Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – August 12, 2022

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

By Kevin Siembieda

 

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who stopped by the Palladium Books booth at Gen Con to buy product, say hello, or chat a bit. You all made us feel very welcomed and appreciated. That goes for the wonderful and helpful Gen Con staff, the many artists I spoke with, and folks from a number of game companies. It was a pleasure talking and hanging out with you all.

There are a number of reasons for a game company, especially an RPG company, to attend Gen Con. One is to sell product, of course; another is public relations; another is making industry contacts; and still another is to see old friends. We did all of that. But for me and the Palladium crew, there are a few other important reasons to attend.

First and foremost is to be there for YOU. To give you a moment of our time, chat, shake hands, fist bump, share some wonderful gaming memories, make some new memories, perhaps take a photograph, and for those who want autographs (and there were many), to sign your books. It makes us happy to see you happy, excited, and smiling. Seeing your joy and exuberance for the hobby in general, and Palladium’s RPG worlds specifically, warms our hearts and brings us joy.

Case in point, there were at least three instances during the 30 minutes I was speaking to Mike Stackpole in which a Palladium fan came up to shake my hand and tell me how much they love my work. Mike is a gracious man who cares about the fans, so he’d smile and let them talk. At some point, they’d glance at his name tag, do a double take and exclaim: “Oh my god! You’re ... you’re ... Mike Stackpole! I love your work!” Leaving them gushing about how much they enjoy both of our work while Mike and I stood there smiling ear to ear under our face masks. Seeing how much joy our work has brought people are beautiful moments for us. It makes it all rewarding and fun. Two people asked if they could take our pictures and when we asked if they’d like to be in the photo with us, they did, for another gleeful moment. Taking off our masks for 10 seconds to take a photo, was the only time we’d unmask ourselves in the exhibit hall.

I just wish I would remember to take more pictures myself. Do I have a photo of me and Mike or anyone else? No! I get so caught up in the moment that I rarely think of taking photos of the many incredible people I know or places I’ve been. I and most of the Palladium crew just don’t think of it, which is why we are always asking folks to send us their Open House and Gen Con photos. Sheesh.

 

A second reason to attend Gen Con is the opportunity to get your feedback. To hear what you like, what you want to see from us, the things you’d like us to change or not change, the books you want us to publish, and your ideas for settings, characters, adventures, and products. Your feedback is invaluable. It informs us when we are on the right or wrong path, and encourages us to be creative and try new ideas (or old ones, as the case may be). We know folks are hungry for the titles in the pipeline and that there is increased interest in products for Beyond the Supernatural, Nightbane®, and After the Bomb® – a lot of interest – as well as our bigger game lines like Rifts® (including Chaos Earth® and Phase World®), Palladium Fantasy RPG®, and Heroes Unlimited. We also heard from a lot of people that they are happy we are re-releasing older product including the Palladium weapon books like Exotic Weapons, European Castles, and the Compendium of Modern Weapons. All of which sold well at Gen Con, as did Rifts® and our entire game line.

 

Last, but not least, our interactions with you, even if it is just a few kind words or comments, inspire us. I came home tired but full of ideas and anxious to write and create. I can’t wait to finish BTS Creature Feature and Rifts® Titan Robotics and dive into Rifts® Bestiary Vol. 2, Rifts® Antarctica, and a number of other titles. I am reinvigorated to write and deliver to you surprise after surprise in new product that will wow and inspire your own games and campaigns. I think that’s a symbiotic relationship and I love it.

It was also nice to see new gamers give our books a try and a number of past fans rediscover Palladium. Everyone was happy to see us at the show. I even had a few Gen Con personnel and fellow exhibitors express their appreciation for our decades of quality work and attendance at Gen Con. It was sweet and much appreciated.

 

Our top selling items at Gen Con included the hardcovers in general, the Rifts® 30th Anniversary Hardcover (we sold lots of them), Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Palladium Fantasy “foil” Hardcover (1st edition rules + Arms of Nargash-Tor sourcebook all in one), After the Bomb® (hardcover, softcover, and sourcebooks), Rifts® Coalition Manhunters (hot!), Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook, and all Rifts® titles in general, as well as Beyond the Supernatural, Dead Reign®, and the Palladium weapon series (Weapons & Armor, Weapons & Castles, Exotic Weapons, Compendium of Modern Weapons and all the rest). Of course, we sold a little bit of everything else including miniatures, mugs, pens, and prints, but those listed were the stand-out titles.

 

The big surprises were the demand for the Palladium weapon books across the board (several people purchased them all), Dead Reign® (zombies remain popular), and After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Is it Ninja Turtles nostalgia? Are mutant animals back in vogue? Are people rediscovering how much fun it is to play intelligent, anthropomorphic animals whether they are modern super-heroes, post-apocalypse survivors or Rifts® D-Bees? Or are they finally discovering that After the Bomb® is a complete role-playing game; the last game written by Erick Wujcik, and easily adapted to Heroes Unlimited, N&S, Rifts®, Phase World®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane® ... heck, almost any of our games? Talking with people it seemed like it could be any or all of those reasons. Whatever it was, people were snapping up After the Bomb® titles like crazy. The continuing surprise has been a run on the Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook. Not just at Gen Con (we almost sold out), but for the past 3-4 weeks before Gen Con, and since we’ve returned. The Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook has been selling like crazy and we don’t know why. I mean, it is a great resource and we’re glad, of course, but why the sudden resurgence? A mystery yet to be solved.

 

The unwanted big surprise is many people do not realize Rifts® Coalition Manhunters is a completely new and truly epic sourcebook that has NOTHING to do with the old Rifts® Manhunter RPG. That book was printed under license by another company back in 1994! I must have had a hundred people say to me in a dismissive tone of voice, “Oh yeah, that’s a reprint of the old space opera game from the 1990s, right?” NO! No it is not!

