RPGnet : The Inside Scoop on Gaming

RIFTS World Book One: The Vampire Kingdoms was the second supplement to be released for the RIFTS game system, and the first to focus almost entirely on the setting. And there's a *lot* of solid setting material here. Even though you'll find new classes, critters, NPCs and a not-particularly-useful set of rules for designing a traveling carnival(!), the book provides lavish detail on post-rifts Mexico, and a surprisingly fresh take on the vampire cliche.

At the front end of the book is a 29-page section on Vampires. These aren't quite your typical FRP/Universal studios bloodsuckers, mind you. Though they have most of the classic vampiric powers and share most of the traditional weaknesses, They have a number of subtle and not-so-subtle twists. For one, they're controlled by a Vampire Intelligence, a Cthulhu-type residing in another dimension that thinks *this* dimension smells delicious. The Vampire Intelligences are some of the central nasties in the RIFTS Mythos, and, along with the Splugorth from RIFTS Atlantis, they play a continuing role in a number of the large array of RIFT supplements.

I found this take on vampirism to be quite innovative, yet respectful of the vampire lore of the past--a uniquely RIFTS take on the classic neckbiter.

Next comes a long and detailed discussion of Old Mexico, the Vampire Intelligences which dominate it, and the various groups set up to combat them, as well as various other fringe groups. A lot of this material is top-notch. Other bits are merely workmanlike, but the whole thing is above average and it's all usable, useful data.

One of the book's most impressive highlights is the city of Ciudad Juarez, covered in exhaustive detail, with specifics on 133 different sites and locations within the city. The map is quite ugly and doesn't really look much like a city map (a trait common to city maps in all of Palladium's games,) but the level and breadth of detail makes up for it. The sites detailed include brothels, temples, hospitals, outfitters, novelty shops, robotic workshops, gunsmiths, lumberyards, cockfighting arenas, pawnshops, slave markets, and... well, you get the idea--there's 133 of them. A particular treat is shop #43, "Gomez the Coffin-Maker," which illustrates nicely the sense of humor that Siembeida brings to RIFTS.

And Ciudad Juarez isn't even the only town discussed in _The Vampire Kingdoms_, just the most elaborate. A group of vampire hunters, Reid's Rangers, are described and are another example of the RIFTS spin put on an old idea--the Rangers aren't the nice fellas you think they are, just because they make a living staking vampires.

Another of the books better points shows up at the very end, a discussion of the Yucatan Peninsula, once the domain of the Maya, now shifted into another dimension with the coming of the rifts. The area is now inhabited by the jaguar people and various extradimensional nasties. This section is shorter than I'd like and too reliant on stats and critters, unlike most of the rest of the book. This is unfortunate, since the Yucatan has a lot of untapped potential.

Along with all of this, _The Vampire Kingdoms_ also includes 13 new classes, some new gear and a bunch of new critters with which to cause trouble. Too much space (34 pages) is dedicated to traveling shows, including two extensively-developed examples. I'd rather have had 34 pages of further detail about Old Mexico, the operations of the Vampire Intelligences, or the Yucatan. I can only get so much mileage out of a traveling circus campaign.

This is a good time to talk about another of the flaws of RIFTS in general, since _The Vampire Kingdoms_ suffers from it even more than most of the books--the awful and almost totally unusable table of contents. The Quick Find Table which follows it is marginally more useful, but if the table of contents was set up competently it wouldn't be necessary. This is another of the nagging complaints I have with RIFTS, which, fortunately, the game manages to overcome despite its best efforts.

