Palladium Books® Weekly Update – October 22, 2010
By Kevin Siembieda
Things are settling down. I want to thank all of you for the kind words said about my father as well as your concern and prayers for me and Palladium Books. I’ve gotten many emails, private messages, and cards. All were appreciated. Some were truly beautiful.
All in all, the Palladium crew and I are doing okay. Except for one particular day this week, I took things easy, working 8-9 hour days. The rest of the time has been spent talking with friends and family, and getting a bit of rest. I still have to sort through my father’s possessions, but I’m not ready for that yet.
Christmas Surprise Packages have been shipping out all week. Have you ordered yours? Christmas Surprise Packages are $80-$100 worth of Palladium stuff for $37 (plus shipping and handling). Doing something nice and fun for others has been a nice escape for me. Very enjoyable. I’ve been sending Surprise Packages out that range from $80+ to $100, and hope folks love what they get.
Getting back on schedule. My head is clearing and my thoughts are becoming more focused again. Consequently, we’re starting to gear up for getting back into full production. Heck, we’ve even started to talk about our release schedule for next year, doing more with Robotech®, getting out of print books back into stock, and all kinds of things.
UPDATE: Armageddon Unlimited™. I expect to be working on this book a bit over the weekend and starting Monday, I’m on it until it is done and at the printers! Armageddon Unlimited™ is an epic adventure setting in which the Deevils of Dyval hope to bring about the destruction the world. It is also brimming with all kinds of new source material, weapons, magic, super power categories, NPC villains, adventure and ideas. As a Minion War™ crossover book, it can be used in any setting from HU2™, Nightbane® and Ninjas & Superspies™ to Rifts®, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies™. It is a perfect companion to Heroes of the Megaverse® and with a little work, could even be adapted to the Palladium Fantasy RPG®. Since the death of my father knocked us off schedule, I gave John Zeleznik an extra week on the cover. From what I’ve seen, it’s awesome.
UPDATE: Thundercloud Galaxy™ is next. It has never been described before and presents a wealth of background information, history, monsters, and adventure ideas.
UPDATE: Other Books. We plan to get one new book out after another. Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ Revised and Expanded and the Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ by the end of the year. I’m dying to work on these two books. Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three is probably next, then Robotech®: New Generation Sourcebook, Rifts® Chaos Earth™: First Responders, Rifts® Lemuria (cover by John Zeleznik), Mysteries of Magic™ Two, Megaverse® in Flames, more Robotech® and a bunch of other good stuff.
Getting back in print. We are also exploring ways to get many out of print titles back in print. With any luck you’ll start seeing books like Rifts® Canada, Dark Conversions, Rifts® G.M. Guide, Mutant Underground™, Chaos Earth™: Rise of Magic™ and others back in print.
UPDATE: Online sales continue to be up and down.
Kathy Simmons is truly the Queen of Halloween. It seems people have waited till the last minute to purchase Kathy’s gorgeous life-sized Halloween props. She sold five of them this week and one over the weekend, including a witch and a pair of zombies. Nice. Kathy also has her entire Halloween display up and it looks amazing. People have gone wild over the massive Mad Doctor’s laboratory (I helped) and her zombie-filled graveyard, among other displays. That’s the cool thing about Kathy’s outdoor display: there are many separate vignettes or dioramas. Very cool. It’s like going to Disneyland, except they aren’t animated.
Don’t forget, you can buy Kathy’s life-sized Halloween props from queenofghouls.com, her Ebay store, all year round. They are awesome.
Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher & Writer
Coming Soon:
Armageddon Unlimited™ – in final production.
Rifts® Dimension Book 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™ – in production.
Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ Revised and Expanded
Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ (December, tentative)
Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three (December, tentative)
Early 2011: Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook and Rifts® Lemuria.
2010 Christmas Surprise Packages
What is a Christmas Surprise Package? $80-$90 (sometimes more!) worth of Palladium products – plus autographs and surprises – for $37 (plus shipping and handling).
Autographs. Kevin Siembieda, the Palladium staff, and available freelance writers and artists are happy to sign your books. For many fans, especially those outside the USA, this is the only way they can get autographs.
