Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – April 1, 2021
One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure
By Kevin Siembieda
Hi, everyone. Happy Easter and Passover for those of you who celebrate these holidays. I hope you enjoy a pleasant weekend with your friends and family via whatever means of communication or small gathering works for you.
You have been keeping us busy on many fronts. The new miniatures are selling well but the hardcovers are flying out the door! The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Hardcover did not even make it a full 48 hours before selling out! We didn’t even keep one copy for ourselves! The Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Hardcover and Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG Hardcover are selling right behind it. Heroes Unlimited™ and Beyond the Supernatural™ Hardcovers remain available but are selling fast. I suspect we have enough to make it through the weekend.
More are on the way! The good news is that we have MORE of all three hardcover titles coming within the next 7-10 days. These titles are being shipped to us in batches, which means more copies of each should arrive in a week or so. Any lack of availability should only be for a matter of days, so please keep the orders coming. Please Note: ALL the Fantasy pre-orders and new orders placed through March 30 (Wednesday night) got processed, pulled, and shipped by this afternoon.
I find this rather ironic, because when I solicited the opinion of distributors and retailers and even fellow gamers, most were conflicted or lukewarm about them. One even questioned whether we should do them at all. I understand their trepidation. After all, these are hardcover editions of RPGs and other core rule books that have been in print for years and years. It was uncertain if there was a market for them. Me, I trusted you and my gut. We are only making them available because we found a suitable printer and because so many of you had been asking for them. The same is true for the Rifts® 30th Commemorative Edition. We are doing it because so many of you suggested it. Besides, it seems only fair since we did 30th Anniversary editions for Palladium Fantasy and Heroes Unlimited. The commemorative aspect and additional color pages make it all the more special and fun.
I will make sure we get more of the next three Rifts® core rule books, Rifts® Game Master Guide, Book of Magic, and Adventure Guide, in the first shipment, and a heck of a lot more of the Rifts® 30th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (which is looking beautiful), all shipping in April and no small task. The Rifts® 30th Gold Edition remains locked in at 200 signed and numbered copies plus some printer proofs even though we could easily sell two or three times that number. Please keep the orders coming and thank you for your kind support.
UPDATE: Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume 2 and other titles. I know some of you are disappointed by the long delay for the release of Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2 and several other titles, but they are coming. Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2, Rifts® CS Manhunters™ (soon), BTS Creature Feature, Titan Robotics™, and Rifts® Antarctica, will all see release this year. With a little luck, Land of the Damned™ 3 and a few other titles as well.
The pandemic and unrelated health issues were rough on us. I spent most of November thru January working in the warehouse processing the Christmas orders that helped keep Palladium rockin’ and rolling, and we remain short-handed to this day. There are currently only four and a half of us toiling away, me (juggling a lot), Wayne (ditto), Alex (editing and helping in every way he can), Kathy (bookkeeping and order processing), and Julius who has been working part-time for some months now. Plus freelance writers and artists, of course, but they all work from home and most are out-of-state or out-of-country. It has been a lot of work, but well worth it. We are all positive and excited about Palladium’s future and growing again.
A lot of what I have been working on has been strategic. On the creative front, I have been coordinating the artwork for something like 6-7 titles and the hardcover releases, as well as writing every chance I get, plus coordinating the development of several new releases for the future, a few Rifts® Lazlo books among them. My goal is to have it so when the final writing and edits are done, so is the art and covers, and we can release one book after the other in rapid succession. And these books are frakin’ great! In the meanwhile, we are also trying to do smaller fun things like the release of new and old miniatures and the hardcovers of core rule books.
Please do not lose the faith now, because things are looking better and better with every new day!
COMING! More hardcovers in April: There are 5 April hardcover releases coming: Rifts® Game Master Guide (Cat. No. 845HC, $39.99), Rifts® Book of Magic (Cat. No. 848HC, $39.99), and Rifts® Adventure Guide (Cat. No. 849HC, $36.99), PLUS the hotly anticipated Rifts® 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover (1st edition rules, extra pages of color and memories, Cat. No. 800HC30, $49.99 retail, and it is beautiful), and the Rifts® 30th Gold Edition (Cat. No. 8000HC30, $75.00); super-limited at 200 signed and numbered copies.
We want to make the two Rifts® 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcovers truly special and fun. So in addition to artwork, both color and black and white, some of it never or seldom seen before, there is a bit of history and back story revealed. For some time now, folks have been asking me to write the history of Palladium and/or my memoir, which I want to do (like I have the time. Not!). However, I have tried to put in some nice bits of history and back story about me, Palladium Books, Rifts® and some of the key people behind Rifts®. The writing for that is done and I think most of you will enjoy these rare, personal insights and stories. At least I hope you will.
Creatively, I have been on fire. That is when I’m not being pulled away with business matters or new opportunities. Hang tight. Enjoy what is coming and be prepared to have your socks blown off by what is coming just down the road.
Keep Sending Us Your Retailers! If your store is having trouble ordering Palladium titles from their distributors, send them to Palladium. If distributors cannot meet demand, then with your help, Palladium will. Please tell the stores you patronize that they can buy direct from Palladium Books. We try to keep 99% of all our titles in stock at all times. They can get our Retailer Terms by contacting Palladium via the Help Desk on our website or by telephone (734-721-2903). Thank you for your help on this front. Please keep spreading the word.
