Small Towns with a Local Guardian

[Marrowlight]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

[Jesterzzn]

From other books? None that I can think of. Doc Reid might be the closest thing to one that I can think of.

[Marrowlight]

From other books? None that I can think of. Doc Reid might be the closest thing to one that I can think of.

Yeah, ones from other books.

[Killer Cyborg]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

Single protector?
None.
SB2 has an adventure where there is a gang of local protectors (The Bad Cats) who go bad, but that's the closest I can think of.

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

[Marrowlight]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

Single protector?
None.
SB2 has an adventure where there is a gang of local protectors (The Bad Cats) who go bad, but that's the closest I can think of.

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

This goes hand in hand with the small city thread I had earlier - just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed one or two amidst all of the Rifts books.

[KLM]

Is SB1 there is that magicked borg Lord... But he has a militia too.
So, it might not count.

Adios
KLM

[sHaka]

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

Do you think that Rifts Earth is gone for good?

[Mech-Viper Prime]

Well there was that guy in SB1 lord Frommalaine

[Mech-Viper Prime]

I believe Mechanoids has a gang "protecting" a small town too. But I might be thinking of SB1.

That was SB2 the town thought they were hiring heroes and they turned out to be villians

[Ice Dragon]

Lord Formeltain (sp?) from Source Book 1.

The "Great Purple Mage" from SoT1.

That are the only ones that I can remember.

Other towns have a small militia or group of protectors like the Mage Star or the Colorado Baronies.

I still like the idea of the single champion defending the small wilderness town.

[glitterboy2098]

dinosaur swamp has serveral such towns listed.

[Killer Cyborg]

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

Do you think that Rifts Earth is gone for good?

Yes.

[Shadow Wyrm]

Lone Star WB 13. Orpheus the Titan, Lord Mayor of Houstown, is considered the towns protector.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

Single protector?
None.
SB2 has an adventure where there is a gang of local protectors (The Bad Cats) who go bad, but that's the closest I can think of.

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

Just because it hasn't been mentioned in other sourcebooks doesn't mean it has gone away. They don't usually detail Podunk villages and thus why they haven't been mentioned.

As far as I am concerned, Rifts has not strayed from where it was originally.

~ Josh

[Toc Rat]

Single protector?
None.
I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

I agree with KC that there are few to no towns with a "single Champion". Very much contrary to the blurbs given in the Rifts core book (ultimate or non) it seems a practical impossibility for any single "protector" to govern/protect a town. The romantisized notion given to us just doesn't work. Not even a Glitterboy could hope to stand alone against the many, many threats running amok on Rifts earth.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Single protector?
None.
I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

I agree with KC that there are few to no towns with a "single Champion". Very much contrary to the blurbs given in the Rifts core book (ultimate or non) it seems a practical impossibility for any single "protector" to govern/protect a town. The romantisized notion given to us just doesn't work. Not even a Glitterboy could hope to stand alone against the many, many threats running amok on Rifts earth.

Podunk Wilderness towns are written as having protectors....

....very few such towns are ever detailed (ggod, IMHO, that should be the providence of the GM)...

...hence why they can't be found in supplements. They're still there., though

Just because a book makes no mention of rain doesn't mean that it doesn't rain in the area that the book covers.

~ Josh

[Killer Cyborg]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

Single protector?
None.
SB2 has an adventure where there is a gang of local protectors (The Bad Cats) who go bad, but that's the closest I can think of.

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

Just because it hasn't been mentioned in other sourcebooks doesn't mean it has gone away. They don't usually detail Podunk villages and thus why they haven't been mentioned.

As far as I am concerned, Rifts has not strayed from where it was originally.

~ Josh

The Rifts Adventure Guide has rules for making various communities. The Weapons and Armor section has 6 possible levels, and every single level has the possibility of mega-damage weaponry.
At level 1, it's only a single weapon, so that's not too bad.
At level 2, the town has 2d4 MDC guns and a handful of militiamen will have light MDC armor.
At level 3, 10% of the population has mega-damage weapons, and the entire militia has MDC armor (as well as 1d4% of civilians).
MDC only gets more prolific from there.

