Warning! Violence and the Supernatural The fictional worlds of Palladium Books® are violent, deadly and filled with supernatural monsters. Other-dimensional beings, often referred to as "demons," torment, stalk and prey on humans. Other alien life forms, monsters, gods and demigods, as well as magic, insanity, and war are all elements in these books. Some parents may find the violence, magic and supernatural elements of the games inappropriate for young readers/players. We suggest parental discretion. Please note that none of us at Palladium Books® condone or encourage the occult, the practice of magic, the use of drugs, or violence. Sample file The Rifter® Number 30 Your guide to the Palladium Megaverse®! 1 First Printing - April, 2005 Copyright 2005 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved, world wide, under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of char­ acters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental. Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, Coalition Wars®, RECON®, Nightbane®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, After the Bomb®, Phase World® and Megaverse® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. The slogan "A Megaverse of adventure - limited only by your imagination" and titles and names such as Rifts®: Promise of Power, Beyond the Supernatural, BTS-2, HU2, Splicers, Chaos Earth, NEMA, MercTown, Merc Ops, Tome Grotesque, Arcanum, Naruni, United Worlds of Warlock, Geofront, Mechanoid Space, Dinosaur Swamp, Arzno, Lazlo, Victor Lazlo, Lazlo Agency, Lazlo Society, Heroes Unlimited, Powers Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, A liens Unlimited, Mutant Under­ ground, The Nursery, Hardware Unlimited, Gadgets Unlimited, Three Galaxies, Void Runners, Gramercy Island, Skraypers, Atorian Empire, Wormwood, Land of the Damned, The Citadel, Wolfen Wars, Wolfen, Wulfen, Cosmo-Knights, Cyber-Knight, Dragonlands, Triax, Gargoyle Empire, Free Quebec, Xiticix Invasion, Fadetown, Hammer of the Forge, Siege On Tolkeen, Psyscape, Dweomer, ARCHIE-3, Northern Gun, Coalition States, Erin Tarn, Emperor Prosek, Splugorth, Splynncryth, Mega-Damage, Skelebot, SAMAS, Glitter Boy, Dog Boys, Dog Pack, Techno-Wizard, Ley Line Walker, Shifter, Bio-Wizardry, Psi-Stalker, Brodkil, Juicer, Crazy, 'Burbs, 'Borg, 'Bot, D-Bee, Chi-Town, Triax, NGR, and other names, titles,Sample slogans, and likenesses of characters are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladiumfile Books Jnc. Palladium Online www.palladiumbooks.com The Rifter® #30 RPG sourcebook series is published by Palladium Books Inc., 12455 Universal Drive, Taylor, MI 48180. Printed in the USA. 2 Palladium Books® Presents: THE #30 Sourcebook and guide to the Palladium Megaverse® Coordinator & Editor in Chief: Wayne Smith Editor: Alex Marciniszyn Contributing Writers: Interior Artists: Josh Blackwell Kent Buries Samson Blackwell Drunken Style Studio (DSS) James M.G. Cannon Brandon C. Clark (DSS) Levi Johnstone Mark Dudley (DDS) Chris Kluge Allen Manning John C. Philpott Brian Manning Kevin Siembieda Apollo Okamura Josh Sinsapaugh Jeff Russell Ryan Stegman (DSS) Proofreader: Julius Rosenstein Chuck Walton (DSS) and other Palladium Madmen Cover Illustration: John Zeleznik Cover Logo Design: Steve Edwards Credits Page Logo: Niklas Brandt Typesetting: Wayne Smith Based on the RPG rules, characters, Keylining:Sample Kevin Siembieda concepts and Megaverse® created file by Kevin Siembieda. Special Thanks to all our contributors, writers and artists - and a special welcome on board to the artists and writers making their debut in this issue. Our apologies to anybody who got accidentally left out or their name misspelled. 3 Contents The Rifter® #30 - April, 2005 Page 6 - Art - Jeff Russell Page 11 - Coming Attractions This trio of hideous beings are just a few of the horrors Get the insider perspective on upcoming projects like Tome awaiting you in Tome Grotesque™, the first big sourcebook Grotesques™ and Arcanum™ for Beyond the Supernatu­ for Beyond the Supernatural™, Second Edition. The art is by rarrM , Second Edition as well as the series of mercenary books a Canadian, Jeff Russell, whose dynamic artwork, along with coming out for Rifts®, and Rifts® Ultimate Edition, an ex­ Michael Dubisch and Brandon C. Clark, fill the book. panded and rewritten, updated edition of the Rifts® RPG. (The Jeffs story may be of interest to you budding young artists pencil sketch is the concept drawing for one of the double-page, out there. You see, this is Jeffs first professional job. This tal­ color end sheets being created by John Zeleznik.) Villains Un­ ented young artist has dabbled with drawing for his own fun and limited™ for HU2 is back in print (with 16 pages of new mate­ pleasure for years, but he hadn't ever submitted his artwork to