curse).

Can Turn 4D6 Undead with an 80% chance of success by holding it aloft over the wielder's head.

Heals 3D6 HP/SDC/MDC 10 times per day.

Provides Nightvision up to 300ft and allows the wielder to see the invisible.

The wielder gains an Awe/Horror Factor of 14. They can choose which reaction to invoke.

Allows the wielder to issue simple commands to all followers within hearing distance. These followers are mystically compelled to follow these orders (save vs Psionics, and gain +1 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge as well as an additional attack per melee while carrying out the wielder's commands. The wielder can issue one command every 3 melee rounds, and each command counts as one melee action.

The wielder can amplify their voice to be heard up to 1600ft away.

Can create the illusion of being twice as big as the wielder actually it, adding +2 to their Awe/Horror factor.

It's still a powerful weapon, as it should be, but now I feel more comfortable slinging it around in a campaign. Still no ranged abilities, though I was tempted to allow it to call down lightning a set number of times per day. It's command ability no longer affects everyone, just those who've sworn fealty to King Pendragon and the Kingdom of New Camelot. I may consult the Book of Magic again in the future if I end up thinking I nerfed it too much.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Well, you may get here some stuff mine or munch for extra milleage, i guess. People certainly discussed a bunch of variant takes on Mrrlyn & co that might be of interest.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Just a suggestion: consider the PCs' roles in this adventure and focus on content relevant to them. While Excalibur is nifty as a symbol, unless it's something you plan on having them wield or regularly interact with, creating that kind of content doesn't do much for building the adventure. In fact, defining such things up front can paint you into a corner. I'd suggest that you keep the specific capabilities of Excalibur mysterious to the players and the populace in general.

What I would encourage you to do is focus on content that's more focused on your party. Are they going to be knights of the round table? Cool! What comes with that? What sorts of blessings, powers, nifty gear, et cetera come with that? What makes Camelot so special, and why will your players want to be a part of it? What sorts of options do you give them as they grow in experience, wealth, prominence, and favor in the eyes of their king? Philosophically and politically, what's special about Camelot? What binds their people together as a nation, and why is it worth fighting and dying for?

Are there viable non-Camelot options out there with whom your players might align? What's special about them, and why might someone choose to align with them rather than Camelot? What sorts of powers do they wield? What makes them special and worth fighting and dying for?

There are a lot of competing ideologies you could use. Perhaps Camelot is all about submitting to higher/divine authority and destiny, while the druids and rangers of the wilderness tend to be more about individual freedom/choice, and the Eternal City is about collectivism and self-denial. Perhaps Camelot is into psionic augmentation while the druids and rangers of the wilderness use herbal magic, while the Eternal City uses group tactics, discipline and rigid formational combat?

There's nothing wrong with taking a top-down world design, but I think you should consider the level where the player characters will be living and interacting and what sorts of factors tend to motivate their decisions to devote themselves to the big causes at play.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Very fair point Hotrod - the PCs are the true protagonists, so interactivity of whatever the GM cooks up with them is key.
Things for them to affect and change by their actions and choices is a major part of any good story and game.

As an aside, in my most recent games i ended up tweaking Tarnow into another "knightly nation" of sorts in Europe, along with some other stuff that might or not be of interest to a GM ussing fantasy material in their homebrewed paarts of Rifts Earth.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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If any of you have seen the Gargoyles cartoon in the '90s it had true Arthur sleeping on Avalon. After he was awoken to help fight a battle he then went on quest for Excalibur that took him from England to New York with gargoyles by his side. I combined this with some stuff from the Prince Valiant cartoon to create a campaign for PCs to aid Arthur with finding Excalibur and then regaining the throne.

I always think it is kind of cool to have PCs as sort secondary to quest instead of central.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Warshield73 wrote:If any of you have seen the Gargoyles cartoon in the '90s it had true Arthur sleeping on Avalon. After he was awoken to help fight a battle he then went on quest for Excalibur that took him from England to New York with gargoyles by his side. I combined this with some stuff from the Prince Valiant cartoon to create a campaign for PCs to aid Arthur with finding Excalibur and then regaining the throne.

I always think it is kind of cool to have PCs as sort secondary to quest instead of central.


The troubleshooters helping to take care of any kinks on the path of Fate, so to speak? :wink:
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:My main rewrite is to knock Mrrlyn down to a Demigod Ley Line Walker and actual good guy.


I would say you don't have knock down much. Mrrlyn is not Zazshan. Except for the MDC (more like adult dragon level) he's pretty much in the demigod ballpark overall.

1970 wrote:Well mostly good. He's bestowed the surname of Pendragon on his chosen royal line and coaxed the Lady of the Lake into giving up Excalibur (a Holy Sword as written up in Atlantis 1).


And what is she? Maybe something like the Tharsis Spirit of Light, Water & Vengeance, an elemental force of justice native of a plane of sweet waters that connects to all lakes in the british isles?

