Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Nov. 29, 2018

By Kevin Siembieda

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

Wow, people really loved our Black Friday and Cyber-Monday sales (ended Tuesday) as well as the Christmas Surprise Packages which continue to pour in. Awesome. And why not? They really are one of the best deals of the holidays and the most fun. A genuine “surprise” package with a lot of personal touches. So, please, keep ‘em coming because Christmas is just around the corner. What, 3 weeks and a couple days? And when you factor in shipping time, you really only have just TWO weeks to order and know you’ll get the package in time for Christmas. So don’t delay! And remember, these Grab Bags are great for any type of gift, not just the holidays. I have been loading them up and packing them full of holiday joy. Also see our Rifter® Celebration Sale starting today.

We had so many orders that we spent most of last weekend (yeah, Julius, Alex and I were here in the Palladium warehouse on Saturday and Sunday) and much of this week signing books, packing and shipping. Which is okay, because it is a joy. We love bringing holiday cheer to gamers around the world. And we all enjoy reading your comments. This has played havoc with our work on books, but I have still managed to slip in time to work on the Rifts® Bestiary and guide along a few other projects. All of which are coming along nicely. I think Chuck Walton is even more excited about the Rifts® Bestiary than I am, and that’s saying a lot. His art and ideas for “beasts” are top notch. Every time we talk about it he grins and says “Kev, the Bestiary is epic. It’s taking the concept of a Bestiary to another level. I don’t know if people realize how packed it is with ideas for adventures and encounters. A good G.M. is going to have a field day with this.” Players too. He’s right. We are putting so much into the Bestiary books. Heck, Chuck and I were brainstorming and exchanging ideas just yesterday and getting as giddy as two children on Christmas morning. Like you, I just wish it wasn’t taking so long (as usual, right, grrr). But we think you’ll go wild over the Bestiary titles when they are released. Volume One soon.

Folks are enjoying the release of Systems Failure™ RPG (alien invasion fun), Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS, 1st Edition rules (6 adventures easily adapted to BTS, 2nd Ed.), and Nightbane® Shadows of Light™ sourcebook – all available NOW and may be requested in Surprise Packages.

The Rifter® #82 should begin shipping tomorrow. The book was delayed at the printer due to a glitch, but we have just received word that we will get them Friday. See the free Sneak Preview of The Rifter® #82 on DriveThruRPG.com for a glimpse of this great issue. Be warned, I’ve had more than one person tell me that the preview only made them more anxious to get the book now! Thank goodness it will be shipping in a day or so. Glad to hear it as this issue is very special to us.

Rifter^® Celebration Sale

We thought it would be nice to celebrate 20 years of The Rifter® by offering a sale on most back issues. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to pick them up at a discount. The Rifter® is also available for consideration in Surprise Packages. Sale runs from now through next Tuesday, December 4, 2018.

Only 3 Weeks till Christmas – 2 weeks to ship – Order your Palladium Christmas Surprise Package NOW!

What is a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package? A way to get $95-$100 or more worth of gaming product for ONLY $46 (plus shipping and handling) as gifts for others or for yourself. And each book signed if you should want autographs. It is our way of saying thank you to our many fans for their support. You are appreciated more than you may realize.

The best deal of the holidays! You are likely to pay $50 or more for a for just a single core rule book, but for $45 plus shipping, you can get 4-6 books in a Palladium Surprise Package, depending on their retail value. Or you can get that core rule book and 2-4 sourcebooks. And we will sign the books if you request it. How do you beat that? It simply is the best deal in gaming! Our way of giving back to the fans and making the holidays special for you. A 20 year tradition of which gamers cannot get enough.

• Palladium Surprise Packages make the perfect holiday gifts for the gamers in your life. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you’re looking for a gift for a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion that falls between now and March, 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, and you look like you spent a fortune.
• Fill holes in your own collection.
• Try new game settings – Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Splicers®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Rifts® Chaos Earth®, After the Bomb® (mutant animals), Ninjas & Superspies™, RECON® and all the rest.
• Get cool stuff (miniatures, bookmarks, maps, prints, greeting cards, T-shirts, etc.).
• Request autographs and Kevin and available Palladium staff and freelancers will sign every book.
• Get something for your fellow gamers or favorite Game Master, husband, wife, brother, sister, child, etc.
• Be surprised when the package arrives.
• All items personally selected and comments read by Santa Kevin, himself. Ho, ho, ho!

