Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – March 10, 2022

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

By Kevin Siembieda

Hi everyone, I hope you are happy, healthy, and doing well. We enjoyed a little taste of spring last weekend, but mostly we’ve been experiencing up and down winter temperatures. I for one am ready for springtime and a little warmth. Thankfully, it is just around the corner.

I want to remind everyone that since Sean Owen Roberson joined Palladium last September, we have instated a new policy regarding not talking about works in progress nor giving estimated release dates for new book releases until it goes to the printer. The reasoning behind this is an attempt to minimize your frustration due to unexpected and often long delays. For example, Rifts® Bestiary Volume Two, Titan Robotics and CS Manhunters are all a few years behind schedule. Of course, you can thank the pandemic for a big part of that, along with my work to rebuild the company from the ground up – which takes time and energy but is coming along beautifully.

You will see the fruits of those labors throughout the year with what we hope will be a plethora of new releases starting in April. Supply chain shortages and the volatility of the printing industry, however, have made predicting release dates for even simple reprints difficult at times. Case in point: Despite promises that the Chaos Earth hardcover would arrive this week, the ship date has been pushed to next Monday. But is that date reliable? We don’t know.

With these considerations, our policy of not talking about coming releases appears sound, however, we need to find a better middle-ground because our silence about upcoming releases – other than the most immediate – seems to be causing confusion and a different sort of anxiety among some of you. From what we can tell, some folks have taken our silence to mean that many hotly anticipated books have been dropped from our release schedule entirely. Nothing could be further from the truth! We simply no longer want to speculate on release dates and, as a result, have been talking only about the next three titles that we know are coming out soon as well as hardcovers available now and the Palladium Open House (POH) next month. But we are working on and lining up a number of new books and other products for release throughout the year.

Sean and I are in complete agreement that our top priority is getting you many of the long-awaited titles you want. And we have been working on moving them forward behind the scenes for months now. Rifts® Titan Robotics, Rifts® Bestiary Vol. 2, Rifts® Antarctica, and The Disavowed, are all at the top of the list as well as Fantasy, Chaos Earth®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles.

For those of you who may not remember, or who may not have heard, Sean Owen Roberson joined Palladium as its Creative Director and business partner last fall. He and I got off to a fast start, but Sean had to step away from Palladium for 10 weeks to handle a personal matter, and has only recently returned to his responsibilities at Palladium. Welcome back, partner. Ah, but while I may have been pulling double duty, the whole Palladium crew and I have been productive and crazy positive as we work on a wide array of upcoming new releases of different varieties.

Here are some of the titles in various stages of production and some of what has been taking place behind the scenes these past several months:

Warehouse manager Crystal Willard is not only doing a hell of a job running the warehouse, pulling, packing and shipping your orders, and reorganizing the place, she has also been my go-to person working behind the scenes on Open House warehouse preparations. Which is considerable. We haven’t shown pictures of the place because we want those attending to be pleasantly surprised.
Part-time Julius Rosenstein, heading toward retirement, has been helping where he can, proofreading upcoming releases, and diligently working on his seven new games for the POH. He has also been helping me with my POH games by doing the stat outlines for the pre-generated Defiler player characters. As a Defiler himself (Xarxar the Cybernaut) and chronicler of our game sessions, Julius has the notes and insight to do a great job. Thanks, buddy. It frees me up to work on books.
Alex Marciniszyn has been working behind the scenes finding us new book printers with faster turnaround times, so when one printer cannot do a job quickly or cannot get paper, we can send it to another. This is in addition to his editing and other Palladium duties. Btw, we are now spreading out print work between eight printers, as needed.
Wayne Smith remains my right-hand man working on, well, everything. From IT and editing to the creative. In fact, he has been designing a fun, little product in his spare time and helping me with upcoming book releases and new T-shirt designs.
Kathy Simmons is my rock. ‘Nuff said.
Sean Owen Roberson has wrapped up his work on The Rifter® #85 and the pages have been given to Julius for final proofreading. This 224 page annual will go to the printer early next week. It is being given to one of the new printers Alex has found for us. They claim fast turnarounds, so we shall see. We expect to have the book early April, before the Palladium Open House.
Rifts® Titan Robotics is Sean’s current project. I will be assisting and contributing as necessary. The cover and most of the artwork is done. This is another great book written by Matthew Clements dealing with Titan Robotics and the machine god Archie Three. Archie is secretly the owner and mastermind behind Titan Robotics. Additional text and concepts by me and Sean. We cannot offer an exact release date at this time, but our intention is for a summer release. The sooner the better, right?
Rifts® Bestiary Vol. 2 is Sean’s next project, with me contributing to it where I desire and feel the need. We anticipate this to be another summer release. These broad release dates are the best we feel comfortable providing at this time. When the book goes to the printer we will hazard a more precise ship date, but Covid related supply chain issues and paper shortages within the print industry may make even that something of a moving target.
Rifts® CS Manhunters is my (Kevin Siembieda) current project. I am wrapping up my final draft even as you read this. It is undergoing final edits as I peel off each finished chapter. Manhunters should go into layout and be sent to the printer soon. I still “anticipate” it to ship in April before the Palladium Open House, but that will depend on a number of factors, including the printer’s turnaround time. See the new description for CS Manhunters elsewhere in this Update.
BTS Creature Feature is next on my plate and I am shooting to have it debut at the Palladium Open House, and be made available to everyone the week after the POH. That may be a tall order but that’s my goal. If not available at the POH, it should be a May release. If all goes well that’s three new books by the end of April or beginning of May.
More new miniatures. We are releasing more, beautifully sculpted, 32 mm resin Rifts® miniatures. Carmen Bellaire has given Palladium permission to release the minis he had created for his ill-fated Rifts® boardgame some years ago. I don’t want to list them yet, because we are expecting to receive them in time for the Palladium Open House. If so, they will debut at the POH and be released to the rest of you in May. Their arrival in time for the POH will be a nice surprise for those in attendance. Besides, we do not want to reveal which figures until they are in our hands and we can be sure they look great and are in stock and ready to ship.
3 new T-shirts are coming. As has become tradition, we’ll release 3-4 new T-shirts at the POH and then make them available to everyone shortly thereafter in May. We are also “considering” bringing back a couple of old favorites in multiple sizes. Availability and cost will dictate the number of new and old T-shirts.
NEW! Palladium Megaverse® Poker Deck! Similar to the two Rifts® Poker Decks, this fun deck will feature color artwork from Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited, Nightbane®, and all the rest. Each Palladium game line shall be represented. This is one of Wayne’s secret projects. May release, but it is another product we are hoping to debut at the POH.

