Indexed and Compiled by: Craig Crawford
Release Date: December 1997
GENERAL
A follow-up to the Rifts Index – Volume 1, Volume 2 continues along the same lines as its predecessor. Once again, this harkens to the Rifts Game Master Guide, which would be released approximately 4 years later. Just like in Index 1, this presents more than just a handy reference chart. After the reference pages, one has dozens of HLS format adventure ideas, followed by more fully fleshed out adventure modules. Is the idea of an index of information presented in this manner worth the effort? Let’s take a look at the contents and discuss.
SECTIONS
Abbreviations. Continuing the same theme identified in Scholar’s Review #76: Index – Volume 1, the book uses an internalized series of abbreviations that bear little resemblance to normalized parlance by Rifts Players and GMs. Once again we find what one would expect with CB1 for Conversion Book 1, CB2 for Conversion Book 2, and the same for the Sourcebooks (e.g. SB1, SB3), they’re back on a wild tangent thereafter. Why one think WB 15: Spirit West should be anything other than WB15, or just SW is beyond me – certainly not SPR. <shrug> Once again, ‘weird.’
Main Index (Alphabetized). We have a 44-page list of Keywords and the pertinent books one could find the answer. Once again, I won’t bore you with the specifics, the publish date once again limits the usability of this book in terms of a reference point. I’ll note some frustration with the way certain topics were presented, just in terms of unintuitive internal logic and inconsistency.
Appendix 1 (Body Armor). An alphabetized list of various body armor entries and referenced books/page numbers.
Appendix 2 (Equipment). Basically, anything that doesn’t fit within the other categories. Curious why this would not have been placed as a final Appendix.
Appendix 3 (Monsters). The first bestiary (sort of….), this gave a helping hand to any GM looking for a great gribbly or monster for the Players to tackle. A much wider range of books to select from than the one presented in Index 1.
Appendix 4 (O.C.C.s). Even back at this time, we had two full pages of various O.C.C.s available for Players to choose from. As this was a mechanism for world building at the time, I can understand why. The number has truly ballooned since then. That said, if you wanted to find one of the earlier O.C.C.s, this was the place to go.
Appendix 5 (Power Armor). Looking for Power Armor? Yeppers, more to see.
Appendix 6 (R.C.C.s). Once again, Appendices were alphabetized. I still would have put this after the O.C.C. Appendix.
Appendix 7 (Robots). My commentary for Appendix 6 applies equally to this; should have followed directly after the contents from an Appendix (Power Armor)
Appendix 8 (Robot Vehicles). Once again, big stompy robots (vehicles).
Appendix 9 (Vehicles). Everything from land, air, and sea, if not in another Appendix, you’ll find it here.
Appendix 10 (Weapons). Even this early in the ‘game’ we have over three pages of weapons. Many of these are species-specific and limited from the PCs, but that’s a whole lot guns…. Like a lot of guns…
Appendix 11 (Magical Items). A new one, we see some additional weapons mostly drawn from WB8 (Japan) and WB15 Spirit West; sorry, I meant JPN and SPR….
Appendix 12 (Skills). In what is possibly the biggest fail of the book, it fails to provide a concise list of ALL skills. Instead, we have the list of skills presented in the books from WB8 to WB15.
Appendix 13 (Spells/Psionics). Much like the preceding appendix, a list of new spells and psionic powers. As an example of my frustration with the abbreviations used, I had to flip back twice to confirm WES meant WB 14: New West, while SOU was not listed in the Abbreviations, and Rifts Main Book evolved from R to RFT….
ADVENTURES
General. We’re at page 79 of 128, so roughly 50 pages remaining for Adventures and Hook, Line & Sinkers (dozens of them), followed by three more fleshed out adventures
Treasure Hunt. The first adventure presented, basically a riverboat heist.
Adventure in the Big City. An adventure focusing on espionage, subterfuge, and rogues of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Published long before the Adventure Sourcebooks, it gives a taste of urban adventuring, featuring a fair, a possible cult, and confronting a murderer on a killing spree.
The OBERMAX Imperative. Almost 20 pages of information for a fairly in-depth adventure, beginning under the cloud of CS martial law. Presented in three parts, there is a lot here for a GM to digest and present to their Players. Played either as a single long-form adventure, or separate episodes.
IMPRESSIONS
Current Assessment (4/10). I honestly never really bothered to look at this book when it came out. After having glanced at Index 1, why would I get Index 2? Well, for the first near-80 pages, the question remains extant. That said, the final section presents several interesting adventures; the quality of the HLS and Adventure ideas are really compelling. Is it enough to justify the entirety of the publication? I don’t think I can go that far. Like Index 1, it’s great for a completionist to add to the collection. After that, I can’t really justify recommending it. Given the more relevant information in newer books (e.g. Rifts Adventure Guide, Adventure Sourcebooks), it remains a curio of the Rifts library.
Return to All Posts
Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Comments