Merctown Population 39000, 60% human +15000 transients
Ruled by Proconsole and Advisory Council. No income tax, 6% sales tax.
Uses roman styled laws, only controls the area around the Powerplant.
Merctown was built around an old pre-rifts powerplant which survived mostly intact.
Visitors are subject to whats called the Merctown Access Control System
L0 - Dockside
All Visitors are granted access to the free-zones which includes The Dockside and the Warrens. Access to other zones is granted through various means. Upon entry to Merctown a drone will scan the newcomer and issue the merctown propaganda speech, laws, and explain how to get into Level 1 you must enter one of the Warrens Barracks and be subject to further questioning and scans.
L1 - Warrens - These High Tech slums lie around the Docks.
Entry from the docks to the warrens is through one of 5 alleys, each protected by a different Merctown gang who claims that entry. Each entry 1-5 will have the Gang memebers posing as merctown security checking out new people. The Warrens Entry guards insure No heavy weapons, armor, or Robot vehicles are allowed in L1 or higher. Once you are checked out and have your identity put into the Merctown Computer System (MCS) the guards give you a L1 Pass. Requires Small Fee+scan.
L1Entry1 - Run by the Booster Boys
L1Entry2 - Run by the Cyber Street Gang
L1Entry3 - Run by the Greenskin Gang
L1Entry4 - Run by Mephisto's Horsemen
L1Entry5 - Run by the Mega Monkeys
L2 - Arms Bazaar - Access from the Warrens - VIPs Mercs are allowed into the Arms Bazaar if they agree to a more stringent scan and complete a job for the city of Merctown. Requires Moderate Fee + Scan
L2 Merctown Scans includes scanning the character for a Biological, Cybernetic, Magic, psionic, criminal history, mental health, Power Level, and Mercenary Profile.
L3+ for VIP Mercs only and are revealed only to those who pass L2 clearance and gain "professional" Mercenary status. How to get this clearance and the existence is a mystery to all uninitiated non mercenaries but an open secret to most professional mercenaries. Gaining pro status usually includes something like:
1 Formally joining an accredited mercenary group (I include most of the groups in the canon mercs books in this list)
2 Some tests
3 Completing a difficult job for the city
4 Probationary Acceptance with more jobs
5 Full acceptance once final job is passed
L3 - Spokes (below ground, existence secret) Requires Moderate Fee
L4 - The Hub (below ground, existence secret) Requires High Fee
L5 - The Mystic Quarter (Wizard's tower above ground, secret quarters below ground) Requires Very High Fee
L6 - Old Town (This simple village is above ground) Requires purchasing property
L7 - Paducah Estates (This grandiose ranch is above ground)
http://areliustest.wikidot.com/system:rifts-maps Has some great Merctown and Region maps:
In the my modified from canon 3rd age version of the following map, the purple area covers all blue, orange, and light green areas. The L3+ areas are secret. These areas are not above ground but are parts of a prerifts fallout shelter named vault 13 converted to house the restricted areas of merctown.
Merctown Map Legend
http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=194&t=4244
map #s, dont forget to download the image of the map and zoom in to see them
Dockside: Waterfront & Industrial Sector
205- Poseidon Shipwrights
205a- Pierside
206- GAW Dealership
207- The MercTown Power Plant
208- Retrofit Robots
209- Bailey Brothers Construction
210- O'Grady's Vehicle Parts & Scrap Yard
211- Custom Auto-Body
211a- Defunct Titan Industries Warehouse (Crusaders of MercTown HQ)
212- Allen Foods
213- Still Ticking Motors
214- Bits of 'Bots
215- The Goblin's Hole
215a- Headquarters for The Glitter Fangs
216- Dragon's Head Brewery
217- Kentucky Moonshine Co.
