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Rifts World Books #1
Rifts World Book 1: Vampire Kingdoms
May have marks
176 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1991
5 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Siembieda
205 books52 followersKevin 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).
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).
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 13, 2024
Rifts it's an amalgam of so many genres that it is practically a genre unto its own. The world ended and magic returned, and the undead took over central america.
These are slightly different kinds of Vampire, they have a hive intelligence is an interdimensional being; destroy the master vampire (like a modem) and you break the hive's ties to this dimension, the resulting psychic shock killing 80% of its minions, under it are the more 'conventional' vampires possessing more and more free will the more diluted the original infection has become.
Other than that, they have all the bela-lugosi benefits: turning into bats, fog, don't age etc.
But, they are vulnerable to herbs, crosses and stakes.
Mexico is legitimately ruled by multiple intelligences fighting amongst each-other, having a convenient and willing larder, and in return the humans live in one of the safest homes on Rifts Earth. It's mentioned that many smaller villages function similarly on a smaller scale, with a vampire or small group of them serving as the local lord and protector in exchange for blood. No worse than any human dictator.
Juarez is taken over by multiple infighting supernatural gangs, cowboy vampire hunters, and mysterious traveling shows. This includes the Night Arcade and Freak Show is a traveling carnival run by vampires, several of whom are performers: vampires clowns and cowboys O my.
Further south is the Yucatan, hidden jaguar people living in abandoned mayan ruins, and demonic aztec cities hidden in the jungle.
These are slightly different kinds of Vampire, they have a hive intelligence is an interdimensional being; destroy the master vampire (like a modem) and you break the hive's ties to this dimension, the resulting psychic shock killing 80% of its minions, under it are the more 'conventional' vampires possessing more and more free will the more diluted the original infection has become.
Other than that, they have all the bela-lugosi benefits: turning into bats, fog, don't age etc.
But, they are vulnerable to herbs, crosses and stakes.
Mexico is legitimately ruled by multiple intelligences fighting amongst each-other, having a convenient and willing larder, and in return the humans live in one of the safest homes on Rifts Earth. It's mentioned that many smaller villages function similarly on a smaller scale, with a vampire or small group of them serving as the local lord and protector in exchange for blood. No worse than any human dictator.
Juarez is taken over by multiple infighting supernatural gangs, cowboy vampire hunters, and mysterious traveling shows. This includes the Night Arcade and Freak Show is a traveling carnival run by vampires, several of whom are performers: vampires clowns and cowboys O my.
Further south is the Yucatan, hidden jaguar people living in abandoned mayan ruins, and demonic aztec cities hidden in the jungle.
February 13, 2016
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.
November 2, 2015
One of the better Rifts: World Books (the best of these, in my opinion is the World Book on Atlantis) with a lot of good background on Vampires (I really liked the concept of the Vampire Intelligences), traveling circuses, and describing the Central America part of the globe in the Rifts setting. Like other Rifts books, there is a little too much of everything (being a game system where everything from anywhere can be included), but hey where else would fighting Vampires with toy water guns and rail guns that shoot silver and wooden ammunition be a legitimate option.
March 27, 2010
The mysterious powers of the vampire. I enjoyed this book very much when it came out and still a delightful read now.
May 1, 2015
good rpg book!
November 10, 2015
Impressive really liked the art work, glad to see vampires return to the thing of nightmares.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews