Rebuilding Palladium Books^®

By Kevin Siembieda, Publisher & Owner

Okay, you can hit the various links and read the various message boards to see what has transpired before, the Crisis we’ve survived and the tremendous outpouring of fan support that helped make it possible.

Originals Details. October 2006 Update. 
PayPal Donation Link:

The Crisis (the short version)

A trusted friend of 24 years, employee for 14, and my right-hand man, embezzles and steals. “Embezzlement” means he covered it all up, falsified invoices, etc. He also engages in acts of sabotage that cause more problems. The estimated damage is $850,000 to 1.2 million dollars. It is a crippling blow that could put Palladium Books out of business. Not only will I lose everything I have spent 25 years building, but a lot of good people – creditors, private investors, the Palladium staff, freelance artists and writers, and you, our fans, will all suffer for this wrongdoing. I can’t allow that, so I wrack my mind for a solution and consult with dozens of people.

I hatch a plan for recovery that may seem desperate, or even crazy to some people, because it hinges on Palladium’s legion of fans.

The Appeal to Our Fans

April 19, 2006, I make a public announcement about Palladium’s Crisis of Treachery, and I make my appeal to the fans. In a nutshell, I tell folks we’ve been laid low and it looks like we may go out of business unless we get a huge, fast shot in the arm.

And that’s where our fans come in. I ask them for help. To buy those backstock books they’ve been meaning to buy, but haven’t gotten around to yet. To purchase a special, limited edition print I will draw. I call it A Megaverse® United, I personalize and number every print, and I promise the names of EVERY purchaser will see print in a future Palladium sourcebook. I also ask that people spread the word.

We all hoped for a good response, but none of us at Palladium Books® could have anticipated the magnitude of the response we got. Fans and industry people alike spread the word even as thousands of orders poured in and hundreds upon hundreds of emails lit up our message boards with well wishes, testimonials and pledges of support (most are still up and available for reading). Orders came from just about every country on the planet.

It was nothing short of amazing. Humbling, joyous and amazing as Palladium fans around the globe pitched in to help their favorite game company. We had no intention of taking donations, but fans and parents of fans called and emailed and begged us to accept donations. They pointed out that not everyone could afford a book, T-shirt or art print, but that they wanted to do what they could to help by donating something, even if it were only a few dollars. It was an impassioned request, so we capitulated and set up a PayPal donation system in response to fan demands.

Thank you, everyone who made a purchase, sent a donation (small or large), spread the word and prayed for our recovery. Again, you can read about all this elsewhere on the Palladium website and follow the chronological trail of postings, Murmurs from the Megaverse®, Press Releases, and commentary over the last year, so there is no reason for me to go into detail here. Let me recap by saying what I often remind the Palladium staff and tell friends: “One creep laid Palladium low, thousands of friends helped raise us back up.”

Where We’re at Today

The sales of art prints, RPGs, sourcebooks and many other products helped us weather the granddaddy of storms. We were able to get caught up on our taxes and bills, pay freelancers, and pay down debt.

We continue to work hard, put in an insane amount of work hours every week, and have put into motion a carefully thought out plan to rebuild Palladium’s foundation, get back on our feet and kick some . . . um, I mean, get Palladium strong and healthy again. We are light years better than we were a year ago.

Palladium continues to make smart moves, work hard and take measured and calculated risks that should grow Palladium Books and its presence in the RPG market. That includes dynamic new products, reprints of vital back stock titles, expanding into the book trade, producing RPG related product (T-shirts, prints, posters, etc.), other RPG related products that should appeal to different but related markets (e.g., graphic novel/comics with Machinations of Doom, the mainstream with the new Zeleznik art book, the Robotech® RPG license to attract the manga/anime market), calculated experiments with advertising and marketing, and a stronger presence online (Murmurs of the Megaverse®, more frequent Press Releases, greater participation from Palladium freelancers, and coming soon: The Rifter® Zero, plus downloadable adventures for purchase, interviews, video interviews, contests and more).