 

Rifts® Coalition Manhunters is 100% new and totally different and unrelated. It is packed with so much new and important information about the Coalition States it should be considered a vital core rule book and a must for all Rifts® players. It’s that good. When I would explain that it had more about the Coalition States, CS citizens, Dog Boys, Kill Hounds, psychics and CS history than perhaps any other Rifts® book ever – PLUS introduced the secret CS Thought Police of Psi-Ops, the Manhunter psychic assassins who answer only to Emperor Prosek, and 80+ new, well balanced, psionic powers, EVERY person said, “Oh, wow, I need to get it.” And most bought a copy. Please help us spread the word about Rifts® Coalition Manhunters being new and epic and packed with valuable source material and NOT a reprint of an old book. Whaaaahhhh.

 

Thank you for being the greatest fans anyone could ever hope for. Between the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and regular input from all our wonderful fans, our creative energies are fueled up and we are raring to finish books that will blow your minds. For more thoughts and rambling about Gen Con 2022, see Closing Thoughts.

 

Sean’s Gen Con Online interview. While we were away, Sean Owen Roberson did an interview for Gen Con Online in which he talks about the goings on at Palladium Books and Pinnacle in regard to lots of exciting new supplements for Rifts®. For those of you who don’t know or don’t remember, Sean joined Palladium Books as my business partner and Creative Director last September. And by join I mean moved here to Michigan to be on site. His dedication to Palladium Books and Rifts® means he has stayed on with Pinnacle Entertainment to continue to oversee Rifts® for Savage Worlds while working with me to get you new products and build Palladium. It’s a fun interview.

Click here to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfYNsmRc9WU

 

Speaking of interviews, I enjoyed a nice panel talk hosted by Johnny Roccia at Gen Con. Sadly, there had been some confusion about the time and location, and prior to Gen Con I had announced that the panel talk had been cancelled. It was not, but because of my announcement (I was just going with the info I had), there was only a tiny handful of people at the panel. You know what? They were actually a great audience. Very attentive. Moreover, the interview was recorded so I imagine it will appear somewhere sooner or later.

 

UPDATE: Creature Feature for Beyond the Supernatural. Working on it right now and it is epic. This is NOT a simple collection of reprints from The Rifter®. I am rewriting and expanding EVERY creature and adding adventure hooks for you to build new, suspenseful experiences. I know it’s a great book because editor Alex is loving it and he is not a fan of horror. Writers include me (Kevin Siembieda), Steven Dawes, Matthew Clements, James M.G. Cannon, and others. 160 pages – $24.99 retail – Cat. No. 704 – Not ready for a release date to be announced, but soon.

 

UPDATE: Titan Robotics. Sean was cleaning up and adding material to this outstanding toy box of a sourcebook while we were at Gen Con. The many secrets of Archie-Three will make players smile or tremble and Game Masters salivate. There are all kinds of innovations, cool characters, gear and all kinds of power armor, robots, and weapons. Brought to you by the mastermind behind fan favorite Rifts® Northern Gun 1 and 2, Matthew Clements, with polish and additions by Sean Owen Roberson and ideas by Kevin Siembieda. Talk about the triple-crown of creators. – 192 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 899 – watch for the Kickstarter Sean is planning for it.

 

Rifts® Bestiary Vol. Two – This is Sean’s and Kevin’s next project.

 

The Rifter® #86 – Page count and contributors yet to be determined.

 

UPDATE: Rifts® Antarctica, Fantasy, and other titles remain on the schedule. These are all titles that will push the envelope and challenge your imagination. And we have new ideas for these books and others thanks to comments from fans just like you.

 

UPDATED List of RPG Hardcovers Available Now

• Back in Stock! Chaos Earth® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – 192 pages – $36.99 – Cat. No. 660HC – 30 extra pages of bonus material – available now!
• 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.

 

Palladium Books^® Check List of “Recent Releases” – all available now

To quote a fan, because he nailed it with his comments about recent releases: “The new Rifter® Annual #85 was AMAZING, Lopan is INCREDIBLE, and I'm on the last pages of Land of the South Winds™ (and don't think I didn't see the Erin Tarn/Winslow references in there!). Loving every minute of it. The only new book I haven't picked up yet is the CS Manhunters tome.” He, and you, need to get Rifts® CS Manhunters™ because it is so darn good it should be on the Coalition’s Most Wanted list.

• Rifts® Coalition Manhunters™ Sourcebook – 224 pages of Coalition data to blow your mind. 80+ new psionic abilities, 9 Manhunter psychic assassins, Psi-Ops thought police, Dog Boys, Kill Hounds, Coalition secrets, and more – 224 pages – Cat. No. 894.
• The Rifter® #85 Annual – Rifts®, Fantasy, and many RPG settings – Cat. No. 185 – Also available as a bookmarked PDF book on DriveThruRPG where it has made the Top 10 Best Sellers List.
• Exotic Weapons – 100+ strange and exotic weapons from around the globe – for use with ANY game system – 48 pages – $10.99 – Cat. No. 409 – available now.
• The Compendium of Modern Weapons – 450+ real world weapons from around the globe – for use with ANY game system – 176 pages – Cat. No. 415.
• Defilers Fantasy Print – 10 x 8.5 inches – signed – Cat. No. PR834.
• Defilers Deluxe Fantasy Print – 17 x 11 inches – signed – Cat. No. PR835.
• Lopan™ (Fantasy) Raw Preview – Cat. No. 476-RAW.
• Land of the South Winds™ (Fantasy) Raw Preview – Cat. No. 477-RAW.
• Palladium 40th Anniversary Commemorative Print, signed – Cat. No. PR833.
• Rifts® “Explore the Megaverse®” Pen – Red & Gold, black ink – Cat. No. 2604.
• Palladium Books® “40 Years of Adventure” Pen – Black & Gold, black ink – Cat. No. 2605.
• 32 mm Rifts® miniature – CS Missile Launcher Dead Boy – kneeling with missile launcher – Cat. No. MI8049.
• 32 mm Rifts® miniature – Coalition Officer – dynamic – Cat. No. MI8050.
• 32 mm Rifts® miniature – Ley Line Walker – incredible detail – best ever! Cat. No. MI8051.
• 32 mm Rifts® miniature – Triax Cyborg with rail gun; think Red ‘Borg – powerful and fun – Cat. No. MI8052.
• 32 mm Rifts® miniatures – Chainsaw Glitter Boy & Pilot Set – both figures wield combat chainsaws plus a custom base. Truly stunning. Cat. No. MI8053.
• Property of the Coalition States T-shirt – Cat. No. 2528.
• Rifts® Splugorth Slaver T-shirt – Commemorating the Rifts® 30th Anniversary – Cat. No. 2606.
• Rifts® Red ‘Borg GAME MASTER T-shirt – Cat. No. 2607.
• Adventure Boldly Fantasy T-shirt – Cat. No. 2608.

