Alaska

[boxee]

Do any settings book cover alaska, if so what is there?

[Saitou Hajime]

Spirit of the West Briefly talks about Alaska as does Canada

[DracoMagus]

I'm thinking that Alaska would be much like the rest of the West Coast of NA in the only touched on but not truly covered section. Lots of possibilities for that rather broad region.

[Nekira Sudacne]

honestly, it's more likely than not largely uninhabted wilderness.

The idea that there has to be something in every single area is kinda antithetical to the concept of a post-apocalyptic world.

[cl7277]

There might be talk about Alaska in the up coming Megaverse in flame's book that is coming out sometime this year. Maybe we'll get a map of the area, with some info on what might be there and who if anyone is a power play in this part of the world.

[Zer0 Kay]

honestly, it's more likely than not largely uninhabted wilderness.

The idea that there has to be something in every single area is kinda antithetical to the concept of a post-apocalyptic world.

Oh... so like it is now

[boxee]

I was looking for a large area I could develop for my games, looks like Alaska is perfect. Thank you all for the information provided. It is so large I could do stuff there and not be affected by almost anything not in the area. Ill post when I get the stuff ready to play.

[Zer0 Kay]

I was looking for a large area I could develop for my games, looks like Alaska is perfect. Thank you all for the information provided. It is so large I could do stuff there and not be affected by almost anything not in the area. Ill post when I get the stuff ready to play.

Have you ever been there? I lived there for 25 years. I pitched an AK book to Kevin at the '09 POH.

Any questions? What exactly as far as information are you looking for? Legends, Monsters, gods? I was also stationed at Elmendorf AFB between 2005 and 2007 so I have some interesting tid bits about that too.

[MikelAmroni]

Make sure to use Underseas, Canada, Spirit West, Warlords of Russia and Mystic Russia as part of your research. I'm fairly certain that all will mention something of use to you, whether its monsters, villains, demons, or just the environment. You can also run some pretty decent adventures up there with abandoned and overrun bases. I wouldn't put much in them, but the occasional find table would be good (think like the tables for east coast of Florida in the Dinosaur Swamps book). If you wanted a way out, a frozen in sub trapped in a secret underground base can make for an interesting fall back for a group of adventurers trying to escape whatever big bad you have. Creatures that can survive without eating, but are by nature voracious are good monsters for the environment too. Dealing with months of utter darkness and months of utter lightness can be interesting too. Add in some vampires and you have some interesting times. They have to get the sub's path cleared while monsters are beating at their doors (figuratively or literally, as plot and pacing demand). And when they get free, then they find that getting out is sometimes more dangerous than staying.

That said, even in pure wilderness, people and d-bees survive. The inuit, other amerinds, and people turned barbarians (think like Dinosaur swamps, though not the exact same) would all be present, though it could be weeks of travel between settlements. Some would be ultra-primitive (all they can offer is food and warmth, which might be enough truthfully), some might be small oases of technology and "modern" living, acting as outposts for trappers and the few lawmen who travel these parts (probably mostly Tundra Rangers and the occasional champion).

[boxee]

The whole idea was finding a place that is open, not something that I need to get a book on and go by what they have. Love the books, but I want an area I can do my own stuff in.

[Shark_Force]

The whole idea was finding a place that is open, not something that I need to get a book on and go by what they have. Love the books, but I want an area I can do my own stuff in.

the only thing you need for that is a leather glove. when one of your players objects that the books say something different from how you run things, you simply slap them across the face with the glove, tell them they have insulted your honor, and challenge them to a duel unless they withdraw their lying words!

or, you know, you could just tell them, "hey guys, this is MY version of rifts and setting information from the books only apply if and when i say so." which is probably a lot *better* of an idea than the above, but probably also not quite as humorous to talk about (sadly, i doubt it would be quite as funny if you were to actually try it).

[Zer0 Kay]

The whole idea was finding a place that is open, not something that I need to get a book on and go by what they have. Love the books, but I want an area I can do my own stuff in.

Arctic or Antarctic. Both are fairly untouched by humans now granted the Arctic is mostly ice on water while you could have made Antarctica mostly melted and it has mountains taller and canyons deeper than anyplace else on Earth, so I've read, under the ice.

