One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda

It is the New Year and there is a lot to happening at Palladium Books to talk about. Overall we are feeling positive and hopeful. Enjoy the conversation, news, Updates, and Surprise Package fan comments that follow.

So you cannot miss it, let me remind you the Surprise Package offer ENDS next Tuesday, so time is running out. The offer has been extended only to January 12, 2021, and will not be extended further. These are your last 5 days to order one until next Christmas season, so keep ‘em pouring in!

Our apology if we panicked anyone with the ill chosen headline of our Monday reminder, which read: Palladium Books® – Surprise Package Ending – January 5, 2021, which if you only read the email subject or the headline, it sounded like the offer was ending that day, January 5th. Sorry, neither Wayne nor I realized this until after it was sent. If you read the opening paragraph you would know otherwise, but I fear we may have scared some of you, and that was not our intention. See more details about the Surprise Package, ending Tuesday, January 12, below and in the online store.

Still waiting for your order? Give it time

I am delighted to say the overwhelming majority of holiday orders, which were plenty, arrived in good time. However, we know there are a number of you who have been waiting for weeks now. Guess what? You are a different sort of victim of Covid-19. Thanks to the pandemic and record amounts of holiday mail nationwide – people ordering all manner of products online rather than venturing into stores – the United States Postal Service (USPS) continues to be overwhelmed and buried in packages waiting to be shipped. The pandemic has played havoc with the USPS and they have fallen down on the job this holiday season.

I personally inquired about the dozen packages that I know left our warehouse (because I picked, packed, and was often the one handing them off to the USPS individual making the daily pickup) but have not yet arrived at their destination. Worse yet, when you look up the tracking number, the message basically says: “there is no information available for this package.”

This is frustrating as hell for you and for us. When I inquired from USPS about these packages in limbo, I was told by the local Postal Service representative that they remain overwhelmed and are slogging through mountains of packages piled up at their facility, and that many Post Offices across the country are in the same boat. Uh, please note those were NOT the Post Office rep’s exact words, those are my own frustrated words to explain the situation, but that was the gist. In addition, they are dealing with new mail arriving every day, which remains at elevated levels due to Christmas returns and the continuing demands on the mail system due to the pandemic. Moreover, Media Mail is a low priority mail service that is attended to after Priority and First-Class mail. She told me to ask you to be patient, and assured me you will get your packages. She seemed sincere and confident on this matter.

Of course, if you have already been waiting 3-6 weeks, or if this was a Christmas gift, your patience is wearing thin, as is mine. Unfortunately, there is little you or I can do about it. Your package is beyond Palladium’s control and in the hands of an overwhelmed and understaffed federal government agency.

I appreciate your understanding in this matter and I do ask you to please wait and try to be patient. The typical Surprise Package that we know is in USPS limbo contains product in the range of $102 to $116 dollars. Product you SHOULD get once the Post Office digs out from under their overload during the next several weeks.

Please Note: This USPS problem is not limited to Media Mail, though it and other low priority mail are the most heavily impacted. A long-time Palladium customer in the state of New York called us with astonishment to report he received his Priority Mail package that had left the Palladium Warehouse December 2, and arrived last Sunday, January 3, 2021. Sunday! The US Post Office does not usually make deliveries on Sunday. That’s how backed up and desperate some of these regional Post Offices are that they are working and delivering mail on Sundays. That Priority Package should have arrived in 3-5 days, but took FIVE WEEKS! (By the way Thomas, thank you for letting us know about this. It was very helpful.) A national magazine I get wrote in its Editor’s Letter: “… Covid-19 is also causing unfortunate delays in mailings nationwide. We appreciate your patience while some issues might arrive later in your mailbox.” Indeed, I received the previous month’s magazine (which I thought had been lost in the mail) two days after I received the current issue. The mail is just a mess right now, but the USPS is trying to make things right.

I want you to know these examples are the exceptions, not the rule. And who falls victim is a matter of pure misfortune. As those of you who have received them know, there are Media Mail packages that shipped in mid- and late-December that arrived at their destination in 3-10 days, while others that shipped at the same time or earlier remain in limbo. If your order shipped between November 15 and December 24, you may be one of those folks stuck in limbo, while the majority are happy recipients of your orders. Hang tight and give it more time. That’s all I can ask.

WARNING about ALL orders shipped via Media Mail

As explained above, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is overwhelmed and struggling. Media Mail is a low priority service and though usually quite reliable, as you know, it has proven not to be so good during the holiday season and into January.

If you choose to ship via Media Mail you do so at your OWN RISK and may (or may not) have to wait much longer – weeks rather than days – to receive your order via this service. FURTHERMORE: If a Media Mail package is lost or damaged, Palladium Books will NOT replace the contents. Use Media Mail at your own risk and expense now until March 1, 2021.

Palladium Books has NO control over the United States Postal Service. Once that package is placed in their hands, there is little else we can do to get it to you. That said, the vast majority of customers using Media Mail have not had a problem. I would say less than 1% of our customers are seeing a long delay in delivery or their package lost in limbo for weeks. HOWEVER, in some cases, we are definitely seeing long delays and an inability to track Media Mail packages, so use this method of shipping at your own risk. Moreover, we expect this to continue to be the case well into February. I would not recommend using Media Mail until March 1, 2021, unless you don’t mind the risk or having to wait to get your package.

UPS Ground has been astonishingly fast and accurate. In addition, each UPS package is automatically insured for up to $100 if lost or damaged. UPS packages are also easily and accurately tracked, and generally reach their destination in the contiguous United States within 3-5 days. The down side is you pay double or triple what you would expect to pay via Media Mail to guarantee this speed and accuracy of delivery. Currently, UPS or Priority Mail may be your more expensive and better options. Sorry. Now on to something new and more fun.

Happy New Year!

Indeed, I don’t know anyone who is sad to see this past year go into the record books. Of course, that’s the tricky thing about the future, we don’t know what the New Year will hold. We are assuming it will be better for us all than the last, but will it? Let us hope so.

With the slower than anticipated rollout of the vaccine, I am already glad I rescheduled the Palladium Open House for April, 2022. And though they are hopeful, I wonder if there will be a Gen Con 2021. Time will tell.

2020 presented its share of challenges. Here at Palladium we faced a few unexpected and scary moments both personally and professionally, but we survived and we are foolishly optimistic about 2021. Really optimistic.

Now that the holiday sales season is slowing down (btw, THANK YOU for your much welcomed and needed support all year long!), I have had a chance to talk with a number of freelancers, friends and acquaintances. I can tell you that some people are doing just fine financially, while others are hurting and worried. I think the Palladium crew is, overall, doing better than most and I hope you are as well, but no one I have spoken with is doing great. And some have suffered illness and the loss of loved ones. All we can do is hang tough, make what feels like smart moves, and with any luck things will improve for the better in the months ahead.

I can tell you, I am sick and tired of wearing a mask, washing my hands, and wiping down surfaces all the damn time. I am constantly knocking my glasses off or knocking them out of whack with the straps of my masks. I am also sick and tired of social isolation and hunkering down, but we do it. We all stridently follow suggested safety guidelines. It is the smart thing to do. With the vaccine so close, I don’t want any of us taken down by Covid-19 now!

Freelance writer and dear friend Matthew Clements came home for Christmas from California. I had the privilege to hang with him at the Palladium warehouse on two separate occasions. It was nice to see another human being from the outside world, especially someone who is such a good friend. Apparently Matt was quite impressed with our safety precautions because he mentioned it to a mutual friend when he got back to California. I scanned his temperature with a temp gun, required a mask worn by all parties, and asked him to wear clean latex gloves while visiting. We met in the warehouse clad in our masks and gloves when nobody else was around, because I thought the open space of the warehouse was safest, and we observed social distancing even though we were dying to give each other a big hug hello and goodbye.

The Palladium Talent Pool is deep

Matthew Clements is part of the equation in Palladium’s plans to release a plethora of new titles this year (2021). So are Mark Oberle, Steven Dawes, Glen Evans, and a few others. That may include some new Rifts® novels in the future.

Likewise, you’ll be seeing a host of new and old faces on the art front. Fan fave Ramon K. Perez is expected to return to do some art for Palladium as is Mike Majestic and a few others. You can also expect to see Palladium’s usual stable of rockin’ artists, including “Jazzy” John Zeleznik, Charles “Chuck” Walton II, Amy L. Ashbaugh, Mike “Big Daddy” Mumah, Steven Cummings, Nick “the Brick” Bradshaw, Tanya Ramsey, Sires Jan Black, Ben Rodriguez, and others. Yeah, I have been a busy boy behind the scenes.

I wish I could say Carmen Bellaire would be part of our writing crew, but he is unable to participate on that level at this time. However, Carmen is helping out by allowing Palladium Books to release the miniatures he had commissioned the talented Ben Calvert-Lee to create for him. This is the gent who did the sculpt for the new Glitter Boy, so we are beyond excited to be allowed to release them even if it is on a small scale. We’ll also be looking at re-releasing some of the old fan favorites like the old Glitter Boy, CS troops and others.

The New Year is starting strong for Palladium

Sales remain strong. Not just for the Surprise Package offer that ends January 12, but for regular orders of titles across the board. Though everything is selling well, Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy® are what have been super-hot. Followed by Heroes Unlimited and the horror titles (Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural) and the recent spate of novels released. There is a lot of excitement for the upcoming releases in all those areas, so if we can pound out books like we plan, we hope to keep you all happy and see strong sales all year long.

Products Coming Soon in 2021

I will get into more details about tentative product release dates and specific titles in upcoming Weekly Updates. As usual, I have a very ambitious and optimistic release schedule in mind, however, I’m going to try to hold off on announcing releases until books are nearing completion and should not be delayed. Below are my reasonable expectations for the first two quarters of 2021. Others may be added.

• Property of the Coalition States Mug is back – available now!
• NEW! Gamer Mug – available now and looks cool. It is sitting on my desk right now as I write this.
• Rifts® CS Manhunters – January or February release. I have been burning with ideas and writing about it all day long.
• BTS Creature Feature – February, you’ll enjoy it.
• Rifts® Miniatures – 2-4 new figures – February.
• Rifts® Titan Robotics – March or April.
• Rifts® Miniatures – 2-4 new figures – March or April.
• Rifts® Antarctica – May – got art being done for it now.
• Rifts® Bestiary Volume Two – Summer.
• Palladium Fantasy: Land of the Damned 3: The Bleakness – Summer.

Note: Just because a book is not listed does not mean it is off the schedule, it means I’m trying not to over-promise. We want to release a whole bunch of other titles you have been wanting for the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Chaos Earth®, BTS and others. Plus there will be new stuff coming to DriveThruRPG. In fact, new items are already arriving! Take a look at the cool, new, Gamer Mug and the return of the Property of the Coalition States Mug, back due to popular demand. And I do mean demand. Both hold 16 ounces and are suitable for hot or cold beverages. Sounds like time to unleash your inner nerd and get one of these or one of the other 4 mugs. See details below and in the online store.

5 days left to order yourself a Surprise Package

The extended Christmas Surprise Package offer comes to an end next Tuesday, January 12, so time is running out fast. If you want to get one, do it soon, because it will not be extended further. Remember, a Surprise Package makes a nice treat for yourself, a way to try a new setting, replace old, worn out books, or fill holes in your collection, and makes a nice gift for upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and any gift-giving occasion. See more details below and in the online store.

What is a Christmas Surprise Package? Ends Tuesday – January 12, 2021

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 has been 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 Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, 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! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! 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, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium’s 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. 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 – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium’s website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion.

This offer ENDS Tuesday, January 12, 2021

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.

Nearly sold out – Land of the Damned^™ 3: The Bleakness^™ Raw Preview

Fair warning, as I write this there are only 13 copies of LotD 3: The Bleakness Raw Preview available in stock. I recommend ordering yours sooner than later if you know you want one before they are all gone. The final, mass market LotD 3: The Bleakness is expected to see release sometime this summer.

Rifts^® Lazlo Raw Preview is super-hot!

The Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview sold half of its 350 collector copies in just the first five or six weeks of its release, making it the fastest selling Raw Preview ever. There remain 100+ copies available even with those set aside for the categories of Rifts® Bestiary, Volume 2 Megaverse Insiders guaranteed to receive one with their Bestiary Vol 2, so no need to panic. Still, if you know you want one, I would not wait two or three months to order it.

2021 Palladium Open House has been rescheduled for April 2022

As announced a few weeks ago, the 2021 Palladium Open House has been rescheduled for April 2022 – details to follow in the months ahead. It was the only way to insure everyone who attends will be safe. This delay is another reason to be angry about the stinking pandemic, but why waste the energy? Be happy that the POH will be next year when, hopefully, we’ll all have been vaccinated and the bug is a fading memory.

Besides, not only will we try to make the 2022 Open House even bigger and more fun, but we are looking into the possibility of hosting a small, online game event in April 2021. Again, we will keep you posted.

If you cannot reschedule to attend the 2022 Palladium Open House Palladium Books can give you store credit or send you a check for a full refund. Just let us know via the Help Desk or call the Palladium office at 734-721-2903. Thanks.

More details and updates to follow. Right now we are focused on releasing products.

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.

UPDATE: Rifts^® CS Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Some books come easy. Some books don’t. The writing of Rifts CS Manhunters came to me in furious fits of writing followed by long dry spells or writing that I found unsatisfactory and required rewrites. Then came Surprise Package season which demands a lot of my time and attention, as did other personal and business matters, and plotting and setting up work for upcoming books. All in the distracting cascade of the pandemic and political unrest. But every dark cloud has a silver lining. In this case, not being able to do much writing over the past few months has allowed ideas for CS Manhunters, Rifts® Antarctica and Rifts® Bestiary 2 to percolate and develop in my head. As the demands of the Surprise Packages and holidays subside, I am hungry and ready to write and finish these books. Lots of other books too.

Rifts® CS Manhunters™ is packed with intrigue, multiple applications of the Manhunter characters, and ideas. There are something like 50 new psionic abilities, secrets and insight about the Coalition States, its army and Psi-Battalion, the Prophecy of the Seven Dangers, Dog Boys, Killhounds, and lots of other fun ideas that should give both players and Game Masters plenty to work with. All of it building toward something epic.

Who watches the watchmen? CS Manhunters. A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion 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. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, Dog Boys, and CS soldiers follow orders without question and kill without hesitation. Expert hunters of men and cold-blooded killing machines who use psionic abilities as part of their arsenal.

• New Coalition Psychic O.C.C.s.
• 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 on the Coalition’s infamous Psi-Battalion.
• The impact of the demon plagues from the Minion War.
• Non-Player Characters, 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^™

I am as excited for this sourcebook and high-tech toy box as you are, and it will be coming this spring. There are many new types of sleek Titan Robotics power armors, giant robots, vehicles, weapons, and gear. But as fun as these tech toys are, Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is much more. Revealing the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and his 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.

We are also giving the book a new cover. More on it in a few weeks. Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is probably a 160 page World Book, but may expand to 192 pages.

• 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.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Mike Majestic.
• 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).

AND MORE – Fantasy, Beyond the Supernatural^™, Rifts^® and others

For the time being, this and other Weekly Updates will focus on the titles that we are working hard to get into your hands now through spring time. I am trying to curb my enthusiasm and not over-promise, like I usually do. I am hopeful to surprise and please you with much more. Including titles like The Disavowed™, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Land of the Damned™ 3, Rifts® Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, more Fantasy sourcebooks and other titles.

For example, I currently have two artists working on Rifts® Antarctica, so when I get to the editing and additions I can hit the ground running. I am doing the same thing with several other titles, but I do not want to disclose which ones because I don’t want to get your hopes up.

Coming to DriveThruRPG.com soon – Garden of the Gods

We are still swamped, but anticipate another Rifts® novel, Duty’s Edge to be made available on DriveThruRPG by the end of January and Garden of the Gods for Palladium Fantasy RPG® in February.

In the meanwhile, please enjoy recent releases such as the two 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 – We are feeling hopeful

Please try to stay positive. Do not let the political upheaval and civil unrest throw you. Be concerned but stay calm and cool headed.

I wrote in my first Murmur from the Megaverse® of the New Year that I am full of optimism and high hope for the new year. Maybe it is my imagination, but I feel a bubbling vitality and excitement in the air.

Oh, there is still plenty of frustration and weariness regarding the pandemic and our inability to enjoy direct social interaction, but I am also feeling a lot of hope. I’m feeling that hope from freelance writers and artists as well as from fans and friends. Hope about overcoming the coronavirus. Hope about our economy and the world at large. And hope about new Palladium game releases.

Maybe I am feeling this way because so many of you remain staunch supporters of Palladium Books while many others have rediscovered Palladium RPGs over the last year. Or maybe I am feeling positive because a whole new generation of gamers are discovering the Palladium Megaverse® for the first time! And they are loving it. So please, continue to talk up Palladium’s games and spread the word.

On the other hand, maybe it is just me? My imagination and hope fueled by the encouraging words and excitement that a multitude of you have sent and shared with us over these many past months. There is also an infectious excitement about recent and upcoming releases. You should be excited, because we are working on really fun and exciting new games and sourcebooks as well as some fun secondary products like miniatures and mugs.

Whatever the reason, I am feeling hopeful, motivated, and ready to write. My goal is to fuel your imaginations with one new, fun release after another this year. Some of them originally scheduled for 2020. Some long awaited, and a few might surprise you, but they will all thrill and enthrall you. At least that’s the plan. And it is not just me. I have a bunch of hungry artists and writers anxious to contribute, so with any luck, we will be able to keep your hearts pounding and imaginations burning with a host of new titles that will enchant and inspire you.

Here is wishing us all a better New Year than the last one. Hang tough. You are braver and stronger than you may think. Keep those beautiful and vibrant imaginations burning and enjoy the creativity and fun that RPGs and other games have to offer. In the meanwhile, Palladium will do everything it can to keep your minds busy with horizons for adventure across the Megaverse!

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Friend

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where the customer can offer comments and suggestions with his or her Surprise Package order. Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling 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 days. Please help use our games to find escape from the pandemic and to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each.

T.S. in Anderson, Indiana, writes (in part): I am a veteran introduced to Rifts® at our local game store and so far people are having a blast because it is so different than the usual RPG that they are used to right now. It has been a blast! Have a happy New Year.

[Keep having a blast, T.S., and Happy New Year. – KS]

D.Y. in Lake Stevens, Washington, writes: Rifts® and Palladium game player of nearly 20 years. My library is large and extensive. Haven’t purchased a Grab Bag in a couple of years, but it’s time to pick up some missing pieces and newer books again. This sale is such a treat and I have been pleased with what I have received every time.

[Glad to have you back D.Y., you will enjoy your Surprise Package. – KS]

D.M. in Fort Morgan, Colorado, writes (in part): This is my 5th Surprise Package of the season. You guys have been incredible to me and my gaming group this year. Thank you so much … we started playing TMNT as a goof and it really took off with my group more than any other game we have tried.

[I am not surprised, D.M., Palladium’s TMNT RPG was epic, awesome, and total fun whether played straight or silly. To those of you reading this, please note that Palladium has not had the TMNT license for nearly 2 decades, but the After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks enable you to create all those exact same mutant animal characters. Used copies of the TMNT RPG are available on Ebay and worth the purchase. Game on! – KS]

F.M. in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, writes (in part): Favorite game: Palladium Fantasy RPG®. This [Surprise Package] is for my father. The man who got me into role-playing games almost 20 years ago. He has been the best Game Master I have ever had … and I’d love to have something special for the guy who has brought me and friends into this wonderful pastime that I will share with my kids, when the time comes!

[Nice, F.M. I tried to make your Dad’s Surprise Package super-special, so I hope he dug it. I love to hear stories like this. Please stay safe and keep all of those imaginations burning bright for generations to come. I am truly humbled and honored. – KS]

J.O. in Milan, Illinois, writes: Favorites? All of them. Thank you for all the years of gaming. My daughter and her friends have started to play. I am enjoying spending an extra 6-8 hours [a week] gaming with her.

[My pleasure, J.O. It warms my heart to see all these new generations of gamers discovering our games. And so many girls/women, too. Awesome, because role-playing is fun regardless of gender or age. Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on! – KS]

D.T. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, writes (in part): Third time’s the charm! My crew sends a big hello back to you and your crew, although [my players] are not to happy with all the new resource material I now have to draw upon. <chuckle> … Anyway, all of our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your crew from all of us here. I’m still looking forward to the Palladium Open House in 2022 … Life is fleeting, so stay positive, stay healthy, and of course, “Game on!”

[Warm regards and prayers are always appreciated, D.T. Right back at you and your crew. Glad you can make it to the Palladium Open House rescheduled for 2022. It should be a blast. You guys all stay positive and healthy too. – KS]

M.M.P. in Virginia Beach, Virginia, writes: I love this deal. I have been filling in many holes in my collection. You guys are great for doing this.

[I don’t know about “great,” M.M.P., but I am delighted you enjoy the Surprise Package so much. Game on! – KS]

P.W. in Kirkland, Washington, writes (in part): It has been a few years but I’m back setting up a game or two with a friend from high school … Robotech® was my very first RPG and I’ve enjoyed the Palladium Megaverse ever since.

[It is good to have you back, P.W. Enjoy those games and keep exploring new Palladium RPG worlds/settings. – KS]

J.K. in Aurora, Colorado, writes: I have enjoyed your games since I was 8 (39 now!). My Palladium Books collection is extensive. It has been a few years since I ordered the X-Mas Grab Bag, so this year I am gonna splurge on 2! Keep up the good work y’all.

[I’m glad you could splurge on two this year, J.K. I hope you enjoyed the goodies I selected for you. May the New Year be good to you. – KS]

C.O. in Billings, Montana, writes: Played and G.M.ed Rifts® and Robotech®. Looking into Palladium Fantasy® and Beyond the Supernatural™. Really looking forward to the new books in the pipeline. Thanks so much for the words of encouragement over this crazy year. I hope you and your staff stay well and keep strong.

[First, C.O., I think you will enjoy both Palladium Fantasy® and Beyond the Supernatural™. Second, I’m looking forward to releasing the very cool books we have in the pipeline as well. Third, hey, we are in this together. I’m just glad my words of encouragement have seemed to help so many in the Palladium family. I am humbled. Lastly, we are doing our best to stay well and we are feeling strong as we enter into the New Year. You do the same. – KS]

V.D. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, writes: I have played them all. Been running Rifts® since it came out. I love the setting, but I have been running Savage Rifts® for my daughter and it is also a blast. I bought her the card decks and she loved them. Thank you for the wonderful worlds you have created. Playing your games has helped me through hard times and now I get to share my love of Rifts® with my daughter. Thank you and game on.

[Ditto, V.D., you game on as well. Yeah, those two Rifts® Poker Decks are pretty sweet, glad she liked them. Thanks for hanging with Palladium for so many years. We appreciate your support. Have fun. – KS]

J.W. in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy RPG® … I very much look forward to reading your latest books, and need a temporary escape from this year, 2020, that your products can offer. Your latest Rifts® books are just what the doctor ordered. Here’s hoping that 2021 will be a better year for all of us …

[Amen to that, J.W. Here’s to a healthier, happier, safer 2021 for us all. Happy New Year! – KS]

S.K. in Albuquerque, New Mexico, writes: Rifts® is by far, my favorite, [but also] Robotech®, After the Bomb® and TMNT®. I have been an avid Palladium fan since the late 1980s and still remember waiting for Rifts® to come out so I could buy it at Wargames West. This is an awesome thing you are doing with this Christmas Surprise Package.

[I am glad you think so, S.K., and glad you can enjoy it. Wargames West, that’s a blast from the past. Game on S.K. and thanks for the decades of support. – KS]

J.G. in Olathe, Kansas, writes (in part): TMNT® as it was my first RPG so I have a special place in my heart for it and always will. My first character? A mutated turkey who was loaded up with firearms! Curious about Systems Failure and RECON® … I have never been disappointed in a Grab Bag, and after paying more bills (yay), I’m spreading a bit of the stimulus money your way to help with your bills!

[Thank you, J.G., for your sincere support and for making me chuckle. You know you can use the After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks to continue to make fun, whacked out mutant animals. Keep that imagination burning. I think you will enjoy your Surprise Package. Ho, ho, ho. – KS]

J.K. in Collinsville, Illinois, writes: I have loved the Megaverse® that you have created for over 30 years after discovering Rifts® in my local comic shop. I have always anticipated each new book in all of your game lines because not only are they fun to play, they are so well written that I just read them for fun. I just wish you had the Clone spell so we could get books faster. Thank you and to the many more years of fun to come.

[Thank you J.K. Hah, I wish we had that Clone spell too! I will be working my tail off to get you all a lot of new books in 2021. – KS]

J.M. in Glenns Ferry, Idaho, writes (in part): Favorites: Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited and Rifts®. I want to thank all the Palladium staff, past and present, for all you do and shining a light in a sometimes dark and troubled world … [After going through a rough stretch] I decided I needed to read to get my mind on something else … A few months earlier I had bought a used copy of The Rifter® #9½ … My family was shocked when they heard laughter coming from my room. I continued to read the entire issue and when I was done, I felt great … So again, thank you Palladium Books and especially you Kevin for creating so many great worlds I can retreat to when times are tough.

[Wow, J.M., thank you for sharing your story with me. Glad The Rifter® 9½ was able to help at a critical moment. Awesome. We cannot promise such wonderful results, but role-playing games bring laughter and fun and imagining characters and adventures that make us smile and laugh, and spawn adventures that can provide momentary escape from our daily troubles or concerns. Ultimately, laughter and friendship are a great cure for many of the things that may plague our minds. And The Rifter® 9½ is hilarious. So says Percy Ferkelberger! Stay well and game on! – KS]

M.E. in Silverton, Oregon, writes (in part): I own almost all the role-playing books you have released … I love your work, but it drives me nuts waiting so long for [certain] products to be released, especially after you tease it for [in some cases] years. Thank you for staying safe. We need your good work and I am sorry for your recent loss.

[Thank you M.E., her birthday would have been January 5, so the loss still hurts. It may not seem like it, but it drives me crazy having to wait so long for certain product too. There are a lot of reasons for delays and rescheduling. Last year due to the coronavirus, being shorthanded, and unexpected personal health issues. Other times it is a matter of a troubled manuscript, other demanding matters, or creativity. Unfortunately, creativity cannot be turned on like a light switch. Some books just take longer than anticipated and screw up the entire schedule. We have high hopes of making you and a lot of people – ourselves included – very happy this year. – KS]

T.A. in Seattle, Washington, writes: Favorites: Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited™. Love the imagination and creativity that comes with the Surprise Package. I have ordered in the past and am always happy with the surprise you send. Thanks.

[Our pleasure, T.A., I hope you enjoyed this one as much as years past. – KS]

© 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.

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda

This season of Christmas Surprise Packages has been fantastic. Fantastic in the number that we shipped, but more importantly, in the joy they bring to so many. I know that last part from the many comments we have received. As a result, the Surprise Packages felt more important and necessary this year than ever. I am glad they have brought a little fun and escape during this uncertain time and isolation. The benefit of the Surprise Packages goes both ways. I found joy and peace in taking extra care to select items that would be fun and special for each recipient.