 

Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters^™

All new and original material written by Kevin Siembieda – available now

Rifts® Coalition Manhunters is a 224 page tour de force by Kevin Siembieda detailing all new information about the Coalition States, CS culture, its citizens, psychics, Dog Boys, Kill Hounds, the secret Psi-Ops Thought Police, and the even more secret CS Manhunters (psychic assassins who answer only to Emperor Prosek). And that’s not all!

There are 80+ new psionic powers that are well balanced, fun to play, and suitable for use in Beyond the Supernatural, Nightbane®, Heroes Unlimited, and Phase World®. As well as the Corgi Dog Boy Magic Specialist, some gadgets, bionic implants, D-Bees, CS history, insight about Emperor Prosek, the Minion War, and the Prophecy of the Seven Dangers. Note that the Manhunters can be used as NPC villains or as player characters. Is one of your teammates really a Manhunter? A must for every Rifts® fan and a great read. Note: This book is NOT related to the 1990's Rifts® Manhunter RPG published, under license, by another company.

• 80+ new psionic abilities (including the special abilities of the Manhunters) and revisits of some favorites. The majority of new psi-powers are 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.
• A new Dog Boy magic specialist.
• 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: The Mechanoids®).
• 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 – available now!

 

NEW! The Compendium of Modern Weapons^™ – available now

Due to popular demand, your guide to 20th Century weapons in modern role-playing games is back. Easily adaptable to ANY role-playing game, and ready to use in Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, After the Bomb, Systems Failure, and even Rifts® (think Golden Age Weaponsmiths). It is a comprehensive resource to modern armaments with clear ranges, damage, and other game stats. Enjoy.

This is a direct response to the many requests asking Palladium to re-release the Compendium of “Contemporary” Weapons. Since we did not add any new material to make it truly “contemporary,” we renamed it the Compendium of “Modern” Weapons. All the weapons contained in this tome are still viable today and represent the vast majority of weapons used around the world.

• 450+ weapons from around the world, listed by country and type.
• 106 small arms – pistols and revolvers.
• 92 military grade rifles.
• 68 submachine-guns.
• 43 anti-tank weapons.
• 38 hand grenades & pyrotechnic devices.
• 28 machine-guns.
• 25 grenade launchers.
• 13 shotguns.
• 17 anti-aircraft, light support, and mortars.
• 21 armored vehicles.
• 17 types of body armor.
• Flamethrowers, EOD, and riot control gear.
• Plus some bayonets, special magazines, scopes, and accessories.
• Historically and technically accurate. Suitable for most game systems. Bring more firepower to your tabletop games.
• 176 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 415 – Available now!

 

The Palladium Books^® Weapon Series – For use with any game system

Each book is historically accurate and found in some libraries! They are heavily illustrated, present real world weapons through the ages, and are suitable for use with D&D (any edition), Pathfinder, all Palladium Books RPGs, and ANY game system. Quick, easy, at a glance reference books you will use in gaming for decades (and maybe school assignments too). Attractive color covers. Clear, clean artwork throughout. Weapons & Armor, Weapons & Castles, and Weapons & Assassins have each sold more than 100,000 copies and have been in library collections for decades. All the weapon books are excellent references for real world weapons. Weapons & Castles of the Orient is one of my faves, and The Compendium of Modern Weapons is one of Sean’s. Best of all they can be used with any game system. Yes, I know I already said that, but it bears repeating.

 

NEW! Exotic Weapons – Available now

104 real world weapons from around the globe. Blow pipes, tiger claws, battle axes, chakram throwing rings, throwing sticks, African throwing irons, katar, kris, war clubs, swords, pole arms, lantern shields, whips, and more. Back due to popular demand. Historically accurate and suitable for use with D&D, Pathfinder, Palladium Fantasy (and all our RPGs), and ALL game systems. Compiled by Matthew Balent. New color cover – 48 pages – 100+ weapons – $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 409 – available now.

 

Weapons & Armor – available now

700 real world ancient weapons – swords, battle axes, knives, war hammers, maces, morning stars, pole arms, spears, staves, and more – and 30 suits of armor through the ages. Every single weapon and armor illustrated. Compiled by Matthew Balent – 48 pages – $8.95 – Cat. No. 401.

 

Weapons & Castles – available now

20+ real world, ancient bow weapons, slings, siege weapons, and 15 castles with floor plans. Every weapon and castle illustrated. Compiled by Matthew Balent – 48 pages – $8.95 – Cat. No. 402.

 

Weapons & Assassins – available now

Notorious assassins throughout history, their weapons and tricks of the trade; the Order of Assassins, Ninja, and more. Every weapon illustrated. Written by Erick Wujcik. 48 pages – $9.99 – Cat. No. 403.

 

Weapons, Armor & Castles of the Orient – available now

31 types of weapons and many variants, Samurai armor, 15 other suits of armor, plus helmets, 8 castle floor plans and one city. Compiled by Matthew Balent – 48 pages – $9.99 – Cat. No. 404.

 

European Castles – COMING: September

40+ real world castles and floor plans from across Europe. Each a template to making your own castles. Compiled by Matthew Balent – 48 page – $10.99 – Cat. No. 410.

