Forums of the Megaverse®

Recently I bought the 1st edition of BtS at my local gaming store, I didn't know anything about any of the Palladium games, except for the very, VERY basic stuff about RIFTS, but the book looked interesting and it was only $2 so I figure what the hey and I bought it I've ran some sessions and I like the game.

Anyhow I went online to find some adventure ideas and the like and found out that there is a 2nd edition and I was wondering what some of the differences are between the editions, I know that the Palladium Megaverse worlds are suppposed to be interchangeable and such so what have they changed? Do the old PCCs work the same and would it be worth my time and money to try and find the 2nd ed. book?

Any information will be apreciated, thanks.

Greetings! Welcome to the wonderful world of Palladium gaming.

I'm not a diehard BTS player (though I've enjoyed what I played) so my answers here won't be very specific, but some other folks will post soon enough with much better info, I'm sure.

At this point, BTS2 only has a mainbook out, which isn't a complete system by itself. The magic sourcebook (Beyond Arcanum) and monster sourcebook (Tome Grotesque) are due out some time this year. Once those books are available I'd recommend moving up to BTS2, but until then, the first edition should be fine. You can use it to learn the rules, get used to the setting, and have a great time. There is a supplement for first edition called Boxed Nightmares that's loaded with adventures if you need a hand getting started.

Imagine some kind of cross between X-Files and The Shining, and you'll be on the right track.

The Second Edition added some new PCCs like the Ghost Hunter, as well as added the "occupation" element to skill selections, the Threat Multiplier, and a hellulotta fluff text, which helps to set the stage and convey the image of the game setting.
The Arcanist was removed, as the focus of the Main Book is on the Psychic phenomena, and should be seen in the Arcanum sourcebook.

My complaint was that there wasn't an equipment list (I could live without a weapons list: I can get those from other modern setting books like HU and Nightbane, or even the CoCW), but it would have been nice to have a catalog of special equipment for the Parapsychologist.

I would have liked a greater effort to make the psychic powers more universally compatible to the rest of the Palladium Megaverse: Super-Psionics aren't included, and the classifications are slightly different from other games as well (they added a Pyrokinetic class of abilities).