[Zer0 Kay]

The whole idea was finding a place that is open, not something that I need to get a book on and go by what they have. Love the books, but I want an area I can do my own stuff in.

the only thing you need for that is a leather glove. when one of your players objects that the books say something different from how you run things, you simply slap them across the face with the glove, tell them they have insulted your honor, and challenge them to a duel unless they withdraw their lying words!

or, you know, you could just tell them, "hey guys, this is MY version of rifts and setting information from the books only apply if and when i say so." which is probably a lot *better* of an idea than the above, but probably also not quite as humorous to talk about (sadly, i doubt it would be quite as funny if you were to actually try it).

WHAT?!? not a chainmail or platemail glove?

[Zer0 Kay]

Dealing with months of utter darkness and months of utter lightness can be interesting too. Add in some vampires and you have some interesting times. They have to get the sub's path cleared while monsters are beating at their doors (figuratively or literally, as plot and pacing demand). And when they get free, then they find that getting out is sometimes more dangerous than staying.

That is a great hook with which to work. Maybe something like the movie Pitch Black.

Or just go the overused way of the Vampires except the VI teleports them back and forth between stone temples in the Arctic and Anarctic.

[boxee]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

[TechnoGothic]

SPIRIT WEST cover Alaska.
There is a High-Tech Native American Preserve up in Alaska.


The FORT ALASKA Preserve is located at the Northern Most part of Alaska in the ICE itself.

[Zer0 Kay]

SPIRIT WEST cover Alaska.
There is a High-Tech Native American Preserve up in Alaska.


The FORT ALASKA Preserve is located at the Northern Most part of Alaska in the ICE itself.

So... it would be off Point Barrow? What does ICE have to do with it? Besides it isn't IN the ice itself, like Splicer Great Houses are in the earth itself. The base is a submersible base that has been purposefully ice-locked at the location. So... it is an advanced MDC base frozen in the ice rather than a base of High-Tech Native American's made in the ice.

[boxee]

I plan on using Alaska as the next game I run. I was thinking of putting a fallen splicer house there it would have been in the area isolated for a few years, no nanoplague there. Was thinking the have been fighting the xiticixwhen they are contacted by humans in the area so the players would be able to play rifts characters and splicers characters.
I was thinking of changing the xiticix to be the bugs from system failure, modified a little bit, but same idea. Ill post the setting when I finish my work hopefully you all will like it.
Boxee

[TechnoGothic]

I placed Splicer in Florida and the carribean to make use of the gills and underwater features they have better.
Alaska would be good for non-thermal Host Armors .
I'd use more Proto-HAs than true HAs though.

[MikelAmroni]

The whole idea was finding a place that is open, not something that I need to get a book on and go by what they have. Love the books, but I want an area I can do my own stuff in.

Just because you do your own thing doesn't mean you should completely ignore what's already written. Besides if nothing else Canada and the Russia books are good for dealing with the climate. I wasn't suggesting them as a straightjacket, but rather as accessories to be mixed and matched to fit your needs. After all, if they are fighting bugs of any sort, and all of the sudden they are dealing with a demon that can only be hurt by wood or magic - that's a big change. It can be distracting, or it can be a GM warning that hyper specialization is as dangerous as not specializing at all. It can also be a nice change of pace, simply because you found a cool monster and wanted to include it (the bugs that crawled into half of star fleet command in the Next Generation are a good example - awesome villain that was completely ignored after the episode that included it). If nothing else both books have a lot of good cold weather vehicles that are generic enough to be useful as stats for something of your own creation look-wise.

Splicers huh? Interesting. Honestly I think the bugs from Systems Failure are better villains for this, and a good reason to have developed bio-technology. Mix the stuff from Systems Failure and Splicers to create a good mix of what would happen if a major bug fighting base of systems failure folks got rifted to Alaksa and kept developing their own tech. You could even have had them utterly mess with the Alaska Preserve to the point where a good selection of them went Traditional in retaliation and now are among the better fighters of the bugs, along with the Splicers from your base. You can then include almost any combination of characters, including ultra traditionalists as well as high end tech users, and their enemy is the reason they are together.

I mean you've probably already thought of all of this, but its cool to brainstorm sometimes.

[boxee]

The whole idea was finding a place that is open, not something that I need to get a book on and go by what they have. Love the books, but I want an area I can do my own stuff in.

