new member, new campaign, need conversion advice

[Shark_Force]

i'm not sure we're allowed to do conversions of this nature, actually. i'll wait for the moderators to weigh in on this one, though.

(to clarify: because he's not really giving us any game-mechanics to convert, it may be ok. on the other hand, because there are descriptions like "warforged" and "vampire spawn" that are related to D&D, it may not. on the third hand, he specifically said he's using tri-stat, which is definitively *not* D&D, so we're arguably converting something that is vaguely like someone else's IP, but then again plenty of HU superpowers and character archetypes are also much like certain other people's specific IP).

[Anthar]

First off, conversions are a definite no-no on these boards. It's to protect IP of Palladium and
avoid any lawsuits, but I think I can help you out without doing any "conversions" per se.

I had a ADnD 2nd edition character who was a Human, 17th level fighter, 18th level Crusader and 4th level Necromancer. I was not impressed with the new DnD, which promptly turned into 3.5 then 4th edition so fast I didn't regret not buying into it, but anyway. Instead of making a fuss about creating your own classes and equipment conversion just find new classes that fit close enough and go with it. In my case, my character had all sorts of enhancements from augmentations from magical items to powers aquired from adventuring in the ruins of Myth Drannor and quite frankly it would have required me to write my own classes and stats conversions. Too much work, so I went with a few basic rules:

1. The physics are different, so I just scrapped almost everything and incorporated just a few magic items, some I just recreated with different powers thinking that they just work different in the Palladium megaverse. I rolled up new stats, fudging here and there to reflect the old stats and made the character into a Rifts superhuman select a few powers to reflect some of the magical enhancements from his old powers, they were similiar in some ways but different to reflect the new physics.
2. There is no easy way to convert character classes and occupations from other systems I would just find a new OCC in Rifts/Palladium and start the character off at Level 1 saying that like rule #1 the physics are different and the powers just don't work. Maybe give them a few bonuses to SDC/HPs and a few bonus skills to reflect their old knowledge

In my case, my character tangled with a powerful being and was injured and thrown into a vortex and lost to space and time, ending up on Rifts earth. He had no clear recollection of his old life due to his injuries and the only significant possesion that remained was his sword. So I gave him a few bonuses with using a sword, basically just an extra attack, +1 to strike/parry and a +2 to disarm to reflect some of the fleeting remnants of his former life and he became a Wilderness Scout with a few superpowers like immortality, superhuman strength and I think extraordinary PP and healing factor.

I hope this gives you a few ideas.

Edit: Welcome to the boards by the way.

[keir451]

Look online for the Rifts Conversion book (non revised edition or revised, doesn't matter), it will help you sort out your conversions in a way. While the Conversion book was meant strictly for Palladium products, you can apply most of the conversion rules to non Palladium chara's w/ a little thought. Ex.; The golems/warforged would become MDC beings on Rifts(convert HP direct to MDC), either convert the vampire spawn to Rifts Vampire stats w/out being linked to a Vampire intelligence or keep him as is, magic weapons would become MDC magic weapons.
Technically in Rifts Elves and Humans cannot interbreed (as per Conversion Book) you can eithe rmake the chara a full elf or ignore the rule entirely (it was really meant to keep players from creating impossible half breeds). Mages in Rifts can wear a certain level of body armor, but according to the rules prefer "natural materials" vs MD materials keep or ignore as you wish.
"Bad Ash" type chara; easy just use a basic human, keep the artificial hand/arm (just limit it to SDC to start, can get regular cybernetic replacements later), and give him the skills to match from the skills list.
He'd have no ability to cast spells but have a general knowledge of the arcane (recog. spell types and certain enchantments.

[demos606]

Look into technowizard for your armor wearing spellcaster. Or diabolist perhaps.

[MikelAmroni]

Hi All,

I haven't played RIFTS (or any RPG) in awhile but recently ran a BESM/Tri-Stat Fantasy campaign and after a few games I felt like shifting the characters into RIFTS.
Characters include:

* A self-aware Brass Golem. Humanoid, about 8 feet tall with magical chainmail and huge enchanted blade.
* Another self-aware Golem-type, actually the concept is a Warforged Assassin from DnD. Much more lightly built, but still a magical automaton. Able to do leap attacks, backstabs, etc.
* A Vampire Spawn. Cannot remember its human life yet. Was enchanted by the spirit of a Master Vampire bound within an enchanted/cursed sword formerly in the hands of the Battle Mage below. This blade controlled the spawn enough that it served the adventuring party.
* Half-Elven Battle Mage. She just came into possession of a techno-arcane rig ala House Shyeel Battle Mage from Warmachine.
* A "Bad Ash" from Army of Darkness/Evil Dead. Rudimentary occult skills, able to recognize symbols, circle magic, construct spirit wards, etc. Steampunkish bionic arm. Shotgun with ammo constructed mixed from limited arcane and alchemical knowledge.

So, any input on conversion is GREATLY appreciated. They've been leaning towards power-gaming and it's been difficult to reign them in. I figured in RIFTS they might actually face some challenges. It's also a chance to allow the characters besides, the Brass Golem (who is a combat monster), a chance to develop power as well. That way, even though they are power-gaming, they're on a relatively even playing field and I can pull from the entire Palladium Megaverse to challenge them.

Almost all of these would be best built in Heroes Unlimited or Nightbane than in Rifts. But here's a few options using Rifts Sourcebook 1 (revised or not, no worries on either) and Rifts Unlimited Edition.

For the Brass Golem, as suggested for another of the characters, do a heavy bot build, but use the TW power source and make all of the weapons either magical or melee in nature. All sensors need to be spell equivalents (Use TW augmentation for the pricing), and have it be a transferred intelligence.

For the golem assassin, have them build a cyborg to their liking, call it an alchemical process, give them an ability to heal via PPE (don't make it cheap), and give them the ability to absorb PPE from the environment and from others. No further augmentation can be added, but they can be given TW augmentation pretty easily.

Vampire Spawn, either a wild vampire or a secondary vampire. Secondary vampire makes more sense as a PC. If you have Dark Conversions and/or Nightbane the Wampyr might make a good subsitute.

There are no half elves, so elven ley line walker (with battle spells) or perhaps something more estoric. This is one a custom built magic character from HU would make the most sense with. Just have their weapons and spells shift to MD equivalents once they get to Rifts Earth.

The Bad Ash sounds like a scholar or adventurer with major psionics (just make sure they are self affecting, not outward affecting: So less Telekinesis, more Sixth Sense, less see Aura, and more Alter Aura). Just give him Momano TW bionics (maybe give it fewer MD to simulate that its from a similar style of make, but ultimately similar). Could do the same with a Mystic as well. This is another that is best done with HU however, give them a bionic limb, make it magical in nature, give them enough PPE and maybe a trick or two aside from that, and voila, character done.

[Blue_Lion]

battle magus or mystic knight are the best examples of a men at arms build for mages both from FoM. There is a mage listed in the seege of tolkeen that transfered his soal into a golm that whould be a self aware golm that slef repairs. one amrmed shot gun guy fighting occolt sound like a head hunter varrient from rifts canda. Basicaly you will be scraping the curnt charters and building from pladium on simular theam. There is no strait convertion from other games systems and that is for good reasons.