Critical Hits
• A natural 20 (D20 roll) is always a critical hit. A natural 1 (D20
2.0 HOMEBREW RULES
Thesis: The purpose of these changes and additions to the Palladium
rules is to provide a more streamlined combat experience by
quantifying the action economy through the new APM system and to
provide some much needed variety to damage output through the
addition of the Hit Location, Status Effects and Critical Damage
charts.
I also spend time clarifying interactions with Mega Damage vs
Standard Damage, how to convert the esoteric speed stats into a
more useful and less abstract grid or inches combat system to
facilitate using miniatures and terrain as well as experimental rules
for large scale combat for mech heavy games.
Combat Sequence:
1. Roll Initiative
a. Highest roll goes first. Ties reroll.
2. Select target, Preform action
a. Attacker chooses a target within range or in melee, declares
any aimed shots or aimed attacks.
b. Attacker then selects an action and spends his APM.
Attackers can only do ONE action per melee.
c. Melee attacks require a 4 or better to HIT.
d. Ranged attacks require an 8 or better to HIT.
3. Defender can respond with a defensive action
a. Defender can choose to Dodge, Parry, Take Cover or Roll.
Spend the appropriate APM.
4. Roll Hit Location, determine Critical Wounds.
a. Roll on the target’s Hit Location chart.
b. If the hit is critical or the target is unarmored and has no
SDC remaining, roll on the Critical Wound chart for the hit
location.
5. Resolve damage, apply status.
a. Roll for damage or opt for average damage (average
damage must be agreed upon before the game begins by
all players and GM).
b. Subtract damage from any armor or cover applicable.
c. Apply any status effects determined from critical wounds,
spell or power effects or weapon abilities.
Action economy
• Attacks are now called APM or Actions Per Melee.
• If a Player or NPC is out of APM, they can only perform
offensive or defensive actions that have no APM cost such
as Automatic Dodge. If they have no free actions available, they
pass their turn in the rotation.
• Any player or NPC that is out of APM and is NOT in partial or
total cover is defenseless. Do not allow that to happen to you.
You can always take cover as a free action provided that
cover is available.
• Any action which takes more than 1 APM to complete can
be interrupted, just like a mage can be interrupted while casting
a complex spell.
1
roll) is always a critical miss.
• All critical hits force a roll on the Critical Damage Chart in
addition to the damage taken to MDC, SDC, or HP. This replaces
double damage.
• A character's critical strike range is applicable to all strikes
regardless of weapon type.
Hit Location
• Melee and Ranged combat now use the random hit location
rules. After confirming a hit, roll on the Hit Location chart,
then apply damage, subtracting any armor points in that location
first.
Hit Location Chart
Roll Location Aimed Penalty
01-09 Head -4
10-24 Left Arm -2
25-44 Right Arm -2
45-79 Main Body +0
80-89 Left Leg -2
90-00 Right Leg -2
• Applying this to robots, vehicles and power armor may require
some conversion. For anyone with only a single listed MDC,
follow the 50:20:20:10 rule. Divide the MDC into 50% main
body, 20% for each arm and leg, and 10% for the head. Feel
free to adjust this ratio as needed.
• Targeting a specific subsystem or weapon system on a Robot,
Vehicle or Power Armor requires expert precision or advanced
targeting systems to pull off effectively. Impose an additional
penalty of -2 to strike if the player wants to target
subsystems on the Hit Location Chart.
MDC vs SDC Damage
• SDC now stands for Standard Damage Capacity.
• Terrain and inanimate objects now have Standard Structure
Points or Mega Structure Points (SSP or MSP). They are
analogous to MDC and SDC but are visually separated for
clarification.
• MDC is now 10:1 instead of 100:1
• As written, SDC damage can harm MDC armor, structures and
creatures provided the total damage from a single attack
exceeds the above ratio. Normally this would require 100 SDC
damage to deal a single MDC. Now 10 SDC can deal a single
MDC of damage.
• If an SDC attack deals at least 10 damage in a single strike, take
the total damage and divide by 10 to a minimum of 1 MDC
damage.
• Conversely, MDC weapons ignore SDC armor and instantly
destroy Standard Damage structures and unarmored SDC
characters, NPCs, and creatures.
• When damage taken exceeds the MDC armor points in a
specific location, the excess damage is ignored and is treated
as a critical hit in that location. Roll on the Critical Hit Location
Chart for the affected Hit Location.
For example: If a beam rifle deals 36 MDC to the arm of a character • The Hand to Hand Skills have been greatly modified and
wearing the T-41 Riot Suit, 20 of that MDC goes to the armor on that expanded. A new Hand to Hand: Boxing skill replaces the
arm, destroying it. The remainder of the damage is ignored and is Boxing Skill.
treated as a critical hit. A d100 Roll on the Critical Damage Chart for
the affected limb results in a 92. The character’s hand is lopped off Basic Attacks
at the wrist. He gains 3 Bleeding Status, suffers a Severed Hand Attack APM Damage
Injury, and has to make a Save vs Coma Test or gain an additional 1 L Punch* 1 1d6+1x PS bonus
Unconscious Status. M Punch 2 1d6+2x PS bonus
H Punch 3 1d6+3x PS bonus
Hand To Hand Combat L Kick* 1 1d8+1x PS bonus
M Kick 2 1d8+2x PS bonus
• Armor Rating is removed due to redundancy since most RIFTS H Kick 3 1d8+3x PS bonus
combat involves MDC damage and MDC armor. So for Grab 2 Causes Entangled
simplicities sake the roll to hit in hand to hand is just 4 or better Feint** 0 Causes Surprised
on a D20. Damage applies to any armor worn first then to the • Attacks with a * indicate that they are combo openers.
defenders SDC and finally to their HP. • Attacks with a ** indicate an attack that is both a combo opener
• With Mega Damage now 10:1, one MDC deals 10 SDC and a combo breaker.
damage. This means that unarmored characters wont be • If the attacker has a PS of 24 or greater, the damage dealt
instantly killed if they’re hit by an MDC attack making from melee attacks are MDC damage.
underpowered OCCs more viable.
Hand to Hand: Basic
• Any Mega Damage applied to an unarmored body part is
Level Advancement APM
considered a Critical Hit. After rolling on the Hit Location chart,
1 Start with 4 APM, +2 to strike and Roll with
apply the damage to their SDC. In the likely event that the total 4
Punch/Impact
damage exceeds their SDC pool and reduces it to zero, ignore
2 +2 to Parry and Dodge 4
the remainder of the damage on this turn and roll once on the 3 Driving Kick - H kick deals +2 damage 4
Critical Damage chart for every damage dice rolled. 4 Gain 1 APM 5
• For example: An unarmored character is hit in the chest with a 5 +1 to Strike, Haymaker – H Punch causes 1
Mega Damage punch for 2d4 damage, dealing 60 SDC 5
Fatigue
damage to their SDC pool reducing it to zero. They then roll 6 Critical Strike on 19-20 5
twice on the main body critical wounds chart with a 36 and 82 7 L and M attacks deal +2 damage 5
which results in a total of 6 Bleeding status. They’re now 8 Body flip – 2 APM, 1d6+2xPS bonus, 1
5
loosing 6 HP every round unless treated. Supine
• This new system will result in far more dynamic combat, 9 Gain 1 APM 6
retaining the brutality but seeming fair as it still leaves a sliver 10 +2 to strike and Roll with Punch/ Impact 6
of hope in survival instead of outright slaughter of the old 11 +1 to Parry and Dodge 6
system. 12 +1 to Strike 6
13 H attacks cause 1 Fatigue, H Punch deals 1
6
Dealing Damage Directly to HP Stunned.
14 All L and M attacks deal +2 damage 6
• Damage dealt directly to you HP is the most dangerous thing 15 Gain +1 APM 7
that can happen to a character because when your HP reaches
zero, you are dead.
• If a character has their SDC reduced to zero and they are Hand to Hand: Expert
Level Advancement APM
unarmored, Instead of rolling for damage, treat every
1 Start with 4 APM, +2 to Strike and Dodge 4
successful attack as dealing 1 damage to HP.
2 +2 to Parry and Dodge, M punch causes 1
• Note that an unarmored character that takes cover behind a 4
Fatigue.
structure is not considered unarmored unless the attack is a 3 +2 to Strike, combo on 10 or better 4
melee strike. 4 Gain 1 APM 5
• Every hit to HP is considered a critical hit and thus forces a roll 5 +1 to Strike, Flying Kick – H Kick causes 1
on the Critical Wounds Chart. 5
Fatigue and 1 Knockback
• If the damage dealt to HP is MDC damage, the situation 6 Critical Strike on 18-20 5
changes slightly. After the hit, roll your MDC damage. That 7 Backhand strike – L Punch causes 2 Fatigue 5
number is now the percentage chance of INSTANT DEATH to 8 Body flip – 2 APM, 1d6+2xPS bonus, 1
5
a maximum of 99%. The defender must make a Save vs Death Supine, 1 Knockback
in addition to incurring a roll on the Critical Damage Chart. 9 Gain 1 APM, +1 to Parry 6
10 L, M, H attacks deals +3 damage 6
Hand to Hand and Martial Arts 11 Joint Lock – H attack cause 1 Entangle. On
an unmodified roll of 18-20 they cause 1 6
• With the new APM system comes the need to adjust how Crushed
Martial Arts will work. Like ranged combat, if a player has 12 +2 to Parry and Dodge 6
access to an array of martial arts moves, he must declare them 13 H attacks are critical against flanked enemies 6
first then spend the APM cost of the attack. 14 Gain +1 APM 7
• Certain attacks will deal status effects when landed. 15 H attacks are Critical Damage 7

2
 Hand to Hand: Commando Hand to Hand: Boxing
Level Advancement APM Level Advancement APM
1 Start with 4 APM, +2 to strike +2 Parry, 1 free 1 Start with 4 APM, +2 to strike with punches
4
WP Ancient Weapons only, Jab – 0 APM 1d4 damage combo 4
2 +3 to Parry and Dodge, M punch causes 1 1 opener
4
Fatigue. 2 +2 to Roll with Punch/Impact. +2 to Parry 4
3 +2 to Strike, Knife Hand – H Punch causes 1 3 +2 to strike, L Punch causes 1 Fatigue 4
Fatigue. On an unmodified 19-20 it also 4 4 One Two – L and M punches are combo
5
causes1 Bleeding. openers, +2 to damage. Gain 1 APM
4 Gain 1 APM 5 5 +2 to Roll with Punch/Impact +2 to Dodge 5
5 +1 to Strike, Driving Knee – M Kick is a 6 Liver Blow – M, H punch cause 2 Fatigue 5
5
combo opener, causes 1 Fatigue 7 Gain 1 APM, +2 to damage, H punch is a
6
6 Critical Strike on 18-20 5 combo opener
7 Gain one free WP Ancient Weapon, Eye 8 Gazelle Punch – H Punch causes 2 Fatigue.
6
Gouge – H Punch causes 1 Blinded, does 5 On a critical strike it also causes 1 Stunned
not stack. 9 Gain 1 APM. +2 to Roll with punch/impact, +2
7
8 Body flip – 2 APM, 1d6+2xPS bonus, 1 to parry
5
Supine, 1 Knockback 10 Counter Punch – after a successful Roll with
7
9 Gain 1 APM, +1 to Parry 6 punch/impact, you can use Jab.
10 Thunderclap – M punch causes 1 Deafened. 11 +2 to Roll with Impact/Punch, +2 Parry, +2
6 7
Does not stack. Dodge.
11 Lariat Kick– H kick is a combo opener, 12 Dempsey Roll – after rolling a successful
6
causes Entangle combo opener, all hand to hand attacks are 1 7
12 +2 to Parry and Dodge Gain +1 APM 7 APM for this round.
13 L attacks cause Surprised against flanked 13 Gain 1 APM 8
7
enemies 14 I didn’t hear no bell – Ignore the first
8
14 Gain +1 APM H attacks cause Knockback 8 Unconscious status taken.
15 Colombian necktie – H Punch forces a Save 15 Gain 1 APM, Smash Punch – 4 APM, deals
8 9
vs Death on Surprised or Stunned enemies 1MD regardless of PS

Hand to Hand: Assassin Dodge vs Parry

Level Advancement APM
1 Start with 3 APM, +3 to strike, H punch Both defensive actions can prevent damage from an incoming
3
causes 1 Fatigue, attack through an opposed roll, but why choose one over the other?
2 +3 to Dodge and Parry, H kick causes
3
knockback Dodge
3 +2 to Strike, M attacks cause Fatigue 1 3
4 Gain 1 APM 4 Dodging requires no specialized training to use, only that you are
5 +2 to Strike, Throat Punch – Aimed strikes to able to move. To perform a dodge, spend the APM and make an
4
the head cause 2 Fatigue opposed roll against the last successful hit directed at you, adding
6 Critical Strike on 17-20 4 any bonuses you have. On a successful Dodge, your character
7 Gain 1 APM, Fury of Blows – H Punch moves one square or inch to either the left, right or backward from
4
causes 1 Suppressed your opponent. Note that moving backwards takes you out of melee
8 Critical Strike on 16-20 4 range for a follow up attack unless you have an attack with reach,
9 Gain 1 APM, +1 to Parry 5 or you spend an APM to move.
10 Clean Break - H attacks cause Crushed on
5
critical hits • Auto Dodge - Cost 0 APM to use. Requires a PP of 16 or greater
11 Evading Strikes – L attacks ignore Entangle to use, and is determined by adding bonuses from your PP
5
status Bonus and any explicitly stated bonuses to Auto-Dodge.
12 +2 to Strike, Critical Strike on 15-20 5 • Standard Dodge - Cost 1 APM to use. Requires a PP of 9 or
13 Clean Kill – Freely choose on the To Hit greater to use and is determined by adding bonuses from your
5
Location Chart when attacking in melee PP Bonus, bonuses to Dodge gained from skills, and bonuses
14 Gain +1 APM 6 to Dodge inherent to O.C.C., Race, or acquired through other
15 L Punch forces a Save vs Coma or gain 1 Special Training.
6
Unconscious • Robot Combat Dodge - Is determined by adding bonuses from
the character's Standard Dodge to the bonuses provided by the
Robot Combat training (yes, they stack).