 

Compendium of Modern Weapons – available now

Your guide to 20th Century armaments. 450+ weapons from around the world, listed by country and type. See complete details above. 176 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 415 – available now!

 

Gamers, Help Your Game Store Find Palladium RPG Products

Palladium is always trying to find ways to get our products into the hands of gamers new and old. Our distributors are doing a good job at stocking our many titles, but we know stores continue to have trouble getting product. Well, we have almost all our titles in stock at any given time, ship quickly, and offer retailers wholesale pricing. So retailers, if you are having trouble getting our product or need a quick fill-in order, contact Palladium Books directly. 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.

Gamers, if you see your store having trouble keeping Palladium titles in stock, 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.

Retailers – See us at the Alliance Open House – September 2022 – please stop by the Palladium Books booth at the Alliance Open House to see the latest releases, back stock, and hear about what’s coming.

 

Creature Feature^™, a Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebook – Coming Soon

This is going to be another fun adventure sourcebook. I began editing and rewrites as soon as I finished 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.
• 192 pages – 26.99 retail depending on final size – Cat. No. 704.

 

Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™ – Coming Soon

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.
• 192 pages – $26.99 – Cat. No. 899. Release date not yet determined.

 

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.

 

Available on DriveThruRPG.com – Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters as a PDF book

Also check out the FREE Sneak Preview of Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters before you buy and then get the book, and we recommend The Rifter^® #85 both of which are hot sellers

Rifts® Coalition Manhunters remains in the Top 30 DriveThru new releases! Fans have been clamoring for us to make the whole Rifts® Coalition Manhunters Sourcebook available as a PDF book and so we have. Rifts® Coalition Manhunters™ is Palladium’s hot Rifts® release and now you can enjoy it as a bookmarked PDF title. Rifts® Coalition Manhunters™ is packed with useful toys and fun for players and Game Masters alike: 80+ psionic powers, the Manhunters as player characters or NPC villains, the Psi-Ops Thought Police, new insight into Coalition life, the Dog Boys and Kill Hounds revisited, the Corgi Dog Boy Magic Specialist O.C.C., gear, toys, D-Bees, the Seven Dangers Prophecy, a great 30 page comic strip, and more. Also available is the FREE Rifts® Coalition Manhunters preview to give you a glimpse of what you can expect. This book is a must for every Rifts® fan. The physical book is, of course, available from PalladiumBooks.com for your gaming enjoyment.

The Rifter® #85 is nearly as hot as CS Manhunters and is now available as a PDF book on DriveThru! It offers a wealth of diverse ideas and fun that truly spans the Megaverse® with source material for Rifts®, Glitter Boys™, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, Phase World®, Dead Reign®, and more! You can get the physical book from PalladiumBooks.com and the PDF from DriveThruRPG.com right now.

 

300+ other titles and nearly every game genre available now – and more is coming. In the meanwhile, discover the Palladium Megaverse® as PDF books with 300+ digital titles, previews, and other products available right now. Thank you for your support.

- 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® #1-85. 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

 

NEW! Cozy Caverns Mysteries – Beyond the Supernatural RPG adventure podcast from the whiz kids at www.realplaygamespod.com – Started Friday, July 22, 2022

Here are the descriptions and schedule for the first several Cozy Caverns Mysteries inspired by Beyond the Supernatural, 2nd Edition.

July 22 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 1 – Welcome to Cozy Caverns – Jasmine “Jazz” D’Amore and Jordan “Dani” D’Amore are two sisters in their early thirties struggling to find love, job fulfillment, and money to pay the bills on time. When the loss of an estranged family member changes their circumstances, the sisters change their location, and discover the quirky, mysterious town of Cozy Caverns, Arizona and its inhabitants. All is not as it seems.

July 29 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 2 – Supporting Local Businesses – Following Dani’s weird dream from the night before and Jazz’s unusually invigorating morning run, the D’Amore sisters hit the town of Cozy Caverns for a day of shopping and relaxation! After narrowly avoiding one hunky close encounter and picking up some reading material, the gals do lunch and then hit the library. There Dani’s jaw hits the floor and Jazz’s personal self-restraint is pushed to its limits. The excitement dies down a little bit around nighttime, but an explosive late-night confession throws everything the sisters know, or thought they knew, into chaos.

Aug 12 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 3 – Rough Night – Dani has a another dream that leads to unexpected revelations and ramifications, while Jazz’s jog leads to a terrifying situation! There aren’t any romantic parts in this one and you’re not meeting any hunks, we can assure you of that! Suspicious behavior abounds regarding people in authority, and secrets slowly begin to reveal themselves. At least you can count on Milena’s cooking over at the Prickly Pear!

Aug 24 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 4 – Deep Dives and Love Lives – It’s an incredibly full day for the D’Amore sisters during the annual Cactus Festival! Dani’s experiences prompt Jazz to have the both of them do more digging into the weirdness that seems to surround Cozy Caverns. The two uncover vital information.

More to come. I believe there are a few more Cozy Cavern episodes to be announced, and they are also working on more episodes of their popular After the Bomb®: Purrsuit of Knowledge™ (mutant animals) series and a new Heroes Unlimited Christmas podcast special, among other things. We love seeing Palladium fans getting creative and having fun. People have enjoyed their earlier podcasts and the crew only seems to be getting better, so enjoy.

 

Closing Thoughts – Gen Con and Creative Energy

Geez, I am so inspired after Gen Con I am plowing through getting caught up with the day to day business maters of the past week and have already dived back into work on Creature Feature for BTS. As noted in other Updates, I am expanding and updating all the monsters in this book and making sure they all have adventure hooks.

My after action Gen Con report to the Palladium crew that stayed home has them fired up, especially Sean. He had stayed back at the office to continue to work on Rifts® Titan Robotics and other projects.

