Trucker OCC

[taalismn]

Trucker OCC

“My rig’s my ship, the road my ocean!”
------Anonymous Trucker

“Out on the Road, you see just about anything and everything...I done seen deserts become jungles in the blink of the eye, rode the Ribbon to other worlds, hauled damned souls to hell, and carried them back out to heaven, once went across the puddle to do the Berlin to Krakow run through Brodkil territory with a few Polish comrades, even taken a wrong turn and wound up once in old pre-Rifts San Francisco ...I’ve seen and heard of Trucks that had no drivers but were livin’ breathen’ creatures themselves...known truckers who raised entire families on the road without ever once settin’ foot on the ground outside...known wizards who spelled their veheecles so they could fly or jump, even seen the King in a rhinestoned rig tankin’ up on petro outside Chi-Town! ...wait long enough and ANYTHING can happen on the Roads!”
------”Pappy Roadrage”, Freelance Trucker

“Hey, Officer Lardass, that makes what?...THREE hovercars you’ve trashed tryin’ to catch me? Don’tcha EVER get the message?”
“THAT’S LARGASSE, YOU BASTARD! ONCE I GET OUT FROM UNDER THIS MANURE I SWEAR I’LL GET YOUR SMUGGLING FILTHY GUNRUNNING NONHUMAN ASS IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO, JACK RABBIT!”
---CB radio exchange intercepted outside CS New Kenora

In the world of Rifts Earth, most people have no desire to travel beyond the relatively secure and known boundaries of their home region/town/county....beyond obviously limiting communications between communities, this fear and reluctance has also engendered a “make-do” attitude in villages and towns. The lack of various goods and materials, so readily available through nation-wide transportation networks in the pre-Rifts era, has contributed to the general poverty and squalor of most communities.
Yet, inevitably, the disparate communities and nation-states of Rifts Earth will reach out to each other, to form stable unions, or large trading blocs, or, in the case of large corporations, distribution networks. What is needed then, is not the random adventurer, or wilderness scout, or wandering warrior band, but a dedicated class of merchant-adventurers, brave enough to venture beyond their familiar digs and not be phazed by what they may encounter, self-reliant enough to survive in the field, and blasé enough about the work to consider it routine. These individuals don’t blaze trails, but tramp down already blazed ones. they don’t go seeking high adventure, but it seems to follow them. They aren’t out to save the world, but they are slowly and steadily doing so, with every load of California citrus they bring East, every load of steel they carry back, every bushel of wheat they truck into the urban complexes, every shipment of guns and computers they take back out to the farmland villages. They are the Truckers.
Truckers often have a freedom of movement that few other travelers enjoy; often working a circuit of communities that rely on them for regular commerce. Where strangers are greeted with pointed weapons and hostile looks, Truckers are often greeted with open arms and a warm meal. Even many CS communities and regional authorities will look the other way, even in the case of D-bee Truckers, since they often can get much-needed goods to outlying towns and cities without the need for costly and attention-attracting military escorts.
Truckers are part Operator, part Gypsy, part Wilderness Scout. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and even races; farm boys and girls venturing far from home, corporate-trained transport experts, Earndroth rogues with a chip on their shoulders, Elves out to spread the Mystic Word and make some bucks, freewheeling sociopaths who like the solitude, hopeless sociophiles who love seeing new places, heroes and bandits who like feeling the wheel in their tentacles and the pedal under their feet. They wind up learning a little bit of everything so they can make do on the lonely road, or make small talk with whoever they meet. Truckers can be paladins in an eighteen wheeler, or ruthless mercenaries out to run anyone who crosses them off the road, and they often keep company as outrageous as themselves.

Alignments: Any
Racial Restrictions: None; just a love of the road
OCC Skills:
Language: Native 98%
Literacy: Native 95%
Language(Two of choice: +10%)
Radio: Basic(+15%)
Barter(+18%)
Pilot Automobile(+20%)
Pilot: Trucks(+20%)
Pilot: Three vehicles of choice(+10%)(-10% to aircraft, no Spacecraft)
Automotive Mechanics(+15%)
Jury-Rig(+10%)
Land Navigation(+15%)
2 Weapons Proficiencies of choice
Hand to Hand: Basic---May be upgraded to expert for one ‘other’ skill, or martial arts, for two skill selections

Lore: Roadwise---This is much like the ‘Contacts’ skill in MIO in that it means that the Trucker is familiar in passing with many of the vagaries of the road, dangers and colorful characters along the better travelled routes, and some of the more illustrious personalities cruising the traderoads and yakkin’ on the airwaves. Truckers will be able to recognize callsigns and rigs of fellow truckers, can point out ‘safehouses’ and familiar traveller rest stops/garages, best places to get a cheap meal, good repairs, or fair price, and might even tell who some of the police officers are in the larger towns, as well as their attitudes and tactics concerning traders. Base Skill 45% +5% per level of experience; -5% per year that the Trucker doesn’t take a given route.
The Trucker may also attempt to identify the authenticity of a fellow Trucker’s radio calls, by their familiarity with their operating procedures and attitudes; 30% base + 2% per level of experience. Since many bandits and less scrupulous governments(including the CS) often attempt to lure caravans with false radio calls, this is a particularly useful skill to have.