It’s a fun surprise. Each package is a surprise, because YOU don’t know exactly what’s in it. We accomplish this by having you send a Wish List indicating 8-12 (or more) items you know are in stock and you’d like to have. Kevin makes his selections from the list and is likely to include an item or two not on your list. As a result, you don’t know what you are getting until you open the box, just like a real Christmas present.
A Palladium tradition! We’ve been doing the Christmas Surprise Package for 12 or 13 years now. It’s our way of saying thank you to our fans and making gamers around the world smile. Offer ends December 23, 2010. Spread the word. Let your gaming buddies know, and take advantage of this great deal.
Click here for more information and to place an order.
Some Fan Comments Pulled from Christmas Grab Bags
S.D. in London, Canada, writes: Last year my sisters surprised me with an X-Mas Surprise Package. Up until then, I didn’t know you did this every year. So this year, I made a special effort to ensure I had the money to buy myself one. Thanks sooo much.
J.H. in Alice Springs, Australia, writes: Thank you for doing the Christmas Grab Bag again.
J.S. in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, writes: Rifts® is an awesome game from what I’ve seen of it so far these past few months. I’m really looking forward to trying out more Palladium games. Keep up the good work!!
M. McC in Omaha, Nebraska, writes: As a long time gamer (20+ years), I have found PB to be my favorite game system. Thanks for doing the Grab Bag.
M.L. in Chicago, Illinois, writes: I am just coming back to Rifts after being gone for a while and I need to replace old and missing books. The cool thing is my son (8) loves to play as well.
A.M. in Palm Bay, Florida, writes: After reconnecting with your website and looking through the forums, I read that Kevin has had a rough few years with the company and has been working very hard to keep everything together. I just want him to know ... WHAT YOU DO MATTERS TO OTHERS IN THE WORLD! Your games stretched my imagination as a kid and allowed me to dream. I went on to become an engineer ... and then a teacher. Robotech® inspired me. I now teach an Engineering Technology course where the students learn to build robots and compete in a national robotics competition! Thanks for the memories.
J.L. in Madison, Wisconsin, writes: My Heart goes out to you with all you’ve been dealing with. Holidays are harder to enjoy when we lose a loved one. I hope you continue to find the strength you’ve shown throughout this ordeal. I have great respect and admiration for the way you’ve allowed all of us in your Palladium family to share in such a personal and tumultuous time in your private life. I want to thank you, personally, for being so open and honest with all of your fans and everyone else. Your games have been an inspiration to me for 20 years.
J.R. in Baltimore, Maryland, writes: Thanks again for all your hardwork and true love of your fans. We are with you in these dark times.
Palladium Books® Greeting Cards Sale
With the holidays coming up, I wanted to remind you that Palladium offers fun and attractive greeting cards. Surprise and tickle your gaming pals with these truly cool, colorful and keepsake greeting cards. The two “Rifts® Christmas cards” are perfect for the Rifts® gamers in your life, so make this holiday season a Rifts® Christmas.
Special 2010 Holiday Prices:
$1.25 per individual card (was $1.75), comes with a white envelope for mailing. Order any quantity. Mix and match as desired.
$7.00 per pre-packaged set of six cards and envelopes (was $9.00). That can be six of the same card to send to multiple gamers - or - the “mixed set” containing one of each of the six different cards.
Full color collector greeting cards.
Fan favorite artists: Kevin Long, John Zeleznik, Scott Johnson, Larry Elmore and David Dorman.
Each card is 5 x 7 inches, full color, and looks fantastic. White mailing envelope.
Available only while supplies last.
This greeting card sale is limited to the months of October and November, 2010. So get ‘em while you can.
- Mixed Set: One of each card; six different greeting cards and envelopes. 1 Rifts® Ultimate Happy Holidays, 1 Rifts® Christmas card, 1 Rifts® (Glitter Boy in Flames) Birthday card, 1 Heroes Unlimited Birthday card, 1 Rifts® Thinking of You (D-Bees), 1 humorous Fantasy card (Elmore) and six white envelopes.
#2515 for six card set. $7.00 sale price.
- Rifts® Ultimate, Happy Holidays Card (humorous, Christmas & New Years, Rifts® Ultimate cover). Scott Johnson art.