But wait, there’s more!

Production Note: Part of our plan is to get long-awaited titles into your hands at an accelerated pace. To do so, all year long while I’m working on one book, Sean will be working on another simultaneously. Meanwhile, we have freelancers working on additional and new titles. Whenever possible we have artists working on art in advance. Many of these titles you are expecting, others are brand new. Below are some of the most notable products that we hope to release over the next 18-24 months. They are listed in no particular order.

Rifts® Antarctica is my next book to finish after Creature Feature. I am shooting for a summer or autumn release. The original manuscript is by Matthew Clements with additional mind-bending material by me. Mind-bending because it presents an ancient enemy of the Splugorth. One that these powerful beings fear! It is also a defender of humanity ... or is it? I will be working on Antarctica while Sean works on Titan Robotics.
The Rifter® #86 – Accepting submissions now! Submission deadline, end of June. Fall or winter release. We have the greatest need for NON-Rifts material.
Land of the Damned 3: The Bleakness (Fantasy). The Matthew Clements manuscript has been submitted. Release date yet to be determined.
The final Lopan (Fantasy) manuscript by Glen Evans has been submitted and will be first released as a Raw Preview Edition this spring. Release date of the finished book is yet to be determined.
Due to popular request we will soon release Yin-Sloth Jungles (Fantasy) 2nd Edition. The book will be an updated version of the 1st Edition rule book (still available now) and modestly expanded. Tentatively a spring or early summer release. The finished manuscript by John Klinkel has been submitted and is waiting for final edit and layout. Yes, we will be updating Island at the Edge of the World in the near future as well.
The Land of the South Winds manuscript by John Klinkel has been submitted and will be first released as a Raw Preview Edition this spring. Actually, two South Winds manuscripts have been submitted, plus there is material I want to contribute to the final South Winds sourcebook. So it may become a blend of the two or may turn into two Land of the South Winds titles with material by both writers as well as myself. Release date yet to be determined.
Rifts® The Disavowed. Far from forgotten. Release date yet to be determined.
Rifts® CS Arsenal. Concepts and art for weapons, vehicles, and mech designs have been in production behind the scenes for a few months. Release date yet to be determined.
Rifts® Lazlo. The manuscript has been submitted and awaiting final rewriting and editing. Release date yet to be determined. The Raw Edition is nearly sold out.
Beyond Arcanum, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook, is on the production schedule. Release date yet to be determined.
Tomes Grotesque, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook, is on the production schedule. Release date yet to be determined.
Chaos Earth® Psychic Scream. The manuscript has been submitted and is waiting for my rewrite and expansion.
Chaos Earth® First Responders. The manuscript has been expanded by Matthew Clements. Release date yet to be determined.
Returning Weapon Books. Due to popular demand, we intend to bring back Exotic Weapons and European Castles. Like the entire weapon series, they are 100% historically accurate and designed for use with ANY game system, Palladium Fantasy®, D&D®, Pathfinder®, Heroes Unlimited, any game that uses melee weapons and castles. Both are anticipated to be spring releases.
And more. Other manuscripts for books, writing projects in development, plans, and ideas exist and are under consideration for Splicers®, Nightbane®, Heroes Unlimited, etc. Over time we hope to continue to support all our game lines, but we are not going to talk about those plans or mention titles at this time. This may include other titles you are waiting for while other works are completely new. For example, Matthew Clements is kicking around a very cool idea for an alternate Earth as a new Dimension Book mini-series. It is a personal project he’s fooling around with between his other professional work. So is Sean. Meanwhile, Mark Oberle is working on companion books to the upcoming Rifts® World Book: Lazlo. Many authors are working on “speculative” potential projects for the future. Things we don’t want to discuss yet because maybe they’ll happen and maybe they won’t.

Titles that have been cancelled years ago. We know many of you would still like to see them someday, but that is your desire. We appreciate knowing there is still interest in them, but there are no current plans to make and publish them.

Rifts® World Book: Australia 2
Rifts® World Book: China 3
Dimension Book: United Worlds of Warlock
Mechanoid Space

Whew. Now you can see why some folks are concerned that I’m pushing myself too hard. You are about to see how I earned my nickname “The Machine.” If I can swing it, I want to see all of the titles above released over the next 18-24 months. I am focused and driven to get them done because what comes next takes everything to a new level. And no, we are not going to talk about that phase for another year or two. Like I have said, Palladium’s five year plan is filled with high concepts and aims for products that will rock your world.

Coming to the Palladium Open House is a fun way to meet the Palladium staff and many of our friendly freelance writers and artists.

We had a few POH VIP night cancellations. A few were quickly filled by those on the waiting list, but I think there are one or two slots to fill. So if you are interested in attending VIP Thursday, get on the Cancellations Waiting List. Call 734-721-2903.

2022 Palladium Open House – April 22-24, 2022 (April 21 for VIP ticket holders) – Celebrate 40 Years of RPG fun from Palladium Books^®

Weekend tickets and individual days remain available, so please join the fun. You will not be disappointed. See complete details in the lengthier store description.

Highlights Include:

* Celebrate Palladium’s landmark 40 Year Anniversary with us.

* Price of admission pays for all events!

* 100+ Gaming Events:

* Meet 30+ Notable Palladium personalities, artists, writers, staff.

Kevin Siembieda – (Founder, writer, & G.M.) – confirmed
Sean Owen Roberson – (Creative Director, writer, G.M., staff) – confirmed
Julius Rosenstein (editor, G.M., Defiler & staff) – confirmed
Wayne Smith (editor-in-chief & staff) – confirmed
Alex Marciniszyn (editor, Defiler, & staff) – confirmed
Kathy Simmons (Goddess & staff) – confirmed
Crystal Willard (Lord of the Warehouse & staff) – confirmed

Ramon Perez (artist) – confirmed
John Zeleznik (artist) – probable/tentative
Amy L. Ashbaugh (artist) – confirmed
Nick Bradshaw (artist) – confirmed
Mike Majestic (artist) – confirmed
Brian Manning (artist) – wants to, thinking about it
Allen Manning (artist) – wants to, thinking about it
Mike Mumah (artist) – confirmed
Benjamin Rodriguez (artist) – confirmed

Brandon Aten (writer, musician & G.M.) – tentative
Matthew Balent (writer & G.M.) – confirmed
Matthew Clements (writer, screenwriter) – confirmed
Steven Dawes (writer & G.M.) – confirmed
Greg Diaczyk (writer & G.M.) – confirmed
Glen Evans (writer & G.M.) – confirmed
John Klinkel (writer & G.M.) – confirmed
Madman Mike Leonard (artist, G.M. & helper) – confirmed
Mark Oberle (writer & G.M.) – confirmed

James Brown (Game Master Supreme) – confirmed
Joe Bergmans (friend & helper) – confirmed
Chris Guertin (friend & helper) – confirmed
Doug Lamberson (friend & helper) – tentative
Ryan McDaniel (G.M. & consultant) – confirmed
Mike Silva (friend, G.M. & helper) – confirmed

* Unprecedented Availability to Personalities: Most Palladium creators are available to chat, sign books, sell art and prints, for most of the day, every day, not just an hour here or an hour there.