1970 wrote:The more pressing threat are the fey. I'm taking my cues from what little I know about faeries and not relying on the version presented in a typical fantasy game. The Fey Noble of Faerievale has the equivalent power level of a Godling and is Aberrant Evil. She has plans for New Camelot, especially since King Pendragon attempted to enter her domain during his initial push to establish his Kingdom. It was an innocent mistake (well, as innocent as military campaigns are), but the Lady of the Wood hasn't forgotten nor forgiven. She's familiar with Merlin and doesn't want to cross him directly (or, perhaps an oath prevents her from doing so), so she amuses herself with causing mischief along their shared border. Of course, this means blighting crops, kidnapping farmers, stealing children, and so on. There's a war brewing, but no one really wants to pull the trigger.


I would say [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Faerie_Queene"]the Faerie Queene[/url] is a must. Some old classic Disney could offer nice bits of imagery and inspiration to mine (Maleficent being called "a dark fairy" in Sleeping Beauty and her draconic form later in the cartoon inspired me to make an "adult/evolved" form of the monster in the Conversion Book based on her, simply slaping the adult shadow dragon's upgrades in the basic dark fairy, along with the "extra" humanoid & dragon forms).

1970 wrote:Anyway, has anyone created what amounts to a fantasy campaign with guns? I'd like to try it once I get my ducks in a row, but am interested in anyone else's experience with England.


Well, Conversion Book comments on Jotann giants being able to get the TW OCC with lower requirements, due to their masterful crafting skills and such. Considering Kobolds from PF are described as being pretty much their equals when it comes to superb crafting skills, i imagine they could be good at TW in Rifts Earth too. Does that help? :twisted:
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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SolCannibal wrote:
Warshield73 wrote:If any of you have seen the Gargoyles cartoon in the '90s it had true Arthur sleeping on Avalon. After he was awoken to help fight a battle he then went on quest for Excalibur that took him from England to New York with gargoyles by his side. I combined this with some stuff from the Prince Valiant cartoon to create a campaign for PCs to aid Arthur with finding Excalibur and then regaining the throne.

I always think it is kind of cool to have PCs as sort secondary to quest instead of central.


The troubleshooters helping to take care of any kinks on the path of Fate, so to speak? :wink:

They can be guides or just companions. In my games one of the PCs, or a few or all, were usually the protagonist but they did help others on their quests as well. This included a few gods, Gilgamesh the Wanderer, and an NPC based on a character from a TV show about a young women who fights vampires and demons.

I never got to run the true Arthur campaign but it had promise. I wasn't sure were Excalibur was going to be either.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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SolCannibal wrote:Well, you may get here some stuff mine or munch for extra milleage, i guess. People certainly discussed a bunch of variant takes on Mrrlyn & co that might be of interest.


That was pretty cool and it did give me some stuff to think about, especially the conversation about what is why is an alien intelligence bothering with England when there's nothing there. It does say that it wants to use England as a staging point to conquer Europe and possibly the Phoenix Empire and then the WORLD (cue evil laughter).

My ideas for England and Merlin aren't too much different, as I've done some sloppy research and come to different conclusions as to why my Merlin wants to reestablish Camelot and conquer Britain. I don't have time to get into it right now, but I'll get to it soon. Thanks!
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Hotrod wrote:Just a suggestion: consider the PCs' roles in this adventure and focus on content relevant to them. While Excalibur is nifty as a symbol, unless it's something you plan on having them wield or regularly interact with, creating that kind of content doesn't do much for building the adventure. In fact, defining such things up front can paint you into a corner. I'd suggest that you keep the specific capabilities of Excalibur mysterious to the players and the populace in general.

What I would encourage you to do is focus on content that's more focused on your party. Are they going to be knights of the round table? Cool! What comes with that? What sorts of blessings, powers, nifty gear, et cetera come with that? What makes Camelot so special, and why will your players want to be a part of it? What sorts of options do you give them as they grow in experience, wealth, prominence, and favor in the eyes of their king? Philosophically and politically, what's special about Camelot? What binds their people together as a nation, and why is it worth fighting and dying for?

Are there viable non-Camelot options out there with whom your players might align? What's special about them, and why might someone choose to align with them rather than Camelot? What sorts of powers do they wield? What makes them special and worth fighting and dying for?

There are a lot of competing ideologies you could use. Perhaps Camelot is all about submitting to higher/divine authority and destiny, while the druids and rangers of the wilderness tend to be more about individual freedom/choice, and the Eternal City is about collectivism and self-denial. Perhaps Camelot is into psionic augmentation while the druids and rangers of the wilderness use herbal magic, while the Eternal City uses group tactics, discipline and rigid formational combat?

There's nothing wrong with taking a top-down world design, but I think you should consider the level where the player characters will be living and interacting and what sorts of factors tend to motivate their decisions to devote themselves to the big causes at play.


You're right. I tend to forget about the characters while getting into the minutia of the setting. That's why I go through so many of them. I dive in head first, get overwhelmed, and give up. I just like creating stuff and have a short attention span. I do, however, eventually ask myself what's there to do for adventurers so I'm not entirely leaving them out in the cold. Creating non-essential things sometimes helps me cement my ideas, and also provides me with personal benefits.

I do have other factions that I'm working on, particularly Cambridge, which I've written about briefly upthread. There are other cities in the Rifts England book that I haven't looked too closely at yet, so those will be viable once I flesh them out some. I'm also trying to find a location for the remnants of the Special Forces Executive and the Department of Intelligence Nine. It's a work in progress.

