Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 1, 2022

Weekly Update Opening Graphic

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

By Kevin Siembieda

I have said it a million times before, but Palladium fans are the greatest in the world. Thank you for your titanic support of the Rifts® Titan Robotics Kickstarter. You’ve made Sean and me very proud, happy and humbled. Fear not, we will not disappoint. And this is just the beginning of what’s to come. All the editions of Rifts® Titan Robotics and Cyberworks Collection are gonna be gorgeous. The Poker Deck is sweet, and the art prints and PDFs are nice additions to any collection. And for those top backers, the original art will make you grin from ear to ear. We know you’ll be pleased. The BackerKit pledge manager will be available to you soon.

And that’s not all, you wonderful people have been ordering Christmas Surprise Packages as well as the titles offered in Palladium’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale like crazy, not to mention the DriveThruPRG Thanksgiving PDF sale. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

All your kind efforts combined with our own all go toward making Palladium stronger and able to bring in more talented people to enable us to produce more great books for you! Your support of Sean and Palladium’s future means the world to us.

 

UPDATE: Creature Feature now shipping and folks love it! We are getting all kinds of positive feedback about Creature Feature. That includes my co-author, Steven Dawes, who gives it two thumbs up and is handing out copies to everyone he knows. We had a nice chat and he is thrilled with the final product. 15 dynamic and unique monsters, rules clarifications, gaming tips, adventure and more. What’s that? You haven’t played Beyond the Supernatural? Well, maybe it’s time you gave it a try. The Palladium Christmas Surprise Package offer is a great way to try new settings like BTS and pick up other titles you’ve been meaning to try. There’s nothing quite like Beyond the Supernatural on the market. And yes, further support of the game line is coming in with Beyond Arcanum™ and Tomes Grotesque™, among other ideas. We just are not ready to speculate on release dates.

Creature Feature at palladium-store.com

 

FREE Creature Feature™ Preview on DriveThruRPG.com – Some snippets of choice material provide you with a window to what’s in this epic book. Check it out before you place your order to see if you like what you see. (You will.)

 

COMING: “Original” Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG Bonus Foil Hardcover (1st Edition rules and monsters). Due to popular demand from our fans, we have a deluxe, blood red foil hardcover at the printer. This is a reprint of the 1st Edition Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG “Bonus” Edition hardcover; exactly as it was originally printed, plus an epic 32 page adventure from The Rifter® by Hendrik Härterich as bonus material. As soon as we have a confirmed ship date from our printer we will let you know. We are hoping to have before the year’s end.

Red foil on a black faux leatherette. 288 pages, $55.00 retail – Cat. No. 699HC – release date to come. (Hoping it will be end of December or early January.)

 

Temporarily OUT of STOCK – “Original” Palladium Fantasy RPG® Commemorative “Bonus” Foil Hardcover (1st Edition rules) – Hardcover sales for the holidays across the board have exploded and cleaned the shelves of this fan favorite hardcover. Luckily we anticipated it and sent a new print run to the printer weeks ago. We hope to have it back in print by the end of December, possibly a bit sooner (or so the printer tells us). This is the original 1st Edition Rules RPG including Erick Wujcik’s 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 – should be back in stock soon. We’ll keep you posted.

 

Can’t get enough of Rifts®? Check out the Pinnacle Rifts® for Savage Worlds crowdfunder taking place right now! The campaign includes Terror on the Dark Fronter (i.e. the New West setting), the first campaign boxed set ever for Rifts®, the new Land of a Thousand Islands South America World book that brings the lore and adventures of the region from 102 P.A. to 109 P.A., a beautiful map of Rifts® South America, jungle and New West Battle Maps, the massive Rifts® Pawn Set 2 (full color cardboard minis), and more.

http://PEGINC.com/campaign/Rifts-for-Savage-Worlds-Dark-Frontier-Thousand-Islands-Booster/

 

I don’t know why life has to be bittersweet. Some very sad news. Amidst all the excitement of the holiday and the Titan Robotics Kickstarter, crushing tragedy has struck the Palladium family. It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that Julius Rosenstein is in a coma. He suffered an accident that deprived his brain of oxygen for what was probably hours. His family will be taking him off life support and let him go any day now. Our hearts go out to them because we share their pain and sorrow. Julius has been my dear friend since I was 21 years old, and he was a vital part of the Palladium Family since the inception of Palladium Books.