This shifts things a bit from the main book portrayal of things, where a couple guys in MDC armor could take over a town unless there was a protector there, and where the majority of Kingdoms used champion/protectors.
Sure, Glitterboys and other heavy hitters can still make for good champions, but your average Headhunter would simply blend in with the local militia.

[Shorty Lickens]

Yup, with the way power scales in Rifts it would seem only a god or Alien Itelligence could protect a town. And they're not likely to do it.

[Marrowlight]

Hrm....almost makes you wish MDC beasts and gear was a touch rarer than it is.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

Single protector?
None.
SB2 has an adventure where there is a gang of local protectors (The Bad Cats) who go bad, but that's the closest I can think of.

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

Just because it hasn't been mentioned in other sourcebooks doesn't mean it has gone away. They don't usually detail Podunk villages and thus why they haven't been mentioned.

As far as I am concerned, Rifts has not strayed from where it was originally.

~ Josh

The Rifts Adventure Guide has rules for making various communities. The Weapons and Armor section has 6 possible levels, and every single level has the possibility of mega-damage weaponry.
At level 1, it's only a single weapon, so that's not too bad.
At level 2, the town has 2d4 MDC guns and a handful of militiamen will have light MDC armor.
At level 3, 10% of the population has mega-damage weapons, and the entire militia has MDC armor (as well as 1d4% of civilians).
MDC only gets more prolific from there.

This shifts things a bit from the main book portrayal of things, where a couple guys in MDC armor could take over a town unless there was a protector there, and where the majority of Kingdoms used champion/protectors.
Sure, Glitterboys and other heavy hitters can still make for good champions, but your average Headhunter would simply blend in with the local militia.

I never use those rules, I laughed when I first saw them in the Rifter, and never looked back.

~ Josh

[Killer Cyborg]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

Single protector?
None.
SB2 has an adventure where there is a gang of local protectors (The Bad Cats) who go bad, but that's the closest I can think of.

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

Just because it hasn't been mentioned in other sourcebooks doesn't mean it has gone away. They don't usually detail Podunk villages and thus why they haven't been mentioned.

As far as I am concerned, Rifts has not strayed from where it was originally.

~ Josh

The Rifts Adventure Guide has rules for making various communities. The Weapons and Armor section has 6 possible levels, and every single level has the possibility of mega-damage weaponry.
At level 1, it's only a single weapon, so that's not too bad.
At level 2, the town has 2d4 MDC guns and a handful of militiamen will have light MDC armor.
At level 3, 10% of the population has mega-damage weapons, and the entire militia has MDC armor (as well as 1d4% of civilians).
MDC only gets more prolific from there.

This shifts things a bit from the main book portrayal of things, where a couple guys in MDC armor could take over a town unless there was a protector there, and where the majority of Kingdoms used champion/protectors.
Sure, Glitterboys and other heavy hitters can still make for good champions, but your average Headhunter would simply blend in with the local militia.

I never use those rules, I laughed when I first saw them in the Rifter, and never looked back.

~ Josh

Sure, if we ignore the rules then things can stay just like in the main book.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

While, when I first read it in the MB, I thought this was an awesome idea it seems like it is never really mentioned much in the actual books of the game. How many example can you all think of of named small towns that have their champion protector?

Single protector?
None.
SB2 has an adventure where there is a gang of local protectors (The Bad Cats) who go bad, but that's the closest I can think of.

I also like that view of Rifts Earth, and I wish that we could go back to it.

Just because it hasn't been mentioned in other sourcebooks doesn't mean it has gone away. They don't usually detail Podunk villages and thus why they haven't been mentioned.

As far as I am concerned, Rifts has not strayed from where it was originally.

~ Josh

The Rifts Adventure Guide has rules for making various communities. The Weapons and Armor section has 6 possible levels, and every single level has the possibility of mega-damage weaponry.
At level 1, it's only a single weapon, so that's not too bad.
At level 2, the town has 2d4 MDC guns and a handful of militiamen will have light MDC armor.
At level 3, 10% of the population has mega-damage weapons, and the entire militia has MDC armor (as well as 1d4% of civilians).
MDC only gets more prolific from there.