Is Palladium Saved?

Not yet, but we’re working hard to get there as fast as possible. We’ve already accomplished more than any of our expert advisors thought possible, and at a breakneck pace. The damage inflicted upon us by the Crisis of Treachery was deep and severe. It will take at least 2-3 years before Palladium is completely back on its feet. That having been said, we have made Herculean strides and are doing much better, much faster than anyone (but us) imagined.

Lingering Problems

Not enough time and money to do everything we need to do to get Palladium completely restored. We have a lot of ideas that should make money and help Palladium recover, but not the money or time/staff to get it done as quickly as we’d like. It’s frustrating, but that’s why patience is a virtue, and Palladium is still making good headway and marked improvement.

New product drives sales of new and back stock titles, but producing and releasing “quality” product is hard work and time consuming. Ideally, we want to release two new RPGs/sourcebooks a month. That has been difficult as we deal with a multitude of other business and creative issues. However, we think the worst of the product logjam is over. And we have gathered some of the greatest talent in the history of Palladium Books, so watch out.

Uneven cash flow. One month we’re doing great, the next, cash is tight. Part of the problem is uneven releases of new product (new product drives everything, remember). Another is slow pay by distributors. On top of everything else, the RPG market is sluggish and some distributors are struggling. That means periods where paying their bills is difficult and that hurts Palladium’s cash flow. We have a good relationship with all of our distributors, so they do their best to get caught back up as quickly as they can, but the lag times still hurt.

Lingering debt. The Crisis dropped Palladium into an abyss that the perpetrator and many observers never thought we’d recover from. Well, we are climbing out of that pit faster than anyone imagined, while maintaining ongoing business operations. However, we still have a ways to go. To help us on this journey, our private investors are waiting patiently, many have even foregone interest in an effort to help.

Some of Palladium’s Solutions

Cultivate new customers with fun and exciting new product and revitalized existing product. Cutting edge RPG products that challenge and excite the imagination. That can also be done with licenses that have broad appeal, like Robotech®.

Try new types of products (and advertising) that might cross into other existing markets.

Improve distribution/availability of products for obvious reasons.

Expand into the book trade – national chain stores like Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings and others.

Expand into other market areas such as art prints, T-shirts, comic books, novels, greeting cards, and other fun and related ancillary products.

Palladium has the trust and support of its many business partners, our printer, banker, private investors, freelance creators, and potential new licensors (like Harmony Gold), all thanks to our reputation, trust and decades of solid business practices. This is critical.

Palladium has the trust and support of its fans. That’s more important than you might realize. And important to us on many levels, from sales to inspiration. This is huge.

Online fun, electronic products/downloads, greater interaction with Palladium creators, information, and so on.

Development of Palladium’s own unique and proven intellectual properties. This has the greatest long term potential, but is more difficult to achieve than many people think. We often get comments like, “You should do a Rifts® (or Nightbane® or whatever) videogame or online game.” Yes, we’d LOVE to see videogames, MMOGs, films, TV shows, etc. Only it’s not that simple. We need to find a company that believes in our product and is willing and able to spend the millions of dollars and 2-4 years it takes to make a quality videogame, MMOG, film, etc. We also need to find a company that shares our vision and will create a game or film you, our fans, will recognize and enjoy. That’s harder than you might think.

Having Jerry Bruckheimer and Walt Disney Pictures “option” Rifts® for development into a live action movie is thrilling. But will they ever make a movie? Who knows. They like the ideas and characters and visuals, but can they figure out what to do with it? Only time will tell. And we’ve been contacted by other film makers about some of Palladium’s other game properties and we’ve had a few nibbles, but so far, nothing has panned out. We think it’s only a matter of time, but when?

What can you, our fans, do to help?

Keep doing what you’ve been doing. The game market is changing, so we need your continued support, input and help spreading the word.

Spread the word about Palladium Books®, its exciting new products, your long-time favorites, and the joy of role-playing.