* Get your books signed by dozens of Palladium creators.

* The Live Auction Saturday Night is going to be epic! Kevin has dug out a lot of rare, out of print, first printing signed books, hardcovers, original artwork, proofreader photocopies of books like early TMNT®, Robotech®, Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts®, and other items we think folks will go crazy over.

* 100+ Palladium gaming events.

* Play in games run by Kevin Siembieda & other Palladium creators.

* Enjoy panel talks and many question & answer chats.

* Bring your favorite game books to get signed.

* Meet Kevin Siembieda and the Palladium staff.

* Meet Sean Roberson, Palladium’s Creative Director, G.M., and chief writer behind Rifts® Savage Worlds®.

* Meet Ramon K. Perez, Marvel Comics artist – Spider-Man and many other comics, and artist in many Palladium World Books.

* Meet 30+ other Palladium creators and personalities like Matthew Clements, Glen Evans, John Zeleznik, Amy Ashbaugh, Mike Mumah, Nick Bradshaw, Matthew Balent, and many others – the largest gathering of Palladium creators in the world! Most available every day, the entire day, for the entire POH.

* Meet fellow gamers from across the USA and around the world – Canada, England, Germany, Spain, Uruguay, Brazil, etc.

* Special Event (Saturday): Live Auction – offering rare collectibles and original art from Palladium’s and Kevin Siembieda’s archives.

* Get new releases, back stock items, and Palladium collectibles.

* Get original artwork and limited edition prints.

* Get rare collector items, first printings, and signed books.

* Be the first to get some of the newest releases debuting at the POH.

* Get new and old T-shirts and specialty items before anyone at home.

* Commission select artists to draw your favorite character.

* “Live” Auction with rare collectibles and unique items.

* “Live” panel talks and interviews.

* “Open gaming” area at the warehouse. Sorry, no game room at hotels.

* Get the latest news and other insider info.

* Intimate setting, unlike big conventions.

* Family reunion and party atmosphere.

* Join the fun and make memories to last a lifetime.

* Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 12:30 A.M. (possibly longer).

* Location: The Palladium Books warehouse – 39074 Webb Court, Westland, Michigan (MI) 48185 – 15-20 minutes from the airport.

* Palladium has limited space, so order your admissions now in case we sell out!

* You MUST make hotel reservations by March 31, 2022 to guarantee getting a room and at the special Group Rate, but rooms are sold on a first-come, first served basis and are starting to sell quick now.

* Mask Wearing Required: Everyone participating in the Palladium Open House — including all attendees, exhibitors, Game Masters, event organizers, and event staff — will be required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces AT ALL TIMES, unless actively eating or drinking in “designated areas” or “outdoors.”

* Cancellation available till March 15: You can cancel your Open House or V.I.P. order up to March 15, 2022 and get a FULL refund.

Price of Admission

Price of admission covers all events. Being accepted into a game event is on a first-come, first served basis. Dates: April 21 (VIP Thursday a separate cost), April 22, 23, 24.

SOLD OUT! $117 for “VIP Day” – Thursday, April 21, 2022 – but get on the VIP Cancellations Waiting List. (2 folks have gotten VIP tickets due to cancellations already. VIP catered dinner limited to around 100 VIP gamers. A more intimate chance to talk with Palladium staff, artists and writers, and first crack at rare collectibles, prints and original art.

$60 for 3 Day Weekend Pass (April 22, 23, 24 – Friday, Saturday & Sunday). $60 at the door, but ONLY if space is available. 9:00 AM till closing.

$30 for Friday, single day, April 22, 9:00 AM till closing. $30 at the door, but only if space is available.

$30 for Saturday, single day, April 23, 9:00 AM till closing (about midnight). $30 at the door, but ONLY if space is available. The Live Auction is held on Saturday.

$10 for Sunday, single day, April 24, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. $10 at the door, and there is usually space available on Sunday.

See complete details in the lengthier store description.

Palladium accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and most credit cards. All Credit Card orders must include: Credit Card Number – Name on the card – Address of the Credit Cardholder – Expiration Date – Telephone Number of the cardholder and CVV code on the back of the card and the name of EACH person you are getting tickets for.

Order Online in the Palladium store or by Telephone: Call 734-721-2903 – have your credit card information ready and the name of each person in your group.

POH Hotel Reservations – Must be made by March 31, 2022 – rooms going fast now

2022 POH Dates – April 21 (VIP Thursday), 22, 23, and 24 (Sunday). NOTE: Both hotels have agreed to allow people to get the Palladium Group Rate Discount if you arrive a day or two before the POH or stay a day or two after the POH dates. This is especially helpful for our volunteers and friends who like to show up to help a couple days before the Open House and stay till the Monday or Tuesday after the event. Tell the hotel you are “coming to the Palladium Open House” to get the special rates below. Note: The hotel does not charge your credit card till just before you arrive. Please spread the word, bring a friend, and have the time of your life.

Comfort Inn Plymouth-West Livonia – $99 per night – MUST reserve room by March 31, 2022

MUST reserve by March 31, 2022 to get the “Group Rate,” but we suggest reserving your room as soon as possible! We will see if we can extend that date, but do not count on it.

40455 Ann Arbor Road
Plymouth, MI 48170
Phone: 734-455-8100 and ask for the Palladium Books Group Block

Red Roof Inn #016 (Plymouth) – $50-55 per night – MUST reserve room by March 31, 2022

39700 Ann Arbor Road
Plymouth, MI 48170
734-459-3300 and ask for the Palladium Books Group Block

See complete details in the lengthier store description.

POH Game Masters NEEDED

– Open House Game Masters can earn a free T-Shirt and 30% Discount

G.M. Rewards! Run three or more games – that is only one game a day – and get a FREE special G.M. T-shirt unveiled for the first time at the POH and a 30% Game Master Supreme discount on most of Palladium’s RPG books, T-shirts, and many other items. (Sorry, EXCLUDES original art, auction items, limited editions, art prints, and convention exclusive products.)

See the complete description of exactly what we need in the POH store description.

