Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Jan. 10, 2019

By Kevin Siembieda

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

Before I forget, this is the last weekend to get yourself a 2018 Christmas Surprise Package. No other sale compares to it! And I continue to load them up and make them awesome. So if you have been meaning to get one, your time is almost up! You have this weekend to order and then it is done and gone till next Christmas. This offer will NOT be extended.

Things have been booming at Palladium Books as we push our production into high gear. When not working on Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One and Beyond the Supernatural™ books, among others, I have been meeting and talking with freelancers about a large number of book projects. Chuck, Alex and I spent an entire day with freelance writer and game designer Carmen Bellaire discussing the four projects he’ll be contributing to in addition to the one he turned in that morning! I have also spoken on the phone with freelance writers Matthew Clements and Greg Diaczyk and have exchanged emails with other writers and artists. This includes new releases for many game lines with an emphasis on Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Rifts® Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™ and Beyond the Supernatural™. Also looking hard at releasing two new Raw Preview editions within the next month. Folks enjoy them so we’ll keep them coming. Speaking of which, the Rifts® Antarctica Raw Preview is sold out and there are only 4 copies of the Surviving Chaos™ Raw Preview which presents both Rifts® Chaos Earth® Psychic Scream™ and Rifts® Chaos Earth® First Responders™, combined.

Wayne Smith and I have discussed plans for The Rifter® #83 and #84 as well as offering Rifter® Mini-Subscriptions (the standard 4 issue starting with #81, plus a three issue sub, #82, 83, 84, and a two issue subscription for #83 and #84) so that our loyal subscribers can still get the books at the price and convenience they are used to. It is also a way for newcomers to try these excellent sourcebooks for these final and recent Rifter® issues. These offers and a Rifter® $9.99 sale should be available as soon as today. We have gotten a heartfelt outpouring from Rifter® fans about the two year hiatus after #84. Subscribers and fans overwhelmingly understand and support our decision, especially if it means Palladium being able to release more products. Moreover, we encourage gamers and fans to continue to submit Rifter® Submissions for the future. Maybe we’ll use some of those submissions as contributions to actual sourcebooks or put together a special issue of The Rifter®.

This is in addition to working on licensing agreements for fun products like litRPG novels for Rifts®, Rifts® iOS digital stickers for Apple cell phones (and maybe other Palladium game lines if these do well), and a maybe even official LARP games and events for Heroes Unlimited™ and Nightbane®, among other things that I cannot yet talk about.

What else is going on ... Rifts® Heroes of Humanity is the new PDF title available on DriveThruRPG and you can expect at least one or two Bundles of Holding offered later in the year as well as other offerings. We’ll also be working more closely with a number of podcasts and YouTube shows. And Alex has added some new original artwork and 20-30 more one-of-a-kind negatives and collectibles to my Ebay store (see details elsewhere in this update).

As you can see, 2019 is shaping up to be an exciting year. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what we have planned. Keep checking these Weekly Updates for news, information, sales and release dates.

Only FOUR days to get the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package – get RPG books for the price of PDFs – offer ENDS Monday, January 14, 2019

Time is running out to snag a 2018 Surprise Package as a treat for yourself or a gift for a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day (it will be here before you know it), graduation, etc. A Surprise Package is a way to get printed books at PDF prices to try new games, new settings, fill holes in your collection, get caught up on The Rifter®, or replace battered old books. Whatever the reason, order soon, because this offer is almost over. Ends January 14, 2019. Use the current Catalog of Palladium Books PDF available online here on the Palladium Website and on DriveThruRPG.com to help make your selections.

What is a Palladium Surprise Package? A way to get $95-$100 or more worth of physical gaming product (not PDFs) for the price of PDFs! For ONLY $46 (plus shipping and handling), get gifts for others or for yourself. And each book is 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.

Start the New Year with a box full of game books! You could pay $50 or more for just a single core rule book, but for $46 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 gifts for any occasion or a way to add to your collection on the cheap. An ideal gift for a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion that falls between now and March. You get a ton of stuff, plus 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.