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 12-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 12-15 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 color maps, or T-shirt, or issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

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.

Please spread the word to gamers everywhere. People only learn about the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package offer by word of mouth, The Rifter® and our website, so please post and spread the word everywhere.

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 $90-$100 worth of product and only paying $46 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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The X-Mas Surprise Package is a Grab Bag. As such, while we always try to send you items from your Wish List, you may NOT get everything you ask for and you are likely to get one or more items NOT on your list, like The Rifter®, or other item(s) we think you should enjoy. PLEASE give us a long Wish List and fill out other questions (favorite Palladium games, would like to try X, and so on) because it helps us to make your Surprise Package special. If you need or want specific items, do NOT use the Surprise Package; place a regular order at full retail to guarantee you get the books you want. Offer ends December 24, 2018. Also note: There are no Digital Surprise Packages this year.

Click here to get all the details or to place a Surprise Package order.

Shipping Guidelines for Christmas delivery – 3 weeks till Christmas weekend

IF YOU WANT YOUR ORDER or SURPRISE PACKAGE IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, YOU NEED TO ORDER OVER THE NEXT 15 DAYS! For those of you in the USA, placing an order over the next 15 days guarantees you get your Christmas Surprise Packages in time for Christmas without any concern. And without having to pay for a faster more expensive method of shipping! That gives you till December 14 to place orders in time for Christmas. The only exception is Media Mail, as it is slower and less reliable. If shipping by Media Mail, place your order BEFORE December 11 – but even then there is no guarantee whenever you use Media Mail. Note: When you place your order now and over the next 14 days, you avoid the Christmas rush and reduce the chance of your package getting lost or delayed in the mail!

Shipping Considerations: When ordering, you need to factor in time for Palladium to process those orders (usually 24 hours, not counting weekends) and the actual transit time of shipping itself, generally 3-5 business days in the USA depending on where you live. 7-15 days in Canada. Do NOT include Saturday or Sunday as shipping days, because they are not. Get those orders in NOW to get your order or Surprise Packages guaranteed in time for Christmas without having to pay an arm and a leg for expedited shipping!

Please make sure your address is complete and includes your Apartment Number. You help us and yourself by sending a long Wish List and making your order clear.

- Media Mail: Least expensive but risky. Place your order via Media Mail by December 11 and you should get your Surprise Package by Christmas. HOWEVER, Palladium will NOT guarantee any package shipped via Media Mail to arrive before Christmas. Use this method at your own risk. Note: Media Mail, which applies only to paper goods, is the least expensive method of shipping, BUT also the slowest and least reliable method. The USPS will tell you 4-7 days for delivery, HOWEVER, experience has shown us that delivery time is more like 8-21 days during the Christmas season. Ship via Media Mail at your own risk. Note: If you want your 2018 Surprise Package quickly, DO NOT ship via Media Mail; use UPS or Priority Mail instead. Rare books and one-of-a-kind items like original art, numbered prints and gold editions CANNOT be replaced if lost or damaged in the mail. The risk and the loss is YOURS and the items, even books, will NOT be replaced if you ship via Media Mail.

- UPS Ground in the USA is 3-5 days delivery to almost all locations other than Alaska and Hawaii. However, there can be delays due to weather, accidents and sheer volume. Place your order by December 15 to guarantee Christmas delivery. Those of you who live east of the Mississippi River may have till December 17. Since Christmas is on Tuesday, those of you east of the Mississippi should get your order in time, as UPS Ground ships to most locations in the east in 2-3 days, but it is a small gamble. Those of you living west of the Mississippi need to get orders to us no later than December 13 to absolutely guarantee delivery by Monday, December 24 or sooner. Barring unexpected weather or accidents, of course.

- Priority Mail in the USA – Place your order by December 13 (should be a bit cheaper than UPS 3-Day Select). Priority mail orders placed as late as December 16 should arrive in time for Christmas, but cannot be guaranteed.

Express Shipping Methods:

- UPS 3-Day Select in the USA – Place your order by December 17 for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

- UPS 2nd Day Air in the USA – Place your order by December 18.

- UPS Next Day Air in the USA – Place your order by December 20 to receive the package on Saturday or Monday (Christmas Eve).

