Another fast paced, up and down week. As I write this at 10:00 AM, I’ve already put in two and a half hours of work. I worked late the last several days and didn’t go home till a little after 11:00 PM yesterday.
I got a great amount accomplished this week. Spent a day on business and legal issues. Threw together some material for the potential Nightbane® movie project, spoke on the telephone with freelancers, my agent, and attorneys, and dealt with a number of business related matters. I assigned the rest of the artwork for Armageddon Unlimited™ and Thundercloud Galaxy™, and Wayne and Alex have been busy editing Rifts® Heroes of the Megaverse® and contributions to The Rifter® #52. Not counting running errands, coordinating projects, email correspondence and visiting my Dad, the rest of my time was spent writing, writing and writing Rifts® Heroes of the Megaverse®.
UPDATE: Sales. Online sales bounced up and down. We had a couple of really good days of sales and a couple truly awful days of sales, intermixed with a few so-so days. As I said last week, not too worried, I think sales will shoot up with the release of the cool, new Rifts® T-shirt followed by Rifts® Heroes of the Megaverse®, Armageddon Unlimited™ for Heroes Unlimited™, among many others coming at a fast clip over the next four months.
UPDATE: Rifts® SAMAS™ T-shirt. I spoke with the T-shirt printer this morning. I see a sample shirt for final approval on Monday and we should have the T-Shirt delivered by Wednesday of next week and shipping out by Thursday. Get those orders in. This shirt is very cool and should be a must for every Rifts® fan.
UPDATE: Heroes of the Megaverse®. Please don’t hate me or be disappointed, but the book still isn’t finished. I’ve been working on it like a madman, but as I’ve stated before, some books go fast and practically write themselves, while others take a long, long time. Heroes of the Megaverse® is going slow and taking a long time. Ironically, I’ve been very happy with the ideas and writing for it, it has just been slow going. Writing a lot of rules and stats, and keeping the zillions of concepts in this book straight and presented in a clear manner for the reader has been taking forever. It is frustrating for me, because I’m putting my heart and soul into this book, as well as 12-16 hour work days, but the darn thing is taking forever to finish.
I think the book is pretty epic and full of ideas, powers and abilities that both players and Game Masters should be delighted with. I’d say half of the 101 super abilities have 2-3 sub-powers (not counting bonuses and additional skills), so there’s really more like 200+ abilities when you break it all down. That contributed to the workload and slow pace, but I want to make this long awaited sourcebook and tribute to Palladium fans very special. I think I have accomplished that.
Here’s where we’re at: Cover is done. The interior art is done. The 101 Super Abilities are done. Legend and Introduction to the Book of Heroes is done. The list of Megaversal Heroes is done. The powers and description of the Book of Heroes are almost done (20 pages written, about 5-6 to finish), and most of the rest of the book is done. All I need to do is finish the stats and powers of about a dozen NPCs and the book is finished!
I know I’ve said this for something like the last 3-4 weeks, but Heroes of the Megaverse® goes to the printer next week! Working through another weekend to make it happen. It will be quickly followed by Armageddon Unlimited™, then the Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ Revised World Book, followed by Thundercloud Galaxy™ and all the other good stuff we’ve been talking about.
UPDATE: Armageddon Unlimited™ (for Heroes Unlimited™ and the Minion War™) is another spectacular book by Carl Gleba. The artwork has all been assigned, and a couple pieces have already come in. There is so much good stuff in this book. The cover by Mark Evans should be coming in any time now.
UPDATE: Rifts® Thundercloud Galaxy™. John Zeleznik is working on the cover even as you read this and at this point 95% of the interior artwork has been assigned and is pouring in. 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 going to do the cover and we are very excited about this title.
UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three. E.M. Gist will start working on the cover in a couple weeks. It is gruesome and terrifying. Shooting for an October release. This sourcebook is going to be 96 pages.
NEW! Rifts SAMAS T-Shirt. At the printers. Buy this shirt! ;)
UPDATE: Dad. Same old, same old with my Dad. The closer the date of his surgery gets (August 31, 2010), the more worried and depressed he becomes. Doing my best to keep his spirits up.
Zombies, Werewolves, Dark Jesters and more have been rolling out of Kathy Simmons’ garage. Kathy makes one of a kind, life-sized Halloween props for sale in her online store at queenofghouls.com. She’s got a new crawling zombie, a standing zombie, a walking zombie, jester and werewolf all in production and all to be added to her online store over the weekend. If you are looking for scary and fun life-size Halloween props for your Halloween party or yard display, take a look at queenofghouls.com. They are awesome.
I hope all of you are well. There seems to be a general atmosphere of gloom if not doom. I see it and feel it too. Try to be positive, enjoy the little things, like playing role-playing games where you have fun with friends, and stay frosty. I’ll help keep your minds off the real world with one new role-playing sourcebook after another. I promise.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher and Writer
- 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 next week!
- Rifts®/Phase World®: Heroes of the Megaverse® – End of 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 next 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.
It is a time of fear and darkness when the rival dimensions of Hell – Hades and Dyval – clash. Their Minion War ripples across the Megaverse, brings death and suffering, and changes the destiny of countless worlds. It is at moments like this when talk about the Book of Heroes spreads. Could the legends be true? Is there a magic book that inspires and empowers new heroes when they are needed most?
Heroes of the Megaverse® presents the Book of Heroes and its 2,000 greatest champions of the Megaverse. This magic artifact is said to be a hero maker able to find beings with the spirit of a hero and bestow upon them incredible power to do battle against evil. Only one copy of the book 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 Two Thousand,” can rule the universe. The book has been missing for millennia. No one knows its fate or the true power contained within its List of Heroes. No one except YOU – the current 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.