Forums of the Megaverse®

Recently, a topic has come up, wondering as to the how's and why's of why magic would be prevalent in one version of Dead Reign over another. Rather than going off-toping and threadjacking that thread, I thought of starting this one.

I was already thinking of making at least two divergent worlds compared to the Rifter #40 and DRRPG. The magic is of course one of the largest divergence. And besides simply saying that 'magic isn't typically in zombie movies', I thought I'd look at Palladium Books game mechanics.

Possibility #1.: Timing. After the Bomb and Rifts are both post-apocalyptic timelines. While there are psionics in AtB, magic is practically unknown, therefore untapped. Rifts Earth went rampant when so much death occurred on a mystically potent day, the Winter Solstice. Perhaps because the stars and planets have to be in a certain alignment to be so mystically attuned, having a mass death on a non-mystical day can simply dissipate or be absorbed by the Earth or even out of the atmosphere. Maybe the ley lines act like mystic electromagnetic, or geomagnetic fields. When more energy surges through them at times of a higher mystic 'surge load', it can not only give more P.P.E., but might draw the ambient energy towards them. So since there was no definitive day that the Wave was set to happen in the DRRPG, it could be any time, but most important, NOT during a solstice, equinox, eclipse or planetary alignment. The difference could be as simple as a day, or six weeks.

Possibility #2.: Mystic Absorption. In Systems Failure, yet another post-apocalyptic setting, the Bugs are energy parasites. It also states there is no magic on that world, although psionics do exist sparringly. Now, with so much death, where is the P.P.E. going? One answer: The Bugs feed on them! The Lightning Bugs can create rifts at nexus points if enough are gathered. So there IS power there, and they seem to draw on it. This alone could be a VERY valid reason why there's no magic OR psionics in DRRPG. What if something, possibly as potent as a planet full of zombies that feed on P.P.E. are also soaking up the ambient energy too? In Rifts, it took the Atlanteans creating a super portal, then forcing it closed to drain the magic level of Earth to super-low proportions. Imagine if every mage on Rifts Earth tried casting a major spell at every major ley line and nexus point around the same time, or even a lot of small ones. Isn't it possible that so many mystical conduits would drain the power out of the grid? Now imagine if at least, if not over HALF the population of humans on Earth became beings that feed voraciously on this energy. If that wouldn't cause a drain, maybe something else is. In Mystic China, power surges at ley lines and nexus points do NOT happen during mystic events like mentioned above, because the dragons there are feeding on it all, leaving NONE for anyone else. If it's not the zombies, maybe something is acting like the magic equivalent of a heat sink, sucking the energy in somewhere. If Brulyx was a cause, maybe he's attacking more than one Earth simultaneously. One that was activated on a Summer Solstice, hence sparking height in mystic potential. Then another on another day, perhaps Altrucure was chemically different than Unisane, or maybe the magic was so weak there, they found another alternative, or maybe someone else took advantage, creating the five possibilities in DRRPG. Or maybe that sink is Brulyx, sucking in more energy than on the first Earth. Maybe angry gods are doing it. Maybe scientists looking for a new power source bred bacteria that feed on geomagnetic energy, or P.P.E.

These are just two thoughts I had, please feel free to tell your thoughts and add to them, supply more theories, etc.

now this is from an old rifts main book so could be out of date (need to update this thing )

page 161(how does magic work)

theoretically , everybody has potential psychic energy and at some point in life , has a great deal of it .
As human beings mature both physically and mentally the P.P.E. changes. The average adult has little P.P.E.,
yet an average teenager has more than at any other time in his life. What happens is that the P.P.E. energy is
used up in one way or another. Its most constructive use is focusing on a particular area of interest. This
could be where the concept of a natural talent arises. A persons focus to develop a particular skill/talent is
so strong that the P.P.E. is channeled in to developing that specific area. BUT this is only a fraction of
what is possible . By focusing and developing one's P.P.E., the individual can develop psychic or magic powers.


page 162 (individual P.P.E.)

Every person has some degree of P.P.E. Most humans and D-Bees have very little , but the practitioners of magic
have learned to nurture and hold P.P.E., becoming living batteries of magic energy. the typical mage will have 10 to 30
times more P.P.E. energy than the average person



my logic is if this is a world with no magic then there is no one to train people to store and harness there P.P.E.
and what little people have is used up as stated above now as the zombies kill people what little P.P.E. they have
gets absorbed and taking the idea they can store it the more people they kill the more P.P.E. builds up in there
body making them a magical creature if they kill enough people

could be wrong i thought i read in one of the reviews of the book
that zombies could sense a persons P.P.E. and they feed on a
persons P.P.E. not just there body

kevarin wrote:could be wrong i thought i read in one of the reviews of the book
that zombies could sense a persons P.P.E. and they feed on a
persons P.P.E. not just there body

That's true, they do. It's the Life Energy the seem to crave.

ok glad to know im not crazy and people in DR do have a low amount of P.P.E
i plan on useing that to put magic in my game when i can get it


going to use chaos earth spells on a different casting system
something along this


you need a certain number of melee actions to gather up the PPE and cast the spell
since magic isn't as high and must use the limited amount the char has would give
them a min of 2 melee actions and no greater than 4 and if you get attacked or have
to dodge you didn't cast itand you lose the PPE you built up to cast it and as you build
up PPE to cast the spell you become to most attractive target to the zombies and they
all start coming for the caster and you have to be defended or your zombie food

i like the idea of limited or not to powerful magic and think the magic out of
chaos earth does this well for a end of the world setting

Keep in mind that there is a difference between PPE and magic. Case and point: There are numerous races that have PPE but cannot learn magic (Grackletooth and Seljuk off the top of my head). In order to use magic/psionics there must be a potential present. It is not too much of a long shot to say that in the DR world that potential does not exist in people. That precedence has already been set with not having magic in other setting (Robotech and System Failure). This time it is just stretched to include psionics as well.

just like coming up with the option so if its wanted i have
an option that isnt to over powering to the game set up
and might be possible under the situation

think what i came up with worked out pretty good
given the setting in DR

amsterdam wrote:
Except, in Chaos Earth, noone taught mages, they teach themselves to harness their PPE.

