damage to supernatural creatures

[Ruaryvash]

given how long I've been playing Palladium, I feel a little embarrassed to be asking this kind of question, but it's driving me crazy so here goes:

Until recently, I had always assumed damage was damage, regardless of who it was being dealt by, and dealt to, unless specifically stated in descriptions (i.e., certain creatures immune to fire, certain creatures receive double damage from holy weapons, etc.). But in writing up a campaign that leans heavily on Chantico, I noticed some wording that made me rethink this. Specifically, his vulnerabilities and weaknesses section states:

Chantico is so weakened as a god that ordinary physical attacks can actually do him harm (1/2 damage). He is also vulnerable to weapons plated in silver and Holy Weapons (double damage for those that have extra effects on evil or the supernatural). On the other hand, silver weapons and rune weapons only do ordinary damage to Chantico, as if he were an ordinary mortal. Magic and psionics have full effect and do full damage.

ignoring the confusingly redundant statement about silver weapons, my issue is with the first sentence. Because Chantico is weak, ordinary weapons can harm him. does this mean that a full strength god or other supernatural creatures (like ancient dragons) do not, normally, take damage from regular (non magic, non holy, non rune) run-of-forge weapons?? That's what it seems to imply but I cannot substantiate this anywhere else in the texts, nor in the forums. please help!

[Alrik Vas]

It's drivel. Honestly. In some cases, certain settings, it might apply to him being harmed by non-magic MDC weapons. Though most Gods are vulnerable to them anyway. It's just a silly statement. I've never seen any kind of general statement that makes Gods by their nature as Gods, immune to normal weapons unless they were being counted as MDC and someone was hitting them with an SDC weapon. That isn't specifically because they're a God though.

[Ruaryvash]

Thanks Vas. I'll give it a few more days for additional replies if they are out there. Otherwise I'm glad to know I haven't missed something critical

[drewkitty ~..~]

It is an easter egg due to there is no other text that it counters. So is just flavor text GMs can use to modify the rules for their games.
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I would agree that the implications are that PB deities cannot be harmed by mundane/non-mystic weapons.
However!, There is no specific text that says that, covering all deities.
And, because they are MDC in MDC settings this immunity would also hold true for MD weapons.

And that silver, Holy, and Rune weapons do full damage to Chantico implies that PB Deities have a resistance to these weapons if they are not critically weakened.
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Taking it a step further, it does seam to mean that if Demigods and Godlings get themselves a modicum of followers they gain some immunities to those at the level of Chantico.
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Another question comes to mind for GMs to answer for their own games, "Do particle beam weapons harm deities (assuming they have the above implied immunities) like they do invulnerable (superpower) chars?"


Far as I could see there is no Canon Answer to these question. Thus GMs will have to make their own choices for their games.

[eliakon]

My guess?
it is an example of something that failed to get edited out. I.e. I would guess that in the original draft of the book gods were immune to damage except from certain sources (probably magic, magic weapons, holy weapons and psionics with some sort of damage boost for rune weapons.)
When this feature was removed they forgot to remove the Chantico text referencing it.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Actually, a lot of gods are listed as being immune to normal weapons but not Mega Damage weapons in Rifts. It's not common to all deities, but a lot of them. it definatly does not apply to all supernatural beings, I don't know why you would make that leap.

[Ruaryvash]

Great info all. Thanks. I'm satisfied with these answers.

[Axelmania]

Maybe it means Chantico used to have a unique deific immunity to normal weapons which other gods lacked. His "weakened as a god that" disclaimer might be in respect to his former self rather than to a state which other gods enjoy. Perhaps he had the major super power Invulnerability and Thoth negated it.