Holiday Cheer – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 19, 2024

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

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Holiday Cheer – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 19, 2024

Holiday madness has been in full swing for a couple of weeks now. So I think we have all been fluctuating between Christmas good cheer and pure exhaustion. That’s okay, we’ve been glad to see so many of you enjoying the sales and the Christmas Surprise Package deal.

The Surprise Package deal continues through December 24, Christmas Eve, so there is still time to snag one for yourself or as a gift for someone else, especially if you don’t need it in time for Christmas. The Surprise Package is great for birthdays and anniversaries, and even Valentine’s Day and other gift-giving occasions that take place in January, February, and March.

Note: If you need delivery in time for Christmas, Palladium needs your order tonight so we can ship it out Friday or Monday via 2nd Day or Next Day Air. Look, most people understand if a Christmas package arrives a few days after Christmas, and even a few weeks later. Who doesn’t like getting a gift for any reason, anytime?

History of Palladium Books – The Palladium Fantasy RPG episode (I think one of two) went live on the Palladium Books YouTube channel today. Enjoy. A new episode drops every other week.

What’s hot at Palladium this week? It’s Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa time so everything is hot, but especially all things Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited and Dead Reign®, and hardcovers. The Surprise Package deal continues thru December 24, so please keep the orders coming and enjoy.

NEW! Valley of the Pharaohs RPG – 40th Anniversary Edition

Valley of the Pharaohs is back with 200 additional pages of material as a softcover and hardcover RPG. It is written by the original author Matthew Balent (Palladium Weapon series), and includes the original artwork and map by Kevin Siembieda, but this is NOT the Palladium game system. It’s an original game system designed by Matt.

The original Valley of the Pharaohs RPG is a rare, expensive collectible if you can even find it. But now you can get the super-expanded, 254 page, 40th Anniversary Edition softcover – or – the 274 page hardcover with bonus material, from Palladium Books. The new, 40th Anniversary Valley of Pharaohs is written and published by the original author, Matthew Balent (Weapons and Armor, Weapons & Castles, etc.). Like the original game, it uses its own, unique game rules – not the Palladium game system – but they, like the game world and text, are unique and fun.

This game is authorized by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books and includes many of Kevin’s original VotP RPG illustrations and maps.

If you are a Palladium Books collector or you love Egyptian mythology and historical fiction, this game is a must. It is likely as close as you’ll come to owning the original Valley of the Pharaohs. Besides, this is a vastly expanded and improved edition that includes all those original ideas and much of the artwork vastly expanded and improved. The original rule book was only 64 or 96 pages, plus maps; this is a 250+ page tome by the scholarly Matthew Balent and is an alternative reality, ancient Egypt that is epic and well written. It’s a fun read filled with ideas, magic, monsters, and characters you can, with a little work, convert to Palladium Fantasy, Rifts, or any RPG world.

• Play humans or Bird People, Crocodilian People, Dog People, Snake People, and more!

• Character Classes include: Priest, Thief, Military, Scholar, and more.

• 300+ magic spells inspired by Egyptian myth and classic fantasy.

• Many magic items, magic pictures and more.

• Dozens of monsters and supernatural beings like the mummy, sphinx, sand slug, and others drawn from or inspired by Egyptian mythology.

• Learn about Ka (magic), Maat (alignment and order), and Kismet.

• Clear and concise Egyptian lore, its society, and history.

• Game rules and writing by Matthew Balent.

• A complete RPG with unique rules. Note: Does not use the Palladium game rules.

• $40.00 retail – 254 page softcover – Cat. No. 2621 – complete RPG.

• $60.00 retail – 274 page hardcover with bonus material – Cat. No. 2621HC – complete RPG.

SALE Final Days – Christmas Surprise Package offer – Sale ENDS December 24 – and remember, only ONE shipping day till Christmas

The best deal in gaming – $100+ worth of goodies (often more) for $60 (plus shipping). Books are signed if you want them to be. It is just 1 shipping day till Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa! The Surprise Package Offer ends December 24, 2024. Don’t miss out!

A great gift for any holiday, birthdays, anniversaries, or a nice treat for yourself (you deserve it), or a way to try new settings, and fill your collection. After these past five crazy years, you deserve to do something nice for yourself and your gaming pals. The Surprise Package Offer gets you physical game books at PDF prices, and we will sign them if you would like us to.

What is a Christmas Surprise Package? A smile and a hug that comes in a box filled with signed game books from available Palladium staff and freelancers. And God knows this year continues to be so crazy, we need something fun like the Christmas Surprise Package to bring a little joy and laughter into our lives. With so many people suffering from the fallout of the election, inflation, and related doldrums, we can all use some time escaping into realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs available via a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package.

A Surprise Package is your way to get physical books (and autographs if you want them) for PDF prices! $100+ worth of Palladium products for only $60 (plus shipping)! That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.