All of us are devastated by this unexpected turn of events. Julius only recently retired from Palladium Books after 33 years. He still had the keys to the building because Wayne and I had made him his own little space in the warehouse where he could come and go to do as he pleased and hang out with us anytime. He also continued to help out on a freelance basis. His last job, proofreading Creature Feature. Julius had gotten into the routine of coming in every Wednesday and Friday, sometimes other days too, and was always a welcomed presence. He even made sure to participate in our Wednesday staff meetings. It was nice to see him regularly and we always appreciated his insight and suggestions. I’m glad to say I told him as much only two days before the incident that would lay him low. I told him I loved him and what a great friend he has always been, and how happy I was – all of us were – that he came by every week.

He was a true character. A great RPG player, a stellar Game Master, a 3rd (or was it 4th?) degree black belt Aikido master (not that you’d know it by looking at him), a loyal and trusted friend and employee, and a gentle, kind, goof. His sudden absence hurts and feels wrong. He’ll be missed. I don’t want to elaborate here, so if you want to read more about Julius and his place among the Pantheon of Palladium Heroes, see my Closing Thoughts. Rex Barkdoll has set up a forum where you can share your thoughts and tell stories about Julius. He was one of those guys everybody liked and never had a bad word to say about him.

 

Christmas Grab Bags

Christmas Surprise Package – The best deal in gaming

3 weeks till Christmas – only 7 days to order and receive it in time for Christmas via Media Mail

The best deal in gaming – physical books at PDF prices – $100+ worth of goodies (often more) for $58 (plus shipping). Physical game books at PDF prices, and we will sign them if you would like us to. Only 3 weeks till Christmas and Kwanzaa, and less till Hanukkah (starts December 18). EVEN LESS TIME when you account for shipping and delivery! Beat the holiday rush and order yours this week or next to guarantee it arrives in time for Christmas. It is the perfect holiday, birthday, or anniversary gift for any gamer, or treat yourself. The Surprise Package Offer ends December 24, 2022. Spread the word.

Christmas Surprise Package at palladium-store.com

 

Surprise Packages make amazing holiday and birthday gifts, as well as a great way to try new settings, fill holes in your collection, replace worn out books, and get autographs. They are our way of saying thank you and showing our appreciation to you, our wonderful fans and customers. You have till Christmas Eve to order, but if you want them in time for Christmas you need to order before December 15.

Please Help Palladium reach your fellow gamers by spreading the word about these Christmas Surprise Packages so they too can enjoy the benefits of this singular offer. A great gift for any holiday, birthdays, anniversaries, and any occasion. No other gaming company in the worlds offers a deal like this.

Christmas Surprise Package at palladium-store.com

 

Christmas SHIPPING Update

23 days till Christmas Eve – but ONLY about 7 days left to order and get delivery by Christmas via Media Mail.

Place your orders no later than the dates below to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas (by December 24) without incurring additional costs for expedited shipping. These recommendations come from the shipping companies themselves.