Thanks for bringing this up, however, it was certainly helpful in bringing me back down to Earth where my focus should be. :-)
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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SolCannibal wrote:
1970 wrote:My main rewrite is to knock Mrrlyn down to a Demigod Ley Line Walker and actual good guy.


I would say you don't have knock down much. Mrrlyn is not Zazshan. Except for the MDC (more like adult dragon level) he's pretty much in the demigod ballpark overall.

1970 wrote:Well mostly good. He's bestowed the surname of Pendragon on his chosen royal line and coaxed the Lady of the Lake into giving up Excalibur (a Holy Sword as written up in Atlantis 1).


And what is she? Maybe something like the Tharsis Spirit of Light, Water & Vengeance, an elemental force of justice native of a plane of sweet waters that connects to all lakes in the british isles?

1970 wrote:The more pressing threat are the fey. I'm taking my cues from what little I know about faeries and not relying on the version presented in a typical fantasy game. The Fey Noble of Faerievale has the equivalent power level of a Godling and is Aberrant Evil. She has plans for New Camelot, especially since King Pendragon attempted to enter her domain during his initial push to establish his Kingdom. It was an innocent mistake (well, as innocent as military campaigns are), but the Lady of the Wood hasn't forgotten nor forgiven. She's familiar with Merlin and doesn't want to cross him directly (or, perhaps an oath prevents her from doing so), so she amuses herself with causing mischief along their shared border. Of course, this means blighting crops, kidnapping farmers, stealing children, and so on. There's a war brewing, but no one really wants to pull the trigger.


I would say [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Faerie_Queene"]the Faerie Queene[/url] is a must. Some old classic Disney could offer nice bits of imagery and inspiration to mine (Maleficent being called "a dark fairy" in Sleeping Beauty and her draconic form later in the cartoon inspired me to make an "adult/evolved" form of the monster in the Conversion Book based on her, simply slaping the adult shadow dragon's upgrades in the basic dark fairy, along with the "extra" humanoid & dragon forms).

1970 wrote:Anyway, has anyone created what amounts to a fantasy campaign with guns? I'd like to try it once I get my ducks in a row, but am interested in anyone else's experience with England.


Well, Conversion Book comments on Jotann giants being able to get the TW OCC with lower requirements, due to their masterful crafting skills and such. Considering Kobolds from PF are described as being pretty much their equals when it comes to superb crafting skills, i imagine they could be good at TW in Rifts Earth too. Does that help? :twisted:


Thanks for responding! There's a good deal to unpack here.

I haven't quite decided on what the Lady is, though I'm leaning toward a powerful nature spirit. In the Wikipedia article I was reading she was the daughter of a god (which one escapes me), so she's at least as powerful as a Demigod. Hotrod mentioned she might be a dragon, which I thought was a cool idea as well. In my semi rewrite she's kind of on the periphery currently, so I don't have to deal with it right now, fortunately.

I don't know what I'm doing with Fairievale anymore since I moved New Camelot to the other side of Bath. There are forests to the south of Salisbury that I'm using which could serve the same purpose, so your suggestion of using a Faerie Queen (or King) wouldn't be too off base.

I hadn't considered any giants other than the Gigantes and the Cernun Mystics. I'm still stuck on New Camelot making sense to me. I know they're there, I just don't know where. I do, however, have a definite and more immediate use for PF Kobolds. Since I'm not using Excalibur anymore (for reasons that I'll get into later) having Merlin go to the Kobolds to create a "magic sword" as a symbol of New Camelot sounds pretty plausible.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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Warshield73 wrote:If any of you have seen the Gargoyles cartoon in the '90s it had true Arthur sleeping on Avalon. After he was awoken to help fight a battle he then went on quest for Excalibur that took him from England to New York with gargoyles by his side. I combined this with some stuff from the Prince Valiant cartoon to create a campaign for PCs to aid Arthur with finding Excalibur and then regaining the throne.

I always think it is kind of cool to have PCs as sort secondary to quest instead of central.


That sounds like a really fun campaign. I did something similar in a different game where the PCs were caught up in a NPC's Fateul Journey. It was working out well until the campaign hit a wall and petered out.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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I haven't hashed out all of the details, but here's my new take on New Camelot and, specifically, Merlin.

Towards the end of Old Camelot's reign, for reasons currently known only to those involved, the Lady of the Lake imprisoned Merlin somewhere where he couldn't escape. Only the eruption of the Rifts allowed him to escape. He's now fearful of being entrapped again, so he decided to reform a version of Camelot, claiming that Winchester Castle was sort of a Promised Land where a new Kingdom could be established for the betterment of all beings. In reality, Camelot is a buffer to any one or thing that could be a danger to him. He doesn't want to be the ruler; that's too dangerous, but the power behind the throne is where he shines. So he employed magic and psionics plus a good deal of personal charisma and powerful lessons learned and witnessed from Old Camelot to get several small villages and towns to follow him.

