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So I'm writing a program currently to randomly create a bandit/ trivial NPC and I was wondering what percentage should I use for making said bandit a juicer, crazy, mage, etc. could you guys offer any assistance?

Because there are a large number of Juicers and Crazies connected to criminal activity there would be a greater percentage of them than you find in the general populous in my opinion.

I'd suggest something like this:

7% Crazy
2% Inhuman Crazy (Mutant Animal/D-Bee Etc)
4% Juicer
1% Inhuman Juicer (D-Bee/Juicer who is also naturally Psionic)
12% Juicer Wannabe (Juicer Uprising)
2% Mystic
8% Shifter/Conjurer
3% Ley Line Walker/Rifter
5% Naturally psionic

I would set it up so it ran the percentages through each category until it got a hit and if it doesn't get any than it just sets them as one of the four bandit stereotypes you set. I say four because you'd want "Roadie, Punk, Highwayman and generic bandit." Roadie is your motor bike gang guy or someone with a vehicle, punk is your standard street level scum, the highway man is a ranged combatant and the generic bandit is is more roguish with specialization in hiding and laying an ambush.

I'd still put most bandits as regular SDC folks who have taken to banditry to survive. At least that is the case in North America. Most common bandits and thugs don't have a lot of money to spend on armor and weapons, nor the inclination or time to learn magic or master advanced psionics. Those kinds of people are the exception to the rule and either become adventurers, leaders of a community, or rare head honchos to the criminal underground.

For some reason, a lot of people who come into this game get surprised when they accidentally overkill a guy with 15 mdc hodge podge armor using a particle beam rifle. At least, that is my experience with Rifts outside of this website and the chat room. Here, it's like the first thing I end up having to tango with is a robot with 120 MDC main body that is accompanied by two or more buddies.

To expand on the previous percentages, I'd say that less than 1/10 of bandits and hoodlums are going to be formidable adversaries with special weapons or powers. However, that doesn't mean that said bandits and hoodlums are harmless. They likely will take any opportunity they can to steal equipment, food, or other necessary supplies from player characters.

Colt47 wrote:I'd still put most bandits as regular SDC folks who have taken to banditry to survive. At least that is the case in North America. Most common bandits and thugs don't have a lot of money to spend on armor and weapons, nor the inclination or time to learn magic or master advanced psionics. Those kinds of people are the exception to the rule and either become adventurers, leaders of a community, or rare head honchos to the criminal underground.

I wish this was true. Well, most of it is. A lot of them are still going to be SDC, in fact most of them are. But that is why I listed these percentages. I based my judgement off common alignments and each O.C.C.'s inclinations. Most bandits in Rifts are going to be mercenary company dropouts or social outcasts and not following the rules gives them access to all sorts of nasty toys. Not always. But the ones who see you are in MDC gear don't start trouble with you, or at least dont come out guns blazing. You know the scenareo, sending out the pretty girl with the broken ankle for you to rescue so she can take your weapons while you sleep and let them into the camp.

Colt47 wrote:For some reason, a lot of people who come into this game get surprised when they accidentally overkill a guy with 15 mdc hodge podge armor using a particle beam rifle. At least, that is my experience with Rifts outside of this website and the chat room. Here, it's like the first thing I end up having to tango with is a robot with 120 MDC main body that is accompanied by two or more buddies.

Yeah it is a shame isnt it.

Last week my players had a really awesome fight with an SDC motor bike gang trying to run them off the road. The LLW was like wrestling with two guys on the roof of the Big Boy and killing them left and right as they crawled up and tried overpowering him so he couldnt cast spells as everyone was struggling to maintain balance. Great session and the only person with MDC was the Gang's Leader who was an old Deadboy Dropout that had kept his C-19 and old-style deadboy armor... and heck he didn't really get a chance to fight.

People are quick to forget there is an SDC world out there because its counter intuitive to think that there are pudgy D-Bee venders that have never gone to a gym a day in their life and they can just rip off your arm and instantly kill you... but that's Rifts! That is the REAL Rifts. That said being a Crazy or a Juicer doesn't automatically you have MD armor or weapons but it is safe to assume that as soon as you become a Crazy or a Juicer it is pretty easy to TAKE them.

Colt47 wrote:To expand on the previous percentages, I'd say that less than 1/10 of bandits and hoodlums are going to be formidable adversaries with special weapons or powers. However, that doesn't mean that said bandits and hoodlums are harmless. They likely will take any opportunity they can to steal equipment, food, or other necessary supplies from player characters.

Agreed, but again I think it is still pretty realistic. I put it slightly on the highside because I included people who have decided to screw the laws of society and are using their powers to take what they want from whoever they might happen across.

If they're bandits because it's all they got left, then I'd make 90% of them regular folks with SD weapons and armor. The remaining 10% might have a MD weapon or MDC armor. Befriend these poor folks and help them out.

If they're bandits by choice because they feel like they have the power to take stuff from other people, then I'd expect at least 75% to have MD weapons and MDC armor and at least 25% of them to have an OCC that gives them a reason to believe they're better than average (juicer, crazy, partial or full cyborg, master psychic, mage, d-bee with natural abilities, etc).

--flatline

flatline wrote:If they're bandits because it's all they got left, then I'd make 90% of them regular folks with SD weapons and armor. The remaining 10% might have a MD weapon or MDC armor. Befriend these poor folks and help them out.

If they're bandits by choice because they feel like they have the power to take stuff from other people, then I'd expect at least 75% to have MD weapons and MDC armor and at least 25% of them to have an OCC that gives them a reason to believe they're better than average (juicer, crazy, partial or full cyborg, master psychic, mage, d-bee with natural abilities, etc).

--flatline

I like it when it's a bit of column A and a bit of column B to be honest. Mostly because the later usually causes the former and gives players a chance to show a bit of character.

I usually do light to medium MDC gear, enough to give the players a challenge, but not so much it will kill them. I understand that most bandits are Sdc dudes with nothing but a T-shirt and dads old wilks 320 if their lucky. but that doesn't make for interesting fights most of the time.

BIBBI wrote:I usually do light to medium MDC gear, enough to give the players a challenge, but not so much it will kill them. I understand that most bandits are Sdc dudes with nothing but a T-shirt and dads old wilks 320 if their lucky. but that doesn't make for interesting fights most of the time.

Not every fight has to be interesting, sometimes a few easy wins should happen, just as sometimes they should be left with pretty much no choice but to run.

BIBBI wrote:So I'm writing a program currently to randomly create a bandit/ trivial NPC and I was wondering what percentage should I use for making said bandit a juicer, crazy, mage, etc. could you guys offer any assistance?

According to WB14 New West pg. 84, "psychics, practitioners of magic and supernatural beings represent only 5% of the overall outlaw population of the Pecos Bandits of the New West."

Hope this helps.