Rifts Game Master Guide Review
The Rifts Game Master Guide is a reference book with short descriptions from many books. It includes information on robots, power armor, weapons, skills, body armor, vehicles, and more. It pulls information from sourcebooks 1-4 and world books 1-23. In addition, there is a section on how to run a game and other advice.
GM Material
As the name implies it has a lot of material for game masters to use. As a reference book it contains content from many Rifts Books. While there is a lot for GMs to use, equipment, armor, weapons, and skills are included that players will find useful. Let me give you an idea of what to expect for each.
The book starts out with the lexicon of Rifts. This is a great place for new players(and game masters) to get an idea of all the different phrases, slang, and the like in the Rifts RPG. It then has a time line that can be used to understand the main storyline occurring on Rifts Earth, followed by adventure basics.
After getting an idea of how to create adventures there is advice on how to alter them based on party size. Most systems suggest groups in the 3-6 range plus a game master. Some game masters like playing with dozens of players, and the dynamics of running such a game are quite different.
Next up are the game mechanics of Rifts. Starting off with experience system and levels, then playing in character, NPCs, combat and more.
If you are someone that has had many questions or confusion about different parts of the combat then the Game Master Guide may help clarify them for you. It contains a “rules and clarifications section” that expands the stat system, and has a note on mega damage creatures, to name a few.
Its at this point that it starts going into material that is useful to the player as well, or even more so. After all the stuff players will like the book ends with tips on running a game, adventures vs campaigns, and a great adventure idea roll table, with a mini earth atlas.
Player Material
The player will look at this book and see it as a huge compilation of skills, weapons, equipment, armor, robots, power armor and the like.
As a player I find myself typically using the Rifts Ultimate edition, Merc Ops, Juicer Uprising, Book of Magic, Northern Gun 1 and Northern Gun 2 the most.
Much of what is listed in this book, while great, simply gets a bit outdated compared to the newer Northern Gun books. Also, I don’t find myself using the Kitanni, Naruni, Russian, Coalition, and some other stuff all that much.
The Game Master Guide is a great reference book for equipment and other gear all across Rifts Earth and beyond, but for the player you are often limited to local gear. For a game master its great to be able to look at all options when making adventures, especially when the opposition is outside Rifts North America, for example.
You may find the use of this book more useful than I have, and if so Id love to hear how so.
Story material
There isn’t any extra story added, though it does have a good timeline synopsis at the start.
That said I really like the running the game section for game masters, and maybe even players that are struggling to find fun. I have found many parties struggle with one of the 7 deadly sins outlined in the “Running the Game” section. To sum things up, tabletop roleplaying games are co-operative and never supposed to be Gm vs the players.
So if you, a party member, the game master, or group as a whole are struggling within take a look at these. After you do, talk about them with each other. Find out what the story of your party is and how to improve the dynamic amongst yourselves.
Originality
Well obviously we cant give the book great marks here since we all know its a compilation book. There is some new content in the form of how to run a game, as discussed above. This information may be a great new way to view roleplaying if you haven’t look at it do so.
Game breaking
If you give players access to the Game Master Guide without specifically saying they can only use things within “North America” or wherever you are, then things may get difficult.
Since the skills are all combined some may take skills with the intention of breaking the game, particularly the skill “Blend”. If you have players that like to take advantage then don’t give them access to the book or just say all purchases, or new skills need to be approved.
It’s not that the book itself is truly game breaking it just brings skills and other stuff from other areas into a single book that may give players the wrong idea of whats available to them.
How good are the occs
Nothing new was created for this book.
It does have a fantastic index of NPCs, OCCs, RCCs, and other things for quick access, though.
How well does it mix with the core book
One hundred percent compatible with the core book, as intended. Some of the material within is from the core book.