What they didn't know was that Kefrem, Lord of the Necropolis, was sending out his undead legions to scout locations that could be a danger to his small theocracy in London. These two groups clashed with each other however briefly (Merlin and company wiped them out), leading both to worry about the security of their current and future nations. So far Merlin has everything he needs except for a symbol of heritage by divine right. Excalibur is gone and Merlin can't find it, which worries him greatly, because due to his half-demonic nature such a sword could be a serious danger to him personally.

What he doesn't know is that when the Arthur died, both he and Excalibur were interned in the Island of Avalon. When Earth's magic started waning, the Seven Sisters who ruled and protected Avalon magically shunted the island into its own pocket dimension. After the coming of the Rifts, the Sisters aren't sure they want to return. It's tempting; millennia spent in isolation, with the odd appearance of one dimensional traveler or another who visited through random dimensional portals or those who simply discovered them through luck has made them doubt the safety of their pocket domain and may lead them to pop back into existence, such as it were. So far the best they've done is sending scouts from the immortal nuns who are caretakers of Avalon to get the lay of the land and find out how safe returning would be. In the end it might not matter. Dimensions so close to Rifts Earth are significantly less safe than they were, and simple survival may egg them into action before they're ready.

So, until Merlin can find Excalibur, he's commissioning a weapon of power from unknown parties to act as a symbol of the Divine Right of Kings and simultaneously a weapon against the growing danger that London presents. He's used subterfuge to crown a King for his new kingdom, but Merlin now wants to send this King on a quest to find the sword that will cement his Divine Right to rule over the Britons. It isn't much now, but once they destroy the Cult of Set in London and bring the other dangers of England under control Merlin thinks the other nation-states of England will fall in line. That is, of course, hubris. Some will join, others won't, which won't jive with his Divine Right of Kings talk, and will send New Camelot into unpopular wars against people who would otherwise be allies. That's off in the future though, so Merlin doesn't give it much thought.

That's where I'm at right now. A semi-paranoid half-demon demigod trying to protect himself from threats he can't see or doesn't know about is bent on absorbing and conquering his neighbors. Sure he's instilled high ideals in the people and helped create a thriving community where people are relatively safe, but he won't understand why some people won't want to give up their autonomy to serve a King they've probably only heard about. Once the blood starts flowing, what other forces will align against him? Will the Seven Sisters give Excalibur to a worthy soul to smite the usurpers? Will the Lady of the Lake make her appearance again? I suppose that's for the game to decide.

Anyway, those are my ideas. Any thoughts?
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:I haven't hashed out all of the details, but here's my new take on New Camelot and, specifically, Merlin.

Towards the end of Old Camelot's reign, for reasons currently known only to those involved, the Lady of the Lake imprisoned Merlin somewhere where he couldn't escape. Only the eruption of the Rifts allowed him to escape. He's now fearful of being entrapped again, so he decided to reform a version of Camelot, claiming that Winchester Castle was sort of a Promised Land where a new Kingdom could be established for the betterment of all beings. In reality, Camelot is a buffer to any one or thing that could be a danger to him. He doesn't want to be the ruler; that's too dangerous, but the power behind the throne is where he shines. So he employed magic and psionics plus a good deal of personal charisma and powerful lessons learned and witnessed from Old Camelot to get several small villages and towns to follow him.

What they didn't know was that Kefrem, Lord of the Necropolis, was sending out his undead legions to scout locations that could be a danger to his small theocracy in London. These two groups clashed with each other however briefly (Merlin and company wiped them out), leading both to worry about the security of their current and future nations. So far Merlin has everything he needs except for a symbol of heritage by divine right. Excalibur is gone and Merlin can't find it, which worries him greatly, because due to his half-demonic nature such a sword could be a serious danger to him personally.

What he doesn't know is that when the Arthur died, both he and Excalibur were interned in the Island of Avalon. When Earth's magic started waning, the Seven Sisters who ruled and protected Avalon magically shunted the island into its own pocket dimension. After the coming of the Rifts, the Sisters aren't sure they want to return. It's tempting; millennia spent in isolation, with the odd appearance of one dimensional traveler or another who visited through random dimensional portals or those who simply discovered them through luck has made them doubt the safety of their pocket domain and may lead them to pop back into existence, such as it were. So far the best they've done is sending scouts from the immortal nuns who are caretakers of Avalon to get the lay of the land and find out how safe returning would be. In the end it might not matter. Dimensions so close to Rifts Earth are significantly less safe than they were, and simple survival may egg them into action before they're ready.

So, until Merlin can find Excalibur, he's commissioning a weapon of power from unknown parties to act as a symbol of the Divine Right of Kings and simultaneously a weapon against the growing danger that London presents. He's used subterfuge to crown a King for his new kingdom, but Merlin now wants to send this King on a quest to find the sword that will cement his Divine Right to rule over the Britons. It isn't much now, but once they destroy the Cult of Set in London and bring the other dangers of England under control Merlin thinks the other nation-states of England will fall in line. That is, of course, hubris. Some will join, others won't, which won't jive with his Divine Right of Kings talk, and will send New Camelot into unpopular wars against people who would otherwise be allies. That's off in the future though, so Merlin doesn't give it much thought.

