This is a list of notable tabletop role-playing games. It does not include computer role-playing games , MMORPGs , play-by-mail/email games , or any other video games with RPG elements.
61-644: Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in August 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk , science fiction , fantasy , horror , western , mythology and many other genres. Rifts serves as a cross-over environment for a variety of other Palladium games with different universes connected through "rifts" on Earth that lead to different spaces, times, and realities that Palladium calls
122-581: A celestial alignment; which magnified the PPE released from the deaths sending all the ley lines into overdrive. Nexus, formed where leylines cross surge creating Rifts, large tears in the fabric of reality. This first wave was enough energy to bring Atlantis back creating tidal waves, earthquakes and even super volcano eruptions killing more people, further increasing ambient PPE. The rifts are two way gateways and allow all kinds of monsters to enter our world. In some locations entire new ecosystems are portaled in. In
183-562: A collective of small and a few large towns, founded by the survivors of the Denver area. In Arizona , the "Clarkdale Confederacy" (Clarkdale, Jerome, and Cottonwood), has managed to survive even as Flagstaff, Prescott and Phoenix have collapsed around them; there is also the town founded and run by mercenaries known as "Arzno". The Royal Canadian Mounted Police managed to survive the great cataclysm, though Canada itself did not. The Mounties have become an independent law enforcement force called
244-601: A common vehicle used in battle in Rifts Earth is the Giant Robot . In addition to their role as war machines, Giant Robots are also intimidating, and turned out to be good in combating very large supernatural creatures (such as dragons, demons, and giants). An increasingly popular use of technology is Techno-Wizardry , which is a fusion of magic and technology. The aims of Techno-Wizardry are to use magic not only to power technology, but to make it more effective than it
305-422: A golden age of humanity occurs, with tremendous advances in science, technology, military, and society. Humanity as a whole is at peace as a majority of Earth's nations decide to cease world war and begin to share ideas and technology freely. Much of the solar system is conquered, humanity's wars will end, and harmony will reign. Second, that this golden age is followed by an unknown cause near the winter solstice and
366-474: A melting pot of humans, D-Bees and other, stranger beings, and is the home of Techno-Wizardry. "Mad Haven" is the name given to the ruins of Manhattan Island, although tectonic forces during the cataclysm have moved it into the coast creating a peninsula. It is seen by most denizens of Rifts Earth as a refuge of demons and madness. The return of Atlantis has caused the Amazon River basin to flood most of
427-598: A mile wide, some twice that tall, stretching thousands of miles, crisscrossing the globe. The largest can even be seen from space . The strongest power in North America is the Coalition States (CS). The governing body of the Coalition States is based in the arcological city of Chi-Town and lays claim to northern Illinois (the southern part being controlled by the "Federation of Magic") and all of Iowa. Other member states consist of "Lone Star", formed from
488-501: A new Dark Age dawns and humanity's shrinking population is reduced, due to catastrophe and domestic failure, immeasurably. This period is covered in Palladium's Rifts Chaos Earth spin-off series. Rifts initially takes place in 101 P.A. (equivalent to the year 2387) 289 years after this event. The " Post-Apocalypse " calendar was established by the formation of the Coalition States in 2286. While many different events that make up
549-489: A rare planetary alignment, causing a disaster that cascades into tremendous destruction via a ripple effect. The cataclysm begins with unprecedented storms of all kinds, earthquakes and tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions including the Yellowstone Caldera . What is already a huge release of mystical energy is multiplied as a result of several special conditions: a rare multi-planetary alignment, occurrence during
610-464: A totalitarian government, restrictive internal media, restrictive education (such as enforced illiteracy), and a massive military. The Coalition is ruled by Emperor Karl Prosek, and is genocidally opposed to all aliens, D-bees (Dimensional Beings, to include humans from other times and even unlucky CS troops that have traveled through a Rift and survived to return... only to be "contained" by his former comrades), human mutations, and Magic. His ultimate goal
