Riftsaga RPG

A pulp fiction fantasy game set in the Jazz Age of another world
Core Rule Document, part 2

Table of Contents
I. Talents
II. Gear
III. Combat
IV. Experience Points
V. The World of Riftsaga
VI. Appendix and References

I. Talents

Whether one realizes it or not, some can be said to possess inborn talents, or otherwise
develop them over time. This chapter deals with the necessary talents of a player
character and even an NPC.

Talents, like one’s Vitals, are categorized. The four categories are as follows: Biological
Talents, Mental Talents, Skill Talents, and Miscellaneous Talents. Below will be
information on each predefined Talent. In parenthesis, next to the name of each Talent,
will be the Vital that it uses.

As mentioned earlier, when rolling for successes with each Talent, one rolls dice equal to
both the number of ranks in a talent as well as the mentioned Vital associated with it; if
more than one Vital is mentioned, one rolls a number of dice equal to the ranks of
whichever Vital has more ranks (i.e. if one was using Athleticism and had 3 ranks in
Endurance, that person would use Endurance if, for instance, the person also had only 2
ranks in Might).

CLs not provided usually mean the action cannot be done by a normal humanoid. Any
abilities that require tools will have mention of the tools needed to do so.
-------
-BIOLOGICAL TALENTS-

Athleticism (Might or Endurance)

Athleticism allows one to perform feats of physical strength or endurance. Examples of
uses include lifting objects, breaking down doors, climbing, and swimming. Below are
examples of Challenge Levels for various challenges involving each mentioned uses of
Athleticism.

*Lifting CLs*
• Lifting an object of up to 50 pounds: 1
• Lifting an object between 51 and 100 pounds: 2
• Lifting an object between 101 and 150 lbs: 3
• Lifting an object between 151 and 200 lbs: 4
 • Lifting an object between 201 and 250 lbs: 5

*Breaking down Doors CLs*

• Breaking a rotted wooden door: 1
• Breaking a weak wooden door: 2
• Breaking a quality wooden door: 3
• Breaking a reinforced wooden door: 5 (or 4 with a sledgehammer)
• Breaking a thin steel door: 6 with a sledgehammer
• Breaking a thick steel door: 8 with a sledgehammer

*Climbing CLs*
• Climbing up a slope that cannot be walked up, or climbing using a knotted rope
against a wall: 1
• Climbing up a rope against a wall, a knotted rope, a surface with ledges or
notches for holding onto to standing on; climbing using pitons or up a chain link
fence: 2
• Climbing up a rope; pulling oneself up from a ledge: 3
• Climbing up an uneven surface with narrow hand-or-footholds: 4
• Climbing up a rough surface, such as a brick wall: 5
• ‘Climbing’ across an overhang or ceiling with just handholds: 6
(Note 1: being able to brace oneself against two opposite walls reduces the CL by 2 levels
to a minimum of 1)
(Note 2: climbing a corner where you can brace between two perpendicular walls reduces
the CL by 1 level to a minimum of 1 CL)
(Note 3: if the surface is slippery, the CL is increased by 1 level)
(Note 4: flat, vertical surfaces cannot be climbed)

*Swimming CLs*
• Swimming in calm waters: 2
• Swimming in rough waters: 3
• Swimming in stormy water: 4
(Note: a GM may or may not tack on extra CL based on how much is weighing a
swimming character down while they are swimming)

Unarmed (Might)
Allows one to fight without the use of weapons or while using weapons such as Brass
Knuckles. Any attacks made using Unarmed are defended against by the target’s
Toughness.

Melee (Might)
Allows one to fight with the use of hand-to-hand, non-projectile weapons such as
knives, baseball bats or even swords. Any attacks made using Melee are defended
against by the target’s Reflexes.

Acrobatics (Endurance)
 Allows one to perform daredevil feats of skill, coordination and agility, not unlike
that of an acrobat. Examples of use include balancing, jumping across distances, or
jumping up vertically. Below are examples of Challenge Levels for each of the
mentioned uses of Acrobatics.

*Balancing While Moving Across a Surface CLs*

• Across a distance greater than three feet wide: No challenge
• Across a distance 1-3 feet wide: 1
• Across a distance 7-11 inches wide: 2
• Across a distance 2-6 inches wide: 3
• Across a distance less than two inches wide: 4
(Note 1: Moving across a slippery surface, across unsteady surfaces, across
obscured surfaces such as ones covered in gravel or stones, or up a slope adds a 1
to the CL; both are counted as separate CL increases)
(Note 2: Moving across a very unsteady surface, such as a surface caught in an
earthquake, adds a 2 to the CL)

*Jumping Across a Distance CLs*

• Across less than five feet: No challenge
• Across five to nine feet: 1
• Across ten to fourteen feet: 2
• Across fifteen to nineteen feet: 3
• Across twenty to twenty-four feet: 4
(Note: Across distances longer than twenty-four feet, add a CL of one to the
preexisting CL of 4 for every five feet past 20 feet)

*Vertical Jumping CLs*

• Jumping up one foot in height: 2
• Jumping up two feet in height: 3
• Jumping up three feet in height: 4
• Jumping up four feet in height: 5

Toughness (Endurance)
Allows one to try and nullify the effect of an attack that goes against one’s physical
strength, such as an unarmed strike or the use of a Psion’s Perturbo-agon power. If more
successes are attained in an opposed roll against such attacks, the effect of the attack is
either nullified or only has a partial effect, depending on the attack used.

-MENTAL TALENTS-

Notice (Wits)
Allows one to notice objects that are hiding or are otherwise not in plain sight, as well as
detect things that are faintly perceivable using the five senses. Examples of use include
opposition to an opponent’s Stealth roll in order to locate hiding creatures, or to
otherwise detect things that are not easily detected. Below will be example CLs of using
the latter function of this talent.