Other Skills:
Select 8 “Other” Skills, plus two at level three, one at level nine, and one at level twelve.
Communications: Any(+10% to radio skills and Languages)
Domestic: Any(+5%)
Electrical: Basic only
Espionage: None, except Forgery(+5%)
Mechanical: Any (+6%)
Medical: First Aid, Holistic Medicine and Paramedic only(+5%, the latter counts as two selections)
Military: Camouflage(+5%) and Demolitions only
Physical: Any
Pilot: Any, except Spacecraft
Pilot Related: Any(+5%)
Rogue: Any( +5% to Gambling, +10% to Find Contraband)
Science: Math Basic only
Technical: Any(+10% to Appraise Goods , Salvage, and Lore)
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: Any
Secondary Skills:
Select 4 skills without benefit of any of the bonuses above, and subject to restrictions of same.

Experience Table: Use XP table for Vagabond Scout

Standard Equipment/Possessions: A cargo-carrying ground vehicle of choice, with 1d4 modest modifications of choice, CB radio, tool kit, first aid kit, food and water rations for two weeks, 100 feet of rope or chain, binoculars, set of road maps and charts, compass(and astrolab for sun sightings), weapons for each WP, plus 1d4 extra clips for ranged/modern weapons

Money/Savings: Most of a Trucker’s money goes into their vehicles, but they do manage to squirrel away modest savings of 3d4x100 credits, and 2d4x1,000 credits in black market items

Cybernetics/Bionics: Depends on the individual......some Truckers shun any form of augmentation, while others can’t live without a concealed cyberweapon, enhanced senses, driver interface, or rig-lifting jack-arm. Some Truckers go so far as to wire themselves completely into their machines, and there are even reports of full-conversion Truckers who are essentially disembodied brains hooked up to multi-ton vehicular bodies.

[killgore444]

First, as a professional Truck driver, I found this both Heartening, and rather humorously done.
So thank you.

That having been said however, there are numerous reasons the Truck Driving profession wouldn't work like this in the world of Rifts.
The most blatant of these is that Trucking requires a STABLE government, or group of governments like the EU. Even if they're not allies, they can't be enemies (imagine trying to do a load between Ukraine and Russia right now). And normal, everyday mortal foes consisting of border guards are quite bad and deadly enough, add in all the monsters that have shown up from rifts (see Rifts Bestiary and D-Bees's of North America as not even close to an exhaustive list), and being a solo, cross-country truck driver is rather an idiotic profession to try and get into. Juicers at least have a CHANCE of surviving, the truck driver does not.

He would be targeted by monsters and monstrous d-bee's as well as monstrous humans (bandits and road-pirates exist in the real world). You would need 3 or 4 people per truck operating in convoys of at least a dozen. At that point, you're a Merchant convoy of old with a modern twist rather than a convoy of truckers delivering a load. Even in modern day trucking, there is still an element of this.

At least on Rifts Earth.
In the 3 Galaxies, I can see it much easier. In the Dragonstar setting for D&D3rd ed, there was the interplanitary highway that connected all of the major worlds in the Dragon Empire via permanent teleportation gates on a massive highway loop. I can easily see the CCW or the UWW doing something similar, although considering how bad interstate and state regulation compliance can be, I can't imagine how horrid it would be between worlds. For this though, the OCC you describe would be perfect.

It gets even worse between dimensions, although I do admit I've had multi-dimensional relations that featured commerce between them in the past (more so in HU than Rifts for some reason ). In D&D, I've twice played in groups that opened up a trading company that used teleportation to trade between the surface and the deep underdark and in another game to trade between the Forgotten Realms and Kara Tur, bypassing the Silk Road. I never delved into Truck Driving as a separate OCC, to me it was just a profession that required you to know a few specific skills. In HU, there is even a skill program for it.

Trucker OCC

“Out on the Road, you see just about anything and everything...I done seen deserts become jungles in the blink of the eye, rode the Ribbon to other worlds, hauled damned souls to hell, and carried them back out to heaven, once went across the puddle to do the Berlin to Krakow run through Brodkil territory with a few Polish comrades, even taken a wrong turn and wound up once in old pre-Rifts San Francisco ...I’ve seen and heard of Trucks that had no drivers but were livin’ breathen’ creatures themselves...known truckers who raised entire families on the road without ever once settin’ foot on the ground outside...known wizards who spelled their veheecles so they could fly or jump, even seen the King in a rhinestoned rig tankin’ up on petro outside Chi-Town! ...wait long enough and ANYTHING can happen on the Roads!”
------”Pappy Roadrage”, Freelance Trucker

Really???
I get the idea of hyperbole, but come on, even CSI did a better version of truck drivers, and the IOOAoA tried to sue them over their portrayal of truckers (thrown out sure, but they still tried).

“Hey, Officer Lardass, that makes what?...THREE hovercars you’ve trashed tryin’ to catch me? Don’tcha EVER get the message?”
“THAT’S LARGASSE, YOU BASTARD! ONCE I GET OUT FROM UNDER THIS MANURE I SWEAR I’LL GET YOUR SMUGGLING FILTHY GUNRUNNING NONHUMAN ASS IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO, JACK RABBIT!”
---CB radio exchange intercepted outside CS New Kenora

Why doesn't the cop just use his radio and call for assistance from other LEOs? Unless he's the only cop in an entire nation, he can get assistance. And if he IS the only cop, why the hell are the people in his nation/town allowing him to try and disrupt trade and/or **** of neighboring nations?

Yet, inevitably, the disparate communities and nation-states of Rifts Earth will reach out to each other, to form stable unions, or large trading blocs, or, in the case of large corporations, distribution networks. What is needed then, is not the random adventurer, or wilderness scout, or wandering warrior band,

What this needs is STABLE governments who are able and WILLING to build and maintain roads. Otherwise you need bands of armed merchants using off-road vehicles with hired mercenaries and adventurers acting as hired guards.