671-606: A way similar to machine guns in modern times. However, the weapon, ammunition belts/drums/clips, and energy packs to power the weapon make most rail guns very heavy, and are usually restricted to Powered Armor, 'Borgs, and vehicles. One of the most famous rail guns on Rifts Earth is the RG13 Rapid Acceleration Electro-Magnetic Rail Gun known as the "Boom Gun" used famously by the USA-G10 Glitter Boy power armor. It
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#1732787445746732-400: Is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game from Palladium Books . It is a spinoff and prequel to their popular game Rifts , which uses a similar form of Palladium's Megaversal system . In the early 2000s, Palladium was experiencing deceasing sales, so the company continued to produce new settings in an attempt to offset this. As a result, Rifts Chaos Earth (2003), a prequel to Rifts ,
793-501: Is a large supplier of Coalition food processing and growing. However, Missouri's southern half, home to the city-states of "Whykin" ( Poplar Bluff ) and "Kingsdale" ( West Plains ) are in constant opposition to the CS and claim independence. North Dakota is home to the Wilk's firearms corporation, though not much else. Arkansas is home to the independent CS ally "El Dorado". Southern Illinois and
854-434: Is a weapon so powerful that it creates an immensely deafening sonic boom whenever it is fired that shatters glass for hundreds of yards around. Ion weapons are also popular, presumably because they do provide sound and recoil unlike lasers. Heavy weapons are generally Plasma or Particle-beam weapons, which have great stopping power, but also generally have a short range. Alongside hover vehicles and Powered Armor ,
915-520: Is covered in the highly debated six-volume series of source/storybooks "Coalition Wars: Siege on Tolkeen"). In the Northeast , the city-state of "Lazlo", named after the great 20th century supernatural researcher and writer Victor Lazlo (from another Palladium RPG, "Beyond The Supernatural"), was built upon the ruins of the Canadian city of Toronto . This major center of civilization is well known as
976-536: Is in young and prepubescent children. An adult's level of PPE can vary based on other factors. PPE also allows Psionics which uses energy known as Inner Strength Points or ISP. Psychic phenomenon (more commonly called psioics) can also vary from individuals, ranging from none at all to Master level abilities. Psychic abilities can manifest in virtually any way imaginable. Some psychics develop differently, such as psi-stalkers; human mutants that feed on psychic energy. Rifts begins with two future-historical premises: first,
1037-589: Is not part of a cohesive power structure or political organization, "Emperor Sabre Laser" is attempting to unite the city-states under his banner. Much of the western United States has more or less willingly reverted to a mix of modern and past technology, and the days of the Wild West , where outlaws ride hovercycles into battle, cowboys are as likely to raise dinosaurs as they are cattle, cyborgs prospect for gold and other minerals, and wild buffalo, sent to another dimension to prevent their extinction , have returned to
1098-528: Is ruled by a group of vampire kingdoms, who treat humans as little more than cattle to feed upon. North of the Rio Grande, west of Texas and roaming most of the American Southwest are large nomadic bands/tribes of bandits who collectively form the "Pecos Empire" which incorporates the cities of El Paso , Los Alamos (formerly Austin ) and "Houstown", its unofficial capital. Though the nation
1159-483: Is still bathed in the released PPE. The planet's mystical energy has added untold numbers of alien beings from other dimensions, who continue to arrive through the Rifts both accidentally and deliberately. The humanoid creatures that arrive on earth are referred to as Dimensional Beings (called D-Bees). Some are familiar fantasy races, such as elves and dwarfs, while others have never been seen before (created specifically for
1220-470: Is to control the Earth by humans and for humans, and do so by attacking anything and everyone that is foreign to Earth as it was before the cataclysm. Nevertheless, Prosek allows some of the less threatening non-humans to live alongside lesser-privileged humans in the burbs surrounding Chi-Town. Most of these poor souls think that they may eventually gain citizenship so they can live within the protective walls of
1281-597: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the powerful supernatural beings legends named War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death) are traveling across the continent, seeking to reunite and combine their powers into an ultimate destroyer of a monster; but a group of powerful adventurers is hot on their tails, including the legendary rogue scholar Erin Tarn (marked for death by the Coalition States for her writings, which criticize