Contact us by telephone (734-721-2903) or by email at palladium-gm{at}palladiumbooks.com. Please contact us as SOON as possible. We want to post a schedule well in advance.

Please tell others about the Palladium Open House – April 21-24

Many Palladium fans don’t know anything about the Palladium Open House, so please tell them about this awesome event so they can join the fun and share the experience. The more the merrier. There is nothing like a Palladium Open House.

Retailers can buy direct from Palladium

Help Your Game Store Find Palladium RPG Products! With game stores opening back up we are happy to report that our distributors are doing a good job at stocking our many titles. If your store is having trouble ordering Palladium titles from distributors or they find getting product from their distributors is too slow, tell them they can buy wholesale directly from Palladium Books. We usually succeed at keeping most of our 200+ titles in stock at all times. You might also point them to Alliance, Studio 2, and Universal Distribution (Canada), who are all doing an especially good job keeping Palladium titles in stock and available. A few store owners reached out to us just this past week, thanks to your efforts, so keep up the good work!

Brick and mortar stores can request the Retailer Terms by contacting Palladium via the Help Desk on our website or by telephone (734-721-2903). Thank you for your help on this front. Please keep spreading the word. Thank you.

NEW! “Original” Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Bonus” Edition Commemorative Hardcover, 1st Edition Rules – Available now

This deluxe, foil stamped edition presents the original, First Edition rules, expanded with the inclusion of the Arms of Nargash-Tor adventure sourcebook. The Original Fantasy Edition includes Erick Wujcik’s popular Tombs of Gersidi adventure left out of the 2nd Edition rule book, and all the original illustrations. The cover is a recreation of the original, famous red and black cover of the original RPG. We sold more than 120,000 copies of the first edition rule book back in the day, so we know a lot of people have fond memories of it. Hence, the request for Palladium to offer it again in some form. We hope you enjoy the deluxe First Edition Fantasy hardcover. It sure brought back memories for many of us.

The complete, original RPG – the game that started Palladium Books.
First Edition rules are easily adaptable to current Fantasy titles.
Includes The Tombs of Gersidi adventure and setting (ancient vampires and dark magic) written by Erick Wujcik. Maps by Erick Wujcik. Easily adapted to current rules.
Depictions of Eastern, Western, Northern, and Old Kingdom coins.
Fan favorite artwork by Kevin Siembieda and Michael Kucharski.
The Arms of Nargash-Tor adventure sourcebook included as “bonus” material back in print form for the first time in 35 years.
Deluxe hardcover edition. Probably limited to fewer than 1,000 copies.
Recreation of the original cover with red foil stamping into a black faux leatherette hardcover. It should look beautiful.
320 pages total with “bonus” material – $55 retail – Cat. No. 449HC – available now while supplies last.

NEW! Splicers^® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – Available now

The Splicers® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover includes 50 pages of Splicers® material from The Rifter® #30, #32, and #51 offering War Mounts, The Wasteland, and Living Weapons like the Swarm Lord, Hive insects, etc., written by Chris Kluge.

Splicers® is a unique science fiction RPG unlike anything else on the market. It might be thought of as The Terminator meets Guyver. Human beings (on a far future Earth or is it a distant space colony?) are forced to hide and turn to bio-engineered, living weapons, armor and war steeds in their ongoing struggles against “The Machine.” A Super-Artificial Intelligence originally designed to help and protect human beings, but now hunts and destroys or enslaves them for their own welfare. It is a battle for survival that varies for each House of Splicers and the different regions controlled by the different personalities of the insane AI.

The complete Splicers RPG written and created by Carmen Bellaire.
50 bonus pages of source material written by Chris Kluge.
280 pages – $44.99 retail – Cat. No. 200HC – available now while supplies last.

“Original” Rifts^® RPG – 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover – available now

Yep, the RPG many of you know and love and first cut your teeth on when you discovered RPGs. The “original” Rifts® RPG is available for a limited time as a deluxe hardcover. Still only $49.99 despite rising paper and printing costs, especially for a book of its caliber. It is absolutely gorgeous and guaranteed to bring back fond memories. 48 pages of color, high quality paper, beautiful print quality throughout, and 32 pages of additional content.

The cover is the iconic, fan favorite, Keith Parkinson painting depicting a Splugorth Slaver and Blind Warrior Women riding a Splugorth Slave Barge.
32 page color section presenting never before seen or talked about art and information.
The making of Rifts®.
Behind the scenes stories involving Kevin Siembieda, Erick Wujcik, Keith Parkinson, Kevin Long, others, and their contributions to Rifts®.
Never before seen concept art and sketches.
A gallery of every Rifts® cover through 2021. More than 160 of them. The perfect reference for collectors.
The Rifts® RPG first edition rules work perfectly with ALL current Rifts® World Books, Sourcebooks, and Dimension Books, making it a functioning core rule book, not just an awesome collector’s item.
288 pages – $49.99 retail – Cat. No. 800HC30 – available now.

UPDATED List of RPG Hardcovers Available Now

SOLD OUT! Sorry, temporarily out of stock. Waiting for additional supplies from our hardcover printer. Chaos Earth® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – 192 pages – $36.99 – Cat. No. 660HC – 30 extra pages of bonus material – Temporarily out of stock. We’re told it will be back from the printer soon.
NEW! “Original” Palladium Fantasy RPG® Commemorative “Bonus” Foil Hardcover (1st Edition rules) – It is the original 1st Edition Rules RPG including Tombs of Gersidi and the first Fantasy sourcebook: The Arms of Nargash-Tor. The cover is a classy crimson foil image, imprinted on black faux leatherette to replicate the original red and black RPG fans love. 320 pages – $55 retail – Cat. No. 449HC – available now.
NEW! Splicers® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – The Splicers® RPG plus 50 pages of extra material gathered from The Rifter®. 280 pages – $44.99 – Cat. No. 200HC – available now.
“Original” Rifts® RPG 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover – available now! This collector’s item sports the original Parkinson cover, additional 32 page color section, history of Rifts®, unpublished concept art, gallery of all Rifts® covers through 2020, and more. Can be used with ALL Rifts® supplements – 288 pages – $49.99 – Cat. No. 800HC30 – Available now.
Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG “Bonus” Hardcover – available now – BACK in stock – 224 pages – $36.99 – Cat. No. 525HC – includes bonus material – available now.
After the Bomb® RPG “Bonus” Hardcover – available now– BACK in stock – 296 pages – $39.99 – Cat. No. 503HC – includes bonus material – available now.
Rifts® Book of Magic Hardcover – available now – BACK in stock – 352 pages – $39.99 – Cat. No. 848HC – available now.
Nightbane® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – available now – 304 pages – $39.99 – Cat. No. 730HC – 60 extra pages of bonus material – available now.
Dead Reign® RPG (Zombie Apocalypse) Hardcover – available now – BACK in stock – 224 pages – $36.99 – Cat. No. 230HC – available now.
Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition Hardcover – 224 pages – $36.99 – Cat. No. 700HC
Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition Hardcover – 336 pages – $39.99 – Cat. No. 450HC – Our second best selling new hardcover after the Rifts® 30th Anniversary edition.
Heroes Unlimited™ RPG, 2nd Edition Hardcover – 352 pages – $39.99 – Cat. No. 500HC.
Rifts® Ultimate Edition RPG Hardcover – 376 pages – $44.99 – Cat. No. 800HC – epic.
Rifts® Ultimate Edition “Softcover” is a new format. RUE has only ever been available as a hardcover, and it still is, but it is now also available as a softcover – 376 pages – $34.99 – Cat. No. 800SE.
Rifts® Game Master Guide Hardcover – 352 pages – $39.99 – Cat. No. 845HC
Rifts® Adventure Guide Hardcover – 192 pages – $36.99 – Cat. No. 849HC.

