Riftweaver O.C.C.

Created by Brett Hegr
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Riftweavers are the magic- using nomads of the Megaverse®. Their talent with 'prodding' ley lines and nexus points to form rifts allows them to travel anywhere they could desire. This ability is essentially the same as what Shifters do, but for Shifters travelling is secondary to finding supernatural powers to link with. Because of the bad reputation of Shifters, the weavers usually keep their rift manipulating skills to themselves. They are few in number as it is and don't desire to be slaughtered for the acts of someone else. There is, in fact, some animosity between Riftweavers and Shifters. Weavers see the latter as being insane control freaks (which isn't true of all Shifters - just most of them) and the Shifters see the weavers as weak fools with no ambition. The weavers have ambition, of course. It's just that it lies in exploration rather than exploitation.

Most weavers are fighting the good fight, and use their abilities to promote communication between various forces of light throughout the Megaverse®. This is a very grave task to them and they do not use their weaving powers frivolously. Groups can have the same long- term goals and totally different ideologies, which can sometimes result in more harm than good when two well- intentioned societies clash over words and opinions. They maintain contact with the denziens of Wormwood^tm, the government of Lazlo, about two dozen magicians and priests in the Empire of the Sun (South America), and the Prometheans of Phase World^tm. They know of just about every society, empire, and major world player on Earth but avoid contact with all the evil (Splugorth Atlantis) and questionable ones (magical England). Between the ones that they consider to be the best hope of freedom in the universe they act as messengers, liasons, ambassadors, and tradesmen.

As part of Riftweaver training, they learn a few spells to help them survive in hostile lands. They also develop a few psychic abilities that assist in the picking and choosing of rift destinations. As almost an afterthought the weavers also learn a few ley line related tricks like observation balls, teleporting to a home dimension, or maybe ley line phasing. The exact skills depend upon the personality and desires of the weaver. The only drawback to being a Riftweaver might be the low amount of initial P.P.E.^tm - but with their near- constant exposure to rifts, ley lines, nexus points, and dimensional hopping they grow quickly in that area. Magic spells aren't quite as important to these wanderers as they are to other magic users.

But then, when you travel to new dimensions every week things can change pretty quickly. Some weavers learn so much or become so powerful that you can't really call them human anymore. The effects of constant interdimensional travel are pretty harsh. That is why only the mentally strongest men and women are taught the secrets of riftweaving.

O.C.C. Abilities and Bonuses:

1. Riftweaving: This is the special talent for which these mystics have been named. When near a ley line or nexus point these characters can direct the magical energies to form a rift. If a rift already exists, they can also disperse the energy. The base skill is 15% plus the character's M.E. attribute, plus 3% per level of experience. Ley line control may be attempted once per minute of concentration (keep rolling until success - may take a while for the inexperienced).

Obviously, riftweaving can be used for Shifters as well to represent their talent in manipulating the ley lines. The only difference is that while Riftweavers try to learn about the Megaverse® Shifters try to manipulate it. In contests of control over an existing rift, the interested parties roll their base skill once per melee. They may add in their level of experience to the roll. During this time of mental focusing they may not engage in combat, spellcasting, or active psychic powers (passive Sensitive psionics can still be used except for a Mind Block, which inhibits riftweaving).

There are four types of rifts that are possible. Natural rifts can be any of these four types, and can be brought under the weaver's control as well. However, a naturally formed rift is always harder to disperse than a woven rift.
Window Rift: A small breach in the space- time continuum, the nature of the rift is implied by the name. A window is something you can look through but not travel through. So this rift lets a weaver observe events and send and receive messages. It is not something that spirits, creatures, spells, air, or objects can slip through. Anyone on either side of the rift can see and communicate with what is on the other side. Usually, this ability is used in conjunction with some kind of remote sensing ability (whether a crystal ball, Remote Viewing, etc.) to seek out the general location of targets. For familiar targets add a +10% bonus to the roll.

A being experienced in manipulating rifts can of course break the window and turn it into a larger rift if he gains control of it. Creating a window rift is easy to do, and so there is a +10% bonus to the skill roll. If a mage's focus is not maintained the rift will fade away in a few minutes (unless he can regain his concentration).

Portal Rift: This type of rift is large enough (at least, space- time wise) for living beings, objects, vehicles, etc. to slip through. It is a one- way connection and is usually safe for travel. The weaver can choose to make either side the entrance and the other one the exit, and can reverse the two at any time (this can only be done once per minute, no matter who the controlling mage is). If a weaver leaves without dispersing the rift it has a 50% chance of fading within the hour, a 25% chance of remaining for 1d6+1 hours, and a 25% chance of ballooning into a gateway rift and hanging around for 1d4 hours.

Gateway Rift: Gateways are necessary to create when one desires to let something really big through (such as an army or a humongous monster) or when two groups in different dimensions wish to do some interdimensional trading. These are the most common rifts in the Megaverse®, though natural ones tend not to hang around too long unless there is some major celestial event happening. If a weaver leaves without dispersing the rift it has a 25% chance of fading within the hour, a 50% chance of remaining for 2d4 hours, and a 25% chance hanging around for 2d12 hours.