That's where I'm at right now. A semi-paranoid half-demon demigod trying to protect himself from threats he can't see or doesn't know about is bent on absorbing and conquering his neighbors. Sure he's instilled high ideals in the people and helped create a thriving community where people are relatively safe, but he won't understand why some people won't want to give up their autonomy to serve a King they've probably only heard about. Once the blood starts flowing, what other forces will align against him? Will the Seven Sisters give Excalibur to a worthy soul to smite the usurpers? Will the Lady of the Lake make her appearance again? I suppose that's for the game to decide.

Anyway, those are my ideas. Any thoughts?


Does this seem too literal? I could see how it could be seen that way.

A couple of other quick questions: Has anyone converted Dead Reign Zombies to Rifts? They'd be pretty perfect for Kefrem's armies. And speaking of the military, how does England get Power Armor? Every nation capable of getting power armor to England are skeptical of their acceptance of D-Bees, and as far as I know, anyone who would trade with them wouldn't have the capacity to ge the armor to them. So where does it come from? I'm not confident enough to create my own, though I'm sure someone could figure it out; maybe Cambridge, which would make a great export for them BTW. I don't need power armor, but it would be cool to throw some in regardless. Thanks in advance.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:
1970 wrote:I haven't hashed out all of the details, but here's my new take on New Camelot and, specifically, Merlin.

Towards the end of Old Camelot's reign, for reasons currently known only to those involved, the Lady of the Lake imprisoned Merlin somewhere where he couldn't escape. Only the eruption of the Rifts allowed him to escape. He's now fearful of being entrapped again, so he decided to reform a version of Camelot, claiming that Winchester Castle was sort of a Promised Land where a new Kingdom could be established for the betterment of all beings. In reality, Camelot is a buffer to any one or thing that could be a danger to him. He doesn't want to be the ruler; that's too dangerous, but the power behind the throne is where he shines. So he employed magic and psionics plus a good deal of personal charisma and powerful lessons learned and witnessed from Old Camelot to get several small villages and towns to follow him.

What they didn't know was that Kefrem, Lord of the Necropolis, was sending out his undead legions to scout locations that could be a danger to his small theocracy in London. These two groups clashed with each other however briefly (Merlin and company wiped them out), leading both to worry about the security of their current and future nations. So far Merlin has everything he needs except for a symbol of heritage by divine right. Excalibur is gone and Merlin can't find it, which worries him greatly, because due to his half-demonic nature such a sword could be a serious danger to him personally.

What he doesn't know is that when the Arthur died, both he and Excalibur were interned in the Island of Avalon. When Earth's magic started waning, the Seven Sisters who ruled and protected Avalon magically shunted the island into its own pocket dimension. After the coming of the Rifts, the Sisters aren't sure they want to return. It's tempting; millennia spent in isolation, with the odd appearance of one dimensional traveler or another who visited through random dimensional portals or those who simply discovered them through luck has made them doubt the safety of their pocket domain and may lead them to pop back into existence, such as it were. So far the best they've done is sending scouts from the immortal nuns who are caretakers of Avalon to get the lay of the land and find out how safe returning would be. In the end it might not matter. Dimensions so close to Rifts Earth are significantly less safe than they were, and simple survival may egg them into action before they're ready.

So, until Merlin can find Excalibur, he's commissioning a weapon of power from unknown parties to act as a symbol of the Divine Right of Kings and simultaneously a weapon against the growing danger that London presents. He's used subterfuge to crown a King for his new kingdom, but Merlin now wants to send this King on a quest to find the sword that will cement his Divine Right to rule over the Britons. It isn't much now, but once they destroy the Cult of Set in London and bring the other dangers of England under control Merlin thinks the other nation-states of England will fall in line. That is, of course, hubris. Some will join, others won't, which won't jive with his Divine Right of Kings talk, and will send New Camelot into unpopular wars against people who would otherwise be allies. That's off in the future though, so Merlin doesn't give it much thought.

That's where I'm at right now. A semi-paranoid half-demon demigod trying to protect himself from threats he can't see or doesn't know about is bent on absorbing and conquering his neighbors. Sure he's instilled high ideals in the people and helped create a thriving community where people are relatively safe, but he won't understand why some people won't want to give up their autonomy to serve a King they've probably only heard about. Once the blood starts flowing, what other forces will align against him? Will the Seven Sisters give Excalibur to a worthy soul to smite the usurpers? Will the Lady of the Lake make her appearance again? I suppose that's for the game to decide.

Anyway, those are my ideas. Any thoughts?


Does this seem too literal? I could see how it could be seen that way.

A couple of other quick questions: Has anyone converted Dead Reign Zombies to Rifts? They'd be pretty perfect for Kefrem's armies. And speaking of the military, how does England get Power Armor? Every nation capable of getting power armor to England are skeptical of their acceptance of D-Bees, and as far as I know, anyone who would trade with them wouldn't have the capacity to ge the armor to them. So where does it come from? I'm not confident enough to create my own, though I'm sure someone could figure it out; maybe Cambridge, which would make a great export for them BTW. I don't need power armor, but it would be cool to throw some in regardless. Thanks in advance.

The various Black Market sources in Europe would be happy to sell power armor to anyone with the credits to pay, so at the least there would be that. Triax would almost certainly also be willing to sell to them and be more than capable of getting it there if the money was worth it. Also, an enterprising individual or group can choose to buy the gear and bring it to England on their own to see if they can make a big score. If it is big enough, they may make it a regular route.

