The Shadows are an ancient race, at least as ancient as the Vorlons. The Shadows and Vorlons were charged as custodians of the younger races when the rest of the Elder Races left the galaxy. However, the Shadows and Vorlons had quite different ideas about how to guide the younger races. The Shadows encouraged conflict, maintaining that through conflict the winning races were stronger and better. The Vorlons felt that only through guided growth and strict rules could races prosper. The extremists of both sides gained control, and wars broke out between the Shadows and Vorlons, who twisted several younger races to their will in order to 'win' and get their point across.
After winning the second-to-last Shadow war and driving the Shadows underground on their homeworld, Z'Ha'dum, the Vorlons were free to walk among the younger races, most especially the Minbari, and use considerable influence for their cause. The Shadows, on the other hand, had to move in the background, gathering strength against their ancient foe.
The minions of the Shadows are intelligent beings who simply want to be on the winning side. Higher goals have no place here, unless they truly feel that Darwin was right, and this type of thinking must be shared. However, most simply take this line of reasoning as an excuse for their actions... after the Shadows wipe their mind and twist them to their own purposes.
The minions of the Shadows can be of any race, though most(90%) are human. None are Minbari.
A Shadowminion can have been another OCC before becoming a minion. GM's consent. If so, all skills of the old OCC are kept, but none are advanced as the player levels. Experience is rolled back to 0, and levels are gained on a new experience table. The first OCC must be level Four or below. All skills are 'frozen' at their level, and must be 'selected' by the player as the player advances in order to advance.
Example: A player wishes to transform his 3rd level Coalition SAMAS Pilot, "Malik," into a Shadowminion. He checks with his GM, who approves. All of Malik's special skills and equipment are kept, as are his OCC/OCC Related/Secondary skills. He transfers his OCC skills to OCC Related(if necessary, not all charsheets are organized like this) and replaces them with the Shadowminion OCC skills. Now, when selecting OCC Related skills and Secnodary skills for the Shadowminion OCC, Malik's player MUST pick skills that Malik has already acquired, and must continue to do so when leveling until all skills are selected. These skills do not decrease in percentage, but do not increase until Malik reaches 3rd level as a Shadowminion. The next time Malik levels, all his skills will increase.
Of course, you can cheat and roll up a new '3rd level' character and then go through the process of transferring skills, but it's more of a pain than it's worth unless you REALLY want a munchy character. ;)
Any OCC chan be transferred this way EXCEPT: Practicioners of Magic, Rangers, Psionic OCCs/RCCs, Juicers, and Crazies.
Every Shadowminion will have 1d4 Shadows with them at any time. This number can vary at different times for the same Minion. Roll any time it becomes necessary to know this number. Note that any information the Shadows think their minion should know can be transferred to the minion's mind through a type of telepathy.
Alignment Restrictions: Must be Selfish or Evil. Truly good characters never would have submitted to the Shadows in the first place, and probably would be jacked into a Shadowship and flitting around the galaxy getting blown up.
Attribute Bonuses: +2d4 ME and MA, +1 attack/melee in addition to any H2H bonuses. +15 to save vs. HF - anything scarier than the guys they work with is pretty damn shocking. Horror Factor: 15 for telepaths only. Because of the nearness of the Shadows, all psionic RCCs have to save vs. HF to avoid being pretty much bowled over. A failed roll means the telepath is rendered useless with the sensation of falling down a dark, cold well forever and ever and ever and ever and ever...
OCC Skills:
OCC Related Skills: These are most likely skills that the Minion carries over from his/her life before falling under sway of the Shadows. Choose eight other skills from the following categories, and one more at levels four, seven, ten, and thirteen:
Secondary Skills: In addition, select six secondary skills from the previous list. Select two more at levels three, six, nine, and twelve. These skills do not get the benefit of the bonuses listed above.
Standard Equipment: 1 credit chit, a backpack containing a data crystal player, several music crystals and some important data that makes no difference on Rifts Earth, and two extra changes of clothes. When you're in the business of starting wars, you travel light.
Money: 3d6x1000 in Earth Alliance Credits (not usable on Rifts Earth, may be usable in the Phase World setting), 1d6x1000 in black market items.
They're big. They're bad. They fight for Darwin. And three of them can take on a Vorlon... and win.
Shadows don't attempt to converse with other species, but can make themselves understood perfectly well through something like telepathy. This is completely effortless to the Shadows. To normals, Shadows look like either a faint shimmer in the air(when hiding) or a large, ugly spideresque being.
Alignment: Considered to be Aberrant; they have their own principles.
Attributes: IQ: 5d6+5, MA: 5d6, ME: 5d6+6, PS: 3d6, PP: 3d6, PE: 5d6, PB: 2d6, Spd: 3d6
Size: Approximately 5' tall, but with branching legs that make them appear larger.
Weight: Nobody's asked.
Average life span: Nobody has discovered for sure.
MDC: 1d4x100
HF: 14 to normals, 18 to telepaths when revealed, 15 when hidden.
PPE: 2d6x100
ISP: 5d6x10
Natural abilites:
Combat: Five attacks/melee, most likely used for psionic attacks. However, a claw attack does 1d6 MD. Bonuses/Penalties: +5 initiative, +3 on strike, +2 on parry, +8 to save vs. psionics, +15 to save vs. HF. If in combat against a psionic RCC who is not shocked after a HF roll, the Shadow gets -2 to all reaction rolls. Vorlons do not count as psionic RCCs in this case; neither do dragons or other supernatural creatures who happen to have psionics. GMs call on other races not mentioned here.
Shadows use the Dragon experience table, their Minions use the CS Military Specialist experience table.