218- Braffo Bok's Used Tanks
218a- eXecutive Combat Solutions' Base of Operations
219- Otto's Automotive
220- Kentucky Dairy Products
Region Map
Before arriving in merctown... The group travels up the river and sees a number of crab people (Crab Warrior RCC) camped out on top of a sunken CS vessel which is also covered in EGGS. Caldor takes aim and fires the rest of the crabs flee to underwater lairpods as only the leader defiantly beats his claws. finally caldor slays the largest crab seein no more above water they approach.
When alongside they see more crabs hiding in strange pod like lairs anchored to the sides of the sunken cs vessel "CSS Revenge Class". A female "HcknarglAK" comes out saying you have slain her abusive mate and she is now ruler of this area, how can they help the players. She says the slavers ahead have taken many of her peoples eggs and that she would see vengeance upon them. The group thinks upon how they were earlier attacked by pirates, and now more may lie in wait ahead of them. Drago scouts with teleport and sees a huge dreamship from the pirate clan, waiting 25miles or so up the river.
'The group informs the crabs of this and after some argument the crabs decide to help, they swim down and give up a few cs heavy military long range missiles scavenged from the ship. Drago takes them in close and drops them on the pirate vessel from teleport sneak attack and managed to destroy the pirate ship... The group sails past its wreckage, a huge mushroom cloud later nothing hostile is seen and continue towards merctown.
A few miles out of merctown patrol boat comes up wanting to know what the explosion was, they saw the mushroom cloud. The group talks them down and gains access to merctown. Caldor manages to sell his legal cargo of coal right away, the rest of the groups cargo will take more skill rolls to sell in the next episode.
Caldor ate part of the crab leader.
XP
Character Group:
Drago the Great Horned Dragon Hatchling
129755
+500 showing up +100 teleport scout +100 using missiles on pirate ship +50 casts invincible armor +100 takes 400pts of radiation damage which do not currently regenerate without some kind of treatment +100 rp +25 crabs +50 dreamboat +150 skills
130930
Caldor the Kreeghor Bounty Hunter
89876
+600 showing up +200 rp +100 crab rp +100 eat crab has ~200lbs of fresh meat left which will go bad quickly unless preserved +100 sniper crab leader +50 dreamboat +200 skills
91226
Herman the human Juicer
55481
+700 showing up +100 fly around scouting in helecopter +200 heroism +500 wheeling and dealing +50 crabs +50 dreamboat +150 skills
57181
Bluey the Dogpack Bioborg Linewalker host to Zee
46975
+800 showing up +100 uses restore ppe on the dragon +500 rp +50 crabs +100 dreamboat +50 skills +100 move missile +100 finds meds for captain ahabs radiation burned eyes from "patterson clinic".
48775
Tow Jam the GAW Smuggler
19365
+1000 showing up +300 skills +1000 saving boat captain from radiation poisoning by letting him into the shielded tank +100 crabs +250 skills
22015 needs 24881
NPCs of note Merl and Tin Dyhk(in Tow Jam's GAW crew), they flash GAW badges and get the docking fee for the boats waived.
Ahab captain of boat, his eyes go out he has cataracts from radiation , and severe poisoning is is put in Tow Jam's bradly to prevent additional exposure. The group also has a few glowing eggs stuck to the side of their boat from the earlier encounter with the crabs and the nuking of the boat holding many crab eggs hostage.
Caldor sold his coal to the GAW office for 10million black-market credits .
TBD plots: sales of bluey's loot, Herman's loot
prices of access to various areas in merc-town.
"Crab-people, crab-people. Taste like crab, talk like people."
Current radiation levels on the ship are very high due to degrading missiles salvaged and lying with algae caked all over them on the deck of TOW JAM's ship. Towjam managed to jurry rig 2 lrms onto his vehicle to replace the 2mrms he used last adventure. He now has 2 3d6x100MD Heavy Explosive warheads, ~1000mile range
"Learn about the Areas of Merctown", says a robot greeter at the docks.
"Merctown is run by Mercenaries, for mercenaries. "
"You have been scanned and registered as Level Zero Visitors"
Merctown Dockside - Assume characters could have visited any of these areas during the week they stay around the docks until episode #80.
