Non-Adventuring OCCs

[Killer Cyborg]

I accidentally deleted my initial post, but on the upside, I found the article that I wrote and submitted to the Rifter some years ago. Since there was never any response, I will post it here.

The Other Guys
By Killer Cyborg

When Kevin Siembeida created the game of Rifts, he created a large variety of character classes to fill the game world. Each were, in their own way, exceptional. Each class had skills, powers, and/or equipment that the average person on Rifts Earth could only dream of. The closest thing to a normal person that Rifts gave us was the original Vagabond OCC, which represented an average person who became caught up in extraordinary times and who tried to rise to the occasion. They started with no Mega-Damage armor, a rusty pick-up truck for a vehicle, soap, and candy. They started with one weapon, but the choice was apparently left to the Game Master as to whether the weapon was Mega-Damage or a conventional weapon capable only of inflicting SDC/HP damage. Yet even Vagabonds were above average, because they were written to be used as Player Characters. With the release of Rifts Ultimate Edition, Vagabonds became more powerful, currently starting off with roughly the same equipment that made the standard PC classes so powerful and above-average. This is good news for the Vagabond, but it means that the average people of Rifts Earth are even less represented in the books than they were before.
Every great hero needs a great villain, and vice-versa. This is something that is easy for Game Masters to accomplish in their settings because all they have to do is to take any of the existing OCCs created for Player Characters and roll up a villain who is just as powerful as one of the PCs. He can even roll up a whole group of villains using the same method, assuming that he wants the villains to be just as powerful as the PCs' adventuring party. This technique, however, should not be used when creating the average Non-Player Character.
In order for a hero to be great, he needs more than just a powerful villain; he needs other, less powerful people to protect from the villain(s). He also needs less powerful villains who can be defeated without serious risk to the hero's life. For every powerful villain in every great movie, there are dozens of goons that the hero needs to get past before the main event. In Rifts, there have never been any detailed rules on making the thugs and victims that should flesh out the background of the game world. As a consequence, a number of Game Masters have acquired a tendency to fill every NPC slot with standard adventuring classes: Everybody who lives in the woods is a Wilderness Scout, every teacher in every small town is a Rogue Scholar, every doctor is a Body Fixer, and every gang member is a City Rat.
The problem with this is that by raising the standards of the ordinary people of Rifts Earth, the Player Characters suffer in comparison. When everybody is extraordinary, then nobody is. In a game designed for the PCs to be larger-than-life heroes, they often end up in a setting where the average bartender is just as tough as a first level PC (or tougher).
For this reason, I have created eight character classes that are designed to represent the more ordinary people of Rifts Earth, the non-adventurers. They might find conflict and strife, but it is not their nature to seek it out. Even the more combative classes here, such as the Raider and the Barbarian do not actively seek out adventure: they seek out prey, with as little risk as possible. These classes are not necessarily meant to be used for creating Player Characters, though they are designed to be used that way for players who enjoy a challenge.

Common traits for Non-Adventuring Occupational Character Classes:
-There are no racial restrictions.
-There are no alignment restrictions.
-There are no attribute restrictions.
-Base S.D.C. is 4d4.
-All non-adventuring classes use the Vagabond experience table.

It's not a great article, but I was more interested in making the classes than in elaborating at length on their necessity or the advantages of using them.
In this thread, I will post each of the non-adventuring OCCs that I have created, and probably come up with some more and post those as well.

Anybody else is welcome to post their own non-adventuring classes. I initially posted guidelines for doing so, but as I mentioned, accidentally deleted them. I will try to post new guidelines when possible. In the meantime, you can see the classes I have created, and try to get a feel for how I'd prefer anybody else's contributions to be.

[Killer Cyborg]

Edit: After believing that I had lost all copies of the original article, I decided to start from scratch and recreate the from memory. I posted one version of the Farmer OCC in this thread, and I will include that version in spoiler tags at the bottom of this post, replacing it with the original OCC that I created years ago.

Farmer
Class Ability/Bonuses:
1. Agriculture and Farming.
The character is familiar with different soil types and various kinds of edible crops, as well as other skills involved in growing large amounts of crops. Anybody can grow a small garden in order to supplement their diet, but Farmers can reliably grow enough crops to not only feed themselves and their families, but also to produce enough surplus to sell and/or trade.
Base Skill: 40%+5% per level
2. Weather Sense- Farming is dependent on weather, and good farmers develop a sense about what the weather is going to be like in the near future. A successful check can predict the weather over the next 24 hours. A Farmer can attempt to predict weather events further in the future, but there is a 10% penalty for every 12 hours after the first 24, and no predictions can be made more than 72 hours ahead. A failed check simply means that the farmer is unsure what the weather will be like.
Base Skill: 25%+5% per level
OCC Skills:
Animal Husbandry (+5%)
Cook
Speak Native Language
Preserve Foods (+5%)
Weapon Proficiency: One of choice

Other Skills:
Select eight Other Skills at level one, plus one additional skill at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 15. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications- Any except Creative Writing, Cryptography, Electronic Countermeasures, Laser Communications, Literacy, or Performance.
Cowboy- Any (+5%), except Horsemanship: Cowboy and Trick Riding.
Domestic- Any (+10)
Electrical- Basic Electronics and Electricity Generation only.
Espionage- None.
Mechanical- Aircraft, Automotive, and Basic only
Medical- Brewing (medicinal), First Aid, and Veterinary Science only (+5%)
Military- Demolitions and Demolitions Disposal only (-35%)
Physical- Athletics, Outdoorsmanship, Physical Labor, Running, and Swimming only.
Pilot- Any except for Combat Driving, Flight System Combat, Jet Aircraft, Jet Packs, Jump Bike Combat, Military Vehicles, and Robot Combat.
Pilot Related- Navigation and Read Sensory Equipment only.
Rogue- None
Science- Botanym chemistry, Mathematics (Basic) only.
Technical- Any
Weapon Proficiencies (Ancient)- Any
Weapon Proficiencies (Modern)- Any, except Heavy Military Weapons and Heavy Mega-Damage Weapons
Wilderness- Any (+5%)
Secondary Skills:
The character gets to select six secondary skills at first level.
Standard Possessions/Equipment: Rugged work clothes, formal clothes for special occasions, one gun (likely to be an SDC hunting rifle or shotgun), 1d4 clips/magazines/belts/boxes of ammunition, wallet with I.D., transportation (usually a rusty work truck, or a draft animal), various tools (for farming, carpentry, and other necessary chores), a hunting knife, and any additional equipment as determined by the Game Master. There is a 5% chance of owning a suit of light (likely damaged and/or homemade) Mega-Damage armor, or a 35% chance of owning a suit of conventional armor (A.R. 10+1d6, with 1d4x100 SDC). A Farmer has a 45% chance of owning a tractor, or a 10% chance of owning a robot, exoskeleton, or suit of power armor that is used for work around the farm (no weapons or military systems).
Wealth:
1d8x1000 in stored crops, local currency, and/or Credits.

Spoiler:

Farmer

Class Ability/Bonuses: Weather Sense- A farmer needs to have a strong understanding of how the weather works: his livelihood and life depend on it. Typically, this includes an ability to predict only on the short term, within 24 hours, but it can also cover general seasonal trends. It includes deductive reasoning and experience (the wind blowing from the southwest at this time of year means that rain is likely) or folklore and even superstition (The woodchuck saw his shadow, so we have to get ready for 6 more weeks of winter). It's not a science as much as it is a knack.
Base Skill: 15%+5%/level
OCC Skills:
-Farming (+10%) (25%+5%/level Covers basic general knowledge of agriculture, and advanced knowledge of the specific crops that the farmer specializes in. It also includes typical skills required for daily maintenance of running a farm, and knowledge of the applicable chorse/tasks. Unlike the Gardening Skill, Farming is geared toward producing significantly more food than the farmer and his family can eat, so that there is surplus to be sold or traded.)
-Animal Husbandry (+5%)
-Physical Labor
-Lore: Cattle & Animals (+10%) (
-Preserve Food (+15%)
-Skin & Prepare Animal Hides (+10%)

Other Skills:
Select seven Other Skills at level 1, plus one additional skill at levels 2, 4, 7, 9, and 12.
Communications- Radio: Basic
Cowboy- Any (+5%)
Domestic- Any (+10)
Electrical- Basic only
Espionage- Wilderness Survival only
Mechanical- Basic only
Medical- Brewing (+10%), First Aid, Holistic Medicine only
Military- None
Physical- Athletics, Body Building & Weight Lifting, Climbing, Running, Forced March, Juggling, Outdoorsmanship, and Swimming only
Pilot- Civilian vehicles only
Pilot Related- Navigation and Read Sensory Equipment only
Rogue- None
Science- Biology and Botany only
Technical- Any
Weapon Proficiencies (Ancient)- Any
Weapon Proficiencies (Modern)- Any, except Heavy Military Weapons and Heavy Energy Weapons
Wilderness- Any
Secondary Skills:
The character gets to select four secondary skills at first level, two more secondary skills at third level, and two more at sixth level.
Standard Possessions/Equipment:
Typically Carried:
Work clothing, hat, and appropriate tools, if working on the farm.
Typically Owned:
Standard household goods and furniture, two weapons of choice (with 1d4x100 rounds of ammunition if SDC weapon, or 1d4x10 rounds if Mega-Damage weapon. Usually only SDC weapons are available.) for home defense and/or hunting, a variety of hand tools for farming and general repair/crafting, at least one dog or other guard animal or pet, one or two vehicles (ranging from a horse or other draft animal and a cart to heavy farm machinery), and possibly a suit of armor of some kind (usually SDC).
Wealth:
2d12x100 Credits worth of preserved food and other goods.

[Killer Cyborg]

I have two questions, . . .

1. How much farmland does the Farmer O.C.C. start off with?

2. Are there any restrictions to the type of corp(s) and/or animal(s) the Farmer O.C.C. are given?

1. I was initially going to include stuff like "farm," "barn," etc. in the write-up, but thought about it and realized that there would be a lot of farmers who don't actually OWN a farm; they live on a family plot that might well be owned by another family member (father, brother, grandfather, son, or the female equivalents thereof), or by somebody else entirely; serfs worked the land, but they didn't own it.
2. Not really, though GM discretion is advised. More exotic crops and animals would be more rare, of course, at least in most areas.

[Killer Cyborg]

Moneyman
The Moneyman is focused on business and financial gain. He might transport goods between wilderness towns, he might use a hover car or he might use an ox cart. He might run a shop in the Burbs, or he might run a company of his own in Chi-Town proper. Moneymen are the businessmen (and women) of Rifts Earth. They are the white-collar workers who keep the economy running. If there is money to be made, a Moneyman will be there to fins a profit. They have no interest in adventuring, but will work for (or with) adventures as long as there is more profit than risk. Successful Moneymen would even be likely to hire adventurers and mercenaries when the need arises.

Class Ability/Bonuses:
Cost/Benefit Analysis- This represents the skill and natural talent that Moneymen have for assessing situations and determining the possible profit of an action or undertaking and compare it to the risks involved. Typically this skill is used for financial matters, focusing on monetary gain, but it can be used to assess almost any situation based on what the Moneyman knows about it, at a -10% penalty.
Base Skill: 20%+5% per level

OCC Skills:
Barter (+15%)
Speak Native Language (+5%)
Appraise Goods (+5%)
Other Skills: Select eight skills at level one, and one additional skill at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications: Any (+5) except Laser Communications and Electronic Countermeasures.
Cowboy: None
Domestic: Any.
Electronics: None.
Espionage: Forgery only.
Horsemanship: General only.
Mechanical: None.
Medical: First Aid only.
Military: None.
Physical: None.
Pilot: Automobiles, Hover Craft, and Truck only.
Pilot Related: Navigation only.
Science: Mathematics only (+5%)
Technical: Any (+10%)
Weapon Proficiencies: None.
Wilderness: Land Navigation only.

Secondary Skills: A total of six secondary skills may be chosen at first level.
Standard Possessions/Equipment:
Traveling clothes, work clothes (business suit or the local equivalent), business equipment (pens, paper, pencils, calculator, etc.), wallet with ID, a horse or SDC car, and any additional equipment as determined by the Game Master.
Money: 1d12x1000 in any mix of Credits, local currency, trade goods, and/or Black Market salable goods.

[Killer Cyborg]

Besides flavor to an adventure I really don't see a need for these job classes in rifts. Just my opinion.

I don't really see a need for ANY of the OCCs in Rifts, on an individual level.
Besides, I happen to like flavor.

[Killer Cyborg]

Homesteader
Many of the people living on Rifts Earth are not lucky enough to live in Chi-Town, Lazlo, or some other city. These people make their homes in the wilderness, either on their own or in groups, trying to survive off the land. They try to carve out a decent existence for themselves and their families away from the civilized regions, away from the cities. Homesteaders tend to be more civilized than Barbarians, Raiders, or Trappers/Woodsmen. Many Homesteaders actually left large cities to strike out on their own, for one reason or another. Other Homesteaders come from families or clans that have been living in the wilderness for generations, usually in a family home or in a family compound.

Class Ability/Bonuses:
Homeground Advantage
Homesteaders survive because of the land that they own. They raise crops, hunt, fish, dig wells, and gather wild foods. They get to know every inch of their land in the process, and they shape the land to suit their needs. After living on and working a plot of land for one year, a homesteader is fully settled in. After that point, they receive a +6% bonus on all skills while they are on their own land. This bonus increases by 1% for every additional year that they live there. While fighting to defend his/her home, a Homesteader has a combat bonus of +1 to initiative and all other combat rolls (except damage).

OCC Skills:
Wilderness Survival (+10%)
Speak Native Language (+3%)
Physical Labor
Gardening (+10%)
Weapon Proficiencies: Two of choice

Other Skills: Select ten skills at level one, and one additional skill at levels 3, 7, 11, and 15. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications: Any (+5) except Cryptography, Laser Communications, Radio; Scramblers, and Electronic Countermeasures.
Cowboy: Any (+5%), except for Horsemanship: Cowboy and Trick Riding.
Domestic: Any (+5%)
Electronics: Any except for Electrical Engineer and Robot Electronics.
Espionage: Forgery only.
Horsemanship: General and Exotic only (+5%).
Mechanical: Automotive Mechanics and Basic Mechanics only.
Medical: Animal Husbandry, Brewing: Medicinal, First Aid, Holistic Medicine, and Veterinary Science only.
Military: Camouflage and Recognize Weapon Quality only.
Physical: Athletics, Climbing, Juggling, Outdoorsmanship, Prowl, Running, and Swimming only.
Pilot: Airplane, Automobile, Bicycling, Boats (All types), Hover Craft, Hovercycles, Motorcycles & Snowmobiles, Robots and Power Armor, Tracked & Construction Vehicles, Truck, Water Scooters, Water Skiiing & Surfing only.
Pilot Related: Any except for Weapon Systems.
Science: Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Mathematics, Xenology, and Zoology only.
Technical: Any (+5%)
Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
Wilderness: Any (+5%)
Hand to Hand Combat: Basic costs one skill to learn, Expert costs two skills to learn.

Secondary Skills: A total of six secondary skills may be chosen at first level.
Standard Possessions/Equipment:
Rugged work clothes, formal clothes, 1d4 guns (likely to be SDC hunting rifles and/or SDC pistols, but some of the more militant types have military grade SDC weapons), 1d10 clips/magazines/belts/boxes of ammunition per weapon, 1d4 other SDC weapons (often a bow or crossbow for hunting, along with 1d4x10 arrows/crossbow bolts), wallet with ID, transportation (usually a rusty work truck or a draft animal), various tools (for gardening, carpentry, and other necessary chores), hunting knife, and any additional equipment as determined by the Game Master. There is a 15% chance of owning a suit of light (and likely damaged) MDC body armor, or a 55% chance of owning SDC body armor (AR 12+1d6, 1d6x100 SDC).
A Homesteader has a 30% chance of owning a tractor, or a 5% chance of owning a robot or suit of power armor that is used for work around the homestead (Civilian model only, no weapons, usually a SDC structure).
Money: 1d6x100 in any mix of Credits, local currency, or trade goods, and 1d4x100 in Black Market salable goods.

[Killer Cyborg]

Hunter
Rifts Earth is teeming with life. Some of this life is native to the planet, some is not. Hunters are the people who survive by killing the animals, both old and new, that inhabit the world around them. They kill for food, they kill for clothing, they kill for trophies, and they kill to protect people and livestock from predators. Sometimes they kill because they have to, sometimes because they enjoy it, and sometimes simply because they are good at it. Hunters may live in a small town or community, or they may live in the deepest parts of the wilderness. Sometimes they stay on the move, living a nomadic life as they follow game animals or search for interesting prey.

Class Ability/Bonuses:
+1d6 to physical SDC
+1 to PS
+2 on Perception Rolls

OCC Skills:
Sniper
Hunting
Lore: Cattle & Animals (+15%)
W.P. Knife
W.P. Rifle (or Archery)
W.P. Shotgun (or Crossbow)
Native Language
Land Navigation
Track & Trap Animals (+10%)
Wilderness Survival (+5%)
Prowl (+15%)

Other Skills: Select eight skills at level one, and one additional skill at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications: Any except Creative Writing, Cryptography, Electronic Countermeasures, Laser Communications, Literacy, and Performance.
Cowboy: None.
Domestic: Any (+5%)
Electronics: None.
Espionage: None.
Horsemanship: General and Exotic only.
Mechanical: Basic Mechanics only.
Medical: First Aid (+5%), and Veterinary Science only.
Military: Camouflage and Recognize Weapon Quality only.
Physical: Any except for Acrobatics, Fencing, Kick Boxing, and Boxing.
Pilot: None.
Pilot Related: None.
Rogue: Gambling, Imitate Voices & Sounds, and Tailing only.
Science: Mathematics (Basic), and Zoology only.
Technical: Breed Dogs, General Maintenance & Repair, Jury Rig, Leather Working, Lore only.
Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
Wilderness: Any (+5%)
Hand to Hand Combat: Basic costs one skill to learn, Expert costs two skills to learn.

Secondary Skills: A total of three secondary skills may be chosen at first level, with one additional skill to be chosen at levels 5 and 10.
Standard Possessions/Equipment:
Casual clothing, camouflage clothing, 1d6 weapons (likely to be SDC hunting rifles or Ancient style ranged weapons such as a bow or a crossbow), 1d4 clips/magazines/belts/boxes of ammunition (or 1d4x20 arrows/bolts) per weapon, wallet with ID, various tools (for skinning, tanning, carpentry, and other necessary chores), hunting knife (and a 15% chance of owning a vibro-knife), and any additional equipment as determined by the Game Master. There is a 10% chance of owning a suit of light (and likely damaged) MDC body armor (usually made from MDC skins/hides/chitin/leather).
Money: 1d4x100 in Credits or local currency, 1d4x1000 in Black Market salable goods and leather, preserved meat, fur, or other animal products.

[Dustin Fireblade]

The Farmer, Homesteader and Hunter might work pretty good in Systems Failure...

[Killer Cyborg]

Barbarian
Many of the people living on Rifts Earth exist in primitive tribes ranging from somewhat peaceful societies to groups of savage warriors. They have no agriculture to speak of, getting what they need by hunting & gathering or by raiding other communities. Often both. These tribes generally have strict codes of conduct regarding morality, but these codes only apply within the tribe itself. While murdering or raping another member would warrant a death sentence, it is fully permissible to commit such acts upon outsiders (the exception being formal guests of the tribe). To outsiders, they behave as if their alignment is Miscreant, Aberrant, or Anarchist. While uneducated and primitive, "Barbarians" are not any less intelligent than anybody else. They simply do not have access to any sort of formal education; their harsh lifestyle forces them to grip solely on the skills that they need to survive.

Class Ability/Bonuses:
+2d4 to physical SDC
+1 to PS
+2 to PE
+1 to Speed

OCC Skills:
Hunting
Native Language (-10% when talking to outsiders unfamiliar with the dialect of the specific tribe)
W.P. Ancient Weapon of choice
Wilderness Survival (+20%)]
HTH Combat: Basic (can be upgraded to HTH: Expert at the cost of one Other skill).

Other Skills: Select eight skills at level one, and one additional skill at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications: Barter, Language, Performance, Public Speaking, and Singing only (+5%).
Cowboy: Any, except Horsemanship: Cowboy and Trick Riding.
Domestic: Any (+5%), except Recycle.
Electronics: None.
Espionage: Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, Sniper, and Tracking only (+5%)
Horsemanship: General, Equestrian, and Exotic only.
Mechanical: None.
Medical: Brewing: Medicinal, and Holistic Medicine only.
Military: Camouflage and Forced March only.
Physical: Any (+5%) except for SCUBA
Pilot: None.
Pilot Related: None.
Rogue: Imitate Voices & Sounds, Palming, Prowl (+5%), and Tailing only.
Science: None.
Technical: Breed Dogs, Leather Working, Lore, Masonry, Whittling & Sculpting only (+5%)
Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
Wilderness: Any (+10%)

Secondary Skills: A total of five secondary skills may be chosen at first level.

Standard Possessions/Equipment:
Clothing made from animal skins and hides, one ancient weapon of choice, 1-2 other SDC weapons. Most tribes have access to Mega-Damage weaponry to varying degrees (usually between 55% and 85% of the adult males own some form of Mega-Damage weapon, if only a vibro-knife or vibro-spear, or a fetish weapon). Barbarian tribes also often have access to MDC armor, with as much as 10%-40% of each of the tribe's warriors owning a suit of light or heavy (usually damaged) MDC body armor, typically decorated with hides, horns, bones of various animals, and random trinkets from raiding or trade. Any warrior lacking Mega-Damage armor will have some form of SDC armor. There is a 70% chance of this armor being ancient style, or a 30% chance of the armor being modern (same as Homesteader).

Money: 2d4x100 in Black Market salable goods or stolen items.

[Killer Cyborg]

Isn't this already covered in WB:20?

Not that I know of.
They have a Trapper/Woodsman OCC in that book, but it's an adventuring OCC.
One that I didn't know about when I wrote up my own Trapper/Woodsman OCC for this article.

So I'm going to have to change the name of mine.

In fact, the Rifts: Canada Trapper/Woodsman is a prime example of what I talked about in my article.
These are supposed to be ordinary people, but they're clearly NOT if you look at the OCC.

SDC bonus almost as good as a Cyberknight's.
Initiative bonus, bonuses vs possession, poison, disease, cold, and pain.
Bonus vs. Horror Factor that's almost as good as a Shifter's at high levels.
Automatically starts off with MDC armor, an MD energy weapon, a Vibro-Knife...

Yeah... that sounds like an average person.

[Killer Cyborg]

I'm starting to look like a jerk but isn't the barbarian also done in dino swamps?

"Starting"...?


There is. There are also other barbarian OCCs in other books.
But they're specific kinds of barbarians that live in the swamps, and I haven't found any generic Barbarian OCCs for North America anywhere in the books.

And, like the Trapper/Woodsman, they're adventuring OCCs, not average people.

[Killer Cyborg]

Automatically starts off with MDC armor, an MD energy weapon, a Vibro-Knife...

Yeah... that sounds like an average person.

That makes sense in the world of rifts. Now as for the SDC bonuses and such I agree they are over the top and not well thought out for the job class at hand.

Yeah... let me paint you a picture, because you're not seeing the same landscape that I am.

I'll find you some quotes and edit them in. Check back in on this post in a while.

Edit:
RUE 346 "Living creatures such as demons, dragons, and other inhuman beings may also have MDC; it represents their physical resistance to Mega-Damage and makes them supremely powerful on Rifts Earth."

RUE 357 "Mega-Damage weapons are still uncommon. It might not seem like it to the player characters, because getting and using such items and battling MDC opponents are all part of the job description. However, to the average person, Mega-Damage items are rare and valuable. The typical SDC town will be 90-98% SDC in its construction. Members of its militia, lawmen and/or some citizens may be the only ones who have one or two MD energy weapons and MDC armor each, plus one or two MDC combat vehicles or giant robots to the entire town; if that. Many communities hire mercs on an as-needed basis, or invite a band of mercenaries and adventurers with Mega-Damage capabilities to retire in their home town and serve as the community's champions and defenders. Some will even pay them for the service. This way the townspeople can go about the everyday necessities of living, and their champions can deal with Mega-Damage threats."
"Perhaps one should think of two modes of life, MDC and SDC. The MDC life is wandering through the wilderness, exploring the world and taking on Mega-Damage threats. Its what sets your character apart- he or she is out of the ordinary."

RAG, 105 "Barbarians and wilderness people are the average folks of Rifts North America. We don't talk about them much because their lives are pretty grim and not particularly exotic. They are not the stuff of high adventure, so instead we tend to focus on the big cities, kingdoms and Coalition States. However, such bastions of civilization are, however, the true rarity."

Rifts 22 "The average person is not likely to have psionics nor mega-damage weapons and armor. He is not a master of magic nor holder of great truths. He is one of the ordinary folk who live and struggle with the day to day hardships of life."

Time and time again, the books paint the picture of Rifts Earth:
Being a Mega-Damage creature makes you "Supremely Powerful," which doesn't equate to me as "An average woodsman can damage and maybe kill you."
"Mega-Damage Weapons are still uncommon," which doesn't meant to me that the guy trapping furs for a living, the kind of person used as an example of "average," is likely to have one.
Taking on Mega-Damage threats makes PCs extraordinary; it's something that the average person on Rifts Earth isn't capable of.
Average People do not have mega-damage weapons or armor.

This is why I think it doesn't fit to give every Woodsman running around in the wild mega-damage armor and weapons.
They're supposed to be average.
Mega-damage is supposed to be uncommon.

"Average" is kind of the opposite of "uncommon."

It doesn't make sense for Rifts Earth, where Mega-Damage is uncommon, for the average person to carry MD gear around.

[Killer Cyborg]

Question on the Homesteader O.C.C., . . . Which book covers the Physical Labor skill?

RUE.