Just because you do your own thing doesn't mean you should completely ignore what's already written. Besides if nothing else Canada and the Russia books are good for dealing with the climate. I wasn't suggesting them as a straightjacket, but rather as accessories to be mixed and matched to fit your needs. After all, if they are fighting bugs of any sort, and all of the sudden they are dealing with a demon that can only be hurt by wood or magic - that's a big change. It can be distracting, or it can be a GM warning that hyper specialization is as dangerous as not specializing at all. It can also be a nice change of pace, simply because you found a cool monster and wanted to include it (the bugs that crawled into half of star fleet command in the Next Generation are a good example - awesome villain that was completely ignored after the episode that included it). If nothing else both books have a lot of good cold weather vehicles that are generic enough to be useful as stats for something of your own creation look-wise.

Splicers huh? Interesting. Honestly I think the bugs from Systems Failure are better villains for this, and a good reason to have developed bio-technology. Mix the stuff from Systems Failure and Splicers to create a good mix of what would happen if a major bug fighting base of systems failure folks got rifted to Alaksa and kept developing their own tech. You could even have had them utterly mess with the Alaska Preserve to the point where a good selection of them went Traditional in retaliation and now are among the better fighters of the bugs, along with the Splicers from your base. You can then include almost any combination of characters, including ultra traditionalists as well as high end tech users, and their enemy is the reason they are together.

I mean you've probably already thought of all of this, but its cool to brainstorm sometimes.

Yea sounds like a good idea, I will have to keep that in mind. It is a work in progress so all advice is welcome.
If I could afford to buy all the books I would, I have to slowly collect them. The groups I am in do not usually use weather rules unless we suddenly go from one extreme to another. Long ago I ran a fantasy game where the players went to a siberia like area and one died from exposure.

[MikelAmroni]

Basically I would suggest against using the Rogue House bit, and focus instead on using folks from Systems Failure. But that's how I would do it - don't mind me

That said, I think Bug possessed robots would be a great way to simulate the Machine from Splicers (and use those designs as the bugs build new bodies for their possessor bugs). Possibly before being overrun by the bugs, the folks at NORAD managed to open a rift and voila, instant access to a base in Alaska where they had been doing dimensional experiments like they had in Lone Star. Doesn't have to be during the apocalypse, just during some major celestial event that focuses the PPE. But getting through is only half the battle since the Bugs are coming through as well. After a holding action that lasts seemingly forever, the rift closes. Fast forward a few years and bugs invade via the same technology the guys from NORAD used, and this time they attack in overwhelming numbers. Problem is they can only open once 2 hour rift once every couple of years or so. Granted, they can get through quick enough to bring thousands at a time, but not enough for a full out invasion. Still a few thousand every other year is enough to challenge the most entrenched of defenders.

This does two things: It gives you a foe that is seemingly without end, yet a way for them to win (at least temporarily). And a way for you to strike back. And hey, you can even crank things up by having them figure out a way to open the rift from this side.

Just more fuel for the fire, use what you will. That said, I would not ignore the cold weather rules per se - only because they are so vastly different. Granted Host Armors would be a way to ignore it, and Amerinds have fetishes that allow them to ignore it, etc.

[boxee]

Basically I would suggest against using the Rogue House bit, and focus instead on using folks from Systems Failure. But that's how I would do it - don't mind me

That said, I think Bug possessed robots would be a great way to simulate the Machine from Splicers (and use those designs as the bugs build new bodies for their possessor bugs). Possibly before being overrun by the bugs, the folks at NORAD managed to open a rift and voila, instant access to a base in Alaska where they had been doing dimensional experiments like they had in Lone Star. Doesn't have to be during the apocalypse, just during some major celestial event that focuses the PPE. But getting through is only half the battle since the Bugs are coming through as well. After a holding action that lasts seemingly forever, the rift closes. Fast forward a few years and bugs invade via the same technology the guys from NORAD used, and this time they attack in overwhelming numbers. Problem is they can only open once 2 hour rift once every couple of years or so. Granted, they can get through quick enough to bring thousands at a time, but not enough for a full out invasion. Still a few thousand every other year is enough to challenge the most entrenched of defenders.

This does two things: It gives you a foe that is seemingly without end, yet a way for them to win (at least temporarily). And a way for you to strike back. And hey, you can even crank things up by having them figure out a way to open the rift from this side.

Just more fuel for the fire, use what you will. That said, I would not ignore the cold weather rules per se - only because they are so vastly different. Granted Host Armors would be a way to ignore it, and Amerinds have fetishes that allow them to ignore it, etc.

Well have you read about house Shiva? They attack other houses. So I was planning on the house to be nearly destroyed, hence "fallen" house. Their engineer was using experimental tech something went horribly wrong a rift opened and sucked the house and an area of land through into rifts. Still a flimsy idea, but I like your ideas so might use part of that idea.