Two unexpected takeaways from Gen Con may sound obvious, but struck me in a new and different way. One was how much Palladium means to the RPG gaming community at large, let alone the multitude who regularly read and play our games, and, two, that nobody makes games like we do. Nobody. I’m talking about RPGs and sourcebooks for deep, rich settings with the depth of characters, monsters, villains, and story like only we do at Palladium Books. It’s why we have dozens and dozens of titles that are decades old but remain in demand. I had person after person tell me this at Gen Con. Person after person thanked me for bringing back old favorite titles like the weapon books. Gamers who gushed about their own tabletop experiences with our games, past and present. Sometimes experiences that have spanned two or three generations. I heard about how much they are looking forward to the new releases and how glad they are that Sean has joined the company as my partner and Creative Director. They got even more excited when I told them we plan to bring in more new blood and expand our operations and the number of annual releases without sacrificing quality. And that’s not even the half of what we have on the drawing board. (Sorry, the rest is Top Secret, for the time being. Sean made me promise.)

It is rewarding to know how my work and the work of all Palladium creators have touched millions of people in such a positive and lasting way over the past 41 years. It is humbling and special to be acknowledged for it and to see the warm regard people have for us and our games. I know most of you reading this feel the same way. I see similar sentiment in the comments from our Christmas Surprise Packages every holiday season. I guess that’s what happens when you love what you do, give every product your all, and love the people for whom you are creating product (that would be you, by the way).

On a personal note it was great to see old friends and make new ones, even if we didn’t always get to talk for long. I got the chance to talk to my old buddy, Don Reents, the owner of Chessex Dice. He and I came up in the gaming industry together. He was a distributor first before moving into the dice manufacturing business. I also enjoyed a couple of long conversations with my pal Frank Uchmanowicz at Studio2. I love that guy and he’s always a font of ideas and information. Clint Black from Pinnacle popped by to say hello, but he was in a hurry and I intended to find their booth and say hello to Jodi but never found my way over. I mean, the exhibitor’s hall is sizeable, with 500 exhibitors, and I was quite busy. Likewise, I stumbled upon the Kenzer Company (KODT comic) booth during Wednesday set up, said hello to Dave and met a new freelancer Michelle, but I never found my way back again.

There were several other surprises. Two of the daughters of my dear friends Shawn and Lisa Hall swung by the booth, independent of each other a day apart. I had not seen them since they were children so it was quite a thrill to see them with their significant others. I am happy to say both have grown into fine young ladies. Autumn is apparently pursuing writing novels and sounds like she’s pretty darn good, and Megan and her fiancé are gamers.

Then freelance writer Taylor White made a surprise appearance with his bandmate in tow. Taylor is a man of many passions and top on his list is music. He and his fellow musicians are kicking butt and doing well. I’m so proud of him. Another fine human being I love. Speaking of fine human beings, Brandon and Sarah Aten had a booth on the other end of the convention and they were doing great business at Wet Ink Games, with the Never Going Home RPG being their top selling game line.

The surprises kept coming when Palladium’s old sales person, Rick Burke dropped by the booth. Yes, this is the gent who got me to watch the Robotech® animated series back in the 1980s and whose name appears in the RDF Manual and the McKinny Robotech novels as Doctor Rick Burke. I hadn’t seen Rick or his son RJ in 20+ years! Other old friends swung by as well and we made a number of new ones like Mike Williams and his crew. It was great.

I wish I could say Gen Con was a vacation, but we worked our butts off and came home exhausted. Thank heavens for Ian who was a godsend (one of our new friends) when it came to tearing the booth down and packing up, and G.M.s and helpers like Mike Oberle, Glen Evans, Mike and Sam Leonard, Kyle Osterberg, and others! Wayne Smith, ever my right hand man, and Crystal Willard, the Lord of the Palladium Warehouse were, of course, a huge help and excellent traveling companions. This was Crystal’s first Gen Con (Sam Leonard’s too) and she had a blast. “Why didn’t you tell me it is like this?” she chided, even though she had gone to their website. I tried to explain it, but until you have been to a Gen Con, it is impossible to describe.

Anyway, it was a great event and we will be back in 2023. Ah, but it’s good to be back home back doing what we love most. Finishing RPG books to put into your hands. Game on and we’ll keep making the games you love.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Friend

 

NEW! The Defilers Print – Palladium Fantasy^® – Signed – 2 sizes

The prints debuted at the Palladium Open House and we are now making them available to everyone. Two sizes. Each print is signed by 3 of the original Defilers: Kevin Siembieda (G.M.), Julius Rosenstein, and Alex Marciniszyn. This is the Fantasy game and the characters that launched Palladium Books. Artwork by Kevin Siembieda (1981). Both sizes are suitable for framing.

- The Defilers Black & White Print – 11x8.5 inch print, 10x8 image – $5.00 retail – Cat. No. PR834.

- The Defilers (Deluxe/Large) Black & White Print – 17x11 inch print, 16x10 image – $10.00 retail – Cat. No. PR835. Note: Personally, I love this larger print because you can really see the detail and character of each hero, but the small one is sweet too.

- And while you are at it, get the Palladium Books® 40th Anniversary Commemorative Print – a steal at $10.00 for a color print (we want to keep it inexpensive for Palladium fans to celebrate our 40 Year Anniversary); $10.00 retail – 6 signatures – full color art – Cat. No. PR833 – All available now.

 

Palladium Books^® 40th Anniversary Commemorative Print – Signed

We tweaked and retooled art by Ramon K. Perez and made it our 40th Anniversary Commemorative Print – signed by the Palladium crew.

• Full color.
• 11x17 inches in size.
• Signed in marker by the Palladium crew.
• Shipped in a mailing tube.
• Special price of only $10.00 retail – Cat. No. PR833 – available only from Palladium Books. Now shipping.

 

NEW! The Rifter^® #85 Annual – Available now

The Rifter®, your favorite player and G.M. portal to the Palladium Books® Megaverse®, is back as a super-sized annual. And this one is packed with epic adventures, O.C.C.s, toys, magic, settings, and source material. A little something for almost everyone. The Rifter® is all about new ideas, pushing the envelope, trying new things and alternative methods, rules and approaches to create epic adventure! There is no one way to look at things. Open your mind to the infinite possibilities. Remember, adventures and source material for one game setting can also be adapted to other world settings with some easy and obvious modifications. Most of all, have fun.