  • United States Postal Service: Media Mail – December 8 and even then there is no guarantee. That said, you should get packages shipped via Media Mail as late as December 14. Last year mail delivery was very good, but the US Mail seems a bit less reliable this year and we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas when you use Media Mail. YOU assume ALL risk when you ship via Media Mail.
  • United States Postal Service (in USA): Priority Mail – December 15.
  • UPS Ground (anywhere in the contiguous USA) – December 15. Last year, UPS was astonishing in its speed and accuracy of shipping. Most UPS Ground packages arrive anywhere in the contiguous USA within 5 business days, often a day or two sooner.
  • UPS 3-Day Select – December 19.
  • UPS 2nd Day Air – December 20.
  • UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 23) – December 21, remember, we need time to process and pack your order!
  • To our friends in Canada and overseas – December 6 with no guarantee. We suggest ordering no later than December 6, but SOONER is better. At this point in time, we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Your package should arrive in time, but if there are delays at Customs, work strikes, bad weather, etc., it might miss. Order sooner rather than later. Note: Right now, we are finding overseas orders are taking 18-34 days to arrive, sometimes longer! Cost Saver: A Surprise Package mitigates overseas shipping costs – take advantage of this while you can. It is, in effect, the equivalent of getting the books you want at retail, plus autographs, and paying the equivalent of only $10-$30 for overseas shipping! MANY overseas customers take advantage of the Surprise Packages for this reason! And it is likely the ONLY way for you to get autographs. Give it a try, we don’t think you will be disappointed.
  • Any orders placed after these dates may arrive in time for Christmas but we cannot guarantee it AND you should assume they will NOT arrive in time for Christmas. Please spread the word and place those orders as soon as you can. Ho, ho, ho and happy holidays.
  • 2022 Shipping Note: As always, at Palladium, we will be working overtime and do everything we can to process orders as fast as possible to get them to you for the holidays. However, after the package leaves the Palladium warehouse, delivery is out of our hands. As we get closer to Christmas, UPS Ground and Priority Mail will be your most reliable and timely methods of shipping. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Creature Feature

Creature Feature™, a Beyond the Supernatural™ Sourcebook is a hit

Fans are loving it. Steve Dawes loves it. Everyone is saying good things about this diverse and frighteningly fun resource for players and Game Masters alike. Not sure it is for you? Take a look at the FREE Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com for deeper insight.

Beyond the Supernatural™ is set in our modern world but seen through the lens of mystery and the supernatural. A lens that lets us see clearly the “things” – the creatures and powers – that science and our rational minds tell us are not real. It is a world of shadows and the uncanny where a monster may really be hiding under your bed or stalking the alley. Creatures that lurk in dark corners and prey upon the unsuspecting, the innocent, and the wicked.

Creature Feature is a journey into just a few of those dark corners. Places where strange and terrible creatures wait, and bold heroes and psychic investigators face their fears and fight against the gathering arkness.

  • 15 supernatural creatures described in depth. Some are new. Some were pulled from the pages of The Rifter® but updated and expanded (many completely rewritten). All of them are dynamic, scary, and offer different horror adventure experiences.
  • Each creature offers adventure hooks and ideas for more.
  • The art of making and running monsters.
  • Creature encounter table and tips on making unique creatures.
  • Player paranormal investigator background table.
  • Game Master source material and tips for running modern horror.
  • More world setting and monster hunting lore.
  • Rules clarifications and errata.
  • A full adventure and numerous adventure suggestions.
  • Paranormal encounter ideas, tips, advice, NPCs, and more.
  • Written by Steven Dawes, Kevin Siembieda, and others.
  • Art by Steven Cummings, Nick Bradshaw, and others.
  • 192 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 704 – available now!

Pre-Order Creature Feature

 

UPDATED List of RPG Hardcovers Available Now

 

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

 

Rifts Bestiary Volume Two

Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume Two – Coming

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.

Pre-Order Rifts Bestiary Two

 

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Free Sneak Preview of Creature Feature and much more.

FREE Creature Feature™ Preview provides you a glimpse of what you will find in this epic book. There also FREE Sneak Previews of Rifts® Coalition Manhunters, Northern Gun 1 & 2, Hell Followed, and select other titles. Those are just some of the 300+ Palladium RPG titles available as PDF books.

No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn and play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!

DriveThruRPG offers most of our 300+ Palladium RPG titles as PDF books, making it easy and inexpensive to try out one of our many games. Also check out the FREE Sneak Previews of Rifts® Coalition Manhunters, Northern Gun 1 & 2, Hell Followed, and select other titles.

 

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 – now through the end of the year

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

- 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.

- 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.

- 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!

