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Month: June 2025

Rifts® SALE & News – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 27, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF RIFTS® – ONE GAME SYSTEM – EVERY GENRE – COUNTLESS WORLDS – ENDLESS ADVENTURE

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Rifts® SALE & News – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 27, 2025

Can you believe Rifts is 35 years old?


Yep, it made its debut at the 1990 Gen Con. We stopped at the printer to pick up 300 copies hot off the press to take to Gen Con and sold out by Saturday afternoon. The initial 10,000 copy printing sold out in three weeks. We printed 20,000 more and they sold out in three or four months. Rifts® was an immediate mega-hit. A UK magazine reviewer called Rifts an instant classic. Rifts® would go on to outsell Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness™ and Robotech® combined.


What a joy it has been to bring you 100+ Rifts books so far, and we have a lot more planned. That does not even count the Rifts for Savage Worlds® books or The Rifter® sourcebook series! Over the years, we’ve had a lot of Hollywood studios and directors show interest in Rifts. In fact, it was once optioned as a live action movie by Walt Disney Pictures for development by Jerry Bruckheimer Films. I even got to meet J.B. and screenwriter David Franzoni (Gladiator), which was a thrill. WDP held the motion picture rights for 18 years before they let them go. Wild right?


In case you haven’t noticed, Rifts and Palladium Fantasy are my two favorite settings for which to write books, and, boy, do I have a lot of books I still want to write for both. Sean and I have plans for Rifts and Palladium Fantasy that will blow your minds. Of course, we plan to support Chaos Earth, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, BTS, and all our settings, but it’s hard to resist the siren call of Rifts (and Fantasy).


This being the 35th Anniversary of Rifts®, watch for the following:


● Enjoy the current 20% off sale on 80+ Rifts books – ALL core rule books, World Books, and sourcebooks, including hardcovers, on sale. This is a limited time offer that ends after midnight, July 23rd. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.

● ALL Rifts titles, including hardcovers – will be on sale at the Palladium Books GEN CON Booth #1515. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.


● Watch for other Rifts special offers and surprises coming 2025 thru August 2026. Check the Weekly Updates for these announcements.


● COMING SOON! New cover art for Rifts® Black Market – This is one of my favorite sourcebooks. It is filled with info about Bandito Arms and the top five Black Market factions, and offers a slew of toys for your player characters – weapons, riding animals, robots, power armor, Shadow Boy power armor, Iron Mage TW Glitter Boy, smuggling routes, Black Market operations, 10 Black Market O.C.C.s, and much more. Hmm, does this make the edition with the current cover a collector’s item? Cat. No. 886.

● COMING SOON! New cover art and name for Rifts® Coalition Manhunters. The new title: Rifts® Psi-Ops: Psychic War! Why? Because it is constantly mistaken for the old Myrmidon Press Rifts Manhunter RPG, which was a space opera setting and a completely different book. So we decided to change the name and cover (new art by Mike Majestic), to more accurately represent the contents of this big CS sourcebook.


Psi-Ops: Psychic War (formerly CS Manhunters) is one of the best Rifts books I (Kevin Siembieda, with some help from Mark Oberle and others) have ever written! It’s all about the Coalition States, its psychic defenders, new information about Coalition society, its citizens, and how the Coalition States secretly recruit and use psychics and Psi-Hounds against their enemies (and even their own citizens). There are 80+ new psychic abilities, the secret CS thought police, the ultra-secret CS Manhunters (psychic assassins who answer directly to Emperor Prosek), more about Dog Boys, Kill Hounds, and so much more! Again, does this make the edition with the current cover a collector’s item? I think it does. Cat. No. 894.

● COMING! Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2 – More monsters and strange creatures described in glorious detail. Each illustrated and accompanied by a map showing its most common habitat. This title was funded by a Palladium Insider campaign quite some while ago. To our kind and understanding “Insiders,” your purchase details remain on file, and for our top supporters who are supposed to get original artwork, I have had that art tucked away for you all this time. Cat. No. 897 – Fall.


● COMING! Rifts® World Book: Antarctica – Packed with weird fun, adventure opportunities, ice tunnels and Rifts under the ice, new magic, alien creatures, monsters, Minions of Splugorth, and a powerful alien that even the Splugorth fear (and which helps humans) are just a few of the notable elements. This book is more than you may imagine. Cat. No. 898 – Fall or winter.


● COMING! Rifts® Chaos Earth®: First Responders sourcebook – Presents advanced Golden Age technology including mobile medical bays, new robots and drones, new weapons and gear, First Responder O.C.C.s, chaos, monsters, and more. Written by Sean Owen Roberson and others. Art by Steven Cummings. Cat. No. 665 – Fall or winter.


● COMING! Rifts® Phase World® Sourcebooks from Star Anvil, a new licensing partner. Their first Kickstarter starts in mid-July, but you can join their pre-launch campaign now. They will be creating a series of adventure sourcebooks for Phase World and the Three Galaxies™ in the tradition of Palladium, but utilizing the Savage Worlds rules. Remember, new weapons, gear, spacecraft, aliens, worlds, and adventure can be easily converted to the Palladium game system and added to your existing Phase World or Rifts campaign.


● COMING! More YouTube & Podcasts! We continue to do interviews and podcasts with Legion of Myth, the Glitterbois, and on the Palladium Books YouTube channel where you can find the Official History of Palladium Books with Kevin Siembieda and J-M DeFoggi, as well as interviews with various artists, writers, and more. Podcasters! We are happy to consider appearances on your shows and podcasts. Please reach out via the Help Desk.


● Also COMING! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG Redux books and Kickstarter rewards. You can still pre-order but not for long. – Fall.


● COMING NEXT WEEK! If all goes well, the new Palladium Books website and online store will go live as soon as next week! So don’t be alarmed if the site looks very different or if it requires you to provide all your information the next time you place an order. The hardworking masterminds behind it have been working out the last of the bugs (please help us find others that pop up) and think we are ready to launch.


It will provide you greater versatility and functionality for mobile devices and PCs, as well as a new clean appearance, and many new features including additional payment options, the ability to buy PDFs directly from Palladium Books, book bundle deals, and more. We hope you like it.

Celebration of Rifts® SALE – 35 years – 80+ physical Rifts books 20% off

Enjoy discounts on 80+ Rifts® titles including hardcovers and poker decks thru July 23rd – and watch for other Rifts celebratory specials throughout the year for more savings, while supplies last.

  • All Rifts core rule books; hardcovers and softcovers, including the Rifts Ultimate Edition, Rifts RPG 30th Anniversary Edition, Rifts Game Master Guide, Book of Magic, and Rifts Adventure Guide.