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

The Rifts® CS Manhunters Sourcebook has turned into an essential psionics sourcebook in a similar vein to the Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook, only in this case the focus is on psychics, psionic abilities, and the new villains you will love to hate: The CS Manhunters. This information-packed sourcebook includes the CS Manhunters, who are a super-secret league of assassins and enforcers that answer only to Emperor Prosek; the secret “thought police” of Psi-Ops; re-visitation and clarifications about select psionic abilities; Dog Boys and Kill Hounds; 50+ new psionic powers that are fun and intuitive; and insight about life in the Coalition States, CS psychics, Psi-Stalkers, the Minion War, CS citizens, and Emperor Prosek as well as some gadgets, implants, and surprises. This book has it all. An instant classic all Rifts® fans will want to own.

50+ new psionic abilities and revisits of some favorites. Powers available to most psychic O.C.C.s.
9 CS Manhunter O.C.C.s, their orientation and areas of specialty. Each with unique, exclusive psionic powers and abilities.
CS Manhunter background, operations, special ops, and more.
Dog Boy O.C.C. revisited.
CS Kill Hound O.C.C. revisited.
Some of Emperor Prosek’s secrets revealed.
Insight about the Coalition States and its citizens.
Deciphering the Seven Dangers Prophecy (101 P.A. and appearing in Rifts® Sourcebook 2: Mechanoid Invasion).
Secrets of Psi-Ops Division and insight about Coalition psychics.
The impact of the demon plagues unleashed by the Minion War.
A comic strip with art by Nick Bradshaw and written by Kevin Siembieda, presenting new insight about CS operations and Psi-Hounds.
Player Characters, new psionics, NPCs, CS history and never-before-revealed information, adventure ideas galore, and more for both players and Game Masters alike.
224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 894 – In final production for a spring release.

UPDATE: Creature Feature^™, a Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebook

This is going to be another fun adventure sourcebook. The manuscript will go into editing and rewrites as soon as I finish CS Manhunters and most of the artwork is done. Though I may add a few illustrations and already have artists lined up. Creature Feature™ builds on material that has appeared in various issues of The Rifter® but there is a ton of new material and information useful to both Game Masters and players.

A gallery of supernatural creatures. Some new. Some familiar, updated and expanded. All terrifying.
Rules clarifications and errata.
Game Master source material and advice on rules, psychic abilities, proximity and threat levels, I.S.P. multipliers, and more.
Advice about running modern horror RPGs and using supernatural creatures in your games.
Lots of adventure ideas, including an updated and expanded full adventure, “The Squatter.”
New background and setting information for the BTS setting and a few surprises.
Written by Steven Dawes, Kevin Siembieda, and others.
Art by Steven Cummings, Nick Bradshaw and others.
160-192 pages – $22.99 or $26.99 depending on final size – Cat. No. 704. Release date not yet determined.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Here it is, the reveal of the new cover. I hope you like it. I love that it presents the iconic Titan Robotics Combat Robot with a new big gun that hints at what else awaits you inside the book. I also enjoy the combat scene, smoke, and haze of war. Like Northern Gun and the Manistique Imperium, Titan Robotics sells freely to adventurers, mercenaries, and anyone who has the cash. Hence, the owners of these big ‘bots clashing with Coalition Forces.

This is why I call Rifts® Titan Robotics™ a high-tech toy box filled with many new types of Titan Robotics power armors, giant robots, vehicles, weapons, and gear. Some are big bruisers while others are small and sleek. As fun as these new tech toys are, Rifts® Titan Robotics™ delves into the company’s many secrets, including ARCHIE-3’s plans and program to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics and his current schemes and plans for the future. All of which provides fodder for adventure.

New Giant Robots.
New Power Armor, equipment and accessories.
30+ power armors and robots, plus other equipment.
New weapons, gear and vehicles.
Titan Robotics Corporation and structure.
Archie’s secret kingdom and plans for the future.
New O.C.C.s and key Non-Player Characters (NPCs).
Android executives, security and much more.
Wellington Industries, campaign prompts and more.
Art by Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Mike Majestic.
160-192 pages – $22.99 or $26.99 depending on final size – Cat. No. 899. Release date not yet determined.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Volume Two

The second big, “monster book” reference for Rifts® of what we anticipate to be three volumes in the series, more if we decide to make ghosts, spirits and Entities and/or Creatures of Magic part of the Bestiary series. Much like Volume One, Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume Two collects 70-100 monsters and animals plus 12-24 new beasts found across Rifts North America. The anticipated page count is 224-256 pages.

All volumes of the Rifts® Bestiary™ series are a great resource for players and Game Masters alike. Each description is updated, expanded, and highly detailed to present players with exotic and alien creatures as pets, guardians and riding animals, as well as slobbering monsters to battle and fierce beasts for Game Masters to throw at their players. Designed to offer adventure ideas, plus notes on young, adult, male and female creatures, and all provide plenty of ways to enhance your characters and spice up adventures. Each is accompanied by a map that shows at a glance where the beast can be encountered. Ah, but the presence of Rifts and magic means any of the creatures may appear anywhere in the world, so be on your toes.

Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized into big, easy to use sourcebooks.
Updated and expanded descriptions and information for each existing monster.
Updated and uniform stat blocks.
New exotic creatures – predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
A map for every creature showing where it is found.
Easily adapted to any Palladium setting – Palladium Fantasy®, Chaos Earth®, Splicers®, Phase World®, the Three Galaxies™, The Mechanoids®, Heroes Unlimited™/Aliens Unlimited™, and others.
Basic S.D.C. stats included with each creature description.
Fully illustrated, with art by Charles Walton II, Ramon Perez, Robert Atkins, and many others. Written by Kevin Siembieda.
256 pages each volume – $28.99 – Cat. No. 897 (Volume Two). Release date not yet determined.