[TechnoGothic]

Yeah... let me paint you a picture, because you're not seeing the same landscape that I am.

I'll find you some quotes and edit them in. Check back in on this post in a while.

Edit:
RUE 346 "Living creatures such as demons, dragons, and other inhuman beings may also have MDC; it represents their physical resistance to Mega-Damage and makes them supremely powerful on Rifts Earth."

RUE 357 "Mega-Damage weapons are still uncommon. It might not seem like it to the player characters, because getting and using such items and battling MDC opponents are all part of the job description. However, to the average person, Mega-Damage items are rare and valuable. The typical SDC town will be 90-98% SDC in its construction. Members of its militia, lawmen and/or some citizens may be the only ones who have one or two MD energy weapons and MDC armor each, plus one or two MDC combat vehicles or giant robots to the entire town; if that. Many communities hire mercs on an as-needed basis, or invite a band of mercenaries and adventurers with Mega-Damage capabilities to retire in their home town and serve as the community's champions and defenders. Some will even pay them for the service. This way the townspeople can go about the everyday necessities of living, and their champions can deal with Mega-Damage threats."
"Perhaps one should think of two modes of life, MDC and SDC. The MDC life is wandering through the wilderness, exploring the world and taking on Mega-Damage threats. Its what sets your character apart- he or she is out of the ordinary."

RAG, 105 "Barbarians and wilderness people are the average folks of Rifts North America. We don't talk about them much because their lives are pretty grim and not particularly exotic. They are not the stuff of high adventure, so instead we tend to focus on the big cities, kingdoms and Coalition States. However, such bastions of civilization are, however, the true rarity."

Rifts 22 "The average person is not likely to have psionics nor mega-damage weapons and armor. He is not a master of magic nor holder of great truths. He is one of the ordinary folk who live and struggle with the day to day hardships of life."

Time and time again, the books paint the picture of Rifts Earth:
Being a Mega-Damage creature makes you "Supremely Powerful," which doesn't equate to me as "An average woodsman can damage and maybe kill you."
"Mega-Damage Weapons are still uncommon," which doesn't meant to me that the guy trapping furs for a living, the kind of person used as an example of "average," is likely to have one.
Taking on Mega-Damage threats makes PCs extraordinary; it's something that the average person on Rifts Earth isn't capable of.
Average People do not have mega-damage weapons or armor.

This is why I think it doesn't fit to give every Woodsman running around in the wild mega-damage armor and weapons.
They're supposed to be average.
Mega-damage is supposed to be uncommon.

"Average" is kind of the opposite of "uncommon."

It doesn't make sense for Rifts Earth, where Mega-Damage is uncommon, for the average person to carry MD gear around.

This is Why I much prefer Rifts as an SDC setting. Once a MDC opponets shows up your dead meat. RIFTS in general needs to be pulled back and away from the MDC to it make much more uncommon and Rare as the fluff text says it is.

O.C.C. Construction Worker

O.C.C. Description: Construction Workers in the Pre-Rifts era were generally a group of various specialized people, referred to as labourers, working together on a building/repair project. Whether it is a building, a bridge, repairing structures, demolitions, even landscaping, painting, molding, flooring, roofing, welding, electrical, fences, building seaports, and creating heating and cooling systems, as well as water distribution piping systems, they are contracted to do. Presently during the Rifts time, the Military and Governments often have a group of Construction Workers to provide maintenance, and perform other projects, in and around the controlled territories. But instead of a group of specialized fields of various individuals, each Construction Worker has trade knowledge in each area. Some are very dedicated and prideful bunch, when it comes to building a structure, while others are often challenging themselves to build the next best everlasting building, and a very few are looking forward to build something appealing and memorable, as the rest are just the everyday worker, looking forward to their next payday, going home, hitting the nearest bar, social establishment, and taking it one day at a time.

Some Construction Workers are direct descendants from original Construction Workers before the coming of the Rifts, and have passed down knowledge on how structures were made, along with other various trades and skills. People view them as priceless individuals, because they help make life more better by providing shelters, water, temperature controls, and other useful community works. But they do not share the same sentiment. Instead, they are a very humbling and cultivated people, who enjoys the simply pleasures in life, and try to make the best out of what they can, while raising a family and creating long lasting structures as monuments and testaments to their own legacies. Many people respect them, thus far, no government nor military has ever found any wrong with them. There had been short rumors that a few of these direct descendants are connected by blood to a Pre-Rifts cult, called the Freemasons. No proof has ever been brought forth to these allegations, nor anyone willing to take up the challenge. So far, they are just rumors spoken about here and there, and none of the Construction Workers has ever made such a claim. As far as anyone is concerned, the Freemasons is just another tale of ancient times here on Rifts Earth.

Abilities: Masonry Expert: A highly complex understanding of the principles of construction and building knowledge, that includes the basic skill of Masonry. The resulting percentile roll will indicate the success of building highly sophisticated construction works, and all known styles of masonry, while matching the theme of the structure with the environment and cultural society to whom will be using it. This will also include the changes in the seasons too. Base Skill: 30% +5% per level of experience.

M.D.C. Knowledge: This skill enables the player to understand and identify the types of Mega-Damage Capacity the structure is made out of, by analyzing a sample, or a cut sample, of it. The skill can also postulate a list of possible types, based on structural and constructive observations. Base skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience.

Bonuses: Add 1D4 to P.S., and P.E. attributes.

O.C.C. Skills

Masonry (+20%)
Two Languages of choice (+15%)
Art (+15%)
Carpentry (+20%)
W.P. Blunt
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Basic

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select ten other skills at level 1, plus one additional skill at levels 2, 3, 5, 8, 11, and 14. All new added skills get the listed bonuses, and start at level one proficiency.

Communications: Any (+10%)
Cowboy: Any
Domestic: Any
Electrical: Except for Robot Electronics (+10%)
Espionage: Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, Pick Locks, and Wilderness Survival only
Horsemanship: General only
Mechanical: Locksmith only
Medical: First Aid, Holistic Medicine, and Paramedic only
Military: Demolitions, Demolitions Disposal, Demolitions Underwater, Military Fortification, and Trap Construction only (+5%)
Physical: Any (+10%, if applicable)
Pilot: Except for Combat Pod, Jet Fighters, Robot Combat both Basic and Elite, and Tanks and APCs (+10)
Pilot Related: Except Weapon Systems
Rogue: Concealment, Palming, Pick Locks, and Streetwise only (+5%)
Science: Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Chemistry - Analytical, Math - Basics and Advanced only. (+15%)
Technical: Any (+15%)
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: Any (+5%)

Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select four secondary skills from the list. The skill bonuses do not apply to the secondary skills, and the selection of the secondary skills are limited to the skills choosing list for this O.C.C.

Standard Equipment: The hard hat (10 M.D.C.), pair of M.D.C.-toed boots (5 M.D.C. each), neon-colored-glow-in-the-dark-reflective jacket, carpentry/construction workers belt with complete assortments of equipment, like a M.D.C. metal and padded hammers, tape measure, pencils, pens, multi-changable screw driver, portable flashlight that can be attached to the hard hat, multi-purpose plier, multi-purpose wrench, a box cutter, a small balance bubble meter, a notepad, two-way radio with a headset, eye-shielding M.D.C. goggles, a pair of ear mufflers, a pair of gloves, a pair of M.D.C. gloves, a multi-functioning knife, 100 feet of rope with connecting body harnesses, 2 flares, and a filtered-breathing mask unit. The GM can give additional construction related equipment, not mentioned here. Also the character is given two weapons of choice, one body armor, and a non-military vehicle (Mostly trucks and non-military vehicles able to carry lots of equipment and tow other heavy construction materials/equipment/vehicles.) of choice.

Money: 4D6x1000, and 3D6x1000 credits in black market items for starting. 1D4x1000 to as much as 6D6x1000 credits, depending on the contract, the type of project, and how many are in the Construction Group or Crew.

Cybernetics: Starts with none, but may purchase cybernetic augmentations later, but the player could be limited to certain types of construction projects.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you all enjoyed this O.C.C.

I would remove the HtH basic. There is no need for it as an OCC skill. Otherwise cool.

RUE.

I seriously need to get me that book.

Buy SPLICERS instead. Physical Labor and the newer skills are included in it.

[Dustin Fireblade]

Is there any reason why the new version of the Farmer can't get Literacy?

[jaymz]

Hey KC, was PM a motivation j/k

Nice work on all of these guys

May have to pla one of these at some point with the whole got caught up in something and decded to do somethign about it angle....

[Killer Cyborg]

Is there any reason why the new version of the Farmer can't get Literacy?

As of RUE, Literacy is available to anybody, as a Secondary Skill.