  • All Rifts World Books.

  • All Rifts sourcebooks, including the Cyberworks Collection, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, Rifts Black Market, Rifts Bionics Sourcebook, Coalition Manhunters, Rifts Titan Robotics, Siege on Tolkeen and more.

  • All 3 Rifts Poker Decks.


WARNING: We expect some titles to sell out during this unprecedented sale. Available on a first-come, first served basis, while supplies last. Enjoy and game on! Also see the PDF Rifts book sale taking place on DriveThruRPG.com.

DriveThruRPG.com Celebration of Rifts® SALE

The Rifts® celebration continues with a PDF book sale at DriveThruRPG for a limited time. All the same Rifts titles listed above for the Celebration of Rifts Sale are also on sale as PDF books on DriveThruRPG, now till the morning of July 24, 2025. As digital books there is no risk of the PDFs selling out. However, the sale is a limited time offer, so get ‘em while you can.

UPDATE! Rifts Promise of Power Reforged

– Video Game

This project is very near and dear to our hearts. We thought with this being Rifts’ 35th Anniversary, that the timing would be perfect. We jumped off to a great start, but pledges have slowed down to a trickle, and we are assessing the situation.


All of us at Palladium Books remain dedicated to releasing this Rifts video game built upon the strong framework of Rifts Promise of Power, but this may not be the right time for a project like this. For now, we are letting the campaign run, but odds are that we’ll suspend the crowdfunding campaign, regroup, reassess, and relaunch in the future. We’ve already been spitballing ideas.


Our sincere thanks to all of you who have backed the project and provided valuable input and suggestions. We read all the comments and take stock in everything said. More to come in the days ahead.

UPDATE! Gen Con – Visit Palladium Books at Booth 1515 – All Rifts books on sale

Swing by the Palladium booth to chat with me (Kevin Siembieda), Sean Owen Roberson, Wayne Smith (The Rifter), Mark Oberle (writer), Glen Evans (writer), Jeremy Colantonio, Caleb Nelson and other Palladium creators and insiders.


ALL Rifts titles will be on sale, including hardcovers, Chaos Earth, and Dimension Books as part of our 35 Years of Rifts Celebration. And remember, we are happy to sign books for you! Also get original art, prints, new releases, back stock books, bookmarks, poker decks, and see and pre-order the actual printed books for TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG; Transdimensional Sourcebook; Black, White, and Red editions; and more! Please join the fun.


Booth 1515 is located in the middle of the exhibitor’s hall near Catalyst Games, Steve Jackson Games, Modiphius, Renegade Game Studio, Cool Stuff Inc., and only a couple isles away from our friends at Pinnacle/Studio 2 and Upper Deck. Please find us and visit.


Note: Here are the Conventions Kevin Siembieda and Sean Roberson will be attending over the next 8 months.

  • Gen Con – July/August (Kevin, Sean & the Palladium crew)

  • Alliance Open House (Tradeshow) – September (Kevin and others)

  • Granite State Comic Con – September (Kevin Siembieda & Sean Roberson)

  • Philadelphia Game Expo – January 2026 (Kevin Siembieda & Matthew Balent).

Palladium Books on DriveThruRPG

DriveThruRPG.com Celebration of Rifts® SALE

The Rifts® celebration continues with a PDF book sale at DriveThruRPG.com for a limited time. 80+ Rifts PDF titles are on sale now till the morning of July 20, 2025. As digital books there is no risk of the PDFs selling out. However, the sale is a limited time offer, so get ‘em while you can.


300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!


In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.

SALE! Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

Palladium collectibles as well as action figures and other items from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection are on sale!


One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Last year at Granite State Comic Con Kevin Eastman had TMNT negatives from the first comic book on display.


Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed. These are the photographic negatives being sold as individual works of art and collectibles. When matted or framed on a white background they look like dynamic wood cut prints. And they are on sale right now!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

What’s coming next


A lot is coming your way in the months ahead. Starting next week with a completely new Palladium Books website that will look very different the next time you visit. Ah, but it should be cleaner, faster, better and offer many new features and options.


With Rifts reaching its 35th anniversary, enjoy the current sale, watch for others over the next few months, and look forward to some new book releases.


I feel more honored and blessed than ever to have published, created, or co-created some of the most popular and beloved RPGs of all time. In just the first 20 years, Palladium published Rifts, TMNT & Other Strangeness, Robotech, Palladium Fantasy RPG, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, After the Bomb, Beyond the Supernatural, the Mechanoids, and others.


These days, my mind goes to delivering on books that are important to you and me – Rifts Lazlo, Rifts Coalition Arsenal, The Disavowed, Chaos Earth First Responders, the Beyond the Supernatural sourcebooks, and Fantasy titles like Land of the Damned Three and The Old Kingdom to name but a few. Sean’s and my plans are huge for Palladium. RPG books that will wow and delight another couple of generations of gamers. Projects we haven’t even mentioned yet.


In recent weeks, my imagination has been on fire. That makes me very happy, because it had been quiet for a long time after the death of my beautiful Kathy Simmons. I guess that kind of loss and grief does that to you. But lately, I’ve been burning to write books. To finish Yin-Sloth Expeditions and Rifts Antarctica among others. I’ve been jotting down notes for my next two Dead Reign books and other future projects to wow and surprise you. God willing, I want to be as productive in the next 20 years as I was in the first. I’m working on it!


In the meanwhile, enjoy the Rifts Sale and other celebrations of Rifts heading your way. As always, keep your imaginations burning bright, find joy and escape in role-playing, and game on!


– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer and Friend

Big Rifts SALE & News – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 20, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF RIFTS® – ONE GAME SYSTEM – EVERY GENRE – COUNTLESS WORLDS – ENDLESS ADVENTURE

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Big Rifts SALE & News – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 20, 2025

NEWS! Palladium’s latest Backerkit crowdfunding campaign is now LIVE! And we need your support. Our ambitious goal: To bring back the fun lost Rifts video game, re-coded and graphically upgraded for the PC and other modern game platforms like Nintendo and Steam. This really is an outstanding video game that brings Rifts to life in a new medium.

ATTENTION: Tabletop role-playing gamers

● NEW! 10 inch, chrome/silver colored, Glitter Boy Statue – $50 – This is the most detailed and accurate 3D representation of Kevin Long’s original G.B. illustrations ever. It will look amazing on your shelf, desk, gaming table, mantle, or anywhere. This silvery wonder is a thing of beauty and a must for all Rifts fans.