Keep letting us know if you want to work to develop player resources for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy, and other Palladium RPG settings. I have been swamped, so I have not passed along the handful of gamers who have already reached out to us, but I will by next week (if not sooner). Fantasy Grounds will be looking for content developers for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, and ALL other Palladium settings. If you are familiar with Fantasy Grounds and have an interest in developing material for Rifts® and Palladium’s many RPG settings, please reach out to them or to Palladium directly. You can contact us via the Palladium Help Desk. Make sure you tell us which game line(s) you want to work on and make sure we have your email address, and we will make an introduction for you directly to Fantasy Grounds/SmiteWorks who will reach out to you. Fantasy Grounds will be making an official announcement sometime in the weeks ahead and plan to be posting development details at some point in their City Hall. There is also material coming soon from them for Rifts® for Savage Worlds.
NEW! March Miniature Releases – Available now
You have been asking about new miniatures and we are providing. All miniatures come in a plastic bag. The newest three are described below. Another three will be available in April.
BACK IN STOCK: Rifts® Glitter Boy & Pilot (original) Miniature Pack – 1st time available in resin – 28 mm resin – $19.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8001. Four Pieces: 1. Complete G.B. body and base (small), 2. right arm and Boom Gun, 3. backpack/thrusters, and 4. ammo drum and belt, plus pilot. The ever-popular, classic Glitter Boy and Pilot (1993 RAFM) – now in resin for the first time (prior releases were pewter figures). Available now.
NEW! Rifts® CS Firebreather Dead Boy Miniature – true scale 32 mm resin – $9.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8047. Five pieces: 1. the body, 2. right arm and gun, 3. left arm, 4. antenna, 5. custom base. Detailed and dynamic figure. Available now.
NEW! Rifts® Juicer Miniature – true scale 32 mm resin – $9.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8048. Three pieces: 1. the complete body, 2. crossed swords on the back that fit so snugly that you may not even need to glue it, 3. custom base. Detailed and dynamic figure. Available now.
And don’t forget about the Deluxe Rifts® Glitter Boy Resin Miniature – released in fall 2020 – 32 mm resin – Momentarily on SALE for $27.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8046 – a gorgeous, detailed and dynamic figure. Available now.
Hardcover RPGs – Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™ & Beyond the Supernatural™ – available now
Heroes Unlimited™ and Beyond the Supernatural™ are available right now! The Palladium Fantasy RPG® may have blown out the door, but keep ordering because more Fantasy, HU2, and BTS will arrive by the end of next week, around April 9th.
Each hardcover RPG book is exactly the same as the softcover edition you may already own and use. Even the color covers are fundamentally the same art with changes to the logos to differentiate them from the softcovers. The main difference is that the rule books you know and love are now available as sturdy hardcovers for longer durability. Note: The softcover editions will also remain in print. We hope you are pleased to see these titles being made available in hardcover as per your many requests. Enjoy. Coming in April: Rifts® G.M. Guide, Rifts® Book of Magic and Rifts® Adventure Guide along with the two different Rifts® 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcovers.
NEW! HARDCOVER Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition – Back in stock the end of next week
A fantasy setting like no other, rich in history and inviting adventure. Not only are you able to play iconic fantasy heroes like the Wizard, Knight, Paladin, Ranger, Thief, Assassin, and others, but also characters such as the Mind Mage, Druid, Diabolist, Summoner and many others. Moreover, play an array of nonhuman characters from Elves and Dwarves to Wolfen, Changelings, Kobolds, Orcs, Ogres, and many others.
- The hardcover is exactly the same as the softcover edition.
- Color cover, same art, variant logo, hardcover.
- 25+ Occupational Character Classes (O.C.C.s).
- 14+ inhuman player races (more in sourcebooks).
- 300+ magic spells.
- 60 magical Wards. 50 magic circles.
- Dozens of magic items potions and more.
- 70+ psychic powers, the Mind Mage, and more.
- Weapons, gear, demons and adventure ideas.
- New sourcebooks like Land of the Damned 3, Lopan, and others are coming.
- 336 pages – $39.99 retail – Cat. No. 450HC – Back in stock around April 9.
NEW! HARDCOVER Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition – Available now
Supernatural horror in the modern world that feels plausible and real. Your characters are the few who know the supernatural is real because they have experienced it face to face. Some are psychics, some are experts in the paranormal or the arcane, and others are ordinary people like you and me. Ordinary people who are never the same after their own close encounter. All of these unlikely heroes stand against supernatural evil in a world of disbelievers who brand them as practitioners of fringe science or lunatics. Only they know the truth: supernatural evil is real and dangerous. And someone has to take a stand to protect the innocent from supernatural evil in whatever hidden form it may take. Are you ready to join the battle?
- The hardcover is exactly the same as the softcover edition.
- Color cover, same art, variant logo, hardcover.
- A plausible modern horror setting that makes sense and will challenge your role-playing skills.
- 14 Psychic Character Classes.
- 42 occupations for “ordinary” people.
- 100+ psychic abilities, including Fire Walker abilities.
- Creatures of darkness, the Lazlo Agency, and more.
- New sourcebooks are coming soon.
- 256 pages – $36.99 retail – Cat. No. 700HC – available now.
NEW! HARDCOVER Heroes Unlimited™ RPG, 2nd Edition – Available now
The Heroes Unlimited™ RPG has been a hit RPG for 30+ years because it enables you to create any type of comic book hero you can imagine. Make characters pulled right from any comic book you grew up with and love, or design your own league of extraordinary heroes.
If you seek comic book heroic adventure, Heroes Unlimited™ does the job on an epic scale. Plus a dozen sourcebooks provide you with more super abilities, hero categories, bad guys and adventures.
- The hardcover is exactly the same as the softcover edition.
- Color cover, same art, variant logo on the hardcover.
- Create any type of hero you can imagine.
- 101 super abilities plus a multitude of sub-powers within them, bonuses and special combat capabilities.