These Surprise Packages are our way of saying thank you for your support and showing you our love and appreciation. It’s a surprise because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books, because we pick from your Wish List and may surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. Extra items may include other RPGs, sourcebooks, issues of the Rifter®, novels, miniatures, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, negatives, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

You get a ton of stuff on the cheap, you can get a bunch of autographs (if you want ‘em), and you look like you spent a fortune. This is also a great way to try that game setting you’ve wondered about – Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited, After the Bomb® (compatible with TMNT RPG), Ninjas & Superspies, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Systems Failure, Mechanoid Invasion®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

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 in time for the holiday season. 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

Honestly, my head is swirling. I wish I could say with sugar plums, but it’s a thousand details. Warehouse guy Caleb, Wayne, Alex, and I have been picking, pulling, signing, packing and shipping out tons of books for Christmas Surprise Packages as well as lots of regular orders. We want packages to reach their destination in time for Christmas. Whew. That has meant working weekends since well before Black Friday. Glad to do it! Keep the orders coming, though they are not likely to arrive by Christmas after today.

I think this year, I actually got 80-90% of my Christmas gifts wrapped and shipped in time for Christmas to the many people I like to acknowledge and give something to show my appreciation. The rest will have to arrive after the holidays. I’m sure everyone will understand.

On top of that, we are juggling a thousand other things: Bookkeeping and business stuff, inventory prep, reorganization, advertising, TMNT product and packaging tweaks and approvals, YouTube videos, 2025 convention and trade show planning (yes, already), coordinating art and writing on various projects, pitches for … (oops, can’t reveal those yet), and just surviving the holidays. With this being my first batch of holidays without my sweet, Kathy Simmons, that last part is tougher for me some days than others. Overall, I’m doing alright. I’m blessed with wonderful friends. In fact, tonight is our office party, tiny this year, so I’d better end this Update right here. More info in the weeks to come.

We wish you happy holidays filled with joy and love. Don’t let the gift buying, present wrapping, and stress wear you out too badly. YOU need to survive the holidays too. I mean it. The holidays can be emotionally draining. Depression is commonplace. Please, reach out to your friends and loved ones. Don’t isolate yourself. And know you are not alone. Things will get better. Hang tough with me and we’ll get through this together.

Hey, you wanna see love and kindness and human goodness? Read the Surprise Package Comments below. They always put smiles on our faces. Enjoy.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Friend, and Surrogate Santa

Surprise Package Comments from fans like you

Every year we like to post a selection of the comments we get from Surprise Package customers. It’s a nice acknowledgement and thank you to them (you know who you are) and you enjoy reading them. I read each and every comment that comes in the Surprise Packages, and they always brighten our day. We all appreciate your kind words, suggestions, and insights. In fact, the idea to do hardcover editions of core rule books came from fan comments in the Grab Bags. We get a lot so we can only offer a sampling of these comments in the Weekly Updates.

Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have stuck with Palladium through thick and thin and now these new strange times. Please use our games to find escape from your day to day grind and worries. Use them to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season and beyond.

Your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Thank you for making us smile and feel valued. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each comment. Happy holidays.

– Kevin Siembieda (and the Palladium Crew)

M.C. in Casper, Wyoming, writes: Thank you for doing the Surprise Packages again this year. You have been my favorite gaming company since I discovered Ninjas & Superspies way back in 1988. Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

[Thank you, M.C., glad we’ve managed to keep you and so many other fans for all these years. Awesome. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well. We have big plans for 2025 so buckle up and enjoy the ride. – Kevin]

K.S. in West Fargo, North Dakota, writes: Thank you so much for doing this [Surprise Package]. I adore your books and it makes me feel nice to be able to splurge on myself a bit without breaking the bank. Absolutely loving the History of Palladium series that’s going on. Stoked to see the next episode on Palladium Fantasy [posted on the Palladium YouTube channel today, December 19, 2024]. Additionally, Nightbane® is amazing! I have everything and wish there was more to buy. Also excited for the TMNT & Other Strangeness Redux editions to ship [spring 2025]. Backed it happily.

[Thank you, K.S., for the praise about our many game worlds. Sounds like you’re as passionate about them as we are. We’re loving the YouTube videos and podcasts we are doing and are delighted so many fans are enjoying them as well. Nice. We have a lot planned for 2025 and hope to surprise fans with our productivity, but we’ll all have to see how things pan out. Keep your imagination burning, K.S., and continue to explore your favorite game worlds. – Kevin]

P.S. in Manistee, Michigan, writes: I was very pleased with the first Surprise Package I had ordered. The Coalition War print was awesome and is set up in my gaming cabinet.