Truckers often have a freedom of movement that few other travelers enjoy; often working a circuit of communities that rely on them for regular commerce.

If the community relies on them for regular commerce, they don't enjoy freedom of movement, but are, like real world drivers, bound to set schedules and load quotas.

Where strangers are greeted with pointed weapons and hostile looks, Truckers are often greeted with open arms and a warm meal.

WE really aren't. And I don't see this as getting better in a post apocalyptic setting either. I've been greeted by attempts to screw me out of payments, overcharging for (already higher for trucks) tolls, and passing the blame for damaged merchandise on to me, to outright theft and on 2 separate occasions, attempts to murder me. That's in the real world. In a society like that described in Rifts Earth, where often times, such behavior is perfectly legal, your chance to get the load through without at least a dozen people is virtually nil. Not unless it's small enough to fit onto a hoverbike.

The CS and Triax relies on armed convoys for short-haul, and aerial vehicles for long-haul. Everyone else relies on magic.

Even many CS communities and regional authorities will look the other way, even in the case of D-bee Truckers, since they often can get much-needed goods to outlying towns and cities without the need for costly and attention-attracting military escorts.

That directly contradicts the canon portrayals of the CS from the books. They would much rather their people do without than be dependent on d-bee's.

The class itself isn't bad, and in the scenarios I laid out above, I'd not hesitate to allow it for a solo game. But for a non-solo campaign, or on Rifts Earth, I just don't see it.

[taalismn]

Thank you, killgore444, for the very well-informed critique.
Yeah, not a very serious foray into post-apocalyptic commerce on my part, I admit, and the police officer in the fluff, I also admit, owed more to the 'Smokey and the Bandit' movies(which I hated) and 'Road Runner' cartoons than any realistic scenario.

[killgore444]

Thank you, killgore444, for the very well-informed critique.
Yeah, not a very serious foray into post-apocalyptic commerce on my part, I admit, and the police officer in the fluff, I also admit, owed more to the 'Smokey and the Bandit' movies(which I hated) and 'Road Runner' cartoons than any realistic scenario.

No problem. I generally don't like critiques, I'm a firm believer in the Army's whole "Praise in public, punish in private" thing.

But this one hit a little to close to home for me. Have you ever played the HU adventure from VU about the speedsters? I was trying to be a good player and not read their write up in the book (which I also owned), so was very upset when it was finally revealed how they were moving around the nation. I then rather pointedly made a critique about just how poorly thought out and researched that adventure had been. Seriously, truck drivers have to pull over and scale, with the possibility of full inspection, every time we cross state lines. California is especially notorious for pulling EVERYONE over. Sorry, pet peeve.

Anyway, like I said though, in certain settings, it would work just fine. Just remember, stable governments and willingness to spend the money on highway infrastructure. Any government that doesn't want people moving around freely, probable isn't going to do this.

[taalismn]

In a last gasp of defense I'd say play it like a Wilderness Scout in a large vehicle, or perhaps better AS a Wilderness Scout driving a large vehicle. That way, if the all-terrain cargo-schlepper hangs up in rough ground or becomes too much fo a target, the PC can always bail out and beat feet for cover.
Though in a long campaign it would be better to have a team; a wilderness scout to guide the way, an operator to drive the vehicle and affect repairs, and a Crazy to act out 'The Wages of Fear' (or its remake 'Sorcerer') for onboard entertainment. The WHOLE thing.

[killgore444]

In a last gasp of defense I'd say play it like a Wilderness Scout in a large vehicle, or perhaps better AS a Wilderness Scout driving a large vehicle. That way, if the all-terrain cargo-schlepper hangs up in rough ground or becomes too much fo a target, the PC can always bail out and beat feet for cover.
Though in a long campaign it would be better to have a team; a wilderness scout to guide the way, an operator to drive the vehicle and affect repairs, and a Crazy to act out 'The Wages of Fear' (or its remake 'Sorcerer') for onboard entertainment. The WHOLE thing.

At which point you have a bog standard adventuring party.
Something else that has made the news here lately is weather, or more specifically, Snowfall. There are parts of the U.S. and Canada that measure snow in feet, not inches. All terrain doesn't cut it here. Your large vehicle may be able to handle the terrain, but not the snowfall (to say nothing of the drifts). Cabin fever takes on a whole new scale when you go from a small house to a space you can't even lay down fully in or stand upright completely. Then throw in 2 or 3 more people and the 2 week wait is going to be rather rough. And that's assuming that there's an actual government and/or trade organization that's clearing the road. You could be stuck there until Spring thaw.
At least 1 snowmobile would be needed at the very least.

Go with Wilderness scout in large vehicle (with a team). At least on Rifts Earth. Again, other setting might have better conditions for a Trucker. In HU for instance, if it's a skill program, you could have a Hero driving around fighting crime in random cities. Although please note, the USDoT tracks trucks (at least haphazardly), as do several State DoTs. The FBI and NSA run some pretty sophisticated computer algorithms mining the data looking for patterns to match it to murders (serial killers specifically) or other criminal/terrorist activity. So you can bet that any LEO in HU or Phase World settings (with MUCH better computers/programs)would have a similar set up. In a real world example of why they do this, they now believe Jack the Ripper was a sailor on a/several merchant ships. Looking at similar murders committed in other port cities, they were able to match them to a time when a single sailor was in each port. All the murders in each port stopped when he was killed in a bar fight in Australia. The letters to the press where of course, a hoax.