[Killer Cyborg]

Ryu:
Okay, I've looked over the Construction Worker, and here are my thoughts:
-I like the Masons connection.
-Overall, I think the occupation you describe is more of a Super-Construction Worker than an ordinary worker, somewhere between an average person who works a construction job and some kind of adventuring OCC.
Basically, it seems like your OCC is to Operator as Construction Worker would be to Mechanic, if you follow.
They all have MDC gear and other stuff that wouldn't be universally applicable- something like 96% of most towns are SDC construction, so Mega-Damage gear isn't necessary for most construction workers.
The only issue there is that I'd change the name of the OCC to something else. "Construction Worker (Mason)" perhaps. Or find some term that would separate these guys from the joe-average worker.
-You might want to give them an Architect skill, or Literacy: Blueprints.

I'll mull it over and see what else I can come up with.

Looks like it might be fun to play, though! I've wanted for some time to have a campaign where the party was a construction crew made out of retired Adventurers, and this class would fit right in.

[Nemo235]

I haven't gone over all the OCCs in detail, but I appreciate the effort to provide GMs with extra options for campaign material.
I'm definately going to copy and paste these for easy reference.
Good stuff!

[Killer Cyborg]

Raider
Wherever there are people trying to prosper, there are also people who try to feed on or steal that prosperity. Communities trying to live in peace have to worry about raids not just from barbarian tribes, but also from more advanced forms of bandits as well. Raiders can come in the form of biker gangs, hover gangs, or any number of other forms. They are typically mobile in nature, roaming the land in convoys, looking for easy prey. They prefer to raid poorly defended communities of farmers or homesteaders, but they will content themselves with individual homesteads, trappers' cabins, or travelers on the road. They are not cowards by nature, but they will usually avoid armed bands of adventurers when they can. There is no profit or fun in getting killed, only in dominating people who are weaker than they are.
Raiders are typically of Selfish or Evil alignments, but Good aligned Raiders are not completely unheard of. There are some "Robin Hood" type bands of Raiders who prey exclusively on those that they see as being evil: Coalition farms and towns, or perhaps D-Bee communities, depending on the personal views of the particular band.
Note: There are many types of raiders roaming the face of Rifts Earth, and not all of them belong to the Raider OCC. In fact, as many as 60% of the bands of raiders are actually made up of barbarians. Even a band made primarily of people belonging to the Raider OCC will often have a Vagabond, Wilderness Scout, Mercenary, or Headhunter among them, often in a leadership capacity. Even the occasional Juicer or Crazy will form a band of Raiders around them, choosing to lead a gang of lesser warriors than to serve in a more organized and powerful group.

Class Ability/Bonuses:
Size Up Prey
Raiders live to prey on the weak. They quickly learn to tell the difference between a disguised CS convoy and a caravan of legitimate merchants. They learn to tell which farms are well-defended, and they learn to sniff out an ambush or trap set by local law enforcement or adventurers. This ability lets them tell when a potential target will be worth the effort, whether the risk involved will be worth the potential gain in loot and excitement.
Base Skill: 15%+5% per level.

OCC Skills:
Speak Native Language
Wilderness Survival (+10%)]
W.P. Knife or Sword
W.P. Handguns
W.P. Rifle, Shotgun, or Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. One of choice
Radio: Basic (+5%)
HTH Combat: Basic (can be upgraded to HTH: Expert at the cost of one Other skill).

Other Skills: Select ten skills at level one, and one additional skill at levels 3, 7, 11, and 15. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications: Any(+5%) except for Cryptography, Electronic Countermeasures, and Laser Communication.
Cowboy: None.
Domestic: None.
Electronics: Any except for Electrical Engineer and Robot Electronics.
Espionage: Any.
Horsemanship: General, Equestrian, and Exotic only.
Mechanical: Aircraft Mechanics, Automotive Mechanics, Basic Mechanics only (+5%)
Medical: First Aid and Paramedic only.
Military: Any (+5%)
Physical: Any (+10%)
Pilot: Any (+5%) except Flight System Combat, Jump Bike Combat, Robot (and Power Armor) Combat: Elite
Pilot Related: Any.
Rogue: Any (+5%) except Computer Hacking.
Science: Astronomy & Navigation and Mathematics only.
Technical: Any.
Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
Wilderness: Any.

Secondary Skills: A total of six secondary skills may be chosen at first level.

Standard Possessions/Equipment:
Rugged travel clothing, survival knife and 1d4 combat knives, and other equipment as determined below. (Other equipment can be added by the Game Master).

Some gangs of raiders have access only to SDC equipment, but many gangs have limited MDC equipment.

Armor (Roll percentile dice)
1-65 A suit of SDC armor ranging from primitive medieval style to 20th century body armor.
66-85 A suit of light (often damaged and/or homemade) MDC body armor (35% chance that the armor is environmental). There is a 50% chance that the armor will only have 1/2 of its maximum MDC.
89-95% A suit of heavy MDC body armor (30% chance of the armor being environmental). Usually the armor is homemade from pieces of armor take from the dead during raids. There is a 50% chance that the armor will only have 1/2 of it's maximum MDC.
96-100 A suit of power armor (SDC construction or MDC with 1/3 of the normal MDC and 1/4 ammunition).

Weapons
Each Raider has an SDC pistol and an SDC rifle, with 1d4 clips/magazines of standard ammunition for each.
Alternatively, the Raider can choose a bow, crossbow, or spear-gun and 1d4x10 arrows/bolts/spears (SDC) instead of a gun (or instead of each of his guns).
-Each Raider has one SDC melee weapon of choice.
-Roll percentile dice 1d4 times on the following table:
1-10 The Raider owns a Vibro Blade.
11-20 The Raider owns 1d4 clips/belts/quivers of SDC armor-piercing or explosive rounds for one of his weapons.
21-30 The Raider owns 1 clip of Mega-Damage Ram-Jet rounds for one firearm (or 1d4 magical or high-explosives projectiles if they have a bow/crossbow/speargun).
31-50 The Raider owns an assault rifle. There is a 35% chance that the assault rifle has a grenade launcher with 2d4 (SDC) grenades. In addition, if there is a grenade launcher then the Raider has a 25% chance of having 1-2 Mega-Damage rifle-launched grenades.
51-60 The Raider owns 1d6 SDC hand grenades or 2d4 sticks of SDC dynamite.
61-65 The Raider owns 1-3 Mega-Damage hand grenades, or 1d4 sticks of Mega-Damage dynamite.
66-75 The Raider owns a Heavy (SDC) Military Weapon (such as a heavy machinegun or anti-tanke weapon).
76-85 The Raider owns a Mega-Damage energy pistol with 1d4-1 spare E-Clips.
86-100 The Raider owns a Mega-Damage energy rifle with 1d4-1 spare E-Clips.

Vehicles:
Roll percentile dice once on the following table:
1-40 No Vehicle.
41-55 SDC car, motorcycle, or truck.
56-75 Horse or other common riding animal.
76-85 MDC car, motorcycle, hovercycle, truck, ATV, or hover vehicle.
86-95 SDC military vehicle (Tank, APC, helicopter, etc.)
96-100 MDC military vehicle (1/2 MDC and 1d4 working weapons systems maximum).

Money: 1d6x100 in Credits or various local currencies, and 1d4x1000 in Black Market Salable Goods and stolen items.

Cybernetics:
Roll percentile dice once on the following table.
1-60 Has no cybernetics or bionics.
61-70 Has one replacement limb (usually cyber-snatched, with side-effects)
71-80 Has one cybernetic implant.
81-90 Has one cybernetic limb and one implant.
91-100 Has 1d4 cybernetic implants.

[Killer Cyborg]

Townie
Unlike the Farmers, Trappers, Hunters and Homesteaders, some people live most of their lives within the relatively safe borders of a large town or even a city. These people, commonly known as Townies, are able to rely on the protection that the town gives them. This allows them to focus less on general survival and to focus themselves more toward specialized types of skilled labor. Townies are the doctors, mechanics, lawyers, blacksmiths, coopers, fletchers, gunsmiths, bartenders, innkeepers, and other skilled laborers of the towns of Rifts Earth. A Townie doctor might not be able to compare to a full-fledged Body Fixer or Cyber-Doc, but they manage to keep people alive more often than not. A Townie mechanic might not be able to compete with an Operator, but they keep the town's vehicles running and in more or less good condition.
Even in the safest towns, the citizens are usually expected to contribute to the local militia. This means that Townies are likely to have one or more weapon proficiencies, and some form of hand to hand combat training (if only boxing, kickboxing, or wrestling).

OCC Skills:
Speak Native Language
One skill of choice (from the list of Other Skills below) that the character focuses on to make his living (+35%).
Two skills of choice (from the list of Other Skills below) with a +20% bonus.
W.P. One of choice (whatever is appropriate to the tech level of the town).
Barter (+10%)
HTH Combat: None. HTH Basic can be learned as a secondary skill.

