SOul Strider

Back to RPG Page
Back to OCC/RCC

The Soul Strider (also known as Soulwalkers or Spirit Walkers) is a being whose psychic essence is so strong that it can survive death of the body. There are two states of existence for a Soul Strider: Corporeal (where the essence is bound to a physical body) and etherial (where the essence is free of phyical form)

Soul Striders are born as normal people, but on the death of their body they receive the powers of the Soul Strider. This technically makes them one of the undead. Some Soul Striders (15%) have access to their Corporeal form psi powers while in their original body. NOTE: A coma or near-death experience will bring out the Soul Strider Corporeal form abilities.

Alignment Restrictions: None
Bonuses: +2D4 M.E.
Attributes (Corporeal Form): Standard
Attributes (Etherial Form): H.P./S.D.C.: 0. P.S.: Equal to M.E. stat (considered superhuman). Spd: Equal to M.E. * 3
Saving Bonuses: +4 to save vs psionics. +8 vs. mind control, possession. Immune to mind-altering drugs.

Basic Psionic Abilities: Automaticaly gets Psi-Sword. Select 1 super psionic and 6 lesser psionics from any category. I.S.P. is M.E. x 10 + 4D6 per level (but the Soul Strider only has access to 1/5 of this amount in Corporeal form)

Soul Strider Psionic Abilities:

Corporeal Form: In the corporeal form, the Soul Strider has all of the physical abilities of the form he is bound to, including super abilities. However, the process by which a Soul Strider bonds to a new host body destroys the mind of the victim and any psi abilities that may have been possessed by that being.
The corporeal form is also capable of regenerating 1D6 damage every five minutes. The only exception is attacks made with iron or other ferrous (magnetizable) metals or magic weapons (which regenerate at the normal rate)

Etherial Form: In the etherial form, the Soul Strider has no H.P. or S.D.C.. Damage is done directly to I.S.P. Existence is Etherial form does not drain any I.S.P., but if I.S.P. drops to 0, the Soul Strider is dead (the essence is dispersed). Though the etherial form gives the appearance of being solid, and does react to attacks by standard weapons, it cannot be truly damaged by them (bullet wounds close, cuts heal, etc. right before the attacker's eyes.) Whenever the Strider is hit by a weapon which cuts it, an ectoplasm-like substance which resembles glowing green blood leaks out. This substance does 1D4 damage to any organic which touches it and exists for 3D4 minutes after leaking from the Strider.
In the Etherial form, the Strider can only be truly harmed by iron or other ferrous metals or magic weapons.
I.S.P. does not naturally regenerate in the Soul Strider. It has to be taken from the living. The Strider is capable of using the Psi-Sword as a draining effect instead of inflicting standard damage. Whent eh Psi Sword is used as a draining weapon, it requires no I.S.P. to create, has a glowing green translucent appearance, and does not damage any non-organic beings/objects. The Psi Sword will drain 1D6 H.P. and 1D6 I.S.P. (if it is present in the victim) for every melee that the sword is inside that being. The sword is fully intangible and does not cut the victim so the only damage done is through draining. Every H.P. or I.S.P. drained gives one I.S.P. to the Strider (if the victim is drained dry by the attack and dies, this amount is doubled). Soul Striders cannot drain from other Striders or from Field Adjusters.
The Soul Strider can also teleport to any location in its line of sight for 5 I.S.P. or teleport over any live 2-way electronic communication connection for 8 I.S.P.
SOul Striders are also capable of directly entering computer environments if they possess the Computer Hacking skill or the Computer Programming skill. In RES combat, any damage inflisted is taken fromt eh Strider's I.S.P.

Skills: Use the skills of any non-psionic OCC in Rifts (remember, this guy is a normal person or minor psionic until after death) or use any education level in Heroes Unlimited

Cybernetics: If the host body recieves cybernetics, the Soul Strider essence will be weakened (use standard rules), but the essence will regain all psi abilities upon leaving that body.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Rifts is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books. Heroes Unlimited, Mega Damage, S.D.C., P.P.E., I.S.P., O.C.C., R.C.C., P.C.C. RES are registered trademarks of Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books