Converting HU to Rifts

[Traska]

Okay, I have some questions.

There hasn't been an attempt to address this since the first Rifts Conversion Book lo those many moons ago. I need to know some things about converting HU characters to Rifts, so I need some answers (house rules would be fine):

1) Am I correct that think skin for mutants makes them MDC creatures, but having increased mass does not? I mean, their physical proportions don't change, so I'd think that extra density would do *something*.

2) I need to know what changes Rifts Earth makes to the powers in PU1, PU2, and AU:GG.

3) About PU1 powers... would Doorway work through MDC materials?

[Sentinel]

Okay, I have some questions.

There hasn't been an attempt to address this since the first Rifts Conversion Book lo those many moons ago. I need to know some things about converting HU characters to Rifts, so I need some answers (house rules would be fine):

1) Am I correct that think skin for mutants makes them MDC creatures, but having increased mass does not? I mean, their physical proportions don't change, so I'd think that extra density would do *something*.

Depending on the other abilities the character possesses, their Increased Mass may be converted into MDC.

2) I need to know what changes Rifts Earth makes to the powers in PU1, PU2, and AU:GG.

You'll have to extrapolate based on HUII/Conversion Book I, and I recommend looking at the Natural Abilities of existing Rifts OCCs, RCCs and PCCs and comparing their abilities. Several PUI powers are clearly based on existing abilities found throughout the Rifts series.

3) About PU1 powers... would Doorway work through MDC materials?

I would think so. I'm sure there's a Phase Power or Temporal Spell that compares.

[znbrtn]

find a copy of Skraypers, which goes over several powers and how they function in a Rifts/MDC setting.

it's also a very good book.

i heartily agree.

while we're on the subject, would the tissue density increase super soldier enhancement convert the character to mdc?

[Sir_Spirit]

According to the original conversion book (and to my knowledge the revised) Any muant traits that give you sdc in HU gives you MDC in Rifts.

[Traska]

Yeah, I worded that badly.

What I had meant to say is this:

Mutants seem to get made into MDC beings just for having lumpy skin, but somehow experiments don't get the upgrade even for incrased mass, which seems to be all about body density in general?

Also, major duh moment, as Skraypers didn't even freaking occur to me. <sigh>

Is there any chance that we'll see an Ultimate Edition Conversion Book, with the powers from the Powers Unlimited series, as well as some of the other things that Palladium has done since the original's release?

[JTwig]

Below are the conversions I use for my game, at least when I'm not running an S.D.C. converted Rifts game. All the powers are from the core HU2 books, and you will notice that it is not a complete list.

