Running a Rifts Game

[wulf06]

I'm planning on a Rifts game I have many D&D games but still will be my First Rifts game how is the best way to set up enemies for the players to fight? Any input would be a help.

[darthauthor]

I'm planning on a Rifts game I have many D&D games but still will be my First Rifts game how is the best way to set up enemies for the players to fight? Any input would be a help.

Good Day,

Enemies and obstacles are a part of the adventure.

Workout the story ahead of time, what the players are after. Money or something is usually the motivation but means an adventure job.

At various points in the adventure the players will have adversaries or competitors who will want to take the prize or take it from the player characters.

The key points of the preparation are when and where the players will meet their advesaries how they will detect each other. What is left is the combat. So know who gets how many attacks, with what weapons and how much damage they do.

Typical bad guys in Rifts are theives with guns and the CS troopers (like Star Wars storm-troopers). There are more exotic villains with magical powers but since its your first game i'd keep it simple.

[killgore444]

I'm planning on a Rifts game I have many D&D games but still will be my First Rifts game how is the best way to set up enemies for the players to fight? Any input would be a help.

How much do the PLAYERS know about Rifts and what's your starting point?
As the GM you should let your players know where they will be starting (CS Lone Star, Merctown, Chi-town burbs etc). This will give them a basis for what characters are going to be allowed and what you're thinking.

Even telling them that your characters are newly arrived and have no knowledge of RE would help them (but expect a lot of them to take characters from games like HU, NB and Splicers unless you put in limits).

Now, if your group is new to the palladium system and knows next to nothing about the game, that makes it both easier and harder on you. Easier since you can easily restrict their choices, harder in that ALL the prep work must be done by you. If they all know the game, then simply listening to them speak during the character creation time will allow you to know what type of game they're thinking about and what their plans are. That cuts out a LOT of prep work and decision making. If they all start making CS soldiers, they're probably not interested in playing Duscon stooges.

[Devjannz]

Since it is your first time running and their first time playing I would keep things simple:

1.) Restrict character choices to what is in the Main Book so that players do not feel overwhelmed.
2.) A lot of the same tropes that exist in D&D can be used here as well (meeting in a bar, being part of an adventuring team, etc). Just tailor them to the setting.
3.) Limit the amount of Magic and Psionic classes that can be until they have a better understanding of how they both work (to be honest, for me, I would only allow the Mystic at first as it is a fairly simple class that can introduce both to a player).
4.) Keep your starting idea simple as well. Don't try to throw them into a big story line right away. Figure out where you want them to start (as in the area) and then read up on that area and put together some encounters with things in the area. And look up what real world things are in that area and see if there is a way to bring them in to the adventure as a setting (I had a group come across a decommissioned Missile Silo that had been turned into a Tourist attraction before the coming of the RIFTS and there was a group of bandits using it as a hideout).

Overall just have fun