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#17327874457461342-776: The Mariana Trench , a massive, evil Alien Intelligence known as the Lord of the Deep (sometimes mistakenly believed by survivors of its rampages on Rifts Earth to be the Kraken or Leviathan ) slowly grows ever larger in size and may someday try to devour every living thing on the planet. It is opposed by the Whale Singers , rebellious creations of the monster, and the descendants of the United States Navy , now called
1403-522: The Ohio Valley is home to the "Federation of Magic". Also in the Ohio Valley is "Psyscape": a city-state founded by Psychics. "Tolkeen" was a major city in the former Minneapolis region in early Rifts books; the city welcomed users of magic. A military campaign made by the Coalition States (which is the primary event of 109 PA) resulted in the magic-user kingdom being wiped off the map (this
1464-588: The Rifts world were originally developed in the Palladium game Beyond the Supernatural (first released in 1987). The Rifts world is Earth , but hundreds of years into the future. Ley lines , lines of magic energy, criss-cross the earth forming supernatural geographic areas such as the Bermuda Triangle . Points where Ley Lines intersect, called a nexus, are places of powerful magic, such as
1525-500: The Texas Panhandle , who specialize in mutating animals into talking servants considered by many players as cannon fodder but is one of their primary weapons against the supernatural as without them they would have to rely solely on human psychics; Missouri; and Iron Heart which consists of the eastern half of Ontario, Canada. The Coalition States are most often described as technologically advanced fascist human supremacists with
1586-401: The "New Navy". Other forces above and below the waves include a floating city known as Tritonia, pirates including the ruthless aliens known as the "Horune", monsters, dolphins/orca/whales, and extradimensional invaders. Further supplements to the Rifts game have expanded the setting to include: Additionally any other Palladium RPG can become the setting for a Rifts style campaign. Despite
1647-400: The "Rifts Megaverse". Rifts describes itself as an "advanced" role-playing game and not an introduction for those new to the concept. Palladium continues to publish books for the Rifts series, with about 80 books published between 1990 and 2011. Rifts Ultimate Edition was released in August 2005 and designed to update the game with Palladium's incremental changes to its system, changes in
1708-506: The Coalition States), and the 20th century's most accomplished time-displaced expert on the paranormal, Victor Lazlo (whose writings were so popular among P.A. magic-users that they named a kingdom after him), and even the disguised (and unfortunately amnesiac) Egyptian Goddess Isis . (See Rifts: World Book 4: Africa) The lost continent of Atlantis appeared after the cataclysm that caused the rifts. According to some it rose from
1769-533: The Empire. The Empire incorporates the cities of Cuzco , Nazca , Arequipa and Lima . Much of the rest of the continent is a wide collection of states ranging from democracies, corrupt oligarchies, and communist guerrillas known as Shining Path , to Mutants, Amazons , Aliens, Transdimensional Mercenaries, pre-historic creatures and dozens of others. In what was once Argentina , the "Silver River Republics" of Cordoba (the "South American Chi-Town"), Santiago (one of
1830-551: The Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge . If a Ley Line nexus energy surges or is purposely activated, the very fabric of space and time can be torn, creating a rift, or a hole in space-time leading to another place, time, or a new/parallel dimension. Ley Lines in most lower capacity "realities" have less Potential Psychic Energy or PPE to allow them to be visible, but in the magic or PPE saturated worlds like Rifts Earth, they become visible based on PPE intensity. Some are visible during
1891-636: The Tundra Rangers, patrolling the northern wilderness. The Midwest , both upper and central, is home to most of North America's population. The Manistique Imperium and Northern Gun in Michigan 's Upper Peninsula, both Coalition allies, are among the biggest weapons manufacturing areas on the continent. "New Lazlo" is one of the largest cities in Michigan's southern portion. Chillicothe in Missouri
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1952-543: The Winter Solstice, and all at midnight. The deaths of millions at this time amplifies these already high psychic energies, triggering many powerful natural disasters across the world, including the return of Atlantis. The energy release from the deaths of millions more in turn releases even more mystic energy, causing more disasters in a vicious cycle. Ultimately, the total destruction brings an unprecedented energy release of billions. Ley Line networks that crisscross