*Detection CLs*
• Smelling smoke, hearing conversation details, or notice a visible being: No
challenge
• Hear a creature approaching: 1
• Eavesdrop on whispered conversation, or find a fairly concealed door: 2
• Hear the sound of a key being turned in a lock, or finding an average concealed
door: 3
• Hear a weapon being drawn: 4
• Realize someone is pick-pocketing you while they are doing so: Opposed by
Thievery
• Detect a hiding creature: Opposed by Stealth
• Find a hidden trap: Determined by the type of trap
(Note 1: For using Notice at more than 10 feet away, add on a 1 to the CL of the
above CLs for every extra ten feet)
(Note 2: For using Notice regarding the above occurring behind closed doors, add a 1
to the CL)
(Note 3: For using Notice regarding the above occurring on the other side of a wall,
such as in another room, add a 2 to the CL for every foot of wall thickness)
(Note 4: For unfavorable conditions, such as trying to detect things through sight
while in candlelight, add 1 or 2 to the CL depending on the severity of the
unfavorable condition)

Smooth-Talk (Wits or Charisma)

Allows one to apply diplomacy (affecting the disposition of a creature), to blatantly
lie to a target or otherwise to smooth-talk an NPC character who can understand what
is being suggested. The chance of succeeding at diplomacy or smooth-talking
depends on two factors: The attitude of the NPC toward whoever is speaking to it,
and what kind of suggestion is being made. Below are example CLs of each of the
uses of Smooth-Talk.

*Diplomacy and Smooth-Talking CLs Based on Disposition*

• The creature has animosity or hostility toward the speaker: 5
• The creature is unfriendly toward the speaker: 4
• The creature is indifferent toward the speaker: 3
• The creature is friendly toward the creature: 2
• The creature wishes to be helpful to the creature: 1

*Diplomacy and Smooth-Talking CL Modifiers Based on Request*

• Requesting simple advice or directions: -1 to CL
• Requesting detailed advice: Does not affect CL
• Requesting the disclosure of an unimportant secret, or requesting lengthy or
complicated advice: +1 to CL
 • Requesting aid that would endanger the NPC, or the disclosure of an important
secret: +2 to CL
• Requesting aid that would result in the punishment of the NPC: +3 to CL
• Requesting more than one thing at once: +1 per additional request

Intimidation (IQ/Charisma)
Allows one to frighten a target or to manipulate their actions using verbal or physical
threats. Intimidation attempts are opposed to a target’s Willpower save; upon the targets’
failures, the one performing the intimidation may provide information that is requested,
take an action that would not endanger it under the circumstances of the threat, or
otherwise provide reluctant aid. A success will influence an NPC for up to 10 minutes x
the number of successes. When the Intimidation duration expires, or upon failure, the
target will become ‘unfriendly’ with the intimidating character, as the disposition in
regards to the Smooth-Talk talent, and might either report you to local authorities or
attempt to seek revenge. If your character fails by 3 or more successes, a GM may choose
to instead have the NPC feign being intimidated and may use this to try and deceive or
hinder your character (obviously, if this is done, it’s most helpful for a GM to be rolling
his or her successes in secret).

One may also use Intimidation to ‘frighten’ targets as the condition. Once more, success
or failure depends on an opposed Willpower save of whatever creatures are being
targeted by this use. One may target multiple creatures with this effect, but only if the
targeted creatures can see and hear and understand your attempt. Success will ‘frighten’
affected creatures for one round per success.

Regardless of use, failure to use Intimidation successfully grants the target a +1 per failed
attempt to its Willpower save against further Intimidation attempts from the failing
character for 12 hours, to a maximum of +3; if the target’s effective Willpower against
intimidation from the character would treat the target as having a Willpower of 5 ranks,
that target cannot gain any more Willpower ranks toward the intimidator (i.e. if a
character already has a Willpower of 4 ranks normally, he or she can only gain up to a +1
against an intimidator).

Know-How (IQ)
Allows one to recall information that had been learned or is otherwise common
knowledge. Based on the number of ranks, one may have one of field of expertise per
rank of Know-How attained. Failure to meet a CL means one cannot answer a
question regarding a particular field of study correctly, and must spend some time in-
game trying to probe their mind or research for an answer before they can try again
(usually one hour of mind-probing or up to one hour of research depending on the
CL). Failure by 3 or more means that the character instead

Typical examples include the following fields of expertise: Engineering (i.e. info on
buildings and structures), Geography (i.e. info on lands and climates), History,
Streetwise (i.e info on urban legends and specific people), Nature (i.e. info on flora
and fauna), Politics (i.e. info on politicians and political parties), and Religion (i.e.
info on religious stories and religious tenets). When each is chosen for each rank, the
expertise attained cannot be changed.

Below are CLs for the degrees of how commonplace or complex a presented question
is, based on the GM’s discretion and the circumstances presented.

*Information Recalling CLs and Modifiers*

• If the question presented is within one’s chosen expertise: -1 to CL
• If the question is difficult to provide an exact answer to: +1 to CL
• If the question provided is a trick question: See “Trick Question Modifiers
Based on IQ”
• An easy question: 2
• A basic question: 3
• A tricky question: 4
• A rather hard question: 5
• A question that few know an answer to: 6

*Trick Question Modifiers Based on IQ*

• If the Know-How user’s IQ is 1 or 2: +1 to CL
• If the Know-How user’s IQ is 3 or 4: Does not affect CL
• If the Know-How user’s IQ is 5: -1 to CL
(Note: If a character makes a successful Sense Motive check, the CL being the same
as the presented question, they will deliberately realize that they are being asked a
trick question)

Paranormal (IQ)
Allows one to possess legitimate knowledge of the supernatural. Much like Know-
How, one may possess specific fields of expertise based on the type of paranormal
information realized. For each rank in Paranormal, a character gains a field of
expertise that, once chosen, cannot be changed out for a different field. Treat
successes and failures in Paranormal the same way as successes and failures in
Know-How.

Typical fields of expertise for Paranormal include the following: Mysteries,

Psychokinesis (i.e. types of powers and how to evoke it), Truth (i.e. what is true or
false of ancient legends and popular culture’s depictions of creatures), Monsters (i.e.
information on non-spirit or non-demon monsters), Spirits (i.e. information on spirit
and demon monsters), Powers (i.e. information on non-psychokinetic forces such as
miracles and necromancy), and Planes (i.e. legitimate information on afterlives and
the Rift).