The Surprise Package offer is NOT over yet, but time is running out. The offer has been extended to January 12, 2021, and will not be extended further. These are your last 13 days to order one until next Christmas season, so keep ‘em pouring in!

I am glad to say, we have gotten few inquiries regarding Surprise Packages that shipped but have not yet arrived. Of the half dozen MIA packages, a couple from November, the rest from mid-December, all of left the Palladium warehouse shortly after they were ordered and ALL shipped via Media Mail. While normally you would have gotten them by now, 2020 has been anything but normal. Give it another couple of weeks as the US Postal Service digs through its backlog to get caught up and shipped out. With any luck you will receive your Surprise Package by mid-January. If not, please let us know and we can request a search by the USPS.

Given how many Surprise Packages and orders we shipped out and the record number of packages that shipped via ALL delivery services, I am delighted so few have been reported Missing In Action. I heard that online holiday sales increased by 49% from last year. That is a phenomenal amount of additional packages numbering into the billions flooding the shipping services this year. Hopefully, if your package is out there someplace, it arrives in the next few weeks. As usual, we were blown away by the accuracy and quickness of delivery by UPS and Priority Mail.

Order your Surprise Package Soon! While there are 13 days left for you to place Surprise Package orders – and we welcome your orders – those placed today and this weekend will not ship until Monday. We will be finishing year end inventory tonight and Thursday, before we can ship new orders after the first of the year. We will, however, be here over the weekend pulling and packing those orders so they can ship on Monday, so order away.

Like the Weekly Update for Christmas, I am keeping this Update short and focused on the essentials. Including another fun batch of Surprise Package comments from fans just like you, below. See my Closing Thoughts for a few last words of 2020.

Surprise Package Comments from fans just like you

M.R. in Forth Worth, Texas, writes: Favorites: Dead Reign®, Rifts®, Rifts® Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®. Thanks so much for being yourselves, guys. We love ya!

[Aww shucks, M.R., thanks. I don’t think we know any way other than to be ourselves. It just feels right. I mean, we’re just gaming, comic book, movie, fantasy, science fiction geeks like most of you. Besides, Popeye was one of my cartoon heroes. You know, “I yam what I yam, and that’s all that I yam.” Chuckle. – KS]

T.L. in Newville, Pennsylvania, writes: Thanks for the extension of this deal. I’m getting this for my 42nd birthday. I love the autographs!

[You are very welcome, T.L., the Surprise Package is ideal for any gift-giving occasion, not just Christmas. Enjoy and Happy Birthday! – KS]

C.D. in Barnard, South Dakota, writes: Favorites: Rifts®, love the spectrum in tech on Earth to the super advanced society and the mix of magic all bleeding together and allowing Techno-Wizardry. It’s great.

Working on my collection. Love the Surprise Bags. I have been able to help my brother build up his collection by passing on duplicate books. My gaming group has been fortunate enough that as we all get more books we pass them down. Been gaming at least 6 years with them and we mostly bounce from Palladium Fantasy® to Rifts®.

[Thanks for the positive feedback, C.D. It sounds like you have a good gaming group going on there. Keep those imaginations burning bright. – KS]

W.T. in Alexandria, Virginia, writes: I am back for truly the best gift I get myself every year. You always pick the best items and it is always a nice surprise. I hope you, your family, and the Palladium family stay healthy and happy this Holiday season. I love the world of Rifts® you have created. It is an amazing world to get lost in. Thanks for sharing it. Take care.

[Thank you, W.T. for the high praise. Your reaction to the Surprise Package is exactly why we do them every year, and why I take the time to personally try to select what I think each purchaser will enjoy. Fantastic! I hope this year’s Surprise Package does its job again. You also stay safe and healthy. Keep on Rifting and Happy New Year! – KS]

J.A. in Kent, Washington, writes: The Palladium Christmas Surprise Package remains my #1 Christmas Tradition. However, that means I own basically any book not listed. However, I still love any of the miscellaneous merchandise, the mugs, T-shirts, pens, mouse pads, etc. Slap Rifts®, Coalition, or Nightbane® on it and I’m happy.

[Hey J.A., I like that tradition. Lol. Thank you for writing this great ad for the Surprise Package for me. Seriously, thanks for your support and kind words. I think you will enjoy your Surprise Package. – KS]

J.F. in Mineral City, Ohio, writes (in part): Been a big fan of Rifts® for a very long time. It was my first RPG and I still play it 13 years later. Just started taking steps to becoming a Game Master … thank you for the many great memories I have made with friends and family because of this game.

[Thank you for the kind words, J.F. I hope our games continue to bring you and yours many more adventures and fond memories for years to come. Game on and Happy New Year. – KS]

S.S. in Troutdale, Oregon, writes: I have enjoyed your games for many years. I still have my third printing Rifts® core book I took with me in the Army. Thanks for such memories.

[Thank you for your service, S.S. Wow, third printing of Rifts®, cool. I am delighted our work is part of your fun memories gaming. May there be many more to come. – KS]

L.B. in Winchester, Ohio, writes (in part): Last year I ordered this and was very pleased with what I got… whatever I get I’m sure it will be loads of fun just like what I received last year.

[I tried to out-do last year, but please don’t expect this every year. I’m glad you are enjoying Dead Reign® so much. I think you will love Nightbane® as well. Both are fun avenues for heroics in dark settings. – KS]

B.B. in Victorville, California, writes (in part): Happy holidays to all the guys and gals at Palladium! Favorites: Rifts®, Rifts® and more Rifts®! And a Les Paul guitar. Best wishes and good health …

[Thank you B.B. for your funny and spirited Surprise Package order. It made me chuckle a few times. Happy holidays and let us hope for a much better, rockin’ New Year! – KS]

L.V.D. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, writes: Favorites: Rifts®. Dead Reign® – I haven’t run a pure campaign with it yet, but loved the content. Pulled it into our Rifts® campaign for a Halloween special and everyone liked it so much I turned it into a full arc for the group. Thank you for including the core book in last year’s Surprise Package! Hope everyone is staying as safe and healthy as possible. Happy holidays.

[You are welcome L.V.D., sounds like fun. We are staying safe and enjoying the holidays as best we can, same to you. Game on! – KS]

E.C. in Wausau, Wisconsin, writes: Thank you, Kevin, for rescheduling the Open House. I am likely to attend the event now, in 2022. I look forward to the upcoming Creature Feature and still hope for Mechanoid Space and The Rifter coming back some day, maybe as an annual, would be nice. Happy holidays and a happy New Year.

[Thank you, E.C. for your words and suggestion. I hope you are able to make it to the 2022 Open House. I also appreciate and like your idea of doing The Rifter® as a once a year annual publication. Food for thought. As for Mechanoid Space, it is never forgotten. Game on into the New Year. – KS]

F.U. in Spitzentraenkbogen, Bavaria, writes: Favorites: Palladium Fantasy RPG® and Rifts®. Thank you for doing this again! It’s not a proper Christmas without a Christmas Surprise Package! Keep up the great work. You are the best gaming company in the world, and Kevin, you are my favourite game designer. The last man standing.

[Thank you, F.U. for the high praise. Wow. All I can say is we always try to push the envelope and give every game product our all. We put our hearts and souls into our work and I think it shows. I don’t know about being the last man standing, but we are one of the few remaining companies that started in the 1980s, and one of two that is still owned and run by the guy who started it, which is saying something. We have a lot of great material planned for the next several years. Game on! – KS]

E.A. in Spanaway, Washington, writes (in part): Thank you EVERYONE there for keeping the games flowing! The Holiday Grab Bag has been a tradition for my gaming group for over a decade. Santa Kevin, you have always sent tremendous items to us. Most years I will order 4 …

[That’s because you are crazy, E.A. lol. Thanks for your support and kind words. You and your gaming group stay safe and healthy. – KS]

Only 13 days left – Christmas Surprise Package offer EXTENDED thru January 12, 2021

Nab a Surprise Package for yourself or as a gift for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any gift-giving occasion; or to replace battered old books, or to try new world settings. But do it soon as time is running out. The Surprise Package offer ends January 12, 2021, and will not be extended further. Enjoy.

The extension of the Surprise Packages into the New Year has become something of a welcomed tradition we are happy to provide. We do this for those of you who have been so busy spending your time and money on your family and friends, that you have not had the time or funds to treat yourself to a well-deserved Christmas Surprise Package.

We also extend it for those of you who cannot get enough of Palladium’s games and want to start the New Year off with a setting or source material to launch a new campaign. And for those of you who can use a Surprise Package as the perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion coming up in January or February. (Valentine’s Day?)

And we extend the Surprise Packages for you Johnny Come-Latelies who were meaning to get one, but how time flies during the holidays even during a pandemic. Speaking of which, after this crazy year, we thought extending the holiday joy of gaming into the New Year was more essential than ever. So please, enjoy the extended Surprise Package sale.

What is a Christmas Surprise Package? Extended to January 12, 2021

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 has been 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 Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, 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! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! 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, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium’s 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. 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 – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium’s website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion.

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

Rifts^® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now and is our fastest selling Raw Preview Edition ever

The Lazlo Raw Preview (and Hammer of the Forge Novel) continues to blow out the door faster than we expected. Awesome. If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends are found Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning, shipping now.

• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two – now shipping!

The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. The first is the wicked Royal Kreeghor, Geryon, commander of the Shadowstar, a dreadnaught rumored to carry a star-slaying weapon capable of snuffing out entire solar systems.

Then Caleb must once again face the mad Elf, Elias Harkonnen. A soulless psychopath who quit the Invincible Guardsmen because they did not offer him enough opportunities to kill people. A mad dog who relishes the thought of adding a Cosmo-Knight to his list of illustrious victims.

As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight.

• The Reckoning is the second of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. Available as a PDF on DriveThru and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com.
• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 304 pages – $14.99 – Cat. No. 307 – now shipping!
• Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two

We hope you enjoyed that DriveThru sale and the Bundle of Holding Savage Rifts® and Savage Worlds® offerings, both of which ended earlier this week. Ah, but there are still 300+ Palladium titles, including all issues of The Rifter® and first edition rules whenever you might want them.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two: The Reckoning is now available as a PDF novel. It completes the original story of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan with dramatic and fun flair as it reveals his continuing adventures. Adventures and challenges that carry our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight. Now available as a PDF on DriveThru. Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is available as a PDF novel on DriveThruRPG and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com. See the full description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent 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; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

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 New Year!

I have never seen so many people excited about one year ending and a new year beginning as this one. Let us hope it is a better year for us all. Please try to relax this weekend and celebrate in a safe way. The pandemic roller coaster ride is not done with us yet. Be optimistic and hopeful (we are at Palladium), but continue to wear masks, observe social distancing, and please stay safe.

Thank you for your support and kind words always, but especially this past year. We could not have weathered this storm and survived without you. We appreciate all of you as much as you appreciate us. We are in this together as one, big, international gaming family. I don’t know about you, but it has been comforting to us to know that family is there for us and each other. Seeing the camaraderie and excitement over games and support of fellow gamers has been heartwarming. Your kindness and efforts have kept me and all of us at Palladium Books strong and hopeful.

I look forward to working my tail off in the New Year to get you the many books you are waiting for, starting with Rifts® CS Manhunters and BTS Creature Feature, followed by Rifts® Titan Robotics, Rifts® Bestiary Volume Two, Rifts® Antarctica, Land of the Damned™ 3 and a whole lot more to follow. I think I am more excited about new releases than you are. We have a new coffee mug and the return of the Property of the Coalition coffee mug coming next month, and we hope to offer a selection of new (and old) Rifts® miniatures. We are also talking about trying to do some sort of special online event the weekend in April when the 2021 Palladium Open House was supposed to take place, before being rescheduled to 2022. So keep your eyes peeled, fun stuff is coming.

Again, thank you. Stay frosty and hopeful. Enjoy all those books you have been ordering, keep spinning new adventures, and game on. Ho, ho … oh wait. It’s almost the New Year. In that case, Happy New Year! May it bring an end to Covid-19 and be a much happier and prosperous year for everyone. Meanwhile, we are here and will continue to provide fuel for your imagination and fodder for your adventures.

– Kevin Siembieda, Writer, Game Designer, Friend

Copyright 2020 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.

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

A holiday message from Kevin Siembieda and Friends

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, followed by Christmas Day and Kwanzaa (and Boxing Day for our friends in Canada). As a result, we are sending out this Weekly Update filled with love and warm holiday wishes to you a day earlier than usual.

I see Christmas as a time of kindness and appreciation regardless of faith. I like that and I have embraced this sentiment for decades now. Hence our Christmas Surprise Package offer and the time we take to try to make each and every one of them special just for you. This is the case whether that Surprise Package is a gift for Christmas or comes after we extend the offer into the first 12 days of the New Year. It is our way of showing you our appreciation and saying thank you. After all, we could not do any of this without you, and you are truly our extended family and important to us.

So the main news this week:

1. Sale extended – the Palladium Surprise Package offer is extended thru January 12, 2021. Explore new worlds of adventure. See details below.

2. Sale on DriveThruRPG for many PDF Palladium titles (Fantasy, Heroes Unlimited, After the Bomb, etc.) – ends after midnight, December 29, 2020. PDFs, nice to have as a portable reference. See details below.

3. Sale Ending – 6 days left to get iconic Palladium Books artwork on 24 x 14 neoprene playmats from the Red Duke Games Kickstarter. They are beautiful. See details below.

4. Sale Ending – 5 days remaining to get your Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding. Something different. See details below.

5. It is Christmas Weekend – try to enjoy it! Focus on the people you care about and the things that bring you joy. Please take the time to do that for yourselves and your loved ones. Merry Christmas.

To help put you into the holiday spirit, below are a selection of some of the longer and more personal comments we have gotten with the Surprise Packages. They come from gamers and Palladium fans just like you. We appreciate every word, and we wish them and you our best this holiday season and all through the New Year. I hope you enjoy reading them. We see them as another little gift to lift our spirits. A few product descriptions and updates about sales ending follow them.

With love and appreciation – Kevin Siembieda & the Crew

Surprise Package Comments from fans just like you

O.B. in Adelaide, Southern Australia, writes (in part): I am ordering this Grab Bag for my dad who introduced me to Rifts® and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® RPG when I was only ten years old … Thank you so much for inspiring an extra generation’s worth of imagination!

[How cool is that? I am humbled and delighted, O.B. I hope Dad enjoys the Surprise Package I put together. Btw, I thought that was a very sweet gesture and I know he will love it. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may the New Year be filled with good health, laughter, and good times at the gaming table. Oh, and do not stop with two generations of Palladium games! Here’s to future generations. Have fun. Ho, ho, ho. – KS]

K.T. in Liberty Lake, Washington, writes (in part): I have been playing Rifts® set in the US/Mexico region for the last year and Indians and vampires are no joke!

I was introduced to Rifts® last Christmas when my friend got a Surprise Package for me and I have fallen in love with the game. It has quickly become my favorite table top to play. In the last year I have gotten to know some really great people and I want to introduce this game to them. I’m looking to get a beginner’s starter package for Rifts®.

[First, thank you for making me laugh out loud. You are correct, Native American characters and vampires are no joke. They are tough hombres. My player group learned how dangerous and cunning Palladium vampires are in my early years of gaming with me. Glad you are enjoying that part of Rifts Earth. It is one of my personal favorites. Second, meeting great fellow gamers is all part of the magic of role-playing. And lastly, I hope you and your crew enjoyed the material in the Surprise Package. I thought the Traveling Shows, various tables, and info in the Rifts® Adventure Guide and the material in the Rifts® Primer and Adventures would provide plenty of ideas. Keep exploring the endless possibilities and have fun. – KS]

T.A. in Nebraska, writes: Thanks for coming out with this Surprise Package and thank you for creating Rifts®. I started playing with my childhood best friend in his basement during highschool. Years later I found myself depressed due to this pandemic. When my childhood friend reached out to play another game of Rifts® over Zoom, I never knew it would end up helping me through the pandemic so much. I look forward to playing the game this week, and I can say this game has saved me during this time. Thank you so much Kevin and everyone else who makes this world possible.

[Ironically, you and gamers like you, T.A., have helped save me and Palladium during hard times as well, in more ways than one. So I would say we are even on that front. I am sincerely glad that playing Rifts® has helped you and a lot of people through hard times in their lives, the pandemic just being one recent example. I never imagined when I started to create RPGs that they would have such a profound and positive effect on people. Just one more reason I am one of the luckiest guys in the whole world, and why I love my job and the people who play our games. Stay positive, T.A., keep that beautiful friendship and your sparkling imagination burning bright. We will get through this together. Hope is on the horizon. Merry Christmas and may the New Year be one of good health and returning normalcy for us all. – KS]

C.T. in Carlisle, PA, writes (in part): Just a quick note to say thank you again for having the Christmas sale! It is really something I look forward to. This year has been particularly rough … so I really appreciate you all for being there for us … The books … I love the writing and the artwork in them all.

[Happy to please, C.T. Merry Christmas and let us hope 2021 is better for us all. – KS]

R.S. in Moody, Alabama, writes (in part): Favorites Heroes Unlimited™, Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy® and Nightbane® … I’m so glad y’all are still kicking butt after all these years. A friend got me into Palladium’s games back when I was in college … Your games always inspire me to dream big … I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

[Game on and keep dreaming big, R.S. Thank you for your warm wishes. We expect to enjoy a nice, quiet, Christmas. Oh, and we plan to continue to kick butt into the New Year and beyond. You do the same, R.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. – KS]

T.F. in Ocala, Florida, writes: I have a wide set of favorite games. I love Chaos Earth® for the despair and uncertainty. I love Rifts® for the rise of heroism. I love Nightbane® for the dark resistance, and finally Robotech®, the giant mecha and the small book designs were a really great idea. I am a person who believes you cannot have enough books. I love this [game] system for the flexibility it gives us – just could use a little more flexibility in multi-classing. I am setting up a Christmas game to run with my family on Christmas day. For two of the children it will be their first game.

I will devour a book for all of its nuggets of info and suggestions. I am finally starting to get into the inspiration of telling my own story and not being bound to the rules of the books. These books provide hours of inspiration and planning for me.

[Thanks, T.F. It sounds like fun and games for Christmas. Awesome. I love books too, and I’m glad ours provide the inspiration to fuel your imagination. Don’t over-think your own stories. Trust your instincts and have fun running. I’m sure it will go well. Merry Christmas. – KS]

R.K. in Virginia Beach, Virginia, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®. I tried all the others in the past but Rifts® is the only world that keeps pulling me back in. I don’t get to pull out the books as often as I’d like these days, but when I do, it is always Rifts®. This year has seen a bit of an up-tick, though, as friends are looking for more small group gatherings.

[I’m glad that Rifts® stimulates your creativity over and over again, R.K. With any luck you will be able to continue to game more into the New Year. Keep traversing the Rifts for adventure and fun. – KS]

S.A. in Lombard, Illinois, writes (in part): … I am starting to rebuild my library and this [Surprise Package] will be a great start. Thank you for all the hard work that all of you do in bringing these worlds to life!

[You are very welcome, S.A. We all love to push the envelope and make our game worlds fun and exciting. Good luck rebuilding your Rifts® library. There is still time to order another Surprise Package before the offer ends in January. Game on! – KS]

B.S. in Massillon, Ohio, writes: My uncle introduced me to Rifts® when I was 11. Sixteen years later, we still play and have a great time! Now I have kids of my own and I’m excited for the day I can introduce them to this awesome game. I’ve never been a G.M. but my uncle and cousins want me to run a game. I love the Hades book and nobody in my group has played a Minion War campaign, so I’ve been writing ideas. Next year my cousin and I are coming to our first Palladium Open House. We even bought VIP night! I can’t wait to thank you all for the memories and bonds I’ve made through this game.

[I appreciate the very kind words and warm regard, B.S. I love our excitement too, so I hope you will not be too disappointed to learn the 2021 Palladium Open House has been rescheduled for April 2022. We thought it would be best for everyone to delay the event to the following year. I talk about it in my Closing Thoughts in the December 3, 2020 Weekly Update. But if you should find yourselves in Westland, Michigan before then, please stop by the Palladium office to say hello and to get a pre-Open House tour. I mean that. Mask required. – KS]

J.M. in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada, writes (in part): Favorites: Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Rifts® and the ENTIRE Megaverse®! Thank you so much for doing this [the Christmas Surprise Package] every year. It really is a tradition in my household. I love sharing the Megaverse with my 15 and 16 year old daughters. They LOVE Palladium Fantasy and Heroes Unlimited! This is my second order. In a way, I consider it my third because I also ordered all the Savage Rifts® books [from Pinnacle Entertainment] in their new book set. GREAT MAPS! … Just thank you for all of your hard work and brilliant imaginations. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, best game ever!

[Well, thank you for the high praise, J.M. I’m glad Palladium’s annual Surprise Package offer has become a tradition in your home. It is also tradition for us to extend the offer briefly into the New Year, so if you are hankering for a second Surprise Package, there is still time. Please note that Rifts® CS Manhunters (January?), BTS Creature Feature (February?), Titan Robotics (March?), Rifts® Antarctica (May?) and Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2 (summer?) have slid into the New Year thanks to the craziness related to the pandemic. Like most of you, 2020 has been a wild ride for us, but we are shooting to make 2021 a banner year for Palladium with new releases. You and the girls should plan on joining us for the Palladium Open House rescheduled for April 2022. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. – KS]

A.F. in Corbin, Kentucky, writes (in part): I am looking forward to the release of the Psychic Scream sourcebook for Chaos Earth®. Any chance that there might be untamed versions of the Psi-Mechanic or Psi-Tech?

[There will be now, A.F. What a great suggestion! Thank you for it. When you see these untamed versions of the characters you will know they are present because of your suggestion, A.F. Keep that imagination burning bright. – KS]

J.C. in Lebanon, Indiana, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®, Splicers®, and Heroes Unlimited™. I am super looking forward to Rifts® Antarctica and I’m glad you guys included an ancient city. Looking forward to CS Manhunters and the next Bestiary too. I hope you consider doing a Bestiary for Dragons. It would be really nice to have all the rules in one place and get some updates for the different hatchlings together. Along those lines, it would be cool to see some sourcebooks dedicated to different O.C.C.s … and always thanks for keeping up the good work. I would have never gotten into RPGs as hard as I have without Rifts® to suck me in.

[Hah! You are very welcome, J.C. And while I make no promises, we have been kicking around the idea of doing a Dragon Bestiary for a few years now as well as sourcebooks dedicated to specific O.C.C.s. Do you have listening devices hidden in our offices, J.C.? Or maybe one of the Palladium freelancers or staff members have been replaced by an Archie-3 android and is feeding you inside information! Or are you reading my thoughts … or … or … whatever the case, happy holidays and game on. Did someone say I was a goof ball recently? – KS]

L.H. in Fountain, Colorado, writes (in part): As a long time fan since the first edition of Palladium Fantasy came out and Robotech®, I have collected everything that I could. Sadly, over the past 19 years I slowed down on the hard copies of books. I have enjoyed Rifts® the most, but all the games are great to me. Please try to complete the CS Manhunters and Disavowed books. I am looking forward to them.

It has been years since I ordered a Christmas Package. Thank you for still doing them. For 17 years, Palladium Books has been a staple in my personal arsenal [when things got rough] … Thank you for going to PDFs for the books, they helped … I felt it was time to get caught back up with my personal collection … Keep the books coming out.

[Hi L.H., I am so glad our books and worlds are there to help you through challenging times. Thank you for sharing that with me. Please stay positive and keep your beautiful heart and imagination burning bright. You can count on me finishing Rifts® CS Manhunters very soon. The Disavowed should also see release in 2021 along with other good stuff throughout the new year. Stand strong and game on! – KS]

J.J. in Basehor, Kansas, writes: Favorites: After the Bomb®, Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign® and pretty much everything, though not the biggest fan of Robotech® RPG Tactics, but not much of a strategist.

I love Palladium and hope someday people will come to their senses and realize there are many, many other RPG companies as well as independent publishers aside from Wizards of the Coast. Hopefully, I will be able to make it to the Palladium Open House if it still takes place, ‘cause it would be brilliant to actually meet others who play due to not knowing many who do.

[Hi J.J. In the past, Palladium was listed as one of the Top 5 games publishers for something like 20 years before a series of unexpected circumstances hit us hard. There are plenty of people who play Palladium’s games with more discovering us every day. If you can make it to the Palladium Open House, rescheduled for April 2022, you will indeed meet a few hundred of them from across the country and around the world. Hope to see you there. As for WotC, their success with Dungeons & Dragons only spreads the word about RPGs of all kinds. But I know what you are saying. Many stores only offer the hottest and/or newest games and ignore us smaller companies. That’s why we need our fans to spread the word about our RPGs to their fellow gamers, talk about their favorite games and adventures online, etc. Thanks for the support J.J and game on. – KS]

R.K. in Bellingham, Washington, writes (in part): I have been a huge fan of Palladium Books ever since I first picked up a copy of Rifts® and made a Glitter Boy pilot. That was in 1994. I have played lots of different games and systems over the years but I always come back to Palladium. The true soul of fantasy RPGs is that you can be anything you want to be. In the Palladium system that is the most true. I have had rough times … but Palladium was there helping me through. Thank you for your tireless work.

[Glad to be there for you, R.K., just like you are for us. It is good to hear how about how many gamers find fun and escape in our games through these difficult times. Stay strong, remain hopeful and please continue to find joy in the little things like gaming. Because, really, finding joy and peace in anything is not such a little thing at all. Btw, I completely agree that RPGing should allow you to be and play anything you can imagine and lets the players (and G.M.) explore the infinite possibilities. Take care and continue to enjoy the depths of the role-playing game experience. – KS]

A.P. in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, writes: I have been playing your RPGs since 1995. I quit gaming for about 10 years because of work and raising kids, but my son (15) found my old Rifts® books and wanted to learn. So my old gaming crew got their teenage sons and we’ve started gaming again. It’s been awesome teaching a new generation the greatness of Rifts®. Thanks for all the years of great games and books.

[What a funny and awesome story, A.P., I am delighted by it. Thanks for sharing and game on! – KS]

M.M. in Cross Plains, Tennessee, writes (in part): I love what you did with Beyond the Supernatural, Second Edition, especially the Psychic Medium player character. I like that it is a little bit of a utility game that can drop in different eras and settings.

Rifts® will always be my first love, though, because it introduced me to RPGs. Throwing everything together was a great idea. Who doesn’t love giant robots fighting dragons? To be honest though, I got old one day and decided Rogue Scholars driving Behemoth Explorers were my favorite characters to play. Something about breaking into secret libraries and stealing books from my robot RV became appealing.

I’m also a long time Nightbane® [player]. It’s just a really unique flavorful world that really scratches my itch for espionage games. It is almost like a metaphor for the Cold War, but with monsters and Earth is the third world country …

[M.M. there is nothing wrong with enjoying characters that are not fighters or powerhouses. They can be a blast to play. That is why Rogue Scholars and other diverse characters are in our games. Looking to play a more cerebral or cunning and sneaky character, we’ve got them for you. It sounds like you are having a blast with our RPGs, cool. Keep your imagination burning and game on! – KS]

B.M.H.B in Arizona City, Arizona, writes: Merry Christmas and thank you for such an awesome offer for such a great system and range of genres.