Target Rift: A target rift is a pinpoint rift that can snatch things from other dimensions or places and bring them to the rift weaver. Because of their size and accuracy, these are very difficult to pull off. The weaver must scope out the target (via a window rift or some sort of remote viewing power) and then roll to create a rift. Once a rift is created, a skill roll must be made with a -25% penalty. Failure means the object is rifted but to a random location (most likely somewhere near where it originally was). Success means it is teleported to the weaver's location instantly (no rift remains).
The various bonuses, penalties, and situations below should provide a guideline for GMs and weavers. The basic process of weaving a rift goes like this: A weaver must first coerce the ley line or nexus into forming a rift (creating). It is then necessary to steer the rift to a target location (opening). When done, a tidy Riftweaver will clean up (closing) and then wills the rift to settle down and fade away (dispersal). It usually takes a few minutes to do all this with a Window Rift, ten or fifteen to make a Portal or Gateway, and twenty or so to develop a Target Rift. Dispersing a Natural Rift is a pretty lengthy task, usually taking a half hour for neophyte weavers. Imagine trying to get a tornado to crawl into a wine bottle...

Creating a specific rift:
At a ley line: Roll the base skill
At a nexus point: +10% bonus to create a rift
In a magically controlled area: -20% (or worse)
Weaving a Window Rift: +10%
Weaving a Target Rift: -25%
Weaving a past Rift: -15% (a rift to a past time is a bit tricky)
Weaving a future Rift: -30% (harder - the future hasn't happened yet)
Weaving an interdimensional Rift: -10% (a rift to a different dimension)
Weaving a simple interspatial Rift: -5% (a rift to a far away location on the planet)
Weaving a standard interspatial Rift: -15% (a rift to a another planet in the same solar system)
Weaving a complex interspatial Rift: -25% (a rift to a far away planet)
Opening/closing a specific rift:
Verbally described place: -15%
Mentally described/ perceived place (usually due to psychic powers): -5%
Visited place (1-3 times): No bonus or penalty
Familiar place (4-10 times): +5%
Very familiar place (home dimension or favorite vacation spot): +15%
Target location is not near a ley line or nexus: -5% to -30% (depending on distance)
Target location is underground or in the air: -10%
Dispersing a rift:
Unweaving a Window Rift: +20%
Unweaving a Portal Rift: +10%
Unweaving a Gateway Rift: No bonus or penalty
Unweaving a natural rift: -10% (usually worse - depends on size)
Influence of Magic Energy:
Almost non-existent energy flow: -25% (such as on contemporary Earth)
Low energy ley line: -10%
High energy ley line: +5%
High energy nexus point: +10%
Dampening P.P.E.^tm flow: As a side effect of learning to weave rifts the students of the Megaverse® also learn how to dampen the magic energy along a ley line and prevent mages from soaking it up. The range of this effect is 250ft per level of experience. Absorbtion rates are halved as a default.
Blocking half the magic energy absorbtion: -10% for ley lines, -15% for nexuses.
Blocking all magic energy absorbtion: -20% for ley lines, -30% for nexuses.
During a celestial event: -10% (or more, depending on the event)
As a side note, I'd suggest skipping rolls on Window Rifts for any weaver that is second level or more and skip rolls on Portal Rifts for those beyond fourth (unless major penalties are involved). It tends to bog down role playing when you do a lot of rolling. These numbers are here for when you need hard rules during a dramatic situation.

Also, these magicians have the ability to unweave rifts and so do not need to learn the Close Rift spell! Their way of doing things takes longer, probably several minutes, but it doesn't burn off their valuable P.P.E.^tm

2. Initial Spell Knowledge: Riftweavers tend to focus more on exploration than acquisition of magic spells. When they do learn spells they tend to be ones to aid their dimensional wandering. They begin with the spells of Globe of Daylight, Breathe Without Air, Repel Animals, and Tongues - consider these spells required learning. The weaver may also select five spells from levels one through three and three spells from levels four or five, for a total of twelve spells. These mages always learn two attack spells, for defense and variety. One is usually a fire based spell, because that can be a valuable commodity (attacking, heat, cooking food, eating well?) in some places.

Special! If you've got Rifts® South America 2, you can create a Line Maker / Riftweaver character. The character must take an Art skill in Line Drawing (selected as an 'other' skill). With this out of the way, the character may choose one common Line Magic ritual in the place of two spell selections.

3. Learning New Spells: At each new level of experience, the weaver may choose one new spell of a level of experience equal to or less than his own. These magicians primarily learn spells to aid them in exploration (Eyes of Thoth, Climb, Swim as a Fish, Locate, etc.) but also know enough about the Megaverse® to find illusion, protective/ healing, and combat magic useful. They never learn control or domination magic, because they are free spirits and believe no being should be enslaved. Those that do desire to control life become Shifters.