- Express Mail in the USA – Place your order by December 17.

- Parcel Post in the USA – NOT ADVISED. Placing an order by December 13 means you MAY get your order in time for Christmas, but probably not. There is only a 33% chance. We CANNOT guarantee a Christmas delivery using Parcel Post at this time.

- December 6 – to our friends in Canada and overseas – We suggest ordering no later than December 6, 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. Happy Holidays, one and all!

Remember: 1. Palladium needs a day or two to process and pack orders, and we cannot ship on the weekends. As Christmas gets near, we will work our hardest to turn orders around as fast as possible. Order on Sunday, it should go out on Monday ... but maybe Tuesday depending on volume.

2. Surprise Package mitigates overseas shipping costs – take advantage of this while you can. The low cost of the Surprise Package mitigates the cost of shipping. 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.

3. Palladium Books has NO control over the shipping service once it leaves our warehouse, nor over the cost of shipping/postage, or the brokerage fees, Customs charges, taxes or any other related fees charged by other countries. Within the USA, Media Mail is the least expensive method of shipping, but also the least reliable and slowest. To our Canadian customers, we have no idea why it costs so much to mail books and product to you. So much for NAFTA making things easier. Game on.

3 fun RPG books back in stock for the first time in decades – but just for the Holidays

• Systems Failure™ RPG – Yep, the complete, whacked out game of survival and alien invasion. 144 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650. Available now.
• Shadows of Light™ – A Nightbane® sourcebook – 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734. Available now.
• Boxed Nightmares™ – A sourcebook for Beyond the Supernatural™ 1st Edition rules, but easily adapted to BTS, 2nd Edition. Mostly adventures and adventure ideas. 112 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701. Available now.

Just for the holidays, Palladium is doing a limited short-run of three out-of-print titles that have been out of print for years. Two of them have been out of print for decades! We are printing enough that they should be available now thru December, and probably into January – available only while supplies last – so order ‘em while you can. All are available in Palladium’s online store and will be considered as requests in Christmas Surprise Packages while supplies last. We expect to print enough to get us through the holiday season. Enjoy. Ho, ho, ho.

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #82 – ships tomorrow

As noted earlier, The Rifter® #82 was delayed at the printer due to some press problems. We have been told we can expect it Friday, November 30. So get those orders in. You can see a FREE Sneak Preview of it on DriveThruRPG right now.

The Rifter® #82 is epic. Most of it is “official” source material and fun as can be: the reprinted Wujcik gaming advice, the Pyromancer O.C.C., the 50+ Pyromancy spells, the HU2 and Nightbane material, the preview monsters from Rifts® Bestiary, it’s all top-notch and fodder for adventure. Numerous people who have seen the proofreader’s copy have said the Erick Wujcik Remembrance is wonderful. Some said part of it brought tears to their eyes, while other parts made them chuckle and smile. All of it is a celebration of life and imagination. So I highly recommend The Rifter® #82 to everyone. The preview is up and available on DriveThruRPG.

The Rifter® #82 contains official source material for the Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume One (a sneak preview of just a few old and new monsters and animals), official source material for Rifts® Chaos Earth® (Pyromancer, 50+ Pyromancer spells, the Zone Twister, notable characters, and adventure ideas), official source material for Nightbane® (age modifiers and tables for selecting skills based on a Nightbane’s age, and more), an expanded revisit of the Physical Training character for Heroes Unlimited™, gaming advice from Erick Wujcik, a historically significant, fun and touching Remembrance of Erick Wujcik, 10 years after his death, some cool photos too, plus news and more.

• 112 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 182. Available now. See the full, updated description elsewhere in this Update.

NEWS: The Rifter^® to go on hiatus

The Rifter® will be going on indefinite hiatus in a few issues. The Rifter® #84 will be the last issue for at least two years. Anyone who has a subscription beyond that number, will get a store credit for the balance of their subscription.

I know many of you will be disappointed, but this is best for the company. We are doing this so that all of us can devote our time to releasing RPG sourcebooks, World Books, Dimension Books and supplements, including awaited titles for Rifts® and the Palladium Fantasy RPG® to Beyond the Supernatural™ and Heroes Unlimited™. Moreover, we have been working on several Top Secret projects for the last few years. As those projects heat up, we need more time to devote to them and, hopefully, a large number of new releases. To make this happen, something had to go, and that something is The Rifter® — at least temporarily. We hope you understand.

