Rifts North America

Rifts® presents a post-apocalyptic Earth shattered by arcane catastrophe and reborn in a blaze of magic, monsters, and megatech. When humanity’s unchecked experimentation and global war triggered dimensional “Rifts,” ley lines erupted across the planet, tearing holes in reality and unleashing demons, aliens, gods, and forgotten myths into the modern world. Centuries later, Earth—now called Rifts Earth—is a patchwork of tyrannical empires, struggling kingdoms, alien enclaves, and wild frontiers where power armor patrols ruined cities and dragon hatchlings soar over neon-lit wastelands. In North America, the authoritarian Coalition States wage war against magic and non-humans, while arcane realms like Lazlo and New Lazlo promote learning and cooperation. Everywhere, ley line storms crackle with raw energy, ancient intelligences stir, and adventurers—glittering cyborg soldiers, mystic scholars, rogue psychics, alien vagabonds, and dragon-blooded heroes—carve their legends amid the chaos. Powered by the fast, flexible rules of Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, the setting blends high-octane action with cosmic horror and gonzo science fantasy, where anything from a Juicer to a Techno-Wizard can stand against world-ending threats—and where survival often depends on grit, allies, and a well-timed Mega Damage blast.

In the central regions of what was once the American empire—stretching across the Midwest and into the Great Lakes and Appalachian regions—the landscape is a volatile mix of blasted ruins, fertile river valleys, ley line nexuses, and monster-haunted wilderness. Much of this territory falls under the iron control of the Coalition States, a human-supremacist empire ruled from the fortress city of Chi-Town. From there, they project power across a network of heavily fortified states, patrolling farmlands and reclaimed urban zones with power armor divisions and Dead Boy infantry while ruthlessly suppressing magic and non-human populations. South and west of Coalition strongholds lies the growing influence of the Tomorrow Legion, headquartered in the city of Castle Refuge in what was once Arkansas. Their territory is less an empire and more a beacon—an expanding coalition of settlements, trade routes, and fortified communities that welcome humans, D-Bees, psychics, and mages alike. The region around them is rugged and dangerous, marked by ley lines, ancient ruins, and dimensional instability, but the Legion works to bring stability and cooperation to the chaos. To the northeast, the dark forests and ancient hills of the Ohio Valley and Pennsylvania region fall under the shadow of the Federation of Magic. This realm is steeped in arcane power, dotted with hidden wizard enclaves, monster-haunted woods, and mystic strongholds ruled by powerful sorcerers and warlocks. Ley lines run thick through this territory, making it one of the most magically active regions on the continent—and a constant threat in the eyes of the Coalition. Scattered between these larger powers are fiercely independent city-states and trade hubs. Whykin, a Dwarf-dominated manufacturing city in the old Ozarks, thrives on craftsmanship, rune weapons, and heavy industry, maintaining a wary neutrality while defending its mountain borders. Merctown sits near key ley line intersections and functions as a lawless but economically vital marketplace for mercenaries, adventurers, and fortune-seekers, its shifting leadership balancing profit against survival. Meanwhile, Tolkeen—once a powerful magic kingdom in Minnesota—stands as a symbol of arcane resistance and tragedy, having risen as a refuge for practitioners of magic before drawing the full military wrath of the Coalition in a devastating war that reshaped the political landscape of the north. Together, this central region is a powder keg of ideology and power: authoritarian megacities, hopeful coalitions, mercenary free markets, dwarven industrial enclaves, and arcane theocracies all competing across a landscape where ley lines glow against the night sky and the next Rift storm could change everything.

North America in is one of the most culturally and biologically diverse regions on the planet, shaped by magic, megatech, and dimensional invasion. Humanity remains numerically dominant, but it is far from unified. In the territories of the Coalition States, human culture is militaristic, xenophobic, and tightly controlled—citizens are raised on propaganda, fear of magic, and strict social order. In contrast, communities aligned with the Tomorrow Legion promote cooperation between humans and non-humans, valuing freedom, trade, and mutual defense over ideological purity. Beyond baseline humans, North America is home to countless D-Bees (Dimensional Beings)—immigrants, refugees, and invaders from other worlds. These include horned and scaled humanoids, insectoid scholars, energy beings in synthetic shells, and species barely comprehensible to human senses. Some form tight-knit cultural enclaves preserving traditions from lost homeworlds, while others assimilate into frontier towns or mercenary companies. Pre-Rifts supernatural races such as elves and dwarves also maintain strong identities; dwarves are renowned as master craftsmen and industrialists (especially in cities like Whykin), while elves often gravitate toward arcane study or trade networks. In the magic-dominated territories of the Federation of Magic, arcane practitioners of many species form mage-led hierarchies where power determines status more than race. Native American nations have also reasserted themselves in powerful ways. Groups such as the Pecos Empire blend spiritual traditions, shamanism, and advanced technology, fielding spirit warriors and techno-shamans who defend their lands against demons and foreign powers alike. These cultures often maintain strong communal bonds and spiritual reverence for the land, seeing ley lines and Rift activity as part of a larger cosmological struggle rather than mere chaos. Cyborgs, Juicers, Crazies, psychics, and other augmented or empowered humans form subcultures of their own. Some are celebrated heroes in frontier settlements; others are exploited soldiers in corporate or Coalition service. Mercenary culture thrives in hubs like Merctown, where race matters less than firepower and reliability. Across the continent, identity is shaped less by species alone and more by ideology—whether one believes in human supremacy, arcane freedom, frontier independence, spiritual balance, or simple survival. The result is a continent defined not just by racial diversity, but by cultural tension: authoritarianism versus freedom, magic versus technology, tradition versus adaptation. In North America, coexistence is possible—but never easy—and every settlement reflects the delicate balance between fear, hope, and the ever-present threat beyond the next Rift.

