House Rules and General Stuff

[Sherwood]

This is just in case someone wants to run a Glitter Boy.


http://kitsune.addr.com/Rifts/Rifts-Equipment/Glitter_Boy_Boom_Gun_Rounds.htm


Glitter Boy Boom Gun Rounds:







By a careful examination of the Triax Glitter Boy drawing, the barrel width of the Boom Gun can be measured. The drawing is approximately 250 mm in height and the barrel of the boom gun in the drawing is 5 mm in width. The Triax book states that the Glitter Boy is 3 meters tall. Based on that, a barrel width of 60 mm width for the boom gun can be calculated. As well, 60 mm is a reasonable size for the weapon as well.


Laser Guided projectiles are available for Solid Slug, High Explosive, and Plasma rounds and give the round an addition +3 to strike. In Pre-Rifts times there were also G.P.S. (Global Positioning System) guided projectiles but with the elimination of most satellites, these are no longer effective. Warheads are too small for a full guidance system to be mounted in the projectile.


Boom Gun Rounds:

1. Flechette Round: Most common round used by Glitter Boys and has the advantage over solid slug of being more effective against fast moving targets such as flying power armors and aircraft. While they inflict less damage and have a shorter range, they have a +2 additional bonus to strike fast moving flying targets. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 11,000 feet (3,352.8 meters). Round cannot be fired indirectly 
   Mega-Damage: 3D6x10 
   Cost: 200 Credits per unguided round
   
2. Solid Slug: The round is a solid dart of ultra dense high strength materials that does massive damage to targets that it hits. Most often when used against heavy armor. Some Glitter Boy pilots prefer this round over the Flechette round due to its greater range, damage, and penetration. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 12,500 feet (3,810 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 22,000 feet (6,705.6 meters). 
   Mega-Damage: 3D6x10+30 (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration) 
   Cost: 200 Credits per round per unguided round and 400 Credits per guided round.
   
3. High Explosive: The boom gun round is fairly small and is limited on the amount of damage an explosive round can inflict but it can still be a very effective round 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 11,000 feet (3,352.8 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 22,000 feet (6,705.6 meters). 
   Mega-Damage: 6D6 with a blast radius of 12 feet (3.7 meters). 
   Cost: 250 Credits per round per unguided round and 450 Credits per guided round.
   
4. Plasma Rounds: Use a plasma warhead instead of a high explosive. Inflicts greater damage to a target but not as effective against heat resistant materials. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 11,000 feet (3,352.8 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 22,000 feet (6,705.6 meters). 
   Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 with a blast radius of 16 feet (4.9 meters) 
   Cost: 400 Credits per round per unguided round and 600 Credits per guided round.
   
5. Extended Range Solid Projectiles: Similar to standard Solid Slug rounds but have a lighter "round' and a rocket booster for increased range. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 28,000 feet (8,534.4 meters). 
   Mega-Damage: 3D4x10+20 (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration 
   Cost: 500 Credits per round per unguided round and 700 Credits per guided round.
   
6. Extended Range High Explosive: Similar to standard High Explosive rounds but have a reduced "warhead' and a rocket booster for increased range. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 28,000 feet (8,534.4 meters). 
   Mega-Damage: 4D6 with a blast radius of 8 feet (2.4 meters). 
   Cost: 550 Credits per round per unguided round and 750 Credits per guided round.
   
7. Extended Range Plasma Rounds: Similar to standard Plasma but have a reduced "warhead' and a rocket booster for increased range. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 28,000 feet (8,534.4 meters). 
   Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 with a blast radius of 12 feet (3.7 meters). 
   Cost: 600 Credits per round per unguided round and 800 Credits per guided round.
   
