RIFTS House Rules

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What follows is the rules as will be used. Includes house rules as well as references to various official variants. If a rule has possible interpretations and is not mentioned here, make sure to ask.

Generating Characters

Attributes

Stat generation will be 3d6, rearrange as you choose, with a bonus 1d6 added to any roll of 16+, and a second bonus 1d6 added if the first bonus die was a six. Any attribute below eight can be raised to eight to avoid penalties, though any character with one or more attribute below eight will get a small bonus to apply to any attribute of their choice, as per the Ultimate Edition ruling. Any non-human simply rolls whatever they get in their racial entry, with no special modifications or rearrangements.

In higher powered games an extra 1d6 is added to each attribute, and the lowest die roll is dropped (ie. 4d6 drop the lowest). Humans who roll extra 16+ still get an extra 1d6 and can either take their lowest, or re-roll it.

SDC and HP

Hitpoints are equal to your PE plus 1d6 per level (including first) plus any modifiers from class or race. SDC is determined as follows, plus any bonuses from Race, Class or Skills:

  • Psychics have 3d6 base.
  • Practitioners of Magic have 4d6 base.
  • Scholars and Adventurers have 4d6 base.
  • Men of Arms have 1d4x10 base.

MDC

Unless a Race/Class lists a natural MDC value, all characters must rely on armour, magic and other protective devices in order to survive MDC damage (though a select few will have enough SDC to survive low MD attacks).

One MDC is the equivalent of 20 SDC. This is significantly lower than in the core rules. In addition large amounts of SD can damage MDC structures and creatures. This rule is still under consideration. Feedback will be greatly appreciated

Psionics

Characters who do not have natural psionics, either through their race or class, still have a small chance of being psychic. Any character may choose to be a minor or major psychic, though the exact nature of the character's psionic abilities is left up to the whims of the GM.

Minor Psychics have two related powers from any one of the three lesser psychic categories. ISP is equal to ME+3d6, +1d6 at each level after first.

Major Psychics have either eight powers from any one lesser category, or six powers from two of the three lesser categories. ISP is equal to ME+5d6+1, +1d6+1 at each level after first. Major Psychics also have half the number of Other skills, and all their skill bonuses are reduced by half.

Non Psychics have no ISP.

Skills

Secondary Skills will be chosen from the list in Rifts Ultimate Edition, regardless of the class chosen. They are meant to represent hobbies and add flavour, so use them as such. Don't just save them to spend on WPs and Physical Skills :P

Other

Starting PPE for classes/races that do not have PPE listed is 2d6.

See Character Building Guidelines for details on the fluff aspects of character generation.

Combat

Main Body MDC will be all that we're keeping track of. You don't have to worry about figuring out how much MDC your left boot has left, nor do you have to worry about people spreading their damage between multiple areas. Called shots will only be used for doing something epic, like sniping that fool in the head, who took off his helmet to have a smoke, or shooting out a grunt's radio before he can call for backup.

Melee

  1. Select attack to strike with. Some attacks may take more than one action to perform, in which case the player waits until the final action before making any rolls to determine success.
  2. Attacker rolls Strike to hit.
    • -4 penalty for called shots.
    • Less than 5 automatically misses.
    • A natural 20 automatically hits unless the defender rolls a natural 20 to parry, dodge or entangle.
  3. Defender may Parry, Dodge, Entangle or Simultaneously Attack, if they are aware of the attack and not immobilized.
    • All characters can automatically parry attacks from up to three different attackers.
    • To parry they must have something to parry with, for example you can't parry a rune sword with your hands, though you can parry the arm of somebody trying to stab you with a vibro knife. However if you had a MDC sword or shield that could be used to parry with.
    • To dodge a character must either spend their next action or have autododge. Any melee attack can be dodged.
    • If a character entangles his opponent cannot use that limb/weapon to attack until he makes a Dodge vs Entagle to escape.
    • If a character Simultaneously Attacks, neither can parry or dodge unless they have auto dodge or paired weapons. This takes an action.
  4. Attacker rolls damage
    • Critical Strikes do Double Damage
    • A character may pull his attack with a DC 11 Pull Punch roll. If he does so he can choose to lower his damage by any amount, to a min of 1.
    • See Damage and Healing for more details.
  5. Defender may Roll with Punch or Impact
    • Rolling with punch / impact takes an action, and reduced damage by half if successful.
    • Only large physical attacks may be rolled with. Punches, explosions, etc...
    • Cannot be used against energy blasts, bullets, fire, bladed weapons, psionics, radiation, etc...
    • Characters with Break Fall may use it instead. They take half damage on a failed attempt and no damage on a successful roll.