Parry

The Parry requires training to implement consistently and does not

move you away from your opponent. But in exchange, it costs no
APM to use and serves as a combo breaker, disrupting an
opponent’s combo attack.

3
• Auto Parry – Cost 0 APM to use. Requires a PP of 16 or
greater to use. After a successful auto parry, you can follow it
with a single Melee Strike, spending the appropriate APM.
• Standard Parry – Cost 0 APM to use. Requires any Hand to
Hand skill. Counts as a combo breaker.
• Parry Ranged Attacks – Characters with a PP of 24 or greater
can parry ranged attacks. Cost 0 APM to use. Requires any
Hand to Hand skill. To parry an MDC ranged attack, they must
either posses MDC armor on their arms or hands or wield an
MDC melee weapon.
Roll with Impact/ Roll with punch
• Consider this a last ditch effort to avoid damage. Rolling with
an impact or punch doesn’t mean tumbling away from an
attack but instead involves rolling your body in the direction of
the oncoming force in an attempt to deflect some if not most of
the imparted force.
• To roll with impact or roll with punch, make an opposed roll to
the last to hit directed at the character to take half the damage
received. This costs 0 APM and is available to all characters
and NPCs.
• Attacks with the Blast status or have a listed Blast Radius, can
ONLY be rolled with to avoid incoming damage unless the
defender has the ability to move beyond the range of the attack
in a single melee.
Combos
Combos can be performed by chaining certain attacks. A combo
attack allows the attacker to immediately follow an attack with
another attack in the same melee. That sound you just heard was
the crowd of Juicers climaxing all at once.
• To pull off a combo you have to select an attack that qualifies
as an opener and roll an unmodified 8 or better on a d20 once.
If successful you can select a new melee attack and roll to hit
as normal at +1 to strike. If that attack also qualifies as a
combo opener, you can IMMEDIAIMMEDIATELY follow it with
another attack at +2 to strike. This continues with each hit
gaining an additional +1 to strike until you miss, choose to end
the combo, select an attack that doesn’t combo or you run out
of APM.
• Combo Breakers are attacks that can interrupt an attacking
player in the middle of a combo. To break a combo you must:
o Have APM to spend.
o Have access to an attack that is listed as a combo breaker
OR an attack with 0 APM.
o Roll an opposed To Hit against the last rolled hit.
• Once a combo is broken, the attacker ceases their melee and
the next in the initiative order can go.
• Only ONE character can engage in a combo against a single
opponent.
Aimed Melee Strikes
• Aimed melee strikes allow characters to target specific body
locations.
• Aimed Melee Strikes are -6 to strike untrained and -3 trained in
any Hand to Hand style.
• Critical hits on Aimed Melee Strikes cause an automatic roll on
the Critical Damage Table for that body part.
Ranged Combat
4
• Line of Sight is required to target someone or something within
range. If you didn’t see it and you don’t know it’s there then you
can’t attack it.
• Some powers, abilities, cybernetic upgrades, targeting systems
or equipment can provide LOS for the player without actually
seeing the target visually. Defer to the GM on if your attack
qualifies for this exception.
Firing Modes
Firing modes are determined by the weapon and come with an
APM cost. All ranged weapons will have listed what modes of fire it
can perform. If a weapon has no listed firing mode then it can only
be fired as single, aimed, or wild.
• Before declaring an attack, the player must select his mode of
fire first.
• Each mode of fire deals specific damage as listed on the
weapons description.
• Some weapons are incapable of certain modes of fire. For
example, a .308 hunting rifle can only be fired in single shot. If a
weapon has only one damage listed, unless specified in its
description, it can only be fired in Single or Aimed modes
• All weapons can be Aimed.
• Called Shot and Aimed Called Shots are removed due to
redundancy. It is replaced by Aimed.
• Aimed combines called shot and aiming, granting a bonus to
attack, and allowing you to target a specific area on the hit
location chart or a specific part of a vehicle, robot, or power
armor.
• Wild Shot still imposes a -6 to strike but now may be imposed
on certain weapons such as unreliable or makeshift weapons or
if the player or NPC has NO WP SKILLS listed. This rule
assumes the character or NPC in question has never fired a
weapon before and has no appreciable knowledge beyond
“point at enemy and squeeze trigger”.
• Burst fire only reduces your attack by -1 if you have the WP skill
for the weapon in use. -3 if you don’t have the skill.
Weapon Firing Mode Chart
Mode APM Penalty or Bonus
Single 1 None
-1 to strike, -3 if untrained, does additional
Burst 2
damage
-2 to strike, does additional damage, adds
Full Auto 3
the Suppression status.
Penalty to strike based on location; can
Aimed 3 choose a specific hit location or object
within sight.
Wild 1 -6 to strike, adds the Suppression status.
• Shooting at a moving target no longer imposes a penalty as long
as you have ANY WP skill, as learning how to lead a moving
target is a prerequisite in any ranged combat skill.
• Shooting wild imposes a -6 to strike modifier.
• Wild Shot can be imposed on a player if they have the following
conditions:
o Completely untrained (has no WP listed)
o Under the influence of any substance (Fails a PE test to
drinking or drug use)
o Under the effects of Psychosis
o Has received a Critical Wound to either arm.
o If the weapon being used specifies that it only fires wild
(unstable, unreliable, makeshift)
• Laser targeting modifiers are not cumulative. All laser targeting
systems provide a flat +1 to strike modifier.
Taking Cover
• Any player or NPC can take cover provided there are structures
available to hide behind.
• Taking cover costs 0 APM and can be done in place of a Dodge.
No roll is necessary.
• Targets taking cover no longer requires called shots to be hit as
the Called Shot have been removed. Instead, targets in cover
impose a penalty to hit on the attacker or may block line of sight
making them ineligible to target.
• Partial Cover imposes an additional -5 to strike on the attacker.
• Total Cover blocks line of sight. If a defender takes cover behind
an object that provides total coverage and the attacker has no
way to counter a loss of line of sight, that defender is no longer
eligible to be targeted by that attacker until LOS is reestablished.
• Total cover can itself be targeted at +6 to strike. If the object that
is providing total cover has its SSP or MSP reduced to zero, then
it is destroyed, and the defender loses their cover.
Structure Points
• Inanimate objects in game refer to anything that can be treated
as terrain or mundane objects. They can either possess
Standard Structure Points (SSP) or Mega Structure Points
(MSP) which are analogous to SDC or MDC. The distinction
here is to separate mundane objects and terrain from
Characters, Robots, Power Armor, Weapons or Creatures.
• Objects with MSP cover can provide protection from Mega
Damage: Treat cover with Mega Structure Points like
additional MDC armor points. While under cover, These armor
points are subtracted first before applying them to the Hit
Location Chart.
• When a target is successfully attacked while taking cover behind
