This week was better. Though still down, online sales rebounded and distributors placed decent restock orders. Dad made it through another week of worry and anticipation, there were some positive changes, and Heroes of the Megaverse® is nearly finished.
UPDATE: Sales. Online sales remained sluggish but up considerably from the previous week, which was a relief to see.
There seems to be a lot of excitement about the long awaited Heroes of the Megaverse® sourcebook for Rifts®, Phase World®/Three Galaxies™, Heroes Unlimited™ and all settings across the Megaverse®.
Gamers are also pumped up about other upcoming releases like the Revised and Expanded World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms™, The Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™, Armageddon Unlimited™, The Rifter® #52 (Horror Special), Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3, Thundercloud Galaxy™, Rifts® Lemuria, and Robotech®: New Generation™ Sourcebook. All are scheduled for release over the next four months and all are currently in some stage of development or production.
UPDATE: Heroes of the Megaverse®. I was hoping to announce that the book was done and at the printer, but it’s not. However, I am almost done with the writing and Alex and Wayne are editing as fast as I can crank out finished pages!
Why is this book taking so long? Stats. Stats and rules. They always take three times as long to write than prose. I’ve now spent two weeks on the 101 Super Abilities alone, which are finally done. Well, almost done. I have 10 to finish.
Whew. The thing about the super abilities for this book is that I want them to be as new and different as possible, not reprints from editions of Heroes Unlimited™ and Powers Unlimited™. The idea being that all the powers in the Heroes Unlimited™ series of books are available for conversion as alternative and additional powers if the Game Master allows them. Pretty cool, eh? Sure there are some that are similar to powers that have appeared in past books, but most are new and different or have a twist or three. There’s not one reprint. Of course, that meant a lot of work, and coming up with those last 10 abilities was murder. Many of the super abilities in the Random Power Table have ancillary powers, bonuses and skills attached to them too. Good stuff sure to make players and G.M.s salivate and their characters unique. Plus, this makes the powers easy to adapt and use in Heroes Unlimited™ as well as Rifts® and the Three Galaxies™.
When I wasn’t writing rules, stats and descriptions for super abilities, I was writing other powers and stats (and the rules to make them work) possessed by the Book of Heroes itself, or its avatars. I’m surprised my brain isn’t complete mush by now. Although I can report that there were a few times in the last two weeks when I didn’t know what day it was. That happens when you put in 12-15 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s okay, I’m very happy with the book and it WILL go to the printer next week and it will be released in August.
UPDATE: Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™. The cover is amazing and inspiring. I’ve decided I’m working on this rewritten and expanded version next, then Armageddon Unlimited™, then Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™, followed by Thundercloud Galaxy™.
UPDATE: Armageddon Unlimited™ (for Heroes Unlimited™ and the Minion War™) is another spectacular book by Carl Gleba. Art is being assigned, a couple pieces have already come in. There is sooooo much good stuff in this book. The cover by Mark Evans is being worked on even as you read this. See new details in the bullet points of the description.
UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™. As I stated last week, you are gonna want and need this book. ‘Nuff said.
UPDATE: Rifts® Thundercloud Galaxy™. In just approved the cover sketch by John Zeleznik Friday evening and interior artwork has been pouring in and is about 70% done. It’s looking great and is mostly by Michael Mumah.
UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria. Some art has come in and work on this title continues to move forward. John Zeleznik is likely to do the cover after all and we are very excited about this title.
UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three. E.M. Gist sent his cover sketch in and it blew us away. Gruesome. Terrifying. Perfect. Shooting for an October release. This sourcebook may be a bit larger than the last two zombie sourcebooks. I’m thinking 96 pages.
NEW! Rifts SAMAS T-Shirt. At the printers. Buy this shirt! ;)
UPDATE: Dad. I wish there was something I could do for my Dad. He remains nervous, worried and down about his upcoming surgery and life after it. For those who don’t know, my Dad has bladder cancer and needs to have his bladder and prostate removed. The date for the surgery is August 31, 2010. My weekly visits always seem to pick up his spirits, but I wish I could put his mind at ease for more than a few hours at a time.