Dont forget though, in Chaos Earth.. Rifts and Leylines were stronger then in modern day rifts. Magic was so strong, it started to eb and flow out of people who had no control of it.

Magic in Chaos Earth was not as predictable as one would like..

This whole thing about zombies sensing PPE is an great idea. Although magic is not in this game as we know it to be in others. Them graving someones life spark is just really cool

Sounds like you are wanting/using Rifter 40 then heh

Well, no.. not really.

I really like the idea of how they say that they feed off PPE. Sure they eat flesh, but its not the flesh that they feed off. Its the life force behind it.

When I plan to run a DR game, there will be no magic at all. No magic that the players know of anyways. All they know, it that there is zombies, going around eating people.

I just like the idea of why they are constantly looking for someone to eat in zombie lore in general. I like how the idea of how they are drawn to it and want to consume it. I said in another post, that I think thats a awesome edition to zombie lore. Just replace PPE for Lifeforce.. or life spark, or soul or what ever. It just sounds sinister.

I dont care if a person plays the game with lots of magic, little magic, or none what so ever. To me, a zombie is a zombie is a zombie.

I am really looking forward to running the zombie outbreak in my Chaos Earth game. So what there is tons of magic around.. there are tons of undead zombie outbreaks caused for who knows why.. I can see it.. guys blowing away zombies, left right and center with their MDC blasters.. only to run out of ammo.. to be pinned down, to have there armor tore from them.. and then become dinner to the hoards of them.

Is the idea of them being summoned by some sort of cult using some sort of forgotten magic cool? yeah.. will it make a difference? not at all. The book leaves it open to why it happend. So, just pick your system and throw in your zombies.

Dead Reign says they feed off PPE. They dont say why.. which allows the reader to do as they will.

I'm going to use the magic rules from Beyond the Supernatural for my Dead Reign game.

I'll just have to wait a while longer.

I was looking through my DRRPG, and noticed that the feeding seems to be closer to my theory #2. When feeding, all zombies that are actively trying to feed in a 300 feet radius takes in the P.P.E. from a kill. It makes the zombies themselves mystical sponges, and while ley lines aren't mentioned in the main book, it would make sense that they'd still congregate there in lack of prey.

Mystic equivalents of heat sinks in zombies. Hell, if they were unleashed en masse on Rifts, they might even start knocking down the magic level on that world! I'll have to look at my Aliens Unlimited Galaxy Guide book, it has rules for extremely low magic worlds, including how the spells aren't as strong, and you have to spend more P.P.E. to cast them. In major areas like the largest cities, these places may be the hardest for visiting mages that could cast magic to function. Talk about an unexpected surprise...

DtMK wrote:I was looking through my DRRPG, and noticed that the feeding seems to be closer to my theory #2. When feeding, all zombies that are actively trying to feed in a 300 feet radius takes in the P.P.E. from a kill. It makes the zombies themselves mystical sponges, and while ley lines aren't mentioned in the main book, it would make sense that they'd still congregate there in lack of prey.

Mystic equivalents of heat sinks in zombies. Hell, if they were unleashed en masse on Rifts, they might even start knocking down the magic level on that world! I'll have to look at my Aliens Unlimited Galaxy Guide book, it has rules for extremely low magic worlds, including how the spells aren't as strong, and you have to spend more P.P.E. to cast them. In major areas like the largest cities, these places may be the hardest for visiting mages that could cast magic to function. Talk about an unexpected surprise...

I still have the ley lines flare up a bit in my game, just not at Rifts earth levels, but enough where there won't really be any spell casting penalty. That many deaths as a result of the wave should trigger some swelling of the lines, just not breaking the dam levels.

The way I'm running my game is based on Rifter #40, though I'll probably add some zombies from the main book into it. I was mostly thinking of if someone had a magic using character from another setting, then brought in into DRRPG, it could be a nasty surprise for traveling spellcasters. Every spell a beacon for the zombies, even potentially having spells be diminished? Talk about a shock!

ok im trying to think whats a good range of zombie detection when casting magic
i was thinking 10 yards per ppe point used to cast the spell that could make things very
interesting cast a 10 ppe spell and get every zombie for 100 yards around you looking your
way and coming for a bite

thoughts??

kevarin wrote:ok im trying to think whats a good range of zombie detection when casting magic
i was thinking 10 yards per ppe point used to cast the spell that could make things very
interesting cast a 10 ppe spell and get every zombie for 100 yards around you looking your
way and coming for a bite

thoughts??

Not bad. And also, it mentions how the range of seeing P.P.E. grows at night. Put a X5 multiplier on it at night, and you have the definition of FEAR for mages!

ok so if i get what im thinking right you cast a 10 ppe spell at night
every zombie for 100 yards detects your casting the spell and starts
moving your way and any zombie with a clear line of sight for 400 yards
past that sees a large flash of ppe and starts moveing that way ?

Sounds good! Well, good for the zombies, horrible for mages in that DR world!

true think i will scale it down 1 yard per ppe point past the normal zombie sensory
range with the x5 seeing range during the day and x10 at night might let the mages live a little
longer

should hopefully be getting this book soon and have one group member that wants
to try using magic but a question has come up if useing barrier and bridging
spells would the zombies absorbe the magic from them