Also, it never made sense to me that Naruni didn't try reaching out more places than North America, so they could be a potential source.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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dreicunan wrote:
1970 wrote:A couple of other quick questions: Has anyone converted Dead Reign Zombies to Rifts? They'd be pretty perfect for Kefrem's armies. And speaking of the military, how does England get Power Armor? Every nation capable of getting power armor to England are skeptical of their acceptance of D-Bees, and as far as I know, anyone who would trade with them wouldn't have the capacity to ge the armor to them. So where does it come from? I'm not confident enough to create my own, though I'm sure someone could figure it out; maybe Cambridge, which would make a great export for them BTW. I don't need power armor, but it would be cool to throw some in regardless. Thanks in advance.

The various Black Market sources in Europe would be happy to sell power armor to anyone with the credits to pay, so at the least there would be that. Triax would almost certainly also be willing to sell to them and be more than capable of getting it there if the money was worth it. Also, an enterprising individual or group can choose to buy the gear and bring it to England on their own to see if they can make a big score. If it is big enough, they may make it a regular route.

Also, it never made sense to me that Naruni didn't try reaching out more places than North America, so they could be a potential source.


Yeah, I forgot about der Verbrecher-Geschaeftsnetz faction of the Black Market that deals almost specifically in Triax goods. Thanks!

You've also got a good idea about the Naruni. Of course, only the big Kingdoms can pay for them, but with a war brewing between New Camelot and the Necropolis of London there's definitely some credits to be made.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

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1970 wrote:I haven't quite decided on what the Lady is, though I'm leaning toward a powerful nature spirit. In the Wikipedia article I was reading she was the daughter of a god (which one escapes me), so she's at least as powerful as a Demigod. Hotrod mentioned she might be a dragon, which I thought was a cool idea as well. In my semi rewrite she's kind of on the periphery currently, so I don't have to deal with it right now, fortunately.


Nature spirit/deity come easily but making her a dragon could make for a good twist with some explanation. Or maybe there's more than one, a "fake" and a "true" Lady of the Lake, in the vein of how you have "real" gods, demigods & heroes and a number of impostors in Pantheons of the Megaverse.

Anyway, Lady of Lake as a sort of guide/muse/quest-giver figure for wandering knights in general is kind of a must for me.

1970 wrote:I don't know what I'm doing with Fairievale anymore since I moved New Camelot to the other side of Bath. There are forests to the south of Salisbury that I'm using which could serve the same purpose, so your suggestion of using a Faerie Queen (or King) wouldn't be too off base.


Well, multiple locations doesn't have to be a problem, you know. :wink:

1970 wrote:I hadn't considered any giants other than the Gigantes and the Cernun Mystics. I'm still stuck on New Camelot making sense to me. I know they're there, I just don't know where. I do, however, have a definite and more immediate use for PF Kobolds. Since I'm not using Excalibur anymore (for reasons that I'll get into later) having Merlin go to the Kobolds to create a "magic sword" as a symbol of New Camelot sounds pretty plausible.


Well, i mentioned the Jotans as an excuse to suggest Kobolds with major TW skills, but where you'd want to go or not with Jotans or other giants is up to you. Me i once made a "giant empire" in Greenland with the PF giant races blending into one people with varied degrees of purity and capacities (read, a slightly expanded version of the Gigantes table, to account for a greater range of atributes, the possibility of being SDC, fire or ice breath & other stuff). I guess something similar could work as a foil of sorts, sometimes adversaries of Camelot and any other such "powers of good", sometimes convenient buffer against other threats like the Fomorians, Cernun (brainwashing lizards - exterminate, EXTERMINATE!!!) and other bothersome fellows.

1970 wrote:Towards the end of Old Camelot's reign, for reasons currently known only to those involved, the Lady of the Lake imprisoned Merlin somewhere where he couldn't escape. Only the eruption of the Rifts allowed him to escape. He's now fearful of being entrapped again, so he decided to reform a version of Camelot, claiming that Winchester Castle was sort of a Promised Land where a new Kingdom could be established for the betterment of all beings.


What if the reasons are currently unknown even to those involved? Due to the centuries passed, traumas of imprisonment &/or Time of the Rifts and unknown supernatural shenanigans no one can say for sure anymore, letting you keep it vague and open until some weird idea comes to mind.

Maybe something along the lines of William Bell messing with Walter Bishop's head in Fringe or worse.

"Why did you seal me in that place??"

"Because you begged me to, you said i needed to, for the good of the fallen world!!"

"What?!?!"

Anyway, the "now fearful of being entrapped again" part got an image on my mind - of how Merlin is always found in particular spaces: stone circles, sacred grooves, open courtyards, the top of mountains. Not because they are places of power or good locales to make himself noticeable, though those do play a role but because open spaces make him feel safer, he's somewhat claustrophobic and small rooms can cause him flashbacks of his entrapment for more than a millenium. :twisted:

1970 wrote:In reality, Camelot is a buffer to any one or thing that could be a danger to him. He doesn't want to be the ruler; that's too dangerous, but the power behind the throne is where he shines. So he employed magic and psionics plus a good deal of personal charisma and powerful lessons learned and witnessed from Old Camelot to get several small villages and towns to follow him.