CLs for questions or to realize bits of information are the same as those for
Knowledge. In addition, below are CLs when trying to use Paranormal fields of
expertise to try and analyze a beheld monster.

*Monster Analysis CLs*

 • Estimate of maximum HP, or a monster’s resistances and weaknesses: 1 + the
monster’s rarity
• Information on ‘common abilities’: 2 + the monster’s rarity
• Information on ‘esoteric abilities’: 3 + the monster’s rarity
(Note: As with bits of information, a failure on the above checks by 3 or more
will instead provide incorrect information)

Willpower (Wits)
Allows one to try and brace one’s mind, neurological anatomy, or psyche against
attacks that affect it directly, such as a Psion’s Perturbo-alieno or a Seeker’s Aura
Wave. If more successes are attained in an opposed roll against such attacks, the
effect of the attack is either nullified or only has a partial effect, depending on the
attack used.

Sense Motive (IQ/Wits)

Allows one to detect a lie being told through the use of Deception. Upon a successful
opposed roll, a character realizes that they are being lied to. Upon failure, a character
believes the lie.

-SKILL TALENTS-

Firearms (Agility)
Allows one to fight with ballistics-utilizing weapons such as guns or even ballistic
knives. Any attacks made using Firearms are defended against by the target’s
Reflexes.

Medicine (Agility)
Allows one to treat injuries and sicknesses through non-psychokinetic means by using a
Medical Kit. Example uses include providing first aid to ‘stabilize’ a dying character,
increasing the natural recovery rate of a character, or purging a character of poison or
paranormal disease. In order to remove a character’s paranormal diseases, however, one
must be able to identify it using the Paranormal talent. Below are example CLs of each
usage of Medicine.

*Medicine CLs*
• Stabilize a dying creature: 3
• Increase a character’s recovery rate, or heal a single damaged limb: 2
• Treat poisoning: 2
• Treat paranormal disease: 3
(Note: Depending on the contents of the Medical Kit used, CLs might become more
difficult or impossible to meet with the remaining supplies. For more information,
read up on the Medical Kit in the Gear chapter)

Deception (Charisma)
Allows one to deceive a character through the use of a lie. The chance of a successful
lie depends on how believable or outrageous the bluff is, and is opposed to a target’s
 Sense Motive roll. Below are the CLs and Modifiers associated with the use of
Deception.

*Lying CL Modifiers*
• Telling a lie when the recipient wants to believe you (“Why would I lie to you?
You’ve known me for years now. My mother really does the extra silver for her
medical expenses”): -1 to CL
• Telling a believable lie (“Of course this is my own wallet! Did you see that
bouncer? He’d rip me to shreds if tried to take his money…”): Does not affect CL
• Telling an unlikely lie (“Hey, bub, you’d best lay off my friends. What’ve you
got? Those sissy brass knux? I’ve got a knife in my pocket. A serrated one that’ll
tear through you like tissue paper”): +1 to CL
• Telling a rather far-fetched lie (“Why on the planet would I steal from the mayor?
That’ll get me a few years in the slammer. You’d have to be psychotic to think I’d
take that risk! I’ve got a family and everything!”): +2 to CL
• Telling an outrageous lie (“Officers? I didn’t assault this man. You should’ve
seen it. My long-lost twin brother did this, not me. That son of a bitch is always
out to frame me, that heartless fucker…”): +5 to CL
• Telling a lie to someone who is drunk or otherwise mentally impaired (“Ey, if it
isn’t Rum-Guzzlin’ Ricky! I can see you’re hammered. Don’t ya know
Prohibition is still around, boy? How’s this for ya – if you don’t fork over that
protection money, I’m gonna let the cops in on your favorite speakeasy!”): -1 to
CL
• Telling a lie while possessing something that serves as convincing evidence
(“You see? My watch DID stop! It’s been like this for hours now. See? It’s Noon,
and this blasted thing stopped a little before 10 o’clock, right when you said I
needed to arrive. I apologize, though – this damn book has SUCH an addicting
storyline…”): -1 or -2 to CL, depending on the GM’s discretion given the
circumstances

(Note: Upon failure of using Deception to lie, further attempts at lying or even telling an
unlikely truth to the NPC will tack on a +1 to the CL for every realized lie within a short
period of time. Depending on the circumstances, it may very well be impossible to try
and lie or tell an unlikely truth to the same NPC – or others who find out about your lies
told – for some time afterward)

Stealth (Agility)
Allows one to stay out of plain sight or from being sensed, either by moving silently
or by hiding. If a character is clearly observing you using any of their five senses, you
cannot use Stealth. In addition, a character using Stealth can either snipe with a
ranged weapon or create a diversion to aid in their hiding. Either way, any Stealth
uses are subject to an opposed Notice roll by any who might detect a character who is
trying to use Stealth.

If a character is successfully hiding using Stealth, they can snipe, which allows them
to add two dice rolls to the use of a ranged weapon (usually a gun). In addition, one
may use their Deception talent to try and create a diversion that will allow them to go
into hiding using Stealth. A successful opposed roll against the targets’ Sense Motive
enables a character to immediately make a Stealth check when they would normally
be in plain sight, without being detected. Failure means the character does not fall for
the bluff, being subjected to the temporary bonus against Deception uses by the
character as normal.

Driving (Agility)
Allows one to successfully drive a land or water vehicle of some sort in times where a
failure to do so can endanger those within the automobile. As airplanes, at the point
of the world of Riftsaga that this game is set in, were not available to the public, one
cannot fly a plane in-game. This may or may not be subject to change in any possible
later expansions to the Riftsaga RPG, however.

Either way, success typically means one is able to avert disaster, but because a failure
typically means one cannot avoid a disaster in time, each use of Driving is a one-shot
attempt. Below are the CLs to perform various feats of manual dexterity while driving
a vehicle.

