Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Dec. 13, 2018

By Kevin Siembieda

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

Only 12 days till Christmas and 13 till Kwanzaa, but this is your last weekend to order to guarantee delivery in time for those holidays within the contiguous United States.

We are happily pulling, packing and shipping Christmas Surprise Packages like crazy. As noted above, this is the last weekend to order and be guaranteed delivery before Christmas without having to pay for expedited service, so please get those orders in, especially Surprise Packages. We will be pulling and packing orders and Surprise Packages ALL weekend to make sure all orders submitted over the weekend ship out from the Palladium warehouse on Monday. Know that we’ve got your back and will do everything we can to get your orders out fast. Use our new digital Palladium Catalog to make it easier to choose the items for your Grab Bag’s Wish List. And please make sure we get 10-15 items per EACH Surprise Package you order, and do not count on getting artwork as it is very limited; donated by our awesome artists.

NEW – DriveThruRPG Holiday PDF Sales started Tuesday evening with After the Bomb® titles (still available today), and the Heroes Unlimited and Chaos Earth PDF sale starts Friday and runs through the weekend. When one PDF sale ends on DriveThru, a new sale begins, so a different sale will start on Monday. Enjoy.

Please note that a quality Rifts® pen is now available in our online store. Otherwise, when not consumed with the holiday packing and shipping, I am working away on books.

Current PDF Catalog of Palladium Books^®

Please use the up-to-date Catalog of Palladium Books PDF available online to help make your order selections. Somehow having a catalog with condensed descriptions and covers at your fingertips makes it easier to review and select product, especially for Surprise Package Wish Lists. The Catalog of Palladium Books® PDF is available here on the Palladium Website and on DriveThruRPG.com.

NEW: Rifts^® Pen – available now

A high quality, soft touch Rifts® pen with stylus is now available. The pen fits very comfortably in the hand, has a nice, black ink and writes smooth and evenly every time. I have been using the sample pen for a month and love it. Everyone here loves this pen and you will too. Will be considered as a Surprise Package request.

• Rifts® Soft Touch Pen with Stylus.
• Comfortable, “soft touch” finish.
• Dark blue exterior with silver tip and clip.
• Black ink.
• Capacitive stylus for use with smartphones and tablets.
• $5.00 retail – Cat. No. 2586 – Available now.

Palladium Gift Certificates now available

You asked for them, so due to popular request, you can now purchase Palladium Gift Certificates for your gaming friends and loved ones. The prompts should be pretty self-explanatory. You purchase the desired amount, fill out the email info of that person along with an optional gift message, and that individual gets an email with info on how to redeem the Gift Certificate and you get a confirmation email. Simple.

LAST Weekend to order and get your Palladium Christmas Surprise Package “guaranteed” in time for Christmas!

– Less than 12 Days till Christmas – half that in shipping days, so place your orders 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.

Simplified Shipping Time Table for Christmas delivery – place orders now thru the weekend for best results

If you do NOT need an order in time for Christmas, any shipping method is suitable and we would recommend UPS Ground or Media Mail. There is no reason for you to read these guidelines.

• UPS Ground in the USA is still viable: All orders placed by December 16 and shipping to the contiguous United States, will ship from Palladium on Monday, and arrive in time for Christmas. Orders placed up to December 18 “should” arrive to locations east of the Mississippi River in time, but no guarantee. Note: UPS Ground in the USA is 3-5 days delivery to almost all US locations other than Alaska, Hawaii and the Territory of Puerto Rico.
• Priority Mail in the USA is still viable: Orders placed today, December 13, will arrive before Christmas. Priority Mail orders placed as late as December 16 “should” arrive in time for Christmas, but we can NOT guarantee it.
• Media Mail: There is NO GUARANTEED delivery in time for Christmas when you use Media Mail from this point forward. If you NEED your order in time for Christmas, DO NOT use Media Mail. You might get it in time, but probably not. If you do not need it in time for Christmas, Media Mail is the least expensive, but also the slowest and least reliable method of shipping via the US Post Office. You “should” get your package in 4-7 days. HOWEVER, we have found it can sometimes take 8-21 days for delivery during the holiday season, regardless of what the US Postal Service may tell you. Use Media Mail at your own risk. YOU accept ALL risk when you use Media Mail, and Palladium Books will NOT replace any order shipped by Media Mail that may go missing or is damaged during the holiday season.