Scary fun. Kathy Simmons is cranking out new, amazing, life-size Halloween props for her online store at queenofghouls.com. This year her zombies are red hot sellers, so are her jesters, clowns, vampires, mad doctors, tombstone ghouls, devils, and . . . well, most everything she does sells well, and Kathy makes a lot of diverse items. She is adding Halloween “center piece” decorations – a silver tray, Halloween drinking glass, shot glass, napkin and three skewers of “bug-kabobs” – that are awesome and only $20 bucks. She’s on vacation from her other full-time job and plans to make ghouls and props over the next nine days.
Kathy’s life sized figures look more realistic and scary than ever. And her zombies are truly terrifying. Seriously. I helped Kathy make the last two Crawling Zombies – tattering the clothing, adding blood stains and doing paint retouches on the hands and accents on the heads. I’ve even started signing the masks I significantly repaint.
Thank god I have a strong heart. We put the latest Crawling Zombie (crawling on all fours and reaching up with one hand), leaning up against the wall in the breeze-way of Kathy’s home. The zombie looks fantastic indoors against the wall and looks 100% natural. So much so that he has scared the crap out Kathy, her daughter, me and countless visitors when we turn the corner and see him reaching up at us. I don’t mean he gives you a start. I mean he scares the living daylights out of you. As in, scream like a girl and your heart pounding out of your chest scared. And when you realize it’s just the zombie prop – in Kathy’s and my case, the damn zombie we made and put there in the hall – you feel like a jackass. Wow, now that’s scary. The damn thing has startled me a half dozen times and scared the hell out of me on four different occasions. Kathy’s been scared by him close to a dozen times over the last three weeks, once while we were talking on the phone. VERY COOL when you think about. Kathy’s a true artist when it comes to scary Halloween props and decor. She’s thinking about adding capes and some other smaller items to her array of Halloween creations and doing another live presentation in September. Go to queenofghouls.com to see photos of her amazing work and what’s currently available in her store. More to come as Halloween approaches.
Hanging tough. Ultimately we are fighting the good fight on all fronts and working hard to get a lot of new product to the printer. We hope you’re all hanging in there as well. Stay positive, keep those imaginations burning bright and know new books are on the way.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher and Writer
Recently, Palladium’s relevance has been called into question.
Like everything else in the world, “relevance” is a matter of perception and degree. I imagine for some, relevance is entirely equated to size, money and power. For me, relevance is measured in many other ways. I’d like to think my work has reached generations of gamers and readers in such a way that it has, a) brought them hours of fun, b) touched their lives in a meaningful way, and c) inspired many creative souls to unleash their imaginations in creative ventures of their own, be it in gaming, game design, writing, videogames, film, TV, comic books, art or other mediums in which imagination comes into play.
I never realized how deeply or profoundly my work or the time I spend with people at conventions had affected people until Palladium’s Crisis of Treachery. Thousands of people reached out and shared stories about how Palladium’s RPGs and/or my availability to fans had affected their lives. I was reminded that not only did I give people hours of entertainment and enjoyment, but I created an environment that had helped form lasting friendships and relationships, bound friends and families, helped people escape the drudgery or in some cases, the horror, of their real lives, and helped them through hard times. Some gamers met the person who would become their spouse playing my games. Others made lifelong friends. And some have even credited me (via my games) for saving their lives. Many others have been inspired to become artists, writers, game designers, filmmakers, or to enter other creative fields.
I was reminded of this during my visit to Blizzard last November, and more recently by a couple of Private Messages and some of the comments in the Christmas in July Grab Bags. I share some of those comments with you today. I don’t know about you, but they sound pretty “relevant” to me. The kind of relevance for which I’m proud to be responsible. I think some folks give me a little too much credit, but thank you for thinking so highly of me, my work and the contributions of the Palladium staff and creators behind our books. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your stories. Thank you for your kind words, heartfelt best wishes, and continued support. YOU are what makes our struggle over the last few years all worthwhile.
