Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 8, 2022

Weekly Update Opening Graphic

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

By Kevin Siembieda

First, our deepest thanks to all of you who sent your heartfelt condolences about the loss of our dear friend and Palladium Titan, Julius Rosenstein. He is missed, but not forgotten. Last week was rough, but with your help we got through it. Thank you. There is a forum thread on the Palladium website where you can share your thoughts about and experiences with Julius.

As you read this, Sean and I should be returning from a business road trip. We had rescheduled it once and could not do so again. We should be home sometime tonight or tomorrow. I wrote this Weekly Update five days ago and we signed a zillion books for Surprise Packages before we left. I’m sure Crystal and the guys did a good job while we were gone. Any challenging requests have been put aside until our return for me to handle, which may mean delayed shipping for a few of you. I’m not big on driving long distances, but in a way it is a nice break from the usual routine and a distraction from Julius’s passing. Again our thanks to the many people who have reached out to us and sent condolences to the family.

Only 2 weeks till Christmas! Half that time to order and receive packages in time for Christmas. We will continue to package and ship them as fast as they come in. Remember, you can order a Surprise Package up till Christmas Eve (December 24), but there are NO guarantees packages ordered and shipped via Media Mail after today (December 8) will arrive in time for Christmas. Some may, most will not. We strongly recommend UPS. It’s more expensive, but fast, reliable, and insured. Of course, if you do not need it delivered in time for Christmas, Media Mail is your least expensive method of shipping. Just expect it to take 10-18 days rather than the usual 4-8 days.

UPS Ground Orders placed by December 15 will arrive in time for Christmas barring extreme weather or possible unexpected delays. We recommend you place orders and ship via UPS this weekend and next week to avoid expedited shipping costs to get it in time for Christmas delivery. We will be working through the weekend to make sure all orders placed over the weekend go out Monday or Tuesday. Keep the orders coming and we’ll do our best to get them to you in time for Christmas. NOTE: See complete estimated ship dates below, under the Surprise Package description.

UPDATE: Creature Feature is flying off the shelves because folks are loving it! 15 dynamic and truly 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. Check out the FREE Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com.

NEW and 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; 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 it 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.)

UPDATE: Rifts® Coalition Manhunters and The Rifter® #85 – Gamers must be playing and talking about Rifts® Manhunters because sales have shot up for the holiday season. It is a great book filled with villains, secrets, and information about the Coalition States and its invisible army of psychic defenders. Not to mention 50 new psionic abilities. Check out the FREE Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com. The Rifter® #85 is another title that keeps selling and is seeing strong sales surge for the holidays. Actually, all The Rifter® back issues are selling well.

WARNING! Hardcover Editions are selling like crazy. We should have enough of most titles to get through the holiday season but a few may temporarily sell out before Christmas. For example, the “Original” Palladium Fantasy RPG® Commemorative “Bonus” Foil Hardcover (1st Edition rules), Cat. No. 449HC, sold out a couple weeks ago. We keep a close eye on inventory, so it and three other hardcovers are already being reprinted right now. We expect to get them all back in stock shortly before or after Christmas, but these days, delays from printers are common, so we just don’t know. If you have your heart set on a particular a hardcover title we recommend ordering sooner than later. Note: We have an ample supply of Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Cat. No. 800HC. We also believe we have enough of the Rifts® RPG 30th Anniversary Commemorative hardcover, Cat. No. 800HC30, however we are starting to run low and probably will not reprint it in the future. We’ll keep you posted. Note #2: When you ask for a hardcover in a Surprise Package, it has a $50 value, even if its normal retail cost is $40 or less (for now, they may go up soon). Hardcovers are expensive to print and this is the only way we can cost effectively offer them in a Surprise Package.

Christmas Grab Bags

Christmas Surprise Package – The best deal in gaming

2 weeks till Christmas – only 7 days to order and receive it in time for Christmas via UPS Ground

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 2 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

16 days till Christmas Eve – but ONLY about 7 days left to order and get delivery by Christmas via UPS Ground

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. After today you should assume any package shipped via Media Mail is NOT going to arrive in time for Christmas. There’s a chance, but it’s a big gamble. YOU assume ALL risk when you ship via Media Mail and Palladium will not replace packages lost or damaged in the mail when shipped 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.

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 Frontier (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/

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.

Closing Thoughts

As noted in my opening, Sean and I are on the road on business and I’m emotionally spent over the unexpected, accidental death of our dear friend Julius Rosenstein. Jules was one of my oldest and closest friends. We still can’t believe he’s gone.

So if you don’t mind, I’m going to keep this Week’s Closing Thoughts very short and give you a larger than usual selection of Fan Comments from Surprise Packages. Please keep the orders for Surprise Packages and other products coming in, stay safe, and hold your friends and loved ones close. Tell them how much they mean to you and enjoy a holiday and New Year filled with joy and love and hope.

– 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.

S.M. in Washington, writes in an email: Hi Kevin, I am very sorry to hear the news you posted about Julius Rosenstein. I never had the pleasure of interacting with him but your stories over the years painted a picture of a great person. I will have you and everyone else at Palladium Books in my thoughts during these trying times.

[Thank you my friend. We’ve gotten many messages like this one and they are all appreciated. – Kevin]

J.N. in Wixom, Michigan, writes: I played with Julius Rosenstein in a game by Kevin Siembieda at UCON in Ann Arbor in 2003. I’m sure he couldn’t pick me out of a line up, but I remember gaming with him. It was pretty cool. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.

