RIFTS: PATH OF THE STORM by Matthew Clements, Palladium Books p/b £8.99

Reviewed by Steve Dean

Something different from Palladium this time, a film script, or movie screenplay if you prefer. It’s based on the Rifts RPG of course, and the material within could be used in a campaign of your own, pretty much scene for scene I would have thought.

David and Katie are playing in the woods near their house when a Rift opens and a shed load of angry demons pops through for some friendly maiming and killing. Their father is killed, and David becomes separated from his mum and sister.

Years later, and David is now a special forces soldier. During a raid, which goes horribly wrong, David is rescued by a group of magic users. It turns out they are hunting the same person, a nasty and very powerful mage. They team up, unofficially of course, and set off to hunt down the mage.

Although this is a script and therefore in screenplay format with minimal descriptions, I found it to be very readable. It has everything the reader needs to understand the story, and the rest is filled in by your imagination, which is how it should be.

Would it make a good film? I certainly think so, although, as it says in the introduction, funding is always a problem. I’m sure it would have a wider appeal than just Rifts fans, if only we could persuade the accountants that run the film industry that different is not a bad word. Maybe they could make it in CGI as per Beowolf.

I for one would certainly go and see it, and let’s face it, anything is better than yet another dreary, jelly-mould vampire franchise.

RIFTS – VAMPIRE KINGDOMS by Kevin Siembieda, Palladium Books £16.99

Reviewed by Steve Dean

Vampire kingdoms is a revised edition of the original from 1991, brought dragging and almost certainly screaming, into the 21^st century. And what a tome it is, packed from cover to cover, 224 pages of tiny print.

Everything you ever wanted to know, and then some, is packed into this book. From the usual stake-through-the-heart and holy symbols, to more modern stuff like the use of laser weapons.

There are also chapters on; playing a vampire character, strengths and weaknesses, vampire powers, magic, and a whole selection of anti-vampire weapons. My favourite is the anti-vampire rail gun, which shoots bursts of wooden flechettes. If I was hunting the little suckers I’d want to keep my distance.

The second half of the book deals with the kingdom of the title. Mexico, it seems, is an ideal place for vampires, and they have set up their own realm down there. The main towns and cities are described, as well as the major players, good and bad, gangs, organisations and maps. The wealth of detail is staggering, and covers everything you’ll need to do justice to a whole vampire campaign.

I must admit to a soft spot for the Palladium crew, they are so keen. Obviously gamers, who write for other gamers for the love of it. This shines through in the material. Ok, the internal artwork is all monochrome, but this isn’t a high art fantasy book, this is a rules book, and what it’s full of is rules.

The only down side is the lack of a hard cover, a book like this really needs one if it isn’t going to end up a tatty, beer-stained mess.

In summary, if you only buy one vampire source book this year, or ever, buy this one.