rial) after a two year hiatus, and Rifts® Pantheons of the anyone for publication. Being a looong time fan of Palladium Megaverse® is back after seven years! Our entire (tentative) re­ Books, Jeff finally decided to send some samples of his art over lease schedule is found on page IS . for our consideration. Perhaps needless to say, Kevin Siembieda took one look at the outstanding quality, originality and detail Page 16 - A Cut Above and shouted, "Quick, hire this guy before someone else snaps him up!" And we did. Optional Rules for ALL Palladium Games Now Jeffs story is not a typical one and his level of skill is This comprehensive offering of optional rules and rules mod­ unusually high, so don't every one of you artists out there think ifications for Palladium's Megaversal Game System is not for you'll get hired your first try out the door. The point is, if Jeff everyone, but you detail rules freaks will go crazy over it! Plus hadn't taken that first, difficult step (it's scary putting yourself there's probably something that almost everyone will find in­ out there for rejection), he'd never have gotten hired. Now he's triguing, desirable, and useful or thought provoking. Madmen drawing monsters and creepy stuff for Palladium. With a little Levi Johnstone & John C. Philpott have really given this a lot of luck, you'll be seeing this talented gent's artwork for years to thought and present a number of interesting ideas and game me­ come. chanics for implementing them into your Palladium games - if you want to. Page 7 - From the Desk of Kevin Siem bieda Page 17 - Superstars: Characters of phenomenal skill and ability. Birthday Boy, Kevin, gets a little retrospective and personal Page 20 - New, Specialized Advanced Skills begin. as he gushes about the exciting projects Palladium has in store Page 27 - New Magic Skills. for our fans and gamers at large. Part of this is brought about by the Nokia videogame which, as it nears completion, looks fabu­ Page 30 - Focused Magic. lous and is getting us all pumped up. The other part comes from Page 3 I - Arcomi - new mystic martial art for Rifts® (op­ the creative dynamics and aura of excitement that is building tional). and building among the people at Palladium . Led by Kevin Page 33 - Further Custom izing Your Character. Siembieda, freelance writers and artists, along with the entire Page 35 - New Optional Rules for Weapons, Combat & Palladium staff, are boiling with bold, new ideas and new Stealth. heights of enthusiasm. Beyond the Supernatural™, Second Page 44 - Additional Missile Weapon Combat Modifiers. Edition and its supplements, is one set of books that exemplify Page 45 -M .D.C. Armor Pass-Through Damage. this creative energy, so is Rifts® Ultimate Edition and virtually Artwork is by the incomparable Kent Buries. everything on Palladium's drawing board. The start ofa new era of cutting edge RPGs and epic fun . Spread the word. Page 47 - SplicersTM Page 8 - Palladium News New War Mounts Rifts® Promise of Power™ read all about it (and then head Chris Kluge presents a host of very cool and fun War Mounts right on over to the website and see glimpses for yourself; for the SplicersTM RPG, including the Abomination, Black www.rifts-promiseofpower.com). Hey, come on down to Gen Talon War Hawk, Tunnel Rats, and others. Plus some Hook, Con Indy and a number of other conventions to meet and game Line & Sinker™ adventures. An excellent addition to any with Kevin Siembieda and other Palladium creators and pals. SplicersTM campaign. It's all laidSample out for you on page 9. Artwork is by the artists offile Drunken Style Studio. Page 10 - National Games Week Page 68 - Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Have you heard of National Games Week? No? Well, we Blue Zone Demons present the lowdown way in advance so you and your favorite Josh Sinsapaugh presents a horde of new, compelling de­ stores can be part of the excitement this November. mons to add to your Chaos Earth™ or Rifts® campaigns. The 4 Demon Plague continues to spew wicked and terrible monstrosi­ Rifts® Mere Ops, inside Rifts® Ultimate Edition and on other ties against the already embattled people of Chaos Earth™. This covers coming in the future. is just the most recent in a continuing stream of horrors. Five Lesser Demons and three Greater Demons. Optional and Unofficial Rules & Source Material Artwork by the demonically talented Apollo Okamura. Please note that most of the material presented in The Rifter® is "unofficial" or "optional" rules and source material. Page 83 - Rifts® They are alternative ideas, homespun adventures and material Candle Magic mostly created by fellow gamers and fans Iike you, the reader. Things one can elect to include in one 's own campaign or sim­ Samson & Josh Blackwell offer a new and strange type of ply enjoy reading about.