[Merry Christmas to you as well, B.M.H.B., your kind words are appreciated. – KS]

J.M. in New Market, MD, writes: I primarily play Rifts® and get books from everything else to expand the Rifts Megaverse. Mostly obsessed with magic and psionics and high tech. Have a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

[Same to you, J.M. Oh, we will be giving you plenty to satisfy your obsessions in the New Year with titles like CS Manhunters, Titan Robotics, Chaos Earth Psychic Scream and a whole lot more. – KS]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone. I hope you get to enjoy a long weekend even if it is relaxing or talking with loved ones via some device or another. – Kevin Siembieda

Christmas Surprise Package offer EXTENDED thru January 12, 2021

Yes, you still have time to nab a Surprise Package for yourself or as a gift for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any gift-giving occasion; or to replace battered old books, or to try new world settings. But time is running out. The Surprise Package offer ends January 12, 2021, and will not be extended further. Enjoy.

The extension of the Surprise Packages into the New Year has become something of a welcomed tradition we are happy to provide. We do this for those of you who have been so busy spending your time and money on your family and friends, that you have not had the time or funds to treat yourself to a well-deserved Christmas Surprise Package.

We also extend it for those of you who cannot get enough of Palladium’s games and want to start the New Year off with a setting or source material to launch a new campaign. And for those of you who can use a Surprise Package as the perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion coming up in January or February. (Valentine’s Day?)

And we extend the Surprise Packages for you Johnny Come-Latelies who were meaning to get one, but how time flies during the holidays even during a pandemic. Speaking of which, after this crazy year, we thought extending the holiday joy of gaming into the New Year was more essential than ever. So please, enjoy the extended Surprise Package sale.

Meanwhile, try to spend some time this Christmas weekend with friends and family, even if by long-distance via Zoom, Skype, Discord, Facebook, email, phone, or text. Then, during the weeks afterward, run games for friends and family to escape into the Palladium Megaverse® and find relief and laughter as often as you can.

What is a Christmas Surprise Package? Extended to January 12, 2021

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 has been 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 Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, 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! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! 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, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium’s 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. 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 – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium’s website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion.

SALE! DriveThruRPG.com Palladium Christmas Sale – Now through Christmas Weekend – Ends after Midnight, Tuesday, December 29

ALL Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29 on DriveThruRPG.com.

Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale. No need to worry about delivery in time for Christmas. Snag yourself or a pal some PDF books now through the holiday weekend and take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding also taking place. Enjoy.

SALE! Savage Rifts^® Bundle of Holding and Savage Worlds^® Explorer Bundle of Holding – Ends December 28

Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding is running now. It is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts Earth for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. Likewise, Savage Rifts® players can easily adapt Palladium’s 90+ Rifts titles to their campaigns to provide additional monsters, magic, villains, weapons, locations, and adventure in their games. So take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places as well as their new twists.

Pinnacle’s Savage Rifts® enlists your adventurer group for a campaign of rail gun-shredding, mega-powered, magic-flinging adventure across Rifts Earth. And ALL of these Savage Rifts® titles are newly revised for the 2019 Savage Worlds Adventure Edition core rule book, which is not included in this offer.

For just $12.95 US Dollars you get all five Rifts® SWADE supplements and sourcebooks in this offer’s Starter Collection (retail value $43) as DRM-free PDF ebooks, including the Tomorrow Legion Player’s Guide, Game Master’s Handbook, Tomorrow Legion Field Manual, Mega Power List, and the six pre-generated player characters in Savage Rifts® Archetypes Set 1.

And if you pay more than this offer’s threshold price, you will level up and also get this offer’s entire Bonus Collection with nine more titles worth an additional $44, including Rifts® Savage Foes of North America, the full-length adventure Garnet Town Gambit, six full-color Combat Maps, and the Savage Rifts® GM Screen Inserts. Used with permission under license.

The Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding offers are also highlighting the storied past of Savage Worlds with a new companion offer, Savage Explorer Essentials. It is a big retrospective of Pinnacle’s Explorer’s Edition rule book and its many Companions, plus campaign settings like 50 Fathoms and Necessary Evil. (Caution: The Essentials offer presents the 2007 Explorer’s Edition rules, which are not fully compatible with the SWADE titles in this offer.)

The Good Fight: Ten percent of each payment (after gateway fees) for the two current Savage Worlds offers goes to the charity chosen by Pinnacle Entertainment’s Shane Hensley and Palladium’s Kevin Siembieda, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

To learn more about these Bundles of Holding, go to bundleofholding.com/presents/SavageRifts

LAST DAYS to get Palladium Playmats – Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter ENDS Monday, December 28

The Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter is fully funded and guaranteed, so if you want any Rifts® playmats (Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and others), now is the time to place your orders. Many of these iconic Palladium Books images were special requests from backers who are fans like you, and there are new additions that include the famous Ley Line scene (one of my favorites by Kevin Long), Coalition Forces on the move (Spider Skull Walkers, Skelebots, CS troops; also by Long), Psyscape (Zeleznik) and the powerful Rifts® CCG cover (Zeleznik) along with the Red ‘Borg and others. Time is starting to run out as this Kickstarter winds down. ENDS December 28, 2020.

This is your chance to get Palladium Books’ iconic artwork on 24×14 inch playmats, because we do not know if they will ever be offered again. They are being made available via a special arrangement with Red Duke Games, the people who brought you the Necronomnomnom Cookbook. Palladium selections include full color art from Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Palladium Fantasy® covers along with many other Red Duke Games Playmats. This is a limited time Kickstarter offer, so you need to act before the Kickstarter ends and before you get caught up in the holiday frenzy.

This is the first time ever that Palladium’s artwork has been made available on playmats and they are available only via this holiday Kickstarter. Btw, if the response is strong enough, Red Duke Games may ask us to include MORE, so go check out the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter and spread the word.

A great way to start the New Year. I believe they said the playmats will be printed and shipped sometime in February. See the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter for complete details.

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

Rifts^® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now and is our fastest selling Raw Preview Edition ever

The Lazlo Raw Preview (and Hammer of the Forge Novel) continues to blow out the door faster than we expected. Awesome. If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends are found Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning, shipping now.

• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two – now shipping!

The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. The first is the wicked Royal Kreeghor, Geryon, commander of the Shadowstar, a dreadnaught rumored to carry a star-slaying weapon capable of snuffing out entire solar systems.

Then Caleb must once again face the mad Elf, Elias Harkonnen. A soulless psychopath who quit the Invincible Guardsmen because they did not offer him enough opportunities to kill people. A mad dog who relishes the thought of adding a Cosmo-Knight to his list of illustrious victims.

As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight.

• The Reckoning is the second of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. Available as a PDF on DriveThru and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com.
• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 304 pages – $14.99 – Cat. No. 307 – now shipping!
• Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Palladium Christmas Sale – Rifts^® Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding – Hammer of the Forge Novel, Volume Two

SALE! All Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29. Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale in time for Christmas and even a little after. On sale now through the holiday weekend. Enjoy.

NEW! Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding is happening right now! This is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts® for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. The source material in Palladium’s books – a vast array of additional characters, monsters, magic, weapons, locations, adventures, etc., are easily adapted to provide more depth and history and adventure options for your Savage Worlds campaigns.

This is an opportunity for you to check out Savage Rifts® and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two: The Reckoning is now available as a PDF novel. It completes the original story of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan with dramatic and fun flair as it reveals his continuing adventures. Adventures and challenges that carry our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight. Now available as a PDF on DriveThru. Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is available as a PDF novel on DriveThruRPG and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com. See the full description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent 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; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

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 Holidays

Happy holidays everyone. Do yourself a favor and try to put the pandemic, politics, and work aside and spend your weekend reaching out to those you love. If this year has taught us anything it is that nothing is certain or predictable anymore, and life is more precious than we may have ever realized.

I hope Santa is nice to you this Christmas and that you find peace and joy in who and what you have. Give the wonderful people you are with a hug, and please stay safe and hang tough. Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas.

– Kevin Siembieda, Surrogate Santa and Friend

Copyright 2020 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.

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda

Christmas is next week! On one hand I cannot believe it is here already. On the other hand, the usual traditional festivity of the season is dulled this year and we have a new empty seat at the table. (See my Closing Thoughts for the details.) But overall, we at Palladium have been feeling very blessed and lucky. Though I cannot be with all the ones I love in person or host a party or two for friends, I have had the luxury of doing the Christmas Surprise Packages for you, my huge extended family, and that means a lot. It really does.

I love Christmas, which is why I launched the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package idea more than two decades ago as a way to show our thanks and appreciation to you. With all that has been going on this year, they feel more important than they ever have. I sincerely hope each and every Surprise Package brings a little bit (or maybe even a lot) of laughter and joy to you that lasts long after you open the Package. I hope the books they contain give you ideas for new adventures and fun that carries you into the new year and safely through the pandemic. That single notion has, for me, kept the sense of isolation and sadness at bay, and has enabled me to keep the magic of the season very much alive in my heart.

I can tell you that your orders have certainly kept me, Kathy, and the guys at the office busy as all get out. Yep, you have given me and the Palladium crew, a taste of what it must be like to be Santa Claus and his Elves! And it is exciting and joyful, if a little exhausting. Ho, ho, ho.

Your keeping us so busy has helped make us forget our worries and make the days fly by. The warm and sweet or funny sentiments you share with us in many of the comment sections have also been keeping us all humble and feeling warm and fuzzy for the holidays. The most touching comments are too personal to share in these Weekly Updates, but they and all of your brief comments and suggestions are appreciated and welcomed. Thank you for making us feel like we are a special part of your lives. Your families. Your holidays.

I have been so busy, in fact, that I will be shipping many of my own Christmas presents to friends, family, and freelancers late this year. That’s okay, they are all big boys and girls who understand that you must come first. I just hope all of you can find some similarly warm and joyful moments this holiday. Please know that you are not alone. You are part of the Palladium family and we are thinking of you and yours, and sending you our warmest wishes throughout these holidays and into the New Year.

I probably should be saving these sentiments for the Christmas Weekly Update, but the loss of a very dear friend to Covid-19 here in Michigan has made me sentimental and appreciative for what I have. And that most definitely includes all of you wonderful people. Please stay safe and hug and kiss the loved ones nearby. Reach out to all the rest of the folks important to you via social media, the phone, letters, and cards to let them know you cherish them. It makes a difference. You make a difference. Love ya. – Kevin

NEW! Just arrived, right on schedule – Hammer of the Forge^™, Volume 2: The Reckoning

The pulse-pounding Hammer of the Forge™, Volume 2: The Reckoning arrived today along with a number of short run reprints so we do not run out of any titles for the holidays. Hammer of the Forge 2 looks great and those of you who enjoyed Volume One will love Volume 2. Perhaps even more, because there are all kinds of unexpected twists and turns as the adventures of the Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan come to a close (at least for the moment). Both Hammer of the Forge™, Volume One and Two are available now as physical books from Palladium and as PDF novels on DriveThruRPG.com. More details below.

Christmas Surprise Packages and orders in time for Christmas

UPS and Priority Mail orders to a USA address placed by December 15 and even December 16 SHOULD get to you in time for Christmas. HOWEVER, it is becoming painfully clear that this varies widely from city to city. For example, a couple of things sent out via First Class Mail two weeks ago to my printer still have yet to arrive. And they are only a 45 minute drive from the Palladium office. Crazy, right? Sheesh. Meanwhile, we are getting reports of other packages and mail arriving on time or just a day or two later than usual.

Only two orders are sitting on our warehouse tables at the moment, each is waiting for a few extra signatures. (Hey Federico, if you read this, I have shipped the book portion of your Surprise Package today. The art will ship when I get the special piece Chuck wants to do for you.)

From this point on, ordinary UPS Ground and Priority Mail delivery, even to locations east of the Mississippi River, may or may not arrive in time for Christmas and you should assume it will NOT. Successful delivery in time for Christmas will depend on the volume of packages, weather, the available workforce, and individual city postal services (which vary). Note: It has been my experience that ALL shipping services try their best to get packages delivered in time for the holidays, but they are only human and these are extraordinary times. Be patient and good luck. That goes double for those of you in the path of that Nor’easter storm.

Palladium Books will continue to work through the weekends to process, pick, and pack your orders. Weekend orders (those placed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) ship on Monday. However, unless you pay for expedited shipping your package is not likely to arrive by Christmas Eve. You help us with fast turnaround by providing a large, clear Wish List of 15 or more items you know are in stock with your Surprise Package orders.

Expedited Shipping Services:

• UPS 3-Day Select – Orders placed by December 20 should arrive by Christmas Eve.
• UPS 2nd Day Air – Orders placed by December 21 should arrive by Christmas Eve.
• UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 24) – Orders placed by December 22 should arrive by Christmas Eve. Remember, we need time to process and pack your order!
• If you do NOT need your order or Surprise Package for Christmas, you are golden. Ship via Media Mail, Priority Mail or UPS Ground and get it after Christmas or the first of the year. Remember, the Surprise Package is a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or special events that may be coming up in January and even for Valentine’s Day/February. Or as a treat for yourself (you deserve it). It is also a great way to start the New Year or try new settings or fill out your collection. If you have not tried one, you still have time. You will not regret it.

Get your Surprise Package now – offer ends December 24, 2020

Give the gamers in your life a gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day (for you in Canada and elsewhere), birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and any gift-giving occasion. Or treat yourself. After this crazy year, you deserve to do something nice for yourself. 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 has been 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 Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, 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! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! 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, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium’s 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. 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 – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium’s website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion.

NEW! DriveThruRPG.com Palladium Christmas Sale – Now through Christmas Weekend

ALL Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29 on DriveThruRPG.com.

Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale. No need to worry about delivery in time for Christmas. Snag yourself or a pal some PDF books now through the holiday weekend and take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding also taking place. Enjoy.

NEW! Pinnacle Entertainment – Savage Rifts^® Bundle of Holding and Savage Worlds^® Explorer’s Bundle of Holding – available now

Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding launched this past Monday. It is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts Earth for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. Likewise, Savage Rifts® players can easily adapt Palladium’s 90+ Rifts titles to their campaigns to provide additional monsters, magic, villains, weapons, locations, and adventure in their games. So take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places as well as their new twists.

Pinnacle’s Savage Rifts® enlists your adventurer group for a campaign of rail gun-shredding, mega-powered, magic-flinging adventure across Rifts Earth. And ALL of these Savage Rifts® titles are newly revised for the 2019 Savage Worlds Adventure Edition core rule book, which is not included in this offer.

For just $12.95 US Dollars you get all five Rifts® SWADE supplements and sourcebooks in this offer’s Starter Collection (retail value $43) as DRM-free PDF ebooks, including the Tomorrow Legion Player’s Guide, Game Master’s Handbook, Tomorrow Legion Field Manual, Mega Power List, and the six pre-generated player characters in Savage Rifts® Archetypes Set 1.

And if you pay more than this offer’s threshold price, you will level up and also get this offer’s entire Bonus Collection with nine more titles worth an additional $44, including Rifts® Savage Foes of North America, the full-length adventure Garnet Town Gambit, six full-color Combat Maps, and the Savage Rifts® GM Screen Inserts. Used with permission under license.

The Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding offers are also highlighting the storied past of Savage Worlds with a new companion offer, Savage Explorer Essentials. It is a big retrospective of Pinnacle’s Explorer’s Edition rule book and its many Companions, plus campaign settings like 50 Fathoms and Necessary Evil. (Caution: The Essentials offer presents the 2007 Explorer’s Edition rules, which are not fully compatible with the SWADE titles in this offer.)

The Good Fight: Ten percent of each payment (after gateway fees) for the two current Savage Worlds offers goes to the charity chosen by Pinnacle Entertainment’s Shane Hensley and Palladium’s Kevin Siembieda, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

To learn more about these Bundles of Holding, go to bundleofholding.com/presents/SavageRifts

UPDATE: Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter has funded – 10 Days remaining

The Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter is fully funded and guaranteed, so if you want any Rifts® playmats (Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and others), now is the time to place your orders. Many of these iconic Palladium Books images were special requests from backers who are fans like you, and there are new additions that include the famous Ley Line scene (one of my favorites by Kevin Long), Coalition Forces on the move (Spider Skull Walkers, Skelebots, CS troops; also by Long), Psyscape (Zeleznik) and the powerful Rifts® CCG cover (Zeleznik) along with the Red ‘Borg and others. Time is starting to run out as this Kickstarter winds down. ENDS December 28, 2020.

This is your chance to get Palladium Books’ iconic artwork on 24×14 inch playmats, because we do not know if they will ever be offered again. They are being made available via a special arrangement with Red Duke Games, the people who brought you the Necronomnomnom Cookbook. Palladium selections include full color art from Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Palladium Fantasy® covers along with many other Red Duke Games Playmats. This is a limited time Kickstarter offer, so you need to act before the Kickstarter ends and before you get caught up in the holiday frenzy.

This is the first time ever that Palladium’s artwork has been made available on playmats and they are available only via this holiday Kickstarter. Btw, if the response is strong enough, Red Duke Games may ask us to include MORE, so go check out the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter and spread the word.

A great way to start the New Year. I believe they said the playmats will be printed and shipped sometime in February. See the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter for complete details.

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now

The Lazlo Raw Preview (and Hammer of the Forge Novel) continues to blow out the door faster than we expected. Awesome. If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends are found Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning, shipping now.

• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two – now shipping!

The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. The first is the wicked Royal Kreeghor, Geryon, commander of the Shadowstar, a dreadnaught rumored to carry a star-slaying weapon capable of snuffing out entire solar systems.

Then Caleb must once again face the mad Elf, Elias Harkonnen. A soulless psychopath who quit the Invincible Guardsmen because they did not offer him enough opportunities to kill people. A mad dog who relishes the thought of adding a Cosmo-Knight to his list of illustrious victims.

As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight.

• The Reckoning is the second of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. Available as a PDF on DriveThru and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com.
• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 304 pages – $14.99 – Cat. No. 307 – now shipping!
• Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

BACK IN STOCK: Rifts^® Novel: Sonic Boom – New size – Re-edited – Available now

Experience Rifts North America through the eyes of soldiers of the Coalition States. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon led by the courageous and well-intentioned Lieutenant Greg Merrick and Military Specialist Lieutenant Michael Sorenson, sworn to protect humankind from all threats be they aliens, dragons, or masters of magic.

Rifts® Sonic Boom™ is your introduction to the multi-genre setting of the popular, post-post-apocalypse science-fantasy Rifts® Role-Playing Game. Where high-technology, magic and the supernatural coexist on a transformed Earth that is both familiar and alien.

Read all three novels in this epic journey of discovery and adventure.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book One in a fast paced trilogy.
• 294 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 301 – available now.
• Rifts® Sonic Boom™ has been re-edited, slightly expanded, and cleaned up for your enjoyment.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel: Deception’s Web – available now

Lt. Merrick’s mission: To hunt down and destroy the so-called Army of the New Order. A terrorist group composed of mercenaries and practitioners of magic. They have been a thorn in the side of the Coalition States for long enough, it’s time to put a stop to them.

When their seek and destroy mission suddenly goes sideways, the soldiers find one of their own accused of treason and arrested for court-martial. The lives they had known and the people they trust collide with events and realizations that strain friendships and test their loyalty to the Coalition States and each other.

Hard choices, strange bedfellows, a living enigma, and the hand of evil each play a role in Rifts® Deception’s Web™.

• 4 x 7 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book Two in the trilogy.
• 409 pages – $9.95 – Cat. No. 302 – available now.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings

It seems clear to Lieutenants Merrick and Sorenson and the elite team under their command that they are being used as pawns in a larger conspiracy. A secret agenda that may lead straight to the top of the Coalition’s High Command.

But who? And how do they ferret out that person and find the evidence they need to bring an end to it without destroying themselves in the process?

Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™ is the pulse-pounding conclusion to a trilogy of books based on the popular Rifts® Role-Playing Game.

The epic conclusion is satisfying and fun.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• 426 pages – $15.99 – Cat. No. 303 – Available now!
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – enjoy.

NEW! 4 different Palladium Coffee Mugs – available now

With so many people working from home, Palladium’s fun and attractive coffee mugs have been in high demand. The Rifts® logo mug sold out a couple of weeks ago, and the Palladium Fantasy® mug sold out last week. As a result, we sent them in for another printing as well as two new mugs: A new, dynamic Dead Reign® zombie mug with an illustration by Steven Cummings done specifically for use on this coffee mug, and a Rifts® Titan Robotics™ mug, also featuring artwork by Steven Cummings. All four are in stock and ready to ship now! See details below.

NEW! Dead Reign® (Zombie attack) Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Dead Reign®” logo with three hungry zombies ready to attack. Art designed specifically for this mug by artist Steven Cummings of comic book renown (Wayward® and various Marvel Comics). White on a black mug. Very dynamic.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blood red interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2594.

NEW! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™ Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Rifts® Titan Robotics™” mug features the Rifts logo with the words Titan Robotics below it. Above the logo is one of the new Titan robots from the upcoming book release, standing in a dynamic pose. Art by Steven Cummings.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2595.

Fan Favorite: Rifts^® LOGO Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand! A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The famous Rifts® logo in white on a black mug.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a bright blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2587.

Fan Favorite: Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Dragon” Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand. A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The fan favorite “3-Headed Hydra” battling a knight from the iconic, original Palladium Fantasy RPG® cover. Red art on a black mug harkens back to the original RPG red and black cover.
• Art appears on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with an attractive orange interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2589.

COMING (tentative): Re-releases of fan favorite sold out Rifts^® miniatures

As I believe I mentioned in a previous Weekly Update, I am looking into re-releasing some old favorite Rifts® miniature sets. I’m waiting on quotes right now. That would include the Coalition soldiers and the original Glitter Boy. The G.B. is not quite as large and dynamic as the new Glitter Boy miniature, but we know collectors still want it, so we are considering offering it again. More details when I know more.

And we may be releasing other new miniatures created by Carmen Bellaire. Keep your eyes peeled.

Retailers can order direct from Palladium Books at discount terms

Retailers, are you having trouble getting Palladium products from your distributors? Join the growing number of stores to whom Palladium sells direct. 95-99% of all our game lines are ALWAYS IN STOCK and ready to ship. Palladium has your back!

Until we put into place something more formal, retailers can call the office at 734-721-2903 and leave a message and phone number on the answering machine, or send an inquiry via the Help Desk, and Palladium will respond pronto. Glad to help. As long as you are a brick and mortar store, we are happy to do business with you.

We added another store to our direct sales roster just yesterday, and others have inquired. Retailers and gamers alike, please spread the word to let game stores and comic book shops know if they are having difficulty getting Palladium Books products from distributors, they should contact Palladium Books to buy from us direct! Spread the fun and game on!

In the Face of Death^™ – Available now

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that reimagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to the genre

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – 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.

COMING SOON! Rifts^® CS Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Hey, I’m as frustrated as you are that this awesome book (BTS Creature Feature, too) is not done yet, but it will be soon. It has been rough being short-handed and juggling so much, but it will be worth the wait. Rifts® CS Manhunters™ is packed with good stuff. I will try to offer a few snippets in my Murmurs from the Megaverse® and social media.

Coalition Manhunters™ reveals more Coalition States secrets about the super-secret CS Manhunters. So secret that most people have never heard of them, and those who have do not believe they really exist. But that’s not all – there are new psionic abilities, new CS characters available as player characters and NPC villains, more insight about the CS and Psi-Battalion, and more. All of it building toward something epic.

Who watches the watchmen? CS Manhunters. A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion who hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also traitors within the Coalition States. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, Dog Boys, and CS soldiers are trained hunters of men and cold-blooded killing machines. They follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

• New Coalition Psychic O.C.C.s.
• 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 on the Coalition’s infamous Psi-Battalion.
• The impact of the demon plagues from the Minion War.
• Non-Player Characters, background info, adventure ideas, and more.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894 – In production and nearing completion.

COMING! Creature Feature^™, a Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebook

The manuscript is in. Artwork is being created. And the world of Beyond the Supernatural™ is about to be expanded. This sourcebook 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.

COMING! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is a high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics that will make gamers salivate. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

COMING: 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) – shooting for a winter or spring release.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Psychic Scream^™

This is another book that is going to surprise and wow. New and insane psionics, some taken to the level of super abilities due to the massive amount of P.P.E. energy surging across the planet and boosting survivors with ambient and alien energy. Some become heroes and defenders of fellow survivors. Some become power-mongers and killers. And still others become just one more monster or madman threatening to destroy humanity. I’m assigning some additional artwork for it this week.

UPDATE: Forgotten People – A Fantasy RPG Sourcebook

I spoke with one of the contributing writers last week and his ideas for Bug Bears sounded fabulous. Because some of this material has appeared in past issues of The Rifter® you may think you know what to expect. You don’t. There is a lot of new and exciting material in this bad boy. Things you never knew and may have been afraid to ask.

MORE Material for Fantasy

Several different freelance writers have submitted additional and unexpected Fantasy material for sourcebooks. Though I have not had a chance to review any of them – too much on my plate at the moment as I stay focused on finishing books already in the pipeline – I am very excited by this turn of events. Palladium Fantasy is on the move! Heck, several game lines are.

UPDATE: Other titles – like CS Arsenal^™ and Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebooks

Please remember, just because I do not mention or list a specific title in an Update, does not mean it has been removed from the production schedule. All it means is that we are focused and talking about more immediate, upcoming releases, or projects we are excited about that week, or there’s no substantive news to report. We are anxious to put as many books you’ve been waiting for into your hands as possible over the next 18 months, as well as new projects being worked on by freelance writers. That includes Rifts® Antarctica, The Disavowed™, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Land of the Damned™ 3, Rifts® Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, more Fantasy sourcebooks and other titles. So if a book you are waiting for is not mentioned in an Update, it means there is nothing new to report, but it should still be in the pipeline and news for it will be coming in the weeks or months ahead. Right now, we are focused on releases for the next six months, which by our count is 6-7 titles. And many of them are in various stages of final production or development. We are shooting for one or two new physical book releases every month as well as a couple new PDF products on DriveThruRPG.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Palladium Christmas Sale – Rifts^® Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding – Hammer of the Forge Novel, Volume Two

SALE! All Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29. Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale in time for Christmas and even a little after. On sale now through the holiday weekend. Enjoy.

NEW! Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding is happening right now! This is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts® for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. The source material in Palladium’s books – a vast array of additional characters, monsters, magic, weapons, locations, adventures, etc., are easily adapted to provide more depth and history and adventure options for your Savage Worlds campaigns.

This is an opportunity for you to check out Savage Rifts® and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two: The Reckoning is now available as a PDF novel. It completes the original story of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan with dramatic and fun flair as it reveals his continuing adventures. Adventures and challenges that carry our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight. Now available as a PDF on DriveThru. Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is available as a PDF novel on DriveThruRPG and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com. See the full description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent 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; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

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 – Covid-19 finally strikes us at home

I thought we might escape losing anyone in our immediate circle of close friends and family, but those hopes have been shattered. We got the news Sunday morning that our dear friend here in Michigan, Rita Martin, had just passed away from Covid-19. It was a shock. Rita was one of those crazy and gregarious “life of the party” types who could light up a room by just walking into it. She was 72 years old and one of Kathy Simmons’ best friends for 35+ years. Rita was like an aunt to Kathy’s daughter and a friend to us all. All of us at Palladium knew and loved Rita, and Kathy and I used to spend many Sundays and holidays together with her for years.