an object with MSP, roll on the Hit Location Chart first, apply the
damage received to the Mega Structure Points listed first, then
apply any remaining damage to the armor on the target’s hit
location.
• If your cover is reduced to 0 Mega Structure Points, it no longer
provides cover and is destroyed.
• SDC attacks against SSP cover follow the same rules as MDC
attacks against MSP cover and act as additional SDC armor
points.
• SSP cover provides no protection from MDC damage and
can only block line of sight. Targets fired at by MDC weapons in
partial or total SSP cover take full damage if hit and loses that
cover after damage is resolved as the cover is considered
destroyed. For example: Imagine taking cover behind a wooden
desk and being fired upon by a laser rifle. While the table does
obstruct the attackers’ line of sight imparting a penalty to strike,
the laser rifle will punch through the wood table like hot knives
through butter.
Shooting Through Cover
• Any damage from a single attack that doubles the MSP or
SSP of a target’s cover penetrates that cover, dealing the half
of the total damage to the target and destroys the cover.
• There are certain items, abilities, spells, powers, or equipment
that can reveal a target’s general location beyond visual range
or without line of sight. In this instance, treat the total cover as
Partial Cover.
5
• Advanced targeting systems, abilities, spells, or powers that can
provide precise locations for targets IGNORE all cover for line
of sight purposes.
Examples of Cover Chart
Examples of Cover Type SP Effect
Lying Prone Partial None -5 to strike
Blocks LOS, Wild attacks
Smoke Total None only
Sheetrock Wall Partial 15 SSP -5 to strike
Reinforced Blocks LOS, Wild attack
Total 20 MSP
Plasteel Hull only
Electronic Warfare
• To modernize the sci-fi elements of RIFTS, I am adding
Electronic Warfare as a layer of defense in combat. Robots,
Power Armor, Vehicles and Bionic implants and Cyborgs will
have an EW rating based on the available hardware they
possess.
• Electronic Warfare (EW) represents the ability to use the
electromagnetic spectrum—signals such as radio, infrared, or
radar—to sense, protect, and communicate. At the same time,
EW can disrupt, deny, and degrade the adversaries' ability to
use these signals.
• The EW rating is based on the quality and quantity of EW
subsystems in your unit. To calculate your total EW, add up any
bonuses to EW provided by your ACTIVE subsystems.
• The total EW rating is used as a bonus to defend against
attempts to hack, acquire guidance for missiles or interfere with
your offensive EW. It can also be used as a bonus to strike with
missiles, or onboard weapon systems.
• For example: If a UAR-1 Enforcer has ATIRCM, CMDS and
PAWSS installed in its EW suite, it has a total EW rating of 4.
The UAR-1 can use this 4 EW as either a bonus to strike with
its onboard weapons, including missiles, or as a +4 bonus to
defend against incoming weapons fire, or as a +4 bonus to
defend from any attempts to hack its computer controlled
systems.
Examples Of EW Include
• Anti-Jam Electronic Protection Systems – Counters Signal
Jammers. Adds +1 to EW.
• Anti-Radiation Missiles (ARM) – Provides +3 bonus to strike
against active radar arrays and communication systems.
• Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) – Provides a +1
bonus to dodge against incoming missiles. Adds +1 to EW
• Countermeasures Dispenser Systems (CMDS) – allows use
of Chaff/Flares. Provides a +1 bonus to EW rating for vehicles
and robots only.
o Chaff – Adds +6 to dodge vs Active and Semi Active
homing missiles.
o Flare – Adds +6 to dodge vs IR passive homing
missiles.
• Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS) – Adds a bonus
to strike for allied weapon systems equal to your EW rating.
• Electronic Warfare Self-Protection (EWSP) Suites –
Hardware and software for bionics and Cyborgs to defend
against hacking. Adds a +2 bonus to EW for Cyborgs and
Bionics only.
• Electromagnetic Shielding / Hardening – provides immunity
to EMP based attacks. Adds +1 to EW.
• Emissions Control (EMCON) Systems – counters EW that
provide LOS through cover. Adds +3 to EW.
• Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Systems – Standard in
most military hardware. Can emit a signal to identify yourself to
friendly sensors. Adds +1 to EW.
• Infrared (IR) Missile Warning System – Provides +1 to dodge
against IR seekers. Adds +1 EW.
• Multi-Spectral Situational Awareness Sensors – Provides
the attacker with the general location of enemy combatants
within his weapons range. Converts total cover to partial cover
and adds +1 AMP used for attack only to allied units.
• Passive Active Warning Survivability Systems – grants a +2
bonus to EW rating
• Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) / Laser Warning Receiver
(LWR) – Grants a +3 bonus to dodge vs Aimed attacks and +1
EW rating.
• Radio Frequency Countermeasures (RFCM) – Adds a +10
% bonus to Communication Skill Checks when countering
signal jamming.
• Resilience-in-Depth Cyber Systems – Provides a +4 to EW
rating against hacking attempts.
• Signal Jammer – provides an area of denial against specific
communications making all communication based skills Very
Difficult (-20%). Adds +2 to EW.
Missiles
• Players can dodge Missile Volleys beyond 4 at the cost of 2 APM
per dodge beyond 4.
• Missiles will now have Guidance systems and EW ratings added
to their stats. The Guidance system type is used to determine
what countermeasures can be used to defeat them if any. EW
rating is used to defend against incoming enemy EW
interference.
• When using miniatures and scale maps for combat, remember
to convert the listed speed rating and maximum range to grid or
inches.
• The listed blast radius for missiles in RIFTS is woefully out of
scale. To fix this use the following conversion chart.
Blast Radius Conversion Chart
Type Blast Radius
Mini Missile none
Short Range 1 square or 1” (2.5cm) radius
Medium Range 4 square or 4” (10cm) radius
Long Range 9 square of 9” (23cm) radius
Strategic Warheads Max damage x 100m radius
Missile Guidance Systems
• Wire Guided – reserved for surface-to-surface missiles, these
missiles are hard wired to their launcher and can be directly
steered towards their target either by hand or via a computer.
They are very short range compared to other missile systems
but are almost impossible to counter as they ignore the enemy’s
EW rating when striking.
• Active Radar Homing – This missile uses an onboard radar
system to provide a guidance signal. Commonly known as ‘fire
and forget’.
• Semi Active Radar Homing - Semi-active homing systems
combine a passive radar receiver on the missile with a separate
6
targeting radar that "illuminates" the target. SARH missiles are
by far the most common "all weather" guidance solution for anti-
aircraft systems, both ground- and air-launched. Requires
constant LOS from the attacker to the defender. Most missiles
listed in RIFTS are considered SARH unless specified.
• Infrared Passive Homing - Infrared homing is a passive system
that homes in on the heat generated by the target commonly
known as “heat seeking”. Provides LOS to any target that emits
heat greater than its surroundings.
• AI Guided – The missile houses an AI that can make critical
judgements on the fly many times faster than a human mind.
Usually reserved for long range missiles, once launched they
can make their own decisions on how best to approach and
attack a target or even loiter in an area for an unspecified
amount of time until their target enters their range.
• Magical Energy Reactive Location and Navigation System
(MERLiN)– Designed to target the specific energy signatures
emitted from the use of magic as well as dimensional energy
from powerful demons and D-Bees.
Strike Bonuses
• PP modifiers apply to Strike, Parry, and Dodge in Hand to Hand
melee combat and ranged melee attacks (natural energy blasts,
thrown objects, & archery) only.
• Strike modifiers from Hand to Hand combat skills, O.C.C.
powers, and other sources do not apply to special moves such
as disarm, hold, etcetera.
• Special moves such as hold & disarm only receive modifiers
when specifically stated in their source.
Perception Rules
• Perception as defined is the ability to assess your surroundings
and notice anything out of the ordinary.
• All characters, regardless of origin or type, have the Perception
skill as a natural ability.
• Perception has a base skill rating of 25% plus IQ bonus, adding
3% per level for each additional level of experience beyond first
level.
• Perception does not replace the Detect Concealment or
Detect Ambush skills, nor does it replace Read Sensory
Equipment or Optics Systems for use with technological sensors
to perceive.
• Like Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, and other skills,
Perception is an opposed skill check.
• As with all % skill checks, a natural roll of 96-00 is a critical fail
and a natural roll of 01-05 is a critical success.
General Opposed Skill Table
Assign a skill level for use on NPC’s and roll against it:
• 20%+: Amateur: A barely skilled individual; generic rent-a-cops,
bored merc sentries, a farmer trying to be sneaky, a young city
rat trying to hustle the CS patrol.
• 40%+: Skilled: A young skilled sneak, a low leveled merc on
watch, or a wilderness scout hiding a vehicle.
• 65%+: Professional: The grizzled sergeant who's slumming it
on guard duty, the newest pride and joy of the Thieves' Guild, or
one of the famed snipers of the C.S. patrols in Old Chicago
setting up his blind.
• 85%+: Augmented: This NPC either has a technological,
Magical, or Psionic advantage to their perception and is almost
impossible to evade without a specific counter.
Status Effects
• Weapons, Magic, Powers, and Psionics can cause Status
Effects on characters, objects, or enemies. These status effects
have lasting effects in and out of combat.
Status Effect List:
• Ablaze – You are on fire. Any damage that causes this status
deals 1d6 damage of the same type taken (MD or SD) for each
Ablaze status gained per round until this status is resolved. Any
SDC items caught in an MDC based Ablaze are immediately
destroyed. SDC characters caught Ablaze by MDC fire die
instantly. SDC fire does not cause the Ablaze status to MDC
objects, armor, or characters.
• Blast - When rolling on the hit location table, roll an additional
time for each stack of Blast. Divide the damage equally among
the hit locations. Critical hits cause critical wounds to each hit
location.
• Bleeding – You are Bleeding badly. Lose 1 HP for each Bleeding
status gained at the end of every round or every minute.
Bleeding can be resolved with a First Aid Skill check.
• Blinded – Skill checks involving sight are impossible until this
status is resolved. -6 to melee, - and all shots are WILD -6, You
cannot draw line of sight, -6 to Dodge. Lasts one round for each
stack of Blind. Each stack of Blinded has a 10% chance of
permanent vision loss.
• Broken – You are panicked beyond the ability to cope. On your
turn, you can only take defensive actions and must make
attempts to move away from the source of your panic. All Mental
tests are -6 and you are unable to concentrate to cast magic until
this status is resolved.
• Crushed – One or more parts of your body have been crushed.
When Crushed is applied to a character or NPC, roll on the hit
location chart. Limbs with the Crushed status cannot be used.
Any weapons held in that limb are dropped immediately.
Crushed legs reduce your speed to 0 and adds the Supine
status. Crushed main body represents Flail Chest (3 or more
successive ribs are broken), making breathing difficult causing
1d6 damage directly to HP and a 10% chance of internal
bleeding (Bleeding status) for each stack of Crushed. If the head
is crushed, you have a 10% chance of gaining the Blinded and
Deafened status in addition to 1d6 damage directly to HP for
each stack of Crushed. Armor (both Powered and Non-
Powered) on the affected body part is crushed onto the body
part, making it difficult to remove (10% penalty to related armor
skill to remove).
• Deafened – Checks involving listening are impossible until this
status is resolved. -6 to melee attacks. Lasts one round for each
stack of Deafened. Each stack of Deafened has a 10% chance
of permanent hearing loss.
• Entangled – Part or all of you is trapped, restricting your
movement. Your Speed is 0 until this status is resolved. Any limb
that is entangled in melee cannot make an attack from that limb.
Spellcasting that requires hand gestures cannot be cast if one
or both limbs are entangled.
• Fatigued – You are exhausted or stressed and in need of rest.
Lose 1 APM for every 1 Fatigued status gained. Suffer -10% on
all skills for every 1 Fatigue status. If your APM is reduced to 0
7
due to Fatigue, your character MUST rest until all Fatigue
statuses are removed.
• Knock back – certain Melee attacks can cause knock back,
forcing the defender to be pushed back away from the attacker
with force. After resolving damage, the defender is moved away
from the attacker 10ft for each damage dice rolled. If the
defender ends their movement into a solid object, they take an
additional 1d6 damage dice (SDC or MDC depending on the
damage taken) for each stack of Knock Back. The defender
must make a successful PP check or gain the Supine status. If
the defender has the Acrobatics skill, they automatically pass
but are still knocked back. Knock back is negated against
characters or creatures 2 sizes larger than the attacker OR if
they have a PS of 24 or greater.
• Poisoned – You have been poisoned, either from an attack or
environmental exposure. Each poison has unique effects that
activate immediately. Generic poison for faster gameplay
causes the following: -10% to all skill checks for each Poisoned
status gained. Each round, roll a PE test or lose 1 HP for each
Poisoned status gained.
• Radiation – Being irradiated is one of the most potentially lethal
status effects in the game. Each stack of Radiation has the
following effects:
o Radiation 1 – Minor exposure equal to 0.7-10 Gy (70-1000
rads) – Survival is likely with treatment. 1d6 Permanent
damage to HP even if treated. Gain the Sepsis and
Fatigued status until treated. Subtract 3D6 YEARS from
your lifespan.
o Radiation 2 – Moderate exposure equal to 10 -20 Gy
(1000-2000 rads) – Survival is unlikely. 3d6 Permanent
damage to HP even if treated. Gain Bleeding 1 and Sepsis
1. Gain a Permanent Fatigue 1 status even if treated.
o Radiation 3 – Major exposure equal to 30-50 Gy (3000-
5000 rads) Death will occur in 3 days. 4d6 Permanent
damage to HP even if treated. Gain Bleeding 1 and Sepsis
2. After 3 days the character dies unless they receive a full
Borg conversion.
o Radiation 4 – Extreme exposure equal to >50 Gy (5000+
rads) Death occurs within minutes. There is no save and no
time to receive a conversion. Start writing up a new