So take it for granted, someone's going to figure out your identity. The cross dimensional trucker using his Shifter abilities is a fun way to get around this. Just hope you don't end up appearing with a Weigh Station or Agriculture Checkpoint right ahead. Your license not even being in a Earth language might cause a wee bit of an issue.

Also note, we really don't get a whole lot of down time, so adventures and crime fighting opportunities will be limited. Unless you're a local driver, then it's just another job, although it might give you a different focus for any activities you engage in.

Note also: On skill selection, in modern real world trucking companies, they largely discourage the driver engaging in maintenance. Trucks are expensive, and heavily warrantied, just like cars, unlicensed mechanics void said warranty. Owner operators tend to do more work themselves, but even they must bow to the power of the warranty. Is saving $30 on replacing a headlight worth the cost of thousands of dollars when your electric system goes on the fritz and your warranty has been voided?

[Sambot]

I think a Trucker OCC could work. At a minimum they're the ones driving the big vehicles in convoys. Not every place is big enough for such a convoy though. That leaves room for a smaller convoy or single truck to make the deliveries. Those could be dangerous which is where the rest of the party comes in.

In a real world example of why they do this, they now believe Jack the Ripper was a sailor on a/several merchant ships. Looking at similar murders committed in other port cities, they were able to match them to a time when a single sailor was in each port. All the murders in each port stopped when he was killed in a bar fight in Australia. The letters to the press where of course, a hoax.

When did they do that?

[jaymz]

I'll just say, as a commercial driver myself, I agree with killgore overall.

Sambot has a good idea of how they could work though.

Outside of their trains, NG would require cargo vehicles. Same either a number of manufacturers.

Wilks might hire independents but then they likely also hire escorts and such.

I think the problem is too many people think about movies like convoy, smokey and the bandit, black dog, etc when reality is our life is pretty f'ing boring and uneventful.

[Library Ogre]

I think the problem is too many people think about movies like convoy, smokey and the bandit, black dog, etc when reality is our life is pretty f'ing boring and uneventful.

You mean you haven't helped Sally Field escape her wedding even ONCE?













...my whole life is a lie.

[taalismn]

[
...my whole life is a lie.

Yes, it is.
It's a shadow puppet show projection on the back of a cave.

[killgore444]

In a real world example of why they do this, they now believe Jack the Ripper was a sailor on a/several merchant ships. Looking at similar murders committed in other port cities, they were able to match them to a time when a single sailor was in each port. All the murders in each port stopped when he was killed in a bar fight in Australia. The letters to the press where of course, a hoax.

When did they do that?

I remember seeing that on a true crime show way back in the 90s. To this day, the JtR case has never actually been closed. Detectives still investigate the case. That theory was from 20-30 years ago and involved LEOs from England traveling several other countries (this was before everyone was networked) and going over old port logs from the time period regarding the names and signatures of sailors exiting ships (they have/had to sign a port log). Very high level detective work and more than a little obsessive. I'm genuinely curious on who came up with the idea to do it. And there's no reason that someone can't put forth a new theory either, since all the evidense against the guy is circumstantial (even if it is a massive amount).

I'll just say, as a commercial driver myself, I agree with killgore overall.

Well met fellow driver. Class A, B or Passenger? Since you're on a forum like this, I'm guessing a local driver (?). I've tried to due internet connections on hot shots, never really worked out for me.

Sambot has a good idea of how they could work though.

Outside of their trains, NG would require cargo vehicles. Same either a number of manufacturers.

Wilks might hire independents but then they likely also hire escorts and such.

The OCC works just fine, it's the fluff and the way it was described being used.

I think the problem is too many people think about movies like convoy, smokey and the bandit, black dog, etc when reality is our life is pretty f'ing boring and uneventful.

Usually. And when it's not, it's generally do to something that boils down to a single skill roll for a character (roll on Drive:large truck with a -10% for slippery conditions to make it down the hill without a crash), which eventually you're going to fail. I have had a few encounters that would make for a session or 2 (there are some places you do NOT want to find yourself in at night), but those are generally few and far between. Being a Trucker would work better as a background point for a character. The local driver who is a hero by night. Uses his experiences from his day job to investigate various criminal organizations (they receive freight too).

[taalismn]

What, you never had your truck stolen by the Lords of the Storm?

[killgore444]

What, you never had your truck stolen by the Lords of the Storm?

No, but I did once have a couple of gang bangers try and spray ether into my truck to knock me out in an area known for truckers going missing or just left dead in the lot and trucks stolen. And yes, I have zero doubt that would have been my fate had I been asleep instead of reading at the time. Does that count?


edit to add the word or

[jaymz]

Class AZ (canadian). Use to be long haul but mostly local now. I have plenty of phone data so even when I'm doing onger runs I'm good for internet access. Need something to do while unloading afterall.

[killgore444]

Class AZ (canadian). Use to be long haul but mostly local now. I have plenty of phone data so even when I'm doing onger runs I'm good for internet access. Need something to do while unloading afterall.

I'll assume from the rest of your statement that AZ is roughly the same as A is in the U.S.
And it's pretty much the same for me. Used to due Coast to Coast and found out just how much I hate California and New York.
Got a job hauling frozen foods, never had to go to CA anymore (yah). Then worked as a yard driver in TX before moving to MN and doing the local driver thing for the last 22 years (god I've gotten old). Now I only occasionally have to do a hotshot for an overnight run, mostly to the Chicago CC, but it's been over 12 years since I've had to go to New York.