Still in the "not being entrapped again" train of thought, it got me thinking that Merlin's objective is not so much dominating or manipulating anything - though as a demigod that certainly entertains him - but to neutralize any major supernatural forces that might have the power to threaten him. That those beings might be an even greater danger to the fragile mortals he's guiding only makes it more of a win-win situation.

1970 wrote:What they didn't know was that Kefrem, Lord of the Necropolis, was sending out his undead legions to scout locations that could be a danger to his small theocracy in London. These two groups clashed with each other however briefly (Merlin and company wiped them out), leading both to worry about the security of their current and future nations. So far Merlin has everything he needs except for a symbol of heritage by divine right. Excalibur is gone and Merlin can't find it, which worries him greatly, because due to his half-demonic nature such a sword could be a serious danger to him personally.


Kefrem? That makes me think of an egyptian pharaoh's mummy awakening in the British Museum and making it his palace from which to start the conquest of the city. Does that fit on your idea? :lol:
Incidentally, i would make Kefrem & Merlin's past confrontation something more of an impasse, just to reinforce both how they are on somewhat even ground in power & influence (what's far from a good thing) and their mutual badassness.

Also, while it has roots in the source, i'm not quite sure about playing the "half-demonic heritage" card - at least in relation to vulnerabilities, as bringing them could mean making him also vulnerable to silver or iron, but more importantly, Millenium Tree wood, that tends to be quite the smacker of all things unholy (that said, Merlin getting unexpected trouble out of whoever his demonic mom or dad is could be interesting).

Ok, speaking of "Helldad/mom is coming for a visit" gave me an idea. Ever watched Teen Titans? What if Merlin is like Raven, not "just" a half-demonic child turned magician, but a gate in the making, destined to become a great permanent passage to whatever Hell-Realm its diabolic parent rules and that is the awful, lost motive for his imprisonment?

And in a twist of Arthurian themes, the Stone [a magical crystal menhir] was his prison and the Sword [Excalibur] the lock and key? At least until someone pried the Sword from the Stone during the Time of Rifts/Chaos Earth era, Merlin was freed and this link is why he's vulnerable to Excalibur still?

1970 wrote:What he doesn't know is that when the Arthur died, both he and Excalibur were interned in the Island of Avalon. When Earth's magic started waning, the Seven Sisters who ruled and protected Avalon magically shunted the island into its own pocket dimension. After the coming of the Rifts, the Sisters aren't sure they want to return. It's tempting; millennia spent in isolation, with the odd appearance of one dimensional traveler or another who visited through random dimensional portals or those who simply discovered them through luck has made them doubt the safety of their pocket domain and may lead them to pop back into existence, such as it were. So far the best they've done is sending scouts from the immortal nuns who are caretakers of Avalon to get the lay of the land and find out how safe returning would be. In the end it might not matter. Dimensions so close to Rifts Earth are significantly less safe than they were, and simple survival may egg them into action before they're ready.


Just to complicate things a bit more, what if Arthur is not dead, but indeed sleeping/healing in Avalon? Arthur actually being able to return - and Merlin having no idea whatsoever the legend has some kernel of truth and being as surprised/unbelieving as everybody else could be fun. Incidentally, if the Seven sisters or the Lady of the Lake have anything like the Taursis' healing/ressurection powers, i bet they would be even more strongly opposed to an undead theocracy than Merlin.

Or for a funky twist, what if Avalon and the Seven Sisters have no healing/ressurection powers whatsoever - Avalon is a repurposed Temporal Raider hideout, a time bubble effect over it making the place ideal to preserve dead people outside of time and in perfect condiction to be ressurrected when opportunity (help from a deity, spirit of light or spellcaster with the right ability) comes by.

Speaking of the Seven Sisters, weren't they related to either Morgana, the Lady of the Lake or both? Or maybe they are the muses of Greek Myth, instead? That could make for a slight twist/change of direction too, with them as masters/mistresses of arts and sciences.

1970 wrote:So, until Merlin can find Excalibur, he's commissioning a weapon of power from unknown parties to act as a symbol of the Divine Right of Kings and simultaneously a weapon against the growing danger that London presents. He's used subterfuge to crown a King for his new kingdom, but Merlin now wants to send this King on a quest to find the sword that will cement his Divine Right to rule over the Britons. It isn't much now, but once they destroy the Cult of Set in London and bring the other dangers of England under control Merlin thinks the other nation-states of England will fall in line.


Ah, so Kefren is indeed egyptian, good to know! How about insted of Set per se, Kefren served a less focused or controlling member of the Taut Pantheon, like either Anubis (loves undead), Anhur (not evil per se, but loves wargames) or a total nutcase of an unreliable divine patron, like Amon, Apep or Bes?

1970 wrote:That's where I'm at right now. A semi-paranoid half-demon demigod trying to protect himself from threats he can't see or doesn't know about is bent on absorbing and conquering his neighbors. Sure he's instilled high ideals in the people and helped create a thriving community where people are relatively safe, but he won't understand why some people won't want to give up their autonomy to serve a King they've probably only heard about. Once the blood starts flowing, what other forces will align against him? Will the Seven Sisters give Excalibur to a worthy soul to smite the usurpers? Will the Lady of the Lake make her appearance again? I suppose that's for the game to decide.