Rita had tested Covid positive two weeks earlier but neither she or anyone was worried about it, because she had no symptoms other than a case of the sniffles. She was feeling perfectly fine and doing great. The second week, she took a sudden and steep downward spiral and was hospitalized. Two days later she was gone. It was a shock. Kathy and Rita had just chatted and shared photos a week earlier on Facebook, and Kathy sent her a Christmas card saying we needed to get together in June after we had all been vaccinated and Covid-19 was on its way out. How sad. We still can’t believe it. She will be missed.

The grandfather of a dear friend also passed away from Covid-19 recently. He and his family are hurting but powering through.

My friend and comic book legend, Richard Corben also passed away last week due to heart related issues. So last week sucked. Richard Corben did the cover to the original Beyond the Supernatural RPG as well as a ton of seminal comic book work. He was also one of the core movers and shakers behind the first, and then cutting edge, Heavy Metal Movie. Honestly, I should not call Richard a friend, as we had not spoken in years. Ah, but we had some nice moments back when he did the BTS cover. The early works of Richard Corben were original, cutting edge, and unlike anything else on the market. Rolf and Bloodstar will always be two of my favorites. He was an inspiration to me as a budding young storyteller and entrepreneur.

Richard Corben was a maverick whose independent and entrepreneurial spirit inspired me to dare to follow my own dreams as an artist, writer, and publisher. As you can imagine, it was a treat and a pleasure to get him to do that BTS cover for Palladium. My experience with Rich was that he was a sweet and generous man who went above and beyond for people. He took art direction well and gave me the exact cover I had wanted. He was nice enough to sell me that BTS cover for a fraction of what his paintings were selling for at the time. Why? Because he knew I was such a huge fan and how much I loved it. Two weeks later, the two original watercolor concept sketches arrived in the mail. No letter, just the artwork between two pieces of cardboard. I was confused. When I called Rich to tell him I could not possibly afford them too, he chuckled and said, “I want you to have them. They are a gift.” I treasure all three pieces to this day. Richard, your art and daring and generosity inspired me and a whole generation of artists/storytellers. Rest in peace.

I only recently learned that in September, artist Martin McKenna also passed away (not Covid related). He was another salt of the earth creative dynamo who I liked very much and actually got to meet in person once at a large science fiction convention. He did the covers to the Palladium Fantasy RPG, Old Ones, and High Seas Second Editions and a bunch of great art in those books before moving on to work for Industrial Light & Magic and other big companies. I love his work and it was a genuine pleasure to work with him.

I do not mean to be a downer. I have nothing but fond memories of all these fine people and I am honored to have known them. I just wanted to give a call out to these people because they were special to me and many other others, and deserve to be remembered.

It is also a reminder for us all that Covid-19 is all too real and deadly, so please, I implore you, be smart, be safe, and take care this holiday season and every day. I do not want to lose any of you to this damn disease too. As I stated in my opening to this Update, you are what helps to keep me going even when I am feeling blue. You and your kind words and support bring us joy and keep our holiday spirits kindled and burning strong. Thank you, again for that. I am so glad you are part of our big, wonderful, extended family.

Let me end with a reminder that the very fun Hammer of the Forge™, Volume Two has arrived and is shipping, enjoy the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package offer, grab yourself some Palladium PDFs on DriveThruRPG or the Rifts® Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding, and take a look at those Palladium Playmats from Red Duke Games’ Kickstarter ending in something like 10 days. I’m such a geek for our artwork and fun game stuff that I want each one even though I have never used a playmat in my life. I bet they soften the sound of dice rolling which could be a good thing if there are non-gamers trying to relax in another part of the house. I also keep wondering if they would make good, wipe-able place mats at the kitchen table; they’re probably too big for that, right? I’ll probably get one of each and keep them in a box as a collectible just to have. I love my Palladium archives. Lots of great memories. Anyway, please enjoy your weekend and last minute shopping. And may every Palladium product old and new bring you fun and adventure, now and always. Ho, ho, ho.

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

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where the customer can offer comments and suggestions with his or her Surprise Package order. Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling 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 days. Please help use our games to find escape from the pandemic and to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each.

I.H. in Northants, Great Britain, writes: No Open House next year, so I will have to get my Palladium Books Fix from a Christmas Surprise Package! Hope to see you all in 2022!

[Thanks for making me smile, I.H. If everything goes well with the vaccines and such, we will definitely see you at the 2022 Palladium Open House. Looking forward to it. – KS]

C.A. in Colorado, writes (in part): I was gaming with Rifts® back in the 90s, but our group dissolved after high school. I had a group in college, but I never managed to get any traction on starting them on Rifts®. Now with Savage Rifts®, I have a thriving group again, but I realized that I missed a lot of story. I want to catch up with the original sourcebooks. I have a pretty large digital collection through DriveThruRPG, but you can’t replicate the feel of an original printed book.

[Good to hear C.A., and welcome back to the place where it all originates. You may want to take advantage of the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding going on right now! Game on in the ever expanding Megaverse® of Palladium Books. – KS]

E.W. in Franklin, New Hampshire, writes: Favorites: Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™. Thank you for doing this each year. It means so much to people. It is even more appreciated given all the mess that Covid made out of game nights this year. I found my core players elected to try Discord, and although not the same, we have been able to escape our own problems for a little while.

[I am happy our games give you and your players some escape, E.W. Game on! – KS]

M.M. in Clarke’s Beach, Newfoundland, Canada, writes: This is awesome! I missed it last year. Been buying and playing your games for 25 years now!

[Glad you have been enjoying our games, M.M., for so many years. And I’m glad you snuck in a Surprise Package this year. – KS]

D.T. in San Antonio, Texas, writes: Favorites: Nightbane® and Rifts®. Thank you for making the end of 2020 something to look forward to. We have all had a challenging year, but you and your hardworking writers and artists always give me something to look forward to. Happy Holidays to you and all your loved ones. And best thoughts for all of us to have a better new year.

[Amen to that last sentiment, D.T. I’m glad and humbled my words and musings have helped. It sounds like it will be another few months before we can start truly winning the battle against Covid-19 and return to some level of normalcy, so hang in there. Merry Christmas and happy New Year. – KS]

S.H. in Pacatello, Idaho, writes: Favorites: All of them. They all open up an unlimited universe to explore.

[Music to my ears, S.H. That is the whole idea behind our games and the one game system. Keep on exploring the depth of your imagination and have fun doing it. – KS]

E.B. in Lancaster, California, writes (in part): I have never stopped loving the Palladium line of games but I am truly champing at the bit for more in the Fantasy World … I will also say that I continue to thoroughly enjoy the Rifts® books.

[Me too, E.B., me too. We have books in development for Land of the Damned Three: The Bleakness, Lopan™, the Old Kingdom, Timiro™ AND Land of the South Winds™. LOTD-3 will be the next book for Fantasy, and then I think Forgotten People and Lopan, but the others are coming too, along with titles for Rifts® and BTS. – KS]

M.M. in Orem, Utah, writes: Favorites: Fantasy, Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and Splicers. You guys are awesome. Wish I could do more.

[Those kind words and your years of support are plenty, M.M. Thank you. Keep on keeping on. – KS]

J.E. in Arlington, Texas, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®, been collecting and playing for 20 years, and Dead Reign®. Huge Coalition fan. It was awesome getting to meet Kevin at Gen Con 50 … thanks for a lifetime of gaming greatness.

[It was nice meeting you too, J.E. I am humbled by your high praise. Maybe you can come over to the Palladium Open House, rescheduled for April 2022, and we’ll show you a really great time. Stay safe. – KS]

B.P in Ogden, Utah, writes: The very first role-playing game I played was TMNT and Other Strangeness in 1988, followed by Rifts® in 1990. I have been playing Rifts® ever since. Thank you for so many years of adventure. You guys kick ass.

[Thank you for sharing, B.P. We plan to do some serious butt kicking in 2021 and for the next several years to come, so keep your eyes peeled on Rifts®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Palladium Fantasy RPG® and Heroes Unlimited™. May the New Year bring you only awesomeness. – KS]

S.K. writes: I have always loved Rifts®, right from the initial release when I was a kid. I also really like Beyond the Supernatural™ and the Palladium Fantasy RPG®. I have a few Fantasy sourcebooks and they are great. The art of that era is what I default to when I think of Fantasy, particularly the cover of Adventures in the Northern Wilderness™.

I just wanted to say that I received one of these Surprise Packages two years ago, and it was one of the best experiences I have had at Christmas since I was a kid. I would love any kind of cool item you think I might enjoy, such as an out-of-print book, art print, or piece of original art. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[Merry Christmas to you as well, S.K. Thank you for your generous words and sending my thoughts down Memory Lane. That Keith Parkinson cover of the Wolfen mage raising the dead from a frozen pond was one of Keith Parkinson’s, Erick Wujcik’s, and my all-time favorite covers. An inside secret: The Runes on the strips of cloth are the ones I published in the first edition rule book and actually say something funny, but you will need the original Palladium Fantasy RPG® to translate them.

Putting out-of-print books in Surprise Packages is getting near impossible to do as they have been unavailable for years, even decades, not to mention worth much more than their original cover price. From time to time I put some out-of-print, hardcover printer proofs, original art, proofreader photocopies, and other collectibles in my Ebay store – Kevin’s Toys, Art and Collectibles – but for most requests I do not have any out of print items to spare. I feel bad when someone sends me a lengthy list of out-of-print Rifters®, Robotech® or TMNT® books and other products that sold out years ago or are licenses we no longer hold, because I cannot accommodate their requests. I hope you understand. Enjoy and happy holidays. – KS]

D.T. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, writes (in part): Third time’s the charm! My crew sends a big hello back to you, although they are not too happy with all the new resource material I now have [thanks to these Surprise Packages] <chuckle> I am so glad that things worked out the way they did for you this Thanksgiving … Anyway, all of our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your crew from all of us here. I’m still looking forward to the Open House in 2022, and the time all of you take to put these packages together means a lot to all of us. Life is fleeting, so stay positive, stay healthy, and of course, “Game On!”

[D.T., I completely agree with your last sentence. Wise words. Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I am delighted you and your family are healthy and happy despite the threat of the pandemic hanging all around us. You stay positive and awesome, and my crew and I will try our best to do the same. See you in 2022! Here’s to a rockin’ and better 2021 for everyone! – KS]

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. Two – Coming

More monsters and exotic animals of Rifts® North America as part of an ongoing series of Rifts® Bestiary sourcebooks. The first two or three Rifts® Bestiary™ books will focus on monsters and animals of North America. They collect creatures from all current World Books and Sourcebooks, plus some new creatures by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton, and others. Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location at a glance.

Note: The Rifts® Bestiary™ series is more than a few big books of monsters, they are deliberately designed to provide players with a useful, living resource (pet, guard animal, riding animal, food source, etc.) as well as present many and varied opportunities for adventure and fun. Some creatures are helpful, some are inadvertently a threat or danger, while others are slobbering predators or wicked beasts that kill and eat you, or capture you, or sabotage you, or worse.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America in a second easy to use sourcebook.
• Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Notable Splugorth hunting animals.
• Some new creatures, but most are existing creatures.
• Updated information where applicable.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated.
• Art by Chuck Walton, Siembieda, Cummings, Bradshaw, Atkins, Ashbaugh, and many others.
• 192-224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 897. In production.

In the Face of Death^™ – Now Shipping!

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that re-imagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to classic tropes

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – shipping now.

COMING! Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion, the CS Manhunters hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also their own. Coalition soldiers, brass, government leaders, and anyone who becomes designated as having gone rogue, AWOL, or turned traitor (including the Disavowed), become targets of CS Manhunters to be tracked down and brought to justice. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, and manhunters are trained killing machines who follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

More often than not, the assignment is straight-up find and terminate. If your name has been given to a Manhunter squad, your fate is sealed, and no one is untouchable. The CS Manhunters operate in secret, find their target, terminate, and vanish as if they were never there at all. They don’t seek credit or limelight. They serve their country from the blood-soaked shadows.

• CS Manhunter squads and special operatives.
• Manhunter Killhound and Dog Boy O.C.C.s.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Healer.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Interrogator (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Psi-Enforcer (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Bursters and Zappers.
• CS Manhunter Slayer (a variation of the Psi-Slayer or Psi-Warrior).
• CS Manhunter Mind Melter, the most insidious and deadliest of them all.
• Weapons, gear, and tactics.
• Some notable Non-Player Characters, adventure ideas, and more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Art by Nick Bradshaw.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894.

NEW! Garden of the Gods^™, Palladium Fantasy^® Sourcebook – Shipping now!

The Garden of the Gods™ sourcebook is 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 a place of miracles and wisdom 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 dangerous evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit, as well as dark gods within the Garden itself.

• 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. One game system – a Megaverse® of adventure!™
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 475.

Land of the Damned^™ Three: The Bleakness^™ Raw Preview – available now

Available now! The “Raw Preview Edition” of LotD-3: The Bleakness™, for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, working manuscript for this new Fantasy World Book. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released. A rare look at the raw manuscript before final edit, rewrites and publication. Limited to a total of 200 copies.

This epic sourcebook presents the forbidden Land of the Damned in all its brutal glory. Includes information about the ancient and forgotten eldritch races, the Minotaur legions, dark magic, the Citadel, countless adventure hooks and ideas, and much, much more. The long awaited final book in the Land of the Damned series, with connections to the Garden of the Gods™ and the upcoming Lopan Fantasy World Book.

• Limited collector’s edition – only 200 collector copies.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• A rare glimpse at the virgin manuscript and a work in progress.
• Written by Matthew Clements, based on ideas by Kevin Siembieda.
• 96 pages – Limited Edition – $20.99 – Cat. No. 470-RAW – available now. Note: The finished book with artwork and more is anticipated to ship in a few months, but you can see what it’s all about right now and even start playing with this special Preview Edition!

Palladium Fantasy RPG^® Interactive Character Sheet

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet is a Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook, this sheet saves you time and hassle with each character you create. Available now, directly from Palladium Books AND DriveThruRPG.com – this is a digital, online product only.

Features & Benefits:

• The Main Character Sheet Page collects the important data from across multiple tabs and puts it in one place for quick and easy reference.
• Separate sheets examine character construction (worktable), Skills, Magic, Psionics, and Combat in greater detail.
• Built-in leveling system that calculates skill advancement for you! Experience Tables for over 80 O.C.C.s already programmed.
• Recognizes the percentages for nearly 150 skills, plus combat bonuses for over 20 Weapon Proficiencies and 7 Hand to Hand styles.
• Calculates the speed and distance a character can run and jump based on character Attributes.
• Also calculates how much a character can lift, carry, and throw for humanoids, Giants, and Supernatural Beings.
• Add in your own Hand to Hand style, custom Skills, unique Weapon Proficiencies, and Experience Tables.
• Estimated time to build a character reduced by 20% or more.
• Instructions on how to use the sheet included, as well as a video walkthrough below.
• Important Note: This character sheet is built to be used with Microsoft Excel 2010+ and it comes in .XLSX format. Opening this file in other spreadsheet programs is NOT guaranteed to work as intended.
• Watch the Overview video here: https://vimeo.com/322271758

Psychic Scream^™ – Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Sourcebook

A storm has rolled in. A psychic storm. With the Coming of the Rifts, survivors are bombarded by terrifying visions and overwhelmed with powers and abilities they never asked for, and often cannot control.

Where do you hide from the madness boiling inside of you?

What would you do when you know evil lurks hidden among your fellow survivors?

Why do the voices of alien creatures speak to you?

How do you cope when the power you unleashed to destroy a monster and save the innocent, destroys everyone but you?

Have you become a hero or another monster born in chaos?

Are these powers your family’s salvation or their damnation?

Find out in Psychic Scream!

In the wake of the Coming of the Rifts, people begin to see ghosts and demons, they unleash lightning from their fingertips, command fire and water, hurl boulders and girders with their minds, and manifest a wide range of mental powers. Psionic abilities fueled by the explosive return of magic and the unchecked flow of dimensional energy that is off the charts.

Psychic abilities more powerful than anything known after the Two Hundred Years Dark Age. Wondrous and lifesaving. But also seething and out of control. The psychics’ own minds bombarded by feelings of dread, visions of horror, and the thoughts and emotions of everyone around them. For many, it is too much, sending them careening into madness. For others, it creates heroes forged from chaos.

• Untamed psychic abilities. More powerful than anything known later on Rifts Earth.
• New psychic powers and character classes.
• New psionic monsters and invaders.
• Insanity, side-effects and horror.
• Adventure ideas and more. All people, powers and monsters that become myths and legends told about the events during the Two Hundred Years Dark Age.
• Written by Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 667.

COMING: Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

COMING: The Island of Lopan Sourcebook, a fantasy sourcebook

The island kingdom described and mapped, rare and ancient magic, trade with the Old Kingdom, Centaurs, Western intrigue, and more.

• History and overview.
• Key cities and locations.
• Lopan O.C.C.s and people of note.
• And Old Kingdom City that is a trade partner.
• The mysterious and nearly forgotten Mosaic Magic.
• New monsters and magic, weapons and gear.
• Written by Glen Evans.
• 192 pages – $26.99 – Cat. No. 476.

COMING: Rifts^® Antarctica

Rifts® Antarctica is a truly compelling and exotic land beyond what anyone expects. A frozen continent transformed by the power of magic and alien wildlife. Long isolated from the rest of the world, Rifts, D-Shifting events and the threat of war have now brought the distant South Pole within reach. And unearthed something ancient and so dangerous that even the Splugorth fear it and dare not go there.

• New alien monsters and D-Bees.
• Strange new weapons and vehicles. Some left over from the Golden Age of Humanity, others completely alien.
• The Splugorth’s secret outpost. More than it would seem.
• A Splugorth zoo and place of secret Bio-Wizard experiments.
• Snow and Ice Golems created specifically for the cold environment.
• Danger from the elements, Ice Witches, Icecraft, and other horrors.
• Vostok City, a city of magic carved from the ice itself.
• Cold-weather skills, technology and survival techniques.
• Ancient danger and dark secrets.
• Written by Matthew Clements, Carmen Bellaire, and Kevin Siembieda.
• 160 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 898.

COMING! Rifts^® The Disavowed^™ – Secrets of the Coalition States^™

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

• CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?
• Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?
• Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?
• What role does the Vanguard play in this group?
• How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?
• What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 892.

COMING! Heroes of Humanity^™ Arsenal – Rifts^® Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Rifts® Heroes of Humanity gave you updated Coalition Army O.C.C.s, ways to upgrade men-at-arms, new O.C.C.s, battle plans and strategies and tactics. CS Heroes of Humanity™ Arsenal provides an array of new Coalition hardware: weapons, armor, additional SAMAS, other power armor, robots, combat vehicles, gear and info.

• New CS weapons and gear.
• New CS SAMAS and power armor.
• New CS robots and combat vehicles.
• More secrets and information about the Coalition States.
• Wild adventure opportunities, fun and more.
• Part of the Minion War™ “Crossover” series.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Clements, Gleba and others.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 893.

Rifts^® Bestiary^™, Volume One – Shipping Now!

Could the monsters known as Caterpillar Things be the larval form of the Mothman Monster? Is the Corrival Battler as aggressive and dangerous as adventurers claim? Are Darkhounds really magically mutated Dog Boys? Is that why they see Coalition soldiers as friends and allies? Ee-Bee Gee-Bees are kinda cute, how dangerous can they be? Is it true the animals and people slain by the Death Springer rise as zombies?! What on Rifts Earth is a Field Reaper?

This book reveals it all.

Designed with both Players and Game Masters in mind, with creatures that can be used as pets, companions, riding animals, attack animals, and even unlikely allies, as well as slobbering monsters and catalysts for adventure. Adult, juvenile, and young stages of life give every creature three different levels of power and danger. Presented as a complete ecosystem, with maps and details to bring each animal to life. All provide plenty of spice to add to your characters and adventures.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail, updated and expanded.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found at a glance.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Powerful art.
• Includes basic S.D.C. stats for each creature description.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton and others.
• 256 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 – Shipping Now!

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. One – “Gold Edition” Hardcover – Signed and Numbered – Now Shipping!

A deluxe, limited, Gold Edition hardcover, signed and numbered by Palladium staff and maybe a few freelancers. It is the same content of unique creatures that can be used as familiars, pets, riding animals, guard animals, and slobbering monsters as the softcover edition in a durable hardcover. Very limited run of only 300 copies, numbered and signed by Kevin Siembieda, Palladium staff members and possibly available contributing artists and writers. Note: Historically, Palladium Books’ Gold Editions have doubled, tripled or increased in value many times over. Valued as cherished collectibles. Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Please note the slight increase in price to $55.

• Gold foil on a black faux leather hardcover.
• Sewn and glued for long-lasting durability.
• Only 300 signed and numbered copies.
• Available only from Palladium Books.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
• Signed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium staff.
• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail.
• Same contents as the softcover edition.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting; basic S.D.C. stats included for each creature description.
• 256 pages – $55.00 retail – Cat. No. 896HC (Volume One). Shipping Now!

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #84 – available and shipping now

The Rifter® #84 focuses on adventure in dark corners of various world settings. Places where danger threatens, monsters and evildoers lurk in the shadows, and people are in need of heroes. Adventure source material for The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, and Rifts®. And remember, adventures and source material for one game setting can also be adapted to other world settings with some easy and obvious modifications. Most of all, have fun.

Rifter® #84 Highlights:

• The City of Cascade™ by Erick Wujcik and Matt Reed, A modern city in desperate need of heroes.
• The Kingdom of Raf-Chalon™ for Palladium Fantasy RPG® by Glen Evans. An Elven Kingdom in the Eastern Territory™.
• Golems in the Myst™ for Rifts® by Greg Diaczyk. Techno-Wizard experiments go wrong and Golems run amok.
• Spellbound O.C.C. for Nightbane® RPG by Ian Herbert.
• An Adventure for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Kyle Osterberg.
• The Dimma, a short story and a scary new monster for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Steven Dawes.
• 2021 Palladium Open House and other news.
• Coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 96 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 184 – Shipping now!

Copyright 2020 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.

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda

Christmas is fast approaching – only 2 weeks away. Orders for Palladium products and the Christmas Surprise Package Offer – truly the best deal in gaming – continue to pour in (thank you!). Shipping out your orders in time for Christmas is our top priority. However, time is running out to get packages in time for Christmas. ALL shipping services are expecting to deliver record numbers of packages this season, so please if you need your order or Surprise Package in time for Christmas, order this weekend and no later than December 17 AND use UPS Ground or Priority Mail. After this week, do NOT use Media Mail if you NEED it by Christmas.

If you do NOT need your order or Christmas Surprise Package for Christmas, Media Mail is just fine. And any Media Mail order placed by December 14 has a decent 60/40 chance of arriving by Christmas, but after that it is a complete crap shoot.

I saw on the morning news that five semi-trucks filled with mail and packages were backed up at one of Michigan’s Postal Hubs. They arrived at 5 PM, and at midnight they were still waiting to be unloaded. The truck drivers were not happy. So again, if you NEED your order or Christmas Surprise Package in time for Christmas, please get it in NOW and over the weekend, especially if shipping via Media Mail. UPS and Priority Mail are always faster and more reliable, but cost more.

That said, at Palladium Books we are already working on the weekends to process, pick, and pack your orders as fast as we get them. (Weekend orders ship on Monday.) You help us with fast turnaround by providing a large, clear Wish List of items you know are in stock with your Surprise Package order. The Surprise Package offer is a great gift for any holiday, birthday, anniversary, or as a treat for yourself (you deserve it), and is a great way to try new settings or fill out your collection. If you have not tried one, you still have time. You will not regret it. Ho, ho, ho.

We are quite busy, so I am going to dive right into news, special offers (like the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding and those playmats), and updates. Thank you for your continued patronage and warm holiday wishes. I share more of the latter in the Fan Surprise Package Comments after my Closing Thoughts. Read on and enjoy.

NEW! DriveThruRPG: Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume 2: The Reckoning PDF

That’s right, you can get the PDF of the Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two novel starting today. The first Hammer of the Forge novel and other Rifts® novels and games are also available as PDFs from DriveThru as well as physical books from Palladium Books. The physical Hammer of the Forge Volume Two ships next week and you can place your orders now! See complete details below.

NEW! Pinnacle Entertainment – Savage Rifts^® Bundle of Holding and Savage Worlds^® Explorer’s Bundle of Holding – available now

Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding launched this past Monday. It is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts Earth for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. Likewise, Savage Rifts® players can easily adapt Palladium’s 90+ Rifts titles to their campaigns to provide additional monsters, magic, villains, weapons, locations, and adventure in their games. So take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places as well as their new twists.

Pinnacle’s Savage Rifts® enlists your adventurer group for a campaign of rail gun-shredding, mega-powered, magic-flinging adventure across Rifts Earth. And ALL of these Savage Rifts® titles are newly revised for the 2019 Savage Worlds Adventure Edition core rule book, which is not included in this offer.

For just $12.95 US Dollars you get all five Rifts® SWADE supplements and sourcebooks in this offer’s Starter Collection (retail value $43) as DRM-free PDF ebooks, including the Tomorrow Legion Player’s Guide, Game Master’s Handbook, Tomorrow Legion Field Manual, Mega Power List, and the six pre-generated player characters in Savage Rifts® Archetypes Set 1.

And if you pay more than this offer’s threshold price, you will level up and also get this offer’s entire Bonus Collection with nine more titles worth an additional $44, including Rifts® Savage Foes of North America, the full-length adventure Garnet Town Gambit, six full-color Combat Maps, and the Savage Rifts® GM Screen Inserts. Used with permission under license.

The Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding offers are also highlighting the storied past of Savage Worlds with a new companion offer, Savage Explorer Essentials. It is a big retrospective of Pinnacle’s Explorer’s Edition rule book and its many Companions, plus campaign settings like 50 Fathoms and Necessary Evil. (Caution: The Essentials offer presents the 2007 Explorer’s Edition rules, which are not fully compatible with the SWADE titles in this offer.)

The Good Fight: Ten percent of each payment (after gateway fees) for the two current Savage Worlds offers goes to the charity chosen by Pinnacle Entertainment’s Shane Hensley and Palladium’s Kevin Siembieda, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

To learn more about these Bundles of Holding, go to bundleofholding.com/presents/SavageRifts

UPDATE: Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter has funded – 18 Days remaining

The Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter is fully funded and guaranteed, so if you want any Rifts® playmats (Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and others), now is the time to place your orders. Many of these iconic Palladium Books images were special requests from backers who are fans like you, and there are new additions that include the famous Ley Line scene (one of my favorites by Kevin Long), Coalition Forces on the move (Spider Skull Walkers, Skelebots, CS troops; also by Long), Psyscape (Zeleznik) and the powerful Rifts® CCG cover (Zeleznik) along with the Red ‘Borg and others. Time is starting to run out as this Kickstarter winds down. ENDS December 28, 2020.

