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DriveThruRPG has a bunch of great "one-page" adventures, and each of them specifies a recommended Rank for the party (Novice, Legendary, etc.). I thought this was a nice touch, as I wouldn't want to throw a Legendary adventure at a Novice group.

However, I noticed that none of the "Savage Tales" in the Savage Foes of North America book mention Rank at all, and since I'm new to the system I'm having a hard time evaluating their difficulty. Does this mean they're all fine for Novice groups, or are some too hard? The one about the giant monster certainly seems like it would destroy all but the most powerful groups...

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No Simple Answer

Due to the wildly variable results of die rolls, and the absurdly wide range of combat power in the various Iconic Frameworks, there's no metric for telling if a given adventure will be too difficult or too easy for a party - especially when your players come up with reasonable but unanticipated solutions to the challenges.

Novice groups can complete any of them, just like Legendary groups can get wiped by any of them. Which adventures your group can handle easily will depend upon what they build and play.

One useful metric I've found is to look at average results. Including Acing, a d4 averages 3.33, a d6 averages 4.2, a d8 averages 5.1, a d10 averages 6.1, and a d12 averages 7.1. These averages are true for both Trait and damage rolls, and give a handy guideline for when the players are likely to hit (or be hit by) their foes, and how likely a hit is to damage the victims.

Example: A Gigantic Raging Monster averages 33.3, AP 25, damage with the claws and 27.5 + Size difference, AP 10, damage with the massive attack. The claws are unlikely to hit (average Fighting 5.1) while the massive attack is relatively easy to dodge (Agility, TN 4) if the victims are not in a vehicle. A party of Cyber Knights, Juicers, Crazies, Combat Cyborgs, and high Agility M.A.R.S. characters should be able to survive pretty easily at any rank.
However, that Toughness 58 (30), or 60 (30) once it goes Berserk, means that the players are going to have a heck of a time hurting it. Even a Boom Gun only averages 34.4, AP 25, damage - which only causes a Shaken before the Berserk activates. Hurting it will require either great luck, or a combination of magic and technology, such as casting greater smite on the Boom Gun for +4 or +8 damage.
If your players aren't especially lucky, or suck at cooperating, then similar encounters are going to be beyond their abilities no matter their rank.

I hope that helps some.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Is it worth mentioning the concept of challenge ratings as discussed (briefly) in the core rules? I don't know as I've not played or run Rifts before so am not sure how much it would apply in this case. \$\endgroup\$
    – Wibbs
    Jul 2, 2018 at 8:08

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