In Production ...

The Rifts® Bestiary Volume One, In the Face of Death™ for Dead Reign®, The Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume Two, Garden of the Gods™, Chaos Earth® Psychic Scream™, Rifts® Antarctica, The Rifter® #83 and #84, The Disavowed and much more is in the pipeline and being worked on. Plus a couple of surprises.

New on DriveThruRPG.com – Dead Reign^® Paper Miniatures Volume Two: Civilians AND see The Rifter^® #82 FREE Sneak Preview

New: Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume Two: Civilians is the second in a series of new paper miniatures from Michael Leonard. Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume One: Survivors was offered last week. There are also paper miniatures for Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy® and Rifts®. The Rifter® #82 FREE Sneak Preview gives you a look at the Pyromancer O.C.C. and Pyromancy magic, some Rifts® Bestiary monsters, HU heroes, bad guys, Nightbane®, and Erick Wujcik remembered.

Recent PDF additions include 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, 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® #1-77. Each issue is a wealth of source material and ideas for several game lines, but most material can be easily adapted to ANY Palladium game world. Each issue a gem.
• 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.

Charles Walton II Artwork, Toys and Collectibles “on sale” now in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store along with other good things

For the first time ever, Charles “Chuck” Walton has decided to offer a dozen or two dozen pieces of original artwork via my online store. All money goes to the artist. Includes original art from Rifts® Sovietski, Secrets of the Atlanteans, Rifts® Chaos Earth® Resurrection and others. This is a fun and unique opportunity to get some of Chuck’s art other than having to attend one of the few conventions where Chuck is a guest. He sold a good number at Gen Con and was wondering how he might make his art more available to people. I suggested trying my online store. Most prices range from $50-150, with a few more expensive pieces. Artwork make a great gift for the hard to surprise gamer. Enjoy. Chuck says thanks.

Other one-of-a-kind original artwork available by me (Kevin Siembieda), Kevin Long, Mark Evans (money goes to the artist), as well as 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 8x10 inch matt opening in a frame (each neg is roughly 8½ x 11 inches).

http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

Closing Thoughts

Gotta say, between the holiday, the sales and writing, life has been a whirlwind. In addition to our usual workload, at this time of year our focus goes to you and processing orders and Surprise Packages in time for Christmas, so please take advantage of those offers and enjoy stress free and joyous weeks leading up to the holidays. Yeah right, eh? Well, try to. We are stressed enough for everyone, but boy do we have some great books and good things in the works. By the way, because so many of you have asked about Palladium Gift Certificates, we have looked into it and hope to be able to offer online Gift Certificates maybe as soon as this weekend. So keep your eyes peeled.

I want to give a shout out to all of the Defilers. I don’t know if many of you from back in the day will see this – Kerry, Thom, Ken, Rusty, Ziggy, Al, Mike, Tony, Dave, Mark, Ron, Vince, Julius, Alex, Bill, Jeff, Terry, Mike and all the rest – but I’ve been thinking about you guys along with Erick, Matt, Rene, Robin and so many others, and the fun times we all had way back when at the Detroit Gaming Center. I hope you are all doing great and have happy holidays. Okay, back to writing for me. Yay! Game on. Ho, ho, ho!

– Kevin Siembieda, Writer, Game Designer & Surrogate Santa

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. Keep those imaginations burning bright, have a joyous holiday season, and game on.

You have no idea how much your comments and support mean to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments. They always brighten our day. Thank you. I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each.

E.C. in Great Falls, Montana, writes: Love this game system! Keep it up!

[You’ve got it E.C., wait till you see all the great stuff that’s coming. – KS]

D.D. in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, writes: You guys are awesome! Keep up the good work.

[Thank you D.D. for your kind words and years of support. Happy Holidays and game on! – KS]

S.G. in Milton, Vermont, writes: I love the Palladium settings with all their diversity and have been playing since trying Rifts® in 1993. Thank you for all your effort to bring life to the game I have enjoyed for 25 years. Best wishes to you all.

