GURPS Rifts?

[UncreativeNameMaker]

Originally Posted by jmsilverwolf

Anyone out there know of fan material created to run the Rifts RPG setting using GURPS?

I've made a few Rifts templates. I would post them, but as others have pointed out, that would bring down the wraith of Palladium's lawyers.

One bit of advise: don't try to convert stats formulaically. That way lies madness. Base your templates on the descriptions, not the numbers.

For weapons and armor I would use stuff from Ultra-Tech with a few tweaks.

[The Whiner Knight]

The whole concept of MD vs. SDC doesn't really work in GURPS. I'd give every armored fighting vehicle or Giant Robot enough DR that many small arms won't make a dent, and then keep in mind that there are plenty of weapons already statted in GURPS that have either large damage codes or armor divisors.

IIRC, the Rifts book gives an example of MDC involving a tank being attacked by successively larger and more powerful weapons. First come rocks, then revolvers and rifles, and finally a bazooka.

Most modern small arms have damage codes that top out around 7d. A DR of at least 50 would be sufficient to protect from any of the weapons defined as doing SDC in the Rifts book (which are most TL8 firearms, like the AK47 and the Uzi).

On the other hand, all of the ultra-tech weapons in the book are defined as doing MD damage; a laser pistol does 1d4 MD, IIRC. Almost all of the lasers, blasters, and electromag weapons in the latest Ultra Tech can easily do over 50 points of damage, or have armor divisors of (3) or more.

That simple solution eliminates the headaches of MD, while conserving the uniquely RIFTS idea that older weapons are Teh Suck.

Just give your vehicle or robot enough DR to resist an average damage roll from its most powerful weapon (whatever you decide that is; and remember, if that weapon has an armor divisor, to multiply that average by the divisor!), or DR 50, whichever is higher. You might decide to give the vehicle plenty of hit points if you want to maintain the whole flavor of chipping away at each other over protracted combats.

[LoneWolf23k]

The one major obstacle I can see for a GURPSified version of Rifts is that, basically, GURPS' magic doesn't really stand up to Ultra-Technology. Unless a magic-user has Penetrating Spell, a fireball-slinger can't really harm someone with a Combat Hardsuit...

[Mailanka]

As several posts here have already shown, the concept behind Rifts is a farily simple one: Take a dystopian, cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic future, mix in generous doses of magic and monsters, and have yourself a blaster-n-sorcery good time!

Most Rifts games I've seen are just an excuse to pitch any kewl thing into a setting that they can (I've seen Jedi and Aiel and DBZ knockoffs). Given that, personally, if I were to make GURPS Rifts, I would start by changing the name, then proceed to only take those elements I liked, grab more elements from other settings I find interesting, give it all a vigorous shaking so it looks shiny and new, and then have fun.

It's not like Rifts has the patent on sweet power-armor, demon-summoning warlocks, psychotic bad***es, or righteous, light-sword wielding knights.

Best of all, you could talk about it here :)

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf23k

The one major obstacle I can see for a GURPSified version of Rifts is that, basically, GURPS' magic doesn't really stand up to Ultra-Technology. Unless a magic-user has Penetrating Spell, a fireball-slinger can't really harm someone with a Combat Hardsuit...

I'd shift over the "Magic Powers" for that. A personally designed fire ball advantage can certainly have enough oomph to get the job done.

You could even mix and match it a little, with "standard magic" covering all the normal spells, and every mage having a few signature techniques that "totally break the rules" that they purchased as advantages.

[HeroPenguin]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Most Rifts games I've seen are just an excuse to pitch any kewl thing into a setting that they can (I've seen Jedi and Aiel and DBZ knockoffs).

Minor topicjack, but I'm currently playing in a RIFTS campaign that is actually cohesive and dramatic, with a minimum of powergaming going on. In fact, there's a number of subplots running that concern the cataclysm itself, and depending on how this plot evolves, we may wind up going back to stop it. :X Most fun I've had with RIFTS... well, ever.

[LoneWolf23k]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I'd shift over the "Magic Powers" for that. A personally designed fire ball advantage can certainly have enough oomph to get the job done.

You could even mix and match it a little, with "standard magic" covering all the normal spells, and every mage having a few signature techniques that "totally break the rules" that they purchased as advantages.

A quick fix I was thinking of was giving magic a variation of "Cosmic, Irresistable Attack" that allows magic attacks to bypass nonmagical DR...

[nanoboy]

When I was messing around with the issue, I just adjusted the spell damage upward (though an armor divisor would be fine, too) on the assumption that since Rifts Earth is extra, extra magical, damage from spells is greater.

[Blood Legend]

What the heck is Rifts?

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

What the heck is Rifts?

A post-apocalyptic game published by Palladium Games. It has tech, magic, psionics, monsters, dessert toppings, floor cleaners and the kitchen sink. The game world manages to combine these well, but the Palladium Megaversal System is an unholy mish-mash of AD&D 1st edition and Runequest.