Rifts Conversion book-- do I need revised?

[tenknifefoot]

I was thinking about upgrading to the revised conversion book. Is there enough difference between 1st ed. and revised to justify having both? What are the major differences? (I read the description in the online catalog, but was hoping someone could help me out with specifics)

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Dr. Doom III]

No.

Less stuff in the new one.

[Dr. Doom III]

No.

Less stuff in the new one.

That seems counter-productive. What's the point, then?

Not sure.

They did cram some creatures from other books in there too. So if you have those books there's no reason to get it that I can fathom. Unless you're a completest.

[runebeo]

It nicely revised, but they left out all the angels & dragons completely. Then put elementals, demons, deevils, creatures from BTS in a Dark Conversion book with the undead from Palladium Fantasy along with most of the Nightbane creatures. Both book are nice to have, but the the Dark Conversion book is just packed with supernatural creatures, great for running a demonic campaign. They really should update the angels & dragons some time soon since the deevils and deevil got revised, maybe when a Rifts Lazlo book get done they'll get added in.

[Cybermancer]

The unrevised Conversion Book One plus Dark Conversions is the way to go.

[Sureshot]

The unrevised Conversion Book One plus Dark Conversions is the way to go.

Seconded. You also get the stats for running Robotech in Rifts. So stick with the older edition imo.

[Balabanto]

Quite frankly, I think the best thing to do is have both. It's not really about being a completist. It's about having the old sections updated with clearer language.

[Cybermancer]

There's nothing in the Revised Conversion book that is worth the extra money that you have to spend buying a second book. It is primarily a reprint with a lot of stuff cut out. I have both but if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have the revised book. You get more bang for your buck out of the original. If you're looking for even more conversion material, then Dark Conversions adds nicely to the original.

Unfortunately, the only place to get the original that I know of is used book stores.

Edit: Here's a complete run down of what each has and doesn't have compared to each other.

Original:
Clarifications on W.P.'s
-Rules for High Tech weapons
-Combat Range and rolls to strike
-Dodging and parrying energy weapons
-Combat sequence
-Combat Damage
-Optional Damage Rules
-W.P. Sharpshooter

S.D.C. and Combat
Random hit location tables
Robotech Conversions
Diabolist and Summoner
General Conversions for Magic Items
Witchery
Dragons!
Banshee
Boschala
Dybbuk
Dimensional Ghoul
Dar'ota
Poltergeist
Syphon Entity
Haunting Entity
Tectonic Entity
Possessing Entity
Gargoyles and Gurgoyles
Goqua
Grave Ghouls
Gremlins
Hell Hounds
Malignous
Mindolar
Sowki
Spider Demon
Were Beasts
Elemental Intelligences and Elementals
Spirits of Light
Supernatural Intelligences
Possession
A blurb on the Old Ones
Alu
Aquatics
Lasae
Nightmares
Shedium Baal-Rog
Demon Locusts
Demon Bull
Jinn
Magots
Night Owls
Raksasha
The four Demon Beetles
Succor-Bemoth
Belphegor of the Sulfur Pits
Abrasax the Insatiable
Modeus
Mictla
Deevils
Devilkins
Fenry
Fiends
Arch Fiends
Gorgon
Mephisto

Revised:
A new picture on pg 6
An introductory letter from Kevin Siembieda on pg 7
Combat Notes
-Number of "attacks" per melee
-Power Punch
-Pull Punch
-Disarm
-Grappling
-The Knockout
-Knock down
-Notes on Dodging
-Automatic Dodge and the -10 to dodge rule
-Pain Penalties
-Point Blank Damage

Minor Super Abilities
-Body Weapons
-Manipulate Kinetic Energy
-Power Channelling
-Super Human Strength
Major Super Abilities
-Adapt to Environment
-Alter Limbs
-Alter Physical Structure: All
-Bio Armor
-Bio Ghost
-Cloaking
-Control Radiation
-Copy Physical Structure
-Force Aura
-Immortality
-Sonic Absorbtion and Reflecting
-Spin at High Velocity
-Supernatural Strength
-Vibration

Martial Arts Powers as Psionic Abilities

Gosai
Quillback
Quorian
Vrill
Dead Moon Hag
Grogach
Hairy Jack
Will-O-The-Wisp
Angel Demon Serpent
Chig
Mucker
Sandwyrm
Shadow Stalker
Weirdwing

Dark Conversons has:

Supernatural Intelligences
Possession
A blurb on the Old Ones
Alu
Aquatics
Lasae
Nightmares
Shedium Baal-Rog
Demon Locusts
Demon Bull
Jinn
Magots
Night Owls
Raksasha
The four Demon Beetles
Succor-Bemoth
Belphegor of the Sulfur Pits
Abrasax the Insatiable
Modeus
Mictla
Deevils
Devilkins
Fenry
Fiends
Arch Fiends
Gorgon
Mephisto
Imps
The Beast
Horror
Pandemonium
Serpents
Deevil Wraiths
Sahtalus
The Thin Ones
Winter Storm Ice Demon
Aberrations
Blighters
Blood Wraiths
Bone Fiend
Evisceral
Festulent
Gravedigger
Harbringer
Jaliquette
Mortoii
Rawhead
Revenant
Sladka
Sleepwalker
Spell Magic Zombie
Voodoo Xombie
Banshee
Boschala
Dybbuk
Dimensional Ghoul
Dar'ota
Poltergeist
Syphon Entity
Haunting Entity
Tectonic Entity
Possessing Entity
Gargoyles and Gurgoyles
Goqua
Grave Ghouls
Gremlins
Hell Hounds
Malignous
Mindolar
Sowki
Spider Demon
Garkain
Werebeasts
Elemental Intelligences and Elementals
Conversions for all the Nightbane, Night Lords, Night Lord Minions, and other supernatural creatures found in Nightbane.

So basically, they took everything that was in the original, left out Dragons, divided up everything else and then added a few bits to fill in the two books. Of the two, Dark Conversions definitely got the lionshare of new material (as compared to the Original Conversion Book).

[The Galactus Kid]

There's nothing in the Revised Conversion book that is worth the extra money that you have to spend buying a second book. It is primarily a reprint with a lot of stuff cut out. I have both but if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have the revised book. You get more bang for your buck out of the original. If you're looking for even more conversion material, then Dark Conversions adds nicely to the original.

Unfortunately, the only place to get the original that I know of is used book stores.

I disagree. I think that the Revised conversion book adds a bunch of really cool things that I wouldn't have seen if i didn't have it, especially RIFTS stats for some things from other game lines. I agree with Balabanto in having both and Dark Conversions is really the way to go.

[Cybermancer]

If you don't mind paying for what is mostly reprinted material (the OP already has the original) then more power to you.

Others, such as myself do mind. So it basically boils down to the OP deciding if they want to spend the money on a new book based on what little new material there is.

[The Galactus Kid]

If you don't mind paying for what is mostly reprinted material (the OP already has the original) then more power to you.

Others, such as myself do mind. So it basically boils down to the OP deciding if they want to spend the money on a new book based on what little new material there is.

And I'm stating that I personally find the new material worth the price.

[Cybermancer]

And I've shown him what the new material is so he can decide for himself.

[tenknifefoot]

Thank you very much everyone for the advice. I've decided to wait 'till the open house, look at the revised, and decide then. The list of added creatures is intriguing, but it's disappointing that the Spirits of Light and Dragons were dropped. I always wanted a little more on the Spirits. Hopefully, as was stated above, we'll see them in a future supplement.