A rifts world book 17 warlords of Russia review. As the summary on the back says Rifts Russia and the Slavic countries are monster-infested hellholes. The human spirit is indomitable and mortals still challenge the chaos. Warlords bring us the politics, factions, cyborgs, OCCs, and fight the Russian people are going through to survive on Rifts Earth.
Rifts® Warlords of Russia™ is packed with world information about Western Russia, the Warlords who rule it, and their legions of incredible cyborg warriors. Other character classes include the Cossack, Wingrider, Ectohunter, Hero-Knight, Explorer, Smoke Soldier (super spy), Trapper-Hunter and others.
Rifts World Book 17 Warlords of Russia GM Material
There are a couple of roll tables for Rifts Russia that could be used (with alterations) elsewhere. If you know me at all though you realize I love roll tables. They help save time and allow the story to continue uninterrupted without “needing” to have all the answers before playing. These tables specifically are good for a situation where time doesn’t flow normally, and travel through a dense forest.
Player Material from World Book 17
Do you like the cold? Ever wonder what a Rifts-styled snowmobile would look like? Look no further than world book 17. Things don’t stop there though, as a player you can look forward to nearly a dozen different cyborg OCC options, combat vehicles, and more. On top of that, there is a lot of cybernetics not listed in other books.
The Russian Warlords rely heavily on Cyborgs and consequently have vehicles specifically tailored to them. Vehicles like the borgbike, a motorcycle built specifically for heavy cyborgs. Get yourself a CyberLink system and you can use the jet-assisted jump system to get over those pesky trees or downed demons.
Story material from Warlords of Russia
Rifts Russia is in a setting of truly dire low technology. Most of the people in Russia are living in small farms with a tech level similar to our 9th-13th centuries. This makes for a truly horrific setting if you consider how terrifyingly powerful even a small demon would be to anyone living that way. Any fight with such a being would be like trying to knock down a mountain with a toothpick.
These people are then “protected” by Warlords that demand tribute for said protection. The Warlords on the other hand have incredibly high-tech weapons and equipment including cybernetics and bionics. These Warlords make things better for those living under them, though arguably the demon you choose is only marginally better than the one you don’t.
Primarily speaking the most appealing pieces to use for adventure ideas come from pieces within each Warlord’s description. For instance, one Warlord has ties to the NGR but there is no direct way to get to them save through monster-infested lands.. what if a route was found/made? How would that change the power dynamics? What other stories could you create like this?
Rifts world book 17 originatlity
I find this book to be wholly unique and different. The description of the setting makes it seem barbaric and brutal, more so than in other areas. It preserves the stereotypical feel of Russian culture though even if it’s 400 years after the fall of all societies.
How game breaking is Rifts Russia
This world book is blessedly basic, much like the Ultimate Edition was. In that, it gives a lot of information about places and people without adding mechanics that are overpowered. Classes and equipment are fairly similar to what’s found in other parts of the world, with a distinct Russian flair.
How good are the occs in World Book 17
The OCCs are fairly good. As you would expect there are some adventure classes that are rather support styled like the Explorer. Many of the OCCs fit this, basically, they have a description of how they operate and then a set of standard skills and skill selection options plus equipment. Nothing special about them.
Other classes that I find are more intriguing have special abilities. For example, the Vagabond from the Rifts Ultimate Edition has the “Eyeball a fella” special ability. While the class itself sounds support style, this ability can be incredibly useful and helpful in nearly any setting. So While a class doesn’t have to have super abilities having special abilities is what makes them interesting to me. That said, having a list of OCCs standards for an area is also helpful for fleshing out NPCs so many fit that and are still very helpful.
If you are someone that likes cyborgs then you’ve gotta get this book. It has a lot of new cyborg options to pick from that fit all kinds of roles. If you are elswhere on Rifts Earth then you could use them as a template to look at for ideas when making your own custom cyborg.
How well does Warlords of Russia mix with the core book
Warlords of Russia bring a whole new set of challenges to the European area. It’s probably not going to get much interaction with the Coalition from the Core book, however. That said you could have people travel back and forth as messenger boys if desired for various reasons.