This is your chance to get Palladium Books’ iconic artwork on 24×14 inch playmats, because we do not know if they will ever be offered again. They are being made available via a special arrangement with Red Duke Games, the people who brought you the Necronomnomnom Cookbook. Palladium selections include full color art from Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Palladium Fantasy® covers along with many other Red Duke Games Playmats. This is a limited time Kickstarter offer, so you need to act before the Kickstarter ends and before you get caught up in the holiday frenzy.

This is the first time ever that Palladium’s artwork has been made available on playmats and they are available only via this holiday Kickstarter. Btw, if the response is strong enough, Red Duke Games may ask us to include MORE, so go check out the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter and spread the word.

A great way to start the New Year. I believe they said the playmats will be printed and shipped sometime in February. See the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter for complete details.

Get your Surprise Package now – offer ends December 24, 2020

Give the gamers in your life a gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day (for you in Canada and elsewhere), birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and any gift-giving occasion. Or treat yourself. After this crazy year, you deserve to do something nice for yourself. 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 has been 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 Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, 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! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! 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, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium’s 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. 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 – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium’s website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion.

Shipping Timeline Suggestions – 14 days till Christmas Eve – but ONLY about 4 days left to possibly expect delivery by Christmas via Media Mail

Those of you buying books, Raw Editions, Rifts® poker decks, mugs, baseball caps and Christmas Surprise Packages as holiday gifts NEED to place your orders no later than the dates below to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas (by December 24, 2019) without incurring additional costs for expedited shipping. These recommendations come from the shipping companies themselves.

• United States Postal Service: Media Mail – December 8, 2020. You should get packages shipped via Media Mail as late as December 14, but after the 8th, we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.
• UPS Standard Ground (anywhere in the contiguous USA) – December 15.
• United States Postal Service (in USA): Priority Mail – December 15.
• UPS 3-Day Select – December 20.
• UPS 2nd Day Air – December 21.
• UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 24) – December 22, remember, we need time to process and pack your order!
• To our friends in Canada and overseas – December 9. We suggest ordering no later than December 9, but SOONER is better as we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Your package should arrive in time, but if there are delays at Customs, work strike, bad weather, etc., it might miss. Order sooner rather than later. A Surprise Package mitigates overseas shipping costs – take advantage of this while you can. It is, in effect, the equivalent of getting the books you want at retail, plus autographs, and paying the equivalent of only $5-$20 for overseas shipping! MANY overseas customers take advantage of the Surprise Packages for this reason! And it is likely the ONLY way for you to get autographs. Give it a try, we don’t think you will be disappointed.
• Any orders placed after these dates may arrive in time for Christmas but we cannot guarantee it AND you should assume they will NOT arrive in time for Christmas. Please spread the word and place those orders as soon as you can. Ho, ho, ho and happy holidays.

2020 Shipping Note: Due to the pandemic and the massive amounts of goods expected to ship this holiday season, I do not know if we can honestly “guarantee” any delivery after December 14 to arrive in time for Christmas. They should, but we don’t know.

As always, at Palladium, we will be working overtime and do everything we can to process orders as fast as we can to get them to you for the holidays. However, after the package leaves the Palladium warehouse, delivery is out of our hands. As we get closer to Christmas, UPS Ground and Priority Mail will be your most reliable and timely methods of shipping. Thank you for your understanding.

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now

The Lazlo Raw Preview (and Hammer of the Forge Novel) continues to blow out the door faster than we expected. Awesome. If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends are found Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning, at the printer and expected to ship December 17, 2020.

• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels. The second available in December.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two – at the printer – available December 17

The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. The first is the wicked Royal Kreeghor, Geryon, commander of the Shadowstar, a dreadnaught rumored to carry a star-slaying weapon capable of snuffing out entire solar systems.

Then Caleb must once again face the mad Elf, Elias Harkonnen. A soulless psychopath who quit the Invincible Guardsmen because they did not offer him enough opportunities to kill people. A mad dog who relishes the thought of adding a Cosmo-Knight to his list of illustrious victims.

As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight.

• The Reckoning is the second of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. Available as a PDF on DriveThru now! As a physical book December 17.
• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels. The first is available now. The second novel is at the printer and should ship around December 17.
• 304 pages – $14.99 – Cat. No. 307 – at the printer and ships around December 17, 2020.
• Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

BACK IN STOCK: Rifts^® Novel: Sonic Boom – New size – Re-edited – Available now

Experience Rifts North America through the eyes of soldiers of the Coalition States. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon led by the courageous and well-intentioned Lieutenant Greg Merrick and Military Specialist Lieutenant Michael Sorenson, sworn to protect humankind from all threats be they aliens, dragons, or masters of magic.

Rifts® Sonic Boom™ is your introduction to the multi-genre setting of the popular, post-post-apocalypse science-fantasy Rifts® Role-Playing Game. Where high-technology, magic and the supernatural coexist on a transformed Earth that is both familiar and alien.

Read all three novels in this epic journey of discovery and adventure.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book One in a fast paced trilogy.
• 294 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 301 – available now.
• Rifts® Sonic Boom™ has been re-edited, slightly expanded, and cleaned up for your enjoyment.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel: Deception’s Web – available now

Lt. Merrick’s mission: To hunt down and destroy the so-called Army of the New Order. A terrorist group composed of mercenaries and practitioners of magic. They have been a thorn in the side of the Coalition States for long enough, it’s time to put a stop to them.

When their seek and destroy mission suddenly goes sideways, the soldiers find one of their own accused of treason and arrested for court-martial. The lives they had known and the people they trust collide with events and realizations that strain friendships and test their loyalty to the Coalition States and each other.

Hard choices, strange bedfellows, a living enigma, and the hand of evil each play a role in Rifts® Deception’s Web™.

• 4 x 7 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book Two in the trilogy.
• 409 pages – $9.95 – Cat. No. 302 – available now.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings

It seems clear to Lieutenants Merrick and Sorenson and the elite team under their command that they are being used as pawns in a larger conspiracy. A secret agenda that may lead straight to the top of the Coalition’s High Command.

But who? And how do they ferret out that person and find the evidence they need to bring an end to it without destroying themselves in the process?

Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™ is the pulse-pounding conclusion to a trilogy of books based on the popular Rifts® Role-Playing Game.

The epic conclusion is satisfying and fun.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• 426 pages – $15.99 – Cat. No. 303 – Available now!
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – enjoy.

NEW! 4 different Palladium Coffee Mugs – available now

With so many people working from home, Palladium’s fun and attractive coffee mugs have been in high demand. The Rifts® logo mug sold out a couple of weeks ago, and the Palladium Fantasy® mug sold out last week. As a result, we sent them in for another printing as well as two new mugs: A new, dynamic Dead Reign® zombie mug with an illustration by Steven Cummings done specifically for use on this coffee mug, and a Rifts® Titan Robotics™ mug, also featuring artwork by Steven Cummings. All four are in stock and ready to ship now! See details below.

NEW! Dead Reign® (Zombie attack) Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Dead Reign®” logo with three hungry zombies ready to attack. Art designed specifically for this mug by artist Steven Cummings of comic book renown (Wayward® and various Marvel Comics). White on a black mug. Very dynamic.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blood red interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2594.

NEW! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™ Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Rifts® Titan Robotics™” mug features the Rifts logo with the words Titan Robotics below it. Above the logo is one of the new Titan robots from the upcoming book release, standing in a dynamic pose. Art by Steven Cummings.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2595.

Fan Favorite: Rifts^® LOGO Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand! A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The famous Rifts® logo in white on a black mug.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a bright blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2587.

Fan Favorite: Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Dragon” Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand. A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The fan favorite “3-Headed Hydra” battling a knight from the iconic, original Palladium Fantasy RPG® cover. Red art on a black mug harkens back to the original RPG red and black cover.
• Art appears on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with an attractive orange interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2589.

COMING (tentative): Re-releases of fan favorite sold out Rifts^® miniatures

As I believe I mentioned in a previous Weekly Update, I am looking into re-releasing some old favorite Rifts® miniature sets. I’m waiting on quotes right now. That would include the Coalition soldiers and the original Glitter Boy. The G.B. is not quite as large and dynamic as the new Glitter Boy miniature, but we know collectors still want it, so we are considering offering it again. More details when I know more.

And we may be releasing other new miniatures created by Carmen Bellaire. Keep your eyes peeled.

Retailers can order direct from Palladium Books at discount terms

Retailers, are you having trouble getting Palladium products from your distributors? Join the growing number of stores to whom Palladium sells direct. 95-99% of all our game lines are ALWAYS IN STOCK and ready to ship. Palladium has your back!

Until we put into place something more formal, retailers can call the office at 734-721-2903 and leave a message and phone number on the answering machine, or send an inquiry via the Help Desk, and Palladium will respond pronto. Glad to help. As long as you are a brick and mortar store, we are happy to do business with you.

We added another store to our direct sales roster just yesterday, and others have inquired. Retailers and gamers alike, please spread the word to let game stores and comic book shops know if they are having difficulty getting Palladium Books products from distributors, they should contact Palladium Books to buy from us direct! Spread the fun and game on!

In the Face of Death^™ – Available now

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that reimagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to the genre

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – 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.

COMING SOON! Rifts^® CS Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Hey, I’m as frustrated as you are that this awesome book (BTS Creature Feature, too) is not done yet, but it will be soon. It has been rough being short-handed and juggling so much, but it will be worth the wait. Rifts® CS Manhunters™ is packed with good stuff. I will try to offer a few snippets in my Murmurs from the Megaverse® and social media.

Coalition Manhunters™ reveals more Coalition States secrets about the super-secret CS Manhunters. So secret that most people have never heard of them, and those who have do not believe they really exist. But that’s not all – there are new psionic abilities, new CS characters available as player characters and NPC villains, more insight about the CS and Psi-Battalion, and more. All of it building toward something epic.

Who watches the watchmen? CS Manhunters. A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion who hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also traitors within the Coalition States. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, Dog Boys, and CS soldiers are trained hunters of men and cold-blooded killing machines. They follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

• New Coalition Psychic O.C.C.s.
• 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 on the Coalition’s infamous Psi-Battalion.
• The impact of the demon plagues from the Minion War.
• Non-Player Characters, background info, adventure ideas, and more.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894 – In production and nearing completion.

COMING! Creature Feature^™, a Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebook

The manuscript is in. Artwork is being created. And the world of Beyond the Supernatural™ is about to be expanded. This sourcebook 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.

COMING! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is a high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics that will make gamers salivate. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

COMING: 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) – shooting for a winter or spring release.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Psychic Scream^™

This is another book that is going to surprise and wow. New and insane psionics, some taken to the level of super abilities due to the massive amount of P.P.E. energy surging across the planet and boosting survivors with ambient and alien energy. Some become heroes and defenders of fellow survivors. Some become power-mongers and killers. And still others become just one more monster or madman threatening to destroy humanity. I’m assigning some additional artwork for it this week.

UPDATE: Forgotten People – A Fantasy RPG Sourcebook

I spoke with one of the contributing writers last week and his ideas for Bug Bears sounded fabulous. Because some of this material has appeared in past issues of The Rifter® you may think you know what to expect. You don’t. There is a lot of new and exciting material in this bad boy. Things you never knew and may have been afraid to ask.

MORE Material for Fantasy

Several different freelance writers have submitted additional and unexpected Fantasy material for sourcebooks. Though I have not had a chance to review any of them – too much on my plate at the moment as I stay focused on finishing books already in the pipeline – I am very excited by this turn of events. Palladium Fantasy is on the move! Heck, several game lines are.

UPDATE: Other titles – like CS Arsenal^™ and Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebooks

Please remember, just because I do not mention or list a specific title in an Update, does not mean it has been removed from the production schedule. All it means is that we are focused and talking about more immediate, upcoming releases, or projects we are excited about that week, or there’s no substantive news to report. We are anxious to put as many books you’ve been waiting for into your hands as possible over the next 18 months, as well as new projects being worked on by freelance writers. That includes Rifts® Antarctica, The Disavowed™, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Land of the Damned™ 3, Rifts® Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, more Fantasy sourcebooks and other titles. So if a book you are waiting for is not mentioned in an Update, it means there is nothing new to report, but it should still be in the pipeline and news for it will be coming in the weeks or months ahead. Right now, we are focused on releases for the next six months, which by our count is 6-7 titles. And many of them are in various stages of final production or development. We are shooting for one or two new physical book releases every month as well as a couple new PDF products on DriveThruRPG.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Rifts^® Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding AND Hammer of the Forge Novel, Volume Two

NEW! Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding is happening right now! This is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts® for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. The source material in Palladium’s books – a vast array of additional characters, monsters, magic, weapons, locations, adventures, etc., are easily adapted to provide more depth and history and adventure options for your Savage Worlds campaigns.

This is an opportunity for you to check out Savage Rifts® and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two: The Reckoning is now available as a PDF novel. It completes the original story of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan with dramatic and fun flair as it reveals his continuing adventures. Adventures and challenges that carry our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight. Now available as a PDF on DriveThru. Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is available as a PDF novel on DriveThruRPG and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com. See the full description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent 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; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

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

I want to thank you for your understanding regarding my decision to reschedule the 2021 Palladium Open House for April 2022. I know some of you are deeply disappointed, but as I stated, I do this for everyone’s complete safety. I would not be able to live with myself if some of the wonderful people who attended – many of which have become friends over the decades – got sick or, God forbid, died. It is not worth the risk. By April 2022, most folks should have been vaccinated, Covid-19 should be behind us, and life should be returning to some level of normalcy. Allowing us to let down our hair to hang out, celebrate like crazy, and game the days away.

This damn disease is real and dangerous. A dear friend’s otherwise healthy and active Grandfather is in hospice and dying of Covid-19. An elderly acquaintance went to a medium-sized birthday party because she missed family. She had a blast, but she and several other people caught Covid-19 afterward. The others recovered, but this nice lady has died of it. A Palladium freelance writer has had several family members and his 14 year old daughter all suffer through Covid-19 with varying degrees of severity. Thank goodness they have all recovered, but all of them continue to experience lasting, periodically debilitating side-effects/symptoms. I have gotten the same report from a number of people, while others got it, barely knew they had it, and recovered just fine. This damn bug is tricky and nasty and I am not going to put your lives in jeopardy for a long weekend of fun.

Hospital beds here in Southern Michigan are full, so even finding a hospital bed for a non-Covid emergency is difficult. I never thought about that aspect until we experienced if firsthand for Thanksgiving. See my Closing Thoughts in last week’s Update for details.

But let’s focus on more fun things. We are shipping orders and Christmas Surprise Packages like crazy. Everyone at Palladium Books is thrilled our games give you some moments of relief, joy, and laughter. And we appreciate your support during these wild and uncertain times. That’s what family does in times of trouble: They go the extra mile to help. We do that with every Surprise Package when we try to make them special and when I sign random books in regular orders, or drop in a print or something extra. And that’s what you have been doing by buying up Palladium products all this time. Thank you. It is one reason why I have always said Palladium fans are the greatest, bar none. And it is why I love my huge, extended Palladium family of fans and friends. It is my greatest wish that you are able to enjoy a quiet, safe, and joyful Christmas and that the New Year is a great one for us all.

Keep those orders for the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview, Rifts® novels, mugs, Christmas Surprise Packages, and all the rest coming in. By the way, I believe the Lazlo Raw Preview is already the fastest selling Raw Preview we have ever released! Selling nearly half of its limited 350 copy print run within 2-3 weeks. Folks are loving it.

Don’t forget, the physical Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two, ships next week and the PDF is available on DriveThruRPG right now! And if you have not taken a look at those Palladium playmats being offered in the now funded Red Duke Games Kickstarter, check them out before it ends in two weeks or so. They are cool. I have never used a playmat for rolling dice and RPGing, but I’m going to get a few and give them a try. I also keep wondering if they would make good dinner place mats? Is that a stupid idea?

Oh, remember, Pinnacle Entertainment has just launched their Rifts® Savage Worlds PDF Bundle of Holding. It started earlier this week and is an opportunity for you to check out Savage Rifts® on the cheap and help a worthy charity. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and the adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa.

Wow, a lot is going on in the Palladium Megaverse. By the way, I have been really enjoying the brief comments and suggestions that come with many of the Surprise Packages. You can enjoy a small selection of them in every Weekly Update right after my Closing Thoughts, below. Stay safe, stay positive and game on!

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

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where the customer can offer comments and suggestions with his or her Surprise Package order. Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling 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 days. Please help use our games to find escape from the pandemic and to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each.

T.B. in Jackson, Michigan, writes: Rolling the dice on Surprise Package #3 this season! What an awesome time of year to be a Palladium fan! Thanks to all at Palladium for your hard work and dedication to this hobby. Thanks to Charles Walton for setting my imagination on fire with his stellar art. Thanks to Uncle Kevin for the endless supply of fun and adventure. And thanks to Archie-3 for Shemarrians! Happy Holidays!

[Hey T.B., it looks like you rolled a Natural Twenty on Surprise Package #3. We appreciate the high praise. And I liked the “Uncle Kevin,” comment. Reminds me of “Uncle Walt” as in Walt Disney, one of my creative heroes. Merry Christmas and happy New Year. – KS]

C.R. in Washington, writes (in part): This is a gift for my husband who loves and swears by Palladium Books, Rifts® and the Megaverse®. Slowly but surely he is building up his collection and this Grab Bag was the only thing he truly wanted for Christmas, so I am helping a couple family members with filling out and purchasing this for him.

[Fear not C.R., you sent a decent Wish List and I will do my best to make this gift everything you want it to be. And you sent it in early enough and ordered via UPS so you will definitely get it in time for Christmas. Happy Holidays. – KS}

S.P. in Eugene, Oregon, writes: Love these Grab Bags. Best holiday gift sets I can give a friend. Have played the game for over 15 years now and never get bored. Keep up the good work.

[Thank you S.P., we aim to please. Glad you are putting them to such good use. Game on and Happy Holidays. – KS]

M.W. in New Mexico writes: Favorites: Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy®. Thank you so much for doing this every year. I have been getting this for my husband for X-Mas for 15 years and it is the one present he looks forward to every time. Have a happy, safe and wonderful holiday.

[You are very welcome M.W., and the same to you and yours. I hope your husband enjoys the Surprise Package as much as usual. Ho, ho, ho. – KS]

T.H. in Batavia, New York, writes (in part): Favorites: Robotech®, Three Galaxies/Phase World®, Rifts®, Chaos Earth® and RECON®. Love your Christmas Surprise Package …

[Glad you enjoy our games and the Surprise Package offer so much, T.H. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. – KS]

T.G. in Fields Landing, California, writes: Favorites: Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy® (playing a campaign now), TMNT® and the After the Bomb® add-ons [sourcebooks]. I have started playing again with a group that liked D&D and now they are hooked on Palladium; the combat and skill system is so much better. You are welcome.

[Thank you for the converts and high praise, T.G., both are much appreciated. – KS]

C.W. in Ojai, California, writes (in part): I hope you guys are doing okay during insane times … I appreciate everything you guys do, and if it helps, you guys have brought incalculable amounts of joy to my gaming group and I. We are forever grateful.

[It does help, C.W., a lot. It is very rewarding and humbling to know our games, stories, worlds and ideas have brought you and so many other gamers around the globe decades of adventure and fun. It is the most incredible part of my job and makes me one of the luckiest people on Earth. Thank you for your kind words. We are doing okay in these insane times and so far, have managed to avoid catching Covid-19. Like everyone else, some days and weeks are better than others. As I write this I’m feeling positive and appreciative of the many wonderful fans and friends we have made via our gaming hobby. Please stay healthy and happy throughout the holidays, C.W. and all of you reading this, and into the New Year. – KS]

C.J. in Whittier, California, writes: Favorites: Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts® and Nightbane®. I’ve been interested in Palladium’s games ever since I laid eyes on the old-school Rifts® Splugorth Slaver cover so many years ago. This is the first year I’m treating myself to the Christmas Surprise Package and want to thank Mr. Siembieda and the entire Palladium team for creating an entire Megaverse® to explore.

[It is our pleasure, C.J. I need to put my overactive imagination to work doing something. Lol. Thank you for the kind words. That Keith Parkinson cover really was something, wasn’t it? One of my favorites. Keep exploring and building onto our Megaverse and have a blast doing it. – KS]

J.R. in Sequim, Washington, writes: Favorites: Robotech®, TMNT®, Rifts®. Thank you for all the superb work you do! Your imaginations have been helping me game for decades.

[Wow, glad to hear it J.R. We hope to keep fueling your imagination for many more decades to come. – KS]

B.L. in Watertown, Massachusetts, writes: Favorites: Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited. Another year, another Christmas Surprise Package! Thank you for providing this opportunity every year. It has become a tradition here. I am looking forward to the 2021 releases.

[Hey B.L., thank you for the years of support. I’m looking forward to 2021 releases as well. lol. What I mean by that is we are all very excited by what is in production and development and cannot wait to get it into your hands! Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring us all some sense of safety, normalcy, and fun. – KS]

M.B. in The Dalles, Oregon, writes (in part): I’ve been collecting for years … I have most of the Rifts® books, even a few duplicates, thus more TMNT® or Robotech® would be great.

[That would be great, M.B., but alas, we no longer have either one of those licenses, though we do think about trying to get Ninja Turtles® back from time to time. I hope you enjoy your Surprise Package. Ho, ho, ho. – KS]

C.D. in Nashville, Tennessee, writes: Favorites: In order, Heroes Unlimited™, Rifts®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Ninjas & Superspies™. Palladium was the first publisher I ever played games from. I cut my role-playing teeth on Rifts® when I was 11 or 12. I have been playing Palladium’s games since 1994 and am gearing up to run a Heroes Unlimited game for some friends online until it is safe to meet in person. Give me an excuse to learn a new setting [with the requested Fantasy titles in my Wish List].

[Cool! Glad you have enjoyed our games all these years, C.D. I hope you enjoy our fantasy setting just as much. I think you will enjoy what we have in store for HU when we get to it. Game on! – KS]

N.H. in Bloomington, Indiana, writes (in part): I have been really enjoying my read through of Rifts® Ultimate Edition from my last Surprise Package purchase as it is currently the only sci-fi setting on my RPG shelf. I generally play RPGs solo with a GM emulator (Mythic GME) or collaborative with a small group and the same emulator.

[Enjoy Rifts® and game on, N.H. Science fiction can be as much fun as any fantasy game, though I would classify Rifts® as science-fantasy. – KS]

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. Two – Coming

More monsters and exotic animals of Rifts® North America as part of an ongoing series of Rifts® Bestiary sourcebooks. The first two or three Rifts® Bestiary™ books will focus on monsters and animals of North America. They collect creatures from all current World Books and Sourcebooks, plus some new creatures by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton, and others. Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location at a glance.

Note: The Rifts® Bestiary™ series is more than a few big books of monsters, they are deliberately designed to provide players with a useful, living resource (pet, guard animal, riding animal, food source, etc.) as well as present many and varied opportunities for adventure and fun. Some creatures are helpful, some are inadvertently a threat or danger, while others are slobbering predators or wicked beasts that kill and eat you, or capture you, or sabotage you, or worse.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America in a second easy to use sourcebook.
• Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Notable Splugorth hunting animals.
• Some new creatures, but most are existing creatures.
• Updated information where applicable.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated.
• Art by Chuck Walton, Siembieda, Cummings, Bradshaw, Atkins, Ashbaugh, and many others.
• 192-224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 897. In production.

In the Face of Death^™ – Now Shipping!

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that re-imagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to classic tropes

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – shipping now.

COMING! Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion, the CS Manhunters hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also their own. Coalition soldiers, brass, government leaders, and anyone who becomes designated as having gone rogue, AWOL, or turned traitor (including the Disavowed), become targets of CS Manhunters to be tracked down and brought to justice. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, and manhunters are trained killing machines who follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

More often than not, the assignment is straight-up find and terminate. If your name has been given to a Manhunter squad, your fate is sealed, and no one is untouchable. The CS Manhunters operate in secret, find their target, terminate, and vanish as if they were never there at all. They don’t seek credit or limelight. They serve their country from the blood-soaked shadows.

• CS Manhunter squads and special operatives.
• Manhunter Killhound and Dog Boy O.C.C.s.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Healer.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Interrogator (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Psi-Enforcer (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Bursters and Zappers.
• CS Manhunter Slayer (a variation of the Psi-Slayer or Psi-Warrior).
• CS Manhunter Mind Melter, the most insidious and deadliest of them all.
• Weapons, gear, and tactics.
• Some notable Non-Player Characters, adventure ideas, and more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Art by Nick Bradshaw.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894.

NEW! Garden of the Gods^™, Palladium Fantasy^® Sourcebook – Shipping now!

The Garden of the Gods™ sourcebook is 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 a place of miracles and wisdom 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 dangerous evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit, as well as dark gods within the Garden itself.

• 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. One game system – a Megaverse® of adventure!™
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 475.

Land of the Damned^™ Three: The Bleakness^™ Raw Preview – available now

Available now! The “Raw Preview Edition” of LotD-3: The Bleakness™, for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, working manuscript for this new Fantasy World Book. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released. A rare look at the raw manuscript before final edit, rewrites and publication. Limited to a total of 200 copies.

This epic sourcebook presents the forbidden Land of the Damned in all its brutal glory. Includes information about the ancient and forgotten eldritch races, the Minotaur legions, dark magic, the Citadel, countless adventure hooks and ideas, and much, much more. The long awaited final book in the Land of the Damned series, with connections to the Garden of the Gods™ and the upcoming Lopan Fantasy World Book.

• Limited collector’s edition – only 200 collector copies.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• A rare glimpse at the virgin manuscript and a work in progress.
• Written by Matthew Clements, based on ideas by Kevin Siembieda.
• 96 pages – Limited Edition – $20.99 – Cat. No. 470-RAW – available now. Note: The finished book with artwork and more is anticipated to ship in a few months, but you can see what it’s all about right now and even start playing with this special Preview Edition!

Palladium Fantasy RPG^® Interactive Character Sheet

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet is a Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook, this sheet saves you time and hassle with each character you create. Available now, directly from Palladium Books AND DriveThruRPG.com – this is a digital, online product only.

Features & Benefits:

• The Main Character Sheet Page collects the important data from across multiple tabs and puts it in one place for quick and easy reference.
• Separate sheets examine character construction (worktable), Skills, Magic, Psionics, and Combat in greater detail.
• Built-in leveling system that calculates skill advancement for you! Experience Tables for over 80 O.C.C.s already programmed.
• Recognizes the percentages for nearly 150 skills, plus combat bonuses for over 20 Weapon Proficiencies and 7 Hand to Hand styles.
• Calculates the speed and distance a character can run and jump based on character Attributes.
• Also calculates how much a character can lift, carry, and throw for humanoids, Giants, and Supernatural Beings.
• Add in your own Hand to Hand style, custom Skills, unique Weapon Proficiencies, and Experience Tables.
• Estimated time to build a character reduced by 20% or more.
• Instructions on how to use the sheet included, as well as a video walkthrough below.
• Important Note: This character sheet is built to be used with Microsoft Excel 2010+ and it comes in .XLSX format. Opening this file in other spreadsheet programs is NOT guaranteed to work as intended.
• Watch the Overview video here: https://vimeo.com/322271758

Psychic Scream^™ – Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Sourcebook

A storm has rolled in. A psychic storm. With the Coming of the Rifts, survivors are bombarded by terrifying visions and overwhelmed with powers and abilities they never asked for, and often cannot control.