#2516 single card and envelope – $1.25 sale price.
#2517 for six card set – $7.00 sale price.
- Rifts® Ley Line, Christmas Card (humorous). Kevin Long art.
#2518 single card and envelope – $1.25 sale price.
#2519 for six card set – $7.00 sale price.
- Have a Super Birthday, Heroes Unlimited™ Card. John Zeleznik art.
#2520 single card and envelope – $1.25 sale price.
#2521 for six card set – $7.00 sale price.
- Happy Birthday, Rifts® Glitter Boy™ Card. Scott Johnson art.
#2522 single card and envelope – $1.25 sale price.
#2523 for six card set – $7.00 sale price.
- Thinking of You, Rifts® D-Bees™ Card. Dave Dorman art.
#2524 single card and envelope – $1.25 sale price.
#2525 for six card set – $7.00 sale price.
- Fantasy Card (humorous). “Faeries, the other white meat.” Larry Elmore art on the card face, Kevin Siembieda interior art.
#2526 single card and envelope – $1.25 sale price.
#2527 for six card set – $7.00 sale price.
Rifts® Poster by Mike Mumah
20 Year Anniversary Color Print – Available now
This is a gorgeous color version of the T-shirt, with color and art by Mike Mumah, signed by Kevin Siembieda and Mike. It features iconic Rifts characters charging to battle, including a Glitter Boy, Ley Line Walker, Cyber-Knight, Juicer, Crazy, Dog Boy, Burster, cyborg, dragon, and others.
Type: Sturdy card stock suitable for hanging on the wall or framing.
Limited: 350 copies. Signed but not numbered.
Signed By: Kevin Siembieda (Rifts® creator) and Mike Mumah (artist).
Size: Approximately 19 x 9 1/4 inches. Full color.
Art By: Mike Mumah.
Cost: $10.00, plus shipping.
Cat. No. PR808. Available now.
The Rifter® #52
Horror Issue – Available now
The Rifter® #52 is our annual horror issue. It is packed with dark, forgotten magic, Tattoo Magic, Rune Weapons and more!
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.
Issue #52 Presents:
Rifts®: The Crusaders & The Black Crusade™ – Source material for Rifts® based on a pair of interrelated short stories that appear this issue. Source material includes 35 new Magic Tattoos, a dozen new pieces of equipment and weapons, new variant Sunaj O.C.C.s and more.
For the Palladium Fantasy RPG®: Cannibal Magic. Perfect material for our horror issue.
For the Palladium Fantasy RPG®: From Ruins to Runes (easily adaptable to Rifts® and other settings). Several completely new types of super-rare Rune Weapons from the Elf-Dwarf War.
The latest chapter of Hammer of the Forge™, fiction.
News, coming attractions and much more.
$11.95 retail – 96 pages – Cat. No. 152. Available now.
Heroes of the Megaverse®
– Available now
The Book of Heroes is an ancient magic tome that empowers those with the potential for greatness. (Your player character?) In times of fear and darkness the Book is said to appear to make sure the forces of evil don’t get the upper hand. The Minion War™ is such a dark time as the forces of Hell ripple across the Megaverse bringing death and destruction. Are the legends true? Is there a magic book that inspires and empowers new heroes to rise up and make a difference when they are needed most?
Heroes of the Megaverse™ presents the Book of Heroes, its powers and influence. It also lists the names of 2,000 of the greatest champions the Megaverse has ever known and offers rules for turning them into legendary Heroes 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.
The legend and magic of the Book of Heroes.
The powers of the book itself.
The ability to empower and turn worthy heroes into superhumans.
101 detailed super abilities (not reprints from other books).
Hero Avatars, Hero Mentors, and their powers.
Quick roll creation tables and ways to turn the 2,000 named in the book into Heroes of the Megaverse® for your campaigns.
Why the book must never fall into the hands of any Lord of Hell.
Nearly a dozen NPC heroes and surprises.
For use with Rifts® and Phase World®/The Three Galaxies™, as well as Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy RPG® and other S.D.C. settings. Includes stats and conversions for M.D. and S.D.C. settings.