- 100+ magic spells plus enchanted weapons and objects.
- 72 psychic powers.
- Enchanted weapons that instill super abilities.
- Mega-Heroes and immortals.
- Alien super beings.
- Bionics and cyborgs.
- Psionics and Psychics.
- Robots and power armor.
- Masters of magic, wizards and spell casters.
- Mutants and Super Soldiers possessing super abilities.
- Inventors, super-geniuses and super-vehicles.
- Special Training: Martial arts, Sleuths, weapons, more.
- Cover by comic book legend Jim Steranko.
- Art by Ramon K. Perez, Paulo Parente, Mike Gustovich, and others.
- Written by Kevin Siembieda.
- 352 pages for a complete RPG – $39.99 retail – Cat. No. 500HC – available now.
COMING: 5 April Hardcovers
Rifts® Game Master Guide™ Hardcover – April Release
The Rifts® Game Master Guide™ is a massive, 352 page reference book with short stats and descriptions for every Rifts® robot, power armor, body armor, vehicle, weapon, gadget, skill, experience table, and map that appears in Rifts® World Books 1-23 and Sourcebooks 1-4, plus a bionics index, an O.C.C.s and R.C.C.s index, rules clarifications, combat examples, advice on how to run a game and more.
- 500+ weapons.
- 290 pieces of equipment.
- 180+ vehicles.
- 100+ suits of body armor.
- 80+ suits of power armor.
- 300+ skills, character and D-Bee index, dozens of maps, and more.
- 352 pages – $39.99 retail – Cat. No. 845HC – Hardcover ships in April and taking pre-orders now. Also available in softcover.
Rifts® Book of Magic™
Nearly 1,000 magic spells and 400 magic weapons and devices from across Rifts Earth, plus magic tattoos, herbs, stones, and more. 352 pages of pure magic.
- 900+ magic spells, Elemental Magic, Ley Line Magic, Temporal Magic, Necromancy, Nature Magic, Cloud Magic, Ocean Magic, Biomancy and more.
- Plus Tattoo Magic, Stone Magic, Whalesongs, Conjuring, Nazca Lines.
- 290+ Techno-Wizard weapons and items, including TW Bionics, Automatons, and Iron Juggernauts.
- 80+ other magic items, Rune Weapons, Holy Weapons, Fetishes.
- Bio-Wizard Weapons, the Bio-Borg, Symbiotes, and herbs.
- Magic stones, talismans, magic items of Japan, and more.
- Millennium Tree wands, staves and armor.
- 352 pages – $39.99 retail – Cat. No. 848HC – Hardcover ships in April and taking pre-orders now. Also available in softcover.
Rifts® Adventure Guide™ Hardcover
Inside information to create and run RPG adventures: How to get started, building on ideas, character archetypes, tables for creating Rifts towns and cities, mercenary companies, traveling shows, and player created organizations, plus random Rift tables, information about the Chi-Town ‘Burbs, 32 ‘Burb adventure ideas, another 101 adventure hooks, and still more adventure ideas, and additional player and Game Master tips by Kevin Siembieda, Erick Wujcik, and Bill Coffin.
- 150+ adventure ideas.
- Game Master and player tips from Kevin Siembieda.
- Adventure creation tips from Kevin Siembieda.
- Why and how to use alignments by Kevin Siembieda.
- Tricks of running a large group, G.M. tools, and more.
- Additional Player and G.M. tips from Wujcik and Coffin.
- Overview and info about the CS Chi-Town ‘Burbs.
- 32 adventure ideas in the ‘Burbs.
- Random Dimensional Rifts & other tables.
- Tables for creating towns, merc companies, and traveling shows.
- 192 pages – $36.99 retail – Cat. No. 849HC – Hardcover ships in April and we are taking pre-orders now. Also available in softcover.
NEW! Rifts® RPG 30th Anniversary “Gold” Limited Edition Commemorative Hardcover – 1st Edition Rules – April release
Due to popular demand, we are producing an ultra-limited edition Rifts® “Gold” 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover. Available on a first-come, first served basis, while supplies last. This is the most limited of any previous collectors edition of the Rifts® RPG – 5,000 copies of Silver, 500 copies of Gold, but only 200 copies for this 30th Anniversary edition – and those earlier editions sell for big bucks today. Availability starts with #1 of 200, so be among the first to order.
Rifts® RPG 30th Anniversary “Gold” Limited Edition:
- 200 signed and numbered – available only from Palladium Books.
- Gold foil cover on a faux leatherette.
- Cover art by Kevin Long of the famous Splugorth Slave Barge.
- Limited to 200 signed and numbered copies, plus a few dozen printer proofs.
- Signed by available staff.
- Otherwise the same as the hardcover with the color cover.
- A color gallery of every Rifts® cover ever published.
- Color photographs of the staff, including those from the first Rifter® Swimsuit issue (scary, I know!) and other photos.
- Concept art and pencil illustrations often with notes by the artist.
- Personal notes, commentary, and nostalgic material.
- Color end sheets. And maybe a little surprise, but no promises.
- 30+ pages of color, countless memories, and loads of fun.
- Available on a first-come, first served basis, while supplies last. Only from Palladium Books.
- 294 pages – $75.00 retail – Cat. No. 8000HC30 – April release.
Rifts® RPG – 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover – 1st Edition Rules – Color Cover – April release
The Commemorative 30th Anniversary Hardcover is the original first edition Rifts® rule book with the famous Keith Parkinson cover of the Splugorth Slave Barge. Plus extras and color pages featuring fun stuff in the back of the book like notes, concept drawings, color roughs, photographs, and every Rifts® cover. All intended to bring back fond memories.