● NEW! 4 deluxe sets of official Rifts Dice in decorative tins – for the first time ever. Gamers have been asking for Rifts dice for years, now you can get them! Destined to become collector items, each set of nine dice comes in a decorative metal tin. If these do well, you will see more game line specific dice in the future.

  • Ley Line Walker/Magic dice set – blue liquid core dice in a tin – $60 per set of 9 dice in a decorative tin.

  • Glitter Boy set – metal plated – $40 per set of 9 dice in a tin.

  • Coalition Soldier/Dead Boy set – classic red and black – $25 per set of 9 dice in a tin.

  • Burster/Psychic set – flame red and yellow to burn up your gaming table – $40 per set of 9 dice in a tin.


● NEW! A genuine, Coalition States skull and lightning bolt cloth flag – 3 x 5 feet – $20! Every gaming space needs one of these. A must for CS citizens, war heroes, and CS patriots.


● NEW! Large Rifts Promise of Power Playmat – $30 – roughly 30×17 inches – gorgeous.


● NEW! Rifts Promise of Power Poker Deck – $15 – a complete, color RPOP poker deck.


ALL of these new Rifts gaming accessories and collectibles are available as Add-Ons in the Rifts Promise of Power Reforged Backerkit campaign starting at the minimum $40 pledge level for the video game. Limited time offer, so get them while you can! And remember, that $40 gets you the digital download of the Rifts Promise of Power Reforged PC video game! A piece of nearly forgotten Palladium history.


Note: Even if you aren’t particularly interested in the lost Rifts video game (trust me, you want it because it really is great fun), the physical rewards are sure worth it. Many of which are being offered for the first time ever – Rifts dice sets, CS flag, 10 inch Glitter Boy statue, etc., have never been offered by Palladium Books. And the higher pledges have campaign exclusives like a metal collector’s coin, print sets, poker deck, digital assets, and more. We are doing never-before-done items, in part, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Rifts® and RPOP’s 20th. The best way for us to do that and test the waters is in a crowdfunding campaign.

Be part of history in the making


When you support the Backerkit campaign, you’ll be helping make several firsts become reality. The very first Rifts video game ever created (and now re-coded, remastered, updated, and sold directly by Palladium Books!), as well as the very first 10 inch statue (chrome colored Glitter Boy), the very first Rifts dice sets (4) in metal tins, the very first cloth flag, the very first commemorative metal coin (an exclusive reward), and other cool stuff, both physical and digital. YOU will own these “firsts” and know that you helped make them a reality. Be part of history and pledge. Thank you. – Kevin

Promise of Rifts Sale

Celebration of Rifts® SALE – 35 years – 80+ physical Rifts books 20% off

Celebrating 35 years of Rifts! And in support of the Rifts Promise of Power Reforged video game Backerkit campaign taking place right now, 80+ Rifts books are on sale now thru July 17, 2025. Big savings, while supplies last.

  • All Rifts core rule books; hardcovers and softcovers, including the Rifts Ultimate Edition, Rifts RPG 30th Anniversary Edition, Rifts Game Master Guide, Book of Magic, and Rifts Adventure Guide.

  • All Rifts World Books

  • All Rifts sourcebooks, including the Cyberworks Collection, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, Rifts Black Market, Rifts Bionic Sourcebook, Coalition Manhunters, Rifts Titan Robotics, Siege on Tolkeen and more.

  • All 3 Rifts Poker Decks.


WARNING: We expect some titles to sell out during this unprecedented sale. Available on a first-come, first served basis, while supplies last. Enjoy and game on! Also see the PDF Rifts book sale taking place on DriveThruRPG.com.

DriveThruRPG.com Celebration of Rifts® SALE

To celebrate 35 years of Rifts and the Rifts Video Game crowdfunding on BackerKit right now, we are running a HUGE Rifts PDF sale as well. Get fantastic savings on almost all Rifts books for a limited time. All the same Rifts titles listed above for the Celebration of Rifts Sale, are also on sale as PDF books on DriveThruRPG, now thru July 17, 2025. As digital books there is no risk of the PDFs selling out. However, the sale is a limited time offer, so get ‘em while you can.

Legion of Myth

NEW! Legion of Myth Live Gamer Chat with Kevin Siembieda and Jeremy Colantonio – Sunday, 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Meet and chat with Palladium’s new Operations Manager, Jeremy Colantonio, and Kevin Siembieda this Sunday on Legion of Myth. Kevin will introduce Jeremy and he, Kevin, MaxLaio and Heathendog will chat about the lost Rifts video game Backerkit crowdfunder, 35 years of Rifts, the big Rifts Celebration Sale (80+ titles on sale now), how to run 26 players in an RPG game, and answer some of your questions.

Put the evening of July 17th on your calendar – live chat with Kevin, Sean & others

Sean, Kevin, Jeremy, and other creators will be doing another live stream on the Backerkit Rifts Promise of Power Reforged crowdfunder – and stream it to YouTube, Facebook, etc., so please join us. The opening gamer chat at the start of the campaign was a blast, and this one should be even better.

The History of Palladium Books on YouTube

NEW on the Palladium YouTube Channel

Along with a dozen History of Palladium Books chats about the early days, Palladium Fantasy, TMNT & Other Strangeness, Robotech, etc., there are more recent chats about Julius Rosenstein, Rifts Promise of Power, and the 8+ hour stream from the launch of the Rifts Promise of Power Reforged video game Backerkit campaign. Coming Soon: There are more RPOP Reforged videos coming with Sean Roberson, Shane Neville the original producer, and if possible other video game creators. With more history and creator profiles coming in the months ahead.

ChupacabraCon Fun

John Adams and a few friends played Rifts® for Savage Worlds this year at ChupacabraCon in San Marcos, Texas. John ran an adventure where his party “barely squeaked through” without getting TPK’ed (Total Party Kill). Later he played a game with Aaron Burkett (Art Director for Savage Rifts at Pinnacle Entertainment Group) where they faced off against vampires in Kansas. Yes, a vampire incursion in Kansas! Does anyone know where I left my squirt gun? That’s a little too close for comfort.


Suffice it to say, he was able to cast Speed on the party’s Glitter Boy and turn the tide of battle. The idea of a Boom Gun going full auto fills me with glee. Thank you, John, for your report and sending us these pictures. We hope everyone’s adventures are as fun and exciting as John’s!


– Jeremy Colantonio, Operations Manager (Who? What? Where’d this guy come from? Learn more in my Closing Thoughts. – Kevin)

UPDATE! Gen Con – July 31 – August 3, 2025 – Visit Palladium Books at Booth 1515


Please swing by the Palladium Booth to chat with me (Kevin Siembieda), Sean Owen Roberson, Wayne Smith (The Rifter), Mark Oberle (writer), Glen Evans (artist), and other Palladium creators and insiders, get autographs, buy new RPG releases and back stock, and have fun.