Other Skills: Select four skills at level one, and one additional skill at levels 3, 9, 12, and 15. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications: Any(+5%).
Cowboy: None.
Domestic: Any (+5%)
Electronics: Any (+5%)
Espionage: Escape Artist, Forgery, Interrogation, Pick Locks, Pick Pockets, Undercover Ops only.
Horsemanship: General, Equestrian, and Exotic only.
Mechanical: Any (+5%).
Medical: Any.
Military: Demolitions, Demolitions Disposal, Field Armorer & Munitions Expert, Recognize Weapon Quality only.
Physical: Athletics, Boxing, Climbing, Juggling, Physical Labor, Prowl, Swimming, SCUBA, Wrestling only.
Pilot: Any except Combat Driving, Robot (and Power Armor) Combat.
Pilot Related: Any.
Rogue: Any (+4%).
Science: Any.
Technical: Any (5%).
Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
Wilderness: Any.

Secondary Skills: A total of eight secondary skills may be chosen at first level, and one additional skill can be chosen at levels 4, 8, and 12. All new skills start at level one proficiency.

Standard Possessions/Equipment: Townies start with several sets of clothing for work, formal occasions, and relaxation. They will have an apartment or house (although they might not live by themselves). Whether or not they have a vehicle (and the type of vehicle if they do) will depend on what sort of town/community/city in which they live. They will likely have some sort of tools reflecting their occupation. They will have one (usually low-quality) weapon of choice that matches the average technology level of their community. If their particular community outlaws civilian weaponry, then they will only have access to weapons if they are a criminal or part of the community's militia or law enforcement.
Money: 2d4x1000 in Credits, local currency, various goods, and/or Black Market salable items.

[Dustin Fireblade]

Is there any reason why the new version of the Farmer can't get Literacy?

As of RUE, Literacy is available to anybody, as a Secondary Skill.

Ah ok. I keep forgetting that.

[Killer Cyborg]

Is there any reason why the new version of the Farmer can't get Literacy?

As of RUE, Literacy is available to anybody, as a Secondary Skill.

Ah ok. I keep forgetting that.

Me too.
I like the new setup with secondary skills, but it's tricky to get used to.

[jaymz]

Is there any reason why the new version of the Farmer can't get Literacy?

As of RUE, Literacy is available to anybody, as a Secondary Skill.

Ah ok. I keep forgetting that.

Me too.
I like the new setup with secondary skills, but it's tricky to get used to.

It does stop peopel from buring ALL of the secondaries for Physical skill too No more Boxing as a secondary or acrobatics or gymnatics.... no more munchkin physcial skills for you without it costing you REAL skills

[Nemo235]

Barbarian
Construction Worker
Farmer
Homesteader
Hunter
Moneyman
Raider
Town/City Worker
Townie

This is quite a collection already. I can see it expanding beyond a Rifter article, including typical city, country and wasteland conditions and ways of life.
Also, if you have a copy of Warhammer first or second editions, they have a wide variety of occupations.
I'm not suggesting direct conversions, just mentioning a source for ideas that I know about.
Other books and etc. detailing primitive, medieval or early industrial societies could serve the same purpose.

[The Beast]

Your base SDC is way to high.

[Killer Cyborg]

Your base SDC is way to high.

What do you think it should be?

[Todd Yoho]

As someone who has some serious lurrrve for the low powered, common classes, I'd play any of these in a heartbeat over a party of Glitterboys and DemiGods. Shame these never saw any love in the Rifter, even after the strong approval they got at the Open House a lifetime ago.

[Noon]

I think these have the same problem official new classes have - in that play comes from a problematic situation that comes up. But with these new clases it's stating up the opposite - all this stuff you do have. And lets face it, having stuff is in no way a problem! Being able to read the weather is not a problem! Having stuff is the opposite of problem situation.

Stating up the situations a farmer might face, that's interesting! And I mean it's kind of crazy in how much detail new classes are stated, if you turn around and just make a vague, wandwavey gesture as to the problematic situations a farmer might be in. Why go from anal attention to every number straight to complete hazyness?

I really don't find a new class, or even the old ones, some seed for aventure. Indeed really they are the opposite, since they are all solution (with their stuff, even the lesser stuff of these classes) with no problem. It's alot like those comedy shows where all the characters don't seem to do any jobs or need to work for a living (friends, for example).

[Killer Cyborg]

As someone who has some serious lurrrve for the low powered, common classes, I'd play any of these in a heartbeat over a party of Glitterboys and DemiGods. Shame these never saw any love in the Rifter, even after the strong approval they got at the Open House a lifetime ago.

Thanks!

[Killer Cyborg]

Noon, I wrote up some Hook, Line, and Sinkers as part of the article. I'll post them later, after the final OCC from the article.
If that helps any.

[Bood Samel]

These are great!
I have a article that I lost with my stolen computer that I need to re-write on rifts nomads. Basically the idea is that there are caravans of nomads that stick to certain set seasonal routes (like Appellation trail) and move in packs for safety and pooling skills and resources. Also that they each have basic sets of rules expressed in standards that they carry so they be seen from a distance. Stuff like if d-bees are welcome or not, etc..

[The Beast]

Your base SDC is way to high.

What do you think it should be?

I think 2d4 is more reasonable for non-adventureers.

[TechnoGothic]

Simple Non-Adventureing OCCs should be the Bases for RCC Characters in general.
Your not an Adventurer by the OCC skills standards, but your RCC itself may fling you into adventuring willing or not. Makes you stand out in other words.

Alot of these would be perfect for Nightbane for the base skills in Rifts.

[Killer Cyborg]

Your base SDC is way to high.

What do you think it should be?

I think 2d4 is more reasonable for non-adventurers.

You might be right.
In Rifts, though, the current standard is 2d6+12, an average of 19, almost 2x as much as the average of 10 that I proposed.
In BtS, it's 1d10+12, average of 17-18, including for the Ordinary Person OCC.
So I figured that average of 10ish would be appropriate.

But looking at PFRPG, the base SDC for non-men-at-arms only get 1d6 SDC!

I'm going to mull this one over for a while.

What's everybody else think?

[Killer Cyborg]

These are great!
I have a article that I lost with my stolen computer that I need to re-write on rifts nomads. Basically the idea is that there are caravans of nomads that stick to certain set seasonal routes (like Appellation trail) and move in packs for safety and pooling skills and resources. Also that they each have basic sets of rules expressed in standards that they carry so they be seen from a distance. Stuff like if d-bees are welcome or not, etc..

That sounds like they'd fit in nicely, and it's a group I hadn't really thought of.
I guess in the back of my mind I had vagabonds and barbarians as nomadic types, so I didn't put any more thought into it.
But Vagabonds are too powerful to be average as of RUE, and they're more into solo or small group travel anyway, and there's going to be some groups with more tech (or magic) than Barbarians generally have.
Kind of like a (more) peaceful version of the Raiders I wrote up.
And I like the standards, too.

[Killer Cyborg]

Okay, here's my version of the Trapper/Woodsman. I altered the name slightly to differentiate them from the CND version.
I considered splitting them into two classes, Trapper and Woodsman, but for now at least I want to show how they were in the original article.


Common Trapper/Woodsman
The forests of the world have replenished from the apocalypse, having grown for centuries undisturbed in the deeper areas of wilderness. The woods are filled with wildlife ranging from native deer and lions to strange D-Bee animals. Trappers make their living by trapping and killing these creatures for their skins, furs, teeth, claws, and meat. Trappers typically live deeper in the wilderness than other people do, seeking out the wilder regions where the most animals live. They avoid towns unless they need supplies or unless they have a load of goods to sell.
Woodsmen are a slightly different breed. A woodsman lives and operates in the forests much like Trappers do, but they are not as specialized in the arts of trapping game. They deal primarily with other areas of forest-dwelling. A Trapper might be hired as a guide from time to time, but a Woodsman might be a professional guide with regular customers and would be more likely to guide to unfamiliar places. On the other hand, other Woodsmen might not be willing to hire out as a guide under any circumstances. He might be a prospector, miner, boatman, or lumberjack. Woodsmen are simply people who live in (and make their living from) the woods and forests of Rifts Earth.
Woodsmen and Trappers are essentially the same in nature, so they are both included under the same character class. The only functional difference is that a Woodsman receives only half of the bonus on the skills of Trap & Track Animals and Skin & Prepare Animal Hides, and instead receive one additional Other Skill. Also, Woodsmen and Trappers receive different special OCC skills.