[Aw shucks, S.G., thank you. I’m glad you have enjoyed our games for all these years. Thanks for the support and the warmest wishes right back at you. Merry Christmas and an awesome New Year! – KS]

J.M. in Rogers, Arizona, writes, in part: I’ve been a fan since the Palladium Fantasy RPG® ads appeared in Dragon Magazine® 30 years ago. Merry Christmas to you guys and thank you for a lifetime of service to the imagination.

[Thank you, J.M. It is my greatest joy to tickle the imaginations of gamers everywhere. Merry Christmas to you as well and keep that “side of you that never grows up” burning bright. I will too. – KS]

T.G. in Jackson, Michigan, writes: I love these Surprise Packages! Had to order another. Happy Holidays!

[T.G., I love that you love these Surprise Packages! That’s why we do them. Happy Holidays to you and yours. – KS]

D.D. in Gastonia, North Carolina, writes: Been a fan for 20+ years. You all do great work.

[Thank you D.D., we’re glad to hear you have been enjoying our games for so long. May there be many more to come. – KS]

B.L. in Watertown, Massachusetts, writes: The Palladium Surprise Package has become an annual tradition here. Thank you for providing this unique opportunity to fill in gaps in my collection! I wish you all the merriest of Christmas and the happiest of holidays!

[Ditto, B.L. Thank you for your years of support and kindness. I tried to mix things up a bit in this year’s Surprise Package. I hope you liked it. Keep that imagination burning bright. – KS]

J.E. in Mansfield, Ohio, writes: Thanks as always for doing this guys! Kevin, it was awesome to finally get to meet you this year at Gen Con. I’ll do my best to make the next Palladium Open House. Fingers crossed for those BTS books.

[It was nice meeting you as well, J.E., Gen Con was a blast. Start planning now to make it to the 2021 Palladium Open House! You’ll love it. I don’t want to jinx things by saying something like – “BTS in 2019, count on it” – but that’s my intention: 2-3 BTS titles for 2019, including Beyond Arcanum and Tomes Grotesque. Happy holidays. – KS]

D.B. in Waterford, Michigan, writes: Thank you for always making the world in my head grow, bigger, bolder and better with your books.

[What a nice compliment, D.B. I love it! Love creating new worlds of adventure and stimulating imaginations everywhere. Awesome and humbling at the same time. What a great job I’ve got, right? Glad you enjoy our books so much. I hope to see you at the next Palladium Open House in 2021. – KS]

H.B. in Orem, Utah, writes, in part: Thank you for being part of my life and my son’s too.

[Thank you for being part of the Palladium family, H.B. It’s nice to know we are appreciated. Game on! – KS]

The Rifter^® #82 – Available now

The Rifter® #82 is all about discovery and unleashing the power inside of you. That’s true whether you are playing a Chaos Earth® Pyromancer™ learning to survive and save lives after the Great Cataclysm; or a newly awakened Nightbane® seeking his or her purpose in a dark world of conspiracy and demons; or a Heroes Unlimited™ vigilante trained to the height of physical perfection in a war against evil; or an RPG gamer like you and me, unleashing our imaginations to create wonderful new characters and epic adventures. This issue of The Rifter® also lovingly celebrates a master of unleashed imagination and big thinking, Erick Wujcik, ten years after his untimely passing. Bits of Palladium history and heartfelt sentiments revealed along the way. Enjoy.

Rifter® #82 Highlights:

• Rifts® Chaos Earth® – Pyromancy, Nebraska Part Three – by Daniel Frederick, Matthew Clements & Kevin Siembieda. 50+ Pyromancy spells, the Pyromancer O.C.C., Zone Twisters, notable characters, and more. “Official” source material.
• Rifts® Bestiary Sneak Preview – by Kevin Siembieda and Charles Walton II. A few choice new monsters to whet your appetite for the Rifts® Bestiary, Volumes One and Two, and the books to follow. “Official” source material.
• Heroes Unlimited – by Matt Reed. An expanded look at the unique heroes who do not possess super abilities, but rather turn their bodies into fighting machines via physical training and dedicated force of will.
• Nightbane® – Age Modifiers and Education Rules – by Mark Oberle. Tables and stats for determining an occupation and skills based on the age of the character. Plus more insight to being a Nightbane and a few new skills. “Official” source material.
• Gaming Advice from Erick Wujcik – Thinking Big and The Name Giver, sage advice reprinted from The Rifter® #1 & #2.
• Erick Wujcik Remembered – Erick touched countless lives with his big personality, inspiring mind, and body of work. Ten years after his death, Erick continues to inspire everyone who met him. Friends and fans remember this unique individual and his work. Insight to the man and Palladium Books, the company he loved. Written by Kevin Siembieda and many, many others. A celebration of life.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 112 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 182. Available now.