2013-406: The arcology. The second greatest power is "Free Quebec ". At one time it was a Coalition State, but constant disagreement with Chi-Town over issues like Glitter Boy production, education level of the populace, and use of mutant animals, led to secession and eventually a short civil war. A cease-fire was signed (mainly due to the CS's bigger problem with Tolkeen), but distrust has remained. Mexico
2074-403: The body to wear out faster, decreasing life span to a few years. Mechanical Borg augmentation causes a loss of humanity when those with multiple limb and organ replacements become more machine than human. Brain implants cause mental instability ranging from mild phobias to crippling neurosis or psychosis . Dangerous augmentations are often necessary dangers for humans in order to keep pace with
2135-541: The centre of the continent leaving notable landmarks like Uluru completely submerged. With the return of magic to the land, the Aborigines have enjoyed resurgence and many practice Dreamtime magic. The "civilized" world has devolved into often competing city-states , with Melbourne and Perth the most technologically advanced. In the "Northland" exist the races known as the Mokoloi and Shadow People. Deep within
2196-400: The day as evident by a slight blue shift of the surrounding environment. Otherwise at night or from space the massive bands of blue-white energy can be as large as half a mile wide in some places, and stretching for many miles. The Magic energy making up Ley lines as mentioned is Potential Psychic Energy or PPE. Found in various places, objects, and animals, one of the greatest sources of PPE
2257-483: The end very little of humanity remains and it takes centuries to get to the world depicted in Rifts where the highest tech civilizations still use Golden Age tech that they found. Chaos Earth gives players a chance to play in a world somewhat more recognizable than the world of Rifts . Monsters are only starting to appear and there the forces of humanity are still trying to hold on to the civilized world that Earth had been, as opposed to Rifts where characters live in
2318-673: The game setting). Non-humanoid creatures have also arrived, including monstrous creatures and mystical demons with hides as strong as tank armor. The most powerful (and a common theme in the Palladium Megaverse) are the Lovecraftian Alien Intelligences, living mountains of flesh with lidless eyes, wriggling tentacles, and great supernatural powers. In some rare cases, even the ancient gods of mythology have returned to reclaim their former lands. To cope with these natural, supernatural, and alien menaces,
2379-488: The game world, and additional information and character types. The web site is quick to point out that this is not a second edition but an improvement and expansion of the original role playing game. The RPG had the tentative title Boomers , named after the original name for the Glitter Boy power armor until Kevin Siembieda changed the name after finding out it was in use for Bubblegum Crisis . The foundations for
2440-608: The globe are energized as never before, causing rifts to open both on Earth and throughout the Megaverse. Untold numbers of alien beings are pulled from their own home worlds, while Great Powers of the Megaverse are alerted of a new and valuable planet to conquer. For hundreds of years after the holocaust, many creatures, both mythical beasts and alien beings, come through the Rifts ;– some of them now permanently opened – to wreak additional havoc. The old world gone,
2501-666: The grip of the Yama Kings. Japan has become a mixture of tradition and technology. The Samurai and warrior monks of the New Empire battle Oni demons and high-tech raiders from the Otomo Shogunate. Despite their ardent anti-technology sentiments, one of the New Empire's closest allies is the Republic of Japan, an alliance centered on three pre-Rifts cities ( Hiroshima , Iwakuni , and Kure ) accidentally rifted off
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2562-462: The high amounts of ambient PPE, which would not occur in the original concept of Chaos Earth while the tech would remain MD. Making the game a seriously unbalanced hack and slash on the side of tech. The way it is now: The Chaos Earth setting is the period in Rifts history where the deaths caused by a limited nuclear exchange happened at midnight, in proximity to the winter solstice, in conjunction with