Haven't had any issues with my new phone on out of town runs, but I've only done a few since then. My old phone was constantly having problems. And fewer and fewer hotels will have an internet/computer room anymore. Most of the places I go I either have to load/unload myself, or they don't allow phones on the dock.

Anyway, nice to meet a fellow driver on a game board. I thought I was mostly alone in that on the road.

[jaymz]

Nope we're here lol

[taalismn]

No, but I did once have a couple of gang bangers try and spray ether into my truck to knock me out in an area known for truckers going missing or just left dead in the lot and trucks stolen. And yes, I have zero doubt that would have been my fate had I been asleep instead of reading at the time. Does that count?

And that answers the follow-up question "Has your rig ever played host to a subhuman ape-like hitchhiker waiting to ambush you?'.

[Sambot]

I'll just say, as a commercial driver myself, I agree with killgore overall.

Sambot has a good idea of how they could work though.

Outside of their trains, NG would require cargo vehicles. Same either a number of manufacturers.

Wilks might hire independents but then they likely also hire escorts and such.

I think the problem is too many people think about movies like convoy, smokey and the bandit, black dog, etc when reality is our life is pretty f'ing boring and uneventful.

Thanks.

In a real world example of why they do this, they now believe Jack the Ripper was a sailor on a/several merchant ships. Looking at similar murders committed in other port cities, they were able to match them to a time when a single sailor was in each port. All the murders in each port stopped when he was killed in a bar fight in Australia. The letters to the press where of course, a hoax.

When did they do that?

I remember seeing that on a true crime show way back in the 90s. To this day, the JtR case has never actually been closed. Detectives still investigate the case. That theory was from 20-30 years ago and involved LEOs from England traveling several other countries (this was before everyone was networked) and going over old port logs from the time period regarding the names and signatures of sailors exiting ships (they have/had to sign a port log). Very high level detective work and more than a little obsessive. I'm genuinely curious on who came up with the idea to do it. And there's no reason that someone can't put forth a new theory either, since all the evidense against the guy is circumstantial (even if it is a massive amount).

Wow! I've never heard of that. The last I heard was a theory that Jack moved to the US or Canada which was why the murders stopped.

[killgore444]

No, but I did once have a couple of gang bangers try and spray ether into my truck to knock me out in an area known for truckers going missing or just left dead in the lot and trucks stolen. And yes, I have zero doubt that would have been my fate had I been asleep instead of reading at the time. Does that count?

And that answers the follow-up question "Has your rig ever played host to a subhuman ape-like hitchhiker waiting to ambush you?'.

It was scary as **** at the time, but looking back on it, it's actually kind of funny. My call-sign was 'The Whip' from the song "Where there's a whip, there's a way" from LotR (the cartoon was so much better than the book (the only time you'll see me say that)), which I once used in response to a dispatcher asking if I could get a load done, and as a result, I kept a whip as a decorative display in my truck. They were completely unprepared for dealing with someone using a cat-of-9-tails as a weapon. I'm truly grateful that if they had a gun, they panicked, but I was a dead man whether or not I fought back or not if they hadn't panicked. Even more so when I think about all the times DoT officers would see it and snicker, while any other driver going through a scale would have anything remotely close to a weapon be confiscated. So laughs on them.

Wow! I've never heard of that. The last I heard was a theory that Jack moved to the US or Canada which was why the murders stopped.

I'm sure there are theories like that. There's also a theory that he was an Irishman fighting for independence, or that he retired to France (Germany, Belgium, etc). The only one I've ever seen that had any sort of evidence, circumstantial or not, is the sailor one though.

And like I said above, it's one of the reasons the government tries to track where trucks are. Or at least when they cross certain places. Now, with CCTV, it's even easier to track were vehicles are. go to https://www.youtube.com/c/MNSafety/videos if you want to spend a few hours coming to grasp with the power of surveillance cameras and why so many actions of players make no sense in the modern age.

[killgore444]

Trucker OCC

You know, for all the comments on it, I never got around to the core class.

Alignments: Any
Racial Restrictions: None; just a love of the road

No problem here. There ARE a few races that wouldn't work, but most of those should be rather obvious. Any race to large or to small to pilot the vehicle are a no brainer (unless you're driving a truck the size of an RC car). Likewise, any race that is unable, due to form, manipulate the controls (looking at you lion people from Thundercloud) would find it problematic.

OCC Skills:
Language: Native 98%
Literacy: Native 95%
Language(Two of choice: +10%)

Very time period and setting dependent. Would recommend removing the 2 bonus languages and replace them with 2 more choices from OCC skills. A CS driver might have suspicion of sedation leveled on him if he learned another language for instance. And other settings might only have a single one.

Radio: Basic(+15%)
Barter(+18%)
Pilot Automobile(+20%)
Pilot: Trucks(+20%)
Pilot: Three vehicles of choice(+10%)(-10% to aircraft, no Spacecraft)

The barter applies even in the real world. There have been a few times when my load was refused, but then they offered to buy it for a reduced price that I've had to find the local farmers market equivalent and sell it off the back of the truck to get enough to pay for the freight.

But the 3 extra pilot skills. I know that was based solely on Rifts, but some settings, even within Rifts, don't have that many vehicles that can handle cargo were you would still be considered a TRUCKER. Although if you use the advanced skills from Rifter 30, you could put 2 of them into truck and 1 into automobile and be much better at those 2 than someone who also had to learn hovertruck, anti-grav and magical levitation vehicle skills.

