best rounded goup of chars?

[The Galactus Kid]

We have a power armor piloting head hunter assassin, a mystic, a burster, and a indian mystic warrior. We do pretty well.

[Balabanto]

The groups in my game look like this:

Battle Magus (Chi-Gung Martial Arts), Cyber Samurai (Zanji Kenishin Ryu), Cyberknight (Leopard Kung Fu) , Elf Mind Melter, Frost Dragon Hatchling (They're levels 4-6, and fairly tough)

Glitter Girl, True Atlantean Gunslinger, Battle Magus, Psi-Tech, Spirit Warrior

Knight of the White Rose (Monkey Kung Fu), Gurgoyle Psi-Warrior (I gave this one an XP penalty like you would NOT believe), Dragon Juicer, Gypsy Wizard-Thief, Dogboy Special Forces Op, Tattooed Man Undead Slayer

(Late Night Pickup)

True Atlantean Cyberknight w/O-Ken Wa. (This turned out to be horribly nasty. 8 attacks at level 1 are rough: 4 from Art, 2 from limbs, 1 from Boxing, 1 from Cyberknight), Zenith Moon-Warper, Russian Line Walker

Usually, a good mix of characters is essential to survival. My players tend to choose from differing OCC's like this because they're very "Shtick" oriented and don't like to step on each other's toes.

[runebeo]

Our main group has a Achilles Neo-Human leader, Monster Hunter, True Atlantean Shifter, Glitter Girl and a Outrider. This team gels nicely with the Shifter using the house of glass spell to increase the Monster Hunter's combat effectiveness and the Neo-Human keeps everyone healed up. This group deals with large mercenary company that goes to many dimensions.

Our secondary group has a female Cyber-Knight leader who runs a large traveling carnival, a partially redeemed Mystic Knight, Para-Trooper, Glitter Boy, Combat Borg and a Mega Juicer. This group deals with smaller campaigns mainly involves helping Tolkeen's refugees in North America.

Both group are connected by the carnival being co-owned by mercenary company and the second team often finishes off campaign the first team started. Both team are carnival performers and use the cover to smuggle weapons and contraband. The carnival is used like a travel western town with many detailed NPCs adding background to both groups to relate too.

[Balabanto]

Because Martial Arts means nothing against numbers, and most forms of martial arts would logically survive. Have you ever walked down a block in a suburban town? There's like one dojo/kwoon/studio per suburb where I live. Plus, most of them aren't nearly as broken pound for pound as Hand to Hand-Commando, which most men at arms OCCs can take. Automatic Dodge is more powerful than anything else in the game. Study the mechanics and observe their results before you judge. Remember the -10/-5 penalty to dodge for guns, and the number of actions most people have.

My players have fun. They fear level 1 grunts with guns. Everything is fine.

And the moment you have an apocalypse, everyone's going to be learning and spreading, or they're going to be dead people. My goal is to have my players be happy. No matter what, in Rifts, people find new ways to get killed.

The Gurgoyle Psi-Warrior gets a penalty because he has 100-400 MDC to start with before gear and items kick in, and most others don't. Tactically speaking, that's a huge advantage. His race alone gives him two extra attacks per round, for a class that becomes a mightier fighter as it rises in levels. Plus, there's an additional incentive. There isn't another class in the game that's this powerful that receives a 10-25 percent discount on gear and items. That may not look like a lot when you're buying a CS Ion Rifle, but let's try that again when you're buying a Battle Fury Blade from someone. As an SDC creature, I really don't care what you do, because you have to sleep sometime. As an MDC being with an occ that makes you inherently better at everything you do, I chose to give this one an XP penalty. I would probably give a penalty to a Rahu-Man Cyberknight also, for the same reason.

GMing Rifts is like dancing with a razor on your wrist. For every guy who thinks you do it right, there's a guy who thinks you do it wrong.

[Dog_O_War]

This (imo) is the best rounded group of characters;

1. Me
2. Friend
3. Friend
4. Friend
5. Friend


Really, it almost doesn't matter what we play - it's like the game conforms to the group or something...

Seriously though, this is what our group make-up looks like

1. Headhunter/partial 'borg
2. Psy-Stalker
3. Juicer (of some descriptor) - Currently a Titan
4. (Currently) A Dee-Bee Battle Mage (the one from Merc. Adventures)
5. (NPC) Operator. If someone doesn't play one, we generally employ one.

These are all the important people - we have others (namingly a Phaeton Juicer in addition to the above) currently playing, but this is what the party usually looks like. Everyone has a favorite archetype which doesn't step on eachothers toes but rather covers all the bases and overlaps certain areas (re: combat) quite well.