Special! For a Line Maker/ Riftweaver character they may select one additional common Line Magic ritual or a spell (as above) per additional level of experience. The limitation for these guys is that they cannot recognize and decipher line drawings made by another maker as well as a true Line Maker can - their skill is a mere 20% +4% per additional level of experience. Further, they must physically draw the pattern up until the fifth level of experience when they become adept with the art. They never have the expertise needed to learn diabolist wards. See the Nazcan Line Maker O.C.C. on page 26 of South America 2 for more info.

4. P.P.E.^tm: These magicians tend to rely more on ley lines than other mages, and so have less personal magic energy than the average. They have a P.P.E.^tm base of the P.E. attribute times two, plus 6d6. However, constant exposure to ley lines and nexus points boosts their increase rate to a more consistent 1d6+9 P.P.E.^tm per each additional level of experience.

5. Psionic Powers: The Riftweavers' connection to the rifts is a deeply spiritual one, and so they develop a few psychic powers to help them sense things about the rifts they conjure. They have the powers of Read Dimensional Portal and Sense Dimensional Anomaly (see this file if you don't have Psyscape®), and may select three psionic abilities from a single minor category. The character is considered a minor psychic.

6. I.S.P.^tm: The base I.S.P.^tm is equal to the M.E. attribute plus 4d6+6. Add 1d6 per additional level of experience.

7. Other Special Powers: As these magicians are wanderers by nature and have a special way of working with ley lines they have a bit of variety in their ley line related abilities. The player may select two abilities from among the following (Rifts® RPG book required for the info): Read Ley Lines, Ley Line Transmission, Ley Line Phasing, Ley Line Drifting, Ley Line Rejuvenation, Ley Line Observation Ball (all are Line Walker powers, page 83), and Dimensional Rift Home (a Shifter power, page 87, but only costs the weaver 100 P.P.E.^tm)

8. Sense Rifts and Magic Energy: A rift, or any sort of dimensional disturbance (including dimensional fluxes, envelopes, pockets, and 4-D beings), can be sensed anywhere within a 45 mile radius +5 miles per level of experience. Ley lines and nexus points can be sensed with a range of five miles per level of experience. Locating them has a base skill of 50% +5% per level of experience.

9. O.C.C. Bonuses: Add a +2 to save vs magic at levels two, six, and ten. Also add a +4 to save vs horror factor and a +4 to save vs possession. Lastly, add a +1 to the spell strength at levels three, seven, ten, and thirteen.

Attribute Requirements: I.Q. of 10 and an M.E. of 15.
Alignment: Any, but not many are evil - they tend to become Shifters.
Experience Point Table: Same as the Shifter
O.C.C. Skills:

Speak one language of choice (98%) and literacy in it (+20%)
Speak two languages of choice (+15%)
Land Navigation (+10%)
Wilderness Survival (+10%)
Math: Basic (+20%)
Math: Advanced (+10%)
Astronomy (+10%)
Lore: Demons and Monsters (+10%)
One W.P. of choice

Hand to Hand: Basic can be selected at the cost of one other skill, Expert at the cost of two other skills, or Martial Arts at the cost of three. Assassin is not avaliable.

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select seven other skills, but one must be from Science and one must be from Technical. Select two more other skills at levels three and six, and select one more at level nine and level twelve. All new skills start at level one proficiency.

Communications: Radio: Basic or Cryptography only (+5%).
Domestic: Any (+10%)
Electrical: Basic Electronics only.
Espionage: Any
Mechanical: Basic Mechanics only.
Medical: First Aid (+10%), Holistic Medicine (+5%), or Paramedic
Military: None
Physical: Any except Boxing, Wrestling, and Gymnastics.
Pilot: Any except Robots, Jets, Tanks, and other military vehicles.
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: Any
Science: Any (+5%)
Technical: Any (+10%), an Art skill instead gets a (+20%) bonus.
W.P.: Any
Wilderness: Any (+10%)

Secondary Skills: The player may also select five secondary skills from the above categories, excluding those marked 'none,' and do not benefit from the above bonuses. All secondary skills start at the base skill level.

Standard Equipment: Backpack, sleeping bag, tent, camping stove and dishware, personal items, a cloak, sunglasses, air filter or gas mask, leather boots, a few sets of loose fitting clothing, a couple log books and writing utensils, signal flares, a signaling mirror, a compass, and a watch with stopwatch capability (useful in navigation).

Weapons and Armor: Weapons consist of a silver plated knife (1d6 damage), a staff (2d4+2 damage), one normal weapon to match the selected W.P., and one TW weapon of choice (E- clips can be difficult to charge when you're sixteen dimensions away from Rifts® earth). A basic magical item could be possessed in place of the TW weapon - a ring of invisibility, a rod of flame bolts, or maybe a simple enchanted sword. For armor, the player can choose a suit of light armor (35-50 mega- damage^tm).

Money: These fellows tend not to think much of material possessions. They begin with 3d6x100 in credit and 1d4x1000 +2000 in black market items.

Cybernetics and Bionics: Starts with none and avoids them like the plague. If the character is heavily damaged, a cybernetic fix would be chosen only after a long think. Bionic systems are never acquired.