For those of you who always visit the booth, please note that we are in the middle of the exhibitor’s hall rather than where we’ve been the last several years. We have no idea how or why, but we are in good company near Catalyst Games, Steve Jackson Games, Modiphius, Renegade Game Studio, Cool Stuff Inc., and only a couple isles away from our friends at Pinnacle/Studio 2 and Upper Deck. Please find us and visit.


Here are other events I, Kevin Siembieda (and sometimes Sean), will be attending over the next 8 months.

  • Gen Con – July/August (Kevin, Sean & the Palladium crew)

  • Alliance Open House (Tradeshow) – September (Kevin and others)

  • Granite State Comic Con – September (Kevin Siembieda & Sean Roberson)

  • Philadelphia Game Expo – January 2026 (Kevin Siembieda & Matthew Balent).

Palladium Books on DriveThruRPG

DriveThruRPG.com Celebration of Rifts® SALE


To celebrate 35 years of Rifts and the Rifts Video Game crowdfunding on BackerKit right now, we are running a HUGE Rifts PDF sale as well. Get fantastic savings on almost all Rifts books for a limited time. All the same Rifts titles listed above for the Celebration of Rifts Sale, are also on sale as PDF books on DriveThruRPG, now thru July 17, 2025. As digital books there is no risk of the PDFs selling out. However, the sale is a limited time offer, so get ‘em while you can.


300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!


In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.

SALE! Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

Palladium collectibles as well as action figures and other items from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection are on sale!


One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Last year at Granite State Comic Con Kevin Eastman had TMNT negatives from the first comic book on display.


Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed. These are the photographic negatives being sold as individual works of art and collectibles. When matted or framed on a white background they look like dynamic wood cut prints. And they are on sale right now!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Why the Rifts video game is important


One, it is a nearly lost piece of Palladium Books and Rifts history we are trying to preserve.


Two, the original game is great, a ton of fun, and truly brings the world of Rifts Earth to life in a new medium. The video game didn’t fail in 2005, the N-Gage game platform failed. Which, in turn, killed this action-packed Rifts video game.


Three, the creative team were all top video game professionals and the game was ahead of its time. 20 years ago it cost twice as much money than what we need to re-code/remaster/reforge the game for the PC today. That’s all thanks to the excellent framework they created. Now, TransPerfect can re-code the game in Unity and improve the art and graphics at the prices in the Backerkit crowdfunding campaign instead of a few million bucks. If they were creating the game from scratch, it would cost 2-4 times more! So this Backerkit campaign is a wonderful opportunity for Palladium to bring back the game for everyone to enjoy. And since it’s the 35th Anniversary of Rifts, the timing felt right.


Four, the physical rewards are groundbreaking and designed for YOU, our loyal tabletop RPGers! Never before available Rifts dice sets, the chrome colored 10 inch Glitter Boy statue, Coalition flag, Rifts Promise of Power playmat, and more are all high-quality, fun and useful game accessories. Many of which are available for the first time ever!


Five, Rifts is one of the most popular RPGs of all time and we want to celebrate Rifts turning 35 this year and RPOP’s 20th anniversary, by offering a slew of great physical products to go with the return of the legendary, lost Rifts video game for the PC.


Lastly, the Return of Rifts Promise of Power Reforged is important to us because we know Rifts RPG fans will enjoy it, and because it has the potential to introduce Rifts to people who don’t normally play tabletop role-playing games. And who knows where that might lead? As Erick Wujcik would say, “It’s all good.” But we can’t do any of it – the video game, G.B. statue, dice, flag, etc. – without your support and help spreading the word. So please talk it up, pledge on the crowdfunding campaign, and get yourself some of the incredible physical products.


Rifts turns 35 years old this year, thus the two, big, Celebration of Rifts SALES in addition to the Rifts Backerkit campaign. One sale offers physical books from Palladium and the other is PDF Rifts titles from DriveThruRPG. It’s also why we have so many brand new physical products available in the RPOP Backerkit campaign. We hope you enjoy them.


Meet Jeremy Colantonio, Palladium’s Secret Weapon! He is a gaming nerd who loves Palladium’s game system, Rifts, TMNT, Heroes Unlimited, and most of our RPGs, Rifts for Savage Worlds, and plays loads of video games, reads comic books, loves movies and puns. In the real world, he is an IT specialist, with more than a decade of managing tech operations and wrangling people – like a hundred people at a time! He, like many of us at Palladium, is a Jack of all trades, knowledgeable in computers, social media, marketing, gaming, and movies, as well as being a pretty darn good writer and graphic designer. In short, he’s the whole package and a team player; so much so that he just moved from Nevada to Michigan to be on site here at the Palladium studio.


I call Jeremy Palladium’s secret weapon because he created the Savage Rifts character folio, the TMNT & Other Strangeness character sheet, and has been helping Palladium behind the scenes for the past 8 or 10 months on many fronts. Welcome aboard, Jeremy, we’re glad to have you at Palladium Books. Note: You can meet Jeremy at 2 PM Eastern Time, 1 PM Central, this Sunday, June 22, when he joins me and the Legion of Myth guys in a live chat about all things Palladium.


Jeremy (and Wayne Smith) also pops in and out during the marathon Rifts Promise of Power live stream event with me (Kevin Siembieda), Sean Roberson, and four of the key people from TransPerfect International. It was a lot of fun. Unbelievably, there is very little repetition and a lot of good information about Rifts Promise of Power Reforged, Ninja Turtles, and fun facts about Palladium Books and some gamer questions answered especially toward the end. It’s available in the Community section on the RPOP Reforged Backerkit page and on the Palladium Books YouTube channel. At 8+ hours, you will want to listen to it in chunks, and/or fast forward to faces you don’t know (those would be the knowledgeable TransPerfect people talking about video games), as well as fast forward to subjects that matter most to you.


– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer and Friend

SALE Ending & More – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 13, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

ONE GAME SYSTEM – EVERY GENRE – COUNTLESS WORLDS – ENDLESS ADVENTURE

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

SALE Ending & More – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 13, 2025

Promise of Rifts Sale

Final Days of SALE! The Promise of Rifts® SALE – Imagination Unleashed – 20% to 50% off – Ends after midnight, June 18, 2025

Enjoy the big savings on iconic Rifts titles.The books in this sale inspired the legendary Rifts Promise of Power video game. Palladium is working to make that lost Rifts game available for the PC, Nintendo, and other game platforms with improved visuals for a new generation of gamers. Check out the RPOP prelaunch page now and join us for the launch of the crowdfunder on Tuesday, June 17th. Until then have fun with this sale.

