UPDATE: Triax™ 2 is DONE and at the printer. And we should even have copies at the Open House. Our printer knows how important this book is for us, so they are going to have it printed and ready by Thursday afternoon, April 29. Cool, eh?
I know gamers prefer big, juicy books, but man oh man, are they murder to produce, especially on a tight deadline. Wayne, Alex and I all put in excruciatingly long hours to get it done. I started work at 7:00 AM Thursday morning and didn’t get home till 1:15 AM Friday morning. I grabbed five hours sleep, was up at 6:00 AM and to work by 7:00 AM. Wayne came back to the office after his Thursday night game and he was here with me till the AM hours, grabbed some sleep and jumped right back into it to get it completely done and to the printer.
It’s a great product with a lot of applications for use of the weapons, armor and robots outside the NGR. Plus, there are some good storylines for adventure springing up around the NGR. In addition to the obvious military gear, there are a bunch of fun things folks might not expect. Like S.D.C. cars and trucks, robot assistants (need a chauffeur?), robot pets, and Spy ‘Bots. There are energy drinks that are mild narcotics and hallucinogens (check out Cataclysm or Zoom), meal paste, the German Black Market, odds and ends from other manufacturers and plenty of military hardware. I’m happy to say there are things in this book that should surprise as well as please the reader. And the artwork . . . wow. See the description in this press release for an update of specific details.
UPDATE: Online Sales. Sales were lousy this week, down about 50%, but they always are during income tax week. And we’ll see a rebound as soon as the new hoodies and T-shirts come out, not to mention the hotly anticipated Triax™ 2.
UPDATE: Licensing, New Markets and Crossovers. There continues to be a lot of things happening on other fronts, some of them completely unexpected, but wonderful if they come to pass. I can’t tell you what they are yet, but I can tell you they are exciting. I just wish some of this started a few weeks ago. Those of you coming to the Palladium Open House will be the first to hear about these secret goings on.
UPDATE: Rifts® Hoodies – ship next week. The order has been placed and the shirts should be ready to ship Tuesday or Wednesday, April 20. I can hardly wait to see them. Our three new T-shirts will debut at the Open House and be made available to the public in the beginning of May. You’re gonna love them, too.
UPDATE: Palladium Open House is less than 2 weeks away. I can’t believe it. I need to catch up on some sleep and start cracking the whip to get the warehouse in shape. We can hardly wait and hope you join us for the celebration and fun we are going to have at the POH.
In between everything else going on we’ve ordered the trophy plaques for the Costume Contest, ordered tables and chairs, got shirts getting printed, posters getting printed, the warehouse cleaned up and re-organized, contest artwork sorted out, displays made, ghouls lined up, and . . . there’s still so much to do.
UPDATE: The handful of re-offered Open House VIP Thursday Tickets blew out fast, but if you are still looking to get into VIP Night let us know, and even ask at the door on Thursday night (if you’re in town), because we often get a handful of last minute cancellations.
UPDATE: Dad. Poor Dad, I kept rescheduling our Wednesday morning breakfast visit. “How about Thursday? Great.” “Um, how about Friday? Great.” “Sorry Dad, how about we skip this week and I’ll see you next Wednesday? Thanks.” He said no problem, but he sounded disappointed.
Good News for Kathy Simmons. As some of you may recall, Kathy’s 33 year old daughter, Tina, also had bladder cancer. Well, they caught it early and her doctor’s examination yesterday showed she is cancer-free. Fantastic!
I hope you don’t mind if I keep this update section short. I’m pretty beat and need to finish up a few things here and go home to sleep for like 12 hours. :) Enjoy your weekend, game on and it’s not too late to make plans to come to the Palladium Open House. See ya soon.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer & Gamer
- The Rifter® #49 – Now available
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 12: Dimensional Outbreak™ – Now available
- The Rifter® #50 (expanded, anniversary issue) – Now available
- Rifts® Hoodie (2 styles, zipper and pullover) – April 20
- Rifts® World Book 31: Triax™ Two – April 29 – at the printer.
- Palladium Open House – April 29-May 2. Fun for all. Enter the costume contest, win prizes and trophies, and game till you drop.
- Rifts®/Phase World® Sourcebook: Heroes of the Megaverse® – May
- Rifts® Dimension Book™: Thundercloud Galaxy™ – May
- Rifts® 20 Year Anniversary T-Shirt – May – at the printer.
- Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms – “Death is for the Weak” T-Shirt – May – at the printer.
- Palladium Books® – Game Master T-Shirt – May – at the printer.