HU2 MDC Power Conversions

1) APS – Metal: While in metal form the character becomes an MDC juggernaut, with Supernatural strength. To find out how to convert the character’s Superhuman Strength to Supernatural Strength, see Superhuman Strength below. As for the character's MDC, it equal HP+SDC=MDC in metal form only.
2) APS – Stone: This power converts just like APS – Metal.
3) Invulnerability: Provides HP+SDC=MDC. The character takes ½ damage from MDC attacks, including from creatures with Supernatural Strength that are not creatures of magic (example Gargoyles and Brodkils). The character takes full from magic, and psionic attacks, including attacks from creatures of magic (example Dragons, and Gods). Particle Beams will do damage just as descried in HU2
4) Minor Energy Expulsion powers: Allow the character to inflict SDC, or MDC. When doing SDC damage there are no changes to the damage dice pool. When doing MDC damage the character’s maximum dice pool is equal to ½ their normal damage pool, rounded up. Example: A character with Energy Expulsion – Energy that normally does 5d6 SDC, could do either 5d6 SDC or 3d6 MDC in a Mega-Damage environment. (5d6 / 2 = 2½d6,or 3d6 round when rounded up.)
5) Power Channeling: Like the Minor Energy Expulsion powers above, the character can choose to doe either SDC or MDC. Also like the Minor Energy Expulsion powers the character gets their full damage dice pool while doing SDC damage, and ½ their dice pool when doing MDC damage.
6) Major Energy Expulsion Powers: Like the Minor Energy Expulsion powers the character can do either SDC, or MDC damage. Unlike the Minor Energy Expulsion powers the character retains their full damage dice pool for both forms of damage.
7) Body Weapons: Still inflict SDC, unless the character possess Extraordinary PS, Superhuman Strength, or Supernatural PS. In such cases damage is added to the MDC the character inflicts during hand-to-hand. (See below for each of the strengths conversions to Supernatural PS).
Extraordinary PS: Strength becomes Supernatural, but starts with a base of 20. Add +1 to this for every three points of strength past 20 the character originally had. Example: A character with an Extraordinary PS of 36 would have Supernatural PS of 25. (36-20=16, 16 / 3 =5.3, 5+20=25. Always round down.)
9) Superhuman Strength: Characters with Superhuman PS are converted just like those with Extraordinary PS; only they start with a base PS of 30. Example: A character with a Superhuman PS of 60 would have a Supernatural PS of 40. (60-30=30, 30 / 3=10, 10+30=40.)
10) Alter Limbs: All melee weapons created by the character inflict MDC, especially the motorized ones. All ammo created by the character (see power in HU2) does MDC damage. Other ammo inflicts it’s normal damage, so if a character creates a gun that uses 9mm rounds he will do SDC, but if that same character creates a gun that uses the same ammo as the Triax pump pistol and rifle it will do MDC. The GM might allow the character to do MDC with burst (burst being a minimum of 5 rounds fired) of large caliber SDC rounds, but only with 20mm and up. Even then the damage should be limited to 1d6 MD per 10mm, so a burst of 20mm rounds would do 2d6 MD, and a burst of 30mm rounds would do 3d6 MD. Considering the size of these rounds the character would not be able to carry many rounds, but I’ll leave how many they can carry up to the individual GM. Especially since there are many factors involved, such as the character’s size and strength. I wouldn’t allow a character to create a railgun unless they also possessed one of the major powers of Magnetism, Control Kinetic Energy, or Gravity Manipulation.
11) Force Aura: SDC becomes MDC, strength becomes Superhuman (see above; but only while aura is active), and the +10 bonus to PS is added after strength has been converted.
12) Bio-Armor: SDC becomes MDC. Strength remains the same, unless the character possesses another power that would change this. The +1d6 to melee damage converts the characters punches, and kick into MDC. Punches do 1d6 MDC, and kicks do 2d6. If the character possesses a power that changes their strength to Supernatural then just add 1d6 to the damage they inflict.

[Glistam]

The Heroes Unlimited F.A.Q. has a bunch of the PU1 powers listed with their possible MDC conversions, near the end. I say possible because there's nothing official yet. As far as the ones in PU2, they shoudl be relatively easy. Convert the Force one so that it does damage in MD, and probably triple the time it takes to ram down a door. The others should remain unchanged. That silly one where you use up all your attacks in one attack should only be MD if the user can inflict MD normally. Otherwise it stays as is.

I agree that Increaded Density should give MDC if the mutant traits do too. Scaly Skin, Stocky, those things give MDC officially for no good reason. There is no reason then that Physical Transformation or Increased Density shouldn't too. Even soem of the powers aren't consistent. Vibration is one of the few major powers that gives an SDC bonus but does not give MDC in Rifts. Both of those facts I change in my games when they come up. Increased Density gives either it's bonus as MDC or turns total SDC into MDC, depending on the power level of other characters. The same iwth Physical Transformation (except only MDC when transformed).

Doorway shoul dwork through MDC materials, but since it seems similar to phasing it could be balanced by not working through force fields.

[JTwig]

Doorway should work through MDC materials, but since it seems similar to phasing it could be balanced by not working through force fields.

I don't know, their are just as many force fields in an HU2 game. I personally wouldn't add that restriction, even if it works like phasing it still is something completely different.

[Glistam]

Doorway should work through MDC materials, but since it seems similar to phasing it could be balanced by not working through force fields.

I don't know, their are just as many force fields in an HU2 game. I personally wouldn't add that restriction, even if it works like phasing it still is something completely different.