Please spread the word to gamers everywhere. People only learn about the Palladium Surprise Package offer by word of mouth, The Rifter® and our website, so please post and spread the word everywhere that this offer ends January 14, 2019.

Why extend this amazing offer? This post-Christmas extension has become part of the Grab Bag tradition as much as the Surprise Packages themselves. It is the nice thing to do, because we realize many of you are so full of the Christmas Spirit that you spend your money on gifts for your loved ones rather than yourself. This generous act of charity often leaves no money for you to buy a Palladium Surprise Package for yourself until after the holidays. We think that sacrifice is pretty wonderful and what the holiday season is all about, so we extend the offer so that you selfless souls can pick up a Surprise Package after the holidays.

The extension is also for you Johnny Come-Latelies who are so caught up in the holiday frenzy, work and life that somehow you miss placing your order for the Christmas Surprise Package before the offer ends. It is also for those of you who wish you had ordered one (or another one) but forgot. Lastly, it is our way to carry that holiday good cheer into the New Year. So get your post-holiday Surprise Package and enjoy. This offer will not be extended further and ENDS January 14, 2019. This is your last chance, please spread the word. Happy New Year.

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

SOLD OUT: Rifts^® Antarctica Raw Preview Edition

The Rifts® Antarctica Raw Preview Edition, limited to 150 copies, is sold out. Thanks to your input about the Raw Preview we have made a number of tweaks, changes and additions that will only make the final sourcebook that much better. We anticipate Rifts® Antarctica to be a summer release, but a firm release date is not yet established.

ALMOST SOLD OUT: Rifts^® Chaos Earth^®: Surviving Chaos^™ Raw Preview Edition – only four copies left

Yep, if you want to get a sneak peak at the unedited, unfinished manuscripts for Rifts® Chaos Earth®: Psychic Scream and First Responders, you’d better do so soon, because there are only four copies of Surviving Chaos™ Raw Preview Edition available! Limited to 150 copies.

ALMOST SOLD OUT – Systems Failure^™ RPG, Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light^™ sourcebook and Boxed Nightmares^™ sourcebook (for BTS^™ 1st Edition) – less than a dozen copies of each remain – get ‘em while you can

We took a page from the Walt Disney playbook by re-releasing three RPG titles just for the Holidays. All three were made available as print books for the first time in decades. BUT ONLY FOR THE HOLIDAYS! That means when this current run sells out, they are gone, back out of print and available only as PDF downloads on DriveThruRPG.com.

Will we do this again next year with these titles? Maybe. What about other out of print books? Again, maybe. This was sort of a fun experiment. An experiment that was quite successful as there are fewer than 12 copies of each of these books currently available and going fast. Get them while you can.

• Systems Failure™ RPG – Yep, the complete, whacked out role-playing game. 144 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650. Available now only while supplies last.
• Shadows of Light™ – A Nightbane® sourcebook – 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734. Available now only while supplies last.
• 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 only while supplies last.

All are available in Palladium’s online store and will be considered as requests in Christmas Surprise Packages during these last days of that offer. HOWEVER, with so few left, granting such Grab Bag requests will be very limited. Available only while supplies last – so order ‘em while you can.

NEW! The Rifter^® – Mini-Subscriptions – available now

With The Rifter® going on hiatus for at least two years after The Rifter® #83 and #84, and because of a number of inquiries from loyal subscribers, we have decided to offer a trio of subscription opportunities. Each sub provides the same savings off the cover price of each book and FREE shipping to subscribers in the USA only.

• The Standard Subscription including The Rifter® #81-84.
• Short Subscription of issues #82, #83, #84.
• Mini-Subscription of The Rifter® #83 and #84.

Note: If your subscription goes beyond The Rifter® #84, please contact Palladium Books to get a store credit for the value of your remaining subscription. Thank you.