Sales:
Poseidon Shipwrights, 205normal and light mdc boats
GAW Vehicle Dealership- 206all gaw heavy vehicles howitzers, ammo, apache gunships,
Retrofit Robots, 208 25-40%discounts on robot drones, powerarmor, robot vehicles
Ogrady's Vehicle Parts and Scrapyard 210-buys scrap and parts
Custom Autobody - 211 builds custom hotrods and muscle cars
Still Ticking moters - 213used bikes, cars, hovervehicles, trucks
Bits of Bots - bot parts only 10-20% discount
Braffo Bok's Used Tanks 218 selling gam48a3 tanks, gat-3a2 bradleys, rebuilt m113 apcs, GA-H998 Hmmer Armored jeeps, GAW FAV Specops dune buggies, 18 mountaineer ATVs, 32 big boss atvs, 6 iron hammer tanks, 11 iron fist tanks, an ironbolt mlrs, prices are -20 to -60% of new prices
Otto's Automotive pre-rifts cars, ng hovercycles, bigboss mountaineer atv -5% prices
Preserved Food: Allen Foods, Kentucky Dairy Products
Bars and Hospitality: - anyone buying a lifestyle for the week in between 79 and 80 would do so here for the week inbetween #79 and #80, otherwise you sleep in your cars.
The Goblins Hole and Flophouse, Warehouse for rent - 20,000/month 7000/week - 700/day -- social +5% - ambush -5% - regen +5% - assets 1
Dragon's Head Brewery - Dragon rents a few Medium quality rooms over the brewery for 80000/month, 25000/week 5000/day social +10% - ambush +5% - regen +10% - assets 2
Kentucky Moonshine Company -
The luxurious company has a few rooms in the warehouse for rent:
Low Quality 22,000/month 7500/week - 750/day -- social +5% - ambush -5% - regen +5% - assets 1
http://3rdageofdragonwright.blogspot.com/2012/05/lifestyles-for-rifts-and-famous.html
Ruled by Proconsole and Advisory Council. No income tax, 6% sales tax.
Uses roman styled laws, only controls the area around the Powerplant.
Merctown was built around an old pre-rifts powerplant which survived mostly intact.
Visitors are subject to whats called the Merctown Access Control System
L0 - Dockside
All Visitors are granted access to the free-zones which includes The Dockside and the Warrens. Access to other zones is granted through various means. Upon entry to Merctown a drone will scan the newcomer and issue the merctown propaganda speech, laws, and explain how to get into Level 1 you must enter one of the Warrens Barracks and be subject to further questioning and scans.
L1 - Warrens - These High Tech slums lie around the Docks.
Entry from the docks to the warrens is through one of 5 alleys, each protected by a different Merctown gang who claims that entry. Each entry 1-5 will have the Gang memebers posing as merctown security checking out new people. The Warrens Entry guards insure No heavy weapons, armor, or Robot vehicles are allowed in L1 or higher. Once you are checked out and have your identity put into the Merctown Computer System (MCS) the guards give you a L1 Pass. Requires Small Fee+scan.
L1Entry1 - Run by the Booster Boys
L1Entry2 - Run by the Cyber Street Gang
L1Entry3 - Run by the Greenskin Gang
L1Entry4 - Run by Mephisto's Horsemen
L1Entry5 - Run by the Mega Monkeys
L2 - Arms Bazaar - Access from the Warrens - VIPs Mercs are allowed into the Arms Bazaar if they agree to a more stringent scan and complete a job for the city of Merctown. Requires Moderate Fee + Scan
L2 Merctown Scans includes scanning the character for a Biological, Cybernetic, Magic, psionic, criminal history, mental health, Power Level, and Mercenary Profile.
