And now I am a Rifts game master

My currently roleplaying group has been playing Rifts with a rotating GM for a little over a year now. I was due to take over next and have been creating a storyline while I waited. As it turns out, our current GM has been running a few other games and is developing a little writer's block. So now I am to take over with but a week before my first session. It took only hours after learning this before I came up with an adventure for my first session to introduce NPCs and make contacts for the players.

Now, none of the things I do will be a stand alone adventure. They will all introduce contacts and villains tied into the main plot and character subplots of the campaign developed. I believe there should be more going on in the game than just the core story. Each character has a story of their own. A personal saga of hopes, dreams, and goals unattainable. Exploring this and linking it to other characters and the main plot will only enrich the roleplaying experience of each player. Of course, care and caution must be taken when crafting a storyline for another player. It must be personalized and within the realm of possibility within the game.

I am not going to post specifics of the game here for the possibility of a player stumbling across the information. I have already stopped telling them which books I am reading or currently looking to buy. I like open conversation between players and game masters, but I have found players get the most enjoyment out of witnessing the story as it unfolds. What I will post is what techniques I use and any rules alterations the I find work well.

My first player related priority is a character who can walk through walls and take control of computers with his mind. Rather than limit the player, I need to understand exactly how the character works to best figure out how it will interact with the environment. I don't pick on players or try to limit their creativity. Everyone comes away with something different when roleplaying. It is my job to allow them to enjoy the character they like without turning it into something they don't want. The game of Rifts is built to allow maximum flexibility. And to limit any of that just seems like a shame.

The first gaming technique I think I will introduce is the use of the "secret note". Players can slip me a note when their character is doing something they don't want anyone to know about. Not only do the other characters not know about the actions, but the note makes sure other players don't know either. I believe it creates some sense of mystery and suspense without forcing players to try and play their character like they didn't know another character just stole from them. Let's face it, the only way not to use out of game knowledge is to not have it at all.