The idea of a mini-subscription was first suggested by subscriber Doug Lamberson. Later that same day, Palladium order processor Kathy Simmons independently made the same suggestion. Several subscribers have subsequently inquired about the possibility of a “short” subscription, so we figured, why the heck not? We appreciate your loyalty and years of support, so we are happy to offer you these subscription savings and convenience to you. It is also a way for newcomers to try these excellent sourcebooks and gaming tools. These Rifter® subscription options are all available now. We are also offering a corresponding Rifter® Back Issues Sale, see details below.

NEW! Rifter^® Back Issues Sale – $9.99

In conjunction with the Rifter Subscription offers, above, most available issues of The Rifter® are on sale for only $9.99 each. This is a limited time offer now through January, while supplies last. Please note that a few issues of The Rifter® are very low and could sell out. Available only while supplies last and sold on a first come, first served basis.

Highly recommended: The Rifter® #82, which is epic. Don’t miss it.

• Rifts® Chaos Earth® – Pyromancy, Nebraska Part Three – The Pyromancer O.C.C., 50+ Pyromancy spells (new!), Zone Twister, NPCs and more. “Official” source material.
• Rifts® Bestiary Sneak Preview – Complete stats for a few choice monsters new and old to give you a taste of what you can expect in Rifts® Bestiary Volume One. “Official” source material.
• Heroes Unlimited™ – Physical Training heroes revisited with new skills, gadgets and fun.
• Nightbane® – Age Modifiers and Education rules – “Official” source material.‘Nuff said.
• Gaming Advice from Erick Wujcik – Thinking Big and The Name Giver, sage advice reprinted from The Rifter® #1 & 2.
• Erick Wujcik Remembered – 10 years after his death, 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 others.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 112 pages – Cat. No. 182. Available now. The Rifter® #81, #80, #77 and #75 are other personal favorites, among others.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Bestiary, Volume One

The two upcoming Rifts® Bestiary books will be great resources for players and G.M.s alike, with creatures that can be used as familiars, pets, riding animals, guard animals, and in some cases, even unlikely allies. Others are slobbering monsters or malicious predators who include humans and D-Bees among their prey. All giving you plenty of spice to add to your characters and adventures. And each has a map that shows at a glance exactly where to find these beasts.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized into 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 – $28.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 (Volume One), Cat. No. 897 (Volume Two). In production. Winter.

New on DriveThruRPG.com – Rifts^® Heroes of Humanity^™ sourcebook

New – Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™ presents the Coalition’s response to the escalating Minion War™ crisis, uniting D-Bees, mages and heroes of every stripe to stand against this latest Demon Plague. This an extinction level event, unless it can be stopped. Taking the lead is the Coalition States, but are they really heroes of humanity, or simply the lesser of two evils one must work with to save the world? Get some answers in this Sourcebook: CS psychics and Psi-Battalion, CS Demon Hunter, new CS power armor, cyborgs, gear, training and more. Just one of 200+ Palladium PDF titles available on DriveThruRPG.

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 lot is going on at Palladium to bring you a wealth of new products for role-playing, as well as expanding into new markets in the months ahead. Be excited. We are. But our focus here at the Palladium offices is getting books into your hands. We’ll keep you posted as things progress. Oh, and don’t forget this is your last weekend to get a Surprise Package and check out The Rifter® Sale and mini-subscription offers. Alright, that’s it for now. I need to get back to writing. Keep those imaginations burning bright.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer

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] when applicable.

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

C.R. in Greensboro, North Carolina, writes: Love the Megaverse®! Nothing else compares.

[Aww, shucks, C.R., thank you. Happy New Year. – KS]

M.V. in Albany, Oregon, writes, in part: I have played them all... The Grab Bag is a lot of fun. And I really enjoy it every year. I have used it to flesh out my own collection and others who play with me... I look forward to many more years of great games from Palladium as the last 30+ years have been fantastic. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. P.S. It was great seeing you guys at Gen Con. Looking forward to next year (2019).

