New to Rifts/Palladium

[Library Ogre]

The first thing you will need is the Rifts: Ultimate edition, frequently called the RUE.

After that, I would suggest books based around where you want to play. If you're looking at North America, Dinosaur Swamp and Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp is a good place to start. They're largely self-contained, and so you'll be able to get by with just three books. Another option is the Southwest, but that requires more books... Vampire Kingdoms, Arzno, Lone Star, New West, Spirit West, and Juicer Uprising all cover Texas to Arizona.

A lot of people will say to get the Game Master Guide and the Book of Magic. Those are great products, but I generally don't suggest them for people starting out... a good chunk of them is quick-reference for items and magic types from around the world, which you don't need when you first start out. The GM advice is good, but a lot of it is also in the RUE.

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

The Rifts Adventure Guide and Revised Sourcebook One would also be great for beginning players.

And, of course, buy Rifts World Book 29: Madhaven.

[The Galactus Kid]

Yeah, I agree with Taylor.

If I was a new player/GM, the three books that i would get would be R:UE, the Adventure Guide, and Revised Source Book one. Then bhuild from there.

[Carl Gleba]

At the back of the Rifts Ultimate Edition there is a section that summarizes the many other Rifts books out there. They are lumped together by theme, like books in the new west, the coalition and so on. That will help you out some. Otherwise just look through the online catalog for ideas.

Oh and one last tip. You'll get the most bang for your buck with the Christmas grab bag. Check it out. Its on the main page of the catalog.

Game on

Carl

[Preacher]

Rifts Ultimate Edition is a great Book as well as the new Main book.

Rifts Book of Magic & Rifts GM's Guide both for utility and for most items and magics there is a description of where magics or items come from which might interest you in where you want to go from there.

Then I recommend Sourcebook One Revised which has more basic crap and Archie 3.

For Mercs and Detailed City I highly recommend Mercenaries, MercTown & Merc Ops.

Setting only, I like Dinosaur Swamp and Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp and Arzno.
Oh and really wild and totally different and scary you can't go wrong with Vampire Kingdoms and Madhaven.

If you want to get a feel for setting or just want to read stories set in Rifts then the New Chi-town Burbs anthology is pretty sweet. There are three or four really Awesome stories set in the Chi-Town Burbs and even the ones that ain't so awesome are still pretty gritty and or twisted and give perspective for Rifts in general and the Burbs in particular.

After those then expand as you like.


Finally, Welcome to The Boards and Palladium!!!!! Good to have you.

Preacher

[oni no won]

My recommendation would be to start out with the R:UE and Sourcebook One. From there add to collection as needed. If you want to create your own encounters, get the Conversion books (sort of the monster manual of RIFTS). If you want to ideas about certain locations, choose the WOrldbook that interest you the most.

Just be aware that some of the expanded "class" books are hidden behind Worldbooks, Sourcebooks, and Adventure books.

[taalismn]

RUE---the essential...Adventure Guide, helpful, but not essential...
Only shortcoming I can think of is that RUE no longer has the random roll monster tables or examples of the sorts of critters atypical of Rifts Earth(beyond the Dog Boy and handful of Dragon RCCs)....
Happy gaming!

[Prince Artemis]

Actually, in the rue itself it has suggested books depending on where you want to base your game and what you want to base your games on.