Techno-Mage in the Rifts setting is a dude that imbues an item with magic, melding tech and magic. I'm looking for ideas on how a player could do this. Here are my ideas, but I'm looking for more!

• Imbue a weapon to fire lighting. Cast the spell as normal, but never recover the strain used on the spell until the mage re-absorbs the magic. While enchanted, the weapon can fire using appropriate skill (ranged prolly) and the weapon gains the effects put in it (say, burn for fire, or stun for lightning, whatever).
  • Concern is that items will be made and passed around the group - I feel it should be tech-mage only ya know?
• Imbue an item with a costly (money and energy) ritual and the item is permanently enchanted. Basically just like the magic items in the Fantasy setting...they simply 'are'...but at a greater cost.
  • Concern is the money sink balance.

Finally, I'm not sure how to allow them to be supercharged near laylines or nexus points....the flyer, I will just increase it's handling - think weapons could just add +1 or +2 damage? etc?

Thanks

Imbuing items is discussed in the augment spell. The base adds a single boost die to the use of it, but if you want to upgrade the spell to add different qualities, I'd use the attack list as a base.

With it being the augment spell, in order to keep it going you have to use the concentration manoeuvre (which has been confirmed to be one manoeuvre per spell) to keep it going. That would alleviate your concern about spamming this spell over and over. But don't forget the additional targets option, so you can cast fire shot on two or more guns and one concentration manoeuvre will keep it going on all affected weapons.

Techno-Wizards essentially put spells into items and let those items "cast" the spell for you. However, that comes at a high material cost (the gems alone are expensive, plus expensive metals, etc.). To replicate this in Genesys, I'd simply create a "spell" that an item could have stored in it. Then allow any mage that can cast that kind of spell (really, should be all Arcane skill based) and allow them to do it, maybe without the Strain Cost. There is a bit of "translation" to make Rifts work in Genesys. An easier way to do it would be Techno-Wizards create Magical Impliments to cast their spells.

Never really was a big TW fan. They are mages themselves. Magical Impliments are the Genesys equivalent, essentially. P.P.E. would be Strain. Bigger issue is Genesys open spells vs. Rifts Traditional Spells.

Thanks c_beck and ApocalypseZero. c_beck, I read all of that, but wasn't what I was going for. ApocalypseZero, that gives me an idea. Though it doesn't have a ruleset for crafting that item, it would allow them to exist, and I can come up with something for crafting if that was the desire (as opposed to just enchanting)....

Anyhow, the open spells I like, and simply replaced the static spells of Rifts. Most of the conversion has been basic and simple. Didn't want to go overboard. I just needed something for TW's just in case - they being the last on my list.

as for your Leylines and nexus points they could grant boost dice to the spell as the stronger the line is more boost dice it gives, just like in Star Wars is a book on Strong force areas and what they grant, they could grant other stuff if you want Nexus of power is a good book for that stuff as it reminded me of leylines and nexus points for Rifts...

FFG’s own GenCon pre gen characters, set in their fantasy setting Terrinoth, had a magic skill listed as Runic (Intellect). Unfortunately none of the characters used it so all we know is that the developers are messing around with this kind of thing.

There is a fairly simple way I can see this system working. I would probably have 5 Runic Spells: Melee, Ranged, Armour, Magic and Utility (Melee and Ranged could be combined, names could be better!). Each would have a base effect such as increased damage or Soak with an amount of time until it fades.

Uogrades come in the form of additional tunes to apply, each granting interesting improvements such as Blast, Disorient, Vicious etc with at least one way to increase how long it lasts.

17 hours ago, Forgive said:

Thanks c_beck and ApocalypseZero. c_beck, I read all of that, but wasn't what I was going for. ApocalypseZero, that gives me an idea. Though it doesn't have a ruleset for crafting that item, it would allow them to exist, and I can come up with something for crafting if that was the desire (as opposed to just enchanting)....

Anyhow, the open spells I like, and simply replaced the static spells of Rifts. Most of the conversion has been basic and simple. Didn't want to go overboard. I just needed something for TW's just in case - they being the last on my list.

Techno-Wizard items are really just enchanted items for that setting. (Although, they really have a lot of magical enchantment types...) With Genesys, we have what we have. Implements the closest this game gets to TW items. And even then, we can talk Original TW Items or Stormspire/PPE Clip TW Items that came later. In fact, the more I think about it, Implements are TW Items. A TW Items has a specific spell loaded into it. Implements enhance Spells with specific Qualities. So, a TW Lightning Rod would just grant Ranged and Lightning Damage Effects, with no increase spell difficulty. We just lack any rules on creating Implements. Only real issue would be balance. Rifts is not a balanced game, and never intended to be. Genesys is a balanced game. By using Implements, you can really create the "Gadget riddled Mage" that a Techno-Wizard would be.

