One bad apple can spoil everything, so do not be the bad apple.
Be Furthermore, the practice of magic within the Coalition States is
a team player.
8. Have fun with your character. Create and play characters
you think you will enjoy. Give them the personality, background
and quirks that keep the character alive, interesting and fun for
you to play. If you get bored with a character, retire it and roll-up
a new, maybe a very different one. Character experimentation can
be fun and might surprise you.
A Rifts® Adventure
The Rifts® Setting
The Rifts Earth setting takes place several hundred years in
the future. A hundred years from now, a terrible apocalypse tears
down the very foundations of human civilization. The world is
devastated when a small, isolated nuclear exchanged ignites a cat-
aclysmic chain of events that brings storms and natural disasters
across the globe. This cataclysm unleashes magic energy in the
form of ley lines – lines of magic energy – which begin to ripple
across the landscape. Where two ley lines cross, a tear in space and
time may occur. They are known as the “Rifts.” In the midst of the
Great Cataclysm, scores of supernatural beings, demons, gods and
monsters of myth and legend, and creatures from countless alien
worlds arrive through the Rifts all across the planet. The humanoid
are dubbed “D-Bees,” short for “dimensional beings.” They are
creatures we might think of simply as aliens, like those from popu-
lar science fiction shows like Star Wars and Star Trek. Some are
peaceful and just as confused about how they got to Rifts Earth as
humanity. Others come to conquer and enslave.
After a Two Hundred Year Dark Age, the face of the Earth is
radically transformed. With the arrival of the continent of Atlan-
tis in the Atlantic Ocean, the water level around the world has
risen, flooding most coastal cities, and most other major cities are
destroyed or swept away by wave after wave of natural disasters.
Humanity has huddled together in a small handful of strongholds
and camps. Some of these communities are small, primitive ham-
lets while others have grown into high-tech nations such as the
Coalition States who have found many of humanity’s lost secrets
and technology. Others, like the Federation of Magic, have turned
to the mystic energy of the ley lines and cast spells or use other
types of magic. You see, the mystic arts have also been rediscov-
ered by humanity and D-Bees, making Rifts Earth a place of great
contrasts.
From location to location, you can encounter a primitive town
with simple log cabins, while over the next hill can be a city en-
cased in Mega-Damage concrete and steel, while in the opposite
direction is a town that relies on magic, and elsewhere there are
places where magic and technology can be found in equal har-
mony.
North America is no longer the United States of America.
It has been divided by vast stretches of savage wilderness. In the
heart of North America, the Coalition States (CS) is one of hu-
manity’s largest nations. They are protected by mega-cities en-
cased in concrete and steel. Their army is large and supported by
giant robots and powered armored troops. The Coalition States
could be humanity’s greatest salvation if not for their human su-
premacist attitude and extreme measures. They believe Earth be-
longs to humanity and that D-Bees are invaders to be exterminated.
a criminal offense punishable by death. For the CS, magic is seen
as a power that corrupts men, turning them evil as they gain more
power. While this is not necessarily true, the Coalition States does
not understand magic and refuses to accept that magic, like any
resource, can be used for good or evil. The CS is a mighty power
that has embraced the Death’s Head as their motif, and use it to
bully and intimidate.
The Coalition States is but one of the major players in North
America. Other communities exist, like the Federation of Magic
east of the CS in a place called the Magic Zone. The Federation
is a loose-knit community of spell casting mages who have gath-
ered in towns and villages under the control of the evil Alistair
Dunscon. The practice of magic is not only allowed within the
Federation, but any kind of magic from Techno-Wizardry and sor-
cery to the dreaded art of Necromancy and Witchcraft is allowed.
The Federation is not the only magic society in North America,
nor is the Collation the only technological nation, but they are two
of the largest nations. Despite the size of the Federation, it is more
of a collection of powerful magic users and clans, each with their
own power base and holdings. Lord Alistair Dunscon is by far the
most powerful and has the largest holdings and influence within
the Federation.
There are countless places on North America where one
can have a grand adventure. Our little adventure is taking place
within the Magic Zone. The Coalition is hundreds of miles away
and of little concern to our characters. This deep in the Zone, the
biggest concerns come from bandits, rogue dragons, and evil prac-
titioners of magic. This is a place adventure can erupt anywhere.
The Adventure Begins
Once it has been determined who will be the Game Master, the
rest of the players should select one of the pre-generated characters
at the back of this adventure. Try to keep in mind the Game Master
and player tips and let’s start the adventure.
The player characters’ travels have brought them to a small
town in the Magic Zone known as King’s Falls. The town is a
large farming community that is popular for its bars and taverns.
There are two competing breweries which bring a lot of business
to the small town.
The town has a mechanic who can fix most Mega-Damage ve-
hicles and armor, although he cannot fix giant robots or tanks. He
also has a generator that can recharge all styles of E-Clips at a cost
of 2,000 credits per Clip.
The player characters are meeting in King’s Falls on their two
year anniversary. Two years ago, each of them set out to become
more than simple farmers or brewers. Thanks to Sir Cross, each
player character was provided with enough credits to set out and
make it on his own, and each vowed to return in two years to report
on their success or return to their old life. Sir Cross was the bene-
factor who made all the contacts once the characters set out. He is a
Cyber-Knight, a champion of the people, defender of King’s Falls
and a fair and just man. While many people want him to be the
mayor, or take charge of the local militia, he always declines posi-
tions of power. It is not in his character to want power or authority,
and he likes to be able to wander the countryside to help the people
of the region when they need him.
Sir Cross has arranged for a small celebration at the Golden
Brew Tavern to welcome the characters back. Tankards of beer