Rifter® #85 Highlights:

• Rifts®: Soul in Flames – A town, Skelebots, dinosaurs, and adventure.
• Rifts®: Glitter Boy™ Revisited – New variant Glitter Boys, weapons, ammo, upgrades, and material to leave players and Game Masters drooling. Easily adaptable to Chaos Earth® and Phase World® settings.
• Rifts®: The State of Rapid City – Setting and adventure ideas.
• Phase World® – Naruni civil war and 8 adventure hooks.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG® – 40 new magic items suitable for Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Phase World®, Heroes Unlimited™, and any setting with magic.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG® Relics of the Elven Empire – Notable surviving Elven cities and source material.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG®: The Colony of Gonarn – A sweeping new location and adventure.
• Heroes Unlimited™ – 3 new Hardware O.C.C.s, Archaic Genius, Gadgeteer, Static Genius and adventure.
• Heroes Unlimited™ tribute by comic book artist Freddie E. Williams II.
• Dead Reign® – Adventure and danger. Don’t trust anyone.
• Dead Reign® – 25 Vehicle Encounter Tables including condition, loot, and adventure hooks. Adaptable to Chaos Earth®, After the Bomb®, BTS™, Systems Failure™, Rifts®, and any post-apocalyptic setting.
• Beyond the Supernatural™: Beyond Midnight – A combination of story, creature feature, and plot hooks that includes adventure seeds that span nine different Palladium RPG settings!
• Nightbane®: The Redeemer – A compelling new O.C.C.
• Short stories, news, coming attractions, product descriptions.
• 224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 185 – available now.
• SEEKING submissions for The Rifter® #86 – Fall 2022. We get many submissions for Rifts®, and are sitting on some for The Rifter® #86, so you will have a greater chance of getting accepted and published in the next Rifter if you send material for Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, After the Bomb®, Palladium Fantasy® and other Palladium settings. Any size submission from 4-25 manuscript pages is acceptable. We prefer game material, but short stories (the shorter the better) are also considered.

 

NEW! Lopan^™ (Fantasy) Raw Preview Edition – Collector’s item – Available now

Get your first glimpse of Lopan with the Lopan™ Raw Preview Edition. Lopan is the often overlooked gem of the North. Nestled in the middle of the inland sea, it is near the center of the known world, yet Lopan is isolated from much of the rest of the world’s nations. This has kept it a calm, peaceful domain largely free from war and conflict. The creation and clever marketing of the (Olympic-like) Lopanic Games and the Garden of the Gods have brought Lopan international notoriety and increased trade from the rest of the civilized world.

Like the rest of the Palladium World, Lopan has a long, rich history, much of it forgotten. A history which harbors ancient secrets and forgotten magicks, such as Mosaic Magic. Meanwhile, though it seems grand, its future is not entirely certain. As a home to Elvenkind, these long-lived people, alone, bring with them a checkered past and a certain amount of drama that can be good or bad for Lopan’s future.

Glen Evans’ Lopan world book explores the present politics, people, and places, as well as a few of its secrets and history. Lopan is a safe environment where visitors do not have to worry about war, throngs of thieves and cutthroats, or monsters. That makes it a resource and staging ground for expeditions into any of the many lands around the island nation. Lopan serves as a place for adventurers and mercenaries to resupply, sell and trade treasure and loot, buy weapons and gear, acquire magic, find clues and information about new quests, and rest in between missions. Of course, the Lopanic Games offer the chance for fame and riches, while the Garden of the Gods may provide inspiration, visions, quests, and just causes to champion.

• Your first glimpse of Lopan in its “raw” manuscript form.
• Kingdom of Lopan overview and notable history.
• Key cities and places.
• New character classes.
• Notable people.
• New Mosaic Magic.
• Magic items and gear.
• Many paths to adventure and ideas for more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Glen Evans.
• 184 pages – $28.99 retail – Cat. No. 476-RAW – Available now.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique, and is especially handy for writers and game designers (and curious gamers) because they get a glimpse into the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book, what gets expanded, dropped out, etc. In this case, writer Glen Evans has presented an overview of Lopan based on conversations and notes from Kevin Siembieda. Kevin will be tweaking and adding material to make the final book even more compelling and full of adventure hooks. And of course, this is the perfect companion for Garden of the Gods and if all goes well, it should be followed by a sourcebook about the fabled Lopanic Games (and how your characters can participate in them).

 

NEW! Land of the South Winds^™ (Fantasy) Raw Preview Edition – Collector’s item – Available now

Get your first glimpse of the Land of the South Winds with the Land of the South Winds™ Raw Preview. Also known as the Land of 10,000 Cults, the Land of the South Winds is a sweltering pit of secrets, mysteries and opportunity for those bold enough to seize it. From its farmland to its dense coastal cities, the region is infested with Ratlings, jungle people, death cults, jungle cults, strange religions, believers in forgotten and ancient gods, dark magic, foreign spies, smugglers, pirates, mercenaries, thieves, assassins, nonhumans, adventurers, and fortune seekers of every type. Political corruption abounds and intrigue and opportunity of all sorts, there and abroad, are available for those bold (or foolish) enough to seize the moment. In short, it is a great place for adventure!