Where do you hide from the madness boiling inside of you?

What would you do when you know evil lurks hidden among your fellow survivors?

Why do the voices of alien creatures speak to you?

How do you cope when the power you unleashed to destroy a monster and save the innocent, destroys everyone but you?

Have you become a hero or another monster born in chaos?

Are these powers your family’s salvation or their damnation?

Find out in Psychic Scream!

In the wake of the Coming of the Rifts, people begin to see ghosts and demons, they unleash lightning from their fingertips, command fire and water, hurl boulders and girders with their minds, and manifest a wide range of mental powers. Psionic abilities fueled by the explosive return of magic and the unchecked flow of dimensional energy that is off the charts.

Psychic abilities more powerful than anything known after the Two Hundred Years Dark Age. Wondrous and lifesaving. But also seething and out of control. The psychics’ own minds bombarded by feelings of dread, visions of horror, and the thoughts and emotions of everyone around them. For many, it is too much, sending them careening into madness. For others, it creates heroes forged from chaos.

• Untamed psychic abilities. More powerful than anything known later on Rifts Earth.
• New psychic powers and character classes.
• New psionic monsters and invaders.
• Insanity, side-effects and horror.
• Adventure ideas and more. All people, powers and monsters that become myths and legends told about the events during the Two Hundred Years Dark Age.
• Written by Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 667.

COMING: Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

COMING: The Island of Lopan Sourcebook, a fantasy sourcebook

The island kingdom described and mapped, rare and ancient magic, trade with the Old Kingdom, Centaurs, Western intrigue, and more.

• History and overview.
• Key cities and locations.
• Lopan O.C.C.s and people of note.
• And Old Kingdom City that is a trade partner.
• The mysterious and nearly forgotten Mosaic Magic.
• New monsters and magic, weapons and gear.
• Written by Glen Evans.
• 192 pages – $26.99 – Cat. No. 476.

COMING: Rifts^® Antarctica

Rifts® Antarctica is a truly compelling and exotic land beyond what anyone expects. A frozen continent transformed by the power of magic and alien wildlife. Long isolated from the rest of the world, Rifts, D-Shifting events and the threat of war have now brought the distant South Pole within reach. And unearthed something ancient and so dangerous that even the Splugorth fear it and dare not go there.

• New alien monsters and D-Bees.
• Strange new weapons and vehicles. Some left over from the Golden Age of Humanity, others completely alien.
• The Splugorth’s secret outpost. More than it would seem.
• A Splugorth zoo and place of secret Bio-Wizard experiments.
• Snow and Ice Golems created specifically for the cold environment.
• Danger from the elements, Ice Witches, Icecraft, and other horrors.
• Vostok City, a city of magic carved from the ice itself.
• Cold-weather skills, technology and survival techniques.
• Ancient danger and dark secrets.
• Written by Matthew Clements, Carmen Bellaire, and Kevin Siembieda.
• 160 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 898.

COMING! Rifts^® The Disavowed^™ – Secrets of the Coalition States^™

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

• CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?
• Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?
• Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?
• What role does the Vanguard play in this group?
• How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?
• What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 892.

COMING! Heroes of Humanity^™ Arsenal – Rifts^® Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Rifts® Heroes of Humanity gave you updated Coalition Army O.C.C.s, ways to upgrade men-at-arms, new O.C.C.s, battle plans and strategies and tactics. CS Heroes of Humanity™ Arsenal provides an array of new Coalition hardware: weapons, armor, additional SAMAS, other power armor, robots, combat vehicles, gear and info.

• New CS weapons and gear.
• New CS SAMAS and power armor.
• New CS robots and combat vehicles.
• More secrets and information about the Coalition States.
• Wild adventure opportunities, fun and more.
• Part of the Minion War™ “Crossover” series.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Clements, Gleba and others.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 893.

Rifts^® Bestiary^™, Volume One – Shipping Now!

Could the monsters known as Caterpillar Things be the larval form of the Mothman Monster? Is the Corrival Battler as aggressive and dangerous as adventurers claim? Are Darkhounds really magically mutated Dog Boys? Is that why they see Coalition soldiers as friends and allies? Ee-Bee Gee-Bees are kinda cute, how dangerous can they be? Is it true the animals and people slain by the Death Springer rise as zombies?! What on Rifts Earth is a Field Reaper?

This book reveals it all.

Designed with both Players and Game Masters in mind, with creatures that can be used as pets, companions, riding animals, attack animals, and even unlikely allies, as well as slobbering monsters and catalysts for adventure. Adult, juvenile, and young stages of life give every creature three different levels of power and danger. Presented as a complete ecosystem, with maps and details to bring each animal to life. All provide plenty of spice to add to your characters and adventures.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail, updated and expanded.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found at a glance.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Powerful art.
• Includes basic S.D.C. stats for each creature description.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton and others.
• 256 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 – Shipping Now!

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. One – “Gold Edition” Hardcover – Signed and Numbered – Now Shipping!

A deluxe, limited, Gold Edition hardcover, signed and numbered by Palladium staff and maybe a few freelancers. It is the same content of unique creatures that can be used as familiars, pets, riding animals, guard animals, and slobbering monsters as the softcover edition in a durable hardcover. Very limited run of only 300 copies, numbered and signed by Kevin Siembieda, Palladium staff members and possibly available contributing artists and writers. Note: Historically, Palladium Books’ Gold Editions have doubled, tripled or increased in value many times over. Valued as cherished collectibles. Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Please note the slight increase in price to $55.

• Gold foil on a black faux leather hardcover.
• Sewn and glued for long-lasting durability.
• Only 300 signed and numbered copies.
• Available only from Palladium Books.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
• Signed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium staff.
• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail.
• Same contents as the softcover edition.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting; basic S.D.C. stats included for each creature description.
• 256 pages – $55.00 retail – Cat. No. 896HC (Volume One). Shipping Now!

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #84 – available and shipping now

The Rifter® #84 focuses on adventure in dark corners of various world settings. Places where danger threatens, monsters and evildoers lurk in the shadows, and people are in need of heroes. Adventure source material for The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, and Rifts®. And remember, adventures and source material for one game setting can also be adapted to other world settings with some easy and obvious modifications. Most of all, have fun.

Rifter® #84 Highlights:

• The City of Cascade™ by Erick Wujcik and Matt Reed, A modern city in desperate need of heroes.
• The Kingdom of Raf-Chalon™ for Palladium Fantasy RPG® by Glen Evans. An Elven Kingdom in the Eastern Territory™.
• Golems in the Myst™ for Rifts® by Greg Diaczyk. Techno-Wizard experiments go wrong and Golems run amok.
• Spellbound O.C.C. for Nightbane® RPG by Ian Herbert.
• An Adventure for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Kyle Osterberg.
• The Dimma, a short story and a scary new monster for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Steven Dawes.
• 2021 Palladium Open House and other news.
• Coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 96 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 184 – Shipping now!

Copyright 2020 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.

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda

I hope everyone enjoyed a Happy Thanksgiving as best you could, as well as taking advantage of the weekend long cavalcade of sales. You certainly kept us busy with a wonderful avalanche of Black Friday/Cyber-Monday Sale and Christmas Surprise Package orders. THANK YOU! We appreciate your support so very much, especially during these strange and scary times. We are glad you enjoyed ALL the sales, and while the Black Friday/Cyber-Monday sales are over, the Surprise Package Offer continues. It runs thru December 24th. Likewise, the Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter runs through December 28, 2020, so there is still time for both.

Of course, if you are getting a Christmas Surprise Package or any order as a gift for the holidays, it is best if you order within the next 14 or so days to get it in time for Christmas, especially if shipping via Media Mail. UPS and Priority Mail are always faster and more reliable, but cost more. WARNING: All shippers – UPS, FedEx, DHL, and the US Postal Service – are expecting a record number of mail and packages to ship and deliver this holiday season. That could lead to delays in shipping, especially as we get closer to Christmas. If you can, please place your holiday orders sooner than later. Btw, I have been loading up Christmas Surprise Packages to help bring gaming fun and joy to customers around the world. The Surprise Package offer is a great gift for any holiday, birthday, anniversary, or as a treat for yourself (you deserve it), and is a great way to try new settings or fill out your collection.

 

Processing and shipping book orders and Surprise Packages is our top priority this time of year, squeezing in writing and art assignments wherever and whenever I can. I am most definitely not complaining. Some days, the large number of orders that have been arriving have brought tears to my eyes. Like so many of you, we did not know (and still do not know) what the future holds for us and Palladium Books due to the pandemic. Your strong support purchasing regular orders and Surprise Packages has been a comforting godsend. Your many kind words buoying our spirits and keeping us motivated and joyful.

Strong sales help us catch up on bills and put aside money and plan for the uncertain months ahead. Together you have helped us to continue our operations and I am deeply gratified to hear from so many of you that our games and my words in these Weekly Updates and Murmurs from the Megaverse® have helped you in return. A little good during a storm of uncertainty and worry.

My heart goes out to those who have gotten ill or lost loved ones, and to business owners and individuals who are not so fortunate. Personally, I have found myself donating to food drives, food banks, and charities like the Red Cross and Salvation Army more than I have in recent years. All in an effort to help those less fortunate in whatever little ways I am able. I hope and pray the vast majority of you are managing to stay well, hang tough, and survive it all without too much sacrifice and loss. I have a much better understanding of how the pandemic is affecting lives since an unexpected incident the day before Thanksgiving. See my Closing Thoughts for details.

 

Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is selling like crazy so people are loving it. Only the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview is outselling it! Nice.

 

Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning is at the printer. It is a little bit larger than the first novel – 304 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 307. Taking orders now. It should ship around December 17. See the full description later in this Update.

 

Strong sales across the board among all our game and product lines: Rifts® and ALL game settings, all novels, prints, coffee mugs, back issues of The Rifter®, the three special reprints (Systems Failure RPG being rediscovered as a fun, complete game and setting people are really enjoying, Nightbane® Shadows of Light, BTS Boxed Nightmares, and RECON), miniatures, T-shirts, and, well, pretty much everything is selling well. So thank you again, keep those orders rolling in, and happy holidays.

 

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® line is the other hot seller after Rifts®. In fact, sales of the Fantasy RPG® and LOTD 3: The Bleakness Raw Preview and a couple other Fantasy titles have been so strong, we may temporarily run out of them for a week or two. That’s also true of a few other titles across our various game lines. We hate to run out of anything at Christmas time, but sometimes it is unavoidable. We hope you understand. Note: The Fantasy RPG is at the printer.

 

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now

The Lazlo Raw Preview (and Hammer of the Forge Novel) continues to blow out the door faster than we expected. Awesome. If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

 

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

 

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends are found Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning, at the printer and expected to ship December 17, 2020.

• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels. The second available in December.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

 

NEW! Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two – at the printer – available December 17

The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. The first is the wicked Royal Kreeghor, Geryon, commander of the Shadowstar, a dreadnaught rumored to carry a star-slaying weapon capable of snuffing out entire solar systems.

Then Caleb must once again face the mad Elf, Elias Harkonnen. A soulless psychopath who quit the Invincible Guardsmen because they did not offer him enough opportunities to kill people. A mad dog who relishes the thought of adding a Cosmo-Knight to his list of illustrious victims.

As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight.

• The Reckoning is the second of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. Available as a PDF on DriveThru around December 10. As a physical book December 17.
• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels. The first is available now. The second novel is at the printer and should ship around December 17.
• 304 pages – $14.99 – Cat. No. 307 – at the printer and ships around December 17, 2020.
• Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

 

Get your Surprise Package now

Give the gamers in your life a gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day (for you in Canada and elsewhere), birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and any gift-giving occasion. Or treat yourself. After this crazy year, you deserve to do something nice for yourself. 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 has been 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 Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, 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! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! 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, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium’s 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. 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 – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium’s website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion.

 

Shipping Timeline Suggestions – 21 days till Christmas Eve – but ONLY about 5 days left to guarantee delivery by Christmas via Media Mail

Those of you buying books, Raw Editions, Rifts® poker decks, mugs, baseball caps and Christmas Surprise Packages as holiday gifts NEED to place your orders no later than the dates below to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas (by December 24, 2019) without incurring additional costs for expedited shipping. These recommendations come from the shipping companies themselves.

• United States Postal Service: Media Mail – December 8, 2020. You should get packages shipped via Media Mail as late as December 14, but after the 8th, we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.
• UPS Standard Ground (anywhere in the contiguous USA) – December 15.
• United States Postal Service (in USA): Priority Mail – December 15.
• UPS 3-Day Select – December 20.
• UPS 2nd Day Air – December 21.
• UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 24) – December 22, remember, we need time to process and pack your order!
• To our friends in Canada and overseas – December 9. We suggest ordering no later than December 9, but SOONER is better as we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Your package should arrive in time, but if there are delays at Customs, work strike, bad weather, etc., it might miss. Order sooner rather than later. A Surprise Package mitigates overseas shipping costs – take advantage of this while you can. It is, in effect, the equivalent of getting the books you want at retail, plus autographs, and paying the equivalent of only $5-$20 for overseas shipping! MANY overseas customers take advantage of the Surprise Packages for this reason! And it is likely the ONLY way for you to get autographs. Give it a try, we don’t think you will be disappointed.
• Any orders placed after these dates may arrive in time for Christmas but we cannot guarantee it AND you should assume they will NOT arrive in time for Christmas. Please spread the word and place those orders as soon as you can. Ho, ho, ho and happy holidays.

2020 Shipping Note: Due to the pandemic and the massive amounts of goods expected to ship this holiday season, I do not know if we can honestly “guarantee” any delivery after December 14 to arrive in time for Christmas. They should, but we don’t know.

As always, at Palladium, we will be working overtime and do everything we can to process orders as fast as we can to get them to you for the holidays. However, after the package leaves the Palladium warehouse, delivery is out of our hands. As we get closer to Christmas, UPS Ground and Priority Mail will be your most reliable and timely methods of shipping. Thank you for your understanding.

 

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

 

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

 

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

 

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

 

Palladium Playmats via PLAYMATS by Red Duke Games Kickstarter – happening right NOW!

This is your chance to get Palladium Books’ iconic artwork on 24×14 inch playmats, because we do not know if they will ever be offered again. They are being made available via a special arrangement with Red Duke Games, the people who brought you the Necronomnomnom Cookbook. Palladium selections include full color art from Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Palladium Fantasy® covers along with many other Red Duke Games Playmats. This is a limited time Kickstarter offer, so you need to act before the Kickstarter ends and before you get caught up in the holiday frenzy.

This is the first time ever that Palladium’s artwork has been made available on playmats and they are available only via this holiday Kickstarter. Btw, if the response is strong enough, Red Duke Games may ask us to include MORE, so go check out the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter and spread the word.

A great way to start the New Year. I believe they said the playmats will be printed and shipped sometime in February. See the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter for complete details.

 

BACK IN STOCK: Rifts^® Novel: Sonic Boom – New size – Re-edited – Available now

Experience Rifts North America through the eyes of soldiers of the Coalition States. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon led by the courageous and well-intentioned Lieutenant Greg Merrick and Military Specialist Lieutenant Michael Sorenson, sworn to protect humankind from all threats be they aliens, dragons, or masters of magic.

Rifts® Sonic Boom™ is your introduction to the multi-genre setting of the popular, post-post-apocalypse science-fantasy Rifts® Role-Playing Game. Where high-technology, magic and the supernatural coexist on a transformed Earth that is both familiar and alien.

Read all three novels in this epic journey of discovery and adventure.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book One in a fast paced trilogy.
• 294 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 301 – available now.
• Rifts® Sonic Boom™ has been re-edited, slightly expanded, and cleaned up for your enjoyment.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

 

Rifts^® Novel: Deception’s Web – available now

Lt. Merrick’s mission: To hunt down and destroy the so-called Army of the New Order. A terrorist group composed of mercenaries and practitioners of magic. They have been a thorn in the side of the Coalition States for long enough, it’s time to put a stop to them.

When their seek and destroy mission suddenly goes sideways, the soldiers find one of their own accused of treason and arrested for court-martial. The lives they had known and the people they trust collide with events and realizations that strain friendships and test their loyalty to the Coalition States and each other.

Hard choices, strange bedfellows, a living enigma, and the hand of evil each play a role in Rifts® Deception’s Web™.

• 4 x 7 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book Two in the trilogy.
• 409 pages – $9.95 – Cat. No. 302 – available now.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

 

Rifts^® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings

It seems clear to Lieutenants Merrick and Sorenson and the elite team under their command that they are being used as pawns in a larger conspiracy. A secret agenda that may lead straight to the top of the Coalition’s High Command.

But who? And how do they ferret out that person and find the evidence they need to bring an end to it without destroying themselves in the process?

Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™ is the pulse-pounding conclusion to a trilogy of books based on the popular Rifts® Role-Playing Game.

The epic conclusion is satisfying and fun.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• 426 pages – $15.99 – Cat. No. 303 – Available now!
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – enjoy.

 

NEW! 4 different Palladium Coffee Mugs – available now

With so many people working from home, Palladium’s fun and attractive coffee mugs have been in high demand. The Rifts® logo mug sold out a couple of weeks ago, and the Palladium Fantasy® mug sold out last week. As a result, we sent them in for another printing as well as two new mugs: A new, dynamic Dead Reign® zombie mug with an illustration by Steven Cummings done specifically for use on this coffee mug, and a Rifts® Titan Robotics™ mug, also featuring artwork by Steven Cummings. All four are in stock and ready to ship now! See details below.

 

NEW! Dead Reign® (Zombie attack) Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Dead Reign®” logo with three hungry zombies ready to attack. Art designed specifically for this mug by artist Steven Cummings of comic book renown (Wayward® and various Marvel Comics). White on a black mug. Very dynamic.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blood red interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2594.

 

NEW! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™ Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Rifts® Titan Robotics™” mug features the Rifts logo with the words Titan Robotics below it. Above the logo is one of the new Titan robots from the upcoming book release, standing in a dynamic pose. Art by Steven Cummings.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2595.

 

Fan Favorite: Rifts^® LOGO Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand! A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The famous Rifts® logo in white on a black mug.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a bright blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2587.

 

Fan Favorite: Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Dragon” Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand. A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The fan favorite “3-Headed Hydra” battling a knight from the iconic, original Palladium Fantasy RPG® cover. Red art on a black mug harkens back to the original RPG red and black cover.
• Art appears on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with an attractive orange interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2589.

 

COMING (tentative): Re-releases of fan favorite sold out Rifts^® miniatures

As I believe I mentioned in a previous Weekly Update, I am looking into re-releasing some old favorite Rifts® miniature sets. I’m waiting on quotes right now. That would include the Coalition soldiers and the original Glitter Boy. The G.B. is not quite as large and dynamic as the new Glitter Boy miniature, but we know collectors still want it, so we are considering offering it again. More details when I know more.

And we may be releasing other new miniatures created by Carmen Bellaire. Keep your eyes peeled.

 

Retailers can order direct from Palladium Books at discount terms

Retailers, are you having trouble getting Palladium products from your distributors? Join the growing number of stores to whom Palladium sells direct. 95-99% of all our game lines are ALWAYS IN STOCK and ready to ship. Palladium has your back!

Until we put into place something more formal, retailers can call the office at 734-721-2903 and leave a message and phone number on the answering machine, or send an inquiry via the Help Desk, and Palladium will respond pronto. Glad to help. As long as you are a brick and mortar store, we are happy to do business with you.

We added another store to our direct sales roster just yesterday, and others have inquired. Retailers and gamers alike, please spread the word to let game stores and comic book shops know if they are having difficulty getting Palladium Books products from distributors, they should contact Palladium Books to buy from us direct! Spread the fun and game on!

 

In the Face of Death^™ – Available now

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that reimagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to the genre

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – 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.

 

COMING SOON! Rifts^® CS Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Hey, I’m as frustrated as you are that this awesome book (BTS Creature Feature, too) is not done yet, but it will be soon. It has been rough being short-handed and juggling so much, but it will be worth the wait. Rifts® CS Manhunters™ is packed with good stuff. I will try to offer a few snippets in my Murmurs from the Megaverse® and social media.

Coalition Manhunters™ reveals more Coalition States secrets about the super-secret CS Manhunters. So secret that most people have never heard of them, and those who have do not believe they really exist. But that’s not all – there are new psionic abilities, new CS characters available as player characters and NPC villains, more insight about the CS and Psi-Battalion, and more. All of it building toward something epic.

Who watches the watchmen? CS Manhunters. A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion who hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also traitors within the Coalition States. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, Dog Boys, and CS soldiers are trained hunters of men and cold-blooded killing machines. They follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

• New Coalition Psychic O.C.C.s.
• 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 on the Coalition’s infamous Psi-Battalion.
• The impact of the demon plagues from the Minion War.
• Non-Player Characters, background info, adventure ideas, and more.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894 – In production and nearing completion.

 

COMING! Creature Feature^™, a Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebook

The manuscript is in. Artwork is being created. And the world of Beyond the Supernatural™ is about to be expanded. This sourcebook 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.

 

COMING! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is a high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics that will make gamers salivate. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

 

COMING: 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) – shooting for a winter or spring release.

 

UPDATE: Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Psychic Scream^™

This is another book that is going to surprise and wow. New and insane psionics, some taken to the level of super abilities due to the massive amount of P.P.E. energy surging across the planet and boosting survivors with ambient and alien energy. Some become heroes and defenders of fellow survivors. Some become power-mongers and killers. And still others become just one more monster or madman threatening to destroy humanity. I’m assigning some additional artwork for it this week.

 

UPDATE: Forgotten People – A Fantasy RPG Sourcebook

I spoke with one of the contributing writers last week and his ideas for Bug Bears sounded fabulous. Because some of this material has appeared in past issues of The Rifter® you may think you know what to expect. You don’t. There is a lot of new and exciting material in this bad boy. Things you never knew and may have been afraid to ask.

 

MORE Material for Fantasy

Several different freelance writers have submitted additional and unexpected Fantasy material for sourcebooks. Though I have not had a chance to review any of them – too much on my plate at the moment as I stay focused on finishing books already in the pipeline – I am very excited by this turn of events. Palladium Fantasy is on the move! Heck, several game lines are.

 

UPDATE: Other titles – like CS Arsenal^™ and Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebooks

Please remember, just because I do not mention or list a specific title in an Update, does not mean it has been removed from the production schedule. All it means is that we are focused and talking about more immediate, upcoming releases, or projects we are excited about that week, or there’s no substantive news to report. We are anxious to put as many books you’ve been waiting for into your hands as possible over the next 18 months, as well as new projects being worked on by freelance writers. That includes Rifts® Antarctica, The Disavowed™, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Land of the Damned™ 3, Rifts® Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, more Fantasy sourcebooks and other titles. So if a book you are waiting for is not mentioned in an Update, it means there is nothing new to report, but it should still be in the pipeline and news for it will be coming in the weeks or months ahead. Right now, we are focused on releases for the next six months, which by our count is 6-7 titles. And many of them are in various stages of final production or development. We are shooting for one or two new physical book releases every month as well as a couple new PDF products on DriveThruRPG.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Hammer of the Forge Novel Volume One with Volume Two coming to DriveThru next week

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is now available as a PDF novel. See the full description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

 

COMING to DriveThru Next Week! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning. The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight. Available as a PDF on DriveThru next week. Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, 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, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

 

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

 

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent 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; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

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 – Life’s Unexpected Moments

Do you have someone who is the light of your life? A special someone who fills your life with laughter, beauty, and joy? Someone who is your safe harbor where you can be yourself and always makes you feel happy and safe? This might be a spouse or lover, or perhaps a precious sibling, friend, or child. Someone you cannot imagine not being a vibrant part of your life.

Now picture that beautiful someone having to suddenly and unexpectedly face a potentially life and death health crisis the day before Thanksgiving.

Upon the doctor’s urgent orders you take them to the nearest emergency room. All your quiet and intimate Thanksgiving Day plans for tomorrow are thrown out the window and, in an instant, unimportant. You are only concerned for your special someone and want to be at their side to comfort and help in any way you can. To help by just being there for them.

You are stopped at the emergency room door by a nurse exclaiming that you need to STOP right there and take a few steps back. You cannot enter. There is a pandemic, you know.

You aren’t expecting that. Your head is elsewhere, filled with concern and love.

Your special someone’s temperature is taken and is asked a battery of questions. They turn to you with pleading and frightened eyes as they are taken from you. You stand there like a mime trapped behind an invisible barrier. Trapped and helpless as they take the person you love most in the world away from you.

They vanish down a dark hallway with a nurse. Or was it an orderly? All you know is, suddenly, they are gone and you are alone.

As you stand there feeling helpless and afraid for your special someone, you are told they will do everything they can to make everything be okay. But will they? Will everything be okay? And then they insist you leave. You have to go. There is a pandemic, you know.

Somehow, all the color in the world turns to grey. The birds have stopped singing and the sounds of road traffic are muffled as if stuffed inside a bottle of cotton. You are lost in a swirl of emotions and ebbing adrenaline. The cold barrier of the emergency room doors a devouring maw that has swallowed your special someone. Fate unknown.

You sit there for awhile in your car feeling suddenly and terribly alone. Should you go home? Why? Your special someone won’t be there. Work will keep you busy and your mind occupied while you wait.

If the prognosis is what the doctors fear (and it is), your special someone will be taken to the hospital – provided they can even find a bed and a place that will take them. It is the afternoon before Thanksgiving Day so the hospitals are all short-staffed due to the long holiday weekend and beds are sparse due to the rising number of Covid cases. It will take three hours before a bed is found at a hospital. Of course, you are denied entry there too because of the pandemic. All you can do is hope for the best and talk with the love of your life between tests and consults via cell phone and text messages. And worry between the long silences.

Your special someone knows you are with them in thought and spirit, but it is of little solace. You feel sad and afraid for them. You feel like you have abandoned them when they need you most. And it hurts. They trust because you are their light and joy too, and you left them alone and scared. Even as you pray – pray harder than you have in a very long time – your love and concern drifts into a dark place.

I have been there for loved ones all my life – Mom, Dad, Erick, and many others – but it is different and awful when you cannot be at their side. When you have to drop them off and walk away. It is the worst feeling ever. A new level of helplessness.

Our story has a very happy ending. My special someone responded so well and so quickly to treatment that despite the initial potential seriousness, she was back home by Thanksgiving evening. We were stunned by this equally unexpected turn of events, and delighted. We had a lot to be thankful for that night.

For us, until last week Wednesday, the pandemic was more surreal than real. Oh sure, we all wear masks, observe social distancing, yadda yadda, but really, the pandemic was kept at arm’s length; numbers and craziness on the television and online. Wednesday it became very real and scary as it impacted us in an indirect but very real and personal way we never anticipated. I cannot imagine what it must be like for family members to be hospitalized for Covid-19 or any illness or injury that keeps them isolated in the hospital for weeks. That isolation and distance is so hard on the individual and the family.

I have decided to reschedule the 2021 Palladium Open House to April, 2022. I had been struggling with this decision for a long while now, however, our experience last week has convinced me that we need to reschedule the POH for April 2022. Please hear me out.