Rifts Video Game – Backerkit crowdfunding campaign goes live Tuesday, June 17 – Noon Eastern Time

With your support, Palladium Books hopes to bring you the lost Rifts video game – Rifts Promise of Power Reforged – to the PC, Nintendo, Steam, and other game platforms for the first time ever. Despite acclaim and awards, the original RPOP fell victim to bad timing and the failing game platform of the N-Gage. Reforged in Unity and given a complete visual upgrade by our development partners at TransPerfect International, we intend to bring you the epic, genre mashup of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in the post-apocalyptic world of the Rifts RPG in the video game medium. The crowdfunding campaign goes live on June 17th at noon, Eastern Time.


Can we count on your support to make this a reality? We sure hope so. You can start to help by spreading the word. Click on the link to the press release, below, for additional details and information. Also check out the Glitterbois and Legion of Myth interviews with me (Kevin Siembieda) and Sean Owen Roberson about RPOP Reforged, as well as videos on the Palladium Books YouTube channel, with more coming.


Rifts® Promise of Power Reforged video game highlights:

  • Backerkit crowdfunding goes live at noon Eastern Time on June 17, 2025.

  • On June 1, join the live stream with Kevin, Sean, notable designers from TransPerfect, and even some of the original video game creators, as we launch this extraordinary campaign.

  • Discover special crowdfunding items that any Rifts fan will want.

  • Could there be a 10 inch, PVC Glitter Boy statue in your future?

  • Rifts Promise of Power is a tactical turn-based video game that harkens back to Fallout 1 & 2 and Baldur’s Gate.

  • The framework is already there!

  • The fan-fave adventures are already written by top professionals and waiting to be updated to Unity for contemporary video game platforms that you can enjoy.

  • 30+ hours of game play on the main storyline, more for completionists!

  • Tactical turn-based combat on scenic battle maps featuring a dynamic 3D camera perspective so you can always be in control of your weapons and powers.

  • Reprogrammed in the industry leading Unity Game Engine, this is not an emulator running off of the old code, but a completely reforged modern gaming experience using the original assets including art, music, adventure text, combat mechanics, etc.

  • Increased aspect ratio. Instead of the small screen size of the original N-Gage mobile device, play on a greatly expanded aspect ratio for modern screens – see Rifts Earth like never before!

  • 17 playable classes drawn directly from the original tabletop role-playing game, including the Glitter Boy, Burster, Ley Line Walker, Cyber-Knight, Juicer, Mind Melter, Cyborg, Headhunter, Crazy, and Mystic.

  • The Glitter Boy, Coalition Grunt, and other portraits restored to their iconic likeness.

  • Gain powerful allies – mercenaries, psychics, and mages – as you cross the post-apocalyptic wastes and lead your party in combat using their unique abilities.

  • More than 50 enemy types – mutants, supernatural creatures, high-tech soldiers, and more – plus a diverse cast of characters, reflecting the varied denizens of Rifts Earth.

  • Over 100 weapons, spells, and psionics, plus all new weapons and gear exclusive for backers of the Reforged edition.

  • Find adventure in Rifts North America, England, the New German Republic, and China – each filled with unique challenges.

  • New physical rewards exclusive to crowdfunding backers!

Phase World for Savage Worlds Kickstarter

NEWS! Phase World® sourcebooks crowdfunder for Rifts Savage Worlds from Star Anvil

These will be big, juicy sourcebooks filled with great new art, new worlds, weapons, and adventures on Phase World and across the Three Galaxies. Though written for Savage Worlds rules, the gear and adventures are easily adapted to the Palladium Books game system. This licensing deal with Star Anvil is another one of Palladium’s secret projects getting put together behind the scenes. We endorse this crowdfunder and expect great things from this licensing partner. Check out the pre-launch campaign now and support it if you can. This will be good stuff for any Rifts/Phase World fan.

4 Fun Podcasts & YouTube Interviews

The Glitterbois Podcast

NEW! The Glitterbois podcast was the first podcast to discuss Rifts Promise of Power Reforged in an interview with both Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson. This was a lively and informative conversation about the reforging of the lost Rifts video game. Previous Glitterbois episodes talk about all things Palladium Books with an increasing number of chats with Palladium’s founder and writer Kevin Siembieda as a returning guest. Other Palladium creators have also begun to join the fun with more in the future.

Legion of Myth

NEW! Legion of Myth – 2 new episodes! The May 25th livestream chat with Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson has been turned into two episodes for your viewing enjoyment. One is questions and answers about the Rifts® Promise of Power REFORGED video game. The second is a passionate and lengthy debate about the viability and playability of the Shifter in Rifts. Both are fun and informative, and it was another long, marathon session, but so worthwhile. Sean and I will continue to return every month to chat about Palladium Books news, game titles, characters, game mechanics, GM tips, writing and all things Palladium Books. So keep your eyes open throughout the year and join the (usually) monthly conversations.

The History of Palladium Books on YouTube

NEW on the Palladium Books YouTube Channel – Rifts Promise of Power BONUS episode available now. J-M and I talk about the history of the Lost Rifts Video Game to give listeners a deeper understanding about the original game and the N-Gage. It is part of the ongoing Official History of Palladium Books with Kevin Siembieda & J-M DeFoggi. A new episode every other week provides behind the scenes insight and secrets about the making of your favorite Palladium RPGs and the people behind them. Please continue to spread the word about these fun videos and enjoy.


Episodes include:

Coming Soon to Palladium’s YouTube channel:

  • Julius Rosenstein: Without whom there may have been no Palladium Books – June 19th.

  • Beyond the Supernatural RPG, 1st Edition – July 3rd.

  • Erick Wujcik Part 1: Meets Kevin Siembieda – July 17.

  • Rifts RPG Part 1 – July 31st.

  • Erick Wujcik Part 2: Game Designer – August 14.

  • Watch for a new episode every other week and enjoy bonus episodes.

Final days for the World’s Largest Dungeon crowdfunding campaign

It’s big. It’s outrageous. It’s the World’s Largest Dungeon (WLD). Get in on the action and never be in need of a dungeon adventure ever again. Note: This is NOT a Palladium project, but we are friends with all the major parties behind it and we want to clue you in on something you may find to be fun and desirable. Enjoy.


They have taken the epic, AEG World’s Largest Dungeon adventure sourcebook and have remastered and vastly expanded it to 1,500+ pages, divided into four attractive hardcover books with tons of new art, text, adventures and maps. You’ll never be without an adventure idea again! It uses 5e rules but you can plumb the adventures and ideas for any fantasy campaign. Take a peek.