Automotive Mechanics(+15%)
Jury-Rig(+10%)

See my comments on maintenance above. In Rifts, these are absolutely vital skills. As they are in any extreme environment (such as the arctic circle). But in many setting, the power of Warranty takes priority, and you might want to replace these with an extra 2 picks on the OCC skills instead.

Land Navigation(+15%)

Setting dependent, and since some of the vehicles driven might be flight capable, air navigation might be needed instead. In any sort of setting that isn't a post apocalyptic horror show however, Truckers really don't use land navigation per say. A better skill would be 'Navigation: N. American highway/road system' (or other setting specific road system). The highway systems of the U.S. and Canada are their own form of navigation, with their own language and sub meanings. Really the only part of Land navigation we use is being able to tell which direction we're going by the position of the Sun. And I've known a few drivers who probably couldn't do that.

Try these 3 videos about the U.S. Highway system for reference.
The Interstate's Forgotten Code
The Simple Genius of the Interstate Highway System
Why US Signs Look Different Than The Rest Of The World’s
In Rifts Earth of course, most of this would be useless, except in an historical context or off roading on abandoned and broken highways. But other setting would have stuff like this. Try to picture the nightmare of the UWW trying to build a highway between all their worlds with Rift/gates, or a version of the U.S. in HU building a Iterdimensional Highway system between it and the 16 other alternate U.S.s from those other dimensions. Or what if some of those other dimensions, the world turns west to east instead of east to west? Many of the things used in Land navigation are based on weather and seasons, so reversing the direction of rotation would seriously screw up said skill.

Of course, in the current age, this skill to is replaced with GPS on either a computer skill roll, or a use Smart phone skill depending on if the GM considers smart phones different enough to warrant it's own skill.

2 Weapons Proficiencies of choice
Hand to Hand: Basic---May be upgraded to expert for one ‘other’ skill, or martial arts, for two skill selections

Again, highly setting specific, but any setting you actually WANT to play in will likely prove at least somewhat dangerous, so...

Lore: Roadwise---This is much like the ‘Contacts’ skill in MIO in that it means that the Trucker is familiar in passing with many of the vagaries of the road, dangers and colorful characters along the better travelled routes, and some of the more illustrious personalities cruising the traderoads and yakkin’ on the airwaves. Truckers will be able to recognize callsigns and rigs of fellow truckers, can point out ‘safehouses’ and familiar traveller rest stops/garages, best places to get a cheap meal, good repairs, or fair price, and might even tell who some of the police officers are in the larger towns, as well as their attitudes and tactics concerning traders. Base Skill 45% +5% per level of experience; -5% per year that the Trucker doesn’t take a given route.
The Trucker may also attempt to identify the authenticity of a fellow Trucker’s radio calls, by their familiarity with their operating procedures and attitudes; 30% base + 2% per level of experience. Since many bandits and less scrupulous governments(including the CS) often attempt to lure caravans with false radio calls, this is a particularly useful skill to have.

Not to sure about this one. I'd say it was 2 different skills here, but then when I look at the RUE version of the Rogue Scholar and Rogue Scientist...

Other Skills:
Select 8 “Other” Skills, plus two at level three, one at level nine, and one at level twelve.
Communications: Any(+10% to radio skills and Languages)
Domestic: Any(+5%)
Electrical: Basic only
Espionage: None, except Forgery(+5%)
Mechanical: Any (+6%)
Medical: First Aid, Holistic Medicine and Paramedic only(+5%, the latter counts as two selections)
Military: Camouflage(+5%) and Demolitions only
Physical: Any
Pilot: Any, except Spacecraft
Pilot Related: Any(+5%)
Rogue: Any( +5% to Gambling, +10% to Find Contraband)
Science: Math Basic only
Technical: Any(+10% to Appraise Goods , Salvage, and Lore)
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: Any
Secondary Skills:
Select 4 skills without benefit of any of the bonuses above, and subject to restrictions of same.

This looks mostly OK. See my recommendations above though.
Under Espionage however, I'd add skills like Detect Concealment, Detect Ambush (that would almost be a vital skill in Rifts and useful even in RW settings for spotting speed traps) and Perception. Even the skill concealment would be applicable depending on setting.
Under Mechanical, you might be a little generous with ANY mechanical skill. I imagine a competent Aircraft mechanic makes more money than a Trucker.
And in the case of Military convoys, more skills from this section should be reasonable. Depends on setting though.

Experience Table: Use XP table for Vagabond Scout

Works for me.

Standard Equipment/Possessions: A cargo-carrying ground vehicle of choice, with 1d4 modest modifications of choice, CB radio, tool kit, first aid kit, food and water rations for two weeks, 100 feet of rope or chain, binoculars, set of road maps and charts, compass(and astrolab for sun sightings), weapons for each WP, plus 1d4 extra clips for ranged/modern weapons

On the vehicle: Only if an Owner-Operator (which how do you determine who gets their own vehicle or not, do the company drivers get skill bonuses, or more starting cash?). Most drivers are company drivers, and don't own their vehicles. Especially true in the military. See my notes about maintenance and warranties to see my views of vehicle modifications though. Again, in Rifts Earth, or pre-2000s modern Earth, go for it (but only if owned).

Money/Savings: Most of a Trucker’s money goes into their vehicles, but they do manage to squirrel away modest savings of 3d4x100 credits, and 2d4x1,000 credits in black market items

Within line of the game, but what if the Trucker is driving someone else's truck? Does he get more money? Reasonable since he also wouldn't be paying for maintenance himself either.