After December 16 – if you MUST HAVE YOUR ORDER in time for CHRISTMAS “guaranteed” – please consider the following shipping methods:

• UPS 3-Day Select in the USA – Place your order by December 17 for guaranteed Christmas delivery. Orders placed December 18 “should” also arrive in time for Christmas but may NOT.
• UPS 2nd Day Air in the USA – Place your order by December 19.
• 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 2nd Day Air in the USA – Place your order by December 18.
• Express Mail Next Day Air in the USA – Place your order by December 20.
• Any Canadian or Overseas Package shipped from this point forward is not likely to arrive in time for Christmas even via Express Mail. Sorry, we CANNOT guarantee a Christmas delivery, but if you order no later than December 17, you might get it in time.

REMINDER: IF YOU ABSOLUTELY WANT YOUR ORDER IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS without paying extra for shipping – You NEED TO place your order OVER THE NEXT 4 DAYS! For most of you in the USA, placing an order by December 16 and shipping via UPS Ground or Priority Mail means you will get your order in time for Christmas, barring unexpected delays via the shipping service. Note: Palladium Books has NO control over the shipping once the package leaves our warehouse, nor over the cost of shipping/postage. If you do NOT need your order in time for Christmas, any shipping method is suitable and we would recommend UPS Ground or Media Mail. Game on.

AVAILABLE NOW – Just for the Holidays – Back in stock for the first time in decades!

• 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 – Available now

This 112 page issue of The Rifter® #82 shipped at the end of November and should be in stores now. Of course, it is also available right now from Palladium Books. Snag yourself a copy along with one of the re-releases (Boxed Nightmares™, Nightbane® Shadows of Light™ and Systems Failure™ RPG). This is a great issue, packed with source material plus Erick Wujcik remembered.

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.

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 – A wave of 5 sales and 200+ Palladium products available as PDFs

Right now – Sale #1: After the Bomb® Mutants and Mayhem (ending tonight), Sale #2: Heroes Unlimited and Chaos Earth®, starts Friday and ends Sunday night. Sale #3 starts on Monday. All on DriveThruRPG.com. Enjoy.

Recent PDF additions include 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® #1-77. 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 – A special time

My Dad had two birthdays. The official one was on his birth certificate, but he was actually born at home days earlier. So of course, we would tease him that he was twice as old as he really was.

I miss my Dad and Mom, Erick, Kay, Rob, Keith, and a number of loved ones who died too young. I think of them often. I’m happy to say, I have a zillion fond memories of these wonderful people. I don’t know why, but I have been blessed with one amazing person in my life after another.

My two parents, with the help of my Mom’s parents, somehow managed to make our life of poverty, rich in love and full of joy and a sense of wonderment and hope. Christmas Eve was a big event to me as a child. It took place next-door at Grandma and Grandpa’s with my aunt and uncles, and two cousins. It was awesome. Grandma made a traditional Polish feast with four different types of pierogi (a sort of large dumpling), sauerkraut, almond and poppy seed cake rolls, and pumpkin pie. Nobody made pierogi or those cake rolls as delicious as my Grandmother, though Aunt Geri’s pierogi came close. (My mouth is watering just thinking about them.) Then came the gift-giving, and as we got older, midnight mass.

Christmas morning was quiet and intimate. And even more special. We were poor, so a great deal of thought and love went into every gift given by each of us. Every gift a token of our love and appreciation to one another. Many of them, especially from us kids, were handmade cards, drawings, paintings and god only knows how many craft items and handwoven pot holders. Christmas Eve and Christmas morning were always very precious. Mom’s battle with cancer started when I was only 12 years old, so every Christmas that came afterward was a true gift in and of itself. And though Mom would be hospitalized often, somehow she always managed to be home for Christmas. Missing not one.

As a consequence, Christmas is special to me. I give out at least a little something to everyone I hold precious in my life. I’m happy to say, that’s a lot of people. It’s also why I have trouble keeping the Christmas Surprise Packages under $100 and why I do them in the first place. So please don’t hesitate to take advantage of this unique offer. I love doing them. We all do. And may your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or other holiday celebration be full of joy and love.

– 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.

J.M. in South Hadley, Massachusetts, writes, in part: We have a lot of Rifts® books, but none of the new ones. We would love art to hang on the walls. We love getting the Grab Bag every year. Thank you for doing it.

[Happy to do them, J.M. I hope this year’s Surprise Package hit the mark. Game on! – KS]

V.P. in Pasadena, California, writes: Some of the best setting books anywhere, which can be used for any system! Keep on keeping on! Merry Christmas and best wishes to you all.