Class Ability/Bonuses:
Trapping Route: A Trapper generally has a specific territory or rote in which they routinely operate. This territory is well-known to them, and that knowledge gives the Trapper special advantages. After working a route for one year, the Trapper receives a bonus of +6% on relevant skills while operating in his established territory or along his familiar route.
Tree Lore: Survival in the forest is heavily dependent upon trees. Trees are used as sources of food, fuel, building materials, and more, therefore a Woodsman must have an above-average knowledge of the various kinds of trees. This skill covers knowing the uses for different types of wood, as well as general knowledge about all trees in the Woodsman's area. Unfamiliar trees can also be identified or analyzed using this skill.
Base Skill: 30%+5% per level

OCC Skills:
Speak Native Language
Track & Trap Animals (+16%)
Skin & Prepare Animal Hides (+16%)
Wilderness Survival (+15%)
Lore: Cattle & Animals (+15%)
Hunting
Land Navigation (+5%)
Prowl (+5%)
W.P. Two of choice

Other Skills: Select eight skills at level one, and one additional skill at levels 3, 7, and 11. All new skills start at level one proficiency. These selections benefit from any bonus that may be noted below.
Communications: Any except Cryptography, Electronic Countermeasures, Laser Communications, Literacy, and Radio: Scramblers.
Cowboy: Any except Horsemanship: Cowboy and Trick Riding.
Domestic: Any
Electronics: Basic Electronics only.
Espionage: Detect Ambush only.
Horsemanship: General and Exotic only.
Mechanical: Basic Mechanics only.
Medical: Animal Husbandry, First Aid , and Holistic Medicine only. (+5%)
Military: Trap Construction, Trap/Mine detection, Recognize Weapon Quality only (+10%)
Physical: Athletics, Climbing, Outdoorsmanship, Prowl, Running, and Swimming only.
Pilot: Automobile, Bicycling, Hover Craft, Hovercycles, Motorcycles & Snowmobiles only.
Pilot Related: Navigation only.
Rogue: Find Contraband, Gambling, and Imitate Voices & Sounds only.
Science: Mathematics (Basic), Biology, Xenology, and Zoology only.
Technical: Breed Dogs, Firefighting, General Maintenance & Repair, Leather Working (+5%), Lore (+5% on Demon & Monsters), Rope Works, Whittling & Sculpting only.
Weapon Proficiencies: Any except Heavy Mega-Damage Weapons.
Wilderness: Any (+10%)
Hand to Hand Combat: Basic costs one skill to learn, Expert costs two skills to learn.

Secondary Skills: A total of six secondary skills may be chosen at first level.
Standard Possessions/Equipment:
Rugged work clothes made from leather and furs, 1d4 weapons (likely to be SDC hunting rifles and/or pistols, or Ancient style ranged weapons such as a bow or a crossbow), 1d4 clips/magazines/belts/boxes of ammunition (or 1d4x10 arrows/bolts) per weapon, transportation (usually a motorcycle, or a horse or other draft animal), various tools (for skinning, tanning, carpentry, and other necessary chores), chainsaw (and a 15% chance of owning a Mega-Damage chainsaw: 1d6+2 MD), a hunting knife, occasionally a Vibro-Knife (15% chance), traps and snares (20% chance of MDC traps/snares that work the same as normal versions, only are harder to destroy) and any additional equipment as determined by the Game Master.
If the Trapper/Woodsman owns a MD chainsaw or Vibro-Knife, then he/she will also have a set of homemade MDC armor with 1d4x10 MDC, made from Mega-Damage hides/shells/chitin). Otherwise there is a 25% chance of owning a suit of strong SDC hide/shell/chitin or modern armor (AR of 12+1d6, with 1d6x100 SDC). If the character has no other armor, then they are likely to have a suit of homemade soft or hard leather armor.
Money: 1d6x100 in Credits or local currency, and 1d4x1000 in Black Market salable goods and/or meat, fur, or other animal products.

[The Beast]

Your base SDC is way to high.

What do you think it should be?

I think 2d4 is more reasonable for non-adventurers.

You might be right.
In Rifts, though, the current standard is 2d6+12, an average of 19, almost 2x as much as the average of 10 that I proposed.
In BtS, it's 1d10+12, average of 17-18, including for the Ordinary Person OCC.
So I figured that average of 10ish would be appropriate.

But looking at PFRPG, the base SDC for non-men-at-arms only get 1d6 SDC!

I'm going to mull this one over for a while.

What's everybody else think?

I think I was going off of pre-RUE base SDC amounts. It would be nice if there was one Megaversal Base SDC amount, and each OCC would add in its own SDC bonus.

[Killer Cyborg]

It would be nice if there was one Megaversal Base SDC amount, and each OCC would add in its own SDC bonus.

Word.

[TechnoGothic]

I use Base SDC based on OCC Type.

Man-at-Arms = 40
Adventurer = 30
Men-of-Magic/Psychics = 20

[Noon]

Noon, I wrote up some Hook, Line, and Sinkers as part of the article. I'll post them later, after the final OCC from the article.
If that helps any.

Depends on whether they contain stats that oppose the stats the OCC's have.

[Killer Cyborg]

Noon, I wrote up some Hook, Line, and Sinkers as part of the article. I'll post them later, after the final OCC from the article.
If that helps any.

Depends on whether they contain stats that oppose the stats the OCC's have.

Nope.
I don't think I get your complaint.

[sasha]

Sort of tweaked Vagabonds, not too bad; although some of those special class abilities could be skills (don't remember which at the moment) instead. While on the topic of skills, they may too many selections.

[lather]

IThese classes are not necessarily meant to be used for creating Player Characters, though they are designed to be used that way for players who enjoy a challenge.

Definitely works as non-player characters unless you're talking about the challenge of being an adventurer in a non-adventurer class, of being thrown into something you don't want to be thrown into.

[lather]

Our O.C.C. list so far, . . .

Farmer - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Moneyman - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Homesteader - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Hunter - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Barbarian - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Construction Worker - Emperor Ryu (page 1)
Town/City Worker - Emperor Ryu (page 1)
Raider - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Townie - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Common Trapper/Woodsman - Killer Cyborg (page 1)
Fisher - Emperor Ryu (page 2)
Wave Rider - Emperor Ryu (page 2)

Everybody else is welcome to pitch in their O.C.C.s in this thread.

@ Killer Cyborg, . . . what is your take on giving these O.C.C.s experience tables?

I know you asked him but I thought I'd point out that it's addressed in the OP.

[lather]

They all use the Vagabond unless otherwise specified, I reckon.

[Noon]

Noon, I wrote up some Hook, Line, and Sinkers as part of the article. I'll post them later, after the final OCC from the article.
If that helps any.

Depends on whether they contain stats that oppose the stats the OCC's have.

Nope.
I don't think I get your complaint.

Well, I presume if you played out the HL&S, you'd scratch out some opposing stats. So I'd like those stats as well, instead of just getting half the stats you'd use.

[Killer Cyborg]

Hook, Line, and Sinkers
Hook: A farming community has reoccurring problems with a band of Barbarians who raid their town every year just after harvest time. if the Farmers do not give the Barbarians their hard-earned food stores, then the Barbarians attack and take it all anyway. If the Farmers give up their crops peacefully, then the Barbarians do less harm to the Farmers and their buildings, but the lack of stored food takes a heavy toll in the winter.
Line: The Farmers have saved up a modest amount of money, trade goods, and black market items (2d4x10,000 credits worth) that they plan to use to hire adventurers to stave off the Barbarians and to protect the Farmers, their homes, and their food stores. This will be difficult because the farms are rather spread out, although there is a central village with grain silos and storehouses that are used for the community's winter storage. None of the structures in the town are Mega-Damage, although they have some heavy SDC stone structures in the village itself.
Sinker:Unknown to the Farmers, the band of Barbarians has doubled its numbers by merging with another tribe. This has not only increased their numbers, it has made them more desperate to get the Farmers' food stores. The Farmers are expecting the Barbarians to give up rather easily when confronted by the heavily armed Player Characters, but the Barbarians will find themselves in a desperate situation. They counted on this food to survive the upcoming winter, and they find themselves being forced to chooses between attacking a difficult target or facing starvation.

Hook: The party stops at a medium sized town during their travels. They are treated politely, but there is an undercurrent of fear. The party notices that the town militia seems to be prepared for some sort of trouble.
Line: Raiders have taken over the town and are posing as the town militia. The townsfolk are reluctant to share this information with the Player Characters, but the party should be able to figure it out by themselves after witnessing a number of events where the "militia" troops mistreat the civilians.
Sinker: The Raiders are likely to be vastly out-gunned by the Player Characters, but they have taken the town's children hostage and are holding them prisoner in the basement of the town hall. When the party conflicts with the Raiders, they will be informed of the situation and told to surrender their armor and weapons or the children will be killed. If the party does so, they will be sent out of town, but left alive and (relatively) unharmed. If not, then their actions could lead to the children being killed. The Raiders are not complete monsters, however, and they will not actually harm the children unless they are desperate, and feel that they have to in order to keep control. The players may be able to end the standoff by leaving town immediately, and later sneaking back to try to rescue the hostages.