Systems Failure^™ RPG

– Back in Stock – just for the Holidays

When the cities fell, and the world went "off-line," all seemed lost. Anarchy reigned.

On an alternate Earth, all that is left are the Survivalists, Nature-Lovers, Farmers, Gun Bunnies, Eggheads and backwoods wackos living on the fringe. Either people found in remote regions or those who were prepared for the Y2K Bug and the collapse of civilization.

Oh, and there are “bugs” alright. Alien, bug-like things that feed on energy and turn humans into zombie-like slaves. Things are worse than anyone could have imagined, even for those who were prepared. But these survivors are not ready to give up. America (and then the world) will be free! And they mean business. Play the unlikely heroes fighting to save the world in a post-holocaust environment.

This is an action-packed, post-holocaust role-playing game that can be played straight and serious, or with a touch of satire and humor. Back in 1999, this RPG was inspired by fears of the Y2K Bug and possible end of the world as we knew it. So THIS game is an alternate Earth where Y2K was a real event and worse than anyone could imagine. Enjoy the wild characters and setting, and destroy some Bugs!

• A complete, stand-alone role-playing game.
• S.D.C. setting and all the info you need to play.
• The Villains: Monstrous invaders from another dimension drawn to all things electronic. Deadly and weird.
• The Unlikely Heroes: Society's castaways, nutcases, and survivalists.
• 11 O.C.C.s including the Exterminator, Freebooter, NORAD Psychic and more.
• Reclaim the world for god-fearing humans!
• Plenty of world information and adventure ideas.
• Written by Bill Coffin based on concepts by Kevin Siembieda.
• Includes Conversion Notes for use with Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™ 2nd Edition, Ninjas & Superspies™, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, and other Palladium game settings. Loads of fun!
• 144 pages – $22.99 – Cat. No. 650 – Back in print just for the holidays. Available now!

Boxed Nightmares^™ – Adventure Sourcebook for Beyond the Supernatural^™

– Back in Stock – just for the Holidays

Boxed Nightmares™ is exactly what the title suggests, ordinary people coming face to face with supernatural nightmares. The adventures are designed to give players and Game Masters a better idea of the variety and scope of adventures one can explore in the world of modern horror. Some adventures are short, others long. Some are monster stomping action, while others require investigation, cunning, and the uncovering of clues.

The newspaper portion is in the back of the book. It is one of those sensational, check-out counter tabloids that boasts headlines like Woman marries Big Foot, or Elvis’s clone living in Tampa. However, this tabloid is tied to the adventure portion of the sourcebook in several different ways. First, it contains clues and information for the actual adventures inside the sourcebook. Second, the publishers of the paper often hire psychics and parapsychologists to investigate strange phenomena, so your characters could be working for the tabloid company. And third, it may give you ideas for additional adventures.

• Rules and tips for creating secret organizations.
• Adventures in the USA, South America and Australia.
• Crazed Arcanists, Gremlins, Tasmanian Devils, a Possessing Entity that has absorbed the memories of a serial killer, and more.
• The After Midnight tabloid, filled with clues and adventure ideas, reproduced in the back of the book.
• Cover by Denis Beauvais. Interior art by Kevin Long. Written by Kevin Siembieda.
• 112 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701. Back in print just for the holidays. Available now!

Shadows of Light^™ – A Nightbane^® Sourcebook

– Back in Stock – just for the Holidays

The forces of Light and Darkness clash as never before in the modern setting of the Nightbane® RPG.

• More info on the Lightbringers, Nocturnes, and other factions.
• Fallen Guardians and the mystery of the Reapers.
• Psychic Agents and new psionic powers.
• Introducing the angel-like Athanatos.
• The vampire conspiracy and an outline for adventure.
• 11 (optional) O.C.C.s, many are part of Project Pandora.
• Astral Realm of Tophet and city of Pittsburgh, NPCs and more.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734. Back in print just for the holidays. Available now!