2623-569: The highest levels of technology on Rifts Earth (possibly even the Megaverse). Their Inertia Beam weapons are truly one of a kind, allowing them to keep the edge over all opponents they face. Much of China has been overrun by demons. The remnants of the People's Republic of China live in the pre-Rifts subterranean city Geofront, possessing pre-rifts technology equal or exceeding any other human nation on Rifts Earth, fighting to free their nation from
2684-572: The human race has adapted in a variety of ways, many of them borrowed from the technological developments of the lost Golden Age. Powered armor suits and giant robot vehicles are frequently used to combat the dangers of Rifts , but more invasive augmentation is common. This has three basic categories: "Juicers" do it chemically, the " Borgs " do it mechanically, and "Crazies" make use of performance-enhancing brain implants. All such augmentations boost strength, speed, endurance, and dexterity to superhuman levels. However, all come at great cost. Chemicals cause
2745-438: The magical arts. Others form pacts with alien intelligences or deities in exchange for great magical knowledge, risking becoming a pawn of the beings they dared turn to for power. Still others discover that they have great natural psionic potential, and dedicate their lives to discovering the abilities of their own minds. The Ley Lines, formerly invisible, now dominate the landscape, appearing as massive lines of bluish energy half
2806-627: The main technology base is a part of the country that was "rifted" from Earth's past. The technology, regardless of the unlikelihood of the varied factions obtaining it, is in fact instrumental to the continued survival of mankind in a world where many creatures now can survive being struck by the main gun of a battle tank. The most prolific weapons on Rifts Earth, in nearly all regions, are energy weapons . The most common are lasers, ion beams, plasma cannons, and particle beams. Also popular are rail guns , and miniaturized rockets inappropriately called Mini-Missiles, as they have no guidance system. Due to
2867-403: The most tolerant Human nations on Rifts Earth), Achilles (a nation founded by Mutants), and New Babylon, a nation where Humans and a race of Aliens live side by side) have thrived and created nations whose strength rivals that of the CS. In what was once Bolivia freed Human and D-Bees slave soldiers, of the race called "Dakir", have formed the "Megaversal Legion": a mercenary company with one of
2928-420: The near-total collapse of human civilization, most of the powerful technology managed to survive the centuries. There are many reasons given for the survival or rapid development of the high technology. In The New German Republic/Triax Industries the infrastructure survived. In the case of the Coalition States it is suggested that their benefactor is a rogue artificial intelligent computer named ARCHIE 3. In Japan
2989-414: The onslaught of supernatural. This game style can be played in Palladium's Nightbane series. Sometime after its original press description in an early Rifter , the game changed from a parallel dimension to Rifts history, perhaps due to the level of interest in Rifts' past. But may also be due to the developer's realization that supernatural creatures and magic in Rifts are Mega-Damage (MD) because of
3050-490: The plains in the millions. American Natives have divided into two groups. The Traditionalists, who were also taken by the spirit people and returned to Earth along with the Bison, refuse to use most items of technology, preferring the old ways. Then there is the modern camp, who have designed many technological marvels of their own. The pockets of civilization include the "Colorado Baronies", Hope, Testament, Wilmington, and Charity,
3111-615: The planet at the exact moment of the Great Cataclysm, and sent hundreds of years into their future. The rest of the archipelago (which now has the pre-Rifts main island of Honshū divided into two islands from the risen sea levels) is dominated by smaller breakaway governments; a significant portion of the northern half of Japan is dominated by Oni and other denizens from Rifts called the Zone . Korea - both North and South - has been completely overrun by demons with nothing remaining of
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#17327874457463172-516: The pre-Rifts nations. Much of Africa has gone back to nature, making the land a wild, mysterious Dark Continent again, where only those foolhardy enough to ignore the cautionary tales would willingly go. In Egypt , the ley lines coursing through the pyramids have brought Rama-Set, an evil oriental-type Dragon who has conquered the locals and established the Phoenix Empire (with Rama-Set, in human form, leading it as Pharaoh). Meanwhile,