*Vehicle-Driving Maneuver CLs*

• Performing easy maneuvers (i.e. a low-speed turn): 1
• Performing average-difficulty maneuvers (i.e. dodging obstacles or
performing a sudden reverse): 2
• Performing a difficult maneuver (i.e. tight turns): 3
• Performing a challenging maneuver (i.e. a ‘bootlegger’ reverse): 4
• Performing a formidable maneuver (i.e. high-speed maneuvers or jumping
obstacles): 5
(Note: At a GM’s discretion, he or she may specialize the use of Driving for either
operating land or water vehicles)

Reflexes (Agility)
Allows one to either avoid or brace against high-speed attacks, such as the bullet
out of a gun or the use of a Psion’s Mico power. If more successes are attained in
an opposed roll against such attacks, the effect of the attack is either nullified or
only has a partial effect, depending on the attack used.

Thievery (Agility/IQ)
Allows one to perform feats that are associated with larceny, such as disarming
devices, picking open locks, or even picking a pocket. When disabling a device or
picking a lock, a failure by 3 or less means you can try again; a failure by 4 or
more, however, means something goes wrong.

Furthermore, the use of Thievery to pick a pocket is opposed to a character’s

Notice check; a failure means that the target realizes that they are being stolen
from. Below are example CLs for the mentioned uses of Thievery.
 *Device Disarming CLs*
• Disarming simple devices (i.e. jamming a lock): 1
• Disarming average-difficulty devices (i.e. sabotaging a car’s wheels): 2
• Disarming a difficult device (i.e. disarming a trap): 3
• Disarming a complex device (i.e. disarming a complex trap): 4
(Note: Each use requires time; simple devices take one round, average
difficult devices require two, and difficult or complex devices take three)

*Lock-Picking CLs*
• A simple lock: 2
• An average-quality lock: 3
• A good-quality lock: 4
• A high-quality lock: 5
(Note: At the GM’s discretion, trying to pick a lock without a set of Lock
Picks can add a +1 CL to simple and average locks and be impossible to
do with a good or high-quality lock)

-MISCELLANEOUS TALENTS-
For the sake of any future updates to the game which may add extra
talents, there are a couple of spaces open for blank talents.

II. Gear

Choosing the right gear can mean the difference between life and death in an
adventure. With any luck, this chapter will provide information on the various bits
of equipment in the world of Riftsaga as well as give a player an idea on what to
utilize.

But, how do you attain such items? The easiest way to answer this is simply, “to
buy them, of course”. The main currency of the world of Riftsaga consists of
silver coins and bank notes that are backed by existing silver currency. If a GM
really wished to, he or she may feel free to include exchange rates if a game takes
place in more than one country, but overall, silver is the world’s currency
regardless.

When creating a character, each calling starts with a specific amount of silver
with which to buy equipment. It should be noted however that this amount of
silver is typically NOT a literal amount (unless the character had been saving up
silver or is rich); it is more or less an abstraction, used to signify the value of the
various items attained over time prior to the start of the game.

Below are the starting silver amounts for each class, chosen based on how much
the typical calling values money or has need for it in terms of adventuring
supplies:
• Gunner: 80 silver
• Duelist and Scoundrel: 60 silver
 • Seeker and Psion: 40 silver

With that out of the way, it’s time to introduce the various types of gear that can be
attained.

-WEAPONS-
A requirement for doing combat much of the time, a weapon can be a tool of self-
defense, of heroics, of crime, or of villainy. Either way, many characters need to rely on
weapons in varying amounts, whether as their main option of self-defense or as a last
resort.

The charts for weapons are read as follows:

• Name: The name of the weapon. Note that if there is a ‘(2H)’ in the weapon’s
name, it can only be used in two hands.
• Wounds: The amount of damage the weapon does by default. This amount is
increased in a successful attack by the number of successes gained by rolling it.
Body armor not only reduces the number of successes in terms of whether or not
one can hit, but also reduces the damage done. For instance, one wearing Leather
Armor would reduce the amount of Slash, Pierce and Bludgeon damage taken by
1 point if such attacks hit.
Note that “+1 to UAS” means that it adds an additional damage to a character’s
preexisting Unarmed Strike damage. Furthermore, for a description on the damage of
an attack with a “*” within its Wounds section, read the description of the weapon
underneath the chart.
• Type: The category of damage afflicted. For more information on damage
categories, consult the Combat chapter. For now, the types of damage and their
abbreviations (in parenthesis) on the weapons charts are as follows: Slash (S),
Pierce (P), Bludgeon (Bl), Ballistic (Ba), Force (Fo), and Fire (Fi). Note that
damage abbreviations with a “/” between them means that it can afflict differing
types of damage, depending on what the character’s controller decides on (i.e. a
Sword can deal either Slash or Pierce damage). Furthermore, a weapon with a “*”
within its type means that the damage done varies depending on circumstances;
for more information, view the description of such weapons.
• Difficulty: When rolling for successes in an attack, the Difficulty determines what
numbers rolled are considered successes. As a general rule of thumb, more
‘accurate’ weapons (i.e. weapons that can hit on more dice results than others)
tend to do less damage by default, whereas less accurate ones tend to deal more
harm by default. As with any other section containing “*”, the Difficulty varies in
such cases; for more information, read the description of such weapons.
• Attack Talent: Determines what talent is used to add to the number of dice rolled
when attacking; for example, a Knife uses the Melee talent, whereas Spiked
Knuckles rely on the Unarmed talent. Note that some weapons do not have a
particular talent, and may use “Agility +2”; this means that, in order to hit with it,
one may instead roll two dice plus dice equal to the user’s Agility ranks to
determine a hit. This example is mainly used with throwing weapons such as
Shuriken, and is opposed by a target’s Reflexes. Finally, a weapon with a “[T]” in
 its Attack Talent section means that it can be thrown; if so, its effective range is
listed in its description and, when throwing it, a character uses the “Agility +2”
rules to determine how many dice are rolled to try and attain successes. If there is
only a [T], it means the weapon can only be used by throwing it.
• Price: How much silver a weapon costs. Some weapons, such as Darts, can be
bought ‘in bulk’ for a single silver. Note, however, than not every item can be
bought. An item with a [C] before the numerical price means that it is
Constructed; it (usually) cannot be bought, and the price given is an estimate of
the cost of the materials needed to construct it. An item with an [I] before its
price, however, means that it is Illegal; a civilian caught with it by local
authorities can be incarcerated due to it being strictly for military personnel or
licensed individuals only. Such items can, however, be attained through the black
market. Finally, an item with an [FL] before its price means that it requires a
Firearm License to use legally. Such items are only considered Illegal if a license
is not in one’s possession when it is found by local authorities. In addition, one
cannot purchase such items outside the black market without having their license
on-person.

