In reply to Knight_Vassal (msg # 12):

Tolkein has lots of story telling potential with different sides/stories/points of view. Tell me your ideas for Atlantis? Sell me :).

I would certainly be interested. However, do you have any idea how to handle the clunky combat system of Paladium with the strike/parry/dodge/roll mechanism?

I'd be open to play both the Atlantean and the Tolkeen game. It's been years (or rather decades) since I was a player in a Rifts game.

In reply to MrSerious (msg # 13):

 The main plot would center on the Atlanteans and the next Clan Meeting. From there it could go one of 18 ways. From creating a coalition group to explore a new Atlantean home for the entire race to an army being raised to attack Atlantis and retake it. And various points in between. I fully expect the Sunaj to be involved as well as various other factions depending on what would be decided at the next clan meeting. Everything from Gurgoyles to Vampire Intelligences. Heck under one scenario I could see Wormwood being invaded and cleared out by the entire Atlantean race. Far fetched and unlikely to be sure but possible. I firmly plan on running the Clan meeting and handing the players a piece of info that changes the whole equation. What could it be?

In reply to mole75 (msg # 14):

Combat is a beast on PbP no matter what the system. That being said the only thing folks would need to roll is their end. So likely I would do it as a "roll block". You the player would perform you entire combat action from strikes to parry to dodge and what have you. Allocate a certain number to strike make those rolls. Allocate the rest to defense and make a set of rolls with no modifiers. Then when you post make sure you post your parry and dodge modifiers and I will take the best roll for the situation.

  I.e. John has 7 actions per turn. He allocates 4 to attack and 3 to defense. Rolls 4 attacks with damage and all the bonuses. Then rolls 3 defense rolls and posts his dodge/parry bonuses. Between the time John acts and his next turn he is shot at once, bandit attempts to stab him, and a grenade goes off near him. So 2 dodges and a parry. Or you the player could have him parry the whole time(good luck with parrying a grenade) or dodge. We can try that. I have seen it work well in the past.

Now I really want to do an atlantean game :D



You bet. That's why I ask. I've wondered more than a few times how one would do Rifts combat in PbP. But your answer gives me a lot of confidence in this.

In reply to mole75 (msg # 17):

Lol never ask a GM to convince you of their unique plot.

To be honest I don't really know the Atlantis setting that well, so I'll need some  hand holding... and the Rifts combat system just seems to be 'roll d20, add + to strike, roll d20 to defend, person with the highest wins'

In reply to MrSerious (msg # 19):

The combat system is more or less as you say. However the sheer number of modifiers to your roll is flat out insane at times. More to the point your parry almost always is much higher than your dodge. But their are times where a parry just won't work at all.

As for the Atlantis setting well that is all of Rifts at times. Literally. Everything from Chi-town to Phase World.

This message was deleted by a moderator, as it was against the forum rules, at 22:08, Thu 15 Oct 2020.

This message was deleted by a moderator, as it was moot, at 22:09, Thu 15 Oct 2020.

One very useful simplification for PBP is to take 10 on defenses.
This message was last edited by the user at 21:57, Thu 15 Oct 2020.

I like the Tolkeen Idea.

I just don't like how it was handled by Bill Coffin. there was previous metaplot in various books before the Seige came out and Coffin tossed all that out the window. Plus both sides played catch with the idiot ball. Still if we make it our own and change things as needed it can be great.

As for Atlantians, I haven't played them before but I have seen people play them.

 Yeah, the problem there is that the idiot ball in Rifts is large and unstable and extremely bouncy because the amount of thought put into creating a consistent or rational world was effectively zero. There's tons of really cool things in the setting but trying to expand them into an actual war borders on the impossible.

my personal favorite was how it was specifically called out in pantheons of the megaverse how (if i remember correctly) thor, odin, and i can't remember who the third god was now could defeat the entire coalition states by themselves. oh, and having worshipers on a world is good for the gods' power. yet, no explanation that i can remember as to why tolkeen didn't offer to convert some people in exchange for one or more pantheons' assistance.

then again, that might be more trouble than it's worth to include in a campaign, unless your players are members of that pantheon and they're trying to take out the coalition by themselves. that might be interesting.

In reply to Karack (msg # 26):

Arrogance is why. They considered their magic superior to the Coalition States Military. And until they rolled out the upgrades Tolkeen was right. But good luck getting enough attention of Thor, Odin, or guy C to get that job done.

hmm... good point. i hadn't considered it and don't remember getting the arrogant vibe from reading the books. i also don't remember anything specific being mentioned about tolkeen not looking for allies or assistance from major supernatural powers and i would think that given their supernatural connections they should at least have known about the pantheons. *shrug* maybe it's just been too long since i read the books.

still, that could be an interesting twist for a game.

In reply to Karack (msg # 28):

I read Cyber-knights first in that series. It spells out a lot of stuff from a slightly off perspective. It dealt mostly with the schism within the cyberknights, but also the Tolkeen mentality from day 1 to the end. They spell it out in that book. It was arrogance that kept them from taking a lot of help and their fall to diabolic things made it worse.

I'd be up for an Atlantean campaign. Would PCs start at level 1?

It would seem a little odd if a bunch of level 1 characters would be the ones deciding the fate of the atlanteans and their possible retaking of Atlantis. But that's just me thinking out loud :D As with everything it must be up to the DM to decide.

In reply to mole75 (msg # 31):

Hadn't picked the level yet. And all things start somewhere. I highly doubt it would be less than 4th either way to start.

This is Rifts. Anything's possible. PCs could be vassals/slaves/servants/children of the ones at the table, then sent out to pull the trigger for all we know. :)

I'm happy with either setting - Tolkein or Atlantis, I take it you have us as 'the good guys'?

In reply to MrSerious (msg # 34):

 That is open to interpretation but yes the good guys.

With this many posts in the thread, it should be clear by now whether there is sufficient interest in this idea to warrant creating a game based on it.  Please save all further replies for that game, created by Knight_Vassal and linked to in the post immediately following this one.

Thank you.

In reply to bigbadron (msg # 36):

link to another game

Link to the game