Well, i guess i kind of commented on some of these already above, but let me try to order things.

I like the idea of a slightly traumatized Merlin that is ambitious, manipulative and proud as a demigod might be expected to be, but is actually more focused in eliminating potential threats to his freedom/safety than empire-building per se, what makes his actions more unpredictable and dubious to interpret as he throws the occasional "Screw the politicking, the undead/fomor/fae/sploogs are coming from the North, let's kick monster butt noooooooow!!!!!" rant out of the blue or brings a nuke to a spell fight, so to speak.

What doesn't make him good by any measure - "sacrifices are sommetimes necessary, ends justify the means, etc" - just makes his agenda a little more complex and less linear or clear for the observer. The idea that he might unknowingly be the linchpin of one such threat can only makes things even more twisted and tragic.

The seven Sisters and the Lady of the Lake are major wildcards. Things can be considerably different for the game depending on their powers, origins and relation to each other - are they allies, neutral, rivals, enemies, one and the same? who's back on Rifts Earth, who's not? what if "Lady of the Lake" is just a misnomer for the many sightings of the seven sisters, or instead they are the multiple personalities of an insane shapeshifting creature of magic or demigodess? Or there's a bit of both in the British Isles (remember my comment about imposters)?

1970 wrote:A couple of other quick questions: Has anyone converted Dead Reign Zombies to Rifts? They'd be pretty perfect for Kefrem's armies.


Well, as i'm not really familiar with Dead Reign i got to ask what would require conversion exactly? Zombies in Rifts Earth are still SDC and any minor differences might be chalked up to either Anubis' patronage or Kefrem having access to some mcguffin spell or artifact (rune weapon with a weakened vampire intelligence inside?) that makes them so.

1970 wrote:And speaking of the military, how does England get Power Armor? Every nation capable of getting power armor to England are skeptical of their acceptance of D-Bees, and as far as I know, anyone who would trade with them wouldn't have the capacity to ge the armor to them. So where does it come from? I'm not confident enough to create my own, though I'm sure someone could figure it out; maybe Cambridge, which would make a great export for them BTW. I don't need power armor, but it would be cool to throw some in regardless. Thanks in advance.


Dreicunan made pretty good points about the Black Market already, to which i would add that Triax merch or knock-offs are far from the only options.
At least one of the Warlords of Russia is majorly involved with the Black Market and some excerpts in Warlords, Triax 2 and the Sovietski books imply that parts of Poland (probably unrelated to Tarnow, in fact) are also pretty big in contraband, knock-offs of other nation's hardware and independent production. There's also the possibility of buying, redirecting or outright stealing stuff sold by the Splugorth and/or Phoenix Empire to the Gaargoyles, Brodkill and other minor "monster kingdoms".

Beside this, there's the old, practical standby of excavating the ruins of pre-Rifts cities and military installations for "golden age" armor, vehicles, weapons and hardware that might be salvageable. Even the Necropolis could benefit from this, specially if Kefren has intelligent remnants of the Chaos Earth era among his undead armies and/or court.

I had some other things in mind, but this post is already large enough as is. Whatever, need to take a **** and some rest. I can rant more some other time. See ya later people.
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

Unread post by dreicunan »

Dead Reign has conversion notes for using the Dead Reign Zombies in Rifts on page 55. Make them MDC, almost no energy weapons damage them. Rail guns and other projectile based weapons only damage on a headshot. Vibroblades do 1/3 damage; otherwise better bring a magic weapon. Ordinary fire inflicts MD. MD fire (Plasma weapons included) and magic fire do double damage. On the plus side, no natural AR to deal with!

Also, it does not say that their strength should be made supernatural (or any other higher tier of strength). In the main rules it just says that their strength is doubled in Dead Reign. Personally, if I wanted them mega-damage capable I'd still double what it was from when they were alive but class it as augmented strength so that they could do MD with a power punch (and those rare people with PS 21 or more would inflict MD on a normal attack; you won't get there if you use the suggested typical ranges for the zombie in the Dead Reign book).

That said, Rifts Zombies are already pretty formidable unless the person attacking knows what they are dealing with, seeing as how they will keep coming back no matter what if you don't properly dispose of them.
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SolCannibal
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Re: England as "Typical" Fantasy

Unread post by SolCannibal »

dreicunan wrote:Dead Reign has conversion notes for using the Dead Reign Zombies in Rifts on page 55. Make them MDC, almost no energy weapons damage them. Rail guns and other projectile based weapons only damage on a headshot. Vibroblades do 1/3 damage; otherwise better bring a magic weapon. Ordinary fire inflicts MD. MD fire (Plasma weapons included) and magic fire do double damage. On the plus side, no natural AR to deal with!


Woah, that sounds a bit hardcore to say the least. Are Dead Reign that hardcore to destroy in their own setting? As you said yourself Rifts Zombies can be already pretty formidable on their own as an army, that other stuff you described puts them closer to vampires in the degree of headache.
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