Still Hot! Rifts^® Automated Character Sheet for EXCEL

The next step in character data collection! This EXCEL template provides automation to your Rifts® character creation process. Done in Microsoft Excel, this character template will allow you to build your character with substantial ease and speed. Ideal for the new gamer who doesn’t know all of the Palladium Books® rules just yet, it’s also a highly effective tool for Game Masters and advanced players alike who make multiple characters, NPCs or just like to min/max or theory craft characters between games.

Dice Roller: A simple dice roller is on the main page of the character sheet to help with character creation or in-game dice rolling needs.
Automated Attributes and Stat Block: All the bonuses and features from attributes are presented in a large stat block allowing you to easily see your bonus to save vs Psionics, Mind Control, etc. You can pick your strength type (Normal, Augmented, Robotic or Supernatural) to determine your carrying and lifting capacity and even your M.D. punch damage if your strength is high enough and of the right type.
Automated Combat Stats: The main page holds a section where you can pull up data for your various combat stats, from hand to hand abilities such as Strike, Parry, Dodge and Disarm, to W.P. bonuses including those of the W.P. Sharpshooting variety. This section draws upon all of your character’s selection of skills and abilities and even offers customization from odd O.C.C. or racial abilities.
Automated Psionics: All psionics from Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® World Book 12: Psyscape™ and Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria can be selected from a dropdown menu that then populates tables with the information on psionics for your character. Each psionic ability’s data including damage, M.D.C. and range also automatically increases based on the character’s level of experience.
Automated Spells: All Common Invocations, Necromancy, Ocean Magic and Biomancy spells (yes, all the Lemurian Biomancer spells too!) can be selected from a dropdown menu that then populates tables with the information on spells for your character. Each spell’s data including damage, M.D.C. and range also automatically increases based on the character’s level of experience.
Automated Skills: All skills from the Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® World Book 25: China 2 – Heroes of the Celestial Court™ and Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria can be selected and then automatically add bonuses from prerequisites and related skills. Physical skills that provide bonuses also add those bonuses directly to attributes and combat stats. Bonuses that require dice rolls are denoted and can then be manually rolled and added to the character sheet. Custom percent bonuses such as O.C.C. bonuses can also be added to individual skills.
Automated Cybernetics & Bionics: All cybernetics and bionics from Rifts® Ultimate Edition along with some favorites from other books can be selected from dropdown menus which then tabulate bonuses and add them to your combat stats. Prices also sum up so an enterprising Headhunter can keep track of his hardware and upgrades. Simple cybernetic body part diagrams even allow players to allocate the locations of their various cybernetic and bionic components.
Freeform O.C.C. and Racial Power Section: A section for non-standard powers, special O.C.C. or racial abilities allows the player to add custom skills and powers that can be linked to those features to draw upon the character’s level of experience, I.Q. bonus or other stats so powers grow as the character advances.
Character Building Section: On the main page of the document is a section to help you build your character, from customizing attributes, to adding non-standard bonuses from O.C.C. or racial abilities, to an optional point buy system for attributes.
Helpful Hints and Suggestions: Red triangular tabs appear throughout the document. Hovering over the red tab with the mouse cursor will reveal useful data from sourcebooks, hints, suggestions and other information, such as what a particular stat means, how it’s used in the game and what things can add bonuses or affect it. There is also a page with overview instructions on how to use the sheet, and a number of instructional videos will be posted via Palladium TV on the ins and outs of the character sheet. The first can be found here: http://youtu.be/a89XzAV37sE
Portrait: A special sheet is set up so you can add an image to the document for a custom portrait for your character. That image is then displayed on the main page and is protected from accidental movement or deletion from the main page.
Password Protected: Several pages of the document are password protected so players won’t accidently delete formulas and ruin the character sheet’s automated features. The password is provided so players can customize the sheet to their liking then protect the sheet again so they don’t undo all their hard work.
Note: The file is best used in Microsoft EXCEL 2016 or above. Some data may be lost if not using Microsoft EXCEL, such as when using similar products like Open Office.
Available from PalladiumBooks.com AND DriveThruRPG.com – make them characters!

Something you might enjoy

When not creating works of wonders for Palladium Books and other companies, artist Michael Majestic has been creating original designs for science fiction fighters with his 3D printer. Which he has recently begun to offer for sale. I think they are pretty cool so I wanted to plug Mike’s efforts and Patreon page. Check them out below and see more on his page. If you think other gamers might dig these minis, please spread the word. Thanks.

From Vulne Pro Studio: The TE-46 Javelin and TE-52 Ballista fighters printable STL files are available now on https://www.patreon.com/VulnePro

The new Small Scale Resin Printed Military Spacecraft Series is a collection of 3D printable sci-fi space fighters designed by Michael Majestic in the spirit of 1980s anime, old school sci-fi aesthetics – arguably, some of the most striking and creatively bold work ever produced by Japanese animation studios. Mike has captured that boldness with clean lines and appealing visual designs. Additionally the digital 4K box art plus orthographic views of each fighter owes much to the way Japanese model and garage kit makers presented their releases in the 1980s and 90s (Tamiya aircraft, Dougram, Crusher Joe, Macross, etc.). While these are ultimately resin printed miniatures, and not model kits, they very much capture that sf anime feel. With more to come. Check it out. Btw, Mike expects to be at the Palladium Open House.

https://www.patreon.com/VulnePro

DriveThruRPG.com – Discover the Palladium Megaverse^® at PDF prices – 300+ titles

- Rifts® titles. Rifts® is the ultimate setting in which you can combine any number of genres and play any style of gaming you may desire: science fiction, fantasy, supernatural horror, heroic adventure, dimensional travel, modern knights, cyborgs, giant robots, dinosaur taming, sleuthing, magic, monsters, heroes and legends. Or combine them all. There has never been a game quite like Rifts®.

- Rifts® Chaos Earth® titles. 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.

- The Rifter® #1-84. Each issue is a wealth of source material and ideas for Rifts® and 3-5 other Palladium game settings. Most are easily adapted to ANY Palladium game setting. Each issue is a gem. 8,500 pages of source material and ideas for heroes, villains, monsters, magic, gear, and adventure. Many issues are sold out and only available in digital form.

- Palladium Fantasy RPG® titles. This is a rich, original setting in which you can play humans or any number of nonhuman species of people in a world of magic, heroes and wonder. A world with 100,000 years of history. Some of it quite dark. All of it epic.