Maybe it'll work just fine on Force Fields. I hadn't really given it much thought nor really looked up the full description of the power. When I think of the Doorway power as written, it doesn't seem like just some kind of teleportation though (otherwise it would allow short distance teleportation and not just passing through materials). The power instead lists a maximum wall thickness that it can penetrate. If it works just fine through Force Fields then another option for some limits could be to either:
-Make the MDC material thickness that it can penetrate weaker (say, ½ of the SDC thickness), or
-Make it still penetrate the same amount as listed when going through MDC, but the powerful energies that empower all other powers make Doorway rroe effective against SDC objects and perhaps double the normal distance in that instance.

Either way, in this case I think it should be less effective against the high-density MDC materials, despite the power saying nothing about functioning differently for higher density materials, but pass through Force Fields effortlessly (negligable thickness), which could either be a huge advantage or worthless side note depending on how often you encounter force fields in the campaign (A psychic tryign to trap the character in a telekenetic force field would be in for a shock when they walk right through it).

Or just keep it as passing through everythign equally, regardless of MDC, SDC, Force Fields, Magical Wards/Protection, etcetera. With no official guidelines it's ultimately a judgment call on the part of the GM.

I forgot you also asked about the powers from AU:GG. I'll have to look them up and give them some thought, since many of them already have differences between being in a vacuum and being in an atmosphere (but could prove interesting in a Mutants in Space setting). Hmm... Now I wish I had the book with me now to look at them and think on that possibility). My thougths on how they'd probably change without actually looking at the powers:
-The APS power should give it's SDC bonuses as MDC when transformed. Any direct damage attack should do MD instead of SD.
-The CEF power should inflict MD instead of SD with any direct attacks.
-The minor flight power should give half it's SDC bonus as MDC since it allows space travel (iirc)
-The major flight power should give it's SDC bonus as MDC for the same reason as the minor

I dont' remember what else was listed in AU:GG. I'll take a look at it tonight and figure out something better.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Okay, I have some questions.

There hasn't been an attempt to address this since the first Rifts Conversion Book lo those many moons ago. I need to know some things about converting HU characters to Rifts, so I need some answers (house rules would be fine):

1) Am I correct that think skin for mutants makes them MDC creatures, but having increased mass does not? I mean, their physical proportions don't change, so I'd think that extra density would do *something*.

they both become MDC

2) I need to know what changes Rifts Earth makes to the powers in PU1, PU2, and AU:GG.

really depends. in general the only things that will change is damage.

in a nutshell...any power that would do MD damage like energy explulsion or the attack portions of other powers like APS Fire will do MD equal to the normal SDC die rolls.

any power that will grant SDC bonus as a major point of the power, like in Hardened Skin, will give MDC equal to the SDC bonus and convert HP and SDC the character would have otherwise to MDC. Ex. PE WILL give MDC. Forcefeilds and any armor power will have MDC equal to the SDC protection.

all other parts of powers not dealing with damage or defence are unchanged.

3) About PU1 powers... would Doorway work through MDC materials?

of course.

[ryokoryu]

Below are the conversions I use for my game, at least when I'm not running an S.D.C. converted Rifts game. All the powers are from the core HU2 books, and you will notice that it is not a complete list.

