The Burbs outside Chi-Town are where millions of people live, work, trade, hide, struggle, and wait for a chance at something better. They are packed with mercenaries, D-Bees, psychics, criminals, Black Market operators, Coalition patrols, refugees, adventurers, and ordinary people trying to survive beneath the shadow of one of the most powerful cities in North America.In this episode of Railguns & Dragons, Vince looks at why the Burbs may be the real heart of RIFTS, what everyday life looks like outside Chi-Town, why the Coalition tolerates these chaotic settlements, and why they might be one of the best places to start a RIFTS campaign.

In this episode, we continue our New to RIFTS? Start Here series by exploring one of the defining moments in the history of the Megaverse: the return of magic during the Great Cataclysm. We’ll talk about why humanity had forgotten magic ever existed, how the detonation of nuclear weapons over ley lines unleashed unimaginable amounts of mystical energy, and why ordinary people had absolutely no idea what they were witnessing. This isn’t just the story of wizards.

It’s the story of an entire civilization discovering that everything it believed about reality was wrong.

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In this Podcast, we explore why thousands of players willingly chose the Juicer, what made the concept so unique, and why it remains one of the most memorable character ideas ever created for a tabletop role-playing game.

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In this video, we take a look at Mega-Damage Capacity (MDC) and why it became one of the most memorable mechanics in tabletop RPG history. Rather than explaining every rule, we’re looking at why Kevin Siembieda introduced Mega-Damage, how it changed the way players viewed combat, and why that single mechanic helped define the entire setting.

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In this episode of New to RIFTS? Start Here, Vince explores the world of Chaos Earth before the apocalypse. This was a civilization filled with advanced medicine, cybernetics, artificial intelligence, hover vehicles, orbital stations, lunar colonies, and even a human outpost on Mars.

But the world was not perfect. Governments still competed, corporations held enormous power, and many of humanity’s greatest discoveries were already being turned into weapons.

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This is the start of a mini-series here on the podcast, a primer so to speak... Where should a new player begin with RIFTS? Most people will point you to the main rulebook. I think there’s a better place to start.

In this episode, Vince explains why RIFTS: Chaos Earth is the perfect introduction to the Megaverse. Instead of exploring a world that has already been shattered, you experience the apocalypse as it happens. You’ll see civilization’s final days, the return of magic, the arrival of the Rifts, and humanity’s desperate fight to survive through the eyes of ordinary people and the soldiers of NEMA.

If you’ve ever been curious about RIFTS but felt overwhelmed by the setting, this episode is for you. Comment on Spotify or head on over to Railgunsanddragons.com, comment on the blog!

Before Mega-Damage. Before Boom Guns. Before you even understood the setting, there was one image that made players stop flipping through the RIFTS rulebook. The Glitter Boy. Sit back and enjoy a look at why I believe they were legendary...

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This week, Vince opens RIFTS Sourcebook One to a seemingly ordinary page and uncovers one of the biggest mysteries in early RIFTS. Before Triax had its own World Book, it was just a name, a company in Europe producing incredible military technology, and a hint that there was a much bigger world waiting to be explored.

Join us as we look back at how a single page of lore sparked the imagination of RIFTS fans, changed the way we viewed the Coalition States, and teased a future that wouldn’t be revealed for years. Sometimes the smallest pieces of world-building leave the biggest impression.

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In this episode, I look back at the impact RIFTS had on the tabletop hobby in the early 1990s. We’ll talk about its massive world, iconic artwork, unforgettable character classes, over the top power scale, and why so many players still have a soft spot for it decades later. We’ll also discuss the parts of the game that frustrated players, especially the rules, and why people kept coming back anyway.

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This podcast is alive and ready to go! This new season will focus on RIFTS! We will look at what made RIFTS one of the craziest and gonzo RPGs of the '90s. Each episode will be roughly 10 to 20 minutes.

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