Cybernetics/Bionics: Depends on the individual......some Truckers shun any form of augmentation, while others can’t live without a concealed cyberweapon, enhanced senses, driver interface, or rig-lifting jack-arm. Some Truckers go so far as to wire themselves completely into their machines, and there are even reports of full-conversion Truckers who are essentially disembodied brains hooked up to multi-ton vehicular bodies.

You included a section for Cyber, but not one for psionics? I'd say they'd have the same possibility as Operators. And while Telemechanics would be point first of desired powers, I'd think things like Danger Sense would be high up there as well. But again, VERY much setting dependent (more so than anything else).

Like I said earlier, the OCC itself is OK, it was the fluff and the description of use I was having issue with. Overall, descent and I can see many NPCs with it. But unlikely to see much PC action unless doing a new to Rifts and/or a Rift in-what now campaign.

[shadrak]

I am on my phone, so I haven't been able to read the whole thread, but I actually have a LOT of truckers in my game...

Granted, most of them travel between the Iowa section of CS Chi-town/CS Missouri and the megacities, or from farmland / quarries / etc. and logistic intermodal-type logistics centers, but I often have smaller and higher value cargoes transported regularly between CS States or CS and CS allies. Normally, this is like US Military LOGPAC transport with armed military escort using hover platforms.

This is especially true as I have the CS establishing essentially 5-7 theater armies consisting 20-25 field armies...

Organizing 2 million+ troops into a logical order of battle isn't impossible, and doing it within 6 months MIGHT be possible, but it definitely requires a LOT of transport capability.

Sidenote: in playing out the the Minion War scenario, I am finding the Deevils to be MUCH MORE effective counters to the CS...

The CS, if they can mobilize forces fast enough, can roll over most Demon forces if they can prevent retreat and bioregeneration.

In game play, a CS Cadre for a provisional platoon using old-style and dog boy weapons/armor and SDC weapons utilizing MDC components handily defeated a Demon force consisting a greater Demon and 8 lesser demons

[Sambot]

Wow! I've never heard of that. The last I heard was a theory that Jack moved to the US or Canada which was why the murders stopped.

I'm sure there are theories like that. There's also a theory that he was an Irishman fighting for independence, or that he retired to France (Germany, Belgium, etc). The only one I've ever seen that had any sort of evidence, circumstantial or not, is the sailor one though.

And like I said above, it's one of the reasons the government tries to track where trucks are. Or at least when they cross certain places. Now, with CCTV, it's even easier to track were vehicles are. go to https://www.youtube.com/c/MNSafety/videos if you want to spend a few hours coming to grasp with the power of surveillance cameras and why so many actions of players make no sense in the modern age.

Last I heard they were going to be DNA testing things that were supposedly from the crime scenes that were handed down in the family. I never got to watch the program though. Just the commercials for it.


Yeah. I can understand the reasons for all the CCTVs but it's also a bit scary. It may not work so well in a current setting or in big cities like Chi-town but I think it could work in other places where CCTV and internet aren't available. Plus with civilizations so spread apart it shouldn't be too hard to pull over someplace and disguise the truck.

Land Navigation(+15%)

Setting dependent, and since some of the vehicles driven might be flight capable, air navigation might be needed instead. In any sort of setting that isn't a post apocalyptic horror show however, Truckers really don't use land navigation per say. A better skill would be 'Navigation: N. American highway/road system' (or other setting specific road system). The highway systems of the U.S. and Canada are their own form of navigation, with their own language and sub meanings. Really the only part of Land navigation we use is being able to tell which direction we're going by the position of the Sun. And I've known a few drivers who probably couldn't do that.

I think the basic Navigation skill covers all this, so maybe a choice between Land Navigation and Navigation depending on where the Trucker operates?

Navigation: N. American highway/road system sounds like a variation on the Roadwise skill.

[killgore444]

Granted, most of them travel between the Iowa section of CS Chi-town/CS Missouri and the megacities, or from farmland / quarries / etc. and logistic intermodal-type logistics centers, but I often have smaller and higher value cargoes transported regularly between CS States or CS and CS allies. Normally, this is like US Military LOGPAC transport with armed military escort using hover platforms.

That makes them CS grunts with Pilot:Truck and a few assorted skills. Maybe make a M.o.S.around driving or something, but they wouldn't be a Trucker in the sense of this OCC. IMHO.

Last I heard they were going to be DNA testing things that were supposedly from the crime scenes that were handed down in the family. I never got to watch the program though. Just the commercials for it.

Don't know enough about DNA to be able to say how much it would have degraded over the years.

Yeah. I can understand the reasons for all the CCTVs but it's also a bit scary. It may not work so well in a current setting or in big cities like Chi-town but I think it could work in other places where CCTV and internet aren't available. Plus with civilizations so spread apart it shouldn't be too hard to pull over someplace and disguise the truck.

Granted, Minnesota is much more scary when it comes to monitoring it's population than other states (there is more Cameras in St Paul than there is in Wisconsin), and places like CS:Chi-town would be WAY worse, but I think in any reasonably high tech society, there's going to be a certain level of acceptance to being monitored (It's for the Children! Honest). And in the world of Rifts, there are enough legitimate dangers out there that being able to figure out who it was that turned into the raging monster that ate 3 kids right in front of there mothers trumps any claim to privacy.