HU2 MDC Power Conversions

1) APS – Metal: While in metal form the character becomes an MDC juggernaut, with Supernatural strength. To find out how to convert the character’s Superhuman Strength to Supernatural Strength, see Superhuman Strength below. As for the character's MDC, it equal HP+SDC=MDC in metal form only.
2) APS – Stone: This power converts just like APS – Metal.
3) Invulnerability: Provides HP+SDC=MDC. The character takes ½ damage from MDC attacks, including from creatures with Supernatural Strength that are not creatures of magic (example Gargoyles and Brodkils). The character takes full from magic, and psionic attacks, including attacks from creatures of magic (example Dragons, and Gods). Particle Beams will do damage just as descried in HU2
4) Minor Energy Expulsion powers: Allow the character to inflict SDC, or MDC. When doing SDC damage there are no changes to the damage dice pool. When doing MDC damage the character’s maximum dice pool is equal to ½ their normal damage pool, rounded up. Example: A character with Energy Expulsion – Energy that normally does 5d6 SDC, could do either 5d6 SDC or 3d6 MDC in a Mega-Damage environment. (5d6 / 2 = 2½d6,or 3d6 round when rounded up.)
5) Power Channeling: Like the Minor Energy Expulsion powers above, the character can choose to doe either SDC or MDC. Also like the Minor Energy Expulsion powers the character gets their full damage dice pool while doing SDC damage, and ½ their dice pool when doing MDC damage.
6) Major Energy Expulsion Powers: Like the Minor Energy Expulsion powers the character can do either SDC, or MDC damage. Unlike the Minor Energy Expulsion powers the character retains their full damage dice pool for both forms of damage.
7) Body Weapons: Still inflict SDC, unless the character possess Extraordinary PS, Superhuman Strength, or Supernatural PS. In such cases damage is added to the MDC the character inflicts during hand-to-hand. (See below for each of the strengths conversions to Supernatural PS).
Extraordinary PS: Strength becomes Supernatural, but starts with a base of 20. Add +1 to this for every three points of strength past 20 the character originally had. Example: A character with an Extraordinary PS of 36 would have Supernatural PS of 25. (36-20=16, 16 / 3 =5.3, 5+20=25. Always round down.)
9) Superhuman Strength: Characters with Superhuman PS are converted just like those with Extraordinary PS; only they start with a base PS of 30. Example: A character with a Superhuman PS of 60 would have a Supernatural PS of 40. (60-30=30, 30 / 3=10, 10+30=40.)
10) Alter Limbs: All melee weapons created by the character inflict MDC, especially the motorized ones. All ammo created by the character (see power in HU2) does MDC damage. Other ammo inflicts it’s normal damage, so if a character creates a gun that uses 9mm rounds he will do SDC, but if that same character creates a gun that uses the same ammo as the Triax pump pistol and rifle it will do MDC. The GM might allow the character to do MDC with burst (burst being a minimum of 5 rounds fired) of large caliber SDC rounds, but only with 20mm and up. Even then the damage should be limited to 1d6 MD per 10mm, so a burst of 20mm rounds would do 2d6 MD, and a burst of 30mm rounds would do 3d6 MD. Considering the size of these rounds the character would not be able to carry many rounds, but I’ll leave how many they can carry up to the individual GM. Especially since there are many factors involved, such as the character’s size and strength. I wouldn’t allow a character to create a railgun unless they also possessed one of the major powers of Magnetism, Control Kinetic Energy, or Gravity Manipulation.
11) Force Aura: SDC becomes MDC, strength becomes Superhuman (see above; but only while aura is active), and the +10 bonus to PS is added after strength has been converted.
12) Bio-Armor: SDC becomes MDC. Strength remains the same, unless the character possesses another power that would change this. The +1d6 to melee damage converts the characters punches, and kick into MDC. Punches do 1d6 MDC, and kicks do 2d6. If the character possesses a power that changes their strength to Supernatural then just add 1d6 to the damage they inflict.

Where did you get these, they are completely off compared to the conversion book and seem to be in favor of being overly cautious to a severe degree. It's like nerfing something slightly overpowered by making it near useless.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Below are the conversions I use for my game, at least when I'm not running an S.D.C. converted Rifts game. All the powers are from the core HU2 books, and you will notice that it is not a complete list.

HU2 MDC Power Conversions
....snipt.

Where did you get these, they are completely off compared to the conversion book and seem to be in favor of being overly cautious to a severe degree. It's like nerfing something slightly overpowered by making it near useless.

They are his house rules.

[Stone Gargoyle]

Another necro-posting. Great.

[drewkitty ~..~]

And the answer to his question was right there in the post he was asking about.

[Curbludgeon]

Your insult has been noted.

[drewkitty ~..~]

My statement was one of exasperation, not an insult.
Quit Trolling me.

[Borast]

Is there any chance that we'll see an Ultimate Edition Conversion Book, with the powers from the Powers Unlimited series, as well as some of the other things that Palladium has done since the original's release?

Unlikely, since they are releasing new things regularly. Unless they start pruning (massively) or unify everything into one coherent system, they will have to keep releasing new ones.
That being said, they could take the three out there right now and combine them, with errata up the wazoo. Will they? Yes/No/I don't know...

[13eowulf]

Locked due to Necro-Posting, 15 years between posts.