L3+ for VIP Mercs only and are revealed only to those who pass L2 clearance and gain "professional" Mercenary status. How to get this clearance and the existence is a mystery to all uninitiated non mercenaries but an open secret to most professional mercenaries. Gaining pro status usually includes something like:
1 Formally joining an accredited mercenary group (I include most of the groups in the canon mercs books in this list)
2 Some tests
3 Completing a difficult job for the city
4 Probationary Acceptance with more jobs
5 Full acceptance once final job is passed
L3 - Spokes (below ground, existence secret) Requires Moderate Fee
L4 - The Hub (below ground, existence secret) Requires High Fee
L5 - The Mystic Quarter (Wizard's tower above ground, secret quarters below ground) Requires Very High Fee
L6 - Old Town (This simple village is above ground) Requires purchasing property
L7 - Paducah Estates (This grandiose ranch is above ground)
http://areliustest.wikidot.com/system:rifts-maps Has some great Merctown and Region maps:
In the my modified from canon 3rd age version of the following map, the purple area covers all blue, orange, and light green areas. The L3+ areas are secret. These areas are not above ground but are parts of a prerifts fallout shelter named vault 13 converted to house the restricted areas of merctown.
Merctown Map Legend
http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=194&t=4244
map #s, dont forget to download the image of the map and zoom in to see them
Dockside: Waterfront & Industrial Sector
205- Poseidon Shipwrights
205a- Pierside
206- GAW Dealership
207- The MercTown Power Plant
208- Retrofit Robots
209- Bailey Brothers Construction
210- O'Grady's Vehicle Parts & Scrap Yard
211- Custom Auto-Body
211a- Defunct Titan Industries Warehouse (Crusaders of MercTown HQ)
212- Allen Foods
213- Still Ticking Motors
214- Bits of 'Bots
215- The Goblin's Hole
215a- Headquarters for The Glitter Fangs
216- Dragon's Head Brewery
217- Kentucky Moonshine Co.
218- Braffo Bok's Used Tanks
218a- eXecutive Combat Solutions' Base of Operations
219- Otto's Automotive
220- Kentucky Dairy Products
Region Map
Before arriving in merctown... The group travels up the river and sees a number of crab people (Crab Warrior RCC) camped out on top of a sunken CS vessel which is also covered in EGGS. Caldor takes aim and fires the rest of the crabs flee to underwater lairpods as only the leader defiantly beats his claws. finally caldor slays the largest crab seein no more above water they approach.
When alongside they see more crabs hiding in strange pod like lairs anchored to the sides of the sunken cs vessel "CSS Revenge Class". A female "HcknarglAK" comes out saying you have slain her abusive mate and she is now ruler of this area, how can they help the players. She says the slavers ahead have taken many of her peoples eggs and that she would see vengeance upon them. The group thinks upon how they were earlier attacked by pirates, and now more may lie in wait ahead of them. Drago scouts with teleport and sees a huge dreamship from the pirate clan, waiting 25miles or so up the river.
'The group informs the crabs of this and after some argument the crabs decide to help, they swim down and give up a few cs heavy military long range missiles scavenged from the ship. Drago takes them in close and drops them on the pirate vessel from teleport sneak attack and managed to destroy the pirate ship... The group sails past its wreckage, a huge mushroom cloud later nothing hostile is seen and continue towards merctown.
A few miles out of merctown patrol boat comes up wanting to know what the explosion was, they saw the mushroom cloud. The group talks them down and gains access to merctown. Caldor manages to sell his legal cargo of coal right away, the rest of the groups cargo will take more skill rolls to sell in the next episode.
Caldor ate part of the crab leader.
XP
Character Group:
Drago the Great Horned Dragon Hatchling
129755
+500 showing up +100 teleport scout +100 using missiles on pirate ship +50 casts invincible armor +100 takes 400pts of radiation damage which do not currently regenerate without some kind of treatment +100 rp +25 crabs +50 dreamboat +150 skills
130930
Caldor the Kreeghor Bounty Hunter
89876
+600 showing up +200 rp +100 crab rp +100 eat crab has ~200lbs of fresh meat left which will go bad quickly unless preserved +100 sniper crab leader +50 dreamboat +200 skills
91226
Herman the human Juicer
55481
+700 showing up +100 fly around scouting in helecopter +200 heroism +500 wheeling and dealing +50 crabs +50 dreamboat +150 skills
57181
Bluey the Dogpack Bioborg Linewalker host to Zee
46975
+800 showing up +100 uses restore ppe on the dragon +500 rp +50 crabs +100 dreamboat +50 skills +100 move missile +100 finds meds for captain ahabs radiation burned eyes from "patterson clinic".