This book is the result of requests from fans. It was supposed to be one of our 2020 surprises. Then the Covid pandemic struck, our world went sideways, and for a while we shelved it. But the more I talked about it with people behind the scenes, the more I realized people wanted to have a Rifts® 30th Anniversary Hardcover. Especially a commemorative edition with extra material and remembrances in it. With the pandemic still lingering, it feels like the perfect time to offer a fun, nostalgic product to stir up fond memories of grand adventures and fun times.
Original Rifts® RPG 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover:
- Back in print for the first time in 16 years.
- Color cover of the famous Splugorth Slave Barge by Keith Parkinson.
- A color gallery of every Rifts® cover ever published.
- Color photographs of the staff, including those from the first Rifter® Swimsuit issue (scary, I know!) and other photos.
- Concept art and pencil illustrations often with notes by the artist.
- Personal notes, commentary, and nostalgic material.
- 30+ pages of color, countless memories, and loads of fun.
- Color end sheets.
- This is NOT a signed or numbered limited edition, but we are happy to sign copies at conventions and the Palladium Open House.
- 288 pages – $49.99 retail – Cat. No. 800HC30 – April release.
NEW! Duty’s Edge – Rifts® Novel – available now
There has been a lot of excitement and pre-orders for Rifts® Duty’s Edge. Please keep the orders coming. All the Rifts® novels are selling well. In fact, I had to send Hammer of the Forge Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight in for a short printing before existing inventory runs out (still available now).
Rifts® Duty’s Edge is the story of a lone survivor of a New German Republic Special Forces operation who struggles to complete the mission on his own. A mission to destroy wicked monsters and cut off a vital line of support to the Gargoyle Empire. A mission that could save many lives. Of course, it is a journey that takes many twists and turns as one determined individual hopes to beat impossible odds. Set in the Middle East.
- A stand-alone Rifts® novel complete in itself.
- 5 x 8 inch paperback, same size as the Hammer of the Forge novels.
- Written by Will Erwin.
- 236 pages, $12.99 retail for the physical book. Cat. No. 308 – available now as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com – the physical novel is available now.
Other Rifts® Novels available on DriveThruRPG
- Rifts® Sonic Boom™. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon sworn to protect humankind from all threats, be they aliens, dragons, masters of magic or fellow humans out for themselves.
- Rifts® Deception’s Web™, the second novel in this trilogy, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists.
- Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™ is the pulse-pounding conclusion of the third novel in this epic trilogy by Adam Chilson.
- Rifts Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs™. Rifts® short stories by 11 authors including Kevin Siembieda, Carl Gleba, Mark Oberle, Braden Campbell, Taylor White, Jason Richards, and others.
- Rifts® Machinations of Doom™ Graphic Novel & Sourcebook. The comic is by acclaimed Eisner Award winning artist Ramon K. Perez, source material by Siembieda and Perez.
- Rifts® Path of the Storm was a Rifts® movie script written on spec.
- Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight. The adventures of Caleb Vulcan, newly minted Knight of the Cosmic Forge.
- Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™, Volume Two: The Reckoning. The epic conclusion of the Hammer of the Forge story.
UPDATE: Rifts® CS Manhunters
I remain hot as hell as I work to retool and finish this fun book. I think it is pretty darn great, with 50 useful new psionic abilities and CS Manhunter O.C.C.s that are truly superspies and assassins. Each one makes unique and intriguing player characters or dangerous NPC villains. Rifts® CS Manhunters also reveals secrets about Dog Boys and Kill Hounds, other CS psychics, Psi-Ops, and the role many play in the Minion War™, as well as revisiting the Seven Dangers Prophecy (first introduced in Rifts® Sourcebook 2: The Mechanoids®), some fun gadgets and implants, and more. As good as CS Manhunters was, I had been struggling with aspects of it. When I finally made a breakthrough on that front everything fell into place and it is all coming together beautifully. Source material that should give both players and Game Masters plenty to work with. All of it building toward something epic.
As for the question of who watches the watchmen? Meaning the Coalition military and its elite. The answer is, the CS Manhunters. A secret division under the auspices of Psi-Battalion. Super-patriots, spies and assassins all rolled into one. Men and women who not only hunt the most dangerous spies, fugitives, and enemies of the Coalition States, but also protect the Emperor and hunt down traitors within the Coalition States. An elite force of expert manhunters and cold-blooded killing machines who use psionic abilities as part of their arsenal, follow orders without question, and kill without hesitation.
- New Coalition Psychic O.C.C.s.
- 50+ new psionic abilities and revisits of some favorites.
- CS Manhunter Divner and Precog.
- CS Manhunter Psi-Interrogator and Psi-Enforcer.
- CS Manhunter Bursters and Zappers.
- CS Manhunter Psi-Healers and CS Slayers.
- CS Manhunter Killhound and Dog Boy O.C.C.s.
- CS Manhunter Mind Melters, the deadliest of them all.
- CS Manhunter squads and special operations.
- Insight about Coalition psychics and secretive Psi-Ops.
- The impact of the demon plagues unleashed by the Minion War.
- Player Characters, NPCS, background info, adventure ideas, and more.
- 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894 – In production and nearing completion.
UPDATE: Creature Feature™, a Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebook
This is going to be another fun adventure sourcebook. The manuscript will go into editing and rewrites as soon as I finish CS Manhunters and most of the artwork is done. Though I may add a few illustrations and already have artists lined up. Creature Feature™ builds on material that has appeared in various issues of The Rifter® but there is a ton of new material and information useful to both Game Masters and players.