character.
o Any unshielded character that comes in contact with a
character with the Radiation status gains the Radiation
status to 1 level lower than the source to a minimum of 1.
o Exposure can occur from weapons, powers, or objects with
the Radiation status.
o Players wearing MDC body armor that covers the entire
body are immune to the Radiation status effect.
o Players inside Robots or Vehicles that are hardened to NBC
standards are also immune to Radiation.
o Hazmat suits, while SDC also provides immunity to
Radiation.
o Even when protecting the character and granting them
immunity, any Armor, Vehicle, Robot or Suit that is exposed
to Radiation still gains the Radiation status and can pass
that onto unshielded victims until they undergo full
decontamination.
• Sepsis – Sepsis occurs when an infection spreads through the
body via the bloodstream. Causes 1d6 damage to HP for each
stack of Sepsis every hour untreated. Gain the Fatigued 2 status
if sepsis goes untreated for a day. If untreated for more than 3
days, gain the Unconscious status but DO NOT activate any
powers or abilities that trigger due to unconsciousness. 5 days
of sepsis without treatment is potentially lethal and requires a
 PE save vs death. Treatment of Sepsis requires a successful
Medical Doctor Skill check.
• Severed – Some weapons like vibro blades and the Cyber
Knights energy sword cut so cleanly that they often remove body
parts. After rolling on the hit location chart, any weapon with the
Severed status that strikes an unarmored body part instantly
cuts that body part off. In addition to any damage received, the
victim gains the Bleeding Status equal to the number of damage
dice rolled to a maximum of 5. Severed arms are dropped along
with any items or weapons they were holding. Reduce your APM
by half if you survive. Severed Legs reduce your Speed to 0 and
gain the Supine status. Severed head is instant death BUT the
victim can get a full Borg conversion if the head is recovered and
prepped for transplant with a successful Medical Cybernetics
skill check. Any unarmored limb hit with Mega Damage gains the
Severed status instantly. If that damage ALSO causes Ablaze, it
negates the Bleeding status caused by Severed as the wound
is considered cauterized.
• Stunned – You may have a concussion. Reduce your APM to 0.
-20% to all skill checks. Attackers gain +3 to strike against you.
Stunned lasts for 1 round per stack. Once the Stunned status is
resolved, Gain 1 Fatigue status and roll a PE check or become
nauseated.
• Supine – You are flat on your back, but not by choice. You must
spend 2 APM to stand up and remove this status. If you have
acrobatics, you can instead roll an acrobatics skill check to
stand up for 0 APM. Your speed is 0 when in a supine position.
Melee attacks against you gain +6 to strike. If your character has
no Hand to Hand skills, you can only take defensive actions
while supine. Supine status counts as being Prone for ranged
attacks (partial cover, -5 to strike for attackers). Supine DOES
NOT STACK.
• Suppression – The fury of the attack targeting you forces you
to take cover and remain there until it is finished. Attacks that
trigger the Suppression status reduce your APM by half on the
next round. If you suffer more than one Suppression status in
the same melee, on your next turn, reduce your APM by half and
you are forced to make defensive actions only.
• Surprised – You’ve been caught off guard. You cannot take a
defensive action against attacks that apply the Surprised status.
This includes auto dodge as auto dodge does not grant a
reflexive dodge but instead only has a 0 APM cost. Surprised
status DOES NOT STACK. Once an attack that grants the
Surprised status resolves, remove the Surprised status.
• Unconscious – You are knocked out, asleep or otherwise
incapacitated. You can do nothing during your turn and are
unaware of your surroundings. Attackers targeting you cannot
miss. Unconscious DOES NOT STACK. You can negate an
unconscious status with a successful Save vs Coma. Note:
certain powers or abilities will trigger ONLY if you have the
Unconscious status. In this instance, if you have an ability that
activates due to unconsciousness, ignore the above effects, and
instead follow the power or ability’s listed effect.
Status Stacking:
• Attacks that grant a status effect are listed as # status. The
number of the status is how many stacks are gained when hit,
and is equal to the number of dice rolled for damage.
• For example, a C29 ‘Hellfire’ plasma rifle deals 1d6x10 MD and
causes the Ablaze 1 status. The Glitter boy railgun deals 3d6x10
MD and causes anyone in melee range of it to gain 3 Deafened
status.
8
• Status effects can be stacked if the same status is gained from
two or more different attacks or environment in the same round.
• For example: If a player is successfully attacked by a creature
that has 1 Poisoned status attack, at the end of melee that player
gains 1 Poisoned status. If he ends his turn in an environment
that ALSO grants 1 Poisoned status, then he gains 2 Poisoned
status.
• Status stacking from the same status can only be gained up
to 5 times. Any additional stacking statuses are ignored.
Weapon Type Status Effects:
• Ballistic – Includes all SDC and MDC projectile firing weapons
except rail guns. Causes Bleeding on any damage taken
directly to HP. Shotguns and other spread fire weapons cause
Blast.
• Laser – Laser (directed energy) based weapons. Pulse Laser
(laser weapons with a Burst fire option) causes Blinded if the
target is hit in the head. Sustained Laser (Full Auto fire option)
causes Ablaze to flammable objects including unarmored MDC
creatures or characters.
• Plasma – Plasma ejectors cause Ablaze to everything,
including inflammable objects. Ablaze status from plasma
weapons cannot be removed and instead will burn for a number
of rounds equal to the status stack.
• Explosive – Missiles, grenades, and explosives cause the
Blast status. Some explosives can also cause Ablaze,
Bleeding, Blinded, Deafened, Supine, and/or Radiation
statuses as well.
o High Explosive – Blast
o Fragmentation – Blast, Bleeding
o Plasma/Napalm – Blast, Ablaze
o Nuclear – Blast, Ablaze, Radiation, Blinded if looked at
directly
o Smoke – Blast, Blinded
o Flashbang – Blast, Blinded, Deafened
o Tear gas – Blast, Blinded, Poisoned
• Rail gun- Rail guns, while technically ballistic weapons have
special status effects that can happen to both the intended target
and anyone within melee range when they are fired. Each shot
causes a Sonic Boom and causes Deafened to anyone within
melee range but not to the intended target (unless it is also
within melee range). Causes Blast to the intended target.
• Poisoned – Certain weapons can be poisoned such as bladed
or piercing archaic weapons. Roll an appropriate skill to apply
the poison to your weapon to grant it the Poisoned Status. The
stack is dependent on the type of poison used.
• Vibro – Vibro blades of every shape and size can do significant
damage to both armor and flesh and cause the Sever status.
• Other special weapons can have statuses added to them at the
GM’s discretion.
Psionics and Ley Lines
• Range and duration of psionic powers is doubled when on or
near a Ley Line or Nexus point.
• Psychics can draw on 1D6+level number (of player) I.S.P. each
melee round when on a ley line (2D6+level if on a ley line nexus);
I.S.P. must be used during that same melee.