8. Smoke Rounds: Tear Smoke rounds come in a variety of different colors including grey, white, blue, and red. Smoke is both used for marking targets and for concealment. Gas rounds (Tear Gas, Nerve Gas, Knock Out Gas, ect.) have the same effective radius as smoke rounds. Smoke rounds are rarely guided. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 11,000 feet (3,352.8 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 22,000 feet (6,705.6 meters). 
   Mega-Damage: None, has an effect radius 20 feet (6.1 meters) 
   Cost: 150 Credits per round per unguided round and 750 Credits per guided round.
   
9. Anti-Vampire Flechette Rounds: An incredibly devastating round against vampires and is much like shotgun shells of the same style. The rounds are also extremely effective against Werewolves and other Were-beings. Several other creatures suffer damage from silver rounds as well. 
   Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 11,000 feet (3,352.8 meters). Round cannot be fired indirectly. 
   Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 MD per round to normal targets and 6D6x10 Hit Points to vampires and vampire intelligences. A flechette from the round will penetrate the heart of a vampire on a 18 through 20 on a normal shot and on a 15 through 20 for a called shot. 
   Cost: 800 Credits per round per unguided round
   
10. Anti-Vampire Explosive Rounds: These boom gun warheads are basically modified fragmentation warheads. The steel warhead casing is replaced by a silver sheet covered wood casing. Because the warhead is mostly wood, it is less expensive than might be expected. It has the standard explosive of a fragmentation warhead. When the warhead explodes, it throws shards of wood all over the blast radius and inflicts heavy damage against vampires. Roll a d 20 for every vampire within the blast radius. Any strike of a natural 18 to 20 means that a shard travels into the heart of the vampire. 
    Maximum Effective Range: Direct Fire Range of 11,000 feet (3,352.8 meters). With the help of the rangefinder, radar, and the computer, can fire rounds indirectly to 22,000 feet (6,705.6 meters). 
    Mega-Damage: 2D6 M.D.C. to Normal Targets and 1D6x10 HP/M.D.C. against vampires and other targets vulnerable to wooden weapons. Blast radius: 12 feet (3.7 meters). 
    Cost: 800 Credits per round per unguided round and 1000 Credits per guided round.
    

 

[Sherwood]

Here is a quick rundown of how combat works in the Palladium system for those that are new to the game.


Everyone has a number of attacks on their character sheet. Everyone has started out with 5. When you are in side your mecha, depending on what level you are, you will add to your number of attacks as shown in the MECT write up for that vehicle.


To start a fight, you roll a d20 for Initiative, and add any bonuses from your character sheet and mecha training. Highest number goes first, ties are possible. The order of battle will then be posted, and it will look like this:


18 - Bob <====


14 - Tom


8 - Matt


7 - Stanley


The arrow next to the name shows who's turn it is. We start off with attack number one, starting off with Bob. He declares his attack, and once more rolls a d20. A natural 1-4 is an automatic miss, no matter what your bonuses may bring it up to. A natural 20 is double damage.


18 - Bob [1]


14 - Tom [1]


8 - Matt <====


7 - Stanley


As each person makes their first attack, I mark off their action in brackets. When you are shot at with a direct fire weapon such as a laser or rail gun round, you have three options. First, take the hit. Never a good idea, but sometimes unavoidable. Second is to dodge. Unless your vehicle SPECIFICALLY says so, a dodge uses up one of your actions for the round. You then roll a d20 and add in your bonuses. If you roll higher than the strike roll of your enemy, you dodge. The way that looks on the Order of Battle is as follows:


18 - Bob [1]


14 - Tom [1]


8 - Matt [2]


7 - Stanley <====


This shows that Matt has been shot at, has dodged, and then gets his action for that round.


The third option you can try is a parry. The parry does not use up a melee action, and in a fistfight, will completely negate the damage. In your mecha, such as a Hover Tank or Alpha Fighter, if you make your parry roll, you choose which one of your two arms you want to take the damage. This protects your main body from attack.