Ranged

If a character is using a ranged weapon in melee combat range they use their hand to hand skill with no WP bonus and the Melee Combat Rules.

  1. Select attack to strike with. Some attacks may take more than one action to perform, in which case the player waits until the final action before making any rolls to determine success.
  2. Attacker rolls Strike to hit.
    • Single Aimed Shots are at +2 to strike (+1 @ 3, 6, 9, 12, 15) if the character is proficient, and +0 if not.
    • Rapid Fire Pulse, Dual Blasts and Bursts are at +0 to strike, and -6 if not.
    • -6 penalty for shooting wild.
    • -4 penalty for called shots. Also must exceed the auto miss number by 4 or attack simply hits the main body.
    • -2 penalty if foe is taking evasive action.
    • -2 penalty if foe is exceptionally fast moving.
    • -4 penalty if beyond the max range of the gun (extreme range).
    • Less than 5 automatically misses at close ranged. (less than 100 feet)
    • Less than 9 automatically misses at long ranged.
    • Less than 13 automatically misses at extreme ranged.
    • A natural 20 automatically hits unless the defender rolls a natural 20 to parry, dodge or entangle.
  3. Defender may Parry or Dodge, if they are aware of the attack and not immobilized.
    • All characters can automatically parry attacks from up to three different attackers.
    • To parry they must have something to parry with, for example a shield or a rune sword.
    • To dodge a character must either spend their next action or have autododge. Missile volleys cannot be dodged, but all other ranged attacks can.
    • Characters are at -5 to parry/dodge close ranged attacks.
    • Characters are at -10 to parry/doge long ranged attacks.
  4. Attacker rolls damage
  5. Defender may Roll with Punch or Impact
    • Rolling with punch / impact takes an action, and reduced damage by half if successful.
    • Only large physical attacks may be rolled with. Punches, explosions, etc...
    • Cannot be used against energy blasts, bullets, fire, bladed weapons, psionics, radiation, etc...
    • Characters with Break Fall may use it instead. They take half damage on a failed attempt and no damage on a successful roll.

Magic

If attacking with a magical spell use either the Melee or Ranged combat rules above, whichever is more appropriate.

Casting Time

  • 1st-5th level spells take one melee action to cast.
  • 6th-10th level spells take two melee actions to cast.
  • 11th and higher level spells take three melee actions to cast.
  • Spells of legend take four melee actions to cast.

Interrupting Spells

If, while casting a spell with a casting time of longer than one action, a spell caster does any of the following, the spell is interrupted:

  • Strike, Parry, Dodge (yes even auto parry and auto dodge)
  • Running, Jumping, Climbing or any other such physical action.
  • Takes any personal damage.

When interrupted the spell caster must simply start over, no PPE is lost.

Casting while in Armour

  • Any suit of light armour (Physical action penalty of < 10%) can be worn without penalty.
  • Any suit of armour specially designed for casters (Mystic Knight Armour, Battle Caster Plate, etc...) can be worn without penalty.
  • Any suit of armour made from natural materials (leather, dragon scale, etc...) can be worn without penalty, unless the armour is particularly bulky (-15% physical penalty or greater)
  • Any other suit of armour, including all power armour, have the following penalties:
    • Spells cost 20% more PPE.
    • Spells have their range, damage and duration reduced by 20%.