Rifts North America is a continent defined by ideological war, territorial ambition, and supernatural instability. The most defining conflict remains the long shadow of the Coalition War Campaigns—particularly the brutal war between the Coalition States and the fallen magic kingdom of Tolkeen in 109 PA (current game year). Though Tolkeen has been destroyed, the aftermath continues to destabilize the region: displaced refugees, rogue warlords, lingering supernatural horrors, and simmering resentment toward the Coalition keep tensions high across the upper Midwest. Cold war tensions also persist between the Coalition and magic-aligned powers such as the Federation of Magic. While not always in open warfare, both sides conduct espionage, proxy conflicts, and border skirmishes. The Coalition views arcane societies as existential threats, while the Federation sees the Coalition as tyrants bent on eradicating magical freedom. Further south, the Tomorrow Legion works to stabilize and expand cooperative settlements from Castle Refuge, often clashing with bandit kingdoms, monster states, and Coalition-aligned interests. Their very existence challenges the Coalition narrative that humans and D-Bees cannot coexist peacefully. In the west and southwest, conflicts rage between the Pecos Empire, vampire kingdoms expanding north from Mexico, and independent city-states struggling to survive. Vampire intelligence networks and necromantic forces push steadily into frontier territories, forcing uneasy alliances among rival human and D-Bee groups. Meanwhile, mercenary skirmishes flare constantly around trade hubs like Merctown, where shifting alliances, corporate espionage, and ley line politics can ignite sudden violence. Beyond political struggles, the land itself is a source of conflict: dimensional incursions, demon invasions, dragon power plays, and ancient alien intelligences awakening along ley line nexuses create threats that ignore borders entirely. In short, North America is locked in layered conflict—ideological (technology vs. magic), racial (human supremacy vs. coexistence), territorial (empires vs. frontier coalitions), and existential (humanity vs. the supernatural). Peace is local and temporary; war, in one form or another, is constant.

Magic and religion in Rifts North America are inseparable forces that shape politics, culture, and daily survival. The return of the ley lines and the eruption of dimensional Rifts made magic a measurable, undeniable power—raw arcane energy flows visibly across the continent, surging at nexus points and erupting during ley line storms. In regions like the Federation of Magic, sorcery is institutionalized and political power often rests in the hands of powerful wizards, summoners, and techno-wizard guilds. In contrast, the Coalition States treat magic as an existential threat, outlawing its practice and portraying mages as corrupting influences or inhuman dangers. Religion is just as real—and just as dangerous. Unlike pre-Rifts faith, gods, demons, and supernatural patrons can physically manifest, grant miracles, and demand service. Traditional religions such as Christianity still exist in scattered communities, often reshaped by the realities of living proof of angels and devils. At the same time, new cults have risen around alien intelligences, dragon lords, ancient deities freed by the Rifts, or charismatic psychic leaders claiming divine mandate. Some clergy wield true miraculous power, functioning as mystics or battle priests; others are frauds exploiting fear in unstable frontier towns. Among Native American nations like the Pecos Empire, spiritual traditions blend shamanism with awakened ley line mysticism, viewing the return of magic as part of a larger cosmic cycle rather than a catastrophe. Spirits, totems, and ancestral forces are active participants in the world once more. The tension between arcane magic, psychic power, divine miracles, and advanced technology creates a philosophical battlefield as fierce as any military campaign. To some, magic is humanity’s rebirth. To others, it is the reason the old world died. In Rifts North America, faith is tested daily—not by doubt, but by proof—and belief can be a weapon as powerful as any Mega-Damage cannon.