  • A super-adventure resource with more than 1,600 original dungeon encounters!

  • 15 poster-sized maps and new interior detail maps.

  • 16 miniatures of dungeon monsters.

  • Exclusive FanRoll dice.

  • Audiobook from AudioRPG.

  • Palladium pals Frank Uchmanowicz, J-M Defoggi, Timothy Brown, and others are the primary madmen behind this epic, remastered and expanded WLD super-edition. Check it out.

UPDATE! Gen Con – July 31 – August 3, 2025 – Visit Palladium Books at Booth 1515


Please swing by the Palladium Booth to chat with me (Kevin Siembieda), Sean Owen Roberson, Wayne Smith (The Rifter), Mark Oberle (writer), Glen Evans (artist), and other Palladium creators and insiders, get autographs, buy new RPG releases and back stock, and have fun.


For those of you who always visit the booth, please note that we are in the middle of the exhibitor’s hall rather than where we’ve been the last several years. We have no idea how or why, but we are in good company near Catalyst Games, Steve Jackson Games, Modiphius, Renegade Game Studio, Cool Stuff Inc., and only a couple isles away from our friends at Pinnacle/Studio 2 and Upper Deck. Please find us and visit.


Here are other events I, Kevin Siembieda (and sometimes Sean), will be attending over the next 8 months.

  • Gen Con – July/August (Kevin, Sean & the Palladium crew)

  • Alliance Open House (Tradeshow) – September (Kevin and others)

  • Granite State Comic Con – September (Kevin Siembieda & Sean Roberson)

  • Philadelphia Game Expo – January 2026 (Kevin Siembieda & Matthew Balent).

Palladium Books on DriveThruRPG

300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!


In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.

Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

I am adding new collectibles of all kinds to my Ebay store every few weeks. Some are Palladium negatives, rare and out of print books, original Palladium artwork, prints, posters, as well as other collectible toys, action figures, Nightmare Before Christmas items, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, books, and other good stuff – including Erick Wujcik’s rare and sought after Amberzine #12-15. Check in every week or so to see what’s new. All items come from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection.


One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives (special and rare collectibles). Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed.

  • Each negative is truly unique, attractive, and fun to have.

  • Own a piece of Palladium Books and RPG history you will treasure.

  • Each was used to print the very book you may have in your collection (1981-2004).

  • Each is signed in silver ink by Kevin Siembieda and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

  • Each negative is a one-of-a-kind work of art (on rare occasions, two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were replaced or a second edition was made).

  • Looks great matted or framed! Fits an 8×10 inch matt opening. Each neg is roughly 8 ½ x 11 inches.

  • Prices vary depending on the title, the art, and quality of the negative. Note: Many have scratches, or blemishes, and/or an opaque medium on the negative. Still, they look great and are a piece of RPG history. We recommend you carefully examine the photographs of each item to avoid disappointment. The negatives of many books are sold out or were never available.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Happy Birthday, Alex


Alex Marciniszyn has been my best friend and creative co-conspirator for an incredible 56 years. We became like brothers in 8th grade, and both explored becoming writers, artists, and comic book creators. We wrote, illustrated and published fanzines, published A+Plus, Detroit’s First Comic Book (how wild is that?!), discovered girls, science fiction, fantasy, college, philosophy, and anime together, and a whole lot more. When I started running RPGs, Alex was there. He was one of the first Defilers. He playtested The Mechanoid Invasion, Palladium Fantasy, Heroes Unlimited, TMNT, Robotech, BTS, and Rifts.


When I launched Palladium Books, Alex was quick to volunteer his help in every way he could without pay. Of course, he would eventually join the company as researcher, editor, and all-around helper. He’s edited something like 300 titles and is going strong. We’ve been working together through everything life can throw at you. Love and loss. Triumph and failure. Through thick and thin our friendship has never wavered. Alex has always been there for me and vice versa. A true friend.


Friendship like that is valuable beyond measure. A rare blessing – a miracle even – so I wanted to acknowledge it and say: Thank you, Alex, you’re the best. Happy birthday, my dear friend. I hope there are many more years of grand adventure together ahead of us, especially as we enter into a new era with Palladium Books.


To the rest of you, thank you as well, because you too are an important part of my life. You are my inspiration and a big part of everything we do. Thank you for your support, friendship, and kind words.


Don’t forget to get in on the Promise of Rifts Sale drawing to an end for big savings on fun books, join the excitement of Rifts Promise of Power REFORGED next Tuesday, and never stop gaming. Let games, especially RPGs, help you unlock your imagination and bring you endless hours of adventure and joy. Game on!


– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer and Friend

SALE & Lots of News – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 6, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

ONE GAME SYSTEM – EVERY GENRE – COUNTLESS WORLDS – ENDLESS ADVENTURE

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

SALE & Lots of News – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – June 6, 2025

There is sooo much news and things going on that I’m going to jump right into it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG goes into mass production! Look what arrived in the mail this week! Pre-production samples for our final authorization to greenlight their manufacture. The print quality is excellent. Each book is truly beautiful. Everything we wanted and more. I was giddy with excitement as we unpacked and examined them.

One unexpected visitor who saw them exclaimed, “Wow, these books are coffee table quality.” Another person said, “These books are going to set new standards for quality in the RPG industry.”


We meant it when Sean and I said we pulled out all the stops and intend to deliver the top quality books that TMNT fans deserve. We also meant it when we said they are a glimpse of things to come from Palladium Books. See Closing Thoughts for more insight on the Turtles and everything going on.

Promise of Rifts Sale

Rifts® SALE! Don’t miss the Promise of Rifts SALE featuring some of the Rifts books that inspired the video game. Gamers have been loving the sale, so we’ll keep it going for at least another week. Enjoy the big savings on iconic Rifts titles. See more details below.

Rifts Promise of Power Reforged

NEWS! The Lost Rifts Video Game! Join the thousands following the prelaunch crowdfunding campaign for Rifts Promise of Power Reforged to get special offers when it launches June 17th. See details below or click on the link to the press release. Also check out the Glitterbois and Legion of Myth interviews with me (Kevin Siembieda) and Sean Owen Roberson about RPOP Reforged.


I love that the Rifts video game is a way to introduce Rifts to your friends and family who don’t play RPGs. The video game is designed to introduce Rifts to an entirely new audience as well as thrill fans of the RPG. The crowdfunder goes live mid-June, 2025. Watch for live streaming when we launch and other fun stuff.