- Armageddon Unlimited™ – June
- Rifts® World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated – June
- Rifts® World Book: Lemuria – Summer
- Robotech® UEEF Marines Sourcebook – Summer
- Rifts® Vampire Sourcebook™ – Summer
- Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook – Summer
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™ – First Responders Sourcebook – Summer
- Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames – August
- Plus more Robotech® sourcebooks, more Mysteries of Magic™ sourcebooks (hoping to slot one in before June), more Nightbane® sourcebooks, more Dead Reign™ sourcebooks, Warpath™ and other good stuff.
At the printer. Rifts® Logo “Zipper” Hoodie: A white imprint of the Rifts® Logo on a black zipper hoodie. The famous Rifts® Logo appears front and back; a small logo over the left breast and a large logo printed on the back.
Type: 50/50 cotton polyester blend; full zipper.
Sizes: Medium to 3XL.
Color: White logo on a black zipper hoodie.
Cost: $32.95 for Small, Medium, Large and XL. $34.95 for 2XL. $36.95 for 3XL; plus shipping (approximately $6 to most places in the USA).
Cat. No. 2546. Taking orders now. Ships April 20.
At the printer. A white imprint of a large Rifts® Logo on the front of a pullover hoodie. Nothing on the back.
Type: 50/50 cotton polyester blend; pullover.
Sizes: Medium to 3XL.
Color: White logo on a black pullover hoodie.
Cost: $28.95 for Medium, Large and XL. $30.95 for 2XL, and $32.95 for 3XL; plus shipping (approximately $6 to most places in the USA).
Cat. No. 2547. Taking orders now. Ships April 20.
At the printer.
You are going to love it. Triax™ Two is the long awaited and hotly anticipated sequel to the hugely popular Rifts® World Book 5: Triax™ & The NGR (more than 100,000 copies sold). Fans want this book badly, and it is going to be a hot selling item. A ton of new weapons, vehicles, power armor, giant robots and much more make this a toy box Rifts fans will not be able to resist.
The Rifter® Number 50 celebrates twelve and a half years of publication as well as the Rifts® RPG’s Twentieth Anniversary, by presenting an issue filled with official and unofficial source material and adventures from a list of Palladium guest writers that fans know and love.
Heroes of the Megaverse® presents numerous NPC heroes, new details about the Cosmo-Knights and all kinds of fun with a magic artifact known as the Book of Heroes. This magic artifact is said to bestow incredible power upon those who use it. It can also guide and empower current day heroes and unleash forces that could have a profound impact on the Minion War. Only one copy is known to exist, and everyone wants to get their hands on it – good guys and bad (demons, Deevils, the Splugorth, the Dominators, the Kreeghor, etc.). According to legend, he who controls the Book of Heroes and wields the “Power of the 2000,” can rule the universe. Once protected by the Cosmo-Knights, the book has gone missing for millennia. No one knows its fate or the true power contained within its List of Heroes. No one except YOU – the new keepers of this legendary Rune book.
Dimensional Outbreak™ is space opera at its best. A blend of sci-fi, horror, magic, technology and the alien that is sure to get your adrenaline flowing. The epic scale of the Minion War just got bigger and even the United Worlds of Warlock, the Splugorth and Naruni Enterprises are reeling from it. The story hooks are endless.
The Thundercloud Galaxy™ is the perfect companion to Rifts® Dimensional Outbreak™ to expand one’s gaming Megaverse in the Three Galaxies. History, aliens, weapons, spacecraft, and adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Kevin Siembieda is reorganizing, tweaking, expanding and updating one of the most popular Rifts® World Books ever published: Vampire Kingdoms™. This will include some new artwork and an expanded page count. The book will be updated and expanded in much the same way as Kevin did with Rifts® Sourcebook One a couple years ago. Best of all, it’s just the prelude to a Rifts® Vampire Sourcebook that will follow a month or two later.
Trouble is stirring in the Vampire Kingdoms as ambitious vampire lords, ladies and misanthropes seek to expand their power to dominate more mortal life forms.
Written by Kevin Siembieda and a handpicked selection of other writers, this sourcebook explores the vampires of Mexico and their kingdoms in ways you never imagined. Tons of new data, adventure ideas and revelations.
Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™: The underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new magic, sea herbs and healing, monsters, the New Navy, and much, much more. Written by Greg Diaczyk. 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 885.
Armageddon Unlimited™ – for Heroes Unlimited™: Demons and Deevils are trying to turn Earth into one of their playgrounds, only it’s worse than you think. The plan is to bring about Armageddon. A stand-alone adventure setting for Heroes Unlimited™, new super abilities, hero categories, demonic weapons, adventure and more. Cover by Mark Evans. Written by Carl Gleba. 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 527.
Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™: The Minion War™ spills across Rifts Earth, plus Soulmancer and Blood Magic, and Demon Plagues across the globe. Rifts Calgary and much, much more. Written by Carl Gleba. 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 876.
Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook: The Robotech® core sourcebook you’ve been waiting for . . . only it’s going to be more than you imagine. Written by Kevin Siembieda and Irvin Jackson. 224+ pages – manga size – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 554.
Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook: First Responders™: Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Apocalypse, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders. Written by Jason Richards & Kevin Siembieda. 96 to 128 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 665.
- Robotech® New Generation™ Freedom Fighters Sourcebook (and others)
- More Rifts® Chaos Earth™ sourcebooks
- More Rifts® sourcebooks
- More Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ sourcebooks
- Nightbane® Sourcebook Six
- Mysteries of Magic™ Two & Three
- Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three
- The Rifter® Number 51 & 52
- Warpath™ Urban Jungle™ and more . . .
Palladium has made several out of print titles and the first 40 issues of The Rifter® available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. We are regularly asked if out of print titles such as Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™, the original Mechanoids® RPGs, Boxed Nightmares™, BTS First Edition, etc. are available, and they are, at DriveThruRPG.com. Check ‘em out.
All-weather, life-sized Halloween props by Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons. “Ghouls” include killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, executioners, mad doctors, vampires, werebeasts, monsters and soon, new stylings for zombies that look even more life-like. Kathy’s also starting to offer accessories such as signs, witch’s brewing pots and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors. Affordable Halloween fun.
If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical “ghoul,” as she calls her creations, costs $89-$150. You can see some of her work (available off-season at lower prices) at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.
Like Kevin has said before, we’re going to push our troubles aside and game, party and have a blast at the 2010 Open House.
YOU are invited.
YOU can pay at the door.
YOU can come for just one day – and those of you living nearby in Michigan, Ohio, and Windsor should do so.
YOU are our guests. Kevin and the gang will be waiting for you.
YOU should join the fun.
The 2010 Open House is a celebration of gaming and friendship. We’ll have a Rifts 20th Birthday Party, celebrate The Rifter reaching issue Number Fifty (that’s 12 1/2 years of publication), and forget about our economic woes.
Kevin, Julius, Wayne, Alex, Kathy and a host of artists and writers will be available the entire weekend to game, chat, sign autographs and have fun. There will be many panel talks, a live auction (Saturday) with some amazing and rare books, art and items, a costume contest (Saturday) and non-stop gaming all weekend long.
Come for one day or the whole weekend, but do it. Do it because you, and all of us, need to forget our troubles and remember what life is all about: friends, laughter and gaming.
Thursday is VIP Night with our doors opening at 4:00 PM till midnight.
Friday is gaming and panel talks all day long, from 9:00 AM to midnight (with more gaming going on at the hotel).
Saturday is more gaming and panel talks, plus the live auction and the Costume Contest (it was awesome last year). 9:00 AM to midnight.
Sunday is more gaming, but it is a short day; 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM or so.
ALL EVENTS are covered under the cost of admission.
3 Day Weekend: $40 per person (Friday thru Sunday).
Friday Only: $16 per person.
Saturday Only: $16 per person.
Sunday Only: $12 per person.
VIP Night: $60 per person. Currently 4 tickets are available.
Online: Click the links above.
By Telephone: Call (734) 721-2903 – have your credit card information ready.
Hotel: You must call by April 12, 2010, to get the special discounted rate of $69.95 and you MUST tell them you “want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books.” Call 734-455-8100 to make hotel reservations at the Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower, 40455 Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth, MI 48170 (right off of I-275 and five minutes from Palladium Books).
For more information and to pre-register, click here.
POH Game Masters and games needed. Please let us know if you are running, how many games you are running, etc. – the sooner the better, so we can put together and post online a schedule of events soon. Thanks.
Palladium Creators who will be at the 2010 POH:
Kevin Siembieda
Wayne Smith
Kathy Simmons
Julius Rosenstein
Alex Marciniszyn
Amy Ashbaugh
Brandon Aten
Carmen Bellaire
Nick Bradshaw
Kent Burles
Braden Campbell (tentative)
Randi Cartier
Roger Cartier
Stephen Dawes
Matthew Daye
Greg Diaczyk
Mark Dudley
Carl Gleba
Jeffry Scott Hansen
Mike Leonard
Allen Manning
Brian Manning
Mike Majestic (tentative)
Mike Mumah
Apollo Okamura
Mark Oberle
Charles Walton
and other artists, writers and creators. See you there in a couple weeks.
© Copyright 2010 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.
This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, The Three Galaxies, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.