Planar influence is one of the defining realities of Rifts North America. The eruption of dimensional Rifts permanently thinned the barriers between worlds, turning Earth into a crossroads of the Megaverse. Ley lines act as conduits not just of magical energy, but of planar traffic—at nexus points, entire armies, alien ecosystems, or godlike entities can spill into the world in moments. Some Rifts are temporary and chaotic; others stabilize into semi-permanent gateways that become strategic strongholds, holy sites, or war zones. Infernal dimensions exert constant pressure on the continent. Demon and Deevil realms send infiltrators, cults, and full-scale incursions, especially during ley line storms when planar boundaries weaken. These incursions often manifest as localized hellscapes—twisted terrain, corrupted wildlife, and regions where reality obeys foreign metaphysical laws. In response, orders of demon hunters, techno-wizard scholars, and psychic defenders monitor these hotspots, knowing that even a small breach can spiral into a regional catastrophe. Alien intelligences and transdimensional empires also view Earth as valuable territory. Some treat it as a frontier for colonization or resource extraction; others see it as a battleground in larger cosmic wars. Refugee species fleeing destroyed homeworlds establish enclaves, bringing with them strange technologies, philosophies, and enemies. Dragon hatchlings, elemental beings, and extradimensional predators are no longer myths but naturalized parts of the ecosystem. Even subtler planar influences shape society. Certain regions resonate more strongly with specific dimensions—faerie realms bleed into forested valleys, astral currents swirl around ancient ruins, and ghostly afterworlds overlap battlefields soaked in Mega-Damage devastation. Sensitive individuals—mystics, psychics, and shamans—can feel these currents shifting like weather fronts. In short, North America is not merely post-apocalyptic—it is transdimensional. Borders are porous, reality is negotiable, and the next storm in the night sky might not bring rain, but an army from another universe.

Rifts Earth is shaped by several distinct historical ages, each defined by catastrophe, resurgence, and transformation. The Golden Age (Pre-Rifts Earth) was humanity’s technological peak—an era of global communication, advanced robotics, cybernetics, orbital platforms, and experimental energy research. Magic existed but was weak and largely dismissed as superstition. Nations resembled our modern world, though increasingly dependent on powerful technologies and complex geopolitical alliances. The Cataclysm (The Coming of the Rifts) began when global war and massive energy discharges triggered the eruption of ley lines and dimensional Rifts. Nuclear detonations and other high-energy events amplified dormant magical forces, tearing holes in reality. Demons, aliens, monsters, and ancient beings poured into the world. Civilization collapsed in days. This apocalyptic cascade is often simply called “the Great Cataclysm.” The Dark Ages followed—a long period of chaos, fragmentation, and survival. Humanity splintered into isolated communities while supernatural predators dominated vast territories. Knowledge of the old world was lost or mythologized. Magic flourished, dragons and alien warlords carved out kingdoms, and small human enclaves survived behind walls or under powerful protectors. The Age of Reclamation emerged centuries later as organized powers began to rise from the ruins. Human supremacist movements coalesced into what would become the Coalition States. Magic kingdoms such as Tolkeen flourished. Mercenary cities, techno-wizard guilds, and independent federations rebuilt trade networks. This era saw ideological lines harden between technology and magic. The Modern Rifts Era—the default campaign timeframe—is an age of unstable balance. The Coalition has waged devastating wars (including the fall of Tolkeen), frontier alliances like the Tomorrow Legion attempt cooperative rebuilding, and planar incursions remain constant. It is not an age of peace, but of contested dominance—where empires, dragons, demons, and heroes all compete to define what the future of Earth will become. Each age leaves scars on the land and its people, and in Rifts Earth, history is not buried—it often returns through a glowing tear in the sky.

The economy of Rifts North America is a rugged mix of barter, salvage, regional currencies, and high-value megatech trade, shaped by danger and distance as much as supply and demand. In stable territories controlled by the Coalition States, commerce is tightly regulated and supported by state-backed industry. Coalition cities manufacture weapons, armor, robots, and consumer goods at scale, exporting surplus to allied settlements in exchange for food, raw materials, and strategic resources. Credits are standardized within Coalition territory, but outside their borders, that currency rapidly loses universal acceptance. In frontier regions and free cities, trade is far less centralized. Barter remains common—food, ammunition, medical supplies, and energy cells are often more valuable than currency. Salvage from pre-Rifts ruins fuels entire local economies; adventurers and “ruin runners” recover ancient tech, lost databases, and functioning vehicles that can command enormous prices. Mercenary markets thrive in hubs like Merctown, where contracts, arms dealing, and information brokerage drive the flow of wealth. Magic also fuels commerce. In territories influenced by the Federation of Magic, enchanted weapons, protective charms, summoned labor, and techno-wizard devices are major trade goods. Dwarven industry in cities such as Whykin produces master-crafted arms and rune weapons prized across the continent. Meanwhile, communities aligned with the Tomorrow Legion promote cooperative trade networks, encouraging safe trade routes and cross-cultural markets between humans and D-Bees. Trade routes themselves are strategic assets. Caravans travel with heavy escort due to bandits, monsters, and dimensional incursions. River transport, fortified roadways, and even ley line–assisted travel can determine whether a settlement prospers or collapses. In the southwest, black markets tied to vampire kingdoms and smuggling rings add another layer of shadow economy. Overall, North America’s economy is not unified but fragmented—state-controlled industry in some regions, mercenary capitalism in others, arcane guild economies elsewhere. Wealth is measured not only in credits, but in firepower, alliances, and the ability to defend what you own.