The Rifts® Promise of Power Reforged video game will feature the following:

  • 30+ hours of game play on the main storyline, more for completionists!

  • Increased aspect ratio. Instead of the small screen size of the original N-Gage mobile device, play on a greatly expanded aspect ratio for modern screens – see Rifts Earth like never before!

  • The Glitter Boy, Coalition Grunt, and other portraits restored to their iconic likeness.

  • Seventeen playable classes drawn directly from the original tabletop role-playing game, including the Glitter Boy, Burster, Ley Line Walker, Cyber-Knight, Juicer, Mind Melter, Cyborg, Headhunter, Crazy, and Mystic.

  • Gain powerful allies – mercenaries, psychics, and mages – as you cross the post-apocalyptic wastes and lead your party in combat using their unique abilities.

  • Tactical turn-based combat on scenic battle maps featuring a dynamic 3D camera perspective so you can always be in control of your weapons and powers.

  • More than 50 enemy types – mutants, supernatural creatures, high-tech soldiers, and more – plus a diverse cast of characters, reflecting the varied denizens of Rifts Earth.

  • Over 100 weapons, spells, and psionics, plus all new weapons and gear exclusive for backers of the Reforged edition.

  • Travel to multiple locations from the Rifts setting – North America, England, the New German Republic, and China – each filled with unique challenges.

  • New physical rewards exclusive to crowdfunding backers!

Phase World for Savage Worlds Kickstarter

NEWS! Phase World® sourcebooks crowdfunder for Rifts Savage Worlds from Star Anvil


These will be big, juicy sourcebooks filled with great new art, new worlds, weapons, and adventures on Phase World and across the Three Galaxies. Though written for Savage Worlds rules, the gear and adventures are easily adapted to the Palladium Books game system. This licensing deal with Star Anvil is another one of Palladium’s secret projects getting put together behind the scenes. We endorse this crowdfunder and expect great things from this licensing partner. Check out the pre-launch campaign now and support it if you can. This will be good stuff for any Rifts/Phase World fan.

Promise of Rifts Sale

SALE! The Promise of Rifts® SALE – Imagination Unleashed – 20% to 50% off

Now that you’re back to work and in need of a little fun, take a look at our ongoing Promise of Rifts Sale! I have selected titles that feature characters and locations in the Rifts® Promise of Power REFORGED and which inspired the original video game.

4 Fun Podcasts & YouTube Interviews

The Glitterbois Podcast

NEW! The Glitterbois podcast was the first podcast to discuss Rifts Promise of Power Reforged in an interview with both Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson. This was a lively and informative conversation about the reforging of the lost Rifts video game. Previous Glitterbois episodes talk about all things Palladium Books with an increasing number of chats with Palladium’s founder and writer Kevin Siembieda as a returning guest. Other Palladium creators have also begun to join the fun with more in the future.

Legion of Myth

NEW! Legion of Myth – 2 new episodes! The May 25th livestream chat with Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson has been turned into two episodes for your viewing enjoyment. One is questions and answers about the Rifts® Promise of Power REFORGED video game. The second is a passionate and lengthy debate about the viability and playability of the Shifter in Rifts. Both are fun and informative, and it was another long, marathon session, but so worthwhile. Sean and I will continue to return every month to chat about Palladium Books news, game titles, characters, game mechanics, GM tips, writing and all things Palladium Books. So keep your eyes open throughout the year and join the (usually) monthly conversations.

The History of Palladium Books on YouTube

NEW on the Palladium Books YouTube Channel – Rifts Promise of Power BONUS episode available now. J-M and I talk about the history of the Lost Rifts Video Game to give listeners a deeper understanding about the original game and the N-Gage. It is part of the ongoing Official History of Palladium Books with Kevin Siembieda & J-M DeFoggi. A new episode every other week provides behind the scenes insight and secrets about the making of your favorite Palladium RPGs and the people behind them. Please continue to spread the word about these fun videos and enjoy.


Episodes include:

Coming Soon to Palladium’s YouTube channel:

  • Julius Rosenstein: Without whom there may have been no Palladium Books – June 19th.

  • Beyond the Supernatural RPG, 1st Edition – July 3rd.

  • Erick Wujcik Part 1: Meets Kevin Siembieda – July 17.

  • Rifts RPG Part 1 – July 31st.

  • Erick Wujcik Part 2: Game Designer – August 14.

  • Watch for a new episode every other week and enjoy bonus episodes.

Final days for the World’s Largest Dungeon crowdfunding campaign

It’s big. It’s outrageous. It’s the World’s Largest Dungeon (WLD). Get in on the action and never be in need of a dungeon adventure ever again. Note: This is NOT a Palladium project, but we are friends with all the major parties behind it and we want to clue you in on something you may find to be fun and desirable. Enjoy.


They have taken the epic, AEG World’s Largest Dungeon adventure sourcebook and have remastered and vastly expanded it to 1,500+ pages, divided into four attractive hardcover books with tons of new art, text, adventures and maps. You’ll never be without an adventure idea again! It uses 5e rules but you can plumb the adventures and ideas for any fantasy campaign. Take a peek.

  • A super-adventure resource with more than 1,600 original dungeon encounters!

  • 15 poster-sized maps and new interior detail maps.

  • 16 miniatures of dungeon monsters.

  • Exclusive FanRoll dice.

  • Audiobook from AudioRPG.

  • Palladium pals Frank Uchmanowicz, J-M Defoggi, Timothy Brown, and others are the primary madmen behind this epic, remastered and expanded WLD super-edition. Check it out.

UPDATE! Gen Con – July 31 – August 3, 2025 – Visit Palladium Books at Booth 1515


Please swing by the Palladium Booth to chat with me (Kevin Siembieda), Sean Owen Roberson, Wayne Smith (The Rifter), Mark Oberle (writer), Glen Evans (artist), and other Palladium creators and insiders, get autographs, buy new RPG releases and back stock, and have fun.


For those of you who always visit the booth, please note that we are in the middle of the exhibitor’s hall rather than where we’ve been the last several years. We have no idea how or why, but we are in good company near Catalyst Games, Steve Jackson Games, Modiphius, Renegade Game Studio, Cool Stuff Inc., and only a couple isles away from our friends at Pinnacle/Studio 2 and Upper Deck. Please find us and visit.


Here are other events I, Kevin Siembieda (and sometimes Sean), will be attending over the next 8 months.

  • Gen Con – July/August (Kevin, Sean & the Palladium crew)

  • Alliance Open House (Tradeshow) – September (Kevin and others)

  • Granite State Comic Con – September (Kevin Siembieda & Sean Roberson)

  • Philadelphia Game Expo – January 2026 (Kevin Siembieda & Matthew Balent).

