A Rifts RPG Meta-Adventure
Game 1 of a Meta-Arc adventure that follows the Rifts canonical timeline.
Reference Materials: Rifts Mercenaries, pg 52 for Adventure Idea Description. Rifts Vampire Kingdoms for details on El Paso, vampires, and traveling circuses.
The adventure beings in El Paso.
An Introduction Game for new Game Masters who want to explore the rich story of Palladium Rifts. Returning to the calendar year of 93 pa, the adventurers will eventually come to meet Doc Reid and his Ranger companions. Currently stationed in El Paso, they make regular excursions into Juarez to fight Vampires. Doc Reid has gained a reputation for researching and experimenting on Vampires and much of what we know about how to defeat a vampire was learned by him and his entourage.
The adventurers, having found their way into El Paso, with cheap lodging, and plenty of work is quick to find contracts to support themselves. El Paso currently has several mercenary companies hiring fledgling mercenaries. Included among them are the DemonBusters, Inc, and Braddock’s Boys who are currently working for Golden Age Weaponsmiths.
There’s a monster problem in Sunshine, New Mexico.
To the west of El Paso, in New Mexico is a small settlement named Sunshine. With a paltry population of roughly 300 people, mostly humans, they’re being preyed upon by a ferocious band of monsters.
The only source of information is a young girl named Mari (no last name given.) She reports that at night, whole families are annihilated by shadowy figures. By the time the local law appears, the shadows have managed to escape. Eventually, days pass and the sheriff himself has disappeared, along with his family. Mari’s father is the town’s sheriff’s deputy. But he died on the road to El Paso. Mari made the trip on her own. She appears fatigued and dehydrated.
Pulled off to the road heading to El Paso, 40 miles from town is an abandoned Big Boss ATV. The adventurers can trace the providence of the vehicle via the Sunshine Sheriff’s Office decals on the ATV’s doors. There’s no one in the vehicle, but Mari’s story is beginning to match up. But where is her father’s remains?
Inspiring rifts RPG storylines and how to use them– If you are new or returning to either the Rifts RPG or tabletop roleplaying games check out this article to learn more about Rifts storylines, how to use them and other articles to start with on the site.
The Town of Sunshine
Sunshine is a small town built around a pre-collapse era Truck Stop and Repair Shop. The old shipping containers have been abandoned for refurbished homes constructed from recycled building materials and adobe. The shipping containers are now used as perimeter walls in some locations.
Luna Hermanns is a trading post that sells most of the town’s foodstuff and produces.
The mayor of Sunshine greets the adventurers, introducing himself as, Cam Keeler. He is pleasant and welcoming – accepting anyone into Sunshine. When asked about the disappearances, he tells the adventurers that it’s been overblown by some of the town’s folks. That a few families have up and left town for better opportunities, many towards El Paso. But that everything is great in Sunshine and everyone in town is very happy and content.
Cino Bur is Sunshine’s Pastor and operator of ‘The Redeemer Church’ a few blocks away from Luna Hermanns. Speaking with the Pastor, the adventurers will learn the same – as they do from anyone they speak with. Pastor Bur is readying himself to take his family to the traveling circus that’s come into town.
A Traveling Circus just happens to be in town.
Rey McCoy runs a small traveling circus, complete with a Ronii Tokanii Strongman, a Spinne Starke Scholar and Mentalist who ‘reads people’ through keen observation, a duo of Shapers, a dozen Floopers for clowns, a Slurmph ticket master, a duo Roane Piper Minstrels, and a Yhabbayar.
Of course, Rey McCoy is hiding a small army of vampires, controlled by a female Secondary Vampire named Bevan.
During the main show under the big tent, a beautiful young woman (P.B. 27) enters the tent captivating many of the town’s onlookers. Believing she is part of the act, the night continues without Rey McCoy introducing the woman. McCoy introduces himself to the woman at the end of the show, as many gather, including Luna Hermann – a Mystic. Hermann, realizing that the woman is a creature of magic, finds the Mayor, Cam Keeler Approaching the woman, he informs her publicly that she isn’t welcome in this town. The woman, Carlotta the White works with Doctor Reid and is a Dragon Hatchling. The more the woman tries to explain herself, the more people surround her alongside the Mayor and Luna Hermann. The woman is forced to leave. Sunshine does not accept ‘supernatural and creatures of magic.’
That night, another family in Sunshine is attacked by Bevan and her vampires. Among her vampires are Shunshine’s Sheriff and his family and his Deputy Sheriff.
Being unable to fight against the vampires, but managing to push them off, the Adventures will have to confront the Mayor about their Vampire problem. Cam Keeler is forced to contact DemonBusters, Inc. To fight the vampires.
McCoy is hiding his vampires outside of town, in the desert of New Mexico.
McCoy parks a Mountaineer a few miles out of town, and buried during the day beneath the mountaineer are the vampires.
Defeating the Vampires, and confronting McCoy, the Circus Ring Leader will act as though he was enthralled by the Vampire Princess. But the truth is, McCoy is himself a Mind Melter/Dominator in league with the Master Vampire, whose name is carefully guarded.
Shortly after the destruction of McCoy’s Vampire nest, Doctor Reid and the woman named Carlotta arrive in Sunshine and confront General Smith and his DemonBusters, Inc. He informs Smith that it would have been a professional courtesy to inform him of Vampire activity this side of the Rio Grande. Doctor Reid and his companions question the locals for half a day to learn what they can about the vampire attacks and then depart.