[Thank you, V.P., for saying so. We try to make all our settings epic and unlike anything else out there. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! – KS]

T.D. from Mountain Creek, Queensland, Australia, writes, in part: I have been getting the Surprise Package for a lot of years now, because, as you so well put it, this is the best way for me to get a lot of essential items and fun additions in one hit ... Thank you all for your hard work and dedication over the years through some very trying times. Stay the course and know that we love you guys and the awesome material you produce. You’re an inspiration and my imagination is always unleashed when I read your books. Game on. Thank you.

[Wow, how nice. Thank you, T.D. from Down Under. Your kind words and high praise touch our hearts and humble us. The sentiment of fans like you is what helps us get through the “trying times” and I’m all about inspiring people to unleash their imaginations. Best of luck as a G.M. Don’t over think it, listen to your players, play on their desires and fears, make sure there are consequences for their actions (good and bad), and have fun. If everyone is having a good time – yourself included – you are doing great. Keep that imagination burning bright and Happy Holidays and a wondrous New Year. – KS]

F.U. in Glonn, Bavaria, Germany, writes: Thanks for offering this again! It’s the best way for me to get your products here in Germany! Keep up the good work.

[Thanks, F.U.! Happy Holidays. – KS]

B.C. in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, writes: The Megaverse® is so vast, it’s easy to get a group together for a game because they have so many great options.

[So true, B.C. We try to provide an endless stream of settings and ideas to fuel the imagination. Glad we have succeeded with you and your crew. Game on! – KS]

S.P. in Junction City, Oregon, writes: Love these [Surprise Packages] so much. A great way to rebuild or add to a collection!!!

[I agree completely, S.P. And the Grab Bag we sent should be a nice addition to your collection. Enjoy. – KS]

E.C. in Wausau, Wisconsin, writes, in part: Thank you so much for the Palladium Open House this past April. It was a wonderful, memorable time.

[You are very welcome, E.C., glad you enjoyed it. We all had a wonderful, memorable time as well. We hope you and many others can make it to the 40th Anniversary POH in 2021. Start planning now! – KS]

G.R. in Rockville, Maryland, writes, in part: Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to you and your staff. Thank you for decades of awesome games, books and experiences from around the table... the many years of fun times and excitement my friends and I, and now family and I, have had and continue to have. Good luck next year and I am – not so patiently – waiting for more Fantasy RPG books!

[Hah, fear not G.R., they are coming next year, starting with Garden of the Gods, and not just one or two, either. We have four books in active development. All great stuff. So keep all those imaginations burning bright and watch for ‘em! – KS]

B.S. in Desloge, Missouri, writes: You guys are awesome. Thanks to deals like this one I have increased interest and awareness in your games in my area. I have also changed many people’s opinions about your system. Thank you guys, this is my 4th Grab Bag this year by the way. Lol.

[We appreciate your kind words, B.S., as well as your efforts to inform others about our game worlds. That makes you pretty awesome yourself. Game on and happy holidays. – KS]

A.S. in Bremerton, Washington, writes: I’d love to finally see some more content for Beyond the Supernatural™.

[You and all of us, A.S., and you’ll be getting it in 2019. – KS]

S.K. in Twin Falls, Idaho, writes: Love your products in all genres. Rifts® is an awesome RPG and we have enjoyed it for 2+ decades.

[Thank you, S.K. I’ve two more decades planned in my head. Game on and Happy Holidays. – KS]

N.P. in Marysville, Washington, writes, in part: ... Thanks for doing this, Palladium crew. You guys have been my favorite game company since 1991 or so. Happy Holidays!

[Happy Holidays to you as well, N.P. I want to thank the Palladium crew, myself. From staff to freelancers, these hard working and passionate guys and gals are the best. – KS]

A.H. in Pasadena, Maryland, writes, in part: I just wanted to say that this [Surprise Package] has always been an amazing gift for my brother/Game Master! ... Thank you for the wonderful games and worlds you have brought us to enjoy.

[The pleasure is all mine, A.H. You and your brother should come to the 2021 Palladium Open House. We’re all getting older and don’t know how many more of these we’ll be hosting. Keep those imaginations burning bright and hope to see you both in 2021. – KS]

L.H. in Brunswick, Ohio, writes, in part: ... tend to love the aesthetic of the Coalition States. Thanks for all these years of fun.

[Game on, L.H., and wait till you see what’s coming for the CS. – KS]

R.F. in Fort Collins, Colorado, writes: I love these.

[Me too. – 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.