This shifts things a bit from the main book portrayal of things, where a couple guys in MDC armor could take over a town unless there was a protector there, and where the majority of Kingdoms used champion/protectors.
Sure, Glitterboys and other heavy hitters can still make for good champions, but your average Headhunter would simply blend in with the local militia.

I never use those rules, I laughed when I first saw them in the Rifter, and never looked back.

~ Josh

Sure, if we ignore the rules then things can stay just like in the main book.

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

[Marrowlight]

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

[Killer Cyborg]

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

All rules are strictly optional.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

Technically.

But some things are inherently more optional than others, if that makes sense. You really don't have to use those creation rules...the same can be said about using H.P. or attributes...though which one could you do more easily without?

~ Josh

[Marrowlight]

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

Technically.

But some things are inherently more optional than others, if that makes sense. You really don't have to use those creation rules...the same can be said about using H.P. or attributes...though which one could you do more easily without?

~ Josh

Or, as in this discussion, dogs doing Mega damage.


actually that's another discussion, but they're all kinda blurring together tonight.


This discussion is about the small towns of the world. Here's my thought - it really doesn't feel right for the US anymore to me. But England is still ripe for the plucking and perhaps the ideal land for small towns and local champions.

[Killer Cyborg]

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

Technically.

But some things are inherently more optional than others, if that makes sense. You really don't have to use those creation rules...the same can be said about using H.P. or attributes...though which one could you do more easily without?

~ Josh

Not much difference, really.
HP don't matter unless you have more than 100 or you get hit by SDC damage.
Attributes don't really matter either, unless they're extraordinary or supernatural.

But it sure would be a boring game without any cities or towns.
Sure, you could make up your own cities and towns... but you could do the same with HP and attributes.
Heck, most people already have house rules for attribute generation.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

Technically.

But some things are inherently more optional than others, if that makes sense. You really don't have to use those creation rules...the same can be said about using H.P. or attributes...though which one could you do more easily without?

~ Josh

Or, as in this discussion, dogs doing Mega damage to the Supernatural.


actually that's another discussion, but they're all kinda blurring together tonight.

Heh...blurry...room spin...

Yeah, exactly, that's another good example. Certain rules you can be more easily omitted.

The Creation Rules (towns, Merc companies, etc.) however, have always been strictly optional.

~ Josh

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

Technically.

But some things are inherently more optional than others, if that makes sense. You really don't have to use those creation rules...the same can be said about using H.P. or attributes...though which one could you do more easily without?

~ Josh

Not much difference, really.
HP don't matter unless you have more than 100 or you get hit by SDC damage.
Attributes don't really matter either, unless they're extraordinary or supernatural.

But it sure would be a boring game without any cities or towns.
Sure, you could make up your own cities and towns... but you could do the same with HP and attributes.
Heck, most people already have house rules for attribute generation.

You missed the point.

If your character has no H.P. or S.D.C. and gets hit with an S.D.C. attack, how does one know when your character dies? If you need to roll under an M.E. attribute or M.E. attribute equivalent, how can you do so without such an attribution. Can be done, but it is a lot clunkier and harder than generating one's town from scrath without silly please-hold-my-hand rules. (Though for time-strapped GMs, I guess they can be a life saver)

~ Josh

[Killer Cyborg]

Not what I was saying.

Creation rules have always been strictly optional, you don't need them to make a town or a mercenary company, or a syndicate, etc. ((I do use the Merc, Syndicate and Traveling Show one's though)).

~ Josh

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

Technically.

But some things are inherently more optional than others, if that makes sense. You really don't have to use those creation rules...the same can be said about using H.P. or attributes...though which one could you do more easily without?

~ Josh

Not much difference, really.
HP don't matter unless you have more than 100 or you get hit by SDC damage.
Attributes don't really matter either, unless they're extraordinary or supernatural.