- Dead Reign® RPG and sourcebooks. The Zombie Apocalypse unleashed. Play ordinary people or post-apocalyptic O.C.C.s or Masked Lunatic heroes. A great introductory RPG that is surprisingly uplifting, fun, fast, and easy to learn.

- Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Second Edition titles. Create any type of superhuman you can imagine to build your own super-hero universe or those of your favorite comic books. Heroes Unlimited™ RPG first edition rule book and sourcebooks too.

- After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Create and play anthropomorphic, intelligent, mutant animals in a comic book world of crime-fighting mutants and super-heroes, or in a crumbling post-apocalyptic Earth where humans teeter on the edge of extinction and mutant animals are becoming the noble survivors to inherit our world.

- Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG and the Mystic China™ sourcebook by Erick Wujcik. Think James Bond meets Enter the Dragon. 41 types of martial arts, ninjas, and super-spies with gadgets, gizmos and advanced weapons.

- Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks. You are the monsters ... and the heroes. Embark on a quest of self-discovery and empowerment while locked in a secret war against the Nightlords and their demonic and human minions. Monsters only you, the Nightbane, can see, but only when you transform into your inhuman Morphus. A supernatural and monstrous alter-ego that can see the invading monsters and possesses the power to destroy them. That’s why the Night Princes have been assigned to hunt down and either turn or destroy every last one of the Nightbane. Trust no one. Even your parents, teachers, or friends might be wicked Dopplegangers in league with the Nightlords.

- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG and sourcebooks. Your first step into the realm of modern horror. The RPG provides 14 character classes and 42 occupations for “ordinary people,” 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, the Lazlo Agency, world setting and rules.

- The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy RPG is a long time, cult favorite with a fatalistic worldview of humans vs aliens with superior technology.

- 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!

- Systems Failure RPG. A one-shot post-apocalyptic setting where humans fight and hide from enslaving alien invaders known as “The Bugs.”

- The Palladium Ancient Weapons Series of real world weapons, armor and castles throughout history. Designed for use with ANY game system.

- RECON® Deluxe & Revised – by Erick Wujcik and others. Vietnam era RPG and more.

- Erick Wujcik’s “Lost first RPG” Sector 57. It is Erick Wujcik’s very first RPG (1980, self-published) – a tournament game, actually. I played it way back when with Erick and it was fun. I think you will enjoy it, and it is a fun piece of history. ALL proceeds go directly to the Wujcik estate and probably toward the education of Erick’s beloved grandchild, Tristan. As most of you know, Erick would go on to write the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG, Ninjas & Superspies RPG, Amber Diceless, and contribute to a number of other RPGs and sourcebooks.

- 300+ Palladium titles in all, plus G.M. kits, paper miniatures and more. Palladium Books has settings for every genre: Fantasy RPG, science fiction (Rifts®, Splicers®, and The Mechanoids®), super-heroes (Heroes Unlimited and After the Bomb), superhero horror (Nightbane®), modern horror (Dead Reign® and Beyond the Supernatural), plus The Rifter® sourcebook series (by fans like you), novels, paper minis, and more. And more to come in the weeks ahead.

Palladium Collectibles, one-of-a-kind Negatives, original artwork, other collectibles and toys are always available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store along with other good things

My eBay store is one of the few places where you can find original artwork by me (Kevin Siembieda), Kevin Long, Charles Walton, and others, as well as one-of-a-kind negatives from classic Rifts® and other Palladium RPG books (they look awesome framed!), rare Palladium collector hardcovers, signed books, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, other Palladium memorabilia, as well as toys and other collectibles from my personal collection. Yeah, I used to be a crazy toy and art collector. Alex and I will try to post new items on a regular basis, so check in every few weeks to see what’s new.

Other one-of-a-kind original artwork available by me (Kevin Siembieda), Kevin Long, Charles Walton II and other artists, as well as collectible negatives, prints, limited edition hardcovers, proofreader copies, out of print items, Star Wars toys, Marvel toys and many other toys and collectibles from my personal collection. Alex and I will keep adding items as our busy schedules allow, but we have a lot of fun collectibles available now and coming soon. Hundreds of items. Take a look every weekend for new additions.

Available now: One-of-a-kind book negatives. Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House and Gen Con. Truly unique, attractive, and fun.

Negatives are unique and attractive, one-of-a-kind (on rare occasions two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were 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 was going to discard them, Palladium acquired many (not all) of the old negatives. I am only keeping a few books for myself and make majority of the rest available to you. I sign each negative in silver and each comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. The 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). But don’t miss the other collectibles as well.

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

Heroes Unlimited^™ Podcast by Real Play Games

These are the folks who have been bringing you the fun After the Bomb® adventure podcasts that so many have been enjoying. This time they present four episodes from a Heroes Unlimited™ 2nd Edition campaign. These folks are gamers and Palladium fans just like you, following a dream to tell and share their own stories from the Palladium Megaverse®. Cool, right? We thank them for doing this and encourage you to give them a listen.

You can also listen to the After the Bomb®: Purrsuit Season 1. Season Two coming spring 2022 after a venture into the realm of Beyond the Supernatural later this winter.

Learn more and listen to the Heroes Unlimited™ Holiday Special (4 episodes described below) and After the Bomb®: Purrsuit of Knowledge Season One adventures by using the links below. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Schedule: Biweekly (episodes released every other Friday).
Website: http://www.realplaygamespod.com
Twitter: @realplaypod

NEW! Heroes Unlimited™: Hostage for the Holidays: Episode 1 – Superhuman Trafficking!

T'was a day in El Paso fit for a king,
when super-villain Railgun did a questionable thing!
Through Santana's window, he came with a crash
while downstairs two rival gangs started to clash!
What could possibly happen? Where could they go?
Find out when you hear this podcast, ho-ho!
Release Date: December 3, 2021
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Gore, Violence.

NEW! Heroes Unlimited™: Hostage for the Holidays: Episode 2 – A Small Change of Plans

In Ciudad Juarez, our protagonists stop
to take care of themselves and avoid the cops.
While Railgun's mind dreams of riches to squander
a mysterious force urges Santana to wander.
While out in the desert, some undead embarrassments
subject the duo to uncomfortable harassment.
Hopefully the two can put them to quick ends
with a little woo-woo, and a couple of friends.
Release Date: December 10, 2021
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Gore, Extreme Violence and Vampire Microaggressions.