[TechnoGothic]

Hehehe...

Here is an Idea Boxee...

STAR SPLICERS came to Rifts Earth around 50 years ago. They encountered the Orbital Colonies and were attacked. Then they tried to land on the planet and encounter the Debris Field and was torn apart. Highly damaged, they crashed landed off the coast of Alaska (whereever you want them). They lost their Librarian and most of the engineers in the crash. 5 years ago one of the saints evolved into the new Librarian for the house. For the first time in 50 years they can actually make more "stuff".

This is what i did for my caribean house.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

honestly, it's more likely than not largely uninhabted wilderness.

The idea that there has to be something in every single area is kinda antithetical to the concept of a post-apocalyptic world.

Well, yes and no.

Alaska is HUGE, so there could very well be something there - perhaps even a sentient population numbering a million or more - and still be considered to be largely uninhabited (and that's not a stretch). With that being said, I don't think there should be a million or more sentients in Alaska - but even with them there it would not, for a second, destroy the post-Apocalyptic nature of the setting. The territory is simply too gigantic.

Any comparatively large populations in Alaska (settlements of 30,000+) though, in my opinion, would not be primarily human. In other words, Alaska is not the Domain of Man.

~ Josh

[TechnoGothic]

NORTH to ALASKA
Come on the rush is on.
North to Alaska
Come on the rush is on.

[Zer0 Kay]

I have lived in Alaska since 1987 and I 100% support the addition of more source material about Alaska. I've read through the majority of the books and there is just not enough materials in the books in any way shape or form.

Where abouts? I lived in Anchorage in 1984 and moved out to Wasilla where I went to Iditarod, Moved from there back into Anchorage in 88 half way through 8th grade at Wasilla JH and and lived down off of DeArmoun and went to Hanshew JH, Graduated from Service in 92. Got a 0.0 GPA at UAA for my first set of classes and stopped school blah, Bell's Nursery, blah, Carrs, blah, CompUSA, blah, Office Depot, blah, United States Air Force, blah, blah, blah, Stationed at Elmendorf, blah, blah, honorable discharge, moved to Washington.

That was HORRIBLE writting.

I already started on the book but puttered out because most of AK really is wilderness. I have some interesting stuff in there because of my Military knowledge but most of the mythology is already explored since the Native cultures are fairly, not exact, but fairly similar to those in the lower 48. I pitched it to KS back in 2009 when I was at POH and he said he'd be interested in looking at it when I was done, but...

[Dr. Doom III]

I guess I'm the only one old enough to remember the Alaska Netbook someone had up in the early days of the internet.

[Colt47]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

[taalismn]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

Adding new vigor to the 'Deadliest Catch' franchise....
Featuring the clairvoyant and Temporal Mage crew of the fishing boat Time Bandit IV, the converted battleship Corona Marie X, the technowizard boat Wizzard, and the NeoViking ship NordWestern.
Dodging the lord of the Deep and the Tyrant King Crabs to deliver succulent sea food to such demanding markets as the Coalition States and Japan.

And might I suggest THIS ship design as one of the trawlers?
http://f00.inventorspot.com/images/X-Bow2.img_assist_custom.jpg

[Zer0 Kay]

I guess I'm the only one old enough to remember the Alaska Netbook someone had up in the early days of the internet.

I think it was the same guy that released the PB Book of Skills, Mad Dog.

[Zer0 Kay]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

What you mean the horrible Emperor Crabs?

[Colt47]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

What you mean the horrible Emperor Crabs?

Ridden by humanoid sea-urchin pigmies who's primary means of attacking people is shooting foot long barbs.

[taalismn]

Spirit of the West Briefly talks about Alaska as does Canada

I think War Lords touches on it to.

that is because they can see your house from russia.

Giant Russian Cyborgs versus giant muntant crabs atop icebergs in freezing arctic waters?
We have the makings of EPIC right there.

[Zer0 Kay]

Spirit of the West Briefly talks about Alaska as does Canada

I think War Lords touches on it to.

that is because they can see your house from russia.

you realize that she said See Russia from her back yard? As in anything that happens in your area some people say happened in your back yard. Guess what, Russia can be seen from one of the Alutian islands.

[Zer0 Kay]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

What you mean the horrible Emperor Crabs?

Ridden by humanoid sea-urchin pigmies who's primary means of attacking people is shooting foot long barbs.