Buy those books, T-Shirts, prints and specialty items that strike your fancy or you’ve been meaning to purchase, but haven’t gotten around to.

Take advantage of the Palladium Collectibles & Art Auctions we’ve started to hold on eBay every month or so. It’s an opportunity for you to acquire out of print books, rare limited editions, original artwork and cool, weird and rare collectibles (many from Palladium’s archives and my personal collection), and it’s an opportunity for Palladium to bolster its cash flow.

Run Palladium gaming events at local conventions and retail stores willing to host gaming and demos.

Talk to the “new guy or gal” who has expressed an interest in role-playing games. Tell them about Palladium Books. Suggest some games and sourcebooks you think they might enjoy. Tell them about the Palladium website and give them our web address. Give them that extra Palladium catalog you have tucked away. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF WORD OF MOUTH.

Give us constructive feedback, comments and suggestions. Tell us what you like and don’t like, what you’d like to see next or have no interest in. We want to know. We need to know.

Come on down to the Palladium Open House events and other conventions where we are guests to chat, get autographs and share ideas.

And have fun. Ultimately, that’s what role-playing games are all about, fun and camaraderie. Fun spinning epic stories. Fun with friends. Fun unleashing your imagination.

Palladium Books has a five year plan in place. We hope to be 100% and going strong in another two (maybe less). Provided we get your continued support, we can grow our market, and build other related areas. We have many talented people, great ideas, and high hopes for the future.

Remember, we listen to you, and want to know your ideas and concerns. You have a question, ask. Send me a private message, write a letter or call the office, or talk to any of Palladium’s staff members, creators and freelancers online. They are always happy to try to answer questions and help in any way they can. We’re RPG fan boys just like you, only we get to publish our ideas in game books. Palladium Books has always been more of a gathering of friends and family than a faceless corporation, as anybody who has met us at conventions or attended the Palladium Open House can attest to.

Don’t forget about us, keep the faith, support us with purchases of product that calls to you, cross your fingers, game on, and keep those imaginations burning bright. :)

Sincerely, 
Kevin Siembieda 
Publisher, Writer, Artist and Fan Boy 
© Palladium Books® July 13, 2007

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The next step to save Palladium 

“Is Palladium saved yet?” 

It’s the nagging question we are asked 100 times a week. Common business formula is that a three year plan for recovery is a fast turn around. Five years would be reasonable. 

I think we can do it in one year or a year and half. 

When I first told freelancers and insiders about the Crisis of Treachery, most surprised me saying, “Kev, we have faith in you. You’ll keep Palladium going. We’re with you all the way.” A small number of pragmatists hung their heads low with sadness and asked, “So when are you going to give up and let go?” 

“Never!” was my knee jerk reaction. 

But Palladium’s situation was dire and extreme. It would take a miracle to survive to the end of the year, let alone get back on our feet. 

That miracle was you, Palladium’s legion of fans from around the world. You came to our aid in thronging multitudes. Thousands of you bought books, T-shirts, prints and specialty items. You insisted on our taking cash donations too. We only agreed to donations because we thought it would allow fans with low budgets but a burning desire to help too, contribute to the cause with two or five dollars. However, we’ve gotten our share of 20s, 50s and 100s. Just last week, an incredibly generous soul sent us one thousand. It is the third $1000 donation we’ve gotten. Wow. 

Just as importantly, Palladium was deluged with on-line testimonials, letters and telephone calls from people pledging their support, offering encouragement, and speaking about the joy and inspiration Palladium’s role-playing games have brought them over the years. This outpouring of lovebolstered our battered spirits and inspired us to press on against seemingly impossible odds. You will never know how much your kind words have meant to all of us. Speaking for myself, I can tell you that they carried me when I felt exhausted, broken, and wondering if I was crazy and should just give up. Thanks to you and your inspiring words and acts of kindness, the answer to that thought was a resounding, “no.” Never give up. Never surrender. We do this. And we are. 

Thank you one and all. Your heartfelt efforts are working! 