- 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.

- New! September 9 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 5 – D. Frisbee and the Curious Case in the Caves – The D'Amore sisters are certainly keeping busy on their trip! A meeting with D. Frisbee reveals a whole glut of information about some of the stranger goings-on that have taken place within bucolic Cozy Caverns. Meanwhile, a mine tour with ol' Tom goes south fast. It happens when Dani discovers something she really wishes she hadn't in the cool caverns below the little town with the most warmth!

- New! September 23 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 6 – A Bumpy Pre-Date Afternoon – With their dates fast approaching, Jazz and Dani are digging up as much information as possible, but will a freak-out underground spell disaster for a promising evening? Or will the D'Amore sisters take their lumps as they come and try to make the best out of a sticky situation?

- New! October 7 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 7 – The Only Good Part was the Sushi – One sister's date goes badly, but it's fun to watch that train wreck happen in real time. The other's goes well, maybe too well. Things get really dramatic after the dates, to the point where the sisters find themselves repeatedly menaced by a shadowy figure that's been stalking their trail! Don't miss the bone-crushing excitement!

- New! October 21 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 8 – The Reek of Burnt Motor Oil – A sudden manifestation of potent supernatural abilities puts the sisters back on the right foot, at least for the time being. The two join forces to attack the ancient alien foe who has been stalking them throughout the caverns. They have put almost all of the pieces of the puzzle together, but now they need something even more important than the truth: A plan!

- New! November 4 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries Chapter 9 Finale – Ghost Bashers – This one is for all the marbles! The sisters gather as much equipment as they can and head out to the old mine shaft for their confrontation with their evil spectral enemy! Dark things are revealed. Will the D'Amore sisters get devoured by the darkness beneath the Earth, or will they drag the vileness monster into the light? Don't miss the explosive finale!

- New! November 18 – Cozy Caverns Mysteries “Bonus” Episode – Cozy After Dark – This is the one where we kick back, stop worrying so much about what's happening in the adventure (since it's over!) and talk about how we created the characters, the setting, adapting an adventure published in 1990 to a 2022 context, cultural issues in portrayal that specifically involve the US Southwest, and give a bunch of information about what we were thinking and feeling as the adventure was going on.

More to come. You can expect a new Heroes Unlimited Christmas podcast special in December, and more episodes of their popular After the Bomb®: Purrsuit of Knowledge™ (mutant animals) series in 2023, as well as a Road Hogs mini-adventure, and could there be a Palladium Fantasy podcast coming? I think there might. We are happy to see more gamers finding these fun podcasts based on Palladium RPG worlds almost as much as we love seeing Palladium fans getting creative and having fun. Spread the word and enjoy.

 

Julius Rosenstein

Closing Thoughts – Julius Rosenstein, a Fallen Titan

I know I may sound like a broken record around every holiday when I talk about telling the people you love how much they mean to you, but I’ve lost a lot of people. The sudden, unexpected loss of dear Julius now serves as yet another reminder of why it is so important. So please, stop and reach out to the people you love and let them know how much they mean to you, especially this time of year.

What can I say about Julius Calvin Rosenstein? I suspect for most people, Julius seemed like a big, friendly, puppy dog or a gamer, always happy to play, run a game, or regale you with tales of Palladium Books and his many RPG adventures. He’s a simple man who enjoyed life’s simple pleasures: gaming, reading (everything), super-hero comic books, movies, aikido, puns, food, sweets, an army of friends, and a lifelong addiction to chocolate chip cookies.

Everyone liked Julius. He was so earnest, sincere, and outgoing, how could you not? He was like a friendly, happy puppy dog, and who doesn’t like a puppy? He was well read and smart too, oh so smart, and a master of numbers. A human calculator who could add up a dozen numbers in his head and spit out the total in a heartbeat. Amazing.

The only thing more amazing was his prowess as a 3rd or 4th degree black belt in Aikido. I’ve told this story dozens of times over the last week as I call his many friends, so I might as well tell it one more time here. It sums up this sweet, gentle, unassuming human being quite nicely. One day, Julius comes to the office with a large, square bandage between his thumb and first finger.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I got cut,” said Julius in a matter of fact tone.