• Psionic attacks that do physical damage receive a +1D6
damage bonus when on a ley line; +2D6 damage bonus if on a
ley line nexus
Critical Damage Tables
Critical Damage - Head
The attack leaves behind a nasty scar. The exact
01-10 narrative severity is left to the GM’s discretion, but it
has no mechanical effect beyond the wound itself.
The strike opens the target’s cheek, sending blood
11-21
flying everywhere. Gain 1 Bleeding Status.
The force of the blow sends the target reeling in pain.
22-32
The target loses half their APM on their next Turn.
The hit causes the target’s sight to blur and their head
33-43
to spin. The target gains 2 Fatigue.
The force of the blow briefly fills the target’s head with
44-54 a terrible ringing noise. Gain 1 Deafened Status until
the end of your next Turn.
A resounding thump echoes through the target’s skull,
the pain plunging them into darkness for several
55-65
seconds of horrendous agony. Gain 1 Blinded Status
until the end of your next Turn.
With a crunch, the blow slams into the target’s temple,
66-77 causing them to reel backward as searing spots of
light fill their vision. Gain a Stunned 1 status.
The target staggers and fights for concentration as the
attack smashes into the bridge of their nose,
78-88 shattering the cartilage and shaking their skull. Gain 2
Bleeding status and 3 Fatigue status. Make a save vs
Coma or gain 1 Unconscious Status.
The blow rips violently across the target’s face,
possibly taking with it an important feature. Gain 3
Bleeding status. Make save vs Coma or gain 1
Unconscious status, and roll 1d10: 1-2: You lose your
sight. Permanent Blinded status, 3-7: Your face is torn
89-99
to shreds. Permanently reduce your PB by 2d6, 8-9:
Your eardrums are blown out completely. Gain a
permanent deafened. 10: The blow to the head
caused a permanent brain injury, reduce your IQ, ME,
and MA by 1d6
The attack bursts the target’s skull like an overripe
fruit, spraying blood, brains, and bits of bone onto
-00 anyone within 1d10 yards as their now-headless body
staggers for a moment before collapsing, instantly
dead.
9
Critical Damage - Arms
The attack leaves behind a nasty scar. The exact
01-10 narrative severity is left to the GM’s discretion, but it
has no mechanical effect beyond the wound itself.
The attack jars the target’s limb with a powerful blow.
11-21
Drop whatever was held in that hand.
The attack cuts the upper arm badly. Gain 1 Bleeding
22-32
Status.
The attack punches deep into the muscle of the arm,
33-43
causing excruciating pain. Gain 1 Stunned Status.
The attack smashes into the arm or whatever the
target is holding, ripping it away and leaving them
44-54 reeling in pain. Gain 2 Bleeding Status and 1 Stunned
Status and drop anything held in that hand. Roll 1d10:
on a result of 6+, the item is destroyed.
The target’s arm is wrenched from its socket. Gain 2
55-65 Stunned Status. The arm is Useless until the target
receives medical attention.
The attack pulverizes the target’s hand, crushing and
66-77 breaking 1d5 fingers. Drop anything held in that hand.
Suffer the Broken Bone (Hand) injury.
The hand is left a mauled, bleeding mess. Gain 3
78-88 Bleeding Status. Make a Save vs Coma Test or gain 1
Unconscious Status.
The hand is lopped off at the wrist. Gain 3 Bleeding
89-99 Status. Make a Save vs Coma Test or gain 1
Unconscious Status. Suffer the Severed Hand Injury.
The force of the attack rips into the target’s arm, taking
it off just below the shoulder and showering blood and
-00 gore across the ground. Gain 4 Bleeding Status and 2
Stunned Status. Make a Save vs Coma Test or gain 1
Unconscious Status. Suffer the Severed Arm Injury.
Critical Damage Legs
The attack leaves behind a nasty scar. The exact
01-10 narrative severity is left to the GM’s discretion, but it
has no mechanical effect beyond the wound itself.
The stroke leaves a bloody welt that mercifully misses
11-21
a major artery. Gain 1 Bleeding Status.
A grazing blow to the leg slows the target. Lose half of
22-32
your APM for the next round.
The attack knocks the leg backwards, painfully twisting
33-43
it awkwardly. Gain 1 Supine status.
A powerful blow causes microfractures in the target’s
44-54 bones, inflicting excruciating pain. Gain 1 Stunned
Status.
The attack rips a length of flesh from the leg. Gain 2
55-65
Bleeding Status.
The attack smashes into the target’s leg, leaving them
66-77 reeling in pain. Gain 2 Bleeding Status, and 1 Stunned
Status.
With a violent snap, the target’s bones are shattered,
emerging as jagged, broken spears from the
78-88 pulverized limb as the target collapses under the brutal
strike. Gain the Crushed Status permanently until you
receive medical attention.
A major tendon at the back of your leg is severed,
causing you to scream out in pain as your leg
89-99 collapses, never to be the same. Gain 2 Bleeding
Status and the Crushed Status. Permanently reduce
your PP by 1d6.
With a sound like a wet sponge being torn in half, the
target’s leg comes away at the hip. Gain 4 Bleeding
-00
Status and the Unconscious Status. Make a Save vs
death or die from shock. Suffer the Severed Leg injury.
Critical Damage – Main Body Magic and Psionics
The attack leaves behind a nasty scar. The exact
01-10 narrative severity is left to the GM’s discretion, but it Gaining new Spells and Psi Powers
has no mechanical effect beyond the wound itself.
The attack lacerates the target’s side, cutting just Since players can technically attempt to cast any spell available to
11-21 beneath their ribs and drawing a spurt of blood. Gain 1 their OCC at the start of play, the question becomes how we
Bleeding Status. regulate the acquisition of new spells. Gaining new spells now
A blow to the target’s body steals the breath from his requires 50 xp to memorize. This is not restricted by spell level or
22-32
lungs. Gain 1 Fatigued.
perceived spell power. Following the advice from RIFTS Book of
A powerful blow opens a painful rent in the target’s
33-43 Magic, spell restriction should be based on the GM discretion and
body. Gain 2 Bleeding Status.
incorporated into gameplay or story elements.
The impact punches the air from the target’s body.
44-54
Gain 1 Crushed status. Spells can be purchased, discovered, invented, or taught in any
The blow batters the target, bruising several ribs. Gain number of ways. The only true limit is the amount of PPE the spell
55-65
1 Stunned Status and 1 Fatigued Status
costs to cast. Allow players access to as many spells as they want
The attack bowls the target over, snapping several of
and let the PPE cost speak for itself.
66-77 his ribs in the process. Gain the Prone Status and 2
Stunned Status. How Psionics Work Without Levels
The force of the attack passes through muscles and
78-88 organs with a terrible squelch and a wailing shriek.
Psionic Level is a new stat to help track how powerful of a Psychic
Gain 4 Bleeding Status.
your character has become. Each time you advance your ISP pool,
The attack cuts open the target’s abdomen,
threatening to expose his entrails. Gain 3 Bleeding you gain 1 Psionic Level. Adjust the efficacy of your psionic powers
89-99 as necessary.
Status and 1 Fatigued Status. Permanently reduce the
target’s PE by 1d6
The target’s spine is pulverized by the blow, leaving
their two halves attached by what seems comically
little flesh. Gain 3 Crushed and the Unconscious
-00
Status. Make a Save vs Death Test or die from shock.
Reduce your speed to 0 and your PS by 2d6
permanently.