Contains the names of nearly 2,000 real life gamers who purchased the special Mega-Print during Palladium’s Crisis of Treachery (and other heroes).
Cover by Apollo Okamura.
Art by Mike Mumah, Mark Dudley, Nick Bradshaw and others.
Written by Kevin Siembieda.
96 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 877. Available now.
Armageddon Unlimited™
For Heroes Unlimited™ – Ships November, 2010
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™.
A dozen new super abilities.
Enchanted and Demonic Weapons.
Demon Hunter Power Category and abilities.
Demonic Immortal Power Category and abilities.
Crusader of Light Power Category and abilities.
Magically Bestowed Variant Power Categories and abilities.
Hellion monster creation table – NPC villains.
Arcane orders, secret societies, and magic guilds.
The Chaos Generator and the coming of Armageddon.
Notable villains, people and places.
The Armageddon scenario and adventure ideas.
Written by Carl Gleba. Cover by John Zeleznik.
160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 527. We’re shooting to get this book out as fast as possible. November release.
Coming:
Rifts® Dimension Book™ 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™
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 galaxy described; history and time-line.
16 new alien R.C.C.s, plus notes on the Exiles and Dominators.
6 new O.C.C.s.
Monster and Animal Creation Tables.
Guidelines for Magic Weapon Making.
Notable weapons and technology.
Notable organizations and secret societies.
The Trensik Mercenaries.
The Vortex Region.
The Splugorth Kingdom of Desslyth and many other notable worlds.
New worlds of adventure.
Written by Braden Campbell.
160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 883. November or December.
Rifts® World Book One:
Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated
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.
Vampires: Their strengths, weaknesses and powers.
The Vampire Kingdoms expanded.
Vampire strategies and plans for conquest.
Vampire hunters and Techno-Wizard slayer devices (new and old).
Key locations including Juarez and El Paso.
The mystery of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Traveling Shows, Freak Shows and Circuses.
Monsters, D-Bees, and adventure ideas galore.
Updated and revised to 110 P.A.
Cover by E.M. Gist.
Written by Kevin Siembieda.
192 to 224 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 802-E.
Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™
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.
Vampire protectors and guardians.
Vampire rogues, mercenaries and warlords.
Vampire operations away from the Kingdoms.
Vampire incursions along the southern borderlands.
New vampire hunters and human strongholds.
Vampire hunter “exterminators.”
Frightful revelations, secrets, and adventure ideas.
And much, much more.
Cover by Michael C. Hayes.
Written by Kevin Siembieda, Braden Campbell and Mark Dudley.
128 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 884.
Coming:
Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™
At last, the underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new magic, sea herbs and healing, sea monsters, and more.
The Lemurians, their race, history and society.
New O.C.C.s including the Serpent Hunter, Shriekers, Oceanic Guardsman, Aquatic Biomancer and others.
The Stone Guardians of Easter Island and other mysteries.
Biomancer Gardens and Aquatic Biomancy.
Bio-Armor, Bio-Weapons and Bio-Construct Symbiotes.
New psionic abilities.
Sea Serpents, monsters, adventure ideas, and more.
Written by Greg Diaczyk.
160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 885. Final page count and price may be subject to expansion and increase.
Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook
We’re hoping to squeak this Robotech® sourcebook out in time for Christmas, otherwise it will be an early 2011 release.
The heroes and mecha of New Generation.
Freedom Fighters and salvaged mecha.
Mecha from all four eras of the Robotech saga, adventures, and more.
Written by Irvin Jackson and Kevin Siembieda.
A “manga” size sourcebook.
192-256 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 554. Final page count and price may be subject to change.
PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com
This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve 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.
The Queen of Ghouls: Life-Sized Halloween Props
Scary. Life sized (most are 6 feet or taller). Unique. 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.” Can survive all types of weather. All come apart and fold down to slightly larger than a king-size pillow for easy storage. Come with easy instructions, a storage bag, and the lawn stake to stand them up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.
Types of “Ghouls” include: Zombies (all kinds!), killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, executioners, mad doctors, deadly nurses, vampires, werewolves, 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, Halloween centerpieces 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.
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.
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.