I think the basic Navigation skill covers all this, so maybe a choice between Land Navigation and Navigation depending on where the Trucker operates?

Not really. Land navigation is being able to find your way in the wild, using nature (and stars) to guide. Navigation:(setting)Highway system, is a skill about understanding modern(ish) road set ups. It's a different mentality to being able to get from one city to the next than looking at where the moss is growing on a tree. People who are raised in Europe (or the Asian part of Russia) for instance, would not be able to find their way around without actually learning the skill (or buying a GPS). And even having the Navigate:European Highway system (or the individual countries, I don't know how similar they are), would find navigating on the U.S. system difficult (and vice versus).

Navigation: N. American highway/road system sounds like a variation on the Roadwise skill.

Again, not really. Roadwise, as explained, is more of a catchall of things like good quality Truck Stops (once you know where you are), CB codes and Trucker lingo. It'll tell you things like what the difference in Class A, B and C is and what the endorsements HM, AB, P, T and D are talking about. It MIGHT give you some information about specific types of trucks (but only if they've reached a certain level of notoriety), but that would be a separate skill in general.

Besides, Roadwise is exclusive to Truckers, so for the salesman driving from MN to TX and making stops to trying and get people to buy from his Insurance company, he needs a skill he can access without having him stop periodically to look at trees or take compass readings.

[Sambot]

Last I heard they were going to be DNA testing things that were supposedly from the crime scenes that were handed down in the family. I never got to watch the program though. Just the commercials for it.

Don't know enough about DNA to be able to say how much it would have degraded over the years.

Me either.

Yeah. I can understand the reasons for all the CCTVs but it's also a bit scary. It may not work so well in a current setting or in big cities like Chi-town but I think it could work in other places where CCTV and internet aren't available. Plus with civilizations so spread apart it shouldn't be too hard to pull over someplace and disguise the truck.

Granted, Minnesota is much more scary when it comes to monitoring it's population than other states (there is more Cameras in St Paul than there is in Wisconsin), and places like CS:Chi-town would be WAY worse, but I think in any reasonably high tech society, there's going to be a certain level of acceptance to being monitored (It's for the Children! Honest). And in the world of Rifts, there are enough legitimate dangers out there that being able to figure out who it was that turned into the raging monster that ate 3 kids right in front of there mothers trumps any claim to privacy.

Yikes! I know a lot of people don't pay any attention to the cameras but I don't like them. I understand the need for them but I don't like them. With Rifts, I think it'd be a combination of cameras and psychics, maybe even mages, depending on city, doing the monitoring. The latter two maybe even more important if they can alert authorities before something happens. Camera's respond to things after they start.

I think the basic Navigation skill covers all this, so maybe a choice between Land Navigation and Navigation depending on where the Trucker operates?

Not really. Land navigation is being able to find your way in the wild, using nature (and stars) to guide. Navigation:(setting)Highway system, is a skill about understanding modern(ish) road set ups. It's a different mentality to being able to get from one city to the next than looking at where the moss is growing on a tree. People who are raised in Europe (or the Asian part of Russia) for instance, would not be able to find their way around without actually learning the skill (or buying a GPS). And even having the Navigate:European Highway system (or the individual countries, I don't know how similar they are), would find navigating on the U.S. system difficult (and vice versus).

I don't know. The Navigation skill doesn't seem limited to highways. RUE defines Navigation as

Training in map reading, star charts, course computation,
following landmarks, and use of navigational equipment. Includes
land, air, and water navigation, as well as piloting by instruments alone.

and Land Navigation as

This skill enables the character to stay on course while traveling over land by means of observation and memorization. It includes mentally marking/recognizing geographic landmarks, estimating distance and movement, recognizing sounds, night travel, marking a trail and other navigation tricks.

The first one seems to use maps and instruments to navigate while the second is more by memorizing landmarks. I would think the Trucker would use either Navigation or the Roadwise skill more than Land Navigation. Land Navigation would help but it seems more a finding your own way thing than following an established route.

Navigation: N. American highway/road system sounds like a variation on the Roadwise skill.

Again, not really. Roadwise, as explained, is more of a catchall of things like good quality Truck Stops (once you know where you are), CB codes and Trucker lingo. It'll tell you things like what the difference in Class A, B and C is and what the endorsements HM, AB, P, T and D are talking about. It MIGHT give you some information about specific types of trucks (but only if they've reached a certain level of notoriety), but that would be a separate skill in general.

Besides, Roadwise is exclusive to Truckers, so for the salesman driving from MN to TX and making stops to trying and get people to buy from his Insurance company, he needs a skill he can access without having him stop periodically to look at trees or take compass readings.

I don't remember seeing it was exclusive. It is a little different from the official Roadwise skill but it does seem to be a catchall that could apply to a Trucker who's familiar with an area.

Rifts GM Guide has Roadwise as

Characters with this skill can identify roads by name, use
roads to help pinpoint their location, map out routes across the
country, determine the safety of a road or region, find a shortcut
and even predict who or what is likely to be found along particularly
notorious roadways and regions. The skill is not just limited
to the old roads either, it also applies to the new routes that
have been forged by continuous travel or built by regional communities.

[guardiandashi]

I have a character that might get a kick out of moving cargo from 1 place to another on rifts earth, but I doubt she would have any interest in driving around like a "trucker" except to maybe 1 map out "local" navigation points, and to setup deliveries, and or sales.

the sad thing is the char is so "broken" that she could "smuggle" so much goods so fast that she also could make an entire nations trade networks collapse