Missiles are a little different. When someone shoots a volley of multiple missiles at you, you can try to dodge as long as you have less than 4 missiles flying at you. A volley of 4 or more cannot be dodged, but you have a different option available to you. You can try to shoot down the volley. If you are using a laser or other direct fire weapon, you declare your action, roll to hit (which uses up one of your actions, just like a dodge), and if you do enough damage to destroy the missile you may be lucky enough to wipe out the whole volley. With lasers or bullets, you have a 45% chance of having the explosion taking out the entire salvo. If you choose to fire a missile at a missile volley, the added explosive power raises the chances of taking out the whole shebang to 75%.


When firing missiles, you must declare how many missiles you are shooting. A missile will always be aimed at the target's main body. Only direct fire weapons can be aimed at a specific spot on a target.


After everyone has used up their attacks, that melee round is over and a new round begins.

 

[Sherwood]

P.P.E. Channeling, reprinted from the Best of the Rifter
This is the basic rule, and following sections outline special cases, examples, and clarifications. This section is all that you really need to use this optional spell casting system.
Instead of the purely time-based system found in Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural, and all other Palladium games, I developed (with much help from my players and the Palladium Bulletin Boards) a system called "P.P.E. Channeling." This determines the rate at which a magic focusing character can "channel" P.P.E. into casting a spell. Most mages can channel 5 P.P.E. per level of experience, per melee action.
Thus, it takes a first level character only one action to cast the spell Levitation (5 P.P.E.), one action to cast Blinding Flash ( I P.P.E.), two actions to cast Shadow Meld (10 P.P.E.), or three actions to cast Energy Disruption (12 P.P.E.). A third level character can channel up to 15 P.P.E. per action. So, he can cast Levitation, Blinding Flash, Energy Disruption, or any other spell with a P.P.E. cost of 15 or less in a single actlon. In two actions he can cast Invulnerability (25 P.P.E.) or Exorcism (30 P.P.E.). On the other hand, it will take the character ten actions to cast Summon Shadow Beast ( 140 P.P.E.).
Everything else stays the same. He cannot take other combat action while casting, and he must have enough P.P.E. available. The spell caster can be interrupted to negate his spell as normal, and rituals remain unchanged. Each spell cast uses at least one attack/action, regardless of how little P.P.E. it costs.

 

[Sherwood]

A few rules clarifications:


The Fencing skill states that it adds 1d6 damage to the weapon in hand.  This goes for both MDC and SDC weapons, and DOES apply to the Cyber Knight's Psi Sword. 


PSI Shield super psionic power can parry an energy blast/laser blast and other projectiles at an unmodified die roll at -3.  Normal shields and other stuff are still -8 on an unmodified die roll.


For skills that it seems like anyone could attempt, like climbing, prowl, and swimming, how do you determine a base chance of success for characters who have not learned them?


Answer: Attribute checks are the recommended method of determining success in these situations. Kevin Siembieda generally has the attribute equal the percent chance of success against a percentile roll.

 

[Sherwood]

Perception rules posted for your understanding.


To determine whether a character's perception finds something, the player must roll a d20.  Add in IQ bonuses (use the ME bonus table, but use IQ instead) and any OCC and RCC bonuses.  Also, characters get a +1 to Perception t levels 3, 9, and 15.  The Game Master then compares the roll to the table below:


Easy


Roll needed: 4+  Hearing a loud noise, finding a brightly colored object against a white background.


Moderate


Roll needed: 8+  Looking for somebody in a well-lit area; hearing a slight noise


Challenging


Roll needed: 14+  Looing for something in poor light; hearing something over a noisy background.


Difficult


Roll needed: 17+  Finding something in the dark; hearing a snake sliding over a carpet.

 

[Sherwood]

I am going to take a page from Pathfinder and let you increase one of your attributes by one every three levels. This can be used in addition to any physical skill increases you purchase,. If you raise your Iq, you get the increase to your skill percentiles as normal if your stat is above 16.

 

[Sherwood]

A new idea that you can give Psychie credit for: using a skill slot to buy up bonus Perception. Every OCC Related skill you spend will give you a +4 to your Perception; Secondary skills will give you a +2. Can be purchased more than once.