I've been thinking about Rifts/Palladium conversions to Genesys. Wouldn't be hard. Genesys has the tools to create the setting. The big thing would be balance. A Juicer would easily be a 300 xp starting character, while others would be 100 or 150. Being a "everything" setting, would use every Theme and Tone rules as well.

5 minutes ago, ApocalypseZero said:

Genesys. Wouldn't be hard. Genesys has the tools to create the setting. The big thing would be balance. A Juicer would easily be a 300 xp starting character, while others would be 100 or 150. Being a "everything" setting, would use every Theme and Tone rules as well.

I haven't recreated the Juicer yet, but did make the M.O.M. implant. Made it a cybernetic that grants +1 brawn, agility, regeneration (+1 per day of rest), and treats Psychic (sensitive) as a class skill. They also gain an average trauma that cannot be gotten rid of. This seems to work, though costly, because of the limitation of +1 per ability for cybernetics. I would do something similar with the Juicer.

I like your idea on the implements though. Will begin a write up. Will just have to balance cost I think.

Just a word to the wise: be care when talking conversions with anything Palladium. Jeff (their Head Forum Admin/unofficial IT guy) likes to search and seek out this kind of stuff and then try to shut it down.

Oh I'm not public with it. Just for my and my groups enjoyment. I appreciate the warning though

17 hours ago, gilbur said:

as for your Leylines and nexus points they could grant boost dice to the spell as the stronger the line is more boost dice it gives, just like in Star Wars is a book on Strong force areas and what they grant, they could grant other stuff if you want Nexus of power is a good book for that stuff as it reminded me of leylines and nexus points for Rifts...

Since ley lines and nexus points can increase the effectiveness of spells, I might go a different route; have them reduce the difficulty of spells by 1 on Ley Lines and 2 on Nexus Points. That way bigger spells can be cast more easily.

As far as other OCCs go, I'd take a page from Savage Rifts and the Superhero Tone and start characters with bonus XP that can be spent at character creation. Some characters may spend it on stats for Juicers, Crazies, and spellcasters. Others might spend it on Talents and Skills to represent power armor and robot pilots, scholars, scouts, and city rats.

1 hour ago, DarthGM said:

Since ley lines and nexus points can increase the effectiveness of spells, I might go a different route; have them reduce the difficulty of spells by 1 on Ley Lines and 2 on Nexus Points. That way bigger spells can be cast more easily.

As far as other OCCs go, I'd take a page from Savage Rifts and the Superhero Tone and start characters with bonus XP that can be spent at character creation. Some characters may spend it on stats for Juicers, Crazies, and spellcasters. Others might spend it on Talents and Skills to represent power armor and robot pilots, scholars, scouts, and city rats.

Now if you grant bonus xp to classes i would do a comparison on the different classes just in case someone makes a petty thief and that they will not be killed quickly in the first combat. Players will be turned off quickly to your game.

If you do this conversion i would not mind seeing this conversion myself was a big rifts player/gm myself, rest of group keeps on thinking I keep on writing a conversion for rifts so i could print it out when you get done...

27 minutes ago, gilbur said:

Now if you grant bonus xp to classes i would do a comparison on the different classes just in case someone makes a petty thief and that they will not be killed quickly in the first combat. Players will be turned off quickly to your game.

You say you play Rifts, but this imbalance IS Rifts. (Edit: Not me picking on you. )

Kevin himself has stated multiple times that each character at the table can and will have a wildly varying degree of power. May explain why many get turned off to Rifts. It's why Savage Rifts really messes it up. They balanced things that should not be. A Juicer is going to be like 300 XP over the Thief starting. It's my biggest issue with doing Rifts Genesys. Rules are there for Mechanics, but not going to go well for Characters.

41 minutes ago, gilbur said:

Now if you grant bonus xp to classes i would do a comparison on the different classes just in case someone makes a petty thief and that they will not be killed quickly in the first combat. Players will be turned off quickly to your game.