New! Rifts^® Bestiary^™: North America, Vol. One

A series of books that collects all the notable monsters, dinosaurs and creepy crawlers and creatures of Rifts® North America (US, Canada and Mexico) into two juicy volumes with a number of new creatures. Each volume includes maps and new creatures, large and small, to help or plague player characters. Between them, these two volumes compile all the beasts of Rifts North America (unintelligent monsters, predators, notable animals and intelligent beings that are monstrous or animal-like in appearance or behavior) from all current World Books and Sourcebooks. In addition, Kevin Siembieda, Chuck Walton and Greg Diaczyk are adding some new monsters to make life in the wilderness interesting. Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location, in two big books.

Winter releases, both volumes are being worked on simultaneously, right now, so that Volume Two will quickly follow Volume One within 4-6 weeks. Other volumes, like a Bestiary of Spirits and the Supernatural, are likely to follow.

Future volumes will include spirits, ghosts and entities, another on dragons, other volumes on creatures in other parts of Rifts Earth, and so on.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized in two big, easy to use sourcebooks. Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• 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 and many others.
• 192-224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896. In production.

NEW! Rifts^® Bestiary Volume Two – ships December

More of notorious Rifts® monsters and animals, old and new, everything updated and expanded.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized in two big, easy to use sourcebooks.
• Updated descriptions and information for existing monsters.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated, much of the art by Charles Walton II, along with Siembieda and many others.
• 192-224 pages each volume – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 897 (Volume Two). In production. End of December.

COMING: In the Face of Death^™ – A Dead Reign^® Sourcebook

“People will tell you no one can survive in the big cities. They are wrong.” – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers in the Zombie Apocalypse.

This sourcebook is all about inner city survival. Survivor colonies finding a way to live and prosper in the big city. The conventional wisdom is that living in the big population centers is impossible. These survivors prove otherwise.

• Inner city survival.
• Living on the rooftops.
• Surviving in big cities crawling with zombies.
• Death Cults, a different type of danger.
• Gangs, street runners, the new underground, and more.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics as player characters.
• Take your zombie campaign to new heights!
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Nick Bradshaw.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Adaptable to other settings.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 237. Winter release.

UPDATE: Garden of the Gods^™ – A Palladium Fantasy^® Sourcebook

Matthew Clements is still adding to his considerable contributions to Garden of the Gods before turning it in to Palladium. Matthew has started work on another Fantasy sourcebook and other projects.

The Garden of the Gods is said to be a holy place watched over and even frequented by the avatars of the gods. According to legend, the god may visit heroes and followers in dreams or in person by an avatar of the god, to be given guidance, inspiration, heroic quests, and gifts of knowledge and magic. More details about this title will follow.

• The Garden of the Gods described in detail.
• Godly insight and visitations.
• Gifts of magic and knowledge.
• Sanctuary and more.
• The Black Pit, a place of evil and dark secrets. Is it a counterbalance to the good of the Garden or a trick of the Old Ones?
• Written by Kevin Siembieda.
• Final page count and price yet to be determined, but probably 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 475. Winter release.

Back in Stock – Beyond the Supernatural^™ RPG – available now

Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG is supernatural horror in the modern world. A plausible modern horror setting that makes sense and will have you wondering if this stuff could be for real. Play ordinary people, psychics or paranormal investigators.

• 14 Psychic Character Classes.
• 42 occupations for “ordinary” people.
• 100+ psychic abilities, including Fire Walker abilities.
• Creatures of darkness, the Lazlo Agency, and more.
• Three new sourcebooks planned for 2019.
• 256 pages – $26.99 – Cat. No. 700 – available now.

Back in Stock – Rifts^® World Book 18: Mystic Russia^™ – available now

Rifts® Mystic Russia™ – setting information, key people and places, demons, monsters, gypsies and magic galore.

• 18 Archaic Russian Demons and 10 monsters.
• Russian magic including Fire and Bone Magic & magic weapons maker.
• Magic O.C.C.s including Night Witch, Hidden Witch, Mystic Kuznya, Fire Sorcerer, Old Believer and Necromancer.
• 9 Gypsy O.C.C.s, vehicles and more.
• 176 pages – $22.99 – Cat. No. 833 – Available now.