Palladium is doing much better than we were at the beginning of 2006, but the fight is not over and there remain a few major hurdles we need to overcome to insure the company’s survival and future. Hurdles I think we can overcome with your help. 

We are recovering much, much faster than formula or common sense would dictate. That’s FANTASTIC news! We are exceeding our three year plan for recovery at lightning speed! If we can keep it up and beat our new challenges, Palladium might be on its feet and on solid footing by Summer 2007. That’s one year! Much better than our original projection of Summer 2009. And it is due, in large part, to you. 

All is not perfect, however, as Palladium faces a host of new challenges. So it is that we fine ourselves at one of those “moments of truth” that could make or break Palladium’s recovery. 

New challenges to overcome as quickly as possible 

1. Palladium has made huge strides at getting our products into the book trade, a move that could, within 6 months to a year, double our income. 

But we lack the money to reprint 20 key and core titles, including Rifts® Ultimate Edition (down to our last 700 copies). If we are unable to get books into the hands of our book trade partners, all that hard work has been for nothing. Worse, if we can’t provide product on the level the book trade needs, they might drop us. 

Even under the best of circumstances, payment in the book trade is 120 days net. That’s FOUR MONTHS before we get paid for our first month’s sales. Four months we need to print, reprint, and ship before the proceeds (which could be considerable) come back to us. It’s not unfair, that’s how the industry has always worked. In better times, that would be no problem. Today, it seems like very long time indeed. 

2. Christmas time usually sees our sales skyrocket. Back stock titles, old faves, new RPG release, specialty items (like prints, glasses, T-shirts, limited edition books and prints) and the annual X-Mas Grab Bag are great gifts for role-playing gamer friends and family. Sales are up in stores too, where Palladium has an increasing presence via the book trade. 

However, without the ability to reprint key out of print book titles, or print new releases, we don’t have the darn product to sell during the biggest sales period of the year. Its so frustrating! 

3. Palladium has assembled the greatest team of creators ever! Writers, artists, friends and volunteers all working their hearts out and producing some of the most impressive role-playing games and sourcebooks that’ we’ve seen in years. Furthermore, despite the pressures of it all, I, Kevin Siembieda, am brimming with new ideas, not just for RPG products, but new avenues of revenue and how to make Palladium stronger than ever. Ideas that have blown away the insiders who have heard them. 

Only we don’t have the darn money to print all these fabulous new books are try some of these new ventures. 

4. Behind the scenes, we have been working tirelessly on a great number of opportunities and ideas these past few months. Opportunities like the return ofRobotech®, rumblings from Hollywood, new mediums, new avenues of distribution, and new audiences for our products, as well as new types of product. 

Regrettably, some of the biggest, most promising opportunities are long term commitments that will take 2-4 YEARS to bear fruit. The exploration of these new avenues are ALL worth pursuing, even if they steal away precious time now as we build for the future. Sorry, we don’t want to reveal the specifics on these behind the scenes efforts because three quarters of them will never come to pass, we don’t want our competitors to know our plans, and the level of heartbreak and disappointment can be murder. Still, these are areas that must be pursued because any one of these initiatives could be critical to Palladium’s quick recovery and play a dramatic role in our long term success. 

5. The bottom line is we need another infusion of cash. The next 3-5 months could be “make it or break it time” for Palladium and we need your help. 

How to help Palladium get over the top 

We are so close. We’ve won so many battles and have worked so feverishly to put our plan into place. Don’t let us run out of steam right when we’re in position to make our big move! 

- Please continue to spread the word about Palladium’s plight. There are still those who haven’t heard. Every day we encounter dedicated fans, old friends, and troops returning from overseas who have yet to learn about Palladium’s troubles. 

- Please continue to keep buying those game books you’ve been meaning to pick up and items like prints, the anniversary laser-etched glasses, and collectibles. 

- Please encourage people to share their experiences and affection for Palladium in an effort to get new people to try our games. 

- Come down to see us at conventions like UberCon, YoumaCon and the 2007 Palladium Open House. 