That just gave me a terrible thought for those barbbed fish that swim up orifices. A Rifts version of that... OWWWW

[Zer0 Kay]

Spirit of the West Briefly talks about Alaska as does Canada

I think War Lords touches on it to.

that is because they can see your house from russia.

Giant Russian Cyborgs versus giant muntant crabs atop icebergs in freezing arctic waters?
We have the makings of EPIC right there.

You forgot about surrounded by erupting volcanos and shaken by constant Earthquakes.

[taalismn]

[
You forgot about surrounded by erupting volcanos and shaken by constant Earthquakes.

Which means TIDAL WAVES! (though ROGUE waves are the bigger problem for ships in deep water)
If the monsters don't kill you, the environment will.

[gaby]

I would have a Kingdome of Humans/D-bees,living ther under the ruler of a Alien God who provide protection from the cold and dangers.
The tech level will be Palladium fantasy,s level.

[Colt47]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

What you mean the horrible Emperor Crabs?

Ridden by humanoid sea-urchin pigmies who's primary means of attacking people is shooting foot long barbs.

That just gave me a terrible thought for those barbbed fish that swim up orifices. A Rifts version of that... OWWWW

Alaska: Where even the lord of the Deep has fun.

[Zer0 Kay]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

What you mean the horrible Emperor Crabs?

Ridden by humanoid sea-urchin pigmies who's primary means of attacking people is shooting foot long barbs.

That just gave me a terrible thought for those barbbed fish that swim up orifices. A Rifts version of that... OWWWW

Alaska: Where even the lord of the Deep has fun.

I didn't know the LotD liked skiing... guess we learn something fictious every day

Come on we all know he prefers Hawaii... so he took it.

[TechnoGothic]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

Crab Warriors from CS Navy. They fight back now

[taalismn]

I wonder if the king crab and general fishing industry is still good post Apocalypse up there. I mean, assuming the king crab didn't evolve into giant fury beetle like monsters who's mating season involves ransacking half of the Alaskan coast.

Crab Warriors from CS Navy. They fight back now

Thus the recent sales in oversized reinforced MDC cooking pots with lockable vault-hatch lids.

[TechnoGothic]

I used the picture of those Crab Warriors for a Splicer Host Armor once. Was Awesome.

[taalismn]

I used the picture of those Crab Warriors for a Splicer Host Armor once. Was Awesome.

Use the husk of a Crab Warrior AS a Necro-Splicer Host Armor....even more awesome...

[Zer0 Kay]

I have lived in Alaska since 1987 and I 100% support the addition of more source material about Alaska. I've read through the majority of the books and there is just not enough materials in the books in any way shape or form.

Where abouts? I lived in Anchorage in 1984 and moved out to Wasilla where I went to Iditarod, Moved from there back into Anchorage in 88 half way through 8th grade at Wasilla JH and and lived down off of DeArmoun and went to Hanshew JH, Graduated from Service in 92. Got a 0.0 GPA at UAA for my first set of classes and stopped school blah, Bell's Nursery, blah, Carrs, blah, CompUSA, blah, Office Depot, blah, United States Air Force, blah, blah, blah, Stationed at Elmendorf, blah, blah, honorable discharge, moved to Washington.

That was HORRIBLE writting.

I already started on the book but puttered out because most of AK really is wilderness. I have some interesting stuff in there because of my Military knowledge but most of the mythology is already explored since the Native cultures are fairly, not exact, but fairly similar to those in the lower 48. I pitched it to KS back in 2009 when I was at POH and he said he'd be interested in looking at it when I was done, but...

I grew up in Kodiak and graduated in 2005, and since I've lived, at various times, in Fairbanks and Anchorage.

I'm sure you have some Awesome Kodiak Bear "Myths" One of my favorites is the one where the guy unloads his rifle into a bear, takes out his knife and field butchers the bear. But when he gets it back into down to have it properly skinned and made into a rug the taxidermist inspecting the bear shows him how the bullets didn't penitrate the skull. The guy realizing he just knocked out the bear and killed it with his knife craps his pants.

[taalismn]

[I'm sure you have some Awesome Kodiak Bear "Myths" One of my favorites is the one where the guy unloads his rifle into a bear, takes out his knife and field butchers the bear. But when he gets it back into down to have it properly skinned and made into a rug the taxidermist inspecting the bear shows him how the bullets didn't penitrate the skull. The guy realizing he just knocked out the bear and killed it with his knife craps his pants.

Ouch. Yeah, that's a lose-sphincter-control moment, along with that freeze-lock-spine sensation.