- A gallery of supernatural creatures. Some new. Some familiar, updated and expanded. All terrifying.
- Rules clarifications and errata.
- Game Master source material and advice on rules, psychic abilities, proximity and threat levels, I.S.P. multipliers, and more.
- Advice about running modern horror RPGs and using supernatural creatures in your games.
- Lots of adventure ideas, including an updated and expanded full adventure, “The Squatter.”
- New background and setting information for the BTS setting and a few surprises.
- Written by Steven Dawes, Kevin Siembieda, and others.
- Art by Steven Cummings, Nick Bradshaw and others.
- 160-192 pages – $22.99 or $26.99 depending on final size – Cat. No. 704.
UPDATE: Rifts® Titan Robotics™
Here it is, the reveal of the new cover. I hope you like it. I love that it presents the iconic Titan Robotics Combat Robot with a new big gun that hints at what else awaits you inside the book. I also enjoy the combat scene, smoke, and haze of war. Like Northern Gun and the Manistique Imperium, Titan Robotics sells freely to adventurers, mercenaries, and anyone who has the cash. Hence, the owners of these big ‘bots clashing with Coalition Forces.
This is why I call Rifts® Titan Robotics™ a high-tech toy box filled with many new types of Titan Robotics power armors, giant robots, vehicles, weapons, and gear. Some are big bruisers while others are small and sleek. As fun as these new tech toys are, Rifts® Titan Robotics™ delves into the company’s many secrets, including ARCHIE-3’s plans and program to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics and his current schemes and plans for the future. All of which provides fodder for adventure.
- New Giant Robots.
- New Power Armor, equipment and accessories.
- 30+ power armors and robots, plus other equipment.
- New weapons, gear and vehicles.
- Titan Robotics Corporation and structure.
- Archie’s secret kingdom and plans for the future.
- New O.C.C.s and key Non-Player Characters (NPCs).
- Android executives, security and much more.
- Wellington Industries, campaign prompts and more.
- Art by Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others. Cover by Mike Majestic.
- Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda.
- 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.
UPDATE: Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume Two
The second big, “monster book” reference for Rifts® of what we anticipate to be three volumes in the series, more if we decide to make ghosts, spirits and Entities and/or Creatures of Magic part of the Bestiary series. Much like Volume One, Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume Two collects 70-100 monsters and animals plus 12-24 new beasts found across Rifts North America. The anticipated page count is 224-256 pages.
All volumes of the Rifts® Bestiary™ series are a great resource for players and Game Masters alike. Each description is updated, expanded, and highly detailed to present players with exotic and alien creatures as pets, guardians and riding animals, as well as slobbering monsters to battle and fierce beasts for Game Masters to throw at their players. Designed to offer adventure ideas, offers notes on young, adult, male and female creatures, and all provide plenty of ways to enhance your characters and spice up adventures. Each is accompanied by a map that shows at a glance where the beast can be encountered. Ah, but in the presence of Rifts and magic means any of the creatures may appear anywhere in the world, so be on your toes.
- Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized into big, easy to use sourcebooks.
- Updated and expanded descriptions and information for each existing monster.
- Updated and uniform stat blocks.
- New exotic creatures – predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
- A map for every creature showing where it is found.
- Easily adapted to any Palladium setting – Palladium Fantasy®, Chaos Earth®, Splicers®, Phase World®, the Three Galaxies™, The Mechanoids®, Heroes Unlimited™/Aliens Unlimited™, and others.
- Basic S.D.C. stats included with each creature description.
- Fully illustrated, with art by Charles Walton II, Ramon Perez, Robert Atkins, and many others. Written by Kevin Siembieda.
- 256 pages each volume – $26.99 – Cat. No. 897 (Volume Two).
NEW! Gamer 16 Ounce Mug – available now
Whether you drink coffee, hot cocoa, soda-pop, or whatever your beverage of choice may be, this fun mug reminds you of your favorite pastime and that new possibilities exist with every roll of the dice.
The new, large, 16 ounce Gamer mug presents the word “Gamer” in a box with dice cascading down from above. The design appears on both sides of the mug. Created by Wayne Smith and Freddie Williams II (art directed by Kevin Siembieda). The mug has an orange interior to add a nice splash of color.
- A must for every proud gamer!
- Dice and the word “Gamer” highlighted in a box.
- Glossy black exterior with an orange interior.
- Art and words are located on both sides of the mug.
- 16 ounce ceramic mug.
- Dishwasher and microwave safe.
- $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2596 – available now.
BACK IN STOCK! Property of the Coalition States 16 Ounce Mug – available now
Back due to popular demand! The iconic Property of the Coalition States and notorious CS Death’s Head insignia printed white on a glossy black, 16 ounce coffee mug, with a blood red interior for a splash of color. The design appears on both sides of the mug. Created by Wayne Smith and Kevin Long (art directed by Kevin Siembieda).
- The infamous words “Property of the Coalition States” and the notorious Death’s Head logo and lightning bolts (indicating CS special forces) in white.
- Glossy black exterior with a blood red interior color.
- Art and words are located on both sides of the mug.
- 16 ounce ceramic mug.
- Dishwasher and microwave safe.
- $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2588 – available now.
Other Mugs Available Now
Everyone loves these mugs. Isn’t it time you started your collection? I like to use them to as a secret code to reflect my mood to those around me. To my thinking the Gamer mug means I’m feeling playful. Rifts® Property of the Coalition States: I’m a soldier in the trenches and working hard. Dead Reign®: Back off or I will eat you alive. Fantasy Dragon: My imagination is on fire. Rifts Logo: Feeling the infinite possibilities. Rifts® Titan Robotics: I’m feeling mighty. Of course, they represent something else to each of you or just represent one of your favorite games, like a normal person.