“How? Cutting food?” I asked.

“No. Some guy tried to carjack me with a knife, so I had to take it away from him.” He said it like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“What!?!” I exclaimed.

“Yeah, I was getting into my car in front of the house, and this guy says ‘give me your car keys’ and came at me with a knife, so I had to take it way from him. Thankfully, he didn’t have a gun and he ran away after I disarmed him. I didn’t realize he nicked me until I saw the blood.”

That was Julius. A bad ass disguised as a cheerful, pun-slinging, gamer who walked like Popeye the Sailor – unless he was performing martial arts in which he metamorphed into a graceful thing of beauty in motion. He never bragged or showed off, lived in the moment, and always retained his sense of child-like wonder. He and I had that in common, which is why we’d could go full-blown fan-boy when excited about RPG ideas, a book I wrote or he finished proofreading, something he wrote, and retelling our gaming adventures, or expounding about a great comic book, movie, or gaming experience.

Heck, I think when Julius did brag, it was about his friends or one of his brothers. I remember a Halloween party Kathy and I were hosting. It was a cold night and I came in from handing out candy to warm up for a few minutes. Julius, Alex, and a neighbor were sitting at the kitchen table.

“Kevin,” said my neighbor, “Julius and Alex tell me you’re a genius.”

I was completely caught off-guard. I mean what do you say to something like that? I think I mumbled something like, “Um ... I... um, uh ... I don’t ... wouldn’t say that.” Only to be showered with a list of my accomplishments listed off by my neighbor as proof I’m a genius. Things he could only know because they told him. And there sat Julius and Alex grinning at me like a couple of monkeys. It was a very sweet if embarrassing moment.

Don’t get me wrong, like all of us, Julius wasn’t perfect. He could be obtuse and completely unaware of his surroundings, and sometimes he drove me crazy with his odd little habits. For example, he was physically incapable of giving you a yes or no answer. There was always a protracted story you had to listen to before you got the answer. “Julius, did you turn the lights of in the warehouse?” “Hmmm, let’s see. I was working at my desk putting in the inventory numbers for the day when you called over to do X, then you asked me Y, and I said Z, and I washed my hands because ...” Mostly it was amusing. Other times it was frustrating, but it was Julius. But he was a great guy whose strengths far outweighed his foibles. He was a trusted friend you could always count on. Always.

As a role-player, he played a wide range of valiant heroes, but I always thought of Jules as a real world Paladin. In the all-too-brief year Sean knew Julius, he too said he thought of him as a real life Paladin. I have no doubt that if an assailant had tried to attack me, Julius would leap in front of me to disarm him or take a bullet for me. You don’t have many friends like that.

There might have never been a Palladium Books without Julius. Julius introduced me to role-playing. Not just introduced met to it, but would not let me walk away from it after my first two terrible D&D gaming experiences. The passionate puppy dog bounced up and down in front of me insisting I had to give it another chance because he knew I’d love it. I wasn’t so sure. He finally proposed running a special game just for me and 4 other RPG newbies. At the time, I was annoyed by his persistence. I was even more annoyed by our group of work friends who wouldn’t play if I didn’t play. The only reason I agreed to play what I expected to be my third and final D&D game, was to not hurt puppy dog-Julius’s feelings. I would learn years later that our game was Julius’s first attempt at being a Dungeon Master. He was a natural. The game was great even though my awesome character died being stupid. And he was right, I fell in love with role-playing. His games awakened the storyteller and world builder inside of me.

