One night in Russia makes a hard GM humble...

[Nac87]

Yo so my table gang wants to play Rifts in the Russia setting (somewhat arbitrarily), now I have only run games in select parts of North America (books providing) also one should note that I sold all of my Rifts books (and other RPG books) to help a friend in his cancer battle. So my question is this gang: If I was going to run a game set in RIFTS Russia with characters from there what books/publications should I buy (other than the core duh) to provide me with all the setting stuff and any gear/creatures/robots etc. that would reasonably be there (like I am sure a gun from the New Navy could be there for example but to me it would be to rare to bother getting the ocean book), also anyone who knows if there is Russia/Eastern Europe stuff in any of the Rifters I wouldn't turn down that info either. Thanks in advance .

[eliakon]

Yo so my table gang wants to play Rifts in the Russia setting (somewhat arbitrarily), now I have only run games in select parts of North America (books providing) also one should note that I sold all of my Rifts books (and other RPG books) to help a friend in his cancer battle. So my question is this gang: If I was going to run a game set in RIFTS Russia with characters from there what books/publications should I buy (other than the core duh) to provide me with all the setting stuff and any gear/creatures/robots etc. that would reasonably be there (like I am sure a gun from the New Navy could be there for example but to me it would be to rare to bother getting the ocean book), also anyone who knows if there is Russia/Eastern Europe stuff in any of the Rifters I wouldn't turn down that info either. Thanks in advance .

RUE
Warlords of Russia
Mystic Russia
Bionics Source Book (The warlords are HUGE on bionics, you will want this book)
GMs Guide (VAST amounts of gear, skills, psionics, vehicles... basically all the hard stuff besides background from most of the first few dozen worldbooks)

Those will have 99% of everything you will want to play
If you are getting a few more books I would highly recommend
Book of Magic (it has a lot more spells, and will diversify your options)
Rifter #6 (you can get a PDF on line from DriveThru) has official stats for Russian Gods which may, or may not be useful to you.
Mindworks, Triax 1& 2, China 1&2 all help as they are neighbors and thus provide you with "what the locals are and what they are doing"
Heroes of Humanity. (Yes, I'm serious. The AT programs are just the sort of thing that professional military forces... like the Sovietsky, the NGR and some of the more organized Warlords would have. And it would go a long way to make those terrifying Warlords and their troops even more terrifying...dooooo eeeettt)

[drewkitty ~..~]

RWB 17 & 18 Direct regional books

For classes from other books said to be in russia (that normal list of classes referencing classes in other books.)
mercs
new west
CSWC
Triax
Japan (if non-triax GBpilot)
mindwerks
psyscape/africa (for the mindbleeder RCC)

me adding other book to the list cause it was published after WB17.
Triax 2
Rifts china 1&2

[Natasha]

Depending on the type of game you play and how close you stick to the source material, you could take other source material and give it a Russian flavour. For instance, Techno-Wizards are basically a North American class, but you could put a Russian twist on the class -- TW has developed somewhat independently in the mineral rich Ural mountains, say, where the TWs there tend to make the kind of bulky stuff typical among the Warlords. Lots of faeries in the vast forests and mires. These sorts of things.

[Nac87]

Thanks this is a big help

[Killer Cyborg]

Please have a chess tournament be part of this.

[Glistam]

Please have a chess tournament be part of this.

I could see finding a god in every golden cloister, too.

[glitterboy2098]

Depending on the type of game you play and how close you stick to the source material, you could take other source material and give it a Russian flavour. For instance, Techno-Wizards are basically a North American class, but you could put a Russian twist on the class -- TW has developed somewhat independently in the mineral rich Ural mountains, say, where the TWs there tend to make the kind of bulky stuff typical among the Warlords. Lots of faeries in the vast forests and mires. These sorts of things.

they already have the Mystic Kuznya for magic item creation, so i think TW isn't really needed. besides, cross pollination like that can dilute the flavor of the setting.

one book worth bringing up is the upcoming Rifts:Sovietski sourcebook, which provides a ton of additional information on one of the most powerful factions in russia, and expands on the setting quite a bit, both in terms of additional information, additional locations (including a very neat system to create pre-rifts bunkers), and additional gear.

[Natasha]

Depending on the type of game you play and how close you stick to the source material, you could take other source material and give it a Russian flavour. For instance, Techno-Wizards are basically a North American class, but you could put a Russian twist on the class -- TW has developed somewhat independently in the mineral rich Ural mountains, say, where the TWs there tend to make the kind of bulky stuff typical among the Warlords. Lots of faeries in the vast forests and mires. These sorts of things.

they already have the Mystic Kuznya for magic item creation, so i think TW isn't really needed. besides, cross pollination like that can dilute the flavor of the setting.

one book worth bringing up is the upcoming Rifts:Sovietski sourcebook, which provides a ton of additional information on one of the most powerful factions in russia, and expands on the setting quite a bit, both in terms of additional information, additional locations (including a very neat system to create pre-rifts bunkers), and additional gear.

Well, the kuznetsy are mega-damage skinned blacksmiths with SNPS and not much like the techno-wizards. One might desire to be able to exploit Russia's vast mineral deposits for more TW-like magic which is otherwise unavailable to Russian characters; whether or not the operational details dilute the flavour can be determined on a case by case basis according to personal preference, playstyle, the campaign, and other factors.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

For instance, Techno-Wizards are basically a North American class, .

This is one of those things that is stated in one place (RMB/RUE) and then immediately and completely invalidated in dozens of others.

Techno-Wizards are endemic to any setting where there is high-tech and magic. Three Galaxies has had them for tens or (possibly) hundreds of thousands of years. Same with the Splugorth. Atlanteans practiced Techno-Wizardry on earth in the past (so did Lemurians before advancing down a slightly alternate mix of tech and magic with their advanced Biomancy).

There are TWs in Europe, particularly in England and Tarnow.

There may not be a culture of TWs in Russia (as the Warlords would probably look askew at that, as they aren't particularly fond of magic users and dont like encouraging magic use amongst their citizens), but you dont even have to stretch to have a TW in a Russia-based campaign. Your back story can be "I'm from Poland. I went to Russia." Not like it's far away.

[Nac87]

Well I think my players will survive either way I haven't had one peep about anyone being a TW (I do have many other oddball requests, but eh), mostly after my players in my old game won the Coalition war, crushed Tolkeen, resolved the Quebec war, Nuked the Fed of Magic, and overthrew the Coalition with the aid of the Republicans and the New Navy I want some new scenery and so with the advice here I have put in my Christmas list in with Kevin and the gang so we will see what we get.

[Natasha]

For instance, Techno-Wizards are basically a North American class, .

This is one of those things that is stated in one place (RMB/RUE) and then immediately and completely invalidated in dozens of others.

Techno-Wizards are endemic to any setting where there is high-tech and magic. Three Galaxies has had them for tens or (possibly) hundreds of thousands of years. Same with the Splugorth. Atlanteans practiced Techno-Wizardry on earth in the past (so did Lemurians before advancing down a slightly alternate mix of tech and magic with their advanced Biomancy).

There are TWs in Europe, particularly in England and Tarnow.

There may not be a culture of TWs in Russia (as the Warlords would probably look askew at that, as they aren't particularly fond of magic users and dont like encouraging magic use amongst their citizens), but you dont even have to stretch to have a TW in a Russia-based campaign. Your back story can be "I'm from Poland. I went to Russia." Not like it's far away.

Catching up on the forums, so this is a little late.

There was more to my point than what you quoted. Still, I packed a number of conditions into "basically" perhaps too much and so to a fault.