- Rifts® Titan Robotics™ Mug – A dynamic Titan robot and the Rifts® logo. Art by Steven Cummings. White on a glossy black, 16 ounce ceramic mug with a blue interior. Dishwasher and microwave safe. $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2595 – available now.
- Rifts® Logo Coffee Mug – The famous Rifts® logo in white on a glossy black, 16 ounce ceramic mug with a blue interior. Logo by Kevin Long. Dishwasher and microwave safe. $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2587 – available now.
- Palladium Fantasy RPG® Dragon Mug – The famous red on black 3-headed hydra battling a knight from the iconic original Palladium Fantasy RPG cover. Art by Kevin Siembieda. Red on a glossy black, 16 ounce ceramic mug with an attractive orange interior. Dishwasher and microwave safe. $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2589 – available now.
- Dead Reign® (Zombie Attack) Mug – A trio of hungry zombies and the Dead Reign® logo in white on a glossy black, 16 ounce ceramic mug with a blood red interior for a splash of color. Art by Steven Cummings. Dishwasher and microwave safe. $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2594 – available now.
Rifts® Ultimate Edition – Cat. No. 800HC – Available now
This big, 376 page role-playing game is everything you need to start playing Rifts®. Just add some dice, some players, and a heaping helping of imagination and you are ready to go.
If you have never played the rich, unpredictable, genre-melding Rifts® setting, you are missing epic adventure that never grows old, because anything is possible. No other RPG blends science fiction, fantasy, horror, and post-apocalyptic adventure with demons and aliens, robots and cyborgs, magic and the supernatural in such a plausible and dynamic way. A setting that lets you play any type and style of game you can imagine. With characters like Dragon Hatchlings, Cyber-Knights, Glitter Boys, Ley Line Walkers, Techno-Wizards, and Juicers that challenge the imagination. And those are just a tiny handful of the O.C.C.s you can play in Rifts®. Not to mention hundreds of different alien, supernatural, magical, and other beings available as player characters. All of it set on an Earth that is both familiar and as alien as a thousand different planets. So check it out, build your character, start a campaign, and watch your characters become legends.
- 30+ player characters to choose from; tech, magic, or psychic.
- Cyborgs, robot and power armor pilots, Scout, Assassin, and more.
- 140+ magic spells, plus Techno-Wizards, Shifters, and more.
- 90 psionic powers and psychic characters.
- Sourcebooks offer hundreds of different alien, supernatural beings, creatures of magic, and other beings, many available as player characters.
- There has never been another RPG quite like Rifts®.
- 376 page hardcover, some color – $41.99 retail – Cat. No. 800HC – available now.
DriveThruRPG.com – Garden of the Gods (Fantasy), Rifts® novels and 300+ other gaming products
DriveThru’s annual GM’s Day Sale was a big success. Thank you for your support and enjoy your purchases. The sale may be over, but more than 300 Palladium Books products are available on DriveThru whenever you want them. The newest of which are …
NEW! The Garden of the Gods™ (Fantasy) sourcebook – a toy box of gods, magical blessings, ancient artifacts, and hundreds of opportunities and adventure ideas for players and Game Masters alike.
The Garden of the Gods is said to be a place of miracles and wisdom. A place where people of all occupations and races, nobility and the poor, come to find inspiration, blessings and adventure. Many insist the gods themselves are present and may visit heroes and followers in dreams, visions, or in person as an avatar. The gods also look for champions and assign heroic quests and gifts of knowledge and magic. Here, all gods are equal and many a forgotten god seeks to be rediscovered and worshiped by offering blessings, vision quests, and magical artifacts to potential heroes to champion their name. There is also an evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit.
- 212 Blessings
- 101 magic artifacts.
- 45 forgotten gods.
- 50+ Curses and dark magic.
- 100+ random quests and encounters, and each god offers adventure hooks.
- Restore forgotten gods to power. Become a Champion of the Gods.
- 5 weapons of destruction created by the Old Ones.
- Godly insight, visitations, knowledge and purpose.
- The Garden of the Gods and its protectors.
- Ghosts, Faeries, mysteries, and ancient secrets.
- Rumors of a secret way to the Land of the Damned.
- The Black Pit, a place of legend and dark secrets. Is it a counterbalance to the good of the Garden or something more sinister?
- Easily adapted to Rifts®, Phase World® and any game system.
- 224 pages of wonder and adventure by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements – Cat. No. 475.
- PDF now available on DriveThruRPG.com – the physical book is available from PalladiumBooks.com.
NEW! Duty’s Edge – A Rifts® Novel by Will Erwin. The lone surviving soldier from a New German Republic Special Forces operation struggles to complete the mission on his own. A mission to destroy wicked monsters and cut off a vital line of support to the Gargoyle Empire. It is a journey that takes many twists and turns as one determined individual hopes to beat impossible odds. A stand-alone Rifts® novel complete in itself. 236 pages, Cat. No. 308 – PDF now available on DriveThruRPG.com – the physical book is available from PalladiumBooks.com whenever you want it.
Other Rifts® Novels: Hammer of the Forge novels: The Cosmo-Knight and The Reckoning (Phase World®, the Three Galaxies, and Cosmo-Knights), the Rifts® trilogy of novels: Sonic Boom, Deception’s Web, and Treacherous Awakenings, as well as the Rifts® Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs (11 authors), Machinations of Doom (graphic novel by Ramon K. Perez), and Path of the Storm (a proposed Rifts® movie script) and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG titles.