- Keep your fingers crossed and the prayers going, because they seem to be working! And we’ll keep you clued in as success is realized. 

If Palladium can sell another 1000 A Megaverse United prints (already at an impressive 1845) and more of everything else . . . 

If Palladium could see a big sales push the last three months of 2006, it may be enough to send Palladium over the top, or at least give us a running start into 2007. 

If we can manage to reprint key back stock titles and new titles . . . 

If the new Robotech® RPG series is as big as we think it could be, or one of our other new releases or old lines heat up . . . 

If we have a good showing at the 2007 Palladium Open House . . . 

These are all things within our grasp. All things we can accomplish with your help. And they may be all we need to get Palladium solid again and running indefinitely. Such is the vast potential of Palladium Books. 

You, our fans, have already done so much, I hate to even ask for more help. I know Palladium’s critics will lambast me and have a field day with this appeal, but I don’t care. Together we have built something strong and wonderful that has lasted 25 years. Together we have rebounded from treachery and work to rebuild Palladium’s shattered foundation so we can continue for decades to come. 

Yeah, it’s only games and books, but games and books that have touched millions of lives. Games and books that have stretched across generations and built a network of friends from around the world. Games and books that spark the imagination and dare us all to dream. 

Palladium is at a crossroad 

Will it be our last? I don’t know, but I do know this is a pivotal moment. If we succeed now, it may put us over the top and allow Palladium to build momentum into the future. Failure at this junction could cripple us and bring our slow recovery to a crawl. 

This is a battle we can win. I believe that more than ever, thanks to you. 

If you can help, please do. But please do NOT bankrupt yourself or buy books you don’t need or want. However, if there’s a book you’ve been meaning to get, a print you like, a T-shirt to wear . . . well, every little bit helps. No purchase or donation is too small. It all adds up, and faster than you might think. I never imagined we’d have gotten so far in such a short time (six months), but you guys and gals have been amazing. Now, we need you to help some more, but only if you can afford to do so. You’ve helped us stand on wobbly feet, now we need you to help us walk. And if you can do that, we’ll try to get us running as fast as we can, as soon as we can. 

Thank you for all you’ve done already. Thank you for your continuing support. I promise, none of you will ever be forgotten. 


– Kevin Siembieda, President, October 11, 2006

Please Help Save Palladium from Going Under

An open letter from Kevin Siembieda, President & Owner.

A Crisis of Treachery

At a time when Palladium Books’ future has never looked more promising, we have been dealt a crippling blow. 

For legal reasons, I cannot go into details about exactly what happened. Suffice it to say that betrayal of trust, theft, and embezzlement has inflicted what we estimate to be $850,000 to 1.3 million dollars in damages to Palladium. 

It is a blow from which Palladium cannot recover. At least, not without YOUR help. 

Out of options . . .

I have borrowed tens of thousands in loans and sunk every dime I’ve had into Palladium Books. I’m selling everything I own to keep Palladium going. That’s the real reason I’m selling my 25 year old toy collection, art and other items at the Palladium Open House. 

But it’s not enough. 

For the last year I had kept Palladium going with the hope that something would break in our favor. After all, we had all kinds of exciting things going on behind the scenes, and the huge loss seemed, for a while, like something we could overcome. Then a string of misfortune. 

A series of unfortunate events

- The truly wonderful Rifts® videogame – Rifts® Promise of Power – was stillborn. The N-Gage platform never took off in North America. That meant the N-Gage and Rifts® Promise of Power would NOT be available on the mass market in the USA and Canada. Finding it anywhere in North America required an act of God. 

- There would be no Nokia royalty-based revenue stream. 

- Nor would there be a Nokia videogame sequel and the money that might come from it. 

Note: Nokia treated me nothing short of GREAT. They lost truckloads of money on this venture. We’re both the victims of marketing fallout. Please don’t blame these wonderful people for Palladium’s woes – circumstance just didn’t make them part of our solution. 