Below is the chart of weapons; for more information on each specific weapon, view the
text below the chart.
Name Wounds Type Difficulty Attack Talent Price (Silver)
Knife 1 S/P 3-6 Melee [T] 2
Bowie Knife 2 S/P 4-6 Melee 12
Rapier 2 P 3-6 Melee 8
Sword 3 S/P 4-6 Melee 28
Bullwhip 2 S 4-6 Melee or Agility +2 8
Brass Knuckles +1 to UAS Bl 3-6 Unarmed 6
Truncheon 1 Bl 3-6 Melee [T] 6
Unarmed Strike (Normal) 1 Bl 4-6 Unarmed N/A
Unarmed Strike (Seeker) 2 Bl 4-6 Unarmed N/A
Sledgehammer (2H) 3 Bl 5-6 Melee 14
Hatchet 2 S 4-6 Melee [T] 5
Wood-Chopping Axe (2H) 3 S 5-6 Melee 14
Spiked Knuckles +1 to UAS P 3-6 Unarmed 7
Chain Whip 2 Bl 4-6 Melee or Agility +2 10
Chain Link 1 Bl 4-6 Melee or Agility +2 4
Shuriken 1 S/P 4-6 [T] 3 for 1
Dart 1 P 3-6 [T] 3 for 1
Zip Gun (2H) 1 Ba 4-6 Firearms [C] 5
Pistol 2 Ba 4-6 Firearms [FL] 30
Hunting Rifle (2H) 3 Ba 4-6 Firearms [FL] 60
Assault Rifle (2H) 4 Ba 4-6 Firearms [I] 80
Shotgun (2H) * Ba * Firearms [FL] 50
Fragmentation Grenade * * 4-6 [T] [I] 22
Dynamite 6 Fo 4-6 [T] [I] 18
Trench Knife * P/Bl 3-6 Melee or Unarmed [I] 8
 Ballistic Knife 1 S/P/Ba 3-6 Melee or Firearms [T] [I] 10
Molotov Cocktail * Fi 4-6 [T] [C] [I] 4
Quarterstaff (2H) 2 B 4-6 Melee 5
Bastian Claw Cestus 1 S 3-6 Unarmed 8
Cudgel 2 B 4-6 Melee 10