Also available: Free Garden of the Gods™ (Fantasy) and Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume One Sneak Previews, and the Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet: A Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook to enable you to create Fantasy characters quickly (25 minutes!) and help you to update and manage them for years to come.
Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume Three: Zombies, Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume Two: Civilians and Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume One: Survivors. There are also paper miniatures for Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy® and Rifts®. A new, up-to-date, PDF Palladium Books Catalog. Nightbane® Dark Designs™ sourcebook with 60 new Common Talents, 38 new Elite Talents, 18 new Morphus Tables, all other Morphus Tables collected and more. Systems Failure™ RPG, a 160 page RPG that deals with alien invasion and a post-apocalypse setting that is fun and dynamic. Civilization is on the verge of collapse when the so-called “bugs” invade and turn humans into zombie-like slaves. Monsters, heroes and fun. A complete RPG and setting. Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun™ Two: 256 pages of technology and fun. 30+ power armors, 30+ body armors, 15 combat vehicles, 45 vehicles (hovercycles, etc.), 10 robot haulers, the Robodome and more. Bizantium and the Northern Islands™: the northernmost part of the Known World, the Cold Born, Necromancy ships made from dead sea serpents, 15 creatures, Random Sea Monster Generator, and more. Rifts® Northern Gun™ One. This fan favorite might be thought of as the big book of giant robots – an in-depth look at Northern Gun, 70+ weapons, 27 robots, NG O.C.C.s, key people and places, and much more. Mysteries of Magic™ Book One: The Heart of Magic™ with Wizards, their Apprentices, nearly 60 new magic spells and remember, magic and monsters in the Fantasy RPG are easily adapted to Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, HU2 and other settings. Wolfen Empire™ Fantasy sourcebook, the Great Northern Wilderness and Killer Winters, 12 Wolfen Tribes, Wolfen military and society, 15+ creatures, 5 full adventures, 101 adventure ideas, random encounter tables, notable people, places, plus FREE Sneak Previews of The Rifter® #80, The Rifter® #81, The Rifter® #82, and more on DriveThruRPG.com.
- Rifts® is a genre-bending setting that combines science fiction, fantasy, horror, post-apocalypse survival, magic, and endless possibilities for adventure. Imagine a near perfect world of advanced technology 100 years in the future. Then imagine that world crashing down overnight in an apocalyptic upheaval not seen since the formation of the planet. A Great Cataclysm caused by the explosive return of magic. Now fast forward 300 years into the future where magic, dragons, and mythic gods coexist with cyborgs, giant robots and super-science rediscovered from humanity’s Golden Age as humans rise from a lengthy Dark Age. But they must contend with countless alien life forms, monsters, and supernatural horrors from beyond the Rifts.
- Rifts® core titles we would suggest: Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® Game Master Guide, Rifts® Book of Magic, Rifts® Adventure Guide, D-Bees of North America™, Rifts® World Book 11: Coalition War Campaign and Rifts® Sourcebook One. Note: The Rifts® RPG, 1st Edition and Rifts® Ultimate, 2nd Edition are both available.
- 80+ Rifts® supplements, most of them available as PDFs with more coming. Where to start? Wherever sounds fun.
- Rifts® Dimension Books™: Travel to alien worlds and dimensions via the Rifts for off-world adventure and intrigue.
- Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG and sourcebook series (all). Live through the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts. Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG, Creatures of Chaos™, Rise of Magic™, and Chaos Earth® Resurrection™ are all available.
- FREE Sneak Previews for Nightbane® Dark Designs™, Rifts® Secrets of the Atlanteans™, Rifts® CS Heroes of Humanity, and many other previews as well as free and low cost items that we make available. All of it adds to the growing list of Rifts and other Palladium RPG game titles available as PDF books, cards and support. A new title should be added every week or two, so keep watching for them.
- The Rifter® #1-84, ALL issues of The Rifter®. Each issue is a wealth of source material and ideas for 3-6 different Palladium game lines. Most are easily adapted to ANY Palladium game setting. Each issue a gem. 8,500 pages of source material and ideas for heroes, villains, monsters, magic, gear, and adventure.
- Splicers® RPG is like Iron Man meets Game of Thrones with elements of Terminator – except this army of Iron Men are clad in living body armor and wield living, organic weapons and devices. Created in 2004 by writer and game designer Carmen Bellaire, Splicers® was nominated for an Inquest Gamer Magazine Fan Awards Game of the Year, and has since developed a rabid fan base. Science fiction and horror where humans are forced to use genetically engineered, living weapons and organic war machines to battle an insane Artificial Intelligence and her robot legions. Unlike anything you have ever played before!
- Splicers®: I Am Legion™ Adventure Sourcebook: 6 new Great Houses, 4 new Host Armors, 6 new War Mounts, 19 new Bio-Weapons, 15 new killer machines, new Bio-Enhancements, Amalgam creation tables, Legion and a series of adventures that build into a small campaign, and more.
- Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 1st Edition Rules and sourcebooks. A unique world of magic, monsters and heroes. Dozens of nonhuman player characters including Wolfen, Bearmen, Ogres, Orcs and more. 100,000 years of history.
- Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition Rules and many sourcebooks. The expanded world of high fantasy, magic, mystery and heroes of every variety. Includes the Mind Mage and psychic abilities, mages and spells, magic circles and symbols, men-at-arms, scoundrels and a wide range of inhuman player characters including Wolfen, Bearmen, Ogres, Orcs and many more. 100,000 years of history.
- Heroes Unlimited™ RPG first edition rule book and sourcebooks.
- Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Second Edition rule book and sourcebooks. Create any type of superhuman you can desire and bring comic book adventures to life.