But it sure would be a boring game without any cities or towns.
Sure, you could make up your own cities and towns... but you could do the same with HP and attributes.
Heck, most people already have house rules for attribute generation.

You missed the point.

If your character has no H.P. or S.D.C. and gets hit with an S.D.C. attack, how does one know when your character dies?

Same way you know if a town gets destroyed if you don't use the rules for towns. You make it up.

If you need to roll under an M.E. attribute or M.E. attribute equivalent, how can you do so without such an attribution.

Give me an example of when this might happen.

Can be done, but it is a lot clunkier and harder than generating one's town from scrath without silly please-hold-my-hand rules. (Though for time-strapped GMs, I guess they can be a life saver)

~ Josh

1. All rules could be done from scratch.
2. The rules aren't just there to help GM's make towns, they're there to show what the communities of Rifts Earth are like.
And what they are like has changed since the main book.

[Killer Cyborg]

If you need to roll under an M.E. attribute or M.E. attribute equivalent, how can you do so without such an attribution.

Give me an example of when this might happen.

I have my players roll IQ checks all the time instead of perception checks for things like noticing the fact that a corpse has been lacerated vs. blown to bits with MDC weapons, or that there is a fold between MDC armor plating in the spider's skin (actually happened, and guess what, the Operator figured it out and killed a spider in one hit vs. the Headhunter with the Plasma Ejector taking three shots and darn near running out of ammo.)

Yes.
It can happen with house rules.

[Marrowlight]

If you need to roll under an M.E. attribute or M.E. attribute equivalent, how can you do so without such an attribution.

Give me an example of when this might happen.

I have my players roll IQ checks all the time instead of perception checks for things like noticing the fact that a corpse has been lacerated vs. blown to bits with MDC weapons, or that there is a fold between MDC armor plating in the spider's skin (actually happened, and guess what, the Operator figured it out and killed a spider in one hit vs. the Headhunter with the Plasma Ejector taking three shots and darn near running out of ammo.)

Hrm...not sure I agree with that. Perception is perception, IQ is IQ. I've known a lot of smart people who would walk into traffic if they didn't have friends around to protect them.

[Marrowlight]

but certainly they'd notice the color, make, model, and reason the car that hit them did more readily, and put these facts together in more intelligent ways than someone with a low IQ. A character with an IQ of 4 is probably not going to notice a distinction in the blasts left by different types of weapons, for instance. Just look at CSI, they're some smart cookies.

If someone has an IQ of 4 they prolly won't even recognize what a car is.

And yes, those are smart people - but what they do would be more skill checks under the palladium system than raw intelligence (and I'm sure some of them get bonuses to their IQ).

Things like that I'd still mostly leave to peception rolls however...and character background. Truth be told, as smart as I am, I don't know very much about cars and couldn't name half of the models on the market today. While I hate to say it should be a lore check (though an argument could possibly made that it should) details like that I'd leave up more to character background than stats.

[Fyrpower]

That guy from Lone Star, one of the Pecos warlords, think his name was Orpheus the Titan wasn't he originally a single protector?

[RainOfSteel]

I agree with KC that there are few to no towns with a "single Champion". Very much contrary to the blurbs given in the Rifts core book (ultimate or non) it seems a practical impossibility for any single "protector" to govern/protect a town. The romantisized notion given to us just doesn't work. Not even a Glitterboy could hope to stand alone against the many, many threats running amok on Rifts earth.

I will agree with the above completely.

However, there is the vague implication that some towns are protected by groups of champions.

[RainOfSteel]

Just because a book makes no mention of rain doesn't mean that it doesn't rain in the area that the book covers.

Hey man, no weather tables in Rifts equals no weather in Rifts.

[RainOfSteel]

Sure, if we ignore the rules then things can stay just like in the main book.

I presume you mean, "Ignore the rules after the first book."

[RainOfSteel]

Technically everything is optional though, yes?

No. Buying PB books in huge quantities does not appear to be optional. Resistance is futile. You will comply.