To which I must agree with my esteemed colleague from the apocalypse

15 minutes ago, ApocalypseZero said:

You say you play Rifts, but this imbalance IS Rifts. (Edit: Not me picking on you. )

Kevin himself has stated multiple times that each character at the table can and will have a wildly varying degree of power. May explain why many get turned off to Rifts. It's why Savage Rifts really messes it up. They balanced things that should not be. A Juicer is going to be like 300 XP over the Thief starting. It's my biggest issue with doing Rifts Genesys. Rules are there for Mechanics, but not going to go well for Characters.

If I do this, I am not going to try and make the classes balanced. I'm simply going to try and do my best to make the characters feel like their Rifts counterparts. It's up to the players and the GM of the campaign to make the story fit so that anyone who is playing a more "mundane character" has things to do and ways to survive in the story.

For topic, I made TK items into implements. Looks good so far.

To the rest: Rifts is a setting in my mind - not a mechanic. I know there are imbalances, but that's up to the GM to create and facilitate, or remove. Much like DarthGM stated.

That's a given for Rifts. Requires a lot of GM/Player expectations to be hashed out. Otherwise you got that one player that tend to do most of the work. The problem is getting the characters started. While I keep making the comment "Juicers should be 300 XP Starting", I am sure that can be increased or decreased and still feel like a Juicer. Would naturally have Superhero Tone applied to Brawn and Agility.

Like I said in the Battletech thread, it's going to be about what Genesys has that Rifts can fit and then creating the parts of Rifts that Genesys is missing. If you try to create Rifts in Genesys, it won't work well.

I agree Apocalypse. Maintaining the imbalance and power curve would be impossible, which I'm in favor of. Take the Juicer for instance - would be just an upgrade in the same category of the cybernetics. It would grant the +1 brawn and agility and whatever else, but would not stack with other cybernetics. Likewise, I removed the MDC from the general population and most weapons (I'm running around 12 p.a. anyway during the bloody campaign of Joseph Prosek I). However, the setting and atmosphere are still there. Basically, the names are in place, the post apocalypse, the rifts and ideas - but it isn't Rifts (because MDC (planetary damage) is more rare, character balance, etc.)

Mega Damage could easily be done with Breach Quality. (I haven't looked to see if that is in Genesys, or just Star Wars). That allows Armor to be MDC. Leaving SDC/HP to be Soak/Wounds pretty nicely.

I forgot to add. With Ley Lines and Nexus, I could see an upgrade to Spells for Ley Lines, maybe removing Strain cost or able to heal Strain while near them. But allowing spell upgrades without difficulty increases would be viable.

Hmm....Boom Gun, Slow Firing or Prepare?

Boom gun I did Prepare 1. Thought about Prepare 2 though.

Also I made the Glitterboy a vehicle (like a walker) due to its speed and obvious abilities.

3 hours ago, ApocalypseZero said:

You say you play Rifts, but this imbalance IS Rifts. (Edit: Not me picking on you. )

Kevin himself has stated multiple times that each character at the table can and will have a wildly varying degree of power. May explain why many get turned off to Rifts. It's why Savage Rifts really messes it up. They balanced things that should not be. A Juicer is going to be like 300 XP over the Thief starting. It's my biggest issue with doing Rifts Genesys. Rules are there for Mechanics, but not going to go well for Characters.

First off you can pick in me all you want, i myself have stopped trying to convert rifts over as i am involved with two different conversions already and was stating what someone else was thinking about doing not me, i would look them over and see what others have done to their conversion and yes just like everyone else i have played but mostly ran rifts for 13 years before i saw the light just like everyone else has done.

Something I didn't see mentioned so far is the weakness of the techno-wizard. Something I know players (and GMs) often ignore or overlook is that techno-wizards need their items in order to cast their spells at full strength. A techno-wizard trying to cast a spell like any other magic user only casts at half power.

Something to consider as far as "making things and passing them out" is that without psychic energy batteries, the devices have to be powered by the users. So you could always run with the idea that anyone using a TW-item would have to pay the same amount of strain that a TW would, unless their provided with a battery to supplement. Even then, you could rule that a battery may still require at least one strain to activate.

On 12/20/2017 at 2:49 PM, Forgive said:

Boom gun I did Prepare 1. Thought about Prepare 2 though.

Also I made the Glitterboy a vehicle (like a walker) due to its speed and obvious abilities.

What Armor did you give it? And HT, SS... I'm curious about it. I'm working on a conversation for Genesys too.

I really want to see what you guys have! Cause i want to play the Rifts Setting without having to use those terrible clunky Mechanics.

Im curious how you guys would do true atlantians and Tattoo Magic?

So now that I have seen the Crucible I think Aember Crafting fits Technomage stuff pretty well. I think it would work for tattoos as well.