Weapon Descriptions
• Knife: From a piece of cutlery to a blade made for combat (i.e. a switchblade or a
combat knife), a knife in-game has a blade anywhere from 1 to 8 inches in length.
A knife can be thrown; its effective range is up to 15 feet from the thrower.
• Bowie Knife: Referring to any knife-like weapon with a thick blade, a bowie
knife is a stout weapon for close-ranged combat. Examples include a bowie knife
itself, a short sword, a butterfly sword, a meat cleaver, a machete, and other such
weapons.
• Rapier: A type of sword with a thin blade that is used for thrusting attacks. A
lightweight weapon, rapiers are best used with finesse. Examples include foils and
epees.
• Sword: A weapon with a long blade from 18 to 30 inches, the sword was once a
widely-used weapon that had served its last battlefield days in the last war prior to
the timeframe of Riftsaga, where it was rarely used in place of a combat knife for
trench warfare. Examples include bastard swords, cavalry sabers, basket-hilt
broadswords, katana, scimitars, and other such weapons.
• Bullwhip: Constructed from leather strips woven together, a bullwhip is a rather
unconventional but useful weapon. The damage dealt is due to a length of thick
thread, known as the popper, traveling fast enough to break the sound barrier.
• Brass Knuckles: Also known as ‘knuckle dusters’, ‘punch rings’, or other such
names, brass knuckles are a type of weapon worn over one’s fingers like rings to
amplify the damage caused with a punch by focusing the PSI (Pounds per Square
Inch) of the punch into a smaller space. A similar weapon known as ‘weighted
knuckle gloves’ pack powdered lead or other such materials into the knuckles of a
durable glove to distribute the PSI of the punch to help deliver knockout strikes.
(Note: This weapon’s bonus to Unarmed Strike damage turns the Unarmed Strike
into ‘lethal’ damage, meaning it can make a character start dying if dropped to
zero or negative HP. In addition, the aforementioned effect and bonus to Unarmed
Strike damage only applies if an attack is made using the hands)
• Truncheon: A term used for a simple, small bludgeoning weapon. A typical
truncheon is often used by policemen to subdue violent criminals without relying
on the lethality of guns. Examples include night sticks, kali sticks, pieces of pipe,
and other small bludgeoning weapons. A truncheon can be thrown; its effective
range is up to 15 feet from its thrower.
• Unarmed Strike (Normal): An attack made without weapons, performed by a non-
Seeker character. Examples include conventional strikes like a punch or kick, or
more exotic attacks like an elbow, knee, or even a headbutt. Unarmed strikes from
non-Seekers, if they deliver a blow that would reduce a character to zero or less
 HP, cannot cause a character to start ‘dying’ unless the are used on a character
who is already at -1 to -9 HP.
• Unarmed Strike (Seeker): A Seeker (or an experience martial artist) is capable of
knowing where and how to strike to deal the most harm. As such, not only does a
Seeker deal more damage with an unarmed strike, it can also, upon the Seeker’s
choice, cause a character to start dying if it knocks a character to zero or negative
HP (Note: It is possible for non-Seekers to have treat their Unarmed Strikes as
that of a Seeker’s; for more information, see the Experience Points chapter).
• Sledgehammer: A two-handed tool mainly used for breaking rocks and stone
apart, when used as a weapon it can be very devastating at the cost of having a
slow ‘recovery time’ (i.e. being able to get it ready for another strike) after
swinging it. Examples include sledgehammers themselves, a similar weapon
known as a maul, Lucerne hammers, and other such weapons.
• Hatchet: A small axe typically used for chopping wood, it can also be used as a
weapon when need be. Examples include hatchets themselves, tomahawks, hand
axes (axes with hammer heads at the back of the axe head), and other such
weapons. A hatchet can be thrown; its effective range is up to 15 feet from the
thrower.
• Wood-Chopping Axe: A two-handed axe used for hewing and chopping wood, it,
like a hatchet, can be a destructive weapon if need be. Like a sledgehammer, most
axes are more top-heavy than axes made in ancient times for combat, and thus
make for very slow weapons. Examples include wood-chopping axes themselves,
great axes, tabar zins, bardiches, or other such weapons.
• Spiked Knuckles: A vicious variant of brass knuckles, spiked jut from the
knuckles of these weapons (Note: This weapon’s bonus to Unarmed Strike
damage turns the Unarmed Strike into ‘lethal’ damage, meaning it can make a
character start dying if dropped to zero or negative HP. In addition, the
aforementioned effect and bonus to Unarmed Strike damage only applies if an
attack is made using the hands).
• Chain Whip: A very difficult martial arts weapon to master, a chain whip consists
of seven or nine steel rods linked together, often with a steel dart chained to the
last rod in the length. The reason it is difficult to master is because the whip is
connected with loose joints (the two rings forming a chain between each rod),
whereas a bullwhip’s length is all one continuous piece.
• Chain Link: Typically used by thugs (or poor adventurers), this length of chain
has thick enough links that, if swung at a person, the blunt trauma will deal
potentially lethal damage.
• Shuriken: A famous ninja weapon, shuriken are small, flat pieces of sharpened
metal that are hurled at a target from a distance. Depending on how one throws it,
they can either be used to stick into a foe or merely cut them as one flies.
Shuriken are typically shaped like four-pointed stars, but variants with different
shapes and different numbers of points do exist.
• Dart: A primitive but effective enough weapon, a throwing dart does not deal
much damage by itself (unless it hits one in the throat or face), but many are often
poisoned. Examples include darts used for dartboards, lawn darts, sharpened
metallic needles, bo shuriken, and other such weapons.
 • Zip Gun: A slang term for an improvised gun or a homemade gun, a zip gun is
typically used for self-defense or for crime where gun control is strict. Often
times, however, possession of a zip gun is illegal in its own right. Typical zip
guns are usually two-handed and resemble rifles, but single-handed variants do
exist. Most zip guns can only fire one shot before it needs to be reloaded.
• Pistol: A single-handed gun, pistols are commonly used as side-arms but also are
used as main weapons for police officers, security guards, criminals, or people
trying to protect themselves in dangerous urban settings. Examples include
handguns and revolvers, amongst other weapons. Most pistols can hold anywhere
from 6 to 12 shots in a magazine or chamber (Note: If desired, one may use two
variants of a Pistol: a handgun and a revolver. For a handgun, use the listed
statistics. For a revolver, treat it as a handgun that applies one more die for attack
rolls and damage, but instead has a Difficulty of 5-6; this is due to the kickback of
the revolver which can make it harder to aim correctly). One may use a pistol as
an up-close-and-personal weapon by holding the barrel of the pistol and striking
with the butt of the handle. Such an attack is known as a ‘pistol whip’; treat such
usage as an attack with a Truncheon. A pistol possesses an effective range of up
to 160 feet.
• Hunting Rifle: A gun used typically for the sport of hunting, it is a high-power
firearm that typically is used by those defending their homes from burglars when
not used for hunting game. A hunting rifle can hold 5 shots at once; most rifles
used by soldiers typically hold anywhere from 20 to 30 rounds at once. One may
used a rifle as an up-close-and-personal weapon by holding the barrel and using
the stock as a club. Such an attack is known as a ‘gunstock strike’; treat such
usage as an attack with a Cudgel. Unlike pistols, the effective range on a hunting
rifle depends on the user’s Firearms talent. At a rank of 1, the effective range is