10
OPTIONAL EXPERIMENTAL Average Range Conversion Chart

RULES
Distance in Meters Infantry Scale Large Scale
0-100 1 1
101-300 4 1
Movement 301-600 8 2
601-900 12 3
• To convert the Spd attribute to grid or inches of movement for 901-1200 16 4
1/48 (28mm) to 1/72 (25mm) scale combat, use the movement 1201-1600 22 5
chart below. 1601-1800 25 6
• For large scale combat involving mass infantry, giant robots, or 1801-2100 29 7
large creatures, it is suggested that you use 1/285(10mm) to 2101-2400 33 8
1/365(6mm) scale miniatures. 2401-2600 36 9
2601-2900 40 10
Movement Conversion Chart
>2901 42 10
Spd Infantry scale Large scale
0-3 1
4-8 2 1 Large Scale Combat
9-15 4
16-20 6 ▪ Large scale combat involves combat with mass units, large
21-24 8 4 vehicles, robots, and large creatures as RIFTS has all of these
25-30 12 in great numbers.
31-40 16 ▪ Large scale maps are considered 1/285 (10mm) to 1/365
41-60 20 8 (6mm) in scale to accommodate the wide range of miniatures
61-90 32 and terrain available at that scale.
91-120 48 ▪ A single square can fit a single large scale robot, vehicle, or
121-220 60 12 creature.
>221 72 ▪ A single square can also fit an entire squad of infantry (up to
eight NPCs).
• The listed movement speed is considered running or Combat ▪ Power armor occupies a single square.
Speed. Walking speed is half that number and sprinting is half ▪ Some vehicles, robots and creatures are so large that they can
that number plus the listed number. For example, a Spd of 10 occupy multiple squares. Any vehicle robot or creature larger
is a combat speed of 4, a walk of 2 and a sprint of 6. than 12m tall occupies 2 to 4 squares.
• Sprinting for longer than one round requires a PE test for each ▪ This abstract represents not just the actual size of the
round before needing to rest. Failing this test does allow the occupant in the square, but also the amount of volume they
player to keep sprinting but imposes a Fatigue 1 status every need to move and fight comfortably.
round they continue until they stop. Once they stop, reduce
your APM by half for one round. Size to Scale Conversion
Height Square volume
Range < 12 m tall 1 square
12.5 m -18 m tall 1 square
• To convert the listed range of infantry scale weapons to grid or 19 m – 25 m tall 4 squares (2x2 squares)
inches for 1/48 (28mm) to 1/72 (25mm) scale combat, the 26 m – 40 m tall 9 squares (3x3 squares)
conversion formula is the range of the weapon in meters
divided by 72 to a minimum of 1 rounded down. Size to Scale Conversion
• For large scale combat involving mass infantry, giant robots, or Length Squares in length
giant monsters, 1/285(10mm) to 1/365(6mm) scale, divide by 12 m - 40 long 1 square
285 to a minimum of 1 rounded down. 41 m -90 m long 2 square
• Use the below Average Range Conversion Chart for a quick 100 m – 300 m long 3 squares
reference. This chart works for both squares and inches. > 301 m long 4 squares

Infantry

Infantry at large scale combat has to be abstracted to keep

gameplay speed and complexity from becoming impossible to
track. The following rules are used when fighting at large scale.
These rules don’t effect power armor, robots or vehicles or large
creatures.

• A squad of infantry shares a single attribute stat block for

simplicity’s sake and fights as a single enemy.
• The HP of a squad of infantry is equal to double the starting
number of infantry (normally 8 men or 16 HP).
11
• The squad shares a single MDC equal to the average MDC • Attributes don’t advance with XP. They can only be altered
times half their starting number of infantry. For example, a through cybernetics, bionics, or magic.
squad of CS grunts • At the end of each session, players tally their XP total and can
• A squad of infantry carries a single type of weapon and can freely spend it on skills or HP.
equip one special weapon per squad. They can make a normal • Each skill can only be advanced 2 times per session.
attack at 2 APM or a special attack at 4 APM. • Hand to Hand skills can only be advanced once per session.
• Multiply the damage from the normal attack by the number of • Only one new skill can be added per session.
infantry present during the attack. The special attack does not
• HP can only be advanced 1 per session.
multiply.
• The APM of a single squad of infantry is equal to the number of Advanced Training and Education
infantry present at the start of a round. For example, a squad
of 8 CS grunts has 8 APM. After they lose 2 men, their next • Players can decide between sessions to select a skill Hand to
APM is 6. Hand skill or weapon proficiency to focus on during their
• Fighting at this scale makes using the Hit Location chart characters downtime. Doing this halves the cost in XP to
impractical so you can skip that step when dealing damage. advance that skill on the next session.
• Instead count any critical hits as a casualty. Recalculate the • Players can also receive formal education during downtime per
combined APM as casualties mount. the GM’s discretion. That player can choose one of their OCC
• When a single squad is reduced to half strength, it has to pass skills or OCC related skills to advance that skill once at no cost
a save vs horror every turn to prevent them from retreating to XP.
from combat. Advanced Mecha Rules
• A squad of infantry is killed when either the total HP is reduced
to zero or their total number is reduced to half, and they fail a Building a Custom Giant Robot
horror save.
Giant Robot Components
Player Characters at Large Scale
• Head
• Up to eight player characters not piloting a robot, vehicle or
• Core Body
power armor can share a single square like infantry.
• Arms
• Characters in power armor, or piloting Robots or Vehicles
• Legs
occupy a single square.
• Handheld Weapons
• Vehicles that can carry multiple characters occupy a single
• Back Mounted Weapons
square and their occupants count as stacking on that single
• Shoulder Mounted Weapons
square provided they are not themselves wearing power armor
• Leg Mounted Weapons
or piloting a vehicle or robot.
• Powerplant
• Sensors and EW
Removing Levels From The Game And Alternative XP System • Techno Wizard Parts
• Psionic Parts
The existing XP and level system in RIFTS is archaic and best left • Manufacturers
in the past. Character advancement should instead be based on
improving skills, acquiring status, wealth, and better equipment.

No Levels? No Problem.

Converting XP to Skill percentage

Skills XP cost Advancement

OCC Skills 50 3%
OCC Related Skills 100 3%
Secondary Skills 150 5%
Adding a new skill 500 Base skill %
Adding new WP skill 1000 1 level
Advancing a H2H
500 1 level
skill rank
HP 500 1d6 HP
Gain magical energy Per OCC
1000
(PPE) advancement
Gain Psionic energy Per OCC
1000
(ISP) advancement

12