Law and society in Rifts North America vary dramatically depending on who holds power, but everywhere they are shaped by fear, survival, and ideology. Within the Coalition States, law is strict, centralized, and authoritarian. Citizens live under constant surveillance, with heavy military presence and harsh penalties for dissent, magic use, or harboring non-humans. Propaganda reinforces loyalty to the state, and public order is maintained through visible force—Dead Boy patrols, curfews, identity checks, and mandatory service. Society is structured, industrial, and relatively safe from monsters within the walls, but personal freedom is limited and cultural diversity is suppressed. In contrast, territories aligned with the Tomorrow Legion promote a more cooperative and pluralistic model. Laws tend to emphasize mutual defense, fair trade, and coexistence between humans and D-Bees. Authority is often local—town councils, guild leaders, or Legion-appointed wardens maintain order. Justice can still be swift and harsh when survival is at stake, but communities value inclusion and practical compromise over ideology. Independent city-states such as Merctown operate under looser legal frameworks. Law there is often contract-based—what matters is reputation, enforceable agreements, and the balance of power between mercenary companies. Crime exists openly, but so do consequences; cross the wrong faction, and justice may come in the form of a bounty hunter rather than a courtroom. In arcane-dominated regions like those controlled by the Federation of Magic, power often defines legality. Mage lords, sorcerer councils, or arcane guilds enforce rule through magical might. Social hierarchy is frequently based on personal power, magical knowledge, or patronage rather than birth or wealth. Across the continent, frontier settlements develop pragmatic codes of conduct—defend the town, contribute to survival, and respect local authority. Trial by combat, bounty systems, mercenary arbitration, and communal judgment are common where formal courts do not exist. In a world where monsters can level a village overnight and Rifts can open without warning, society prioritizes resilience over philosophy. Ultimately, law in North America is less about abstract justice and more about stability. Whether through authoritarian control, cooperative defense, mercenary contract, or arcane dominance, every system answers the same question: how do you maintain order in a world where reality itself is unstable?

Monsters and villains in Rifts North America range from primal horrors to organized tyrants, and many blur the line between the two. The most immediate threats are often supernatural predators unleashed during the Great Cataclysm—demons, Deevils, gargoyles, Brodkil raiders, Xiticix hive-swarms, and countless unnamed Rift-spawned horrors that stalk wilderness and ruin alike. Vampire kingdoms to the south push northward with undead armies, enslaving human settlements and spreading fear through both brute force and subtle infiltration. Ley line storms can disgorge entirely new species overnight, reshaping local ecosystems in terrifying ways. Dragons and ancient intelligences represent another tier of danger. Some operate as manipulators and power brokers, while others rule territories outright or pursue inscrutable long-term agendas. Alien warlords and extradimensional conquerors treat Earth as a strategic foothold in larger cosmic struggles. At the same time, psychic aberrations, rogue AIs from the Golden Age, and biomechanical monstrosities recovered from lost laboratories haunt the ruins of the old world. Among human and near-human threats, the most formidable villains are ideological as much as monstrous. The Coalition States can function as antagonists when their expansionist policies crush independent towns or persecute D-Bees and magic users. In opposition, extremist elements within the Federation of Magic may summon entities they cannot control or sacrifice entire communities in arcane experiments. Mercenary warlords, techno-wizard crime syndicates, and black-market arms dealers thrive in chaos, particularly in volatile hubs like Merctown. What makes Rifts unique is scale: a roadside encounter might involve mutant bandits or a rogue Juicer, while a major campaign arc could pit heroes against a demon prince, a dragon manipulating regional politics, or a dimensional invasion force. In North America, monsters are not rare aberrations—they are part of the landscape. Villainy can wear claws, power armor, holy vestments, or a corporate uniform. The true danger is not only what crawls out of a Rift, but who learns to control it.