300 yards. At 2, it is 400. At 3, it is 500. At 4, it is 600. And, at 5, when one’s
skill with the rifle is at its best, one can fire up to 700 yards away accurately.
• Assault Rifle: A semi-automatic to automatic rifle used for warfare, assault rifles
pack considerable force and prove highly fatal as weapons. Because of its
automatic capabilities, assault rifles are highly illegal for anyone other than
soldiers, Special Forces units, counter-terrorism units, or military policemen to
use, and even so, it illegal even for those allowed to use them outside of military
service. A typical assault rifle holds a magazine of up to 30 rounds. It is generally
effective up to 330 yards. As with a hunting rifle, one can perform a ‘gunstock
strike’ with it in melee combat.
• Shotgun: A rifle-like weapon, the shotgun is typically not used to fire just one
round, but instead fires a cartridge that lets loose a spray of many metal balls
known as shot. The damage of a shotgun varies based on the range it is fired from
and what kind of ammunition is used for it.
‘Birdshot’ fires multiple small shot that resemble metallic ball bearings; due to the
lower mass of each shot pellet, the weapon’s blast spreads out more. Treat a shotgun
firing a birdshot shell as a weapon that deals 2 damage by default and that has a
Difficulty of 3-6. ‘Buckshot’ fires larger and more devastating shot balls. Treat a
shotgun firing buckshot shells as a weapon that deals 3 damage by default and that
has a Difficulty of 4-6. Finally, a ‘slug’ is a heavy lead projectile, typically used for
 hunting big game and that can devastate just about anything it hits. Treat a shotgun
firing slugs as a weapon that deals 4 damage by default and that has a Difficulty of 5-
6.
Shotguns can hold up to 5 shells or slugs at a time. The effective range of birdshot or
buckshot shells is 40 yards; the effective range of a slug is 100 yards away. Like a
hunting or assault rifle, once can perform a ‘gunstock strike’ with a shotgun.
• Fragmentation Grenade: A weapon used in warfare, the fragmentation
grenade’s main role in combat is to explode and send its metallic casing, being
torn to shards by the explosion, outward to tear into enemy units. ‘Frag’
grenades, as they are nicknamed, are highly destructive and thus are illegal for
civilian use, used only by military personnel in urban settings as a last resort.
Examples include pineapple grenades, potato masher grenades, and other such
weapons. Other types of grenades, such as smoke grenades, thermites, and
others exist and are listed later in this chapter. An effective range is up to 100
feet away when thrown; the type of damage (and amount of it) is based on
how close targets are to the explosion. Regardless, the success rolls are NOT
to determine damage done but instead will determine whether or not the
grenade gets to the specified location. The CL to throw a grenade to a
specified location is a 4, opposed by one Agility roll plus 2 more dice rolls.
Failure will cause the grenade to have one of the following effects, determined
by a d6 roll; on a 1 or 2, the grenade will fall 1d6 x 10 feet short of its
intended target. On a 3 or 4, the grenade will instead miss its target, flying
randomly either to the left or right some 1d6 x 5 feet away from the intended
area. On a 5 or 6, the thrower will instead over-shoot the throw and hurl it 1d6
x 5 feet past the intended target.
Those caught within 15 feet of an exploding frag grenade will suffer 1d6 + 4 Force and
Ballistic damage; half of the damage is Force (from the actual explosion), and the other
half is Ballistic (from the launched shrapnel of the destroyed casing). Those caught
within 16-50 feet of the grenade will suffer 1d6 +1 Ballistic damage. Either way, any
caught within the explosion radius are DENIED their Reflexes to try and avoid damage;
only their body armor can save them from harm or, at the least, reduce the damage taken.
• Dynamite: A highly destructive explosive based off the volatile properties of
nitroglycerine, dynamite is usually found in cylinder-shaped sticks. When lit
(the price of the dynamite also pays for the price of a box of matches used to
light the fuse) and thrown, dynamite will unleash an earthshaking explosion,
annihilating anything caught within. Unlike a frag grenade, the casing of
dynamite is utterly destroyed within the fear-inspiring explosion. Because it is
a high-power explosive, it is highly illegal for anyone other than construction
workers and miners (both only able to use dynamite on-the-job) to use it. Like
a grenade, one can hurl a stick of dynamite up to 100 feet away from them,
and like a grenade, the chance of success (and the consequences of failure) is
the same as when throwing a grenade. All caught within a 5-foot radius of an
exploding stick of dynamite will suffer 1d6 +1 Force damage.
• Trench Knife: A weapon designed in the last war previous to the timeframe of
Riftsaga, this weapon combines a handle with a brass-knuckles-esque guard
with a triangular blade. As such, one can use this weapon either for Pierce
 damage (using one’s Melee talent and having a Wounds value of 1) or like
Brass Knuckles (using one’s Unarmed talent and adding an additional point of
damage to the user’s Unarmed Strike).
• Ballistic Knife: A clever weapon invented in the frozen country of Ursan for
its Special Forces units; this weapon, at first, resembles a typical double-
edged knife. But, by removing a pin in the cross-guard and pushing a button
on the grip, one can fire the blade of the knife as far as 20 feet, the blade being
launched by a powerful spring within the handle. This weapon can be used as
a fighting knife by using its Slash or Pierce damage, or as a ballistics weapon
by using its Ballistic damage. Like any other throwing weapon, one can
recover the blade of this weapon if it is fired; otherwise, one cannot use the
weapon unless it had its blade. To return the weapon to a fixed knife mode,
one needs to reinsert the pin after pushing the blade back into the handle. As it
mainly a military weapon due to its lethal, spring-loaded little secret, it is
illegal for civilians to carry a ballistic knife.
• Molotov Cocktail: A crude but effective incendiary weapon, a Molotov
cocktail is produced by filling an container that breaks upon impact (such as a
thin glass bottle) with a flammable liquid and adding a crude wick (typically a
cloth rag) that partially rests within the liquid. When the wick is lit and
thrown, on impact the container will shatter and douse a 5-foot area or a single
target in the liquid, the liquid igniting and enveloping the area or target in
flames. Those caught within the blaze are treated as ‘burning’, as the
condition, until they are able to extinguish the flames. A Molotov cocktail
burns for about one round before the flammable liquid burns away. As it is
primarily a homemade weapon, the price for a Molotov cocktail includes
everything needed to make it as well as includes the price of a box of matches
to light it with. Being caught with a premade Molotov cocktail is highly illegal
as it is typically used by criminals in urban settings.
• Quarterstaff: A simple but effective weapon, typically used primarily in the
martial arts nowadays, consisting of a long wooden or metallic pole of about 3
or 5 feet. Examples include a ‘bo’ staff, a broom handle, or other such
weapons.
• Bastian Claw Cestus: By itself, a cestus is a type of gauntlet used by ancient
boxers, made from leather thongs and, when used as a weapon, it typically
possesses studs or a metal plate on the knuckles. This variant, created for
bastian warriors of old, employs thorn-shaped metal claws on the knuckles.
Because of the curves of the metal claws, one can only use a bastian claw
cestus for slashing attacks.
• Cudgel: A bludgeoning weapon, longer than a truncheon and typically
weighed on the striking end, a cudgel is typically an improvised weapon.
Examples include maces, baseball bats, clubs, and long pieces of pipe,
crowbars, and other such weapons.