3233-404: The proliferation of supernatural monsters such as vampires, silver -plated melee weapons and silver-plated bullets have also risen in popularity. For more conventional opponents, vibro-blades (knives, swords, and other edged weapons whose edges vibrate very rapidly to increase cutting power) are the weapon of choice for hand-to-hand combat. Rail guns are highly advanced in Rifts , and are used in
3294-672: The sea, but more accurately it returned from an alternate dimension to which it had shifted to ages ago. Now controlled by the Splugorth, a race of Supernatural Intelligences, Atlantis is a land ruled by magic and monsters. An inter-dimensional marketplace where any number of creatures, including humans, are bought and sold as slaves, and often serve as fodder in gladiatorial arenas. Enhanced by parasites or other magic, they are then pitted against one another or bizarre, monstrous creatures. The Splugorth are evil, trans-dimensional conquerors that are reminiscent of supernatural entities described in
3355-541: The sworn enemies of the True Atlanteans who have been banished from Atlantis. The Splugorth minions are a particular threat on the coast lines of adjacent North and South America, conducting slave raids against human and D-Bee settlements to feed the insatiable hunger of the Atlantean slave markets, and in some cases, the hunger (often literal) of Atlantis' extradimensional visitors. A vast inland sea has flooded
3416-615: The western part of South America , giving it the nickname "The Land of a Thousand Islands". In Colombia , a nation of humans and Dwarves fight against a kingdom of Vampires . The gods of the Inca have returned to their ancient holdings in the Andes , and fight a battle against alien invaders known as the "Arkons". Coming together as one, the "Empire of the Sun" has created a wide range of technology and magic, including "Nazca Line Magic", exclusive to
3477-485: The works of H. P. Lovecraft . They are huge, tentacled monstrosities with a giant eye atop their massive, amorphous bodies. The Splugorth rule through the use of subject races enslaved by Bio-Wizardry, a form of mysticism that involves the use of parasites and symbiotes to enhance one's abilities. The Splugorth are also masters of Rune Magic (such as the creation of the fabled rune weapons ), an offshoot of Bio-Wizardry. They are an evil power that spans many dimensions and are
3538-480: The world around them, and those that choose augmentation accept these risks for the power they bring. Still others are required to receive augmentations either for self-defense, work, or even against their will as the minimalistic, needy, and weak are forced or coerced to serve. Some aren't aware of the dangers, and accept the augmentation blind to the side-effects. Some turn to other means to become "more" than human. As magic abounds on Rifts Earth, many people turn to
3599-599: The world begin before and after this time, such as with the invasion of Chi-Town by the Federation of Magic (before) or as the Four Horsemen appear in Africa (after), this time frame is the setting for most "World Books" that describe a kind of snapshot in this phase (103-109 P.A). In the latest World Books, the current date is around 110 P.A. (2396). By this time, most of the disasters have quieted down, though Earth
3660-1261: Was prior to magic infusion. Techno-Wizardry also encompasses the creation of more traditional magic weapons, so a Techno-Wizard can make both a flaming sword or a plasma cannon, often with many of the same components and spells. List of role-playing games by genre#Multi-genre and cross-genre Most of these games are tabletop role-playing games ; other types of games are noted as such where appropriate. 1989, 1992, 1996, 2004 1985, 1996, 2014, 2019 1982, 2002, 2004, 2008 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2019 2005 2001, 2007, 2020 2001, 2006 2000 2000, 2012 Proposed 3rd Edition by Biohazard Games 2017 1980, 1981 Onyx Path Publishing ( 20th anniversary edition) 1997 2017 2002, 2003 2004 1988, 1993, 2001, 2006, 2015 2003, 2005 1989, 1993 1999, 2006 2005 2004, 2011 1982, 1989 2007 2007 2005 1987, 2005 1977, 1988, 2005 2006, 2016 1999, 2001, 2007, 2012 2019 2006 , 2013 2002, 2006, 2012 1999, 2015 2006 1998, 2005 1984, 1992, 2009 1985, 1990 Alternity (5 th edition) d20 System (6 th –7 th edition) 1983, 1986, 1992, 2000, 2003, 2010 1990, 2019 1989 2011 1986, 1988, 2004 2009, 2011 Rifts Chaos Earth Rifts Chaos Earth
3721-543: Was released and supplemented that same year by a few sourcebooks. How it was originally intended: A parallel dimension to Rifts where the massive deaths were caused a minute after midnight when the released Potential Psychic Energy (P.P.E.) from the deaths caused by a limited nuclear exchange was not magnified. Everything that happened in Rifts happened on a smaller scale in Chaos Earth . Most of humanity survives with their technology and power base but have to fend off
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