- Minimal gains into the book trade (Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings, etc.). PSI’s (Publisher Services Inc.) efforts to get Palladium RPG products into the book trade have been slow to say the least. Although we are confident PSI will be a good partner and get us into many national bookstore chains, it is taking much longer than anticipated. 

- The Rifts movie? Stalled. Until Jerry Bruckheimer has a script he loves, the movie can’t get the green light. That makes perfect sense, but it doesn’t help Palladium’s bottom line right now. 

- There were discussions with a company interested in doing a Rifts® MMOG but it didn’t pan out. 

- Other potential deals have moved forward at a snail’s pace or have fallen to the wayside. 

- Going public with this appeal may very well cost us getting the Robotech® license renewal. 

- It doesn’t help that the role-playing game industry is in a slump and going through a transitional phase. 

- Palladium has a team of amazing writers and artists brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. We have dozens and dozens of ideas and opportunities that will knock your socks off, but not the money to implement them. 

- Palladium’s writers and artists have been troopers, waiting months to get paid, but their generosity is not enough. 

- Treachery and skullduggery from within threatens to put us out of business. 

Please help save Palladium Books®

I struggled and struggled with whether or not I should turn to YOU for help. Palladium and I have always had a close relationship with our fan base. Everything we do, we do with you in mind. We buck the trends, keep prices low, produce The Rifter®, and try to bring happiness with our annual X-Mas Grab Bag offer. We love gaming and gamers. 

The irony is, we should be doing fine except for the treachery that has crippled us. 

It was actually trusted fan-friends and freelancers who gave me the idea to turn to you, the people who are most important to our survival on so many levels. 

Time and time again, each person I spoke to would be stunned by the news that Palladium was facing the possibility of closing its doors soon. 

Time and time again, the person would say something heartfelt like, “I can’t believe it. I can’t imagine a world without Palladium in it. Kevin, if I had the money I’d give it to you in a heartbeat.” 

I heard this so many times, almost word for word, that it gave me an idea. What if I went public and told all our fans about our trouble? Would they help? 

It seemed like a viable solution, but was it right to ask our fans for . . . a helping hand? 

My friend, Teresa Mead, helped me decide that this was the best solution when she said to me, “Kevin, I know your fans, and I think they’d be angry if you didn’t turn to them. They care about Palladium. If they find out they had a chance to save it, but Palladium’s gone because you didn’t ask them, it will make them furious. They’ll feel cheated and betrayed.” 

I thought about that a lot, and I think she’s right. So here’s goes. 


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How you can help

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Purchase the limited edition print “A Megaverse® United”

- I, Kevin Siembieda, will draw a special, pencil drawing with key characters from our entire game line to be made into a simple, black and white, toned piece of artwork, 11 x 14 inches, printed on a good quality paper. 

- Each print will be hand signed by me. I’ll indicate which number that print is (i.e. #1, 2, 100, 1000, 2010, etc.). I don’t know how many there will be in the end; I pray for thousands! 

- EVERYONE who purchases the print will see their names appear in the back pages of a major book listed as “Heroes of the Megaverse®!” 

- The print will sell for $50.00 plus shipping and materials (envelope, protective cardboard, etc.), probably about $2.00-$5.00 by regular first class mail. 

- We need those sales NOW!!! If 4,000 or 5,000 people all order that darn print within a month or two, it should give us the money we need to get back on our feet! Without a shot in the arm of some big cash, and fast, I fear Palladium is gone. That kind of jump start should carry us through the year and should enable us to do the other things we need to do to keep the company going for years to come! 

YOU can make a real difference

This is one of those rare moments in life when YOU, as an individual, can make a real difference. You can be a real hero by purchasing one of those prints and encouraging every Palladium gamer you know to do the same. Spread the word online, at conventions, at game stores, everywhere. Encourage every Palladium fan who has ever enjoyed our games, purchased a Grab Bag, or visited us at a convention to run home and place an order. 