48775
Tow Jam the GAW Smuggler
19365
+1000 showing up +300 skills +1000 saving boat captain from radiation poisoning by letting him into the shielded tank +100 crabs +250 skills
22015 needs 24881
NPCs of note Merl and Tin Dyhk(in Tow Jam's GAW crew), they flash GAW badges and get the docking fee for the boats waived.
Ahab captain of boat, his eyes go out he has cataracts from radiation , and severe poisoning is is put in Tow Jam's bradly to prevent additional exposure. The group also has a few glowing eggs stuck to the side of their boat from the earlier encounter with the crabs and the nuking of the boat holding many crab eggs hostage.
Caldor sold his coal to the GAW office for 10million black-market credits .
TBD plots: sales of bluey's loot, Herman's loot
prices of access to various areas in merc-town.
"Crab-people, crab-people. Taste like crab, talk like people."
Current radiation levels on the ship are very high due to degrading missiles salvaged and lying with algae caked all over them on the deck of TOW JAM's ship. Towjam managed to jurry rig 2 lrms onto his vehicle to replace the 2mrms he used last adventure. He now has 2 3d6x100MD Heavy Explosive warheads, ~1000mile range
"Learn about the Areas of Merctown", says a robot greeter at the docks.
"Merctown is run by Mercenaries, for mercenaries. "
"You have been scanned and registered as Level Zero Visitors"
Merctown Dockside - Assume characters could have visited any of these areas during the week they stay around the docks until episode #80.
Sales:
Poseidon Shipwrights, 205normal and light mdc boats
GAW Vehicle Dealership- 206all gaw heavy vehicles howitzers, ammo, apache gunships,
Retrofit Robots, 208 25-40%discounts on robot drones, powerarmor, robot vehicles
Ogrady's Vehicle Parts and Scrapyard 210-buys scrap and parts
Custom Autobody - 211 builds custom hotrods and muscle cars
Still Ticking moters - 213used bikes, cars, hovervehicles, trucks
Bits of Bots - bot parts only 10-20% discount
Braffo Bok's Used Tanks 218 selling gam48a3 tanks, gat-3a2 bradleys, rebuilt m113 apcs, GA-H998 Hmmer Armored jeeps, GAW FAV Specops dune buggies, 18 mountaineer ATVs, 32 big boss atvs, 6 iron hammer tanks, 11 iron fist tanks, an ironbolt mlrs, prices are -20 to -60% of new prices
Otto's Automotive pre-rifts cars, ng hovercycles, bigboss mountaineer atv -5% prices
Preserved Food: Allen Foods, Kentucky Dairy Products
Bars and Hospitality: - anyone buying a lifestyle for the week in between 79 and 80 would do so here for the week inbetween #79 and #80, otherwise you sleep in your cars.
The Goblins Hole and Flophouse, Warehouse for rent - 20,000/month 7000/week - 700/day -- social +5% - ambush -5% - regen +5% - assets 1
Dragon's Head Brewery - Dragon rents a few Medium quality rooms over the brewery for 80000/month, 25000/week 5000/day social +10% - ambush +5% - regen +10% - assets 2
Kentucky Moonshine Company -
The luxurious company has a few rooms in the warehouse for rent:
Low Quality 22,000/month 7500/week - 750/day -- social +5% - ambush -5% - regen +5% - assets 1
http://3rdageofdragonwright.blogspot.com/2012/05/lifestyles-for-rifts-and-famous.html