Even with vaccines on the horizon, the logistics mean that getting them to the vast majority of people by April is unlikely. I have been monitoring the situation closely, and most vaccine projections to innoculate the majority of Americans is June or July 2021. It would devastate me if anyone who came to the Palladium Open House got seriously ill with Covid-19 or, God forbid, died from it. I would not be able to live with myself. We have lost too many members of the Palladium family this year as it is and I don’t want to risk it. Especially after getting a glimpse of what the family and ill person would go through. I do NOT want to put anyone through that. I have a dear friend going through this right now with his grandfather. And medical authorities are saying things are going to get worse over the next few months before they get better, so please, all of you stay safe and let us gather the following year.

Moreover, I don’t think my heart would be in the Open House if we held it this coming April. I, like all of you, want this crap to be over, and I’m looking for any reason to gather and celebrate, but after this past year, I am feeling emotionally and even physically drained. I know Kathy, fellow Palladium staff members, many freelancers, friends and fans feel similarly worn out and spent. While others are facing financial difficulty or still struggling over the loss of a loved one.

Please, let us all take 2021 to catch our collective breaths, recuperate emotionally, physically, and financially (I hope you are all hanging tough and doing okay on all these fronts), and enjoy the biggest, best, and happiest Palladium Open House ever in April 2022.

I know my decision will disappoint some of you, but I hope you understand. I also hope you can come to the POH in 2022 because I miss you and I want to celebrate and game with you when Covid-19 is well behind us. Of course, your Palladium Open House ticket purchase for 2021 will apply to the 2022 POH. If you cannot make it in 2022 or are angry about this decision and want a refund, just send us a request for a refund and I will take care of it.

I hate announcing this downer when spirits are starting to rise and the holidays are only a few weeks away, but the POH is getting closer and more of you are asking about it. Since I have made my decision, based on many factors, I thought I should make the announcement. Please understand that I make this tough decision out of love and concern for you and our crew of amazing talent.

Please do not let this dampen your spirits. I sincerely think this is for the best. Keep on role-playing, placing orders, getting Christmas Surprise Packages, and enjoying the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview, the novels, mugs, and all that Palladium has to offer. There are worlds of adventure waiting for you to enjoy, with much more coming your way.

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

 

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where the customer can offer comments and suggestions with his or her Surprise Package order. Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling 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 days. Please help use our games to find escape from the pandemic and to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each.

 

J.J. in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, writes: Love pretty much everything Palladium puts out, and hope everyone is managing to stay safe and sane.

[Thanks J.J., we appreciate the high praise. We are staying safe but cannot speak to our level of sanity. lol. Happy holidays. – KS]

 

J.T. in Longwood, Florida, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®, Nightbane®, Heroes Unlimited™, TMNT RPG®, Robotech® and Splicers® … You guys always come through every single year! Thank you again.

[I’m so glad you enjoy our RPGs so much, J.T. We do our best to come through every year. Game on! – KS]

 

J.J. in Bloomington, Indiana, writes (in part): Loved the first box [Surprise Package] and I am excited to see the second. I could not wait till Christmas to open it and have already used the new books … 25 years of playing Rifts® and it never gets old! Still my favorite RPG of all. Thank you all and Merry Christmas.

[Wow J.J., thank you for that incredible compliment. I am humbled and thrilled at the same time. Game on and Merry Christmas! – KS]

 

N.C. in Portland, Oregon, writes: Favorites: Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Rifts® and TMNT® RPG. This year has been an absolute delight bringing Palladium back to the table for brand new players. Please keep up the awesome work, y’all.

[Great to hear, N.C. and we will definitely keep pounding out the best games we know how to make. Game on! – KS]

 

M.L. in Copperas Cove, Texas, writes: This is an awesome idea [the Surprise Package]. This will be my third year doing this and I’m LOVING IT. Thanks for being awesome and keep it up.

[Thank you M.L., we appreciate your support and thinking we are so awesome. Happy holidays. – KS]

 

S.S. in Geneva, Ohio, writes: Thanks for doing this again [the Surprise Package offer], I love this time of year. 2 down. See you again soon! Thank you so much for the opportunity and please stay safe.

[You’ve got it S.S., on both counts. You too. – KS.]

 

C.L. in Portland, Oregon, writes: Thank you, Kevin, et al, for the years – decades – of story fodder and good times.

[The pleasure is all mine, C.L., thanks for the support. – KS]

 

T.M. in Tucson, Arizona, writes: Favorites: Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy®. Just keep up the good work and great quality Palladium Books is known for.

[Will do, T.M. Enjoy that Surprise Package and Happy Holidays. – KS]

 

D.W. in Hixton, Wisconsin, writers: Favorites: Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited™. I have always wondered what stat modifiers you would give a corgi as a Dog Boy. I have a player that loves corgis but they aren’t on the variety list. Haha.

[Corgi, you say. Hmmm, you never know what might appear in a future Rifts sourcebook, D.W. And if it does, well, you’ll be the reason why. Bwahhahaha. – KS]

 

L.L. in Salem, Oregon, writes (in part): I’ve been ordering at least one Christmas Surprise Package since 2011. Through this amazing service I’ve finished out [much of] my collection … I loved the novels and the base books for Dead Reign®, Palladium Fantasy® and Chaos Earth® … Thank you for doing this [Surprise Package].

[Happy to do it L.L., game on. – KS]

 

D.M. in West Bend, Wisconsin, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts® or bust. Seriously, I have been collecting your games for years. I love all your game settings and the compatibility to use my favorite flavors in Rifts® … and I’ll be exposing a group of young players to Rifts® for the first time. Help me wow ‘em!

[I did what I can D.M., the rest is up to you. lol. Thanks for your years of support and good luck with your new campaign with the new crew of players. I’m sure you will rock. Game on! – KS]

 

D.H. in London, Ontario, Canada, writes (in part): Hello Kevin and Palladium Books staff. I was introduced to Palladium’s Rifts® about 5 years ago and have played many amazing and memorable campaigns in Rifts®, Dead Reign® and Palladium Fantasy®. My group and I love the Palladium system. I ordered a X-Mas Surprise Package 3 years ago and was absolutely thrilled with all the signed books. This year I am looking to fill out my Dead Reign collection …

[I think you’ll enjoy this Surprise Package just as much D.H. Keep the imagination burning and beware the walking dead. – KS]

 

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. Two – Coming

More monsters and exotic animals of Rifts® North America as part of an ongoing series of Rifts® Bestiary sourcebooks. The first two or three Rifts® Bestiary™ books will focus on monsters and animals of North America. They collect creatures from all current World Books and Sourcebooks, plus some new creatures by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton, and others. Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location at a glance.

Note: The Rifts® Bestiary™ series is more than a few big books of monsters, they are deliberately designed to provide players with a useful, living resource (pet, guard animal, riding animal, food source, etc.) as well as present many and varied opportunities for adventure and fun. Some creatures are helpful, some are inadvertently a threat or danger, while others are slobbering predators or wicked beasts that kill and eat you, or capture you, or sabotage you, or worse.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America in a second easy to use sourcebook.
• Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Notable Splugorth hunting animals.
• Some new creatures, but most are existing creatures.
• Updated information where applicable.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated.
• Art by Chuck Walton, Siembieda, Cummings, Bradshaw, Atkins, Ashbaugh, and many others.
• 192-224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 897. In production.

 

In the Face of Death^™ – Now Shipping!

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that re-imagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to classic tropes

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – shipping now.

 

COMING! Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion, the CS Manhunters hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also their own. Coalition soldiers, brass, government leaders, and anyone who becomes designated as having gone rogue, AWOL, or turned traitor (including the Disavowed), become targets of CS Manhunters to be tracked down and brought to justice. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, and manhunters are trained killing machines who follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

More often than not, the assignment is straight-up find and terminate. If your name has been given to a Manhunter squad, your fate is sealed, and no one is untouchable. The CS Manhunters operate in secret, find their target, terminate, and vanish as if they were never there at all. They don’t seek credit or limelight. They serve their country from the blood-soaked shadows.

• CS Manhunter squads and special operatives.
• Manhunter Killhound and Dog Boy O.C.C.s.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Healer.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Interrogator (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Psi-Enforcer (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Bursters and Zappers.
• CS Manhunter Slayer (a variation of the Psi-Slayer or Psi-Warrior).
• CS Manhunter Mind Melter, the most insidious and deadliest of them all.
• Weapons, gear, and tactics.
• Some notable Non-Player Characters, adventure ideas, and more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Art by Nick Bradshaw.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894.

 

NEW! Garden of the Gods^™, Palladium Fantasy^® Sourcebook – Shipping now!

The Garden of the Gods™ sourcebook is 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 a place of miracles and wisdom 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 dangerous evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit, as well as dark gods within the Garden itself.

• 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. One game system – a Megaverse® of adventure!™
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 475.

 

Land of the Damned^™ Three: The Bleakness^™ Raw Preview – available now

Available now! The “Raw Preview Edition” of LotD-3: The Bleakness™, for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, working manuscript for this new Fantasy World Book. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released. A rare look at the raw manuscript before final edit, rewrites and publication. Limited to a total of 200 copies.

This epic sourcebook presents the forbidden Land of the Damned in all its brutal glory. Includes information about the ancient and forgotten eldritch races, the Minotaur legions, dark magic, the Citadel, countless adventure hooks and ideas, and much, much more. The long awaited final book in the Land of the Damned series, with connections to the Garden of the Gods™ and the upcoming Lopan Fantasy World Book.

• Limited collector’s edition – only 200 collector copies.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• A rare glimpse at the virgin manuscript and a work in progress.
• Written by Matthew Clements, based on ideas by Kevin Siembieda.
• 96 pages – Limited Edition – $20.99 – Cat. No. 470-RAW – available now. Note: The finished book with artwork and more is anticipated to ship in a few months, but you can see what it’s all about right now and even start playing with this special Preview Edition!

 

Palladium Fantasy RPG^® Interactive Character Sheet

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet is a Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook, this sheet saves you time and hassle with each character you create. Available now, directly from Palladium Books AND DriveThruRPG.com – this is a digital, online product only.

Features & Benefits:

• The Main Character Sheet Page collects the important data from across multiple tabs and puts it in one place for quick and easy reference.
• Separate sheets examine character construction (worktable), Skills, Magic, Psionics, and Combat in greater detail.
• Built-in leveling system that calculates skill advancement for you! Experience Tables for over 80 O.C.C.s already programmed.
• Recognizes the percentages for nearly 150 skills, plus combat bonuses for over 20 Weapon Proficiencies and 7 Hand to Hand styles.
• Calculates the speed and distance a character can run and jump based on character Attributes.
• Also calculates how much a character can lift, carry, and throw for humanoids, Giants, and Supernatural Beings.
• Add in your own Hand to Hand style, custom Skills, unique Weapon Proficiencies, and Experience Tables.
• Estimated time to build a character reduced by 20% or more.
• Instructions on how to use the sheet included, as well as a video walkthrough below.
• Important Note: This character sheet is built to be used with Microsoft Excel 2010+ and it comes in .XLSX format. Opening this file in other spreadsheet programs is NOT guaranteed to work as intended.
• Watch the Overview video here: https://vimeo.com/322271758

 

Psychic Scream^™ – Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Sourcebook

A storm has rolled in. A psychic storm. With the Coming of the Rifts, survivors are bombarded by terrifying visions and overwhelmed with powers and abilities they never asked for, and often cannot control.

Where do you hide from the madness boiling inside of you?

What would you do when you know evil lurks hidden among your fellow survivors?

Why do the voices of alien creatures speak to you?

How do you cope when the power you unleashed to destroy a monster and save the innocent, destroys everyone but you?

Have you become a hero or another monster born in chaos?

Are these powers your family’s salvation or their damnation?

Find out in Psychic Scream!

In the wake of the Coming of the Rifts, people begin to see ghosts and demons, they unleash lightning from their fingertips, command fire and water, hurl boulders and girders with their minds, and manifest a wide range of mental powers. Psionic abilities fueled by the explosive return of magic and the unchecked flow of dimensional energy that is off the charts.

Psychic abilities more powerful than anything known after the Two Hundred Years Dark Age. Wondrous and lifesaving. But also seething and out of control. The psychics’ own minds bombarded by feelings of dread, visions of horror, and the thoughts and emotions of everyone around them. For many, it is too much, sending them careening into madness. For others, it creates heroes forged from chaos.

• Untamed psychic abilities. More powerful than anything known later on Rifts Earth.
• New psychic powers and character classes.
• New psionic monsters and invaders.
• Insanity, side-effects and horror.
• Adventure ideas and more. All people, powers and monsters that become myths and legends told about the events during the Two Hundred Years Dark Age.
• Written by Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 667.

 

COMING: Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

 

COMING: The Island of Lopan Sourcebook, a fantasy sourcebook

The island kingdom described and mapped, rare and ancient magic, trade with the Old Kingdom, Centaurs, Western intrigue, and more.

• History and overview.
• Key cities and locations.
• Lopan O.C.C.s and people of note.
• And Old Kingdom City that is a trade partner.
• The mysterious and nearly forgotten Mosaic Magic.
• New monsters and magic, weapons and gear.
• Written by Glen Evans.
• 192 pages – $26.99 – Cat. No. 476.

 

COMING: Rifts^® Antarctica

Rifts® Antarctica is a truly compelling and exotic land beyond what anyone expects. A frozen continent transformed by the power of magic and alien wildlife. Long isolated from the rest of the world, Rifts, D-Shifting events and the threat of war have now brought the distant South Pole within reach. And unearthed something ancient and so dangerous that even the Splugorth fear it and dare not go there.

• New alien monsters and D-Bees.
• Strange new weapons and vehicles. Some left over from the Golden Age of Humanity, others completely alien.
• The Splugorth’s secret outpost. More than it would seem.
• A Splugorth zoo and place of secret Bio-Wizard experiments.
• Snow and Ice Golems created specifically for the cold environment.
• Danger from the elements, Ice Witches, Icecraft, and other horrors.
• Vostok City, a city of magic carved from the ice itself.
• Cold-weather skills, technology and survival techniques.
• Ancient danger and dark secrets.
• Written by Matthew Clements, Carmen Bellaire, and Kevin Siembieda.
• 160 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 898.

 

COMING! Rifts^® The Disavowed^™ – Secrets of the Coalition States^™

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

• CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?
• Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?
• Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?
• What role does the Vanguard play in this group?
• How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?
• What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 892.

 

COMING! Heroes of Humanity^™ Arsenal – Rifts^® Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Rifts® Heroes of Humanity gave you updated Coalition Army O.C.C.s, ways to upgrade men-at-arms, new O.C.C.s, battle plans and strategies and tactics. CS Heroes of Humanity™ Arsenal provides an array of new Coalition hardware: weapons, armor, additional SAMAS, other power armor, robots, combat vehicles, gear and info.

• New CS weapons and gear.
• New CS SAMAS and power armor.
• New CS robots and combat vehicles.
• More secrets and information about the Coalition States.
• Wild adventure opportunities, fun and more.
• Part of the Minion War™ “Crossover” series.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Clements, Gleba and others.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 893.

 

Rifts^® Bestiary^™, Volume One – Shipping Now!

Could the monsters known as Caterpillar Things be the larval form of the Mothman Monster? Is the Corrival Battler as aggressive and dangerous as adventurers claim? Are Darkhounds really magically mutated Dog Boys? Is that why they see Coalition soldiers as friends and allies? Ee-Bee Gee-Bees are kinda cute, how dangerous can they be? Is it true the animals and people slain by the Death Springer rise as zombies?! What on Rifts Earth is a Field Reaper?

This book reveals it all.

Designed with both Players and Game Masters in mind, with creatures that can be used as pets, companions, riding animals, attack animals, and even unlikely allies, as well as slobbering monsters and catalysts for adventure. Adult, juvenile, and young stages of life give every creature three different levels of power and danger. Presented as a complete ecosystem, with maps and details to bring each animal to life. All provide plenty of spice to add to your characters and adventures.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail, updated and expanded.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found at a glance.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Powerful art.
• Includes basic S.D.C. stats for each creature description.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton and others.
• 256 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 – Shipping Now!

 

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. One – “Gold Edition” Hardcover – Signed and Numbered – Now Shipping!

A deluxe, limited, Gold Edition hardcover, signed and numbered by Palladium staff and maybe a few freelancers. It is the same content of unique creatures that can be used as familiars, pets, riding animals, guard animals, and slobbering monsters as the softcover edition in a durable hardcover. Very limited run of only 300 copies, numbered and signed by Kevin Siembieda, Palladium staff members and possibly available contributing artists and writers. Note: Historically, Palladium Books’ Gold Editions have doubled, tripled or increased in value many times over. Valued as cherished collectibles. Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Please note the slight increase in price to $55.

• Gold foil on a black faux leather hardcover.
• Sewn and glued for long-lasting durability.
• Only 300 signed and numbered copies.
• Available only from Palladium Books.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
• Signed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium staff.
• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail.
• Same contents as the softcover edition.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting; basic S.D.C. stats included for each creature description.
• 256 pages – $55.00 retail – Cat. No. 896HC (Volume One). Shipping Now!

 

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #84 – available and shipping now

The Rifter® #84 focuses on adventure in dark corners of various world settings. Places where danger threatens, monsters and evildoers lurk in the shadows, and people are in need of heroes. Adventure source material for The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, and Rifts®. And remember, adventures and source material for one game setting can also be adapted to other world settings with some easy and obvious modifications. Most of all, have fun.

Rifter® #84 Highlights:

• The City of Cascade™ by Erick Wujcik and Matt Reed, A modern city in desperate need of heroes.
• The Kingdom of Raf-Chalon™ for Palladium Fantasy RPG® by Glen Evans. An Elven Kingdom in the Eastern Territory™.
• Golems in the Myst™ for Rifts® by Greg Diaczyk. Techno-Wizard experiments go wrong and Golems run amok.
• Spellbound O.C.C. for Nightbane® RPG by Ian Herbert.
• An Adventure for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Kyle Osterberg.
• The Dimma, a short story and a scary new monster for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Steven Dawes.
• 2021 Palladium Open House and other news.
• Coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 96 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 184 – Shipping now!

 

Copyright 2020 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.

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! You might think there is not a lot to be thankful for in this crazy year, but if you and your family have been able to avoid catching Covid-19 – or managed to recover from it – and you have your good health and loved ones, I would say you have plenty to be thankful for. I know I sure do.

I’m happy and thankful that my friends and family are healthy, if isolated. I am also happy to have a job I love, great friends, and incredible fans and customers like you! To show our appreciation, here are sales that run through Cyber-Monday.

Four sales to be thankful about. Enjoy.

SALE #1 – Palladium’s Black Friday & Cyber-Monday SALE starts right now – today thru Tuesday, December 1, the majority of the following game lines are on sale at big savings, while supplies last. And do not forget about the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview or the new (and old) Rifts® Novels, the Systems Failure™ RPG, Nightbane® Shadows of Light, and BTS Boxed Nightmares adventure sourcebook. They are not on sale but well worth getting. So are the Rifts® Primer and Rifts® Index #1 and #2.

Thanksgiving Black Friday Weekend Sale

• Rifts® Novels plus the Rifts® Anthology, Path of the Storm, and Machinations of Doom Graphic Novel (comic book & sourcebook).
• Rifts® titles (most).
• All Rifts® Chaos Earth® titles.
• Rifts® Poker Decks/Playing Cards – both decks, color and black & white.
• The Rifter® (most that are in stock).
• Most Heroes Unlimited™ titles.
• All Nightbane® titles.
• All After the Bomb® titles – Reminder, you can create mutant animal super-heroes using the After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. And/or add them to your Heroes Unlimited™ campaign and even Nightbane® and Rifts®, or as aliens from other worlds, etc. Unleash your imagination.

SALE #2 – DriveThruRPG.com Thanksgiving Weekend Sale – now thru Cyber-Monday: EVERYTHING Palladium Books is on sale – games, sourcebooks, paper minis – and a whole lot more. NOW thru Monday, November 30, 2020. And watch for insane Black Friday and Cyber-Monday Doorcrashers!

SALE #3 – Christmas Surprise Package offer – Best deal in gaming – $95-$100 worth of goodies (often more) for $50 (plus shipping and handling). Books are signed if you want them to be. It is just 4 weeks/28 days till Christmas and Kwanzaa, 15 days till Hanukkah! Less when you account for the time to process and ship orders, so this weekend and next are the perfect time to place your holiday orders. Offer ends December 24, 2020. A great gift for any holiday, birthdays, anniversaries, a nice treat for yourself (you deserve it), or a way to try new settings, and fill your collection. See what people are saying about the Surprise Packages and our games in the comment section after my Closing Thoughts. Enjoy.

SALE #4 – Kevin’s Toys, Art and Collectibles SALE – now through December 3, 2020. Negatives at half-price, but also on sale are toys (Star Wars, Marvel and DC superheroes, etc.), Palladium collectibles, and a variety of original artwork, proof reader copies, hardcover Printer Proofs and more all on sale now through December 3 (next Thursday). Check it out at: http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

Rifts^® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now

The Lazlo Raw Preview is blowing out the door faster than we expected! If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends will be released in December as Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two. It will also be available in book and PDF formats. Wayne is already typesetting and putting the final touches on it.

• Great Cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels. The second available in December.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

Palladium Playmats via PLAYMATS by Red Duke Games Kickstarter – happening right NOW!

This is your chance to get Palladium Books’ iconic artwork on 24×14 inch playmats, because we do not know if they will ever be offered again. They are being made available via a special arrangement with Red Duke Games, the people who brought you the Necronomnomnom Cookbook. Palladium selections include full color art from Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Palladium Fantasy® covers along with many other Red Duke Games Playmats. This is a limited time Kickstarter offer, so you need to act before the Kickstarter ends and before you get caught up in the holiday frenzy.

This is the first time ever that Palladium’s artwork has been made available on playmats and they are available only via this holiday Kickstarter. Btw, if the response is strong enough, Red Duke Games may ask us to include MORE, so go check out the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter and spread the word.

A great way to start the New Year. I believe they said the playmats will be printed and shipped sometime in February. See the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter for complete details.

Palladium Gift Certificates now available

I wanted to remind you that we started to offer Gift Certificates a couple years ago in response to popular demand. Purchase a Palladium Gift Certificate for the gaming friends and loved ones who are difficult to buy for. The prompts should be pretty self-explanatory. You purchase the desired amount, fill out the email info of that person and an optional gift message, and that individual receives an email with info on how to redeem the Gift Certificate and you get a confirmation email. Simple. Gift Certificates are available in the Palladium online store.

Get your Surprise Package now

Give the gamers in your life a gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day (for you in Canada and elsewhere), birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and any gift-giving occasion. Or treat yourself. After this crazy year, you deserve to do something nice for yourself. 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 has been 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 Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, 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! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! 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, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium’s 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. 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 – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium’s website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion.

29 days till Christmas Eve – but ONLY about 13 days left to order and get delivery guaranteed by Christmas via Media Mail

Those of you buying books, Raw Editions, Rifts® poker decks, mugs, baseball caps and Christmas Surprise Packages as holiday gifts NEED to place your orders no later than the dates below to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas (by December 24, 2019) without incurring additional costs for expedited shipping. These recommendations come from the shipping companies themselves.

• United States Postal Service: Media Mail – December 8, 2020. You should get packages shipped via Media Mail as late as December 14, but after the 8th, we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.
• UPS Standard Ground (anywhere in the contiguous USA) – December 15.
• United States Postal Service (in USA): Priority Mail – December 15.
• UPS 3-Day Select – December 20.
• UPS 2nd Day Air – December 21.
• UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 24) – December 22, remember, we need time to process and pack your order!
• To our friends in Canada and overseas – December 9. We suggest ordering no later than December 9, but SOONER is better as we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Your package should arrive in time, but if there are delays at Customs, work strike, bad weather, etc., it might miss. Order sooner rather than later. A Surprise Package mitigates overseas shipping costs – take advantage of this while you can. It is, in effect, the equivalent of getting the books you want at retail, plus autographs, and paying the equivalent of only $5-$20 for overseas shipping! MANY overseas customers take advantage of the Surprise Packages for this reason! And it is likely the ONLY way for you to get autographs. Give it a try, we don’t think you will be disappointed.
• Any orders placed after these dates may arrive in time for Christmas but we cannot guarantee it AND you should assume they will NOT arrive in time for Christmas. Please spread the word and place those orders as soon as you can. Ho, ho, ho and happy holidays.

2020 Shipping Note: Due to the pandemic and the massive amounts of goods expected to ship this holiday season, I do not know if we can honestly “guarantee” any delivery after December 14 to arrive in time for Christmas. They should, but we don’t know.

As always, at Palladium, we will be working overtime and do everything we can to process orders as fast as we can to get them to you for the holidays. However, after the package leaves the Palladium warehouse, delivery is out of our hands. As we get closer to Christmas, UPS Ground and Priority Mail will be your most reliable and timely methods of shipping. Thank you for your understanding.

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

BACK IN STOCK: Rifts^® Novel: Sonic Boom – New size – Re-edited – Available now

Experience Rifts North America through the eyes of soldiers of the Coalition States. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon led by the courageous and well-intentioned Lieutenant Greg Merrick and Military Specialist Lieutenant Michael Sorenson, sworn to protect humankind from all threats be they aliens, dragons, or masters of magic.

Rifts® Sonic Boom™ is your introduction to the multi-genre setting of the popular, post-post-apocalypse science-fantasy Rifts® Role-Playing Game. Where high-technology, magic and the supernatural coexist on a transformed Earth that is both familiar and alien.

Read all three novels in this epic journey of discovery and adventure.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book One in a fast paced trilogy.
• 294 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 301 – available now.
• Rifts® Sonic Boom™ has been re-edited, slightly expanded, and cleaned up for your enjoyment.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel: Deception’s Web – available now

Lt. Merrick’s mission: To hunt down and destroy the so-called Army of the New Order. A terrorist group composed of mercenaries and practitioners of magic. They have been a thorn in the side of the Coalition States for long enough, it’s time to put a stop to them.

When their seek and destroy mission suddenly goes sideways, the soldiers find one of their own accused of treason and arrested for court-martial. The lives they had known and the people they trust collide with events and realizations that strain friendships and test their loyalty to the Coalition States and each other.

Hard choices, strange bedfellows, a living enigma, and the hand of evil each play a role in Rifts® Deception’s Web™.

• 4 x 7 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book Two in the trilogy.
• 409 pages – $9.95 – Cat. No. 302 – available now.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings

It seems clear to Lieutenants Merrick and Sorenson and the elite team under their command that they are being used as pawns in a larger conspiracy. A secret agenda that may lead straight to the top of the Coalition’s High Command.

But who? And how do they ferret out that person and find the evidence they need to bring an end to it without destroying themselves in the process?

Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™ is the pulse-pounding conclusion to a trilogy of books based on the popular Rifts® Role-Playing Game.

The epic conclusion is satisfying and fun.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• 426 pages – $15.99 – Cat. No. 303 – Available now!
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – enjoy.

