Rifts World Book 8: Japan

Rifts World Books #8

by Kevin Siembieda, Pat Nowak, Carlos J. Martijena-Carella

Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in August 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. Rifts takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, mythology and many other genres. Four pre-Rifts cities suddenly materialize from a pocket dimension. For them, three days have passed since the Great Cataclysm began, for the rest of humankind it has been 300 years! Pre-Rifts Glitter Boys, people, and technology clash with anti-technology traditionalists, magic, and Oni demons! Traditional O.C.C.s like the Samurai, Mystic Ninja, Yamabushi Priest and Warrior Monks, blend with high-tech marvels like the Dragon-Borg, Ninja Juicer, and Cyberoid.

Genres: Role Playing Games, Gaming, Games, Science Fiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

Kevin Siembieda (born April 2, 1956) is an American artist, writer, designer, and publisher of role-playing games, as well as being the founder and president of Palladium Books.

Palladium Books, founded in southeast Michigan, claims to be the first to implement a role-playing system intended to work for all genres and to introduce the perfect-bound trade paperback format to the RPG industry.

Some of the role-playing games Siembieda helped produce include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness (1985), Robotech RPG (1986), After The Bomb (1986), and Rifts (1990).

Siembieda is also an artist, best known for occasionally illustrating Palladium Books' products. In 1978, he started the now-defunct Megaton Publications in Detroit, publishing a digest style title called A+ Plus and several other titles. He also contributed art and cartography to several early Judges Guild products (for both their Traveller and Dungeons & Dragons lines).

Reviews

[Benjamin Uke · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the magic-apocalypse happened, most of Russia, Mongolia, China India, and Asia are vast wildernesses dominated by monsters. 1% of the entire population of Japan survived
the Great Cataclysm. Except for a few locations in the mountains, the islands
of Japan were little more than barren rocks. No cities, no villages, no farms, no shelter, no boats, nor communication with the outside world only a few thousand people and a few battered mountain forests was all that remained, having to relearn technology from scratch and returning to worshipping Shinto and embracing a cast system (it's a rather retro-cliche to be honest).

Interestingly while most human states are technophilic, especially the Coalition in north America and reject magic and persecute magic users, Japan is a pre-Rifts technological society without much experience with magic, but their friendly contact with the New Empire mostly headed off anti-magic sentiment, and a resurgent interest in Shinto spiritualism is leading the Republic toward a techno-magical society with giant tree villages.

Standard palladium rpg idea, a setting that lets someone blend traditional japan with cyberpunk and add monsters of various varieties. Also, do you want Dragons with Frickin' Laser Beams?
Then this is the lore for you.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the Palladium role-playing system is not the one I use in my games the source books are fantastic. Tons of great ideas and characters are scattered throughout the books. Very recommended for any gamer.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too familiar with the RIFTS series, just beginning to get into it. Good book for those interested in the Japan element.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ninjas and samurai are definitely fun. The Demon Queller might actually help me work up a better profile for Veldane.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book about japan in rifts earth!