Come to think of it, it's almost like a formula for success; combat+generic skills, psychic, super-melee, magic-user, technical skills.

[Natasha]

I'm not sure how rounded it was but we had an absolute blast playing a short campaign with the following team:

• Faerie bot d-bee
• Goblin vagabond
• Human ecto-hunter

[sHaka]

This (imo) is the best rounded group of characters;

1. Me
2. Friend
3. Friend
4. Friend
5. Friend


Really, it almost doesn't matter what we play - it's like the game conforms to the group or something...

Seriously though, this is what our group make-up looks like

1. Headhunter/partial 'borg
2. Psy-Stalker
3. Juicer (of some descriptor) - Currently a Titan
4. (Currently) A Dee-Bee Battle Mage (the one from Merc. Adventures)
5. (NPC) Operator. If someone doesn't play one, we generally employ one.

These are all the important people - we have others (namingly a Phaeton Juicer in addition to the above) currently playing, but this is what the party usually looks like. Everyone has a favorite archetype which doesn't step on eachothers toes but rather covers all the bases and overlaps certain areas (re: combat) quite well.

Come to think of it, it's almost like a formula for success; combat+generic skills, psychic, super-melee, magic-user, technical skills.

I hear you on that Dog, same pretty much for my group. No matter the system/setting, I have players that fill the following roles:

1. Atheltic, quick, good reflexes and a hand to hand freak
2. A bruiser character, this guy is always the wookie/jin-ro/Ahroun
3. A thinker, high IQ both in character and with the player - usually a scholar/scientist/mage
4. A wildcard, but he usually goes for what ever's left.

You'd think it'd be dull, but I nearly always know what kind of character my players are going to make and we always have a laugh.

[Mech-Viper Prime]

depends on the type of gm you are going against, it depends on how well the player work together, i have seen players battle for six hours against two adults and two kids in a wooden shed, and players take down every thing in thier path in six hours , so it comes down to the players and the type of characters they pick.

As for Rifts a group of vagabond works the best

[Library Ogre]

Three eyes of Eylor and a sumo wrestler.

Don't get much rounder than that.

[rat_bastard]

We got a:

Fennodi Rogue scholar who has every noteworthy communications skill

Human Operator who is also a decent power armor pilot

a supernatural human gunfighter with some weird shadow powers

a human Lord Magus

We could use some Psi-powered backup, but we do pretty good.

[Balabanto]

Three eyes of Eylor and a sumo wrestler.

Don't get much rounder than that.

Mark wins. Fatality.

[Dog_O_War]

We got a:

Fennodi Rogue scholar who has every noteworthy communications skill

Human Operator who is also a decent power armor pilot

a supernatural human gunfighter with some weird shadow powers

a human Lord Magus

We could use some Psi-powered backup, but we do pretty good.

All those guys sound like pretty cool characters.

Well, except that operator - he's probably a wannabe, right?

Three eyes of Eylor and a sumo wrestler.

Don't get much rounder than that.

Where's a cheese-slice smiliey when you need one...

[Library Ogre]

Actually, looking at the question, I have to withdraw my previous answer. Those are the MOST rounded; for the BEST rounded, we're going to have to include Blind Warrior Women, Amazons, and some Valkyries.

'Cause I'll take those curves any day. Rowr.

[Balabanto]

Well, I can't really argue with that answer either. Though maybe you might want to make sure they all take Aerobics from Rifter #7 just to increase their PB score beyond all reason.

[Shades of Eternity]

had my best experiences with the following:
one really good fighting type
one psychic
one practictioner of magic.
one fixer
one mechanic.
if another character, go for another good fighting type

using these base archtypes this group can usually get through most things that the gm want to do.

for example in the main book we can have
one borg
one mind melter
one ley line walker
one cyber-doc
one psi-mechanic
and a cyber knight and the group will kick ass if they work together. plus they bring a wide range of skills and abilities to the table.

if you go the supernatural and/or magic route, you can often eliminate one and/or other one of the archtypes.
for example

One anti-monster
One neo-sapian
One hatchling dragon (great horned)
One power leech
One psi-tech

this group will need less healing and fewer repairs. plus if they work together can make just about any person's lives miserable.

the thing is to keep in mind is what do you need to do and how, as a team, can a accomplished what's desired and what areas do you need filling.

Sometimes, I've found it darm useful to hire a body fixer or operator as an npc for our group so we can concentrate on more fun stuff.

[Balabanto]

Well, the thing is, I just let people play what they want. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

[dark brandon]

I would go

1. LLW or summoner
2. MM
3. Cyber Knight (Combat skills includeing robot & PA)
4. Rogue scholar