[Thank you J.N., your prayers and well wishes are welcomed. There is a place in our Forums where you and others can share your thoughts and experiences regarding Julius. And I wouldn’t be so sure Julius wouldn’t remember you, he had an incredible memory when it came to gaming experiences. – Kevin]

S.S. in Kenosha, Wisconsin, writes: Just wanted to mention what a great time my brother and I had at the Open House. Hope you do it again soon.

[I have many fond memories of Kenosha, S.S., from the early days of Gen Con. Glad you had a great time at the Open House, we did too. Talk about great memories from every POH. I’m glad people got to meet the many awesome Palladium creators and G.M.s like Julius, Alex, Sean, Wayne, Crystal, Kathy, Matt B., Matt C., Nick, Amy, Glen, Greg, Jim, and many others, and it’s always a lot of fun. Not sure if or when we’ll do another. – Kevin]

J.P. in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, writes: I’m excited to be playing again. I think this [the Surprise Package] is wonderful.

[Welcome back J.P. and game on! – Kevin]

B.M.H.B. in Arizona City, Arizona, writes: Thanks for this fun way to order your books and products. It is so enjoyable to get a box in the mail and not be sure what I got till I open it up. I wish you all the best for the next year and can’t wait to see what new books come out next. Merry Christmas to you all.

[That’s the idea B.M.H.B., to be like a Christmas present. It is very fun and most folks love it. As for what’s coming soon: Original BTS Bonus Hardcover (1st Edition rules), Titan Robotics, and ... gosh, you’ll have to wait until we announce it. Thank you for the well wishes. Merry Christmas and game on. – Kevin]

P.F. in Albuquerque, New Mexico, writes: I have ordered several of your Christmas Packages in the past and I have never been disappointed. It’s hard to believe that any RPG manufacturer is offering this kind of deal these days, but you continue to go above and beyond!

[We love our fan base, P.F., you are all truly special and appreciated. Plus I love Christmas, so it’s our way of saying thank you and happy holidays! We remember our own fan roots, how to be fun, and we know how to make people smile and feel special during the holidays. It’s a gift and our pleasure. – Kevin]

B.K. in Jerrabomberra, Australia, writes: Great game system. Started playing years ago. I really like that the books have kept the same look and feel all these years.

[Thanks, B.K. We plan to keep the look and feel of our books and all that great art, though you’ll be seeing us getting a little more fun and creative with page layout in the future. Game on. – Kevin]

J.M. in Sarasota, Florida, writes: This will be my 4th year purchasing the Surprise Package. It is always big fun. I love it when the box comes in and I finally see what was sent. Thank you all so much and keep up the great work!

[Thank you, J.M. We’ll keep doing our best. – Kevin]

S.B. in Lake Cowichan, Canada, writes (in part): My father introduced my brother and I to your work when were 7 with Robotech® and soon after, Rifts® and TMNT®. We’ve been lifelong die-hard fans ever since. We’ve even recently gotten into Palladium Fantasy despite our bias toward science fiction. We love your work and hope it continues long into the future.

[Wow, S.B., we’re thrilled you guys have enjoyed our games so much these many years. I think you’ll enjoy Palladium Fantasy. Keep those imaginations burning bright and happy holidays. – Kevin]

A.K. in Sacramento, California, writes: Favorites: Originally I would say Heroes Unlimited. Now I lean toward Rifts® for the sheer variety of role-playing options. Sadly, I missed the Kickstarter. Please keep making awesome games with excellent art. Your games have kept me sane for many years.

[Thanks for the kind words, A.K. Btw, in a few weeks you will be able to get limited edition hardcovers and other items through Backerkit. There will be more Kickstarters in the future so keep your eyes peeled and stay sane! – Crazy Kevin]

D.T. in San Antonio, Texas, writes: I’m a huge fan of all the Siembieda settings and game system. This is a yearly tradition to get at least one if not multiple Surprise Packages. I’ve collected pretty close to 100% of everything. A few Rifters short. Thank you for 30+ years of epic campaigns with great friends. Merry Christmas to Kevin and all of your wonderful Artisans of Imagination!

[Thanks for the high praise, D.T. We appreciate your many years of support. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Ho, ho, ho. – Kevin]

T.L. in Newville, Pennsylvania, writes: Looking forward to the first Edition hardcover foil edition of Beyond the Supernatural!

[It’s coming T.L., hopefully soon. – Kevin]

B.C. in Walland, Tennessee, writes: I have had the pleasure of playing the greatest game system for the past 30 years. I want to thank each and every one of the creators and contributors to this great Megaverse.

[We appreciate your kind words, B.C., and all the love we have been getting from so many of you. Happy holidays. – Kevin]

J.L. in Pearland, Texas, writes: I’ve been a fan of your game Megaverse® from the beginning. Thanks for going as long as you have. I’m looking forward to see what the future brings.

[Hi J.L., thank you for sticking with Palladium through thick and thin. By adding gents like Sean Owen Roberson and many talented folks to our roster, I think you’re going enjoy what we have for you in the future. It’s epic. – Kevin]

A.M. in Columbia, South Carolina, writes: Been a huge fan for a long time. Slowly getting a complete Rifts® collection. Looking forward to the Kickstarter and I also have a full Savage Worlds set. Working toward playing with my son, almost four, who is a big fan of robots and skeletons. (Skelebots? Who knows?)

[I hope you enjoyed and participated in the Titan Robotics Kickstarter, A.M., it was a big success. We can’t wait to get product into our backers’ hands. Check out the cover and story in The Rifter® #85 for Skelebots. – Kevin]

M.H. in Bradenton, Florida, writes: Every year Palladium has come out with more and more amazing content. I have been playing since 1987 and will continue as long as I can.

[Wow, M.H., we are thrilled you enjoy our games so much. Please, game on. – 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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