Rifts sourcebook 5 bionics sourcebook reviews all the fantastic cybernetics and bionics it introduces. Rifts is somewhat like Cyberpunk with the cybernetics available to players though the game system is different and it’s only a small part of what’s possible.
The bionics sourcebook includes over 200 bionic and cybernetic options, 47 commercial cybernetics, 20+ black market options, plus variations to the City Rat OCC and a relook at the Cyber Doc, plus more.
A compendium of bionic and cybernetic systems in the Rifts North America setting, with information about Partial and Full Conversion Cyborgs, Headhunters, City Rats, the Cyber-Doc and more. A must-have resource for fans of cyborgs.
Gm Material Rifts Bionics Sourcebook
The majority of the GM material from this book comes from knowing what’s illegal and what’s not. Dealing with the Black Market and having players get caught up in their schemes. Or perhaps they get caught in a sting operation while buying perfectly legit cybernetics or bionics. Or as players want to do, they probably will go to other areas of Rifts Earth, or Phase World and then bring back Alien cybernetics that some powers on Rifts Earth will hunt them down for or imprison just for having them.
Rifts Sourcebook 5 Bionics Sourcebook Player Material
Players get a lot of different options in character building. All the cybernetics and bionics can help you create a much better city rat with just the interfacing options with computers. Making you able to download and interact with computers much easier. This goes the same though for just about any other OCC(occupational character class) you may play as well.
For the player that wants to build a full conversion cyborg, this book is a must-have. The additional bionics and cybernetics it offers to make your options much better when building one. The same goes for those wanting to make a partial conversion cyborg or even a Headhunter(check the Rifts Ultimate for full descriptions).
Story material from Rifts Bionics Sourcebook
The only real story is more of a history than a story. It’s the past use of cybernetics and bionics on Rifts Earth.
How original is Rifts Sourcebook 5 Bionics Sourcebook
Kevin Siembieda mentions at the beginning of the book that much of this book was intended to be put in the Game Masters Guide but they ran out of room. From a standpoint of pure creativity that makes this book very original. So much was added and expanded upon in this book that it makes for many fun cyborg or cybernetic options.
Discover where to buy bionics and more in Rifts The Black Market review.
A note I’d like to point out here: most everything listed in Rifts should be viewed as a starting point, not as an end-all-be-all. You should encourage players to create their own spells, cybernetics, psionics, and magic tattoos, magic items, weapons, etc. Not to mention many books in Rifts were made decades ago(yes some of you new players weren’t alive think about that).
What I mean by that simply is that our own real-world technology has advanced beyond anything we thought possible so some things in Rifts books seem antiquated even to our standards. So making up your own condensed, compact, or new items is only natural.
How game-breaking is Rifts Bionics Sourcebook
There is nothing from this book that I would consider game-breaking in any way. It is just a pure fun book with different ways to augment a character to better interact with the world of Rifts.
How good are the occs in Bionics Sourcebook
This book expands on the City Rat OCC which I always put in more of a support style role. If your group is making a city campaign that focuses on these lower power OCCs then I think the new variations are great. Otherwise, I still put them in the support area. Much of what they can do can be imitated with other OCCs like Psionic characters, specifically the Psi-tech race, Mind Melter, and others. With the use of Telemechanics, and Machine Ghost you can get just about any info you want from almost any computer system. That said some very fun options can still be had with City Rats so don’t discount them.
How well does Sourcebook 5 mix with the core book
The bionics sourcebook mixes very well with the core book. Even for Mages, there are options that can be good to get, though obviously not a lot. I highly recommend this book for those who love cyborgs or want more options in a city setting.