[We’re happy you were so satisfied with all your goodies, P.S., and that you love the print. It’s one of my many favorites. – Kevin]

A.R. in McEwen, Tennessee, writes: Thanks so much for the first box! The 1st Edition Beyond the Supernatural hardcover is gorgeous!

[That BTS-1 hardcover is a beauty, alright. Glad you enjoyed it and the first Surprise Package, A.R., I hope the second one hits the spot too. Game on. – Kevin]

J.N. in Springfield, Missouri, writes: Thank you for making this Christmas sale available every year. It means a lot that you take the time and care to sign and send copies of our favorite game books.

[It is a lot of time and work, J.N., but it’s worth every minute to put smiles on the faces of gamers around the world. It’s our way of giving back and saying thank you for your support all year long. Merry Christmas and game on. – Kevin]

D.C. in Northport, Alabama, writes: This will be my second Grab Bag and they are great, thank you so much. Favorites: Ninjas & Superspies, Rifts®, all of them.

[Hey D.C., you are very welcome, our pleasure. Keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

D.M. in Upland, California, writes: This is my third year doing this. I have been a fan of each box I get. This [Surprise Package] is a fantastic idea, and this time I may break down and get more than one.

[Happy you and so many others are loving the Surprise Package deal. You are certainly welcome to buy more than one. Enjoy and game on. – Kevin]

C.G. in Clinton, New York, writes: Hey Kevin and the Palladium Crew, I am filling in my friend’s Palladium collection. Merry Christmas.

[What a nice thing to do, C.G., that’s the Christmas spirit. – Kevin]

J.B. in Portland, Oregon, writes: I am a big fan of the original TMNT RPG. Thanks once again for the X-Mas Surprise Package. I have been a big fan of Palladium since the late 1980s and have really enjoyed the opportunity to collect new books and replace old ones with this seasonal offering. I’m looking forward to starting up a Heroes Unlimited campaign very soon at my local library. Cheers!

[J.B., I’m glad you’ve enjoyed our books and the Surprise Package offer these many years. That Heroes Unlimited campaign sounds like it will be fun. Make sure you get the TMNT & Other Strangeness Redux editions coming spring 2025. They are fantastic, in full color and remastered. – Kevin]

W.D. in McClure, Pennsylvania, writes: I may not be Palladium’s biggest fan, but I’m a pretty huge one. I promised myself I‘d start building out my Palladium Books library, and that is what I’ve done. Kevin and everyone at Palladium have been my inspiration for a long time and I hope one day I can put something into The Rifter® myself. Stay classy, Palladium!

[How does one determine how big a fan someone is, W.D.? I love all our fans! I mean that. Each and every one of you are the greatest fans I’ve ever seen, and we appreciate your support. You folks are our source of inspiration in this lovely relationship. Don’t be shy, W.D., send in that Rifter® submission. It doesn’t have to be long, just fun. Game on and stay awesome. – Kevin]

R.P. in Oxford Mills, Ontario, Canada, writes (in part): I love the Palladium Fantasy RPG so much. The world gets my brain going and inspires me. I reread the books over and over for inspiration. Exploring the infinite corners of Rifts® likewise …

[I love hearing that, R.P. Isn’t it fun how every time you reread a book you notice something new or that you’ve been meaning to play? I have the same experience and I wrote most of the darn books. Lol. Keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

M.K in Hanover, Maryland, writes: Really appreciate your work. Palladium has put out so many interesting books, it feels like I have endless sources of inspiration to draw on whenever needed.

[That’s the plan, M.K., and we really appreciate your kind words and support. Keep on enjoying Rifts® and explore the entire Megaverse® over time. Ho, ho, ho. – Kevin]

C.O. in Chicago, Illinois, writes: Thank you so much for Rifts®. I just want to say I love this game. It’s the only table top RPG I play and it’s been 24 years of fun. My favorites have been Psyscape, New West, and Lone Star.

[I’m glad you enjoy Rifts® so much, C.O. What a fun setting, right? As I write this, I realize you were looking to try the Nightbane® setting and I didn’t send it to you. Sorry, maybe next time. – Kevin]

G.D. in Punta Gorda, Florida, writes: I have just started running my first games of Palladium Fantasy for myself and my group. We love it so far! I am looking to branch out and try all of what Palladium has to offer at some point. Thank you for your games. I also appreciate all of the podcasts you guys do, especially Legion of Myth. Hope you all enjoy the holidays!

[We hope your holidays are full of joy, G.D. I’m so relieved people are loving Palladium’s YouTube series and podcast efforts. I was nervous about doing them because – well, I didn’t know if anyone really wanted to hear me, or me and Sean talk about gaming and the history of Palladium Books. It turns out you do and you’re loving it, so many more are coming throughout 2025. A new one posting every two weeks. We will also be addressing other topics like Tales of the Defilers and gaming advice. – Kevin]