• Your first glimpse of the Land of the South Winds in its “raw” manuscript form before it is split into two books.
• Land of the South Winds overview and notable history.
• Key cities and places.
• 11 new O.C.C.s and 7 R.C.C.s.
• The secret history of Ratlings and Dwarvlings.
• New Monsters and more about the Yema and other creatures.
• 30+ notable locations.
• Notable people and forgotten gods.
• Many cults, plots, and skullduggery.
• Countless paths to adventure and ideas for more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by John Klinkel.
• 224 pages – $28.99 retail – Cat. No. 477-RAW – available now.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique, and is especially handy for writers and game designers (and curious gamers) because they get a glimpse into the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book, what gets expanded, dropped out, etc. In this case, writer John Klinkel has been helping to manifest the exotic Lands of the South Winds with Kevin Siembieda. This manuscript is likely to be split into 2-3 books with additional material by Kevin and another writer. All of it filled with even more mystery and intrigue and adventure opportunities than you see here. The Raw Preview is 224 pages all by itself.

 

Back in Stock! Chaos Earth^® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover

The Great Cataclysm as it unfolds! The Golden Age of Science and human civilization is shattered with the return of magic and the Coming of the Rifts. Humanity struggles to survive against impossible odds as ley lines appear and Rifts tear open the fabric of space and time to unleash all manner of alien invaders, demonic horrors, and monsters. Natural disasters – storms, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tidal waves – topple cities and create panic and chaos on a global scale.

You play survivors or the heroes of NEMA (the Northern Eagle Military Alliance) as you battle against the elements, madness, the demonic, the alien, the monstrous, and the magical amidst the devastation. You are equipped with Chromium Guardsmen (Glitter Boys), Silver Eagles (SAMAS), and a host of giant robots, power armor and advanced technology, but is it enough to stand against a rising tide of enemies and invading horrors from other worlds?

You and other survivors are humanity’s last and only hope to survive the apocalypse that will become known as the Great Cataclysm. These are the heroes you play in an ever-changing, nightmare world that can only be described as Chaos Earth.

• A complete RPG and the origins of Rifts® Earth.
• Overview of the Great Cataclysm as it unfolds.
• Introduction to NEMA and its weapons and resources.
• 11 different character classes, including robot pilots, the Para-Arcane, Demon and Witch Hunters, Chromium Guardsmen & more.
• Robots, power armor, vehicles, weapons, and equipment.
• Monsters, chaos and adventure. Written by Kevin Siembieda.
• 30 pages of “bonus” material gathered from The Rifter®.
• 192 pages – $36.99 retail – Cat. No. 660HC. Also available as a 160 page softcover RPG ($20.95 retail – Cat. No. 660).

 

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.

 

Still hot! The Rifts^® 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover

This beautiful commemorative hardcover reprints the original Rifts® RPG as a special hardcover edition. It includes the original cover, the two color art sections, plus an additional 32 page color section that is a must for every Rifts® fan. We are proud of this book and the 30 years of Megaverse® spanning adventure Rifts® has brought to the world.

The difference between the Rifts® Commemorative and Rifts® Ultimate Edition (RUE) is substantial. The Rifts® Commemorative is a re-release of the original, somewhat simpler and smaller, 1990 Rifts® RPG that sold more than 300,000 copies before the RPG was rewritten and expanded by a 100+ pages into the larger Rifts Ultimate Edition (RUE).

• The Rifts® 30th Anniversary Commemorative RPG contains writing, maps, and artwork different from what you’ll find in Rifts® Ultimate Edition, including 16 full page illustrations by Keith Parkinson, Larry MacDougall, Kevin Long, and Kevin Siembieda.
• A dynamic and fun extra 32 pages of color in the back of the book that makes entertaining reading.
• A gallery of 160+ Rifts® covers making it the definitive reference on 30 years of Rifts® releases.
• Rare behind the scenes stories and insight to the making of Rifts®, and the key people behind it.
• Keith Parkinson’s original pencil drawing for the cover, other concept art by Parkinson, Long, and others.
• Pinup art and other material fans love. All written and compiled by Kevin Siembieda. The gallery of covers compiled by Wayne Smith and Siembieda.
• The unforgettable and evocative Keith Parkinson painting on the cover for the first time as a hardcover.
• This commemorative edition will not stay in print forever and is destined to become a collector’s item. Besides, it is a beautiful bit of gaming history and fun to have on your shelf. Don’t miss out on getting your copy. It also makes a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays for the Rifts® gamer in your life (or as a gift to yourself).
• 288 pages – 48 pages of color – only $49.99 retail – Cat. No. 800HC30 – available now while supplies last.

 

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!

 

Palladium Fantasy® Interactive Character Sheet

Also still hot – the Palladium Fantasy Interactive Character Sheet which is equally helpful in managing Palladium Fantasy RPG characters. Created by Travis Guerrero.

 

Back in Stock! Property of the Coalition States^™ T-shirt

Just in time for the summer – this fan fave T-shirt is back in print. It goes perfect with Rifts® Coalition Manhunters and those gorgeous new Rifts® miniatures.

• Black print on a light grey T-shirt with the words “Property of the Coalition States” punctuated by a CS skull and lightning bolts insignia.
• 50/50 blend. Machine washable (follow instructions on the shirt).
• Available in sizes Small to 5XL while supplies last.
• Cat. No. 2528 – $19.99 retail for sizes small, medium, large, and XL. Larger sizes cost more, see store for complete details. Available now.

 

NEW! Rifts^® Splugorth Slaver T-shirt – Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Rifts^®

The iconic Splugorth slave barge seemed like the perfect iconic image to celebrate the Rifts® 30th Anniversary. Small words under the image read: “2022 Palladium Books Open House” but you don’t need to have been at the POH to proudly wear this shirt. I’m tempted to say this evocative new T-shirt is my favorite, except I love all the new shirts. – Kevin Siembieda

• White print on a black T-shirt.
• Art is the iconic Splugorth Slave Barge by Kevin Long.
• 50/50 blend. Machine washable (follow instructions on the shirt).
• Available in select sizes Large to 5XL, while supplies last.
• Cat. No. 2606 – $19.99 retail for sizes large and XL. Larger sizes cost more, see store for complete details. Available now.

