The Rifter, in general, is a series of sourcebooks published by Palladium Books to support their lines of role-playing games. Contributions are garnered from full-time writers, freelancers, and Palladium fans to contribute to the growth of Palladium’s “Megaverse”.
The series itself is a good idea coming from one of the giants of the role-playing game industry. For years, players have customized rules, created new game mechanics and offered up interesting new takes on RPG classics. However, nobody knows these fantastic creations. I find the Rifter the best way to submit ideas for the Palladium line of games and to have those works published and recognized.
Rifter 3 is the 3rd in the line of series. This issue contains support for the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game, RIFTS, Nightbane, plus general material that will fit multiple Palladium genres including some game mastering tips. As well, a “Knights of the Dinner Table” comic strip.
Palladium Role-Playing Game
Randi Cartier presents a couple of new critters: the Rock Stinger, a big ugly bug that can camouflage itself with debris and rocks around it, plus the Banshee Wolf, or “Howler”, a wolf with the ability to emit a howl causing fear in those that hear it. Randi also provides four new magical items: Chain of Command, Flotation Ring, Ring of Burden, and the Shield of Repulsion. Randi also hints at a couple of useful items, like Goodstock Herbs (a grouping of herbs known to farmers and animal keepers to help livestock - it's mentioned that these will be detailed in a future book ... ?) and Ironhoof, helping those animals with hooves to avoid hoof damage.
RIFTS
Wayne Breaux, Jr., presents an interesting indepth article on Xiticix. The information in this article is official! Wayne details the entire life cycle of the Xiticix, the species' expansion, defense tactics in terms of defending the hive and in general combat, and points about Xiticix weapons. Kevin adds the Xiticix powers including their vision, antennae, and their insect-like chemical powers. We're also treated to the different varieties of Xiticix: Nits (Xiticix babies - they're so cute :-) ), Grubs (one-year olds), Nannies who tend the Nits and Grubs, Workers - Xiticix labourers, Warriors, Hunters - P.P.E. stalkers, Diggers - the builders and maintenance Xiticix, and, of course, The Queen. This material is fantastic. Included are stats for non-M.D.C. worlds as well, making it a useful supplement for other Palladium games.
Steve Trustrum presents the Spatial Mage O.C.C., a mage specializing in magic that affects and warps “the reality of both physical and energy dimensions.” Steve presents a number of new spells as well as indicating which spells the Spatial Mage has access to from the general invocations list. One thing to keep in mind, in the interest of space, spells from the RIFTS RPG book and the Federation of Magic book are not reprinted, so you'll need those two. You should have the first; I recommend the latter :). Steve also presents - manipulating the standard rules for Palladium organization creation - rules for creating magical dimensions, indicating a P.P.E. point cost to set up the realm, as well as the available construction points to spend on the dimension. Interesting.
Rodney Stott creates a RIFTS Dimension Supplement entitled Primorder. Primorder is a world inhabited by advanced and not so advanced organisms inspired by the single-cell organisms we all love. The dominant race on Primorder are the Amoeboids, appearing as a humanoid amoeba with the ability to shapechange into other humanoid forms. Their mastery of technology is in the manipulation of organic life. The Plasm R.C.C. are larger cousins to the Amoeboids, but instead of developing organic technology, developed magically and psionically. Two creatures of Primorder are also presented: The Blob, and The Sky Jelly. As well, Rodney provides a number of living weapons, machines, and vehicles, including specialized creatures for construction. Again, something I'm in favour of is the non-M.D.C. information for non-M.D.C. worlds, which Rodney includes.
Andrew Smith provides a huge Mystic China conversion for RIFTS. Wayne Smith is quick to point out that Andrew not only converts Mystic China to RIFTs, but adds details, modifies the existing descriptions, as well as creating a table for calculating hand to hand damage for martial artists with supernatural strength. I recommend, if you're interested, the Mystic China sourcebook and doing your own thing - I, for instance, only run S.D.C. RIFTS campaigns, and thus it makes a direct conversion from Mystic China a little easier. But, this article is very useful for you M.D.C. maniacs.
Martial Arts Extravaganza!
Wayne Smith presents rules for using Ninja & Superspies martial arts in non-Ninjas campaigns. I think these rules are a house rule just about everywhere :). But, it's nice to see them written down.
William Muench presents nine(!) martial arts primarily for use with Nightbane. William's motivation was to include martial arts that would give the Martial Artist a fighting chance against Hounds and Nightbane. He also is quick to point out that the martial arts he has created are completely fictitious and are more powerful than comparable martial arts in Ninjas & Superspies.
Lee Casebolt presents three new martial arts (including wrestling) and some revised grappling rules.
Other Stuff
Apollo Okamura presents some guidelines for the Gamemaster to really master the game, by selecting storylines, setting plot, determining characters and setting conflict.
David Haendler presents Chapters 12, 13, and 14 of The Siege Against Tolkeen.
James M.G. Cannon presents Chapter 3 of The Hammer of the Forge.
Coming Attractions are here as well. What's kind of cool to do in a review of an older book is to look back at the "Coming Attractions" and to see if they came :). Palladium Fantasy RPG listing the Old Kingdom books for fall of 1998 and some RIFTS books Grand Paladins, Scotland, Zulu Nation, Black Market ... :). I'll stop.
Errata & Clarifications
Errata for Heroes Unlimited and clarifications for some super powers and Psionic characters. Missing skills and missing weapons from RIFTS: Coalition Navy. Also, there is some information for some missing Techno-Wizard devices presented by Mark Sumimoto that was partially cut from Rifter #2. Read the review by Shawn Merrow.
Conclusion
A good solid Rifter packed with Martial Arts and RIFTS material. The Xiticix and Martial Arts articles are fantastic. I haven't followed the fan fiction closely.
The style gets an average rating, simply because, as with all Palladium products, is soft-cover and black-and-white. Not a bad thing, because it’s easy to read and you don’t feel bad when you drip your Psi-Cola on it - plus, it keeps the cost down.
The meaty rating for content is simply that. There’s a lot of meat in there, for only a 112-page book. I'm a big fan of new mechanics and source material, and this issue has a lot. I'm not such a fan of the fiction and game master tools sections, but that's okay, there's some folks who do and there's some of that for you too.
I wish there was a rating for "content-to-cost ratio". The content is high, compared to a low price. If you compare what you get in a Rifter for $7.95 versus a Star Wars supplement of the same size for $21.95, this is an important consideration.
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