Back in Stock – Rifts^® Game Master Guide^™ – Available now

The Rifts® Game Master Guide™ is a massive 352 page reference book with short stats and description on every Rifts® robot, power armor, body armor, vehicle, weapon, gadget, skill, experience table, and map that appears in Rifts® World Books 1-23 and Sourcebooks 1-4, plus a bionics index, an O.C.C.s and R.C.C. index, rules clarifications, combat examples, advice on how to run a game and more.

• 500+ weapons.
• 300+ skills.
• 290 pieces of equipment.
• 180+ vehicles.
• 100+ suits of body armor.
• 80+ suits of power armor.
• 352 pages – $28.99 retail – Cat. No. 845 – Available now.

Other core Rifts^® titles to remember:

• Rifts® Rifts® Ultimate Edition RPG, Hardcover – core rules, epic setting of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in a future Earth post-apocalyptic setting. 30+ player characters – play a Dragon Hatchling, Cyborg, Juicer, Crazy, Cyber-Knight, Power Armor Pilot, Psi-Stalker, Dog Boy and others! Magic, psionics, weapons, bionics, and more. If you can imagine it, it can happen in Rifts®. 376 page hardcover – $41.99 retail – Cat. No. 800HC – available now.
• Rifts® Book of Magic™ – 900+ magic spells, plus Techno-Wizard devices, Magic Tattoos, Nazca Lines, Whale Songs, Herbs, Symbiotes, Bio-Wizard Weapons, Rune Weapons, magic items and more! 352 pages – still $26.95 retail – Cat. No. 848 – available now.
• Rifts® Adventure Guide™ – 150+ adventure ideas, Random Rifts, making towns, cities, merc companies, and traveling shows, gaming tips and much more. 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 849 – available now.
• Rifts Conversion Books 1, 2 & 3.
• Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook.

Fun and Notable Podcasts and Sites that feature Palladium Books

• Questwise and the Rifts® Explorer’s Guide – See product reviews and videos about Rifts® and other Palladium Books games as well as fun contests and gaming insight. New videos post regularly. Check it out for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_3MGRJW9QooUXF29F5tF-A
  The Questwise Rifts® Explorer's Guide series travels the Megaverse® to reveal information about notable locations in Rifts®. The video about Northern Gun and Michigan's Upper Peninsula can be found it here: https://youtu.be/0lU9byK5G4g
• The Guides to the Megaverse® podcast consists of a Palladium group with a collective total of over 100 years of gaming! The crew’s Actual Play format consists of long term campaigns in Heroes Unlimited™, Robotech®, Palladium Fantasy®, and Beyond the Supernatural™, with occasional games in other settings. There are more than 90 episodes available for download. Check them out here: https://guidesmegaverse.podbean.com/
• Through Gamer Goggles – Matt Lemke’s podcasts and YouTube videos cover the gaming industry. In fact if you haven’t seen them yet, check out his many Gen Con interviews: http://gamer-goggles.com/blog/category/conventions/gen-con-2018/
• HippoTV on Twitch.tv. The good folks at HippoTV (https://www.twitch.tv/HippoTV/) host a wide variety of games most days of the week. For fans of Palladium Books® they feature a Heroes Unlimited™ and an After the Bomb® space game. The gamers playing these games come from all over the world, are very enthusiastic, and represent a wide variety of experience with Palladium's games.

If you are doing a Palladium fan-based website, podcasts, YouTube programming, etc., please let us know so we can take a look at what you are doing and so we can give you a shout out. We do not have the staff and resources to do everything we want to do, so we appreciate the fan sites that feature Palladium Books’ games and settings and promote the RPG hobby. Awesome. We are happy to support you when we can.

What’s Coming (in production or development):

• The Rifter® #82 – Available now – special Erick Wujcik tribute + source material for Rifts® Chaos Earth® (Pyromancer and more), Nightbane®, Rifts® and more.
• Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One – Coming soon.
• Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume Two – Coming soon.
• In the Face of Death™, Dead Reign® Sourcebook – Coming soon.
• The Rifter® #83
• Rifts® Chaos Earth®: Psychic Scream
• Rifts® Antarctica
• Garden of the Gods™, (Fantasy)
• The Rifter® #84 – Coming.
• Rifts® The Disavowed™
• Rifts® Chaos Earth®: First Responders
• Rifts® CS Arsenal™
• And much more in development for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Dead Reign®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Splicers® and more!

Copyright 2018 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, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, 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.