 

NEW! Rifts^® Red ‘Borg GAME MASTER T-shirt

The dynamic Red ‘Borg looms menacingly on this shirt. The words “Game Master” in bold, block letters and distressed type. Under it “Palladium Books.” It screams Rifts®, Palladium Books®, and don’t mess with the Game Master. I love this shirt too. – Kevin Siembieda

• Red print on a black T-shirt.
• Art is the iconic Red ‘Borg by artist Kevin Long.
• 50/50 blend. Machine washable (follow instructions on the shirt).
• Available in select sizes Small to 5XL, while supplies last.
• Cat. No. 2607 – $19.99 retail for sizes small, medium, large, and XL. Larger sizes cost more, see store for complete details. Available now.

 

NEW! Adventure Boldly Fantasy T-shirt

This epic fantasy shirt features one of our favorite Scott Johnson fantasy pieces with a bold adventurer accompanied by her dragon hatchling ally. Is she a warrior? A wizard? A thief? Whatever she and her companion may be, they have their eye on the prize inside the castle in the distance. I love this shirt, but then Palladium Fantasy holds a special place in my heart, and this artwork represents the many facets of the fantasy setting and the bold, imaginative gamers who play it and all our games. – Kevin Siembieda

• White print on a black T-shirt.
• Art by Scott Johnson with the words “Adventure Boldly” and under it “Palladium Fantasy RPG” in smaller type.
• 50/50 blend. Machine washable (follow instructions on the shirt).
• Available in sizes Small to 5XL, while supplies last.
• Cat. No. 2608 – $19.99 retail for sizes small, medium, large, and XL. Larger sizes cost more, see store for complete details. Available now.

 

5 New Rifts^® 32 mm miniatures – Available now!

Five new detailed Rifts® miniatures commissioned by Carmen Bellaire who is allowing Palladium Books to print and release them. We expect a few more to be offered later this summer and fall.

 

Rifts^® CS Missile Launcher Dead Boy Miniature

CS Soldier in Dead Boy armor, kneeling with a rocket launcher pointing at his next target. Better hope it is not you. Exquisite detail.

• 1 1/4 inches tall.
• Sturdy, detailed, lightweight, gray resin miniature.
• Quick and easy to build. Fun to paint.
• Sculpted by Ben Calvert-Lee. Thank you Carmen Bellaire and Rogue Heroes LLC.
• $9.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8049 – available now.

 

Rifts^® Coalition Officer Miniature

CS Officer in Dead Boy armor. A laser pistol in one hand, a Vibro-Knife in the other. A dynamic and detailed figure.

• 1 5/8 inches tall.
• Sturdy, detailed, lightweight, gray resin miniature.
• Quick and easy to build. Fun to paint.
• Sculpted by Ben Calvert-Lee. Thank you Carmen Bellaire and Rogue Heroes LLC.
• $9.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8050 – available now.

 

Rifts^® Ley Line Walker Miniature

Ley Line Walker forming an energy sphere and walking above the ground along a crackling ley line. His cape blowing in the wind, a Wilk’s laser pistol in the other hand. This is the best depiction of this mage ever. Incredible detail. It is almost as if he has walked off the page of the Rifts® RPG.

• 2 1/8 inches tall on a custom, elevated ley line base.
• Sturdy, detailed, lightweight, gray resin miniature.
• Quick and easy to build. Fun to paint.
• Sculpted by Ben Calvert-Lee. Thank you Carmen Bellaire and Rogue Heroes LLC.
• $14.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8051 – available now.

 

Rifts^® Triax Combat Cyborg with Rail Gun Miniature

Think Red ‘Borg! This fun, dynamic figure is shooting from the hip with his rail gun. Incredible detail.

• 1 3/4 inches tall.
• Sturdy, detailed, lightweight, gray resin miniature.
• Quick and easy to build. Fun to paint.
• Sculpted by Ben Calvert-Lee. Thank you Carmen Bellaire and Rogue Heroes LLC.
• $14.99 – Cat. No. MI8052 – available now.

 

Rifts^® Chainsaw Glitter Boy and Pilot Miniatures – Set of 2 figures

Both Glitter Boy and Pilot wield menacing combat chainsaws. The Glitter Boy stands pointing, as if calling out his next opponent, on a super-detailed custom base with a slain Coalition soldier laying at the Glitter Boy’s feet, with the tip of the M.D. chainsaw resting through the fallen Dead Boy’s armor and body. Truly stunning.

• Phenomenal detail – you can see the teeth of the chainsaws!
• Glitter Boy stands 2 3/4 inches tall to the tip of the stowed Boom Gun and handle of the chainsaw. The Pilot stands 1 5/8 inches, chainsaw at the ready.
• Sturdy, detailed, lightweight, gray resin miniature.
• Quick and easy to build. Fun to paint.
• Sculpted by Ben Calvert-Lee. Thank you Carmen Bellaire and Rogue Heroes LLC.
• $39.99 retail – Cat. No. MI8053 – available now!

 

NEW! Palladium Books^® 40th Anniversary Commemorative Print – Signed

We tweaked and retooled art by Ramon K. Perez and made it our 40th Anniversary Commemorative Print – signed by the Palladium crew.

• Full color.
• 11x17 inches in size.
• Signed in marker by the Palladium crew.
• Shipped in a mailing tube.
• Special price of only $10.00 retail – Cat. No. PR833 – available only from Palladium Books. Now shipping.

 

NEW! Rifts^® Explore the Megaverse^® – Red & Gold Pen

A handsome, laser etched, soft-touch pen with stylus for use on a smartphone or tablet. It features the Rifts® logo and the words “Explore the Megaverse® – white print on a burgundy pen with gold color clip and tip.

• $5.00 retail – Cat. No. 2604 – available only from Palladium Books.

 

NEW! Palladium Books^® 40 Years of Adventure – Black & Gold Commemorative Pen

A handsome, laser etched, soft-touch pen with stylus for use on a smartphone or tablet. It features the Palladium Books logo and the words “40 Years of Adventure” – white print on a black pen with gold color clip and tip.

• $5.00 retail – Cat. No. 2605 – available only from Palladium Books.

 

© 2022 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, 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.