Julius would run and D.M. games for six months before I started to run my own. Every one of his games a wonderful experience. Next, Julius would introduce me to Erick Wujcik, Matthew Balent, and other people/gamers who would become important to me, inspire me, and encourage me to stretch my wings as a Game Master, artist, writer, and game designer. I’d go on to co-found the Detroit Gaming Center along with Erick, Matt, Renee, Robin, and others. I’d discover the MDG (Metro-Detroit Gamers), do T-shirt designs for a couple of their conventions, meet Bob Bledsoe and get work for D&D via Judges Guild, meet my beloved Defilers, and run my legendary three and a half-year game with 26 weekly players every Saturday night from 7:30 P.M. to 8 or 9 the next morning. It was a life changing experience for me that made many lifelong friendships. A game in which I would develop the Palladium Megaversal game system. I would go on to start my own game company, meet my future wife at the Gaming Center, get the TMNT license and then Robotech®. Julius wasn’t done, he’d introduce me to Randy McCall, one of Julius’s friends across the river in Canada. Together Randy and I would create Beyond the Supernatural which would inspire the magical ley lines and rifts in Rifts®. Julius would also introduce me to more Canucks who would become dear friends, such as Randi and Roger Cartier, and later, Carmen Bellaire, and so many others. Julius (and Alex) would be there with me every step of the way.

Julius play-tested every one of my games, even the ideas that never got off the drawing board. He was Xar Xar, one of the greatest of the Defilers, he was my warehouse guy for 33 years, proofread 90% of the books we have published to date (including Creature Feature!), he was at my wedding, helped me through my divorce, was an uncle to my kids, one of my sounding boards, an occasional contributing writer, one of my rocks through thick and thin, and one of my oldest and dearest friends. Geez, I met Julius when I was 21. We worked together at an art supply store and hit it off immediately. I started there in 1977. Julius would have been able to tell you the exact date, because he had a great memory for such things. He recently pointed out that we probably met or crossed paths a few years earlier as we attended several of the same comic book and science fiction conventions. He was positive we had chatted before we met in the workplace and was determined to figure it out. His latest theory was 1972 at a tiny little convention called Tri-Con as we were both there among the meager 200 people in attendance. Bottom line, we were life-long friends. I will cherish that friendship and keep Julius in my heart always.

In my imaginings, Julius suddenly and unexpectedly found himself standing at the pearly gates. As he pondered how he got there, I know he was greeted by a smiling Erick Wujcik, Randi Cartier, Kevin Lowry, and other gaming pals and loved ones.

“Julius! You’re just in time,” I imagine Erick saying while flashing his warm smile with open arms. “I need you to come with me to play test my latest game!” And off they go, happily ever after.

Rest in peace my dear friend, and game on.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Friend, & Surrogate Santa Claus

 

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where our Surprise Package customers can offer comments and suggestions with their order. We do so because we want to know what you think, and what you want, and we appreciate your suggestions and insights. The idea to do hardcover editions of core books came from fan comments in the Grab Bags.

Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling of these comments in the Weekly Updates. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have stuck with Palladium through thick and thin and now these new strange times. Please use our games to find escape from the pandemic and other worries. Use them to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each comment. Happy holidays.

 

D.O. in Anoka, Minnesota, writes: I love you guys and just found out about the Kickstarter [a few days ago]. Glad I found out in time! Thank you for years of amazing work.

[We’re glad you found the Titan Robotics Kickstarter in time to participate too. Our thanks to you and ALL the backers who helped make this Kickstarter a success. There’ll be other Kickstarters to follow, so keep your eyes peeled for future offerings. But not until this one has been completely filled and shipped, of course. Great books are coming. – Kevin]

 

T.M. in Louisville, Kentucky, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, and Heroes Unlimited. I have played them all but Rifts® is my home ... I got to meet Kevin Siembieda this year at Gen Con, best moment I have had in a long time ... Thanks for all the memories. I look forward to all the material you put out. Still eagerly waiting for the other books of magic.