– Kevin Siembieda, August 6, 2010
VU in Cottage Grove, Oregon wrote: “I want you to know, years ago I almost gave up gaming. Back when TSR decided to go on to 3rd Edition. That was when I found you & Rifts®. Don’t get me wrong. I have a special place for Heroes Unlimited™ & everything else, but Rifts® brought back that spark & made the engine go again. I want to say thanks for everything & please do not give up. In a way, you didn’t let me give up, so please keep that imagination burning bright.”
JA in Columbia, Missouri wrote: “Hey gang, chin up! Know that you are all awesome and bring such joy to so many people. I’m starting to get my sons to game with me now, and that’s a very special joy.”
DB in Mircamichi, New Brunswick, Canada wrote: “Bought my first Palladium book in 1988 (started playing in 1987). Over the years collected more than 70 Palladium books. Stopped playing around 1999. Friends moved, had children, etc. My oldest son saw my collection and became interested this year. We have now been playing almost every night since January. Things have come full circle. He (and I) love the Palladium Fantasy RPG®. So much so, that he has not tried any others yet. The last books I bought were Rifts®: Xiticix Invasion™ and The Rifter® #2. I am happy to be supporting Palladium again.”
GS in Salt Lake City, Utah wrote: “Thank you so much, Palladium. Kevin, you and your staff are masters of creativity and are accountable for millions of hours of amazing entertainment. Your dedication to your fans is so apparent and appreciated. I wish all of you and your families the best life has to offer, because you deserve it for sharing so much with us. Cheers!”
MC in Endicott, New York wrote: “I just want to say I have been playing your games for almost 20 years now and I still love them today the same as when I first played TMNT. I love the worlds and depth you put into each setting. Keep up the good work. Also, I’m in the Army and have been deploying over the last few years, but always in and around Iraq. This deployment, however, is my first to Afghanistan.”
SOD in Commerce, Georgia wrote: “I’ve been a huge fan of Palladium for years and I was really glad to see you guys were still around when I started getting back into pen and paper gaming. It was after finding a letter recently, stashed away, that Mr. Siembieda wrote me back in the mid 90s that I got back into RPGs. Keep up the great work guys! Thanks.”
TF in Stuart, Florida wrote: “Just started a campaign with a bunch of Palladium gaming system “virgins” on Rifts the last few weeks at my local game shop. So far they are loving the world. Started with four players and by word of mouth, I am up to seven.”
DN in Towson, Maryland wrote: “Thank you Palladium and Kevin. You have enriched the world with your games and brought me a decade of enjoyment I will continue to share with others of younger generations. Stay strong and while times are tough economically, I will still do what I an to support your company.”
MS in Tucson, Arizona worte: “This [Grab Bag] is a birthday present for my son who is turning 12 years old. He started playing with my group about 6 months ago and is competely hooked on role-playing.”
MO in Hill AFB, Utah wrote: “I really love the idea of the Grab Bag and now that I’ve got a family of my own, it really allows me to pick up the items I’ve been missing out on. My friends and I currently have a 5-year long (real life), multi-generation, multi-Megaverse crossover game going ... We all love your books and really appreciate the hard word you put into them. Please keep up the great work!”
- The Rifter® #49 – Now available.
- The Rifter® #50 (special anniversary issue) – Now available.
- The Rifter® #51 (official Triax source material & more) – Now available.
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 12: Dimensional Outbreak™ – Now available.
- Rifts® Logo Hoodies (2 styles, zipper and pullover) – Now available.
- Rifts® World Book 31: Triax™ Two – Now available.
- Rifts® 20 Year Celebration T-Shirt – Now available.
- Rifts® 20 Year Celebration Color Print – Now available. Suitable for framing.
- Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms – “Death is for the Weak” T-Shirt – Now available.
- Palladium Books® – Game Master T-Shirt – Now available.
- Palladium Open House “Checklist” T-Shirt – Now available.
- NEW! Rifts® SAMAS™ “Accept No Imitations” T-Shirt – Now available for ordering. Ships mid-August.
- Rifts®/Phase World®: Heroes of the Megaverse® – August
- Armageddon Unlimited™
- Rifts® World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded/Updated
- Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™
- Rifts® World Book: Lemuria
- Rifts® Dimension Book™: Thundercloud Galaxy™
- Rifter® #52 – Horror Special
- Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three
- Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook
- Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™ – First Responders Sourcebook
- Plus more Robotech® sourcebooks, more Mysteries of Magic™ sourcebooks, more Nightbane® sourcebooks, more Dead Reign™ sourcebooks and other good stuff. Note: Order of release, as listed, may be altered.
White on a black T-shirt featuring a Coalition SAMAS™ as drawn by Kevin Long. The words “Rifts® by Palladium Books®” are in blue, artwork and “Accept No Imitations” in white.
Type: 50/50 cotton polyester blend.
Sizes: Medium to 5XL.
Color: Black and white artwork, blue Rifts logo and text, slogan in white on a black T-shirt.
Art by: Kevin Long, inked by Brian and Allen Manning.
Cost: $18.95 for Medium, Large and XL. $20.95 for 2XL, $22.95 for 3XL, $24.95 for 4XL and $26.95 for 5XL. Plus shipping.
Cat. No. 2552. Available to order now, ships in one week. At the printer.
Note: Getting pre-orders are helpful because we still have time to adjust the quantity by size, and so on, so please don’t hesitate to order.
The Rifter® #51 has official Rifts® Triax™ weapons, cyborgs and other source material, strange and amazing O.C.C.s, powers and abilities for Splicers®, and much more. Have you ordered yours? Is it time to renew your subscription?
The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.
In final production and looking good. Final editing and layout are expected next week.
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.
Demons and Deevils are trying to turn Earth into one of their playgrounds. It’s worse than you think. The plan is to bring about Armageddon to unleash a powerful force that could change the tide of the Minion War™. Only Earth’s greatest superheroes (that’s your characters) stand in their way. Can be played as a Minion War™ crossover bringing in heroes from across the Megaverse, or as a stand-alone adventure setting for Heroes Unlimited™.
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 will be accompanied by the Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook that will also come out this summer.
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.
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.
The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, ‘nuff said.
At last, the underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new magic, sea herbs and healing, sea monsters, and more.
Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.
Palladium has made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include.
- Splicers® RPG
- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, First Edition Rules.
- Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS, First Edition Rules.
- Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™.
- The Mechanoids® RPG and The Mechanoid Invasion® RPG Trilogy.
- Palladium Fantasy RPG®, First Edition Rules and select 1st edition sourcebooks.
- After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks.
- The Rifter® issues 1-40.
- The Best of The Rifter®
- Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook.
- And more – go to DriveThruRPG.com and check ‘em out.
Kathy sold more of her creations this week, and if the sales follow last year’s pattern, she’ll be selling like hot cakes in the months August and September. If you see something you want, you’d better buy sooner than later. Remember, these are one-of-a-kind works of art.
Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons makes and sells all-weather, life-sized Halloween props. Each is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Each looks frighteningly “real.” All come apart for easy storage. All come with the lawn stake to stand them up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.
Types of “Ghouls” include: a wild-eye butcher, a ghoulish butler, killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, crawling zombies, staggering zombies, all kinds of zombies, executioners, mad doctors, vampires, werewolves, monsters, grave ghouls, and more. Kathy’s also now offering an array of hand-painted Halloween signs, signs with heads and bodies hanging from them, witch’s brewing pots and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors or mass produced items in a store, making them 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 at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.
© 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®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Chaos Earth, Coalition States, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.