Palladium Books on DriveThruRPG

300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!


In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.

Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

I am adding new collectibles of all kinds to my Ebay store every few weeks. Some are Palladium negatives, rare and out of print books, original Palladium artwork, prints, posters, as well as other collectible toys, action figures, Nightmare Before Christmas items, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, books, and other good stuff – including Erick Wujcik’s rare and sought after Amberzine #12-15. Check in every week or so to see what’s new. All items come from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection.


One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives (special and rare collectibles). Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed.

  • Each negative is truly unique, attractive, and fun to have.

  • Own a piece of Palladium Books and RPG history you will treasure.

  • Each was used to print the very book you may have in your collection (1981-2004).

  • Each is signed in silver ink by Kevin Siembieda and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

  • Each negative is a one-of-a-kind work of art (on rare occasions, two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were replaced or a second edition was made).

  • Looks great matted or framed! Fits an 8×10 inch matt opening. Each neg is roughly 8 ½ x 11 inches.

  • Prices vary depending on the title, the art, and quality of the negative. Note: Many have scratches, or blemishes, and/or an opaque medium on the negative. Still, they look great and are a piece of RPG history. We recommend you carefully examine the photographs of each item to avoid disappointment. The negatives of many books are sold out or were never available.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It’s all happening!


Sean and I love it when a plan comes together. Several plans, actually, because we have been very busy the last few years laying down a strong foundation and putting a number of strategic plans in motion. They all had their hiccups and delays, but they are coming together and looking great. It’s all very exciting. Here is more information and personal thoughts about all that’s happening and what’s coming.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG Redux – what an epic Kickstarter and incredible journey. As noted earlier in the Update, the pre-press samples arrived this week and they look fantastic. All of them will hit the press next week! We’ll keep you posted about shipping as the cost and timeline becomes clearer.


This was a big project. If you include all the Kickstarter exclusives there were 22 different SKUs to be designed and produced (make that 42 if you count each of the miniatures individually). That’s a lot of moving parts. We thought we’d have it all in your hands last year, but the loss of our beloved Kathy Simmons knocked everyone for a loop and absolutely clobbered me. She loved Palladium and the fans so much, she would be over the moon to see these final products and us closing in on the Kickstarter fulfillment. Note: The Pre-Order Page with the lower Kickstarter prices will be closing soon, so pre-order soon or miss out on significant savings.


Star Anvil License for Phase World®. This was one of our many secret projects. For Rifts Savage Worlds fans (and all Rifts fans), the setting will be expanded to cosmic proportions with the addition of adventure sourcebooks for Phase World and the Three Galaxies.


Why Star Anvil and Phase World? That’s easy, because the Prometheans behind Star Anvil love science fiction, they have big plans for the setting, and will provide fun and adventure for all fans looking for new material for Phase World and the Three Galaxies. Remember, although the sourcebooks use Savage Worlds rules, the stories, characters, adventures, maps, gear, weapons, vehicles, new alien races, creatures, and so on, are ALL easily adapted to Palladium Books rules. So please check out their Phase World crowdfunder and give it a try. They have Palladium’s full endorsement and are an official licensee of Palladium Books.


The lost Rifts® video game crowdfunder. This was another Top Secret project spearheaded by Sean. Like the press release about it says, we had such high hopes for Rifts Promise of Power when it was released in the fall of 2005 for the N-Gage mobile video game platform. It is a turn-based, tactical video game that fully and accurately captures the depth and feel of Rifts and 17 key player characters. When the platform failed, the game vanished with it. Though Palladium owns all the creative content, art, story, characters, etc., we lacked the expertise and resources to recode and make a video game for the PC and others.


That changed when we were introduced to TransPerfect International by long-time friend and Palladium super-fan Ryan McDaniel. This is a massive company with decades of experience and expertise in all aspects of the video game industry. From art and 3D renders to coding and translations into any language, TransPerfect can do it all, and do it well. The reason you may have never heard of them is that they quietly provide their vast services to a host of major video game companies behind the scenes. Palladium has been working with them for a couple of years now and have been discussing and planning the rebuilding of Rifts Promise of Power for the PC, game consoles, etc., for more than a year.


Click here for more details and learn about the crowdfunding pre-launch happening right now on Backerkit.


AudioRPG & Audiobooks. We know and trust the passionate madmen behind them, we were impressed with the Nightbane: Dark Designs audio rendition, I like to encourage all forms of storytelling, and I like exploring new realms of adventure. We suggested they start with Nightbane titles because Urban Fantasy is very popular, the books are dramatic and moody, and there are only a half-dozen titles, so the entire series can be done quickly. We figured it would be a good test. Best of all, Palladium doesn’t have to do any work on the audiobooks, that’s all on the licensee. Time will tell where this venture may go. Note: Many of these same people are behind the World’s Largest Dungeon crowdfunding campaign, now in its final days.


Sourcebooks coming from Palladium. As we’ve noted, a number of titles are in development. We try not to reveal anything before the book is nearly finished and ready to go to the printer. Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Rifts Bestiary 2, Rifts Antarctica, BTS: Beyond Arcanum, BTS: Tomes Grotesque, and a few other titles are all on the drawing board, including one epic, long-term project. Many have artwork that is completed or in the process of being created. Rifts Bestiary has been delayed to make it everything it needs to be, and Sean recently mentioned that he’s working on the long awaited Rifts Chaos Earth: First Responders sourcebook. Much of the artwork is being done now by fan-fave artist Steven Cummings (Titan Robotics).


Palladium Books’ YouTube Channel. The Official History of Palladium Books has been incredibly well received, with many more episodes coming – one every other week plus the occasional bonus episode. Most of these fun chats are complete in themselves (there are only a couple of two-parters), so you can watch what strikes your fancy in any order you would like. Palladium will continue to expand its social media in the months ahead. We are already doing podcasts and videos on Legion of Myth and Glitterbois, as well as others. Geek Native has an upcoming interview about the Rifts Promise of Power video game. More social media endeavors in the future.


New Palladium Website – coming soon. Our entirely new website will offer new, cleaner layout and design, better functionality, and features such as bundle deals, PDFs available directly from the Palladium Books online store, and other conveniences. We’re working out the bugs and fine tuning it now.


I’m sure I’m forgetting to mention something, but that’s plenty to mull over and enjoy. I hope you are excited about the whirlwind of activity for Rifts and other ventures. Just don’t forget to take advantage of the Promise of Rifts RPG Sale for select physical Rifts books and watch DriveThruRPG.com for PDF sales. Game on.


– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer and Friend