- Dead Reign® RPG (Zombie Apocalypse). The dead have risen. It is the battle for survival in the zombie apocalypse, but this setting is much more than your typical zombie game. Play ordinary people or special characters better equipped to survive and hunt zombies. Many unusual types of zombies.
- Dead Reign® Sourcebooks: 6 sourcebooks from Civilization Gone™ to Hell Followed™ (the latter features stats for 23 disasters, masked lunatics, 11 new zombies, 7 apocalyptic character classes, and more) are available.
- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 1st Edition Rules. Supernatural horror in the modern world. Play ordinary people, psychics, paranormal investigators or for something different: Victim Characters!
- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition: The complete, revised core game, 14 character classes and 42 occupations for “ordinary people,” 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, the Lazlo Agency, world setting and rules.
- Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks. An RPG setting we call superhero horror. Dark conspiracy, a secret, demon invasion starting with world leaders and law enforcement, and it is spreading. The player characters are the Nightbane®, reluctant superhumans who must turn into monsters themselves to unleash their powers and battle the evil that is clear only to them. A dark, sinister and challenging world of horror.
- After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Planet of the Apes meets the X-Men! Animal creations, powers and more. Create any type of intelligent mutant animal you can imagine as friend or foe.
- Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG and the Mystic China™ sourcebook. James Bond meets Enter the Dragon. 41 types of martial arts, ninjas, and super-spies with gadgets, gizmos and advanced weapons.
- The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy RPG is a long time, cult favorite with a fatalistic world-view of humans vs aliens with superior technology.
- The Palladium Weapon Series of real world weapons, armor and castles throughout history. Designed for use with ANY game system.
- 200+ Palladium titles in all, plus G.M. kits, paper miniatures and more.
- Heroes Unlimited™ Paper Miniatures – Two sets are now available!
- Palladium Fantasy RPG® Paper Miniatures – Volumes #1-6 are available now. More are coming in the weeks ahead.
- Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Men at Arms – $2.99
- Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Coalition Dead Boys – $2.99
- Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Adventurers – $2.99
- Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Practitioners of Magic (new) – $2.99
- Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Extras (new) – $2.99
- And more to come in the weeks ahead.
Palladium Collectibles, Negatives, Artwork, other Collectibles and Toys are always available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store along with other good things
My eBay store is one of the few places where you can find original artwork by Charles “Chuck” Walton, Kevin Long, and others, as well as one-of-a-kind negatives from classic Rifts® and other Palladium RPG books (they look awesome framed!), rare Palladium collector hardcovers, signed books, other Palladium memorabilia, toys from my personal collection and other collectibles. Check every couple of weeks because we often post new stuff or offer a new sale. There is a sale on negatives starting today, in fact.
Other one-of-a-kind original artwork available by me (Kevin Siembieda), Kevin Long, Charles Walton II (money goes to the artist), other artists, as well as collectible negatives, prints, limited edition hardcovers, proofreader copies, out of print items, Star Wars toys, Marvel toys and many other toys and collectibles from my personal collection. Alex and I will keep adding items as our busy schedules allow, but we have a lot of fun collectibles available now and coming soon. Hundreds of items. Take a look every weekend for new additions.
Available now: One-of-a-kind book negatives. Negatives were very popular items at the Palladium Open House and people went crazy over them at Gen Con – including actor Joe Manganiello who scooped up a pile of TMNT negatives, while Palladium’s own Mark Oberle, Carmen Bellaire, Brandon Aten and a whole lot of Palladium gamers went for negatives from Rifts® New West, Lone Star and Free Quebec. Fun.
Negatives are unique and attractive, one-of-a-kind (on rare occasions two-of-a-kind if a page was replaced or a second edition was made) works of art that resemble woodcut art and are very dynamic conversation pieces. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed. The plastic film negatives were then “ganged” on a massive sheet of Mylar 16 pages per big sheet, and the printing plates were made from the negatives – everything white, printing black.
When our printer, McNaughton and Gunn, went completely digital, they asked if Palladium Books wanted the negs, otherwise they would be destroyed. Regrettably, I let a few dozen be destroyed, but the negatives of many books were sent to Palladium. They have sat in our warehouse for years until I started to offer them for sale. I have also started signing the negatives in silver and each comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. Each negative comes on a white board inside a plastic magazine bag and looks fabulous framed! Fits in an 8×10 inch matt opening in a frame (each neg is roughly 8½ x 11 inches).
http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles
Closing Thoughts
Happy Easter or Passover as the case may be, or just plain ol’ Happy Spring. Whether you celebrate any or not, I hope you enjoy a splendid spring weekend.
Between shipping a zillion books and dragging up a half a zillion large, heavy branches that fell over the winter at Kathy’s house, my right arm and upper back are killing me today. Chiropractic adjustment yesterday evening helped, but being busy non-stop these past few weeks has me suffering from some aches and pains. That’s okay, we are getting a lot done and it is all very exciting. My focus is you and books, but there are also a number of things brewing behind the scenes. I hope at least a couple take place so I can tell you about them in the weeks ahead.
I am not a playmat guy, but our playmats from Red Duke Games’ Christmas Kickstarter came in and wow! They look beautiful. Somehow they have more impact when you are holding the big, colorful playmat in your hands.
I have a lot to do, books to finish, so I am going to keep this Closing Thoughts short. My thanks for your enthusiasm about the hardcovers and new miniatures. Also thank you for your support of our recent sale. Happy spring, stay healthy, and keep those imaginations burning bright.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Friend
© 2021 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc.; Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Garden of the Gods, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, Psychic Scream, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.
This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.