Hook: The party is staying in a small wilderness community in a heavily forested area outside of Coalition territory. The villagers are friendly and have had no troubles with monsters, Barbarians, or Raiders lately. Times are pretty good.
Line: Unfortunately, the Coalition has decided to use the village as an outpost. A group of heavily armed Coalition Soldiers arrives to take control. They outnumber and outgun the party enough that the Player Characters should not consider attacking them head on. There are a large number of hunters and trappers in the area that dislike the Coalition, and who will wage guerilla war against the CS troops stationed there, but there are some villagers who will side with the CS, either out of fear or because they see some personal advantage in cooperating.
Sinker: The community has a large enough population of D-Bees and mutants that there is little chance for peaceful resolution to the situation. They refuse to leave their home, and the Coalition soldiers will see them as a threat to their outpost. It is up to the PCs to decide if they wish to help those who want to fight, or if they want to urge everybody to evacuate their homes or to surrender to the CS. If the party and the locals do manage to drive out the Coalition, the CS will not forget the attacks. They will send replacement troops and reinforcements to put down the resistance. In order to get the Coalition to give up on their outpost, the party will need to demonstrate that putting the outpost in the village would be far more trouble than it is worth.

Hook: A wilderness community is safe from Raiders and Barbarians because of a Cyber-Knight who has declared that the town is under his protection. He has organized a local militia of people loyal to him, and they have managed to keep the town safe for quite some time.
Line: Unfortunately, the Cyber-Knight is not the most moral of men, and he has become infatuated with the daughter of a local Homesteader. He has been announcing that the two of them will become married, although the girl does not love him, and refuses to marry him. This has led the (Aberrant) Cyber-Knight to make a number of veiled threats at her family. He refuses to take "no" for an answer, and there is no telling what lengths he will go to in order to get his way.
Sinker: Because the Cyber-Knight has risked his life to save the community, time and time again, and because he is charming and handsome (MA and PB of 18+), the majority of the townsfolk side with him in the issue. They see the girl as either a seductress who is playing hard to get, hoping for a large dowry, or as a snob who thinks she's too good for the brave man who has saved their town from demons.

Hook: The Xiticix are expanding their territory and are attacking a northern wilderness town. The town is fairly well-armed, and has successfully repelled several Xiticix scouting parties that were sent to test their defenses, but they have lost a number of men in the battles and supplies are running low. If the town can manage to hold off the bugs long enough, though, the Xiticix will rethink their new borders.
Line: The attacks come at the worst possible time. A sizable Barbarian tribe has been spotted to the south of town, a tribe that is known for making raids on the town and those people living in the surrounding area. The town cannot defend itself from both the Xiticix and the Barbarians, as their defenses are already spread too thin.
Sinker: The PCs arrive in time to help the town against the combined threat. They party can help slow down one of the threats long enough for the town to deal with the other, but they will be out-gunned. A well-spoken and charismatic group of characters might be able to parlay with the Barbarians, and bribe them to hold off their attacks until after the Xiticix have passed through. A particularly clever group might even be able to convince the Barbarians to help fight off the Xiticix and save the town! After all, if the town is destroyed, the tribe will no longer be able to make raids on the people in that area for the supplies they need.

Hook: A large wilderness town is hosting an annual hunting festival, which attracts Hunters and others from near and far.
Line: The main prey is a race of woodland vermin that inhabit the local forests.
Sinker: The prey "animals" are really a race of sentient beings who do not mean to cause any harm. If the party does not manage to discover this on their own, a group of NPC Psi-Stalkers or Simvan will find out on their on and try to stop the hunt by any means necessary. Some of the Hunters might leave once the information is out, but others won't believe it, and others still simply won't care. The town refuses to simply cancel the hunt, as it's a longstanding tradition, and they rely heavily on the increase in trade that it provides.

[Killer Cyborg]

I presume if you played out the HL&S, you'd scratch out some opposing stats. So I'd like those stats as well, instead of just getting half the stats you'd use.

Still don't really follow.

[Killer Cyborg]

O.C.C. Fisher...

... Fishers doesn't bother with politics, unless politics bothers the fishes and their fishing, in anyway. They don't bother in wars either, but they will defend themselves, and strangely enough, defend fishes too. Ever seen a Fisher tackle someone trying to shoot a defenseless fish in a pond? Oh, it's happened. In any case, Fishers view the occupation as a way of life, and how it should be lived.

I think the first bits here should be less concrete. Something more like. "Fishers generally tend to ignore politics..." and "usually don't bother in wars..."
Overall, the last three sentences are too informal, and could be eliminated entirely.
Maybe change that to "...the are willing to defend themselves and the ecosystems that they depend on to survive."
Or something like that.

Abilities: Weather Eyes: The Fisher can look at the weather and get a good determination how the weather is going to turn out within the next 1D6 hours. Fishers in general spend lots of time outdoors and stare endlessly into the scenery so much, they can get a sense of connection with what is going around them. The percentile roll will determine just how sure the Fisher is, . . .

01-25: Very certain.
26-50: Somewhat sure.
51-75: A small amount of assurance.
76-00: Unsure.

Nice!
Are they actually right, though? Or just sure?
Or is it up to the GM?

Fish Sensing: Fishers spend some time looking underwater from the surface. Sometimes, they are able to spot a group of fishes near the surface of the water, even though there is a no visible reflection to confirm the group is even there. They developed a sort of sense that rings a bell in the Fisher to become aware of the presence of edible fish near them. Some Fishers has gone to claim that they can sense a nice size catch as far as 2 nautical miles. In general, the closer the fish is, the more certain the Fisher will feel like setting up camp and start casting some polls into the suspected occupying waters. Base skill: 35% + 5% per level of experience.

Hm. Not so sure about this one.
Maybe make it a psychic power (Sense Fish) that a certain percentage of fishers (not all, or even most) have, evolving from a knack to actual psychic skill.

Bonuses: +1D4 to M.E., and P.S.

For most laborers, the Physical Labor will cover the physical benefits of the job, as will certain other skills.
I can see these two bonuses on top of that, but I'd drop them down to 1 or 2 points each.
+1d4 is the same bonus to ME that Cyber-Knights get, and the train a long time with meditation and self-control.
Also, what CKs get for PS. Maybe make a lot of the "Fishers need to be strong" bit represented by physical attribute requirements; it's a tough job that weeds out the weak.

O.C.C. Skills

Radio: Basic (+15%)
Fishing (+20%)
Cook (+15%)
Sewing (+10%)
Wilderness Survival (+15%)
Swimming (+15%)
Rope Works (+10%)
Track & Hunt Sea Animals (+15%)
W.P. Blunt
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Basic

-Overall, I think the bonuses are a bit high, and some of them should be specialized.
For example:
Cook (+15% to cook the day's catch)
Wilderness Survival (+15% for surviving in or around large bodies of water)
-I don't think they should get HTH basic automatically. They might be brawlers, but without formal training as part of their job, I'd drop it to an Other skill or leave it to a secondary skill, though I might note somewhere that it's commonly taken.

Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: Any (+15%)

They probably shouldn't be able to learn Heavy Military Weapons or other certain WPs like that.

Standard Equipment: A number of hooks, lines, wirings, sinkers, swivels, floats, rods, reels, baits, lures, spears (spear guns included), spinners and clevises, nets, gaffs, traps, waders, and fish barrels, tackle boxes, various carrying bags, including utility belts, and cases (GM's decision on how many is allowed, and what is available, as part of the player's fishing supplies, and fishing equipment.). Other equipment covers sets of wilderness and regular clothing, a pair of reef walking boots, a pair of rubber boots, a pair of regular boots, a fishing cap, sunglasses, a tinted visor, air filter, first-aid kit, 100 feet of rope, a mallet, pliers, a set of kitchen cookware, a lighter, a box of matches, a mini-hand axe, a multi-purpose utility knife, survival knife, four flares, multi-purpose tech-binoculars, self-inflating neon-colored life vest, multi-purpose flashlight, compass, sleeping bag, and a non-military vehicle of choice (Usually it is a small boat craft, and the GM can decide what boat equipment the player can have, but as a note, keep to the character's skill chosen set.). The player can choose two weapons and a body armor.

Only note here is that not all fishermen are going to have their own boat; some of them will work on other people's boats or collectively own a boat. Maybe make a note to that effect.
Other than that, the equipment list is fantastic.

Money: 3D4x1000, and 2D4x1000 credits in black market items for starting.

Seems a bit high, especially the black market items. I'd change that to "preserved sea food, salvaged goods, and/or black market items."

Overall, great job!
I've been planning to make a Fisherman OCC, because it occurred to me that it was a common occupation class that I hadn't covered, but now I'll just use the class you wrote up. I might make the changes above when I do it, and maybe more depending on how the class ends up working in actual play, but I'm impressed and pleased with the work you did on it.