In roleplaying games, some are more niche than others, and Rifts certainly has that reputation. That said I’m happy to be your guide into the Megaverse of Palladium Rifts.
What is Rifts RPG?
Palladium Rifts, at its core, is a science fiction post-apocalyptic tabletop roleplaying game. It is set about 400 years in the future. The basic storyline is that humanity ushers in a golden era where most disease and poverty are gone.
Not all conflict between humans is gone and some problems arise. During one of the conflicts, a bomb is dropped on a highly populated city. Sitting on a Ley Line Nexus which is a center of dense magical energy the bomb kills millions of people which sends more magical energy (called PPE-potential psychic energy) and ignites all ley lines on Earth.
As the ley lines ignite, space-time tears open up that lead to other areas on Earth and dimensions. All kinds of monsters, demons, new races, and supernatural creatures come through the rifts. In addition ley line magical storms, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters accompany the Rifts leading to death and destruction.
The amount of lost life was so drastic that it reduced the population of most continents to almost nothing. According to Palladium Rifts’ timeline, the date is 109 PA (Post Apocalypse) North America, consisting of parts of Canada and the mainland United States of America, the current population is estimated to be about 30 million people. That is about the population of Canada in our modern time. Not all who live are human, as there is an ever-growing population of dimensional people who seek refuge in the futuristic world. Humanity, therefore, is a species on the brink of extinction, and there are forces who are both actively trying to finish the job, and put everything on the line to save it.
Whatever Happened To The Rifts Roleplaying Game?
I became aware of Rifts back in the mid-1990s but didn’t start playing regularly until about 2012. During that gap, I found that Rifts was still a thriving game system with more than a dozen new books printed and still more being created.
There was a spot of time when Palladium Books suffered some controversy that impacted the company. Gamers loyal to the brand came together and helped the company survive and push through its troubles. I don’t want to go through details though on that since it’s not important. The company thrives and the game still exists.
In fact, it is doing so well that Savage Worlds asked to adapt Rifts and make a version of it in their system. Check out Savage Rifts if you want to see it played with a different rule set, first read the rest of this guide to Palladium Rifts.
Is Rifts a Good RPG
Good is such a subjective word that I really dislike using it. Better questions would be “Do you like science fiction including magic, high technology, and psionics or not?”. Another you may ask instead is “Does your group want to play Rifts?”
What you like and what I like may not be the same. So decide what game genres fit you and then find game systems to suit those preferences. For me, Rifts allows for games to span anything from fantasy to high technology, space adventures, and anywhere in between. It is truly an open-world concept limited by the imagination.
Guide to Palladium Rifts: Is Rifts Playable?
Absolutely yes! The rule system and character creation make the game have a steeper learning curve than others but so much is possible that it’s very much worth the effort.
Do People Still Play Rifts?
When this question is asked they are usually asking if people play Palladium Fantasy, Heroes Unlimited, or other non-Rifts games. The answer is yes people are. Palladium games have never been as popular as Dungeons and Dragons (also no other game has been either), so Palladium games are more niche.
What happened to me is that I saw the game and was intrigued but most of the people I played with when young didn’t want to play it. I went decades before deciding that I would look at internet gaming options to play the game that I liked the idea of. When I got into it 10 years ago I found I would never be able to go back to playing other games because Rifts just offers me far more options.
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Is Rifts Still Being Published?
As stated above it sure is, with many new books being produced. A new staff member was added who has been using KickStarter campaigns to raise funds for specific projects, the most recent being Rifts Titan Robotics.
What Books Do You Need To Play Rifts?
There is only one book you “need” to play Rifts and that is the Ultimate Edition. That said, Rifts has been around for a long time and many of the books introduced describe new settings entirely. If you want to play some of those then you’ll want those books. Some other helpful books are the book of magic, merc ops (mostly for a huge list of useful player equipment), Juicer Uprising (also for good equipment), and others to your own taste.
Check out the best of Rifts Minion Wars books for a short review of many Rifts books.
How Difficult Is Rifts For A New Player?
It can be a really difficult game to understand depending on your background. If you are someone coming from another game with an expectation that things will be explained like those others games then you’ll be disappointed and frustrated.
Each book that expanded on the base book sometimes brought with it the need for new rules in that specific setting. This however caused some people to be confused, unsure of where to find an answer. I find reading the FAQ on Palladium Books website to be extremely helpful. Also, you can look at NPCs in the books for examples of what’s possible.
It seems that most people have the hardest time with character creation. What is possible and what isn’t can be a different answer from one person to the next. I like to keep the idea in mind of preserving the feel of what Rifts is. Specifically, Cosmo Knights, Prometheans, Dragons, and other beings of this level are some fo the most powerful in the Megaverse. With that in mind, it helps me to keep my character builds in line with what the GM is trying to create for their game and my own character.
Guide to Palladium Rifts: Can Rifts Be Played “By the book”?
The game certainly can be played “by the book”. For those that like long combat scenes then it is a great way to do so. For others, they will find parts of it are odd or lacking. If you fall into the latter situation then house rules are perfectly fine to use. As Kevin himself is fond of saying, it’s your game play it how you want (or something to that effect).
What House Rules Do You Make In A Rifts Game?
I often like looking at the “Best of the Rifters” for the PPE channeling rule. This rule basically makes practitioners of magic much more enjoyable to play in combat without making them feel terrible, and obscenely outclassed even though their descriptions say they should be badasses.
Other than that I find it more enjoyable to treat experience and equipment in a totally different way. For the most part, I find that as Roleplayers we often get in the habit of playing games as if we are in an utter state of scarcity. Meaning we are extremely stingy at handing out experience, spells, skills, gear, etc.
This makes for a very limiting game experience and I just don’t like that. Read more about our philosophy here.
I’m Interested In Playing Rifts, Where Should I Start?
Get yourself a copy of the Rifts Ultimate Edition and perhaps a couple of other books that tickle your fancy.
Reddit has groups looking for players, GMs, and resources.
Virtual Table-Top sites are plenty with many active groups looking for players.
Pros And Cons of Rifts Tabletop Roleplaying Game
Guide to Palladium Rifts: Pros
Science Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic Survival Game with monsters, wizards, psychics, cyborgs, evil gods, and dragons… Magic-rich setting. Customizable characters. Endless game possibilities. Fun characters. A book that caters to the whims of different play-styles. 40+ years of continuity throughout the brand. Palladiums Games, for the most part, follow the same basic rules allowing players to pick up different settings and understand the fundamentals of character creation and game mechanics.
Guide to Palladium Rifts: Cons
Character creation time. Game creation time. Research intensive. Expansive books to sift through to find specific information to help develop stories and characters. Confusing rules can be clunky and even contradictory. Confusing and competing Meta-Plots that don’t really make a lot of sense for new players jumping in on the system after 30 years. A bottleneck in content creation. All new material is edited and curated by the owner and lead designer, Kevin Siembieda, leading to long waits for new content and original material. A lot of reprinting of material is found in older publications.
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