NEW! 4 different Palladium Coffee Mugs – available now

With so many people working from home, Palladium’s fun and attractive coffee mugs have been in high demand. The Rifts® logo mug sold out a couple of weeks ago, and the Palladium Fantasy® mug sold out last week. As a result, we sent them in for another printing as well as two new mugs: A new, dynamic Dead Reign® zombie mug with an illustration by Steven Cummings done specifically for use on this coffee mug, and a Rifts® Titan Robotics™ mug, also featuring artwork by Steven Cummings. All four are in stock and ready to ship now! See details below.

NEW! Dead Reign® (Zombie attack) Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Dead Reign®” logo with three hungry zombies ready to attack. Art designed specifically for this mug by artist Steven Cummings of comic book renown (Wayward® and various Marvel Comics). White on a black mug. Very dynamic.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blood red interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2594.

NEW! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™ Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Rifts® Titan Robotics™” mug features the Rifts logo with the words Titan Robotics below it. Above the logo is one of the new Titan robots from the upcoming book release, standing in a dynamic pose. Art by Steven Cummings.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2595.

Fan Favorite: Rifts^® LOGO Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand! A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The famous Rifts® logo in white on a black mug.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a bright blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2587.

Fan Favorite: Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Dragon” Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand. A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The fan favorite “3-Headed Hydra” battling a knight from the iconic, original Palladium Fantasy RPG® cover. Red art on a black mug harkens back to the original RPG red and black cover.
• Art appears on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with an attractive orange interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2589.

COMING (tentative): Re-releases of fan favorite sold out Rifts^® miniatures

As I believe I mentioned in a previous Weekly Update, I am looking into re-releasing some old favorite Rifts® miniature sets. I’m waiting on quotes right now. That would include the Coalition soldiers and the original Glitter Boy. The G.B. is not quite as large and dynamic as the new Glitter Boy miniature, but we know collectors still want it, so we are considering offering it again. More details when I know more.

And we may be releasing other new miniatures created by Carmen Bellaire. Keep your eyes peeled.

Retailers can order direct from Palladium Books at discount terms

Retailers, are you having trouble getting Palladium products from your distributors? Join the growing number of stores to whom Palladium sells direct. 95-99% of all our game lines are ALWAYS IN STOCK and ready to ship. Palladium has your back!

Until we put into place something more formal, retailers can call the office at 734-721-2903 and leave a message and phone number on the answering machine, or send an inquiry via the Help Desk, and Palladium will respond pronto. Glad to help. As long as you are a brick and mortar store, we are happy to do business with you.

We added another store to our direct sales roster just yesterday, and others have inquired. Retailers and gamers alike, please spread the word to let game stores and comic book shops know if they are having difficulty getting Palladium Books products from distributors, they should contact Palladium Books to buy from us direct! Spread the fun and game on!

In the Face of Death^™ – Available now

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that reimagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to the genre

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – 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.

COMING SOON! Rifts^® CS Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Hey, I’m as frustrated as you are that this awesome book (BTS Creature Feature, too) is not done yet, but it will be soon. It has been rough being short-handed and juggling so much, but it will be worth the wait. Rifts® CS Manhunters™ is packed with good stuff. I will try to offer a few snippets in my Murmurs from the Megaverse® and social media.

Coalition Manhunters™ reveals more Coalition States secrets about the super-secret CS Manhunters. So secret that most people have never heard of them, and those who have do not believe they really exist. But that’s not all – there are new psionic abilities, new CS characters available as player characters and NPC villains, more insight about the CS and Psi-Battalion, and more. All of it building toward something epic.

Who watches the watchmen? CS Manhunters. A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion who hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also traitors within the Coalition States. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, Dog Boys, and CS soldiers are trained hunters of men and cold-blooded killing machines. They follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

• New Coalition Psychic O.C.C.s.
• 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 on the Coalition’s infamous Psi-Battalion.
• The impact of the demon plagues from the Minion War.
• Non-Player Characters, background info, adventure ideas, and more.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894 – In production and nearing completion.

COMING! Creature Feature^™, a Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebook

The manuscript is in. Artwork is being created. And the world of Beyond the Supernatural™ is about to be expanded. This sourcebook 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.

COMING! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is a high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics that will make gamers salivate. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

COMING: 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) – shooting for a winter or spring release.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Psychic Scream^™

This is another book that is going to surprise and wow. New and insane psionics, some taken to the level of super abilities due to the massive amount of P.P.E. energy surging across the planet and boosting survivors with ambient and alien energy. Some become heroes and defenders of fellow survivors. Some become power-mongers and killers. And still others become just one more monster or madman threatening to destroy humanity. I’m assigning some additional artwork for it this week.

UPDATE: Forgotten People – A Fantasy RPG Sourcebook

I spoke with one of the contributing writers last week and his ideas for Bug Bears sounded fabulous. Because some of this material has appeared in past issues of The Rifter® you may think you know what to expect. You don’t. There is a lot of new and exciting material in this bad boy. Things you never knew and may have been afraid to ask.

MORE Material for Fantasy

Several different freelance writers have submitted additional and unexpected Fantasy material for sourcebooks. Though I have not had a chance to review any of them – too much on my plate at the moment as I stay focused on finishing books already in the pipeline – I am very excited by this turn of events. Palladium Fantasy is on the move! Heck, several game lines are.

UPDATE: Other titles – like CS Arsenal^™ and Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebooks

Please remember, just because I do not mention or list a specific title in an Update, does not mean it has been removed from the production schedule. All it means is that we are focused and talking about more immediate, upcoming releases, or projects we are excited about that week, or there’s no substantive news to report. We are anxious to put as many books you’ve been waiting for into your hands as possible over the next 18 months, as well as new projects being worked on by freelance writers. That includes Rifts® Antarctica, The Disavowed™, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Land of the Damned™ 3, Rifts® Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, more Fantasy sourcebooks and other titles. So if a book you are waiting for is not mentioned in an Update, it means there is nothing new to report, but it should still be in the pipeline and news for it will be coming in the weeks or months ahead. Right now, we are focused on releases for the next six months, which by our count is 6-7 titles. And many of them are in various stages of final production or development. We are shooting for one or two new physical book releases every month as well as a couple new PDF products on DriveThruRPG.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Thanksgiving SUPER-SALE – now thru Cyber-Monday

EVERYTHING Palladium Books is on sale PLUS watch for unbelievable Black Friday and Cyber-Monday Doorcrasher specials at insane discounts. Just one more thing to make your holidays special and give you plenty to game with in the New Year.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is now available as a PDF novel. The second novel will come in December. Both are epic. See the description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

This sale is a great time to get out of print issues of The Rifter and utilize its 8,500+ pages of source material as the inspiring idea factory they are meant to be. Let the gaming material and artwork spark and unleash your imaginations to fuel your own characters, house rules, adventures and campaigns. Most of it is timeless and as fun and valid today as when they were written. The Rifter® #1-84 are all available on DriveThruRPG.com as PDF files.

• Every issue is a treasure trove of source material and ideas that can be easily adapted to any game setting and game system. Monsters, magic and villains that can be mixed and dropped into wherever you need them. Will your players be expecting a Nightbane® or Rifts® monster or villain dropped into your Fantasy or Heroes Unlimited™ campaign? And vice versa. Talk about shaking things up!
• Writers include legends like Erick Wujcik, and Palladium creators like Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carl Gleba, Charles Walton, Glen Evans, Brandon Aten, Taylor White, Matthew Orr, Greg Diaczyk, Mark Oberle, Steve Dawes, Braden Campbell, Wayne Breaux, Jason Richards, Travis Guerrero, Josh Sinsapaugh, Matt Reed, Paul Herbert, Ian Herbert, Hendrik Härterich, Chris Kluge, Lance Colley, Mark Sumimoto, Jason Marker, Daniel Frederick, Shawn Merrow, James M.G. Cannon, Edward Woodward III, and many, many others.
• Artwork by more gaming and comic book legends! Brom, Jeff Easley, Tyler Walpole, Ramon K. Perez, Freddie Williams II, Jolly Blackburn, David Martin, Scott Johnson, Kevin Long, John Zeleznik, Charles Walton, Amy L. Ashbaugh, Apollo Okamura, and too many others to list them all.

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent 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; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

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: Thank you

I don’t know about you, but this year with the pandemic and all, I have a great many things for which I am grateful.

– You and your support. Palladium fans are the nicest, kindest, most supportive fans and customers in the world. Thank you for helping us weather this storm. We could not have gotten this far without you. I hope my words and our games help you find joy and escape when you need it most. Please keep those imaginations burning and game on.

– Friends and loved ones. You know who you are. Thank you for always being there and for all you do. I love you all.

– Having work I love. Sure these past several weeks have been crazy – heck, this whole year has an been an unpredictable roller coaster ride – but I would not trade it for anything. I love writing and gaming and the people I work with and the folks I create it all for. Btw, that last part would be you.

– Surviving the pandemic and all the other madness. So far, so good, right? Trying to hang tough and be smart like the rest of you.

– A New Year filled with hope and promise. At least, let us hope so. They say a vaccine is coming and with it our lives should begin to find some measure of returning normalcy. Of course, only time will tell. I’m trying to think positively.

I hope you celebrate your Thanksgiving Day with care and caution, and get to spend some time with those dearest to you, even if it is in small numbers or remotely by phone, Facebook, Skype, Zoom, or by whatever means at your disposal. Tell them how much they mean to you and that you are glad they are part of your life. Be thankful for a yummy dinner, a moment of calm, and the many little things that bring you joy. I will be thinking of you when I reflect upon what makes me thankful and fuels my imagination.

Please enjoy our sales (and others), and thank you, one and all, for your support, kind words, friendship, and love. Right back at you this holiday weekend and always.

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

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where the customer can offer comments and suggestions with his or her Surprise Package order. Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling 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 days. Please help use our games to find escape from the pandemic and to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each.

J.B. in Vancouver, Washington, writes: Favorites: Rifts® and After the Bomb®. Thanks again for offering this great deal on Palladium products. It has been a while since I have played but I have found the books, Rifts® especially, are a great source of creative inspiration for my other creative projects. Cheers!

[Welcome back, and enjoy! Editor Alex calls Palladium Books the House of Ideas. It sounds like you would agree. Cool. – KS]

B.W. in Manteca, California, writes (in part): … Garden of the Gods … is awesome by the way … Thanks for doing these. The Grab Bags are always awesome!

[You are welcome, B.W., and thank you for your kind words. – KS]

C.Y. in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada, writes (in part): … I just want to extend my gratitude to your company for keeping our family happy and together around the table, bonding, gaming, having fun, during a time where the world outside is less peaceful.

[We are humbled and honored by your kind words, C.Y. I am glad we can help to bring joy and positivity in any small way we can during these dark times. Please stay safe and happy gaming away all winter long. I will be thinking of you and your delightful family through the holidays. – KS]

T.L. in Fort Worth, Texas, writes: Love these grab bags. One of the highlights of my gaming year! I hope everyone there is healthy, safe, and prosperous.

[The same to you, T.L. So far we are healthy, safe, and hanging tough! Hope you can say the same. Thrilled you love the Grab Bags so much. I love doing them for you all just as much. – KS]

T.G. in Jackson, Michigan, writes: I just want to say thanks to Kevin for all of the uplifting messages in the Weekly Updates this year. It does help! We will get through this mess the world is in and come out on the other side stronger for it all. Thanks for the reminders and the smiles!

[Aw shucks, T.G., you make me blush. I have heard this from a lot of folks and I’m so glad I can make a small difference during these difficult times. I agree, we will get through this mess and come out of it stronger for it all. So thank you for your positive feedback and support, T.G. And I liked your ideas about Shemarrian characters. – KS]

D.T. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, writes: Favorites: Palladium Fantasy RPG®, swinging into Rifts® to add to the fun. Yes, ordering again. I cannot get enough Palladium! A special thanks to all of you. I know everyone is working hard to autograph and get these orders out. I, like everyone else, sincerely appreciate the work done by all. I really hope that the Anniversary Palladium Open House will still take place. I’ll keep praying for y’all. Take care, be safe, stay healthy and thank you again.

[Your kind words and prayers are much appreciated and humbling, D.T. Healthwise: So far, so good. We are staying safe and fingers crossed. As for the 2021 Palladium Open House, we were hoping for the pandemic to be coming to an end instead of heating up, or for a rapid vaccine. And even though a vaccine will start becoming available soon, most people probably will not be able to get one till the spring and summer. As a result, though I have not made an official announcement yet, we are strongly leaning toward it being smarter and safer to reschedule the POH for April 2022. I know that sucks, which is why I have been holding off on making that painful decision, but we want to create fun and lasting memories, not spread some dang disease that could hurt or kill people. A lot of us (and by that I mean you guys too) are not spring chickens anymore. We need to take the responsible course of action. We have lost too many longtime fans this year already. I sure do not want to be responsible for adding to the count. I will let you know when we decide for certain. – KS]

D.A. in Odenton, Maryland, writes: Just want to thank you guys for an amazing product all these years. I learned a lot from some really bad sessions as a new G.M. how easy it was for a bunch of 18 year old power gamers to misread rules and make terrible hybrid characters to G.M. for, but those are some of my fondest memories in gaming. I’ve grown and so has the group … we’ve all taken lessons from our adventures in Century Station, Rifts® Earth and Phase World.

[Fun and fond memories are what RPGing is all about, D.A., and I am glad our games have brought you so many joyful and funny memories. – KS]

D.S. in Wasilla, Alaska, writes (in part): I would like to play a game over Zoom with Kevin. It would be great for my Twitch show, or have him play in my game …

[Sounds like fun, D.S., but I barely have time to catch my breath. Do you know how behind we are on book releases? lol. But I appreciate your invitation and kind words. Good luck with your Twitch show and thank you so much for your support. – KS]

B.K. in Wausau, Wisconsin, writes (in part): Gaming with my brother has been a bonding activity for us for years. Palladium’s games have been a big part of that. Thank you, Kevin, et al, for the memories and continued good times.

[Amen, B.K. Role-playing games are wonderfully bonding and full of fun and memories like no other games I know of. I’m glad we can be part of the fun and joy for you and your family. Happy holidays, B.K., and thank you for sharing. – KS]

C.M. in Denton, Texas, writes (in part): Hello Kevin. You would not remember me, but I thoroughly enjoyed a weekend around Detroit during an Open House years ago. My GM had just introduced me to Rifts and I came along to take part in the festivities.

Now it is my turn to introduce a new generation of players to the Palladium system and Rifts in particular … I hope you and the company are doing well in these times. All the best!

[Hi C.M., I’m glad we made a favorable impression with our games and the Open House. They are always a ton of fun. I appreciate your kind words and introducing a new generation of players to Rifts® and the Palladium game system. We are doing okay and hanging tough. Wish we could crank out product faster, but so far so good. I like to say that I am foolishly optimistic about the future. Please stay happy and healthy, and maybe we will see you at a future Open House. – KS]

M.S. in Momence, Illinois, writes (in part): Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited™; want to try Palladium Fantasy … Heroes Unlimited was the first RPG I ever played. I was introduced to it by Aaron Oliver who was my next door neighbor growing up … I’ve played many table top RPGs since them, but I always end up coming back to Heroes Unlimited or Rifts®. Other game rules may be easier to use, but nothing has the same feel as participating in a Palladium game … I loved the two Rifts® Northern Gun World Books – possibly my favorite books so far … I recently have been curious about Palladium Fantasy for a future campaign.

[I’m glad you keep coming back to Palladium, M.S. We have a lot of plans for the future I think you will enjoy. As for Palladium Fantasy, that’s my go to game to run. Thanks for sharing and take care. – KS]

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. Two – Coming

More monsters and exotic animals of Rifts® North America as part of an ongoing series of Rifts® Bestiary sourcebooks. The first two or three Rifts® Bestiary™ books will focus on monsters and animals of North America. They collect creatures from all current World Books and Sourcebooks, plus some new creatures by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton, and others. Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location at a glance.

Note: The Rifts® Bestiary™ series is more than a few big books of monsters, they are deliberately designed to provide players with a useful, living resource (pet, guard animal, riding animal, food source, etc.) as well as present many and varied opportunities for adventure and fun. Some creatures are helpful, some are inadvertently a threat or danger, while others are slobbering predators or wicked beasts that kill and eat you, or capture you, or sabotage you, or worse.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America in a second easy to use sourcebook.
• Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Notable Splugorth hunting animals.
• Some new creatures, but most are existing creatures.
• Updated information where applicable.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated.
• Art by Chuck Walton, Siembieda, Cummings, Bradshaw, Atkins, Ashbaugh, and many others.
• 192-224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 897. In production.

In the Face of Death^™ – Now Shipping!

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that re-imagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to classic tropes

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – shipping now.

COMING! Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion, the CS Manhunters hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also their own. Coalition soldiers, brass, government leaders, and anyone who becomes designated as having gone rogue, AWOL, or turned traitor (including the Disavowed), become targets of CS Manhunters to be tracked down and brought to justice. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, and manhunters are trained killing machines who follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

More often than not, the assignment is straight-up find and terminate. If your name has been given to a Manhunter squad, your fate is sealed, and no one is untouchable. The CS Manhunters operate in secret, find their target, terminate, and vanish as if they were never there at all. They don’t seek credit or limelight. They serve their country from the blood-soaked shadows.

• CS Manhunter squads and special operatives.
• Manhunter Killhound and Dog Boy O.C.C.s.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Healer.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Interrogator (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Psi-Enforcer (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Bursters and Zappers.
• CS Manhunter Slayer (a variation of the Psi-Slayer or Psi-Warrior).
• CS Manhunter Mind Melter, the most insidious and deadliest of them all.
• Weapons, gear, and tactics.
• Some notable Non-Player Characters, adventure ideas, and more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Art by Nick Bradshaw.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894.

NEW! Garden of the Gods^™, Palladium Fantasy^® Sourcebook – Shipping now!

The Garden of the Gods™ sourcebook is 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 a place of miracles and wisdom 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 dangerous evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit, as well as dark gods within the Garden itself.

• 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. One game system – a Megaverse® of adventure!™
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 475.

Land of the Damned^™ Three: The Bleakness^™ Raw Preview – available now

Available now! The “Raw Preview Edition” of LotD-3: The Bleakness™, for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, working manuscript for this new Fantasy World Book. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released. A rare look at the raw manuscript before final edit, rewrites and publication. Limited to a total of 200 copies.

This epic sourcebook presents the forbidden Land of the Damned in all its brutal glory. Includes information about the ancient and forgotten eldritch races, the Minotaur legions, dark magic, the Citadel, countless adventure hooks and ideas, and much, much more. The long awaited final book in the Land of the Damned series, with connections to the Garden of the Gods™ and the upcoming Lopan Fantasy World Book.

• Limited collector’s edition – only 200 collector copies.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• A rare glimpse at the virgin manuscript and a work in progress.
• Written by Matthew Clements, based on ideas by Kevin Siembieda.
• 96 pages – Limited Edition – $20.99 – Cat. No. 470-RAW – available now. Note: The finished book with artwork and more is anticipated to ship in a few months, but you can see what it’s all about right now and even start playing with this special Preview Edition!

Palladium Fantasy RPG^® Interactive Character Sheet

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet is a Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook, this sheet saves you time and hassle with each character you create. Available now, directly from Palladium Books AND DriveThruRPG.com – this is a digital, online product only.

Features & Benefits:

• The Main Character Sheet Page collects the important data from across multiple tabs and puts it in one place for quick and easy reference.
• Separate sheets examine character construction (worktable), Skills, Magic, Psionics, and Combat in greater detail.
• Built-in leveling system that calculates skill advancement for you! Experience Tables for over 80 O.C.C.s already programmed.
• Recognizes the percentages for nearly 150 skills, plus combat bonuses for over 20 Weapon Proficiencies and 7 Hand to Hand styles.
• Calculates the speed and distance a character can run and jump based on character Attributes.
• Also calculates how much a character can lift, carry, and throw for humanoids, Giants, and Supernatural Beings.
• Add in your own Hand to Hand style, custom Skills, unique Weapon Proficiencies, and Experience Tables.
• Estimated time to build a character reduced by 20% or more.
• Instructions on how to use the sheet included, as well as a video walkthrough below.
• Important Note: This character sheet is built to be used with Microsoft Excel 2010+ and it comes in .XLSX format. Opening this file in other spreadsheet programs is NOT guaranteed to work as intended.
• Watch the Overview video here: https://vimeo.com/322271758

Psychic Scream^™ – Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Sourcebook

A storm has rolled in. A psychic storm. With the Coming of the Rifts, survivors are bombarded by terrifying visions and overwhelmed with powers and abilities they never asked for, and often cannot control.

Where do you hide from the madness boiling inside of you?

What would you do when you know evil lurks hidden among your fellow survivors?

Why do the voices of alien creatures speak to you?

How do you cope when the power you unleashed to destroy a monster and save the innocent, destroys everyone but you?

Have you become a hero or another monster born in chaos?

Are these powers your family’s salvation or their damnation?

Find out in Psychic Scream!

In the wake of the Coming of the Rifts, people begin to see ghosts and demons, they unleash lightning from their fingertips, command fire and water, hurl boulders and girders with their minds, and manifest a wide range of mental powers. Psionic abilities fueled by the explosive return of magic and the unchecked flow of dimensional energy that is off the charts.

Psychic abilities more powerful than anything known after the Two Hundred Years Dark Age. Wondrous and lifesaving. But also seething and out of control. The psychics’ own minds bombarded by feelings of dread, visions of horror, and the thoughts and emotions of everyone around them. For many, it is too much, sending them careening into madness. For others, it creates heroes forged from chaos.

• Untamed psychic abilities. More powerful than anything known later on Rifts Earth.
• New psychic powers and character classes.
• New psionic monsters and invaders.
• Insanity, side-effects and horror.
• Adventure ideas and more. All people, powers and monsters that become myths and legends told about the events during the Two Hundred Years Dark Age.
• Written by Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 667.

COMING: Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.

• 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 Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899.

COMING: The Island of Lopan Sourcebook, a fantasy sourcebook

The island kingdom described and mapped, rare and ancient magic, trade with the Old Kingdom, Centaurs, Western intrigue, and more.

• History and overview.
• Key cities and locations.
• Lopan O.C.C.s and people of note.
• And Old Kingdom City that is a trade partner.
• The mysterious and nearly forgotten Mosaic Magic.
• New monsters and magic, weapons and gear.
• Written by Glen Evans.
• 192 pages – $26.99 – Cat. No. 476.

COMING: Rifts^® Antarctica

Rifts® Antarctica is a truly compelling and exotic land beyond what anyone expects. A frozen continent transformed by the power of magic and alien wildlife. Long isolated from the rest of the world, Rifts, D-Shifting events and the threat of war have now brought the distant South Pole within reach. And unearthed something ancient and so dangerous that even the Splugorth fear it and dare not go there.

• New alien monsters and D-Bees.
• Strange new weapons and vehicles. Some left over from the Golden Age of Humanity, others completely alien.
• The Splugorth’s secret outpost. More than it would seem.
• A Splugorth zoo and place of secret Bio-Wizard experiments.
• Snow and Ice Golems created specifically for the cold environment.
• Danger from the elements, Ice Witches, Icecraft, and other horrors.
• Vostok City, a city of magic carved from the ice itself.
• Cold-weather skills, technology and survival techniques.
• Ancient danger and dark secrets.
• Written by Matthew Clements, Carmen Bellaire, and Kevin Siembieda.
• 160 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 898.

COMING! Rifts^® The Disavowed^™ – Secrets of the Coalition States^™

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

• CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?
• Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?
• Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?
• What role does the Vanguard play in this group?
• How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?
• What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 892.

COMING! Heroes of Humanity^™ Arsenal – Rifts^® Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Rifts® Heroes of Humanity gave you updated Coalition Army O.C.C.s, ways to upgrade men-at-arms, new O.C.C.s, battle plans and strategies and tactics. CS Heroes of Humanity™ Arsenal provides an array of new Coalition hardware: weapons, armor, additional SAMAS, other power armor, robots, combat vehicles, gear and info.

• New CS weapons and gear.
• New CS SAMAS and power armor.
• New CS robots and combat vehicles.
• More secrets and information about the Coalition States.
• Wild adventure opportunities, fun and more.
• Part of the Minion War™ “Crossover” series.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Clements, Gleba and others.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 893.

Rifts^® Bestiary^™, Volume One – Shipping Now!

Could the monsters known as Caterpillar Things be the larval form of the Mothman Monster? Is the Corrival Battler as aggressive and dangerous as adventurers claim? Are Darkhounds really magically mutated Dog Boys? Is that why they see Coalition soldiers as friends and allies? Ee-Bee Gee-Bees are kinda cute, how dangerous can they be? Is it true the animals and people slain by the Death Springer rise as zombies?! What on Rifts Earth is a Field Reaper?

This book reveals it all.

Designed with both Players and Game Masters in mind, with creatures that can be used as pets, companions, riding animals, attack animals, and even unlikely allies, as well as slobbering monsters and catalysts for adventure. Adult, juvenile, and young stages of life give every creature three different levels of power and danger. Presented as a complete ecosystem, with maps and details to bring each animal to life. All provide plenty of spice to add to your characters and adventures.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail, updated and expanded.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found at a glance.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Powerful art.
• Includes basic S.D.C. stats for each creature description.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton and others.
• 256 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 – Shipping Now!

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. One – “Gold Edition” Hardcover – Signed and Numbered – Now Shipping!

A deluxe, limited, Gold Edition hardcover, signed and numbered by Palladium staff and maybe a few freelancers. It is the same content of unique creatures that can be used as familiars, pets, riding animals, guard animals, and slobbering monsters as the softcover edition in a durable hardcover. Very limited run of only 300 copies, numbered and signed by Kevin Siembieda, Palladium staff members and possibly available contributing artists and writers. Note: Historically, Palladium Books’ Gold Editions have doubled, tripled or increased in value many times over. Valued as cherished collectibles. Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Please note the slight increase in price to $55.

• Gold foil on a black faux leather hardcover.
• Sewn and glued for long-lasting durability.
• Only 300 signed and numbered copies.
• Available only from Palladium Books.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
• Signed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium staff.
• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail.
• Same contents as the softcover edition.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting; basic S.D.C. stats included for each creature description.
• 256 pages – $55.00 retail – Cat. No. 896HC (Volume One). Shipping Now!

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #84 – available and shipping now

The Rifter® #84 focuses on adventure in dark corners of various world settings. Places where danger threatens, monsters and evildoers lurk in the shadows, and people are in need of heroes. Adventure source material for The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, and Rifts®. And remember, adventures and source material for one game setting can also be adapted to other world settings with some easy and obvious modifications. Most of all, have fun.

Rifter® #84 Highlights:

• The City of Cascade™ by Erick Wujcik and Matt Reed, A modern city in desperate need of heroes.
• The Kingdom of Raf-Chalon™ for Palladium Fantasy RPG® by Glen Evans. An Elven Kingdom in the Eastern Territory™.
• Golems in the Myst™ for Rifts® by Greg Diaczyk. Techno-Wizard experiments go wrong and Golems run amok.
• Spellbound O.C.C. for Nightbane® RPG by Ian Herbert.
• An Adventure for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Kyle Osterberg.
• The Dimma, a short story and a scary new monster for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Steven Dawes.
• 2021 Palladium Open House and other news.
• Coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 96 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 184 – Shipping now!

Copyright 2020 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.