-ARMOR-
A necessity to avoid damage, armor is used to (hopefully) protect a character from harm.
Armor reduces the number of successes gained in an opposed roll, based on the specific
types of damage the armor can resist.

For example, Leather Armor, which has a Wound Protection of 1 against Slash and
Bludgeon, would reduce the number of successes of a Slash or Bludgeon attack by 1
success. When combined with a character’s ‘save’ Talents (Toughness, Willpower and
Reflexes), armor can thus stop an attack from succeeding. In addition, even if an attack
does land, armor will then reduce the amount of damage taken by the attack by the same
number of successes it tried to reduce.

Armor, however, does have its downside; even if the attack is stopped by the armor, the
armor itself will take damage equal to half of the number of successes plus half of the
weapon’s Wounds factor (both halves rounded down). In addition, any time a character
takes physical damage (i.e. damage from Slash, Pierce, Bludgeon or Ballistic attacks), his
or her armor will also get damaged equal to the weapon’s Wounds factor (the number of
successes, in this case, does not factor in to the damage the armor takes).

Each piece of armor has its own Durability. Think of armor’s durability as its HP. When
a piece of armor takes damage, its durability drops equal to the amount of damage
received as aforementioned. When a piece of armor’s durability hits zero or negative
numbers, it is ruined and will not be able to protect its wearer until repaired or replaced.
Certain types of armor might only take damage from certain types of damage; within its
Durability section on the armor table, a listed damage element will mean that only the
listed elements of damage can harm that armor. For instance, a slashing attack to a suit of
chain mail cannot do noticeable damage to it, but a ballistic attack can.

Body armor is divided into three categories: body armor, head armor, and shield. Taking
physical damage reduces either one’s body armor durability or one’s head armor
durability (determined by a coin flip); if one is using a shield and succeeds on a
Toughness or Reflexes save, the shield is assumed to have stopped the attack and takes
damage.

One can only wear one category of armor on one armor slot at a time; i.e. one cannot
wear two types of body armor at once. Those who are using a shield cannot use their off-
hand (whichever hand is not their main one) to hold or use a two-handed weapon or to
hold or use a weapon in the off-hand.

The armor table columns are as follows:

• Name: The armor’s name.
• S: The amount of Slash attacks’ successes/damage that are reduced
• P: The amount of The amount of Pierce attacks’ successes/damage that are
reduced
• Bl: The amount of Bludgeon attacks’ successes/damage that are reduced
• Ba: The amount of Ballistic attacks’ successes/damage that are reduced
• Durability: The amount of durability an armor has.
 • Type: Shows if the armor is considered body armor, head armor, or is a shield.
• Price: The amount of silver required to buy the armor. If there is a [U] in the
price, it means that armor is Uncommon for civilians (non-military personnel) to
have; as such, it is harder to find outside of the black market. By no means,
however, does this mean it is illegal for a civilian to have the armor on his or her
person.

Below is the armor table. Extra information is listed in the armor descriptions below it.
Name S P Bl Ba Durability Type Price
Cuir Bouilli 1 - 1 - 15 Body armor 10
Shock Vest - - 2 1 25 Body armor [U] 18
Chain Mail 1 1 1 - 35 Body armor 24
Fiberglass Vest 2 2 1 2 25 Body armor [U] 30
Steel Plate Vest 2 2 2 2 40 Body armor 40
Ceramic Vest 2 2 1 3 15 Body armor [U] 50
Headgear - - 1 - 10 Head armor 5
Hard Hat 1 - 1 - 15 Head armor 8
Chain Coif 1 1 - - 15 Head armor 12
Brodie Helmet 1 1 1 1 20 Head armor [U] 16
Ceramic Helmet 1 1 1 2 10 Head armor [U] 20
Steel Buckler 1 1 1 1 15 Shield 22
Riot Shield 1 1 1 2 20 Shield 30
Armor Descriptions
• Cuir Bouilli: Layers upon layers of boiled leather sewn together to form a kind of
armor, cuir bouilli is not very strong but is better than nothing. Examples include
leather armor or leather jackets.
• Shock Vest: An experimental type of body armor made from durable foam and
plastic, a shock vest is essentially a cuirass that is made to soften impact. In
addition, a shock vest has been found to be able to resist low-calibur bullets.
• Chain Mail: An archaic armor produced by weaving together steel links into a
shirt of sorts, chain mail is highly resistant to slashing and piercing, but narrow
projectiles such as arrows and bullets can pierce through the gaps in the armor.
• Fiberglass Vest: An experimental armor that consists of a tactical vest, made from
cut-resistant fabric, with plates of laminated, plastic-reinforced fiberglass within.
This form of composite armor can stop bullets and blades, but cannot handle blunt
trauma very well.
• Steel Plate Vest: Utilizing a tactical vest reinforced with steel plates, a steel plate
vest is very durable and can shrug off most bullets; its only downsides are that it
is both a bit heavy and that cannot stand up to armor piercing rounds.
• Ceramic Vest: With the use of experimental ballistic ceramics, the ceramic vest
combines both a cut-resistant fabric tactical vest with the aforementioned ceramic
plating. It is more lightweight than a steel plate vest and can stand up to even
armor piercing rounds, but due to the fragile nature of ceramics, it can shatter with
so much as one forceful strike.
• Headgear: Made from high-impact foam backed with plastic, headgear is typically
used for sparring matches and martial arts tournaments but can provide some (but
not much) protection from certain weapons.
• Hard Hat: Normally worn by construction workers, the highly durable plastic of
this hard hat is rumored to be able to stop even a sword’s strike.
• Chain Coif: This hood, made from chain mail, protects the head and neck mainly
from slashing attacks as well as piercing attacks with thick-tipped weapons.
• Brodie Helmet: Also known as a Tommy helmet, a shrapnel helmet, a tin hat, or
even a doughboy helmet, this steel helmet is typically worn by soldiers. It is
shaped similar to that of a soup bowl with a brim and had evolved from the
archaic kettle helm.
• Ceramic Helmet: Essentially a Brodie helmet made from ballistic ceramics and
reinforced with a thin layer of steel, the ceramic helmet offers similar protection
from armor piercing rounds as a ceramic vest but is also just as fragile.
• Steel Buckler: A small shield made from steel that is gripped with a handle in the
center of the shield. The handle is literally within the center of the shield; the
shield convexes outward, the hand protected by a steel boss of sorts within the
center. The shield is small, making it lighter and easier to maneuver in combat,
but cannot stand up to very large and heavy weapons or high-calibur rounds.
• Riot Shield: Made from durable, clear polycarbonates, the model of riot shield
listed can stand up to low-velocity pistol and shotgun fire as well as protect
against shrapnel and some melee weapons. Unlike a steel buckler, one uses a riot
shield by slipping an arm underneath one of the arched vertical handles and grips
it in the other.

Armor Repair Prices

• Cuir bouilli or headgear: 3 silver
• Shock vests or hard hats: 5 silver
• Chain mail or chain coifs: 7 silver
• Fiberglass vests or riot shields: 8 silver
• Steel plate vests, Brodie helmets, or steel bucklers: 10 silver
• Ceramic helmets: 12 silver
(Note: Ceramic vests’ plates cannot be repaired; while a ceramic helmet can be
refitted with a new layer of ceramics, once a ceramic trauma plate within a ceramic
vest is shattered, it cannot be repaired)