Damage & Healing

Knockdown

All MD impact attacks have a chance to knock down the foe. This includes Punches, Kicks, Sword Blows, Rail Gun Bursts, Explosions, etc...

  • If a character takes more than their PS score in MD from a single attack, they have a 20% chance of being knocked down and taking 1d6 SDC.
  • If a character takes more than twice their PS score in MD from a single such attack, they have a 50% chance of being knocked down and taking 2d6 SDC.
  • If a character takes more than triple their PS score in MD from a single such attack, they have a 98% chance of being knocked down and taking 3d6 SDC, 1d4 HP and losing an extra action.

In all cases, whenever a character gets knocked down they lose initiative and their next action.

MDC creatures lose MDC whenever a SDC character would lose HP.

Damaging a SDC Character in MDC Body Armour

In addition to the possible damage taken if knocked down (see above), there are a few other ways to damage a SDC character wearing MDC body armour.

  • For every 20 MDC an attack does, the wearer takes 1 SDC.
  • For every 100 MDC an attack does, the wearer takes 1 HP.
  • On a critical hit a character takes SDC equal to half the MD dealt.

For example, if a character with a PS of 23 gets critically hit with a Long Burst from a Rail Gun doing 102 MD he takes 56 SDC, 1 HP and has a 98% chance to take an extra 3d6 SDC and 1d4 HP as they are knocked back by the impact.

MDC creatures lose MDC whenever a SDC character would lose HP.

Pain Penalties

As a character gets injured it is harder to continue to function. Pain from SDC loss can be ignored in the heat of battle, and for any crucial events. HP damage, on the other hand, is much harder to ignore.

  • SDC creatures who have taken any HP damage are at -1 inititaive, -10% to all skills and see their speed reduced by 20%. MDC creatures who are at less than 50% MDC suffer the same penalties.
  • SDC creatures who have less than half of their HP remaining OR less HP remaining than their PE score are at -2 initiative, -1 to all combat rolls, -20% to all skills and -40% to their speed. MDC creatures with less than 25% of their MDC OR less MDC than their PE score remaing suffer the same penalties.
  • SDC creatures who have less than half of their HP remaining AND less HP remaining than their PE score are at -3 initiative, -3 to all combat rolls, -30% to all skills and -60% to their speed. MDC creatures with less than 25% of their MDC AND less MDC than their PE score remaing suffer the same penalties.


Blood Loss

Whenever a character is injured by an attack that could cause bleeding, like a knife or claws, they continue to bleed at a rate of one damage per minute until medical attention is received.

Health and Recovery

See page 354 of the Ultimate Edition Main Book for Natural Rate of SDC/HP recovery as well as recovering from a Coma. See page 359 of the Ultimate Edition Main Book for SDC creatures surviving near death from MD.

Skills

Skills will have three standard difficulties: Easy, Average and Difficult.

  • Easy checks are rolled at twice your skill, but still capped at 98%, (so a 60% is doubled to 120%, and reduced to the cap of 98%).
  • Average checks are rolled as normal (so a 60% stays at 60%).
  • Difficult checks are rolled at half your skill, rounded up (so a 60% is halved to 30%).

Some tasks may have a different difficulty based on the skill used. For example fixing a busted plasma cannon may be a difficult task for a character with General Repair and Maintenance, whereas it could be an average or easy check for a Weapons Engineer.

Experience & Leveling

Experience points will be awarded on an ad hoc basis, determined by how epic and in character the stuff you do is, as well as how much it adds to the fun of everybody at the table. If you do something in character that makes everybody at the table burst out in laughter, or sit back and say wow, you've just earned yourself a bunch of extra xp. The same applies if you do something that helps to set up a spotlight moment for another character. The more fun everybody is having and the more everybody is into things, the freer the XP will flow.