[Hi T.M., Gen Con was a blast and we enjoyed getting to chat with you and many fans even if it was only for a few minutes. I want to see more magic books too. They are in the pipeline along with a lot of other book ideas. Sean’s goal is to help free up my time so I can write more. Keep making great memories with friends and family, they’re important and precious. Meanwhile, we’ll keep making great books. – Kevin]

 

D.D. in Quemado, New Mexico, writes: Since rediscovering Palladium’s games during the pandemic, my sons (ages 7 & 12) and I have run so many great adventures in Heroes Unlimited, Rifts®, and thanks to my Christmas Surprise Package last year, Palladium Fantasy®. Nothing more surprising than them rolling up two grumpy old men to play in a Rifts® Underseas campaign. Skaarsguard and Zuni are still on patrol, last seen in the shimmering waters!

[Awesome and welcome back, D.D. I am glad the kids are enjoying the games as much as the grown-ups. I hope you all continue to enjoy RPG adventures across the Palladium Megaverse for years to come. – Kevin]

 

W.M.C. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, writes: I’ve been waiting all year for this. I purchased two Surprise Packages last year. One of the books I received was the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. I loved it. Can’t wait to see the final product.

[Hey W.M.C., glad you enjoy our books so much. Yep, the Lazlo World Books (there will probably be 2 or 3 of them) are going to be epic. One of the many project quietly moving forward behind the scenes. – Kevin]

 

T.D. in Palmview, Queensland, Australia, writes: Merry Christmas Kevin and Palladium Team. I LOVE the Surprise Packages every year! Fantastic value and amazing addition under the tree for X-Mas morning. Thanks for the hard work and continued efforts to bring the Mechs & Magic to Christmas.

[Our pleasure, T.D. We are delighted the Surprise Package brings you so much enjoyment. – Kevin]

 

F.D. in Muncie, Indiana, writes: I have been playing and enjoying Palladium’s games since the mid-1980s, but have not pulled the trigger on the X-Mas Surprise Package until now! Call me “Late to the party.”

[Hey Late to the Party, welcome. I think you’ll enjoy your Surprise Package and wonder why you waited, but better late than never. Spread the word. – Kevin]

 

M.B. in Seattle, Washington, writes: Hi. I LOVE this deal. Had fun last year. Favorites are Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited.

[We love that you love the Grab Bags and our games, M.B. – Kevin]

 

S.P. in Eugene, Oregon, writes: Love your game system and love the Surprise Packages, one of the best ways to get into gaming.

[Thank you S.P., keep the love and creativity following. – Kevin]

 

E.W. in Franklin, New Hampshire, writes: Thank you for offering the Grab Bag again this year. Out of all the game systems I have played or owned Palladium has been, and continues to be, my favorite. I’ve been with you all since 1990 when I picked up the Rifts® core book. I’ve been hooked ever since.

[You are welcome, E.W., and yes, our RPGs are like crack; once you try one you are often hooked. Bwah-ha-ha! Um, I mean, game on. – Kevin]

 

C.L. in Newark Valley, New York, writes: My favorite Palladium game is Rifts®, by far, though I have played and enjoyed Palladium Fantasy®, Robotech®, TMNT®, and After the Bomb®. I have been playing since I was 14 years old. I am much older now and still love it. Keep up the good work.

[That’s wonderful to hear, C.L. Just wait till you see all the amazing books coming out over the next few years. – Kevin]

 

L.H. in Sun City, Arizona, writes (in part): Favorites are Rifts®, foremost. I mainly look at other Palladium settings to get ideas for Rifts® ... After a lot of testing, I find I really like the magic characters. I also like tech and psionics, just not as much ...

[Charmed, L.H. Keep the RPG magic flowing. – Kevin]

 

G.S. in Colorado Springs, Colorado, writes: Favorites are all of them though Palladium Fantasy RPG is my most favorite. Hi Kevin and Crew, thanks so much for your wonderful games. I really appreciate you guys for 40 years of the great memories your games have made for my family and friends.

[I love it G.S., good times with friends and family is what it’s all about. It has been my honor and pleasure creating worlds and knocking out new characters and adventures for 40+ years. I figure I have at least another 20 in me and I’m bringing in a whole new generation of young creators who understand the Palladium secret sauce. So keep your imagination burning bright and game on G.S. – Kevin]

 

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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. RPG Tactics™, Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

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