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i was just thumbing through rifts wb3:england and read a little bit about the herbalist occ. i was thinking it might be cool to offer in my fantasy game (our earth warlock is looking to have dual occs and it looks like a great combo). i have a few concerns/questions for those more experienced with the occ...

1) we have a psi-healer already. would the herbalist step on his toes or be somewhat useless in comparison?

2) i didnt read through the whole section (was in a hurry), are there any powers or skills that would potentially unbalance my group? rifts stuff in general seems a lot more powerful than pf stuff...

3) is it actually a fun occ? would it make a better npc that my group has to seek out for a magical cure/some special knowledge?

thanks (last time i played rifts, vamp kingdom was just hitting the shelves)

t0m wrote:i was just thumbing through rifts wb3:england and read a little bit about the herbalist occ. i was thinking it might be cool to offer in my fantasy game (our earth warlock is looking to have dual occs and it looks like a great combo). i have a few concerns/questions for those more experienced with the occ...

1) we have a psi-healer already. would the herbalist step on his toes or be somewhat useless in comparison?

Nope. In fact herbalists suck for healing damage

2) i didnt read through the whole section (was in a hurry), are there any powers or skills that would potentially unbalance my group? rifts stuff in general seems a lot more powerful than pf stuff...

Herbalists derive magical powers from plants. They can gain magical armor, see the inivisible, cure drunkeness, gain natural abilities to track, teh effects of various magical spells, bio-manipulation, make holy water and even grant people Supernatural Strength. basically speaking with the Herbalist almost every plant grants some kind of magical or psionical power.

3) is it actually a fun occ? would it make a better npc that my group has to seek out for a magical cure/some special knowledge?

I'm having fun with it

Of course, i'm actually playing a Gypsy Gifted, which is kind of a psi-healer/herbalist rolled into one.

Wangfucius wrote:GREAT for plot movement
although they should have rules for potion/salve/staff construction like the tw rules

I smell a Rifter submission

beautiful. thanks for the info folks

sounds like its going to be pretty cool. ill go pick up the book today...

i think im going to introduce an npc herbalist to the group through a mission first, and make him/her the last of a dying breed who offers to train the warlock in an attempt to preserve the knowledge on the palladium world. being that its not already a palladium occ im going to treat it like its really rare knowledge here.

thanks again. my imagination is running wild with possibilities already

are there any other cool occs like this in rifts that would fit into a fantasy setting without being too powerful?

and my book collection grows...



thanks for the tips ill try to find those to have a look.

i have never heard of that one. what are their specialties and skills/abilities like?

*one thing sorta not mentioned about the 'herbalist' is the fact that they get raised with the magic plants and such from an early age.
*they miss that stage in their development and then loose out on the possibilities.
*something about the genetic code and DNA getting altered and such. so a dual class with the herbalist as it is may not be the way to go.

CAN'T look over that little bit about the class. ... sorry.

but the bit about salves and lotions and such forth is actually a good idea.

i'm running a Gifted Gypsy with the "herbalist" OCC skill package for hte 'required' list. i asked the GM at the time, and they said sure.
.... she's balanced now. what she can't heal with Psi, she can give a boost to with the magic teas and such she can make.

guess its about balance - and how you word it to the GM. mine's a rather passive resistance type of char and has no clue how to fight. while at the same time .. 'commune with spirits' ..

yeah i just noticed that now that i have had a chance to fully read the book. ill just have to bend the rule a bit. the character who will be switching to herbalist is already an earth warlock who is very in tune with plants. she is also an elf, to whom 10 years of eating 'magic' mushrooms is a very short time. perhaps when she was younger she spent some time in seclusion (she likes to be alone in the forest so this is not out of character) and partially lived off these rare/tasty mushrooms. now, years later she meets a herbalist who recognizes the energy/potential/changes in her and offers to train her?

.... hmm ...

guess you got that part covered then in the backstory.
should be fine

yeah, i dont like bending rules when the book specifically states 'these only grow in england' but right after that theres a section on inter dimensional plant life doesnt seem like much of a stretch for the mushrooms in question to fall under that same category in another world. maybe they even originated from the palladium world? either way, thanks for the advice.

and what book is the gypsy in? i have been hearing a lot about it lately