[Amen, M.V., and may the New Year be the beginning of truly amazing and wondrous gaming from Palladium for gamers everywhere. See you at Gen Con! – KS]

A.S. in Provo, Utah, writes, in part: I have heard interesting things about Heroes Unlimited and I’d love to give it a try... Thanks for doing this every year. I ordered my first [Surprise Package] a few years ago and now Christmas isn’t complete without a Palladium Grab Bag.

[Thanks for the nice compliment, A.S. I think you’ll enjoy Heroes Unlimited™. Happy New Year. – KS]

W.K. in New York, New York, writes: Trying to complete my collection of Palladium Fantasy books. My time is happily consumed with playing Palladium Fantasy® and Rifts®.

[Sounds like fun, W.K. My time is happily consumed with writing new books for Palladium Fantasy® and Rifts® among other game lines. Keep that imagination burning bright. – KS]

R.K. in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, writes: With this one being my final Grab Bag of the year, I wanted to say thank you for all the great pictures and autographs. A truly Palladium Christmas this year, and many adventures await because of it.

[Awesome, R.K. Thank you for your support and kind words. Game on! – KS]

D.S. in Amherst, Massachusetts, writes: Love Rifts® and just glad to support you guys! New world books and monsters always welcomed!

[You’ve got it D.S., new monsters, Rifts® world books and adventure sourcebooks are coming your way. – KS]

E.A. in Seattle, Washington, writes: Favorites: Rifts®, Phase World®, Heroes Unlimited™ and Robotech®. Hello and Happy Holidays. This is number 5 on the Grab Bags for this year. You are AWESOME! I have been with you since 1988. Robotech® was my introduction to the joy of role-playing, and then Rifts® crashed into the Megaverse® and gaming exploded in my home! Fellow Service members, family and some college buds, we have all jumped deep into this wonderful [game] system and amazing worlds. Thank you for these memories and the time we spend every Friday night together.

[That’s music to my ears, E.A. It brings me great reward knowing that Palladium’s games have touched so many lives for more than three decades. May there be many more to come. Thank you for sharing and please continue to spread the word about Palladium’s games. – KS]

D.S. in Maryland Heights, Missouri, writes: So far I have really enjoyed Heroes Unlimited™ and have run several gems with it over the last few years. I have been getting into Rifts® Ultimate Edition recently and want to expand my physical collection of books instead of just PDFs.

[Well, the Grab Bags are a great way to expand your physical book collection, D.S. Game on! – KS]

J.A. in Ashland, Missouri, writes: Hey folks, wishing you all the very best for the holidays! Thanks for all the great times playing in your worlds.

[Thanks for the warm holiday wishes J.A., Happy New Year. I’m working away to give you new worlds to play in. Game on. – KS]

K.L. in Chatsworth, California, writes: I’ve loved Rifts® and Palladium’s games for almost 20 years and I’ll be introducing a new group of friends to them soon.

[Awesome, K.L., and we appreciate you spreading the love. Game on! – KS]

J.D. in Las Vegas, Nevada, writes, in part: ... I’m very happy to have been able to introduce several new players over the last year ... The digital editions [PDFs] are a stellar idea ... hopefully there is a way to bring to market the [Palladium game] system the rest of the way by having digital G.M. helpers, character and NPC generators and online system ...

[Keep spreading the word, J.D. As for your other comment ... um ... yes, hopefully you’ll be seeing much more digital products and activity online. That’s all I can say for now. Keep that imagination burning and spread the word about Palladium’s games. – KS]

S.F. in Augusta, Maine, writes: This will be the 4th time I’ve been surprised by this gift by my family. I LOVE IT! Thanks for continuing to do this promotion and thanks again for making great products to read and play.

[Awesome, S.F. This is exactly why we do the Surprise Package offer, and will continue to do it as long as I’m at the helm of Palladium Books. Game on! – KS]

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.

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.

Both volumes are being worked on simultaneously, right now, so that Volume Two will quickly follow Volume One. 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

More 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.

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.

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

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.

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® #83 – source material for Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited, etc.
• Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One – Coming soon.
• Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume Two – Coming soon.
• In the Face of Death™, Dead Reign® Sourcebook – Coming soon.
• 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 2019 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.