NEW! Heroes Unlimited™: Hostage for the Holidays: Episode 3 – Conservation of Ninjutsu

While en-route to Zurich, our indomitable two
do their best to lay low after terrible news.
But Railgun's captive Santana is too attractive a target
for the world's criminal syndicates to just up and forget.
Wakizashis, katanas, and shuriken, oh my!
The Kagemusha Chujiin sure want Railgun to die!
Surviving until Zurich would be really neat,
let's see if they can do it at 35,000 feet!
Release Date: December 17, 2021
Content Warnings: Adult Language and Violence.

NEW! Heroes Unlimited™: Hostage for the Holidays: Episode 4 (Finale) – The Santa-ening

Their adventure's concluding, destinies unveiled,
in Switzerland, it's time that our heroes have bailed,
headed up north with a quick-paced flight,
but soon they find themselves a terrible fight.
Pitted against the world's richest man,
the two hope to save the holiday if they can!
So sit back, relax! It's a Hell of a fight.
Besides, it's not like there's much happening tonight!
The story ends here, folks! We've done all the edits!
And if you'd be so kind, please stay through the credits!
Release Date: December 24, 2021
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Gore, and Violence.

And coming over the next 12-18 months ...

Beyond the Supernatural 2E – Cozy Caverns Mysteries
After the Bomb®: Purrsuit Season 2
Palladium Megaversal system – Baby, I Shrunk these F*$#ing People!
Nightbane®
Rifts®
Still available, After the Bomb®: Pursuit Season 1

Please continue to support and spread the word about Real Play Games and their RPG Podcast: After the Bomb®: Purrsuit of Knowledge™.

Closing Thoughts – Finding peace in chaos

Are you feeling stressed out, depressed, anxious, and angry at the state of our world? You are not alone. A recent medical survey reported that 44% of Americans feel they are suffering through some level of depression and anxiety. That’s up from 18% before the pandemic. That concerns me because I can see it among people I meet, friends and loved ones, and some of you. I’m no mental health expert, but these tough times are taking their toll on everyone. Now, we have the fallout of the Ukraine/Russia war.

I would like to share something I have done to put myself in a better, happier place during all this craziness. A place I have resided in for the last 5-6 months. Sure I have my rough days and grumpy days, but mostly I’m feeling cheerful, positive, and energetic.

Here’s my secret: I watch only enough media to be informed about what’s happening in the world and keep up to date about the pandemic. Otherwise, I have not only stopped listening about the economy, the pandemic, the war, politics, rising gas prices, rising food prices, the rising cost of every damn thing, and ALL the other terrible things happening in the world that I can’t do anything about. I don’t think about them. I don’t worry about them. I don’t talk, tweet, post, or read about them.

There is nothing I can do about any of it. Not really. So why torment and traumatize myself with worry, fear, sorrow, and anger? All of which come from feeling helpless! Helpless and overwhelmed.

Instead, I have been focusing on the things I do have power over. Real and immediate things that make a genuine difference in my life and the lives of the people around me. For me, that means writing and producing books and other products. Products that will make you happy and provide some much needed fun and escape from our grim real world. Books and products whose sales also help make Palladium stronger, and in turn, help me, my family, the staff, and freelancers! The Open House is another positive action because it brings laughter and joy, and several days respite from the ugliness and the worry.

I have been spending my time being creative, happily working, and helping people around me. I try to be there for my friends and family and you! Writing Weekly Updates and these Closing Thoughts with the hope of making you smile or finding some escape or some tidbit that might help you get through your day in a more positive manner.

I hope this doesn’t sound pretentious, foolish, crazy, or like I’m in denial with my head in the sand. I’m none of these things, but I am happy. I feel empowered and focused on the productive. I have been feeling more energized and productive than I have in years, despite facing all the trials and tribulations in the world. I’m focused on making a difference in the world around me and the things I have direct influence over, and it makes me feel good.

Some of what I’m doing are big moves for Palladium and even for a dear friend or two, but most of it is little barely noticeable things. Like trying to be cheerful and playful, or holding the door open for another person, or being patient and understanding rather than angry and short-tempered, and saying “thank you” to everyone who deserves it like the checkout clerk at the grocery store and the person who hands me my fast food order at the drive-through window. There are so many thankless jobs and I have been trying to thank those people because they deserve our acknowledgment and appreciation. Other little things include telling my staff members and freelancers how talented and precious or appreciated they are to me. Some larger things are being upbeat in these Weekly Updates, producing books, improving customer service, providing a shoulder to cry on and words of comfort, and paying out a bonus whenever I can, even if it is a small one. It all adds up and makes a difference. Sometimes a much more profound difference than you might imagine. The point is to focus on the things you can do to make a difference for yourself and for others.

This has made a profound difference in my mental state, my life, my positivity, my happiness, and the lives of the people around me. I see them feeling happier and lighter too. I have discovered this important path for myself, but I certainly have not invented this idea or approach that I’m sharing with you. A dear friend pointed out to me that I’m putting into action the principles of the Serenity Prayer. It goes like this:

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference.

I had heard of the Serenity Prayer, but never quite understood it. Especially the “serenity” part. Not until now. By pushing the troubling bad things I have no power to change out of my head, and focusing on things I can change and improve, my life has taken a quantum leap for the better. I’m making smart decisions and choices, rebuilding Palladium, producing products on many different scales, and having fun doing it. I’m reconnecting with people, helping my freelance writers, artists, and friends, and being a positive force for everyone around me. I feel great. Happy. Useful. Productive. Empowered. And though I didn’t realize it until my friend mentioned the Serenity Prayer, I have found “serenity.” Most of the time I feel at peace, purposeful, and positive. And it feels great.

I pray those of you feeling buried under overwhelming worry and fear or grief and anger can dig out of it like I have. I just stumbled my way into serenity, so I’m sharing what I have discovered with you. I hope it helps.

Like the song says, “Don’t worry. Be happy.” You can do it by pushing away the things you cannot change and not letting them weigh you down and crush your spirit. Instead, work on the things you “can do” to make positive change for yourself and those around you. I know it may sound weird or too simple or ridiculous, but it works. I’m living proof.

Please do not give in to depression, sorrow, and rage. I’ve been there. I know how horrible it feels. How lost and empty you feel. How overwhelmed and hopeless you may become with no apparent way out of it. Positive change, no matter how small, is a way out! The way to empowerment, happiness, and serenity.

There are other ways to accomplish this, of course. Other methods that may work better for you. Whatever it may be, find it, and follow your way out of the gloom and chaos and into the light. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, you have always had the power, we just forget that sometimes. I hope this friendly reminder helps you to use that power and find your way back to some measure of happiness and serenity. It is so worth the journey.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Friend

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc.; Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Garden of the Gods, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, Psychic Scream, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.