I would never ask this great kindness of you if I didn’t think it would really work to save Palladium and keep us going for years. 

This is easier than it may sound.

Four or five thousand may seem like a big number, but that’s not even close to the number of gamers who purchased the Rifts® Ultimate Edition within the first few weeks of its release! 

Palladium has a mailing list of 14,000 fans who buy from us throughout the year. 

We sold 2000+ Christmas Grab Bags last year alone. 

We get 25,000-50,000 hits on the website every month, with some months exceeding 100,000!!! 

Millions of gamers around the world have played our games over the years — Rifts®, Ninja Turtles®, Robotech®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited, Nightbane® and others. MILLIONS! 

With YOUR help Palladium CAN survive, but we need a rapid infusion of cash. That means we need YOU to spread the word about Palladium’s situation and encourage others to buy a print too. And as soon as possible. 

YOUR help is real

Any amount we can sell will make a difference. 2000 prints sold is a big help and “should” enable us to limp through the rest of the year working toward getting into the book trade and launching new products that can make a difference. 4000 prints sold “should” free us of the most crushing debt, and help get us standing on our feet. 5000 prints or more should help enable us to release a range of amazing role-playing games, sourcebooks and related products. With the cash we need, Palladium can do all of the following. 

Release the stockpile of exciting new sourcebooks and products created by Palladium’s unbelievable crew of talented freelance writers and artists. 

Palladium can release new RPGs and publish more products for ALL its game lines, hopefully boosting overall sales and making Palladium strong again. 

Palladium can reprint key titles. 

Palladium can expand vital advertising. 

Palladium can keep doing the X-Mas Grab Bag that makes Christmas that much brighter for so many people. 

With your help, a little luck and hard work, this will be the boost we need to keep Palladium going for years and years to come. 

Without giving away too many secrets, we’ve been looking into a number of exciting licenses and new product areas you guys and gals have been asking for over the years, including novels, comic books and toys. Things that would already have been in production except for the crisis of treachery. 

YOU will be a bigger, intrinsic part of the Palladium Megaverse than ever before. You’ll be true champions who did something noble, kind and significant. 

YOU have my word that fans will always come first and I will repay you by keeping Palladium’s quality high, our prices reasonable, and giving back whenever I can. 

What else can you do?

- Come to the Palladium Open House and celebrate the past, present and future, buy back-stock items, toys, art and rare collectibles. 

- Keep supporting Palladium by purchasing our games at stores and online from Palladium Books. 

- Spread the word about Palladium’s role-playing games to other gamers. The greatest sales tool there is, especially in this age of the internet, is “word of mouth.” Encourage others to play Palladium games, run games and demos at your favorite game store or local game convention. 

- Take advantage of online offers and sales, like the 25th Anniversary items. 

- Tell stores that you want our books and wish they’d carry them (but only if it’s true). 

- Share your thoughts and ideas with us. 

- Forgive me for having to bother you with our troubles. I hope this appeal doesn’t offend anybody. I’ve run out of options. 

- Please do not try to assess blame or blast the person or persons who may be responsible. It can only lead to more trouble for Palladium. Besides, we need you to focus on the positive with us. Palladium CAN be saved with some help from its friends. 

If Palladium Books should come to an end, I have no regrets. I’ll know I did everything possible to keep going and do right by everyone. I have nothing but wonderful memories I will cherish forever. Palladium Books has allowed me to touch the lives of millions of people, meet thousands of fans, and become friends with scores of wonderful people. 

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher – Spring 2006 

Copyright 2006 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved. 
This Press Release may be used and portions reprinted with Palladium's permission for the purpose of news and promotion. Rifts®, Megaverse® and Palladium Books® are registered trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. and Kevin Siembieda. Heroes Unlimited, Powers Unlimited, Beyond the Supernatural, Tome Grotesque, Beyond Arcanum, Splicers, MercTown, Merc Ops, Dinosaur Swamp, Chaos Earth, NEMA and all other titles and names are trademarks of Palladium Books.