At the usual bargain price of $15.95 for 176 pages, (even Palladium's staunchest detractors have to admit that their prices are the best in the industry,) _The Vampire Kingdoms_ is an excellent value for those interested in RIFTS. Though it's not a vital book, in terms of illuminating the world of RIFTS Earth, and it's not as strong a work as it could have been, it remains one of the strongest RIFTS World Books to date. I recommend it highly.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

RIFTS World Book 1: The Vampire Kingdoms
Author: Kevin Siembeida Category: game Company/Publisher: Palladium Books Cost: $15.95 Page count: 176 ISBN: 0-916211-52-5 Playtest Review by Iron Czar on 12/01/98. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Horror Espionage Conspiracy Post-apocalypse Old_West Vampire	RIFTS World Book One: The Vampire Kingdoms was the second supplement to be released for the RIFTS game system, and the first to focus almost entirely on the setting. And there's a lot of solid setting material here. Even though you'll find new classes, critters, NPCs and a not-particularly-useful set of rules for designing a traveling carnival(!), the book provides lavish detail on post-rifts Mexico, and a surprisingly fresh take on the vampire cliche. At the front end of the book is a 29-page section on Vampires. These aren't quite your typical FRP/Universal studios bloodsuckers, mind you. Though they have most of the classic vampiric powers and share most of the traditional weaknesses, They have a number of subtle and not-so-subtle twists. For one, they're controlled by a Vampire Intelligence, a Cthulhu-type residing in another dimension that thinks this dimension smells delicious. The Vampire Intelligences are some of the central nasties in the RIFTS Mythos, and, along with the Splugorth from RIFTS Atlantis, they play a continuing role in a number of the large array of RIFT supplements. I found this take on vampirism to be quite innovative, yet respectful of the vampire lore of the past--a uniquely RIFTS take on the classic neckbiter. Next comes a long and detailed discussion of Old Mexico, the Vampire Intelligences which dominate it, and the various groups set up to combat them, as well as various other fringe groups. A lot of this material is top-notch. Other bits are merely workmanlike, but the whole thing is above average and it's all usable, useful data. One of the book's most impressive highlights is the city of Ciudad Juarez, covered in exhaustive detail, with specifics on 133 different sites and locations within the city. The map is quite ugly and doesn't really look much like a city map (a trait common to city maps in all of Palladium's games,) but the level and breadth of detail makes up for it. The sites detailed include brothels, temples, hospitals, outfitters, novelty shops, robotic workshops, gunsmiths, lumberyards, cockfighting arenas, pawnshops, slave markets, and... well, you get the idea--there's 133 of them. A particular treat is shop #43, "Gomez the Coffin-Maker," which illustrates nicely the sense of humor that Siembeida brings to RIFTS. And Ciudad Juarez isn't even the only town discussed in _The Vampire Kingdoms_, just the most elaborate. A group of vampire hunters, Reid's Rangers, are described and are another example of the RIFTS spin put on an old idea--the Rangers aren't the nice fellas you think they are, just because they make a living staking vampires. Another of the books better points shows up at the very end, a discussion of the Yucatan Peninsula, once the domain of the Maya, now shifted into another dimension with the coming of the rifts. The area is now inhabited by the jaguar people and various extradimensional nasties. This section is shorter than I'd like and too reliant on stats and critters, unlike most of the rest of the book. This is unfortunate, since the Yucatan has a lot of untapped potential. Along with all of this, _The Vampire Kingdoms_ also includes 13 new classes, some new gear and a bunch of new critters with which to cause trouble. Too much space (34 pages) is dedicated to traveling shows, including two extensively-developed examples. I'd rather have had 34 pages of further detail about Old Mexico, the operations of the Vampire Intelligences, or the Yucatan. I can only get so much mileage out of a traveling circus campaign. This is a good time to talk about another of the flaws of RIFTS in general, since _The Vampire Kingdoms_ suffers from it even more than most of the books--the awful and almost totally unusable table of contents. The Quick Find Table which follows it is marginally more useful, but if the table of contents was set up competently it wouldn't be necessary. This is another of the nagging complaints I have with RIFTS, which, fortunately, the game manages to overcome despite its best efforts. At the usual bargain price of $15.95 for 176 pages, (even Palladium's staunchest detractors have to admit that their prices are the best in the industry,) _The Vampire Kingdoms_ is an excellent value for those interested in RIFTS. Though it's not a vital book, in terms of illuminating the world of RIFTS Earth, and it's not as strong a work as it could have been, it remains one of the